CLT panels are put into place at a construction site. CBS NEWS Source: www.cbsnews.com CBS News Sunday Morning recently ran a segment on tall buildings. At first, they featured ultra-tall buildings made from steel and concrete. But then they turned the focus to sustainable skyscrapers made entirely from wood. We’ve posted about how wood is […]

If you’re the kind of person who spends time cruising home improvement websites and daydreaming about building a deck, you’re probably itching to turn all those inspirational photos into reality. There’s nothing quite like a good DIY project to make one feel confident, competent and ready to take on the world — or at least […]

Take a walk around any lumber yard, and odds are good you’ll be treated to the distinctive aroma of Southern Yellow Pine. SYP – the nickname given to this wood by those in the know – is hugely popular in construction; it’s also making a comeback for decorative use in everything from floorboards to small […]

By Lia Therese Feliciano, WIR Contributor Think of how wood is sawed. For most people, this brings to mind an image of a lumberjack using a gigantic saw or an ax to cut through a log. While it may look pretty awesome on TV at the World Lumberjack Competition, it’s totally not how modern sawmills […]

When colonists settled Florida, Virginia and the Carolinas in the 1500s and 1600s Southern Yellow Pine (SYP) played a significant role in their survival. As the first settlers stepped ashore, forests of the four main varieties of SYP – Loblolly, Shortleaf, Longleaf and Slash Pines – greeted them. By Hudson – Photo courtesy National Park […]

When lost, it is possible to use trees to assist you in navigation. Find a tree that has been cut down, you can observe the rings of the tree to discover which direction north is. In the northern hemisphere, the rings of growth in a tree trunk are slightly thicker on the southern side, which […]

We use lumber for everything, from art work, to construction, to so many things in between. But how does it get from the forest to the hardware store?  Typically speaking, trees that are processed to become lumber are grown in managed forests that are harvested for this specific purpose, much like a crop of corn […]

Reading a lumber stamp is kind of like reading the ingredients label on the food you eat. There’s a lot of information – what’s in the product, which body certified it, and – if you know how to decipher the label – how you can use it.  The lumber industry goes to great lengths to […]

Michael J. Connelly, WIR Contributor Looks like you are ready to start your project. The blueprints are in hand, the wood is ready, and the tools are waiting. But before you begin, let’s go over a few things to make sure you work in a safe manner. Protect yourself, folks. (Image Author: Cpl. Joel A. […]

If there’s one thing you can rarely have too much of in your backyard, it’s seating. In an ideal world, you can host a killer barbeque on your gorgeous deck and have ample seating to accommodate a giant crowd. This bench is the perfect little project to use up some of that scrap wood you […]

Who doesn’t love a lemonade stand on a hot summer day? Lemonade stands are more than just a way to teach your kids about money. Building a lemonade stand is fun way to learn some basics about construction. This is too dang cute, y’all. A few hours and a dozen 2 x 4’s = your […]

It’s challenging learning how to build a deck by just reading a step by step guide. While those guides are helpful, like the ones we’ve published, it’s much more realistic watching a deck get built with a helpful expert guiding the way. With that said, we’re sharing several awesomely insightful, and always fun, videos from […]

Gain confidence in your ability to track down the lumber sizes and amount of materials needed for your next DIY project with these pointers. Source: www.bobvila.com We’ve talked about how the lumber aisle can be a bit daunting at first. But we promise, it’s not. It’s a good idea, however, to know what you’re in for […]

Whether you enjoy a glass or like someone who does, why not put your woodworking skills to work and build a wine rack? If you’ve ever shopped for your self, you’ll know they aren’t cheap to buy. Finding the one that suits your exact needs, is made of real solid wood, and doesn’t break the […]