The Lumber Plus Blog
Planning guides, species science, and maintenance playbooks — written by people who work with hardwood, modified wood and composite systems.
Hardwood vs Composite vs PVC: How to Choose
Three material families, three very different decks in year ten. The honest comparison — cost per year, heat, maintenance, and resale — from a supplier that stocks all three.
Read the full article →Read before you build.
The Complete Deck Planning Guide
Permits, joist spacing, board direction, budget math — everything to settle before the first board is ordered.
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Can You Build a Deck Yourself? A DIY Reality Check
Where DIY saves real money, where it goes wrong, and the three stages worth hiring out.
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The Hardwood Maintenance Handbook
Oil or let it silver. One honest schedule for Ipe, Cumaru, and Garapa — 30 minutes a year, not a weekend.
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Custom Milling: Profiles Beyond the Catalog
Rainscreen siding, T&G ceilings, custom trim — how our mill turns rough stock into your architect's drawing.
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How to Install Deck Tiles on Any Surface
Rooftops, balconies, tired concrete patios — a pedestal-and-tile system that installs in a weekend.
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Ipe Beyond the Deck: Siding, Ceilings, Docks
The same board that survives boardwalks makes facades and soffits that outlast the building's paint.
Read article →Janka 3,510: What Ipe Hardness Actually Means
The number gets quoted everywhere. Here is what it predicts — dents, screws, lifespan — and what it does not.
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Is Ipe Sustainable? The Honest Answer
FSC tracts, selective harvest, chain of custody — how managed forestry keeps rainforest standing.
Read article →Job-site intel, monthly.
New species arrivals, clearance lots, and project updates — no noise.