Monday, March 15, 2021

Construction porn

As with every other do-it-yourself-er in the nation, we've been coveting lumber. We have endless building projects we want to accomplish here in our new home, and it all circles back to obtaining the lumber necessary to make it happen.

But as everyone knows, the price of lumber has skyrocketed. Here's a graph charting the rising prices:

So when Don found a stack of 2x6s at a local hardware store apparently forgotten in a back lot he jumped at the chance to buy them. Altogether he found 78 boards!

These aren't just any 2x6s, though. These babies are 18 feet long. As a friend put it, "I didn’t even think they made 18-foot lumber any more!"

Even better, these 2x6x18s were being sold at 2019 prices for No. 2-grade quality. Here it is 2021 and, as Don learned, they're actually No. 1-grade quality. Score!

To bring this lumber home,we pressed our 26-foot box truck (purchased as a "middle finger" to U-Haul) into service. The hardware store guys were able to load the lumber into the truck using forklifts, and we brought the boards home.

The wood was a bit damp,but nothing that wouldn't dry out. We put three pallets on the ground and slid the lumber out of the truck piece by piece.

We used "stickers" (thin slats of wood) between each layer to let air circulate and dry the wood.


By the end,our gloves were saturated, but that's okay. Every time he sees the lumber, Don gives a little hop of joy. Score!

Since the wood is stacked in the driveway, Don speculated it would become an item of envy among the local neighborhood men "construction porn," as he called it.

Let the projects begin.

15 comments:

  1. Are they true 2x6's? I get a little wozzy headed at the sight of dimensional lumber............ Put the covers over it before it rains.

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  2. What a score! I assume that Don is going to enclose part of the barn building to make a shop that he will be able to heat.

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  3. A 2x6 looks smaller in America.

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  4. I hope an armed guard goes with that lumber, what with today's price it is up there with gold... A good eye Don has and a great score!

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  5. Another thought, I knew your big truck would come in handy! If you ever get the itch to sell it, I hope you send an email, I would be interested in it. Big trucks like that just make themselves valuable by being handy.

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  6. I hope envious people do not relieve you of your treasure. Surreptitiously mark the boards to identify them later. Good score. I am envious!

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  7. What a great find!
    When we built our house in 2009-2010...2011, we discovered the framing crew cutting 12' x 2"x8" boards into 8' for the deck frame. HOLY MOTHER OF GOD. I was spitting angry at the waste and the excuse given was there were no 8' boards to be found. My husband told them that we'd love our deck to be 12' and never waste anything like that again unless he or the general contractor okay'd it.
    In February, our insurance company sent us a letter stating that due to the cost of lumber our house was now undervalued and we needed to increase our insurance.
    Who can afford that? I anticipate the local assessors office increasing the market value of everyone's homes because lumber went up.
    My next house will be concrete ICF covered in metal siding (in my dreams) and it will be much smaller.
    I am thrilled that you and Don made such a tremendous find in these days. Truly.
    sidetracksusie

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  8. My husband keeps telling people that money in the bank is just pixels on the screen and they should consider using it to make purchases of real-concrete-tangible goods.
    You can't eat pixels, nor can you build anything. Kudos.
    sidetracksusie

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  9. My husband keeps telling people that money in the bank is just pixels on the screen and they should consider using it to make purchases of real-concrete-tangible goods.
    You can't eat pixels, nor can you build anything. Kudos.
    sidetracksusie

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    Replies
    1. Zero interest for lower and longer the fed said again yesterday.

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  10. Wow. Nice purchase. And your blessed with room to store it. I'm remodeling the back of our house into a craft room for my wife. ALL construction materials are priced astronomically. Pickin' & bartering are good skills.

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  11. Wow. Nice purchase. And your blessed with room to store it. I'm remodeling the back of our house into a craft room for my wife. ALL construction materials are priced astronomically. Pickin' & bartering are good skills.

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