General
1. Where are you located?
A. We are in Clarence Creek, near Rockland, ON, about half hour east of Ottawa. Our address is 1571 Bouvier Rd, Clarence Creek, ON. For more details please visit Contact_Us page.
2. What are your hours?
A. We are open 8:00 am-4:00 pm Tuesday to Saturday. Please note that we are closed on Monday. If you need to visit us outside these hours call or email us and we try to make a different arrangement.
3. Do you have a price list online?
A. No. Due to market fluctuations we are unable to maintain an online price list. However you can call or email us anytime and we will let you know the current prices of the items you are interested in. We do our best to have very competitive prices while keeping the very best quality possible in our stock.
4. What methods of payment do you accept? Is it cash only?
A. You can pay cash, or by debit at the store. To make payments remotely, we accept e-transfer payments, and you can pay online or on the phone using your credit card if you prefer. We do accept payments with credit cards in store and on the phone or through the Internet, however for orders less than $500 before the tax, there will be a 3% surcharge.
5. What is a board foot and why it is used?
A. Board foot (bf) is a unit of volume that is used in our trade to measure the amount of lumber. One board foot equals a square foot of wood that is one inch thick (equal to 144 cubic inches). The reason behind using board foot instead of linear foot is that it applies to all boards independent of their width, whereas for linear foot pricing, all boards need to have the same width. Important is that board foot and linear foot are not confused. The amount of board foot in each board is calculated by multiplying its length (in feet), by its width (in feet), and its thickness (in inches). A 1"x6" board that is 8' long has 8x 1/2 x 1 or 4 board feet, but it has 8 linear feet. For more information on board foot check out the visual description of board foot . We also recommend reading this article to get familiar with lumberyard terminology.
6. Do you sell firewood?
A. No, we don't sell any firewood. However we will have packages of kindling from our offcuts.
Lumber
7. Is your lumber kiln-dried?
A. Yes, almost everything we sell is kiln-dried. There are very few exceptions when we carry air-dried lumber for specific applications.
8. Is your lumber rough or planed to a smooth finish?
A. Most of our lumber come as rough cut. The majority of our clients prefer it that way, as they get the wood as thick as possible, and they decide what to do. We try to have a selection of our lumber flattened and planed to a smooth finish. In our trade, shaving the lumber to a smooth finish is referred to as dressing or surfacing. We can always dress/surface one side to all four sides of the boards on order. The regular shop fees will apply.
9. Do you carry construction lumber such as 2x4 and 2x6 boards (spruce)?
A. No. We sell mainly quality hardwood for furniture making and crafts. We have pine boards and sometimes cedar, but no construction lumber. Please visit our lumber page for details on the lumber we carry.
10. What sizes of lumber do you carry?
A. We usually sell the lumber in rough-cut state. Sometimes we have it skip-dressed to have a smooth surface and the grain is more visible. The most common thickness of lumber is 1" rough. We carry, or can order in, other thicknesses such as 1-1/4", 1-1/2", 2", and occasionally 2-1/2" and 3". Please note that unlike hardware stores we use actual sizes, so a 2"x6" board in our store is actually full 2" thick and 6" wide. An important point to know about commercial hardwood boards is that they come from the mills in random widths. Unlike softwood (such as spruce and pine), hardwood boards in a bundle can have widths anywhere between 4" and 9". The most common length of boards is 8', but we carry also 10' and 12'. For crafts and small projects we sometimes carry 4'-6' lengths at a lower price.
11. Do you sell shorts and offcuts?
A. Yes, we always have offcuts for sale at special rates. We also carry short lengths of some wood types for small projects.
12. Is all your stock milled and dried by you?
A. The majority of our stock, especially the dimensional lumber, and all the exotic wood come from larger mills and commercial wholesalers. They arrive here already milled and kiln-dried. However the main bulk of our live-edge slabs and rounds are from our own production, and have been milled and dried here.
Woodshop
13. For your woodshop or sawmill services, can I wait there while my order is done?
A. It is sometimes possible. If we know ahead of time and can arrange an appointment, small jobs can be done while our clients wait.
