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Hardwood Blog
Perspectives and insights on the hardwood lumber industry.
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Monday, 12 September 2016 20:53
Five Reasons Why We Think the Hardwood Industry is Great
I had the opportunity last month to spend a few days with some of our newer employees. These individuals are young, bright, energetic and new to the hardwood lumber industry. One of the conversations we had was rooted in what some of their initial impressions were of the hardwood lumber industry. Some of their comments surprised me but in general I was pleased that they perceived many of the great qualities that we normally do.…
Thursday, 25 August 2016 19:44
How are MDF panels changing hardwood cabinet door manufacturing?
Manufacturers and millwork plants have been using MDF, (Medium Density Fiberboard), in cabinet doors and other products for years. Since painted finishes have been growing in preference with consumers this trend seems to be on the rise. Many cabinet manufacturers have utilized various different hardwood species, including soft maple, hard maple and even poplar in conjunction with MDF for painted cabinetry. However, if you have been using MDF or plywood for your center panels, have…
Tuesday, 16 August 2016 15:39
How do you calculate the price you pay for your hardwood lumber?
Do you think there is more to hardwood lumber than the cost per board foot? We do! Many people less familiar with the industry might consider hardwood lumber a commodity, but in reality not all hardwood lumber is the same! We find that there can be many differences and they are not just species, grade and thickness. We all know that the market rate for hardwood lumber is influenced by supply and demand. With hundreds…
Wednesday, 27 July 2016 16:57
Five Suggestions to Keep Your Customers Satisfied
Just like many other industries, those of us in the hardwood lumber industry are constantly looking for ways to satisfy customers in ways other than a price concession. It is not always easy, but we have found that focusing on a few value added concepts that improve communication and build stronger relationships can help. We strive to focus on these areas daily and work hard to make these part of our overall corporate culture.…
Tuesday, 12 July 2016 17:16
Width Sorted Hardwoods for Wide Plank Flooring
It is no secret, wide plank hardwood flooring is very popular in new home construction and remodeling projects. Actually, wide plank flooring has been popular for many years. If you think about how homes were built years ago you will recall that wide plank flooring was the flooring of choice in the colonial days! It could be said that today home owners are really just trying to try to recapture that "colonial" or "country like"…
Friday, 24 June 2016 15:22
Reduce Your Risk When Buying Hardwood Lumber
Hardwood lumber pricing changes daily. It is impacted by the overall global supply and demand. Sometimes hardwood lumber buyers think that making a decision on purchasing lumber can be risky. But there are ways to reduce the risk. One way to do that is to buy better lumber, lumber that more precisely matches what you need for production and reduces your lumber waste. As many people know, traditional industry grading rules define “ranges” of…
Wednesday, 15 June 2016 13:58
Why Board Feet? Hardwood Lumber 101
Why does the hardwood lumber industry operate on board feet? Unlike softwoods which are primarily used in the construction trade where most items have to be created in standard sizes, hardwood lumber has had a history of being used to make items such as flooring, cabinetry and furniture. These are items that woodworkers required materials in all different shapes and sizes to make their finished products. So from a buyer perspective their was a great…
Thursday, 19 May 2016 13:58
New York State Sourced Hard Maple Lumber
Hard Maple is one of the most commonly used and one of the most popular hardwood lumber species. Used in a variety of products, from furniture to cabinets, stairs, paneling, woodenware, and more, the versatility of the species is impressive. One of the most common uses for Hard Maple is cabinetry. But markets constantly change, and over the last few years, we have seen some customers that used 4/4 1 Common and 2 Common Soft…
Friday, 29 April 2016 17:54
Four Questions to Ask Before Buying Hardwood Lumber
Some might say that hardwood lumber is all the same and is generally a commodity. Others will tell you buying hardwood lumber can be a very complex process and the types of lumber you can get, even in the same industry grade class, can vary greatly. We tend to believe that not all hardwood lumber is created equal. Therefore, we recommend our customers ask a few key questions before making their purchase decisions. Questions to…
Tuesday, 12 April 2016 20:18
Eight Traits We Look for in a Hardwood Lumber Supplier
The hardwood lumber industry is not that different from other industries. To be successful we need great employees, loyal customers and a team of great suppliers. Some people might not realize this, but even though we harvest, saw and dry our own hardwood lumber, we still purchase in a great deal of green and kiln dried lumber to meet the demands of our customers. So with that in mind we feel we understand what hardwood…
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Thursday, 31 March 2016 13:43
Elements of Hardwood Lumber Pricing
Do you know of all the different stages hardwood lumber goes in for manufacturing? Many do not. It can be quite interesting to think about how lumber goes from the forest to the manufacturing plant. And when you add each phase together you can get a good picture of how the key elements that go into the hardwood lumber pricing. Here is a good summary. Timber to the sawmill – From the time a forester…
Tuesday, 15 March 2016 15:56
4 Common Hardwood Lumber Sorts
Over the years, hardwood lumber suppliers have done a good job of trying to help customers by sorting boards into common sized widths or lengths. We have even been known to sort lumber based on color variation. In our opinion, here are the top four hardwood lumber sorts we find to be the most requested. Width sorted hardwood lumber – Width sorts are very popular with flooring manufacturers and window and door manufacturers. Depending on…
Tuesday, 23 February 2016 14:40
Wormy Soft Maple Described
Have you ever described wormy soft maple to a new person in the hardwood lumber industry? For those us who have been around lumber for a while it is a description we understand. However, it has nothing to do with worms in the wood! The darker streaks are actually caused by a beetle. Ambrosia beetles infest soft maple trees leaving a larvae behind that bore a shallow channel and deposit a fungus in the wood…
Wednesday, 03 February 2016 20:49
Top Sorts Requested for Walnut Hardwood Lumber.
Walnut is one of the most popular North American hardwood lumber species and American Lumber provides walnut to our customers in many different ways. Since walnut is one of the more expensive North American hardwoods, customers try to be very specific about the lumber they order so not to accumulate unusable inventory or produce too much lumber waste. To accomplish this they are many times looking for specific custom sorts designed to work best in…