Thermally modified siding and decking is made of pure and natural wood, as suggested by its name. Nothing was added to the wood; however, the drying process was different. The majority of decking and siding manufactured from thermally treated wood is considered to be of superior … [Read more...]

You'll note two primary ways the wood moves (see Part 1) as you investigate the variations in wood species. These are referred to as radial and tangential shrinkage, respectively. To see the tangential and radial shrinkage as well as the T/R ratio for various species of wood, it … [Read more...]

If you're going to work with wood, one of the key things you'll have to learn to accept is that it moves constantly. Wood will always find a way to expand and contract, no matter what steps you take to try to stop it from doing so. Wood is an organic substance (in contrast with a … [Read more...]

If you work with wood regularly or even as an occasional hobby, it would behoove you to incorporate some basic safety practices into your routine (see Parts 1 & 2). This will help you to avoid the devastating potential effects of wood dust toxicity, severe allergic reactions, … [Read more...]

Woodworking is an extremely rewarding career or hobby, but it comes with some inherent risks (see Part 1). These include the potential for developing major health problems due to inhaling tiny wood dust particles as well as developing skin reactions from the weather & insect … [Read more...]

Wood is a beautiful organic product that has a multitude of applications. Whether you’re constructing flooring, siding, decking products, ships, furniture, or arts and crafts, working with wood is a deeply satisfying and potentially lucrative career or hobby. It does, however, … [Read more...]

When it comes to lumber color, many customers have preferences — some stronger than others. Even within a single species, though, lumber color can vary dramatically. When you add to the equation that from the time a log is sawn into a board, its color begins a process of changing … [Read more...]

Starting with your unique blueprint or our current profile catalog, J. Gibson McIlvain Lumber can handle all your millwork needs in house. We keep our moulding knives razor sharp and carefully insert them into our moulding head to begin your expertly milled order. Whether your … [Read more...]

While the top-selling hardwood decking species are described in our first and second posts in this series, sometimes you really want to think outside the box of what’s popular. Or maybe you’re simply curious about decking lumber species you’ve only heard about but never actually … [Read more...]

Plywood has a high value in terms of both price and quality, and the two typically go together. To satisfy the demands of our clients, we at J. Gibson McIlvain carry particular varieties of plywood. We also hope to remove some of the mystery surrounding plywood pricing. In the … [Read more...]

What factors into the quality of any given plywood sheet? It's a fantastic question, but there isn't a straightforward response. Since plywood is frequently utilized for its relative solidity (in comparison to solid lumber), that will undoubtedly be a defining feature of a … [Read more...]

In order to better meet the demands of our clients, J. Gibson McIlvain has ventured in the past decade into new areas in addition to its long history of obtaining high-quality hardwood lumber. Along with softwoods, we have dabbled in millwork and decking. Perhaps many people are … [Read more...]

If you’ve been following this series, you know that many factors contribute to lumber pricing. In Part 1, we looked at how the timing of an order contributes to pricing, due to overhead expenses. Then in Part 2, we considered how both seasonal shifts and board width make … [Read more...]