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Lumber Lingo

Thinking Outside the Box About Lumber Sizes, Part 3

Last updated on October 15, 2015 by Sozo Staff Leave a Comment

fresh cut wood boards pileWe’ve already looked at two ways you can save money, help eliminate waste, and enjoy higher quality lumber: Purchase narrow or shorter boards.  In both cases, you’re purchasing smaller boards for a lower price-per-board-foot. (There’s more to pricing than size, but that’s besides the point.) Depending on your job, the smaller size may not be a problem — but it probably won’t be a huge benefit, either. This third issue regarding lumber size is different: You can actually get longer boards for less money than shorter boards. Yes, for real.

And we’re not talking about reclaimed lumber or plantation species or anything of the sort. The same exact board, a foot longer, can actually cost less money.

Just like the nomenclature of “short” boards is unique to the U.S. lumber market, even-length boards are pretty much an American thing. Especially when it comes to Ipe and other species of exotic hardwood decking. While most U.S. importers of Ipe purchase only even-length boards, J. Gibson McIlvain has moved in a different direction, for the benefit of their customers.

kiln for drying lumber
Lumber in kiln to dry

Because the global lumber market does value odd-length Cumaru and Ipe, when U.S. importers refuse odd lengths, they greatly limit their buying power. Many mills actually refuse to do business with buyers who will purchase only even lengths. If a mill does allow a buyer to purchase only even lengths, the volume will be limited, causing the supplier — and, by extension, their customers — to miss out on the benefits of buying in bulk.

The trees will yield various lengths of decking, and the mills will produce a variety of lengths. If a mill allows for our peevishness about even lengths, do you know what they’re going to do? They’ll take the 11-foot boards and cut a foot off them to make them 10-foot boards. And they’ll charge us for the extra labor — as they should.

boards on shelvesSo you, the customer, end up spending more money for a 10-foot board than you would have paid for the same piece of wood as an 11-foot board. What’s more, you’ve wasted a foot of premium exotic decking. We really don’t want that to happen. We don’t think it makes sense for us or our customers, and we really don’t want to be part of perpetuating unnecessary waste.

Wouldn’t you rather have a 17-foot deck that costs you less than a 16-foot one would? That’s what we thought, because we feel the same way. No one is going to walk up to your finished deck with a tape measure — and even if they did, who cares? If we’re the only lumber importer whose customers have longer (if odd-length) decks that they paid less for, then so be it. Everyone else can call us “odd,” if they want to: We all know who’s smarter.

Grading dried lumber at J Gibson McIlvain
Grading dried lumber at J Gibson McIlvain

J. Gibson McIlvain Company

Since 1798, when Hugh McIlvain established a lumber business near Philadelphia, the McIlvain family has been immersed in the premium import and domestic lumber industry. With its headquarters located just outside of Baltimore, the J. Gibson McIlvain Company (www.mcilvain.com) is one of the largest U.S. importers of exotic woods.

As an active supporter of sustainable lumber practices, the J. Gibson McIlvain Company has provided fine lumber for notable projects throughout the world, including the White House, Capitol building, Supreme Court, and the Smithsonian museums.

Contact a representative at J. Gibson McIlvain today by calling (800) 638-9100.

Filed Under: Lumber, Lumber Lingo

Thinking Outside the Box About Lumber Sizes, Part 2

Last updated on October 15, 2015 by Sozo Staff Leave a Comment

active sawmillWhat’s wrong with short lumber? What’s wrong with short people? Contrary to Randy Newman’s song from the 1970s, the answer is the same for both: Absolutely nothing. Here’s a fun fact that backs up that claim: The U.S. lumber market is really the only one that specifies lumber according to such a term.

In America, the term “short” refers to boards shorter than 8 feet. It’s not like we’re talking about 2-foot-long boards here. Most of the time, “short” boards are between 6 and 8 feet long, typically between 7 and 8 feet. By contrast, many Americans request boards that are between 10 and 12 feet in length. European architecture and lifestyles simply don’t require oversized lumber the way we Americans do. But we don’t have to succumb to that kind of peer pressure or tyranny of the trends. And when we rebel against it, we’ll be winning, in a way.

log mill trucksHow Saw Mills Operate

Because of the U.S. preference for longer boards, U.S. sawmills tend to consistently turn out domestic species in lengths 8 feet and longer. When it comes to imported lumber, though, other sawmills are more likely to produce boards in a greater variety of lengths.

