Working with Wood

Is pressure-treating engineered wood a good idea? In this installment of our Treated Lumber series, Dennis McWhirter shares his insights.

Dennis shares a bit of background on arsenic—and why it’s naturally present in treated lumber.

Glulam beams are engineered wood products manufactured to meet a range of design stresses—but what exactly are they used for?

Learn how to install common rafter framing in this post from THISisCarpentry, our good friend and expert carpenter Gary Katz’s blog.

In this video, expert Dennis McWhirter digs into how to keep your pressure-treated wood healthy and prevent making a common mistake that means voiding your lifetime warranty.

In this video, cedar industry veteran Paul Mackie—known as "Mr. Cedar"—walks us through best practices for pre-staining cedar decking.

In this series, our good friend and “Mr. Cedar” himself, Paul Mackie, shares his knowledge of and tips for working with western red cedar. In this week’s episode, Paul breaks down best practices for cedar fencing.

In this episode of our pressure-treated lumber series with Exterior Wood’s Dennis McWhirter, learn the difference between pressure-treated lumber (commercial usage) and railroad ties (industrial usage).

In this video blog with “Mr. Cedar” himself, Paul Mackie, Paul breaks down the uses for and composition of finger-jointed western red cedar.

Sometimes the treatment on your lumber isn’t as effective as you might think. Before using treated, engineered lumber, read through this post so you know how to choose the best product for you.

In this video blog, we chat with our good friend, Exterior Wood’s Dennis McWhirter, about how pressure-treated lumber interacts with flashing and fasteners—and how to prevent metal corrosion.

In this installment of our Mr. Cedar series, we're discussing how best to maintain western red cedar siding.