There are many items we don’t stock for a variety of reasons.
We consider many factors when choosing products to sell – it’s not an arbitrary thing! Here are some of the items we don’t sell, and why:
5/4 treated decking.
This item is notorious for warping, splitting and cupping. It’s instability is attributable to Colorado’s altitude and subsequent high UV exposures. In addition, our dry climate collides with where the wood itself comes from: the humid, moist southern United States.
If you do choose to use this as decking, we strongly recommend:
- Using THREE screws at every joist
- Contrary to most deck installs where you should gap the boards, this item should be installed tightly together
- Installed with joists 12” on center
- End-coat any board you cut with end coat solution
Precut treated stair stringers.
On the surface they are a great idea, but less than useful otherwise. These precut stringers come in 2, 3, and 4 step sections which may work out in your case, but that’s the rub – their size will probably not work out well in most cases without doing lots of other work.
“Shiplap” siding/paneling.
We receive lots of inquiries on “shiplap” siding/paneling. This is a great and popular look; however, shiplap only refers to the joint type where the edge of one board overlaps the next board.
When you want shiplap, there’s the consideration of what type of wood, what grade (knotty or clear) and most importantly, what gap (if any) between the edges of the boards. These gaps can range from no gap, shadow gap, “nickel” gap and larger.
Kits.
Kits might be the way to go, especially if you’re very flexible and in a hurry. Otherwise, a deck or pergola kit is a ready-made size that may not lay out well on your particular site.
In addition, most kits utilize lower grade lumber to offset the cutting costs while still maintaining a “good” price. We find most customers want their project scaled to their layout and individual preferences.
Long “landscape” timbers.
Thee are very easy to source. The largest issue with these is they are not “proportional” in cost to the more common 8’ lengths. Even 10’ pieces can easily be double the cost of an 8’ with only two additional feet!
Our experienced lumber staff are happy to help you choose an alternative product to suit your needs and budget!
Feel free to call our Lakewood Lumber Yard at 303-988-5980, or our Fort Lupton Lumber Yard at 720-683-7162.
You can also contact our lumber yards online!
