When the time comes to pick up lumber for a home improvement project, is it better to head to a large big box chain store or an area lumber yard? This is the decision that many DIY-ers face, and the choice can be more difficult than it may at first seem. Below, local lumber experts weigh in on where you can get the best grades of lumber in Seattle for your upcoming project.
Quality
It is sometimes possible to get quality lumber from large chain stores, but these companies tend to focus on the lowest prices instead of the highest quality. That means that they typically carry lower grades of lumber, and any money that you might save on the lumber upfront could end up causing major problems with construction. Locally-owned lumber yards, on the other hand, take pride in each piece of wood they select, and don’t look to sacrifice quality just to get the best deal.
When it comes to your upcoming projects, you don’t want to take any chances with lumber that may or may not hold up for your specific job. Instead, it is best to work with a reliable team that emphasizes quality with every piece of lumber they sell. And while the upgrade in quality can at times come with a higher price tag attached, this isn’t always necessarily the case.
Costs
While there are times when big box stores can offer lower prices than lumber yards, a closer look reveals that a lot of these times the prices are in fact much more comparable than expected. Local lumber yards buy and sell in large quantities, and this constant supply and demand allows these locally owned businesses to keep the prices of their quality lumber competitive with the large chains on a regular basis.
Customer experience
The staff at a big box store will have a broad base of knowledge to draw from when discussing the lumber they stock, but it is possible that their lack of expertise regarding the nuances of the industry could become a factor when you are looking for the right type of wood to complete a project. When working with a lumber yard that specializes in finding and selling only the highest quality of wood, you can leave fully confident that your purchase is the best fit for your job. The knowledge and experience with various grades of wood possessed by the team at a lumber yard can go a long way toward helping you create the best possible version of what you are working on.
Stewart Lumber & Hardware Co. has made it a point to spend time with each customer to ensure they are confident in the lumber they select. We’ve been in business since 1926, and you too can take advantage of the wealth of knowledge we’ve accumulated over the years. Our team can serve as a valuable resource in helping you select the correct grades of lumber in Seattle for your next project. To make sure you have the most reliable wood that is also the best fit for your job, pay us a visit right away.