As a result, when a U.S. wholesaler like J. Gibson McIlvain purchases entire containers of exotic hardwoods like Mahogany or Sapele, we receive a percentage of short boards along with the more popular longer boards. What’s the percentage of shorts that we receive? It depends on the mill and the species.

at the saw millMahogany trees tend to be small, yielding a fairly high percentage of short boards — about 20% of a load. Sapele and Utile grow fairly large, easily producing extra wide, long, and thick boards, so only 5% of a typical load will be shorts. Other imported species such as African Mahogany and Spanish Cedar are someplace in between those two extremes.

How You Can Benefit

With all that perfectly good “short” imported lumber hanging around, a savvy customer can save a lot of money — and lead time — on a project. Since those purchasing the longer boards are basically offsetting the cost of the shorter boards that come as by-products of their orders, those who are willing to challenge the status quo can benefit by saving money — between 10 and 30%, in many cases! An added bonus is that you’re being kind to the environment and helping eliminate unnecessary waste — the kind of earth-friendly ideology that many people appreciate.

air drying lumberAllowing for short lumber needs to start early in the building process, all the way back in the planning stages. You’ll also want to keep this “short lumber” card in your back pocket for when a customer asks you how to save money without compromising quality. You just might win a new lifelong friend!

If short lumber isn’t an option for you, maybe odd-length sizes can be. Read more about that option here in Part 3.

J. Gibson McIlvain Company

Since 1798, when Hugh McIlvain established a lumber business near Philadelphia, the McIlvain family has been immersed in the premium import and domestic lumber industry. With its headquarters located just outside of Baltimore, the J. Gibson McIlvain Company (www.mcilvain.com) is one of the largest U.S. importers of exotic woods.

As an active supporter of sustainable lumber practices, the J. Gibson McIlvain Company has provided fine lumber for notable projects throughout the world, including the White House, Capitol building, Supreme Court, and the Smithsonian museums.

Contact a representative at J. Gibson McIlvain today by calling (800) 638-9100.

Filed Under: Lumber, Lumber Lingo

Thinking Outside the Box About Lumber Sizes, Part 1

Last updated on October 15, 2015 by Sozo Staff Leave a Comment

logger cutting tree with chainsawDid you know that the U.S. lumber market tends to be a little different than the rest of the world? For one thing, we generally want completely perfect lumber and are unwilling to settle for anything less — for any application. For another thing, we’re big on size. Maybe too big.

We’ve looked before at how requiring sizes different from that which the global market demands has an impact on pricing and availability. Well, that’s not the only way that our pension for pickiness ends up costing us extra.

For years now there’s been a movement toward wider and longer boards. Often, those boards are much larger than the parts into which they will be made.

logs stacked in forestExamine the Reasoning

The basic thinking goes something like this: The more board available from which to work allows for better color matching. In reality, though, color matching lumber is difficult, no matter what. And bigger — as much as we Americans like it — isn’t always better. In fact, the opposite is often true, at least when it comes to lumber: some of the most beautiful specimens are actually quite short and narrow.

How does that make sense? Lumber grading is basically a game of percentages, with grade being based on the percentage of defect-free material and minimum cutting size. Consider this: If you have a pristine board, but it’s shorter and narrower than the FAS or FEQ grade allows, it will technically be classified as being lesser grade. Translation?

Realize What’s Available

claw crane moving logsMuch of the time when a premium supplier like J. Gibson McIlvain has lumber that isn’t quite “top grade,” it’s because of size, not defects. We even have Select or Common grade lumber that’s completely free from any defects! We’re talking 95% or better, perfectly clear wood. But because of size, it’s not technically” top grade, which means you don’t have to pay top grade prices.

Consider Your Real Needs

It’s actually in your best interest to go smaller when you can: You’ll get higher quality lumber, lower prices, or maybe even both. If you’re working on mouldings or boat cover boards, you absolutely need long lumber. Other specialty applications may require exceptionally wide boards. But most of the time? You could probably downsize your order a bit.

lumber operations overseasIf you’re planning to rip and crosscut your boards, why not just buy thinner ones, instead? If you’re going to end up chopping up the board anyway, you’d be better off starting with smaller pieces. Not only will you be able to purchase higher quality boards, but you’ll also be able to save some cash.

You’re also doing others a service by leaving the long and wide boards for those whose projects truly require them — feel free to consider it your “good deed” for the week! On the flip side, of course, this whole trend toward wide and long boards has left plenty of perfectly good short, narrow lumber, allowing the principle of supply-and-demand to work even more strongly in your favor, if you purchase these by-products.

Continue with Part 2.

