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

"peter" wrote in message
news:mF4Ag.7381$jt.1182@trnddc04...
Is it generally possible to buy lumber from lumber mills directly that
(hopefully) cost less than from home depot or lowes?

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.

"peter" wrote in message
news:mF4Ag.7381$jt.1182@trnddc04...
Is it generally possible to buy lumber from lumber mills directly that
(hopefully) cost less than from home depot or lowes?

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.

"peter" wrote in message
news:mF4Ag.7381$jt.1182@trnddc04...
Is it generally possible to buy lumber from lumber mills directly that
(hopefully) cost less than from home depot or lowes?



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

On Wed, 02 Aug 2006 16:46:10 GMT, "peter" wrote:

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

=============
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.

"Bob G." wrote in message
news
On Wed, 02 Aug 2006 16:46:10 GMT, "peter" wrote:

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

=============
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...

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

On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 12:13:48 -0400, wrote:

On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 15:58:15 GMT, "peter" wrote:

BTW, what is the difference between a lumber yard and a saw mill?

The saw?


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

On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 13:05:18 -0400, Goedjn wrote:

On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 12:13:48 -0400, wrote:

On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 15:58:15 GMT, "peter" wrote:

BTW, what is the difference between a lumber yard and a saw mill?

The saw?


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

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.]

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.

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On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 11:18:12 -0400, Bob G.
wrote:

On Wed, 02 Aug 2006 16:46:10 GMT, "peter" wrote:

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

=============
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...

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.)

Bob G.

On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 17:48:10 -0500, grappletech
wrote:

A lumberyard that sells used building materials would be cool.

I recently bought a 3over3 6 panel door from these folks for $40.
http://www.historic-albany.org/warehous.html

If you're lucky there might be one near you-
http://www.salvageweb.com/busdir/listing_states.asp

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..

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.

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.


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

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


Yes