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Lumber Prices Down

 
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WanMan




Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 10273



PostLink    Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 10:27 am    Post subject: Lumber Prices Down Reply with quote


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Its been about three years since I bought any real lumber. I guess it is the slump in the housing market that has caused this current condition. I called Home Depot and Lowes got quotes for a delivered order consisting of 50 2x4x10' studs and 100 linear feet of 2x4 pressure treat wood and BOTH quotes me $275.91 delivered. Ok, not bad.

I was about to not call a traditional lumber company because every time before they were MORE expensive to purchase from on the retail side. However, this was not the case. I called Arrow Lumber nearest me and they quoted me $197.97. Not only was the resulting order less at the traditional lumber yard, but even their delivery fee was less.

BTW, this is to re-frame all of the poured concrete walls, and re-soffit the rooms with trey ceilings. Part of it is demolition work, because my original work (c. 2003) wasn't to code. So, while I think I am paying a premium on the framing labor ($2600), I am getting a break on the materials.

Now, too bad this diminished wood pricing doesn't include specialty woods like timbers, redwood, fir, etc. and better grades of studs (e.g. #1).

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JustGreg




Joined: 07 Mar 2006
Posts: 3098
Location: Kenosha, WI


PostLink    Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 7:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Code? What is this "Code" you speak of. Twisted Evil

I've noticed the same thing whilst buying and re-buying (the story at 11) the materials to finish the final section of poured foundation outside the HT and to replace the old construction era stairs (treads only and sans skirt board and new stringers) leading down this past holiday weekend. (Instead of sitting on my ass and relaxing, I 'change out' my stairs...Who the f*ck changes out stairs anway!? Laughing Oh yeah...CRT-ers do) Wink While I was at it I wanted to replace the nasty assed cheap paneling with some less nasty but OK looking faux brick panels I bought 15 of on CL.

For everything, drywall included, I came in under $200.00. No delivery fee...that's what I own that $^&*@!?* gas guzzling Dodge Ram for. (or so I say to convince myself that I made a 'good' purchase three years ago). Laughing

Now the re-buying part. I'm not one who fears (or cares) about laying out my mistakes for the world to see so here's what I did.

I needed 10x10x2's to replace the treads. I decided against expensive hardwood 'showcase' stairs because well, it's a freeking basement with a small workshop and laundry room, etc. and figured anything really expensive would get toasted lugging out the occassional dead washer or dryer. (or projector) and such so I settled on yellow pine which is relatively hard.

So off to Lowes I goes. Inside I ask one of their young associates in a spiffy red vest where to find what I need. I'll tell you what, for a young dude, he had the personality of a bag of marbles and the energy level of a 100 year old man just waking up from hip replacement surgery.
He turns and begins walking away from me so I dutifully follow, shoving a wobbly, ungainly lumber lugger cart in serious need of wheel alignment. When we get halfway down the isle (half the length of a freeking football field from where we started out) he flings out his right arm, finger pointed, and mumbles, "Right there", and keeps on walking. Rolling Eyes Didn't break stride, didn't look at me...nada. He was done with my nonsense.

So, following the trajectory of his arm to the 'bay' he pointed at, I whip the tape measure off my hip and measure the LENGTH. Cool. 10ft. (Some of you already know where this is going. Be quiet and don't ruin it for the others). I start pulling out the pieces I call RoadKill, the ones left after the pile has been picked over; which creates a cavern (you've been there...the opening is no higher than 18"...tops).
I now have to shove my fat claustrophobic ass in to get to the tenderloin pieces...or where I hope the choice cuts are. I rummage and pick and peruse and check for the usual suspects; banding boo-boo's, knots not where they should be, warpage; you know, the usual visual inspection crap; until I have 4 good ones. Then I get to re-load the crap. Yay.

So I mosey around and gather up the rest of the things on my list, drywall, screws, furring strips, door trim....and check out. No offers of help loading the truck at the Lumber Pickup drive through. Just, 'Thankyoucomeagain'.

