Smart Lumber Buying: Determining the Right Size Ipe To Buy Perhaps you’re likely to balk at the price of Ipe and are having a hard time deciding whether it’s worthwhile to spring for Ipe. Even so, there’s really no debate when it comes to the fact that Ipe is the most durable … [Read more...]
How to Decide If You Need Marine Grade Plywood, Part 3
Determining whether or not you need “marine grade plywood” isn’t always a cut-and-dried decision. You have a lot of factors to consider, including cost, durability, and how much weatherproofing and water resistance is truly necessary for the application you have planned for the … [Read more...]
How to Decide If You Need Marine Grade Plywood, Part 2
In our first article, we discussed the ambiguity that exists in the lumber industry when it comes to deciding whether or not plywood should be designated as “marine grade.” We discussed the APA – The Engineered Wood Association’s credentials as a nonprofit engineered wood product … [Read more...]
How to Decide If You Need Marine Grade Plywood, Part 1
Determining whether or not you need to use marine grade plywood for your next outdoor project can be a bit complicated. For a number of different contractors, ordering marine grade plywood for each and every exterior plywood application would seem to make sense. But the term … [Read more...]
Meranti Is the New & Improved Philippine Mahogany
In the early to mid decades of the 20th century, Philippine Mahogany gained a reputation as a top-notch boat building material. This was the era of the Chris Craft boats made from this durable and eye-catching wood. If a species can be used for building boats, that’s a clear sign … [Read more...]
The Lumber Industry & Its Environmental Impact
Is the legitimate logging industry really putting rainforests in jeopardy? It’s ironic that during a time when green building and sustainability are increasingly popular concepts, composite decking is still considered an option. Among its many downfalls, these manufactured … [Read more...]
The J. Gibson McIlvain Difference, Part 2
What McIlvain Lumber Quality Really Means, Part 2. At J. Gibson McIlvain, we realize that quality isn’t something to take for granted. We go to great lengths to ensure that our lumber products maintain the high standards for which the McIlvain name has become well known for … [Read more...]
The J. Gibson McIlvain Difference, Part 1
What McIlvain Lumber Quality Really Means, Part 1. “Quality” is one of those words that gets thrown around so often, that its meaning becomes blurred. At J. Gibson McIlvain, we pride ourselves on supplying high-quality lumber, but you may be wondering exactly what we mean by … [Read more...]
Thinking Green: Wood vs. Bamboo
Like the myths about tropical lumber, many myths surround the sustainability of Bamboo, as opposed to Hardwoods. When you look at the cold, hard facts, there are actually plenty of reasons to choose lumber of any kind over Bamboo. We’ll take a look at a few of … [Read more...]
Is Composite Decking Earth-Friendly?
3 Big, Green Reasons To Re-Think Composite Decking. One of the major arguments touted by composite decking manufacturers to support their products has to do with the environment. The logic goes something like this: We’re preserving the rain forests by not killing trees, and … [Read more...]
