Especially in an election year, it’s a bit dangerous to mention politics. Tempers are more likely to flare. But before you start citing indictments against “big government,” please notice that in a future post, we’ll take a look at how government intervention can actually hurt … [Read more...]

Amid frustrations over decreasing quality of Genuine Mahogany and problems with sourcing African Mahogany, new markets for other African species such as Utile have emerged. Here at J. Gibson McIlvain, we’re glad this species is finally getting the attention it deserves. Although … [Read more...]

In Part 1 we made a case for the practical benefits of Sapele, and we’re guessing that you’re starting to appreciate what so many others have begun to see in this premium African hardwood species. Sustainable and Verifiable Many lumber species that quickly rise in … [Read more...]

Genuine Mahogany and African Mahogany are becoming difficult to source these days — especially if you require lumber that’s high quality, reasonably priced, and delivered on time. Partly as a result of the increasingly significant market for an alternative to Mahogany, Sapele has … [Read more...]

With all the issues regarding the downgrading of Genuine Mahogany and the availability of African Mahogany, many of our customers have been asking for suggestions of alternative species. The good news is that some of these alternatives may be even better than the Mahoganies and … [Read more...]

Whether it’s Cumaru, Ipe, Massaranduba, Tigerwood, or another tropical decking species, decking lumber can be a bit mysterious. Hopefully our first article on tropical decking installation de-mystified it for you a bit. As you understand more about your tropical decking, we’re … [Read more...]

Here at J. Gibson McIlvain, we truly believe knowledge is an ally in the lumber world. We find that informed customers are happiest, largely because their expectations match their lumber. Especially when customers are shelling out big money for tropical decking species such as … [Read more...]

As we’ve discussed when it comes to odd-length decking, there’s another length-related issue which you may find in your best interest to consider: short boards. Used to refer to any board less than 8 feet in length, the term “short” in the lumber industry usually refers to boards … [Read more...]

As we continue to evaluate North American market norms when it comes to lumber size, we’re again looking at the issue of thickness — this time, particularly, as it relates to plus-sized decking. While it measures about 2 mm thicker than standard ¾” thickness, plus-sized decking … [Read more...]

Following up on our previous post, we’re going to continue explaining the possible options you have if you prefer North American standard thicknesses. As we’ve explained, the North American penchant for thinner boards is actually unique within the global lumber market. As we … [Read more...]