I get home, bust my (still) fat ass getting it all out of the truck and into the garage, use the bed of the truck backed into the driveway as a big saw horse, and begin cutting 36" pieces. With my garage full of handy dandy tools that have been mouldering for a couple years waiting for me to be a hero, I make quick work of it.

I toss three pieces on my shoulder and swagger into the house and down the ladder where the stairs used to be, set down all but one piece, toss the one onto the stringers....and.....WTF!!!! Shocked It isn't wide enough! I measure the riser cut...10 inches. WTF! I measure the tread I'd cut....EIGHT f*cking INCHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Evil or Very Mad

Now, I'd LOVE to blame Skippy RedVest, but the truth of the matter is, I HAD A DAMN TAPE MEASURE!!! So I swallowed my pride (which filled me up for the rest of the day), and called Lowes. I get Dave the manager of Lumber and Millwork. I humbly explain my situation, being careful not to lay the FULL blame on Skippy RedVest, and finish my short story with, "I'm not blaming him (again referring to Skippy RedVest). I should have checked better. I leave it up to you. If I have to buy the wood again then that's the way it is."
Dave tells me to not worry about it and come in and he'll do something for me. (Whack me with the wood I cut and take my tape measure?) I offer to bring the cut wood with me and he says to keep it. Huh. OK.

So I drive back, grab another wobbly cart, go back down the same isle, and the size I needed was one bay UNDER the one Skippy RedVest pointed to. I grab 5 of them this time. (I now have NO confidence in my ability to pull off the project without cutting twice and measuring once and frigging up my recipe). The same routine, pull out the junk, stuff myself into the tunnel....you know the story.

At checkout I wait for Dave the Manager to return from lunch. Only about 10 minutes...not too long. That gave me time to bore the cute cashier to tears with my old guy humor. While waiting I DID see Skippy RedVest slowly amble by...eyes glazed over. He looked shell shocked but I think his condition was caused by whatever he stuffed into a homemade pipe hastily built with pieces from the Plumbing Dept.

So Dave talks to the cashier, whips out his company barcode ID, waves it magically over the barcode scanner...and `Voila! 75% off!

The stairs came out good..in my opinion. The only problem is I ran out of stain on the very last step. One little can was too little, a big can would have been too much. So I bought another little can yesterday. Thrifty ain't I!!!! Laughing Laughing
Next is to build a wall next to the stairs where there currently isn't one and box in the beam and ductwork. <sigh>

Oh yeah...I almost forgot something. Because you have to start at the top of stairs when putting it altogether, and to have someplace to sit and work, I had all the treads and risers in place. So I'm at the top attempting to balance my (still) fat ass to fit onto a 10" wide unsecured stair down one from what I'm working on and stood up to move down one...and the one I stood on flipped under my feet, which dumped me onto the next step, which flipped and dumped me onto the next step....rinse and repeat this all the way to the bottom where I ended up standing more or less upright wondering WTF had just happened. It all happened in a heartbeat...well, if it WAS beating it would have been that long.

It was hilarious. To me any way. But then, I'd already lost what shred of sanity I had at this point in the day so found it uproariously funny. Tear wiping funny in fact.

Yup. I'm the freeking tape measure wielding Indian Jones of carpentry is what I am. Ahhhh yes. I love my projects. The next one will be fun tho. I'm going to change out the roof joists because I don't like the nails they used. Mr. Green



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Greg

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JustGreg




Joined: 07 Mar 2006
Posts: 3098
Location: Kenosha, WI


PostLink    Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 9:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

By the by...sorry for blowing out the page a tad and here's a top down pic of what it looked like before.


