If you’re looking to build a deck for the very first time, the first thing you need to know is how much decking to buy. Many people make the mistake of planning their materials list based on what’s known in the lumber world as “nominal dimensions.” 1×4, 1×6, 5/4×4, and 5/4×6. These are the most popular “nominal dimensions” and are the terms we are all used to hearing on TV shows and even in DIY deck building books. However, what you need to know is that “nominal dimensions” refer to a piece of unfinished/rough lumber that has not yet been milled (aka surfaced).
How-to Build
DIY: Outdoor Picnic Table for Kids
Your little ones will love this adorable free standing kid’s table. Perfect for eating, coloring, doing homework, reading, socializing or playing fun games.
DIY: Outdoor Wood Mat
We always like to provide all our readers with some do it yourself wood projects that are simple and add a personal touch to your home.
This time we’d like to invite you to create a modern and very durable wooden welcome mat. It’ll be a project that will require only a few tools and even simple materials. We always suggest using the best materials like ipe but, you can use any other wood you like.
How To Convert Square Feet to Linear Feet
The lumber industry has a lot of terms that are often very tough to navigate especially if it’s the first time anyone considered buying wood. Most wood products are sold per piece or per square foot. Often a lot of people won’t know how to convert from square feet to linear feet and if they order amounts per the square foot then there will be a very big shortage of material. Luckily we do provide a handy dandy square feet to linear feet calculator that’ll do the hard work and a page that explains what lumber sizing is! But, have you wondered how exactly the calculation happens?
How To Install a Poplar Wood Ceiling
Having a wood plank ceiling is easier than you think. With a few tools and some elbow grease, you’ll have a gorgeous ceiling that will compliment your living space. For this project the installer used some ¾”x5” Tongue & Groove Poplar that we custom milled for him. Poplar is a great hardwood because of its …
How to Build a Horizontal Ipe Fence
Ipe isn’t just for decking anymore. This versatile wood is perfect for a variety of outdoor projects because of its durability. Its strength and dimensional stability can make it a little harder to work with than other woods, but with a lifespan of 75 years, it’ll be worth it to put the little extra elbow …
Odds and Ends
Did you know there is an extensive amount of lumber wasted when manufacturing mills cut decking to even lengths? For example, to produce 12’ boards they’ll take 13’ boards, cut them down to even length, and discard the cut offs leaving massive piles of beautiful hardwood to waste.