J. Gibson McIlvain Company

Forklift loading lumber at J Gibson McIlvain
Forklift loading lumber at J Gibson McIlvain

Since 1798, when Hugh McIlvain established a lumber business near Philadelphia, the McIlvain family has been immersed in the premium import and domestic lumber industry. With its headquarters located just outside of Baltimore, the J. Gibson McIlvain Company (www.mcilvain.com) is one of the largest U.S. importers of exotic woods.

As an active supporter of sustainable lumber practices, the J. Gibson McIlvain Company has provided fine lumber for notable projects throughout the world, including the White House, Capitol building, Supreme Court, and the Smithsonian museums.

Contact a representative at J. Gibson McIlvain today by calling (800) 638-9100.

Filed Under: Lumber, Lumber Lingo

Making Sure Your Lumber is Legal

Last updated on September 25, 2013 by Sozo Staff Leave a Comment

Illegal wood is a problem that affects all of us. As a buyer, you need a way to know that the wood you are purchasing is, in fact, legally harvested. FSC certification once provided that guarantee, but recent events have caused people to wonder.

In 2011, the Justice Department raided Gibson Guitar Company. In the process of the raid, the government seized shipments of lumber that were believed to be illegally obtained. The company lost millions of dollars, yet the wood in this particular case was FSC certified. It also had all required CITES documentation. Still, the government determined that the lumber was illegally obtained.

So how can those in the market for wood protect themselves? First, they need to realize that the FSC stamp may not provide the full protection they need. The FSC certifies forests, not the harvesting and processing of the wood. FSC certification simply means that the forests are healthy and thriving.

Because we want to be aboveboard, J. Gibson McIlvain  looks for suppliers that offer more than just the FSC guarantee. The Timber Legality and Traceability Verification (TLTV) is one of these. This certification is overseen by the Societe Generale de Serveillance (SGS), and through regular audits and continued monitoring, the SGS verifies a company’s wood production and also its tracking information. This is so thorough that it literally tracks everything a lumber mill does, and this easily weeds out illegal practices. Basically, TLTV takes over in verifying the legality of the wood once it leaves the forest and the protection of FSC oversight.

Harvest, process and export are not all that needs to be overseen, however. Sometimes, companies can legally process and export a tree, without having the legal right to harvest it in the first place. This is where Verification of Legal Origin (VLO), a verification shows that a lumberyard has the right to harvest the tree, comes into play. VLO certification follows the paper trail that proves what forest the wood came from. This does overlap with the FSC certification to some extent, but the added protection is ideal for those companies who want to be certain that they are above reproach.

We also pursue wood with Verification of Legal Compliance (VLC). This looks at the way in which the tree is harvested and makes sure that it is legal. VLC takes into account state and local laws about forestry, which helps to ensure that valuable hardwoods continue to thrive. In most instances, wood with VLC certification is harvested in a low impact way.

In the United States, most companies and consumers rely on FSC certification. While this is good, it may not be enough. Therefore, lumber industry leader McIlvain Company also relies on TLTV, VLO, and VLC to provide consumers and suppliers with further options to ensure the wood they are buying and selling is, in fact, legal.

For over 200 years, McIlvain has been a top player in the lumber wholesale business.  With our centuries of experience, the unmatched expertise of our dedicated order specialists, our vast inventory of domestic and exotic hardwoods and softwoods, our in-house millwork capabilities, and our newly introduced plywood selection, it’s no wonder that we’ve been one of America’s favorite lumber wholesalers since 1798. We offer the highest quality lumber in the business and serve some of the world’s most discerning customers, and  our nationwide shipping ensures that your top quality lumber will arrive on your job site on schedule. For more information on what sets McIlvain apart or to request a free quote, visit our website today, or check out these selections from our lumber blog:

  • Lumber Sustainability and Stewardship
  • How Lumber Built This Country
  • Bruynzeel Marine Grade Plywood

Filed Under: General Wood, Lumber Lingo

Lumber Lingo: Quarter Sawn Oak

Last updated on May 22, 2012 by Sozo Staff Leave a Comment

Just about anyone who’s ever shopped around for wood products—from individual homeowners shopping for decorative shelving or kitchen cabinets to contractors seeking vast amounts of wholesale lumber—has heard or seen wood marketed as “quartersawn oak.” The attentive consumer has likely noticed the higher price tag attached to such wood products, but some may wonder exactly why such cuttings are so prized. [Read more…] about Lumber Lingo: Quarter Sawn Oak

Filed Under: Lumber Lingo

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