Choosing an industrial hardwood lumber supplier is crucial to the success of your construction, manufacturing, and shipping projects. Take the time to assess the hardwood lumber supplier of your choosing to so you can meet your project’s goals and, even better, develop a long-term relationship with an industrial wood supplier.
Determine Your Hardwood Lumber Needs
Hardwood timbers are the perfect choice for projects that require durability and strength. If you need dunnage for shipping and storage, cut-to-size scaffolding boards, temporary foundations for heavy construction equipment, marine pilings, and more, then you need industrial hardwood lumber.
Calculating Hardwood Lumber Size and Amount
Hardwood lumber is often sold in board feet. To make an accurate order, you’ll need to determine how many board feet are required for your project. To do this, you’ll simply calculate the thickness multiplied by the width multiplied by the length. Divide that answer by 144, and you’ll know how many board feet are needed.
Board Feet = Thickness x Width x Length / 144
Now, once you know the board footage you’ll need, keep in mind that you’ll lose some of that due to milling, surfacing, and potential defects. It’s wise to add at least 10-15% to your total board footage. If you’re planning custom cuts, you may want to increase that to 20-30%.
With the amount you’ll need in hand, you’re ready to start sourcing your hardwood lumber.
Questions to Ask a Hardwood Lumber Supplier
You may already have the exact type of hardwood lumber you’ll need in mind, such as the grade, moisture content, and wood types. These are great starting questions, but that’s not all you’ll need to know.
Here are some other questions you may want to ask, as well as some answers that could help you decide.
Can the hardwood lumber be cut to size?
Some projects require unusual lengths and widths for hardwood, particularly for scaffolding boards. When the need arises, you want to work with a hardwood lumber supplier who can meet your exact specifications. Your supplier may be able to cut to size right there on site, or they may order hardwood timbers that meet your specs. Either way, you get the industrial wood products you need.
Do you sell hardwood lumber in bulk?
Many hardwood lumber suppliers will sell in bulk. In fact, you may need to determine if the hardwood lumber supplier you want to work with has a minimum order quantity to make sure you meet order requirements.
Do you offer ISPM 15 hardwood lumber?
Because hardwood lumber is often used for shipping and crating, export-compliant wood is a must. If you need dunnage lumber or wood for crating and shipping overseas, verify that the hardwood lumber you purchase from your supplier is ISPM 15 compliant.
Some suppliers may be able to perform the heat treatment or chemical treatment right there. Others source the ISPM 15 lumber you need. Again, either way, you have the industrial wood needed for your project.
Do you offer just-in-time delivery?
While early delivery or pick up for all your lumber at once might sound like the optimal solution, you could end up with excess inventory lying around while you wait for the project to progress. Instead, work with your lumber supplier to receive the exact supply you need when you need it so you don’t need to use valuable storage space or work around inventory set aside for later phrases of your project.
Assess the Quality and Reliability of the Hardwood Lumber Supplier
Once you have the answers you need from your chosen hardwood lumber supplier, you still have a few more questions to answer. These can’t be asked of the supplier, however; you must find the answers from previous customers.
For instance, what kind of reviews does your lumber supplier have? Keep in mind that perfect five-star ratings may not be realistic. In fact, many consumers don’t trust companies with only five-star reviews. If there are a few lower ratings, investigate the reasons and determine if they’re legitimate enough to seek out new supplier options.
You can also ask for references and investigate any trade organizations they belong to. The more you learn before you buy, the more likely you’ll be satisfied with your new hardwood lumber supplier.
If you’d like to learn more about Lodge Lumber as a possible hardwood lumber supplier, don’t hesitate to reach out today.