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Greg

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AnalogRocks
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PostLink    Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 9:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Couldn't you have just striped the origional one's and refinished? Laughing
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JustGreg




Joined: 07 Mar 2006
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PostLink    Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 10:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

AnalogRocks wrote:
Couldn't you have just striped the origional one's and refinished? Laughing


Nope. It was sh*t pine used during construction that the previous owners never replaced. They literally fell apart when I removed them. Almost all had lateral splits and/or were cupped. Besides, I'm still stripping kitchen cabinet doors I started 2 years ago. NEVER again will I strip something unless it smiles and asks me to. Laughing

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Greg

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AnalogRocks
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PostLink    Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 10:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

(smiling ) Oh Greg....


LMAO

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Zebu Fellenz




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PostLink    Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 12:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

What's with the top two steps Confused

Looks like it was a "fun" project Wink
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JustGreg




Joined: 07 Mar 2006
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Location: Kenosha, WI


PostLink    Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 2:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

<shuddering> You're a nice guy and all AR but....I don't do butts. Shocked LOL Then again...you have some mighty nice cars. Laughing

The top two steps...ya know...I couldn't quite figure out why 'they' built the stairs with those two kick plates covered in perforated metal....I figured it was something to do with the furnace and water heater to release heat so...I selected something I thought fit better with my house (a ranch).

I wanted smaller 'weave' but Lowes was out. It may end up being taken out. My medical wonder wife will probably find a way to get a toe snagged in it and end up hurting herself but until something like that happens I plan on leaving it. I'll be adding black speaker cloth to the back side of it to hide the ducting that I don't plan on boxing in.
I thought it looked OK but then again beauty is in the eyes of the beer-holder. The stairs got a test last night when I had 4 guys from an alarm company running up and down it in groups of two and three at a time.

I'm debating cutting the leftover 2ftx2ft carpet squares I used for the floor in the theater and putting them down with Liquid Nails. Not sure yet tho. I forget what that's called. Not a runner as they'll only cover the middle 24 inches and I'm not going to do the kick plates. I still have to poly them after the stain has set for a week or so so I'll decide after.

All in all it was a fun project except for the thrill ride to the bottom which didn't help my already aching back. What really sucks is I have 12 36x2x8's laying around. If they were in one piece I could have used them to build the riser that's still yet to be done.

But...as WM said when he started this thread, (sorry for the mini detour WM) lumber prices are down for some bizarre reason. I know construction is down across the US but fuel costs are way up. You'd think the prices would have stayed the same but with that in mind, buying more 2x8's is really affordable (and the riser will have LOTS of bracing if I use the 'scraps' I made).

So much to do...so few pain killers. Mr. Green

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WanMan




Joined: 19 Mar 2006
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PostLink    Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 9:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You know, lumber is the only thing thus far that I have found the pricing to be down on. Labor for framing isn't. I wonder if concrete and electrical will be or not. I think the literal home improvement scene has picked up since people are not swapping out homes for newer or better one. This means most trades are going to still be pricey.
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AnalogRocks
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PostLink    Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 4:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'd have to agree on that Wan, I've seen alot of people go full bore into rebulding/renovating their houses rather than trading up. One of my friends sold and traded up and he was saying it's not the time to do it. Guess there's a little regret on his part.

'Nother one of my friends is renovating. He figure's the $15 000 worth of renovation's will be worth $25-35 000 when he sell's.

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AnalogRocks
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PostLink    Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 4:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

JustGreg wrote:
<shuddering> You're a nice guy and all AR but....I don't do butts. Shocked LOL Then again...you have some mighty nice cars. Laughing


So much to do...so few pain killers. Mr. Green


I felt that sudder from over here. LOL

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jask




Joined: 17 Mar 2006
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PostLink    Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 5:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Greg that was funny as hell!! hope your back feels better soon.
The softwood lumber sector has crashed. Here in B.C. we have northern towns that have closed mills that are the only major employer, locally several board mills are closed and this weekend they will be having an auction of forestry equiptment with over 500 lots!!
This thread has me looking at the stairs to my basement HT, 2 sections with a landing and a turn...same story, contractor junk wood. I think I can put this off until winter Smile
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