Why does thicker lumber cost so much more per board foot than thinner lumber?
It would seem that the seller has less work to do (less re-sawing) with thicker lumber and would, therefore, be able to sell at a better price.
I can see where very thick lumber may be more rare, but 8/4 vs 4/4 is typically quite a bit more money.
Just curious,
Dave
Replies
By saying that thick lumber is more rare, didn't you answer your own question? High quality thick stock also comes from larger diameter trees, which aren't as plentiful as they were. Small trees won't have the same yield in terms of board width, thickness or length.
dave,
Don't forget thicker lumber takes longer to dry...more storage, more handling, tieing up capital, etc.
Dave ,
The first and most obvious reason that comes to my mind is that thicker lumber must be air dried longer and kiln dried for a longer period of time . So to sum it up the mills have that thicker board in management for a longer time at a bit higher cost per bf . Supply and demand may also come into play on this one . Too bad we can't pay the same straight through .
dusty
Edited 1/8/2005 10:56 pm ET by dusty
The extra saw cut only takes seconds to make, but the drying time is longer which equates to higher energy cost, and if it is not done very precisely there can be huge losses due to de-grade, so there is risk.
The differance is because you're buying at retail and not wholesale..
Buy a lot of wood rough and green and you can get it for exactly the same price..
I pay $.80 a bd.ft. for FAS white oak and it doesn't matter what size!
Hi frenchy ,
Does the mill actually grade the rough sawn and green lumber before it is surfaced and dried ?
Edited 1/9/2005 1:27 pm ET by dusty
They will if you want them to, but I would rather not.. The reason is that Mill run wood is much cheaper than FAS stock.. and the really great wood is the burls and crotch wood/ reaction wood or curley stuff, If you stand at the end of the mill you can look and see what comes off and select the best pieces and pay the lowest price..
I need to get up on my soap box here, I hope you will forgive me..
Too often we surrender our ability to be selective and get the best. If you have some drone pick out the wood for your next project how can you possibly expect the finest?
As for drying and surfacing, why allow the mill to do that? There are techniques available to maximize the average grade of wood by lowering the really excellant quailities of the finest woods in the drying process. As for surfacing, I do hope that you already own a planer.. If you do not how can you consider yourself a wood worker? Aren't you then a wood assembler?
frenchy,
Man you are sure lucky to have a hardwood mill nearby. Here in Oregon we have a few softwood mills left and some plywood mills.So we are at the mercy of our suppliers. I have a 20 year+ business relationship with my main source . They are sensitive of my needs and know if they send me junk I will send it right back. I am lucky to have a group of fellows who take pride in their product . I generally call and let them know what a great job on milling and sorting they did. They tell me I am the only customer who actually calls to compliment their work. I do have a planer and could not imagine working without it , however buying in the rough for me means a lot more time spent milling instead of building .Besides my supplier uses an abrasive surfacing machine that produces a much superior surface that is already sanded with no tearout then what I can do . Thanks for the info
dusty
I am confused you seem to say Mill run is taking the best pieces as they come off the saw.Around here mill run is:You pay your money, you go out back and you take the next pieces that come off the saw or the top pieces off the pile.I only buy the best grade, not FAS but clear 4 sides usually with good figure. On any other grade the travel time or shipping costs and the cost of cutting out defects makes wood too expensive for me.
OK I should eloborate, I've been buying wood to build my double timeberframe home, about 35,000 bd.ft. so far. I know the guys running the saw and they let me stand at the end of the mill and take what I want.. (and charge me for mill run) It's actually a fair deal in that they pay to have wood graded (it costs them a dime a bd.ft.) so everything goes to the grading shed after it comes off the saw.. My few hundred bd.ft. at a time don't make much differance and they do save the dime a bd.ft. it takes to grade things..
Plus because of grading rules the pieces with fine charcter actually grade lower than mill run. My local sawmill is a medium sized mill in that they do over a million bd.ft. but less than 2 million bd.ft. a year so they really don't have a good customer base for the few really fine pieces of wood..
It's ironic in that they see burls and charcter as a negative thing while we all lust after exactly that kind of wood.. They tried to set aside some fiddle back maple they came upon. They carefully sticked it and covered and and a year later they gave it to me for 10 cents a bd.ft. because the surface had blackened and even the pallet mills didn't want it.. Me?, I ran it thru the planner and this weekend I'm building a fiddle back raised frame and panel guest bathroom.. The other 700 bd.ft. are all neatly stacked in my driveway waiting for the next project.
Edited 1/10/2005 4:47 pm ET by frenchy
You get a good deal. Treat those guys nice.
I pay about $.50 /bdft more for 8/4 than for 4/4.
I think labor is a big part of the price. A 4/4x18"x12' I can easily handle. 8/4x18"x12' more than a I want to handle.
Certainly, 8/4 takes more time to kiln dry but it should not take more energy per bdft.
Why does thicker lumber cost so much more per board foot than thinner lumber?
because distributors and retailers know the market supports this pricing model.
It would seem that the seller has less work to do (less re-sawing) with thicker lumber and would, therefore, be able to sell at a better price.
very few pricing models are based on cost plus, the aforementioned market dynamics factor heavily. This is not a highly competitive market to begin with so no manufacturer or distributor has an incentive to compete on price.
Its harder to dry
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