14. For your woodshop services, can we bring our own wood?
A. Yes, all of our services are independent from each other. You can bring your wood for our shop services. However we require the wood to be free of any metal, and to be kiln-dried.
15. Can I help doing my order in your woodshop?
A. For safety reasons it is not possible for our clients to use any of our equipment.
16. Can I use your woodshop equipment for my projects?
A. For safety reasons it is not possible for our clients to use any of our equipment.
Kiln-drying
17. I have some lumber to kiln-dry and I'm new to kiln-drying. How does it work?
A. You can check out our kiln-drying page and our kiln schedules for details related to this service. If there are any other questions please contact us directly.
18. I have some lumber to kiln-dry. When can I bring them to you and when would they go in the kiln?
A. We recommend to bring the lumber to us as early as possible. You can call or email us to arrange a time. Our upcoming kiln schedules are available here. You can check out our kiln-drying page for more information. If there are any other questions please contact us directly.
19. I have a piece of wood that I suspect contains insects and/or fungi. Could you help me with that?
A. We can sterilize the wood using heat as part of our kiln-drying process. To guarantee that all living organisms in the wood are eradicated we need the wood to be maximum 3" thick (as the heat can't penetrate deeper than that).
20. How should I bring my lumber to you for kiln-drying?
A. You need to call or email us first and make an appointment. It would be best for the boards to be stacked with stickers right after milling. For the stickers you need to use dry hardwood stickers that are not oak. Ideally your lumber arrives here in bundles that are already stickered. If you don't have stickers, or they are not the right type, we will sticker them in our lumberyard when you arrive. For the most efficient unloading, you need to have your lumber in a bundle on a trailer or back or a truck, with some spacers (such as 4"x4"s) underneath them. This way we can use straps and pickup the whole bundle with the forklift.
21. How should I proceed when my lumber has been kiln-dried?
A. You need to be prepared and collect your wood as soon as possible. When the wood is out of the kiln, for the best quality, it shouldn't sit in the lumberyard for long. You need to store the wood in a dry place, off the ground, and stack them without stickers. If you need any assistance in flattening/surfacing your wood after drying, or like it to be glued together to build larger panels, or milled into flooring boards or moldings, we offer those services in our woodshop.
22. Can I bring a full log for kiln-drying?
A. Usually the log has to be milled into boards/beams before it can be dried in our kilns. For complete drying, we recommend that the pieces are not thicker than 3". Beyond that we can not guarantee that the core of the wood completely dries. Still, on request of our clients, we have kiln-dried full logs with small diameters in the past.
23. The logs that I had milled were lying on the ground for a long time, does it help with the drying time?
A. The time that log has been down bears very little on drying the wood. Wood mainly starts drying after it has been cut into lumber. Even when the log is lying for a long time, it still keeps most of its moisture.
24. My boards have been air-drying for a long time. Does this mean I can have them kiln-dried in a shorter time?
A. Only if you have enough wood to fill the kiln completely, which means 3000 to 5000 board feet. Usually your bundle is loaded in the kiln together with those of other clients. Even if your wood has less moisture, it has to wait until the full load has been completely dried. The exact time will depend on the type and thickness of the wood and its moisture content.
25. How long a piece can you dry in your kilns?
A. About 18'. Our two main kilns have chambers that are 17' and 19' long respectively.
26. How wide a slab can you dry in your kilns?
A. About 7' to 8'.
Sawmill
27. Do the logs you mill come from your property?
A. Very few of the logs we mill are from our own property. We get our logs mainly from farmers and landowners that clear some areas, and also from arborists or homeowners who drop trees in urban areas.
28. How do you calculate the value of a log?
A. We use the international log scale table. Based on the length, and diameter of the smaller end of the log, we can determine the useful amount of lumber that a log can provide. Depending on the type of the log, we have different rates. The quality of the log is also an important factor. Logs need to be solid and without rot or other damages.
