cheaper lumber than HD?

[peter]

Is it generally possible to buy lumber from lumber mills directly that (hopefully) cost less than from home depot or lowes?

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Sometimes. Depends where you are located and how much you want to buy. Some will only sell full bundles. Most will have a better quality also. Price is not everything if it takes you longer to build due to the twists and turns of the wood.

[marson]

first, where i live, home depot and menards ARE NOT the cheapest source of lumber. people assume this, but there are actually several lumberyards that are lower. the company i work for puts out materials on bid and home depot has never, ever won a bid even though they always try.

it used to be that you could go to small mills and buy lumber, but those days are over as far as i know. still might be the case in some timber producing areas, but good sawtimber has gotten so scarce and expensive that the small operators can't produce much.

and then, like edwin says, the cheap stuff is usually cheap for a reason. i've seen people find deals on lumber and then find out is a pile of garbage.

[John Grabowski]

I go to the local lumber yard. The selection is better, the service is better, and the prices are generally a little cheaper.

[Bob G.]

============= Yes....most of "my" regular Lumber Yards come close or beat the price HD or Lowes charge for construction lumber..with the added benifit that the lumber is better...lack of warp, etc...

When it comes to hardwoods like Walnut ...opps bad example ..try finding Walnut in HD...lets say red oak ...you will find that HD and Lowes prices are 2-3 times more then regular lumber yards..and

5-6 times more expensive then saw mills (but my closest "good" saw mill is 100 miles away....still worth the trip...

Bob G.

[peter]

Anybody knows any good lumber yard or saw mill in Seattle? BTW, what is the difference between a lumber yard and a saw mill?

[gfretwell]

The saw?

[Goedjn]

A saw mill is where they make it. A lumber yard is where they sell it.

[Jim Elbrecht]

Technically correct- but in general use; A saw mill buys logs and sometimes sell lumber-- but Lumber Yards buy lumber already sawn.

Jim [and back to the OP- my local yards are close to or more than HD & Lowes in price. But the quality doesn't compare. What the big box stores call 'select' lumber my local yard sells as common. HD & Lowes don't have anything close to what is really select lumber.]

[grappletech]

A lumberyard that sells used building materials would be cool. It might thrive in a busy area. Used wood, salvaged wood beams from old barns, used structural metal, used bricks, old claw foot bathtubs, antique cabinetry, hardwood flooring, yard water fountains, etc.. I see a lot of good building materials thrown away in dumpsters. I pull it out and bring it home. Most of the stuff I give away to friends. Someone will say they need a few sheets of plywood, and I give them the ones I have scavenged.

[mm]

When I wanted cedar, to repair a neighbor's fence, I used the web to find some place in Balt. that sold it. Only found one thta way, and when I went to order it, it turned out he was ordering it from some place else in Baltimore, closer to me even (and closer to downtown fwiw). He was going to have me pick it up there, but something went wrong, he said, and it was delived to his store before I had a chance to pick it up. (I would sort of like to have known where it was, but I doubt it matters much.)

[Jim Elbrecht]

I recently bought a 3over3 6 panel door from these folks for $40.

If you're lucky there might be one near you-

The problem with lumber is that it is so cheap compared to the labor of getting it off the old building. I have a friend in upstate NY who dismantles and 'moves' old barns and houses. It isn't cheap-- it's just great stuff that you can't buy at any price anywhere else.

There used to be a cabinet shop near my house. Their junk pile was the coolest assortment of shorts of cabinet grade plywoods, particle board and great hardwood lumber. There was up to 12quarter Brazilian Cherry, assorted mahogany, oak & whatever was the hardwood-du-jour of the wealthy clientele that year. I still have 2

42inch pieces of 8quarter by 17 brazilian cherry that I'm going to make some end tables with someday-- It seemed like a waste, but I talked to the owner one day & he explained how expensive it was to pay someone a good wage to try to use shorts-- or to be able to store them for possible use later. All the better for us scavengers.

Jim

[No]

Yes