How To Improve The Value of Your Next Building Project

Most people don’t want to lose money on their building projects, I think we can all agree on that!

So how do you improve the value of your next home, business or government project?

We are so glad you asked!

There are a number of factors that contribute to price and resale value for any building or complex and today we’re going to focus on how to use natural wood products during construction in order to get a “top dollar return” for your time and efforts.

When it comes to building and creating with raw lumber, there many top quality options to choose from. The most common wood species that Bear Creek Lumber carries are Western Red Cedar, Alaskan Yellow Cedar, Port Orford Cedar, and Douglas Fir.

You may be asking yourself, what can I do with all of these great options?

Exterior Siding

Exterior Siding is always a fun option to spruce up an existing structure. Due to the variety of species that Bear Creek Lumber carries, we are able to provide various siding patterns. The most common of these is your tongue and groove pattern, although we can do bevel, lap sidings (channel, shiplap), board and batten or any speciality that you require.

A great part of working with us here at Bear Creek Lumber is that if you do not have the room at your jobsite, you can arrange to have your materials pre-primed, painted or stained before being shipped to you. Many of our siding products are kiln dried during the manufacturing process, but some are not.

Bevels, and tongue & groove patterns often come in 3′-16′ length tallies, while lap sidings and board and batten are likely to come in 6′-16′ lengths. Specified lengths can be provided in some instances, but it may create a premium pricing structure if the lengths you need are 12′ or longer.

Decking

Decking is another fantastic way to add personality to your home, or other structures. Ask yourself, do you want softwood or hardwood for your deck, both come with pro’s and con’s, and each is suited to different projects.

The most common decking species that Bear Creek Lumber carries are; Western Red Cedar, Alaskan Yellow Cedar, and Port Orford Cedar. We provide 5/4×4, 5/4×6, 2×4 and 2×6 but thinner or thicker pieces can be requested.

Our softwood decking products are available in both clear and knotty grades, whereas our hardwoods are generally only available in clear grades.

Generally speaking clear material is roughly twice the price of knotty material. Our Decking materials can come both green and kiln dried.  If you plan to stain your materials prior to installation you will want to order kiln dried material or order it soon enough that you can have some time for drying at your jobsite prior to installation.

Trim

Interior and exterior trim can really make or break a project, trim is used for accenting your paneling, or flooring and highlights important areas in your work.

Bear Creek Lumber can provide many varieties for trim, in softwood and hardwood. The most common wood species that we sell for trim include Western Red Cedar, Alaskan Yellow Cedar, Port Orford Cedar, and Douglas Fir / Larch .

However, we can obtain other various species of wood through our extensive partner network or mills and wholesalers. Trim materials come in various sizes and thicknesses, each intended for a different style of project. We can offer various grades of clear, including A & Better, B& Better, C & Better and D& Better, as well as fiber with flat, vertical or mixed grain.

When ordering your trim it is important to keep in mind if you are looking for a smooth or resawn texture to the materials.  If you are looking for a smooth texture it is your best bet to purchase materials that are either Surfaced Four Sides (S4S) or Surfaced One Side Two Edges (S1S2E).

It is common for many of the trim products we sell to be in stock as a dry material.  However, we also carry some green trim products as well.  If you need your trim materials to arrive on the jobsite already dry, it is important that you either purchase kiln dried materials or order in advance so that you can dry and acclimate the materials prior to installation.

Interior paneling

Interior wall and or ceiling paneling is a really fun way to completely switch up the interior of your home, or any other building. The interior affects the overall feeling of your work/living environment.

Bear Creek Lumber can offer softwoods such as Western Red Cedar, Alaskan Yellow Cedar, Port Orford Cedar, California Redwood, and Douglas Fir / Larch. This flexibility with materials allows you to totally customize every last inch of your interior.

The most common pattern that we see for interior use is going to be a V-Joint pattern. Other common patterns we often see are going to be center match or nickel gap. Most commonly with interior paneling the products supplied are going to be supplied with a smooth texture, but a resawn texture can be provided if a customer is looking for more of a rustic appeal.

Most of our softwood paneling options are going to be available in both clear and knotty grades, while our hardwood options are generally only available in clear grades. Clear products give a finer appearance and work well in modern and upscale projects. Knotty materials will give the walls more character and a bit of a rustic appeal.  Knotty materials are going to be more economical than clear, generally being about half the overall cost.

Just in case you are looking for any of these natural wood building products for your next building project, request a quote here and/or call us at (800) 597-7191 with any questions.