29. What diameter should the logs have for proper milling?
A. They should be at least 10" in diameter. This will help to handle the logs properly on the sawmill, and to get quality lumber out of them. Regarding oversized logs, our Lucas mill can handle a bit over 6 feet in diameter.
30. What lengths should I cut my logs into?
A. It will depend on the use you have planned for them. Usually the logs come between 6 and 14 feet in length. Ideally they should be between 8 and 12 feet. For proper handling on the sawmill we need at least 5 feet of length. Shorter and longer (up to 20 feet) logs are still possible to mill but require extra handling. Short boards usually warp and cup more during drying. If you know what final size your boards will be, consider one to two feet extra when you are cutting the logs to avoid end-checks.
31. What thickness/width should my boards be cut?
A. Since the wood shrinks, and potentially warps and/or cups during drying, it is prudent to have it cut half inch to an inch thicker than it's final size, and one or two inches wider. If you are not certain what use your lumber will have, 1-1/4" to 1-1/2" is recommended for thinner applications, and 2-1/2" to 2-3/4" for thicker pieces. If you don't know how you will use your wood, 2" thickness would be a good choice.
32. For your sawmill services, can I bring my log and wait there while my order is done?
A. It is sometimes possible. If we know ahead of time and can arrange an appointment, small jobs can be done while our clients wait.
33. Can I help/watch milling my log at your sawmill?
A. For safety reasons it is not possible for our clients to use any of our equipment. In some occasions being present while keeping a safe distance can be arranged.
34. We have cut down some trees. Do you recommend we have them milled and dried to use the lumber?
A. You can save money doing this if it's a valuable wood such as black walnut. In other cases the cost and the time are considerable. Transportation, milling, drying, and further processing of the wood will all cost money, and it takes a few months to a year for the full process. It really comes down to the fact whether the wood has some sentimental value to you. For most people the amount of wood is too much to store and use. Occasionally we keep some of the lumber/logs as part of payment. You might also be in for a surprise, as sometimes the quality of the lumber turns out different than expected. A much quicker alternative would be to trade your logs against some ready to use lumber from our inventory.
35. We have cut down some trees. Could you help us making something out of them? How much does it cost?
A. Yes, we can help you with the whole process. Sometimes clients decide to use the lumber from their cut trees. This is often because the tree has sentimental value to them, other times when it is of a valuable wood type such as black walnut. We can arrange to have your log transported to our place and cut, dry, and shape them according to your needs. Processing wood this way can take a few months. If you decide to go this route please contact us and we can discuss the details. The cost will depend on the type and quantity of your wood, and also what you would like us to make out of them.
36. We have cut down some trees. Are you interested in buying our logs?
A. We occasionally buy logs from farmers and landowners in our area. High value lumber such as black walnut and cherry are more in demand. Good size hardwood logs (20"+ diameter) such as maple and oak are also interesting to us. We expect straight logs with sound quality (no rot or other defects). Trees that are uprooted by storm have usually inferior quality due to the defects caused by the force they sustained. Lengths of 8' to 12' are ideal. For pricing, we use the international log scale to determine the usable board feet of lumber in each log, and have different rates depending on the type of wood.
37. Can we pay for milling and drying our logs using some of our logs?
A. It is sometimes possible to go that route. If your logs are of interest to us we can work out a deal so that we keep some of your logs as payment for our services.
38. How much does it cost if I bring you hardwood logs and want you to make flooring boards out of them for us?
A. It will depend on the quality of your logs, currently (2023) it will be around $8 per square foot of flooring.
39. What happens if the logs I bring for you for milling contain nails or other kinds of metal objects?
A. We try to check logs with our metal scanners for metal objects, however this is not always successful. If our sawmill blades are damaged by metal in your lumber, a fee about the price of a blade will be added to client's bill.
40. How long a log you can mill with your sawmill?
A. Our sawmill can handle logs up to about 20'. We usually expect the logs to be longer than 5' and equal or less than 16'. There are some techniques to mill longer logs but it will require to move around our setup and equipment.