Understanding Lumber Pricing: How Lumber Origin Affects the Cost of Lumber. In addition to quality and size, lumber pricing is highly affected by issues surrounding the lumber’s origin. Particularly when it comes to exotic species, we’re often dealing with issues relating to … [Read more...]

Understanding Lumber Pricing: How Lumber Quality & Size Affects Pricing. While lumber does actually grow on trees, we need to remember something significant about it: it ... grows ... on ... trees. It’s not stamped out by machines making cookie-cutter items that are … [Read more...]

Why is properly dried lumber so important? In a word, it’s because of movement. As a hygroscopic material, the fibers of wood run along a board, absorbing and shedding moisture as needed. This kind of capillary action causes swelling as atmospheric humidity increases and causes … [Read more...]

How Did They Get That Price? The Facets Underlying The Cost of Lumber. While some lumber suppliers may prefer the mystique that comes with keeping their customers completely in the dark regarding their pricing process, J. Gibson McIlvain prefers the open-book approach. We … [Read more...]

There’s something inside all of us that seems drawn to the transcendent, to be part of something significant, bigger than ourselves. Some find that in studying their family tree or in participating in time-honored organizations. Others feel whole when they connect with nature or … [Read more...]

As a General Contractor for a major job, shopping for lumber can be an intimidating and very time-consuming process. If you put the necessary time and effort into shopping for a lumber supplier instead, you’ll eliminate wasted time and worry over whether the lumber you select … [Read more...]

As a builder, you have many decisions to make about each job that you take on, from subcontractors and materials to timelines and profit margins. Every time you need plumbing done as part of a job, you probably don’t thumb through the phone book (or go to good old Google) and … [Read more...]

Buying directly from the Importer of Record can minimize your risk. In case you haven’t noticed, it’s no small feat presently to get lumber safely and legally from the forest to the job site. While all the regulations and liability issues have you wondering how you can … [Read more...]

Government lumber regulations can be complex but are vitally essential. Even though no one likes the added paperwork and sometimes confusing process of keeping up with government regulations, when it comes to the lumber industry, it’s easy to see the far-reaching, … [Read more...]

Lumber shipping considerations for our Caribbean Customers. Offering timely nationwide shipping across the United States is one of the many services that sets J. Gibson McIlvain apart from many of our local competitors. As direct importers of many exotic species who keep a … [Read more...]