Lumber

In addition to understanding the basic steps required for running millwork and the need for value engineering in designing millwork, achieving premium millwork requires quality cuts from a truly top-notch millwork operation. No matter how top-grade your lumber is, it can be absolutely ruined if the cutting isn’t pristine. Because of the highly visible nature […]

The current trend toward designs featuring natural wood instead of engineered and composite materials is leading to more and more millwork jobs. While this is sounds like great news, there is a downside: Decades of a tendency toward manufactured building materials has led to a lack of understanding about the nature of wood. As a […]

Whether you’re a builder, a designer, or simply an observant person, you know that great moulding can help a project look complete and add just the right finishing touch to a room. On the flip side, though, poorly designed or executed millwork can detract from an otherwise stunning design. Here at J. Gibson McIlvain, we […]

Whether you’re a boat builder, furniture maker, professional builder, or weekend woodworker, you can buy wood without feelings of guilt or fear over whether you’re hurting the environment and contributing to a waning supply. Hopefully, we can help arm you with knowledge about how the lumber and forestry industries interact and how you’re actually helping […]

Now that you understand a bit of the history (or at least our theory) behind the numbers swimming around on your lumber order (see Part 1), we hope you feel empowered to place your lumber order with confidence and understand exactly what you’re getting. If it’s described in terms of quarters, then what you’re getting […]

Lumber industry jargon can be a bit daunting to customers, especially with the expectation that they understand the lingo used just to make sure they’re buying the right product. And we realize that even though lumber lingo has become, in many ways, natural to those of us who “live” at the lumberyard, it isn’t necessarily […]

In Part 1, hopefully we helped you see the quandary that African sawmills face, as a result of the unique requirements of the North American market. Whether we’re talking about 4/4 boards or 5/4 or 10/4 boards, we can expect any sizes that are not salable outside of North America to come at a higher […]

The most common thickness we sell in exotic species is 4/4. As African species continue to gain popularity, a shortage of 4/4 thicknesses has resulted. The good news is that this apparent shortage is no indication of actual supply: We can easily source plenty of 8/4 and 12/4 boards. Utile, Sapele, and African Mahogany are […]

Lumber pricing is a complete mystery to many, and at J. Gibson McIlvain, we’re not into perpetuating the confusion. In fact, we’re doing what we can to “pull back the curtains” and help our customers understand not only the many factors contributing toward lumber pricing but also how to save money on premium lumber. While […]

A popular exterior species here in North America, Western Red Cedar is an excellent choice for many outdoor projects. From decks to siding, pergolas to paneling, this softwood species is ideal for exterior applications due to its rot and insect resistance. Since it comes at a lower cost than many other exterior species and has […]

As we examined “What Makes Decking Lumber an Unfinished Product,” hopefully you realize that despite its appearances, a decking board is not a finished wood product. You may think that all the travel-weary boards need is a good cleaning; it’s not quite that simple, though. Allowing Time for Rest Just like it’s good for all […]

Did you know that decking lumber is not a finished product? Maybe the word “lumber” clued you in, but you might not know what takes it from the “lumber” to “finished board” state. It’s important to realize that, like all unfinished building products, there are steps required in order to get a decking board ready […]

In August 2013, Rafael Correa, President of Ecuador, made public his decision to allow oil drilling in the Yasuni National Park, obliterating the provisions of the 2006 Yasuni-ITT initiative. The initiative had provided relief to those concerned about the environmental implications of oil drilling in the uniquely virgin region: If they could raise enough money […]

  As a hardwood lumber supplier, J. Gibson McIlvain is committed to stocking a wide variety of both domestic and exotic hardwoods. We are careful to ensure that each board meets our high standards of both quality and supply-chain integrity, and that they are stored carefully and inspected repeatedly. To help you understand the kind […]

The J. Gibson McIlvain Company has been providing wholesale exotic and domestic lumber to companies throughout the United States since 1798. They even supply wood to the White House! Three descriptions of McIlvain lumber include the following: sustainable, legal and affordable. Sustainable Sustainability begins in the forest. It would be easy to see a stand […]