If you plan on using lumber for construction, you probably understand the importance of making sure the lumber is properly dried before starting your project. Lumber that isn’t dried correctly can lead to a whole host of problems, such as the appearance of large gaps between boards, discoloration, … [Read more...]

Most lumber customers in the United States have grown accustomed to their lumber boards to starting out at sizes that are no shorter than eight feet in length. Anything less than eight feet is considered to be a “short” board. The demand for these "under par" boards is incredibly low as many … [Read more...]

Architectural plywood panels are the crème-de-la-crème, when it comes to plywood. With exceptionally stable cores and top-of-the-line face veneers, these panels require consistency in the face veneer that meets requirements of large projects such as conference centers or hotels. Sometimes customers … [Read more...]

In Part 1, we looked at what quality control means for exotic hardwoods up through the drying process. We truly believe that effective quality control begins at the source, as we evaluate the harvesting practices and overall reliability of each mill. Not only do we personally visit each mill with … [Read more...]

In a previous post, we explained how more important than the number of plies in a sheet of plywood, the quality and application of glue helps determine the quality. It would be nice if all you had to do was ask about the formula of glue being used, and voila! You would know if you would be getting … [Read more...]

If there’s something we’re not ashamed to be obsessive about at J. Gibson McIlvain, it’s quality control. And it doesn’t start in our lumber yard; it starts where the lumber originates, at the source. Whether we’re sourcing domestic lumber or exotic lumber species from the other side of the world, … [Read more...]

J. Gibson McIlvain specializes in creating a wide variety of architectural millwork.  Because we have a fully functional in-house millworks operation, we have full control over the level of quality millwork we offer. In addition to those designs in our current catalog, we can also work from any … [Read more...]

Do you have a love-hate relationship with the changing color of wood? Hopefully, as you grow in your understanding of what contributes to the color-change process, you’ll become less frustrated and more appreciative of this natural process — as well as able to intelligently plan for and accommodate … [Read more...]

When you purchase tropical hardwood decking, we realize that you’re making quite an investment. But you still need to make sure your expectations are in line with reality, and a big part of that is realizing that decking boards are not finished products. Sure, they may seem as if they are; after … [Read more...]

From weeping sap (see Part 1) to oils and tannins (see Part 2), many extractives contribute to the changing colors of lumber — and the difficulty associated with so-called “color matching.” Whenever we’re dealing with organic products, the issue of natural variation comes up; but with lumber, it’s … [Read more...]

If you were a little disappointed when you learned about the minimum standards of “marine-grade plywood” from Part 1, we hope this follow-up post will help equip you to take the extra steps necessary in order to confirm that the standards you require will be met by the marine-grade plywood that you … [Read more...]

A current trend in the lumber industry mirrors the general American ideology that encompasses almost everything except our perspectives regarding our physical bodies: The bigger, the better. People want wood that’s wider and longer than ever before. And it’s not just for those who actually want to … [Read more...]