Lumber prices

[Randy C]

Can someone tell me what is more expensive - western red cedar or redwood? Any rough idea what the price per board ft should be for these two should be? I am located in Georgia. 

Thanks

[Wild Turkey]

The end of an Era

We went through a price change in redwood today. Our supply mills have reached the exact point where redwood is becoming an endangered species.

Supply is limited and pricing inconsistent because the costs of production vary significantly as stock diminishes. The size, grade and pattern you want may not be millable from stock on hand close enough to your job site to accurately predict pricing on our website.

For the moment we can still source redwood from the old timer mills who stockpiled timbers but we can no longer advertise prices online since they change frequently and are dependent on inventory in hand at time of inquiry.

Redwood has been a favorite of ours for many years. We originally got into the redwood business because my dad and I just loved the wood. It has been a great product and I am sad to see it go.

http://www.buffalo-lumber.com/redwood-lumber.htm
You'll have better luck with cedar.

[SteveS]

For fascia boards, which is what I use for my intarsia projects, I pay about $2/bd ft.

From a local saw mill I pay $7/bd ft for clear, tight grain WRC.

[packerguy®]

Redwood is $$$ if you can even find a supplier. 

My grandpa took down a fence about 25 years ago and kept the 2x lumber in his garage, up on blocks. He told he about 5 years ago it was all mine. I got about 40 2x4's other than some nail holes here and there its perfect (was painted). 1/4 of it was quartersawn too.

[EdL]

Redwood has been unavailable in my area for years........

Ed

[gMike]

Redwood might as well be extinct as far as woodworking is concerned in the Midwest.  I have a small stash but am saving it for something special.  Haven't found "special" yet.

[atgcpaul]

I lived in SoCal 10+ years ago and could (and did) buy redwood at Home Depot in 2x4, 2x6, and 4x4. Is it no longer available there?

[Herb G]

I have a nice stash of redwood locked away. I am going to finish my deck / yard furniture out of it.
I have some plans for 2 chaise loungers, and 2 regular chairs.

I have some of the frames built already.
I bought the wood 30 years ago when I found out it was going off the market.
It was pretty expensive back then.

If you can find any, buy it immediately because you won't find it ever again.


WRC is plentiful, if expensive.

[alnandy]

I used to make lumber buying trips to Ft. Bragg, CA to buy redwood burls. There are still mills logging redwood, but it is all 3rd growth, not even 2nd growth (from stump sprouts). This redwood is almost pink in color and softer. A lot of western red cedar is actually redder than 3rd growth redwood. Western red cedar is a good substitute for redwood, but is highly allergenic

[Curlycherry]

I cry when I think of the 24' long, 24" wide 5/4 and 6/4 clear redwood my dad scored at an auction when I was ~5 years old. My step-brother used off it to build a picket fence. he cut it all up into 6' tall by 6" pickets! We had upwards of 50 boards of that stuff and he used it all. People that do that should be shot, and then shot again.


I've got a slab of old growth redwood that is ~3" by ~16" by 10'. It was harvested from some U of California park. The tree fell in a storm decades ago and they bid out how to harvest it. The guys that won the contract got it out by sawing it up in place with chainsaw mills into movable hunks, and then cutting it into slabs in a regular mill.  I ran across the brochure of how it was harvested in one of the drawers of my workshop just the other day.

There are old wine and water tanks that people find and take apart that are made out of old growth redwood. Some of that wood can be had for mildy outrageous prices.

Wow, I just checked Woodweb which almost always had redwood for sale up until about 5 years ago and now there is nothing listed but burl slabs and 3 20' long 2x4s.