DIY Home Center offers in-stock DIY home improvement products for professionals and DIYers, delivered directly to your home or job site. They help homeowners tackle projects that make a house feel like a home and offer wood from independent lumber yards, big box home improvement centers, and neighborhood hardware stores. Balancing convenience with cost is crucial when shopping for wood.
Home centers carry pine, fir, spruce, cedar, and pressure-treated pine, which are used primarily for building homes and decks. However, you can still work with this lumber in your shop. Learn unique ideas to help you find free lumber in your neighborhood. With a little digging and networking, you can find all the lumber you need without paying a dime.
There are two main places where you can find wood for DIY projects: home improvement stores like Lowe’s/Home Depot or a lumber yard. A lumber yard will offer more variety in wood species, but they cannot guarantee an exact dimension.
DiY Home Center Outlet serves customers with top Plywood and Lumber building materials, as well as lawn care products. They also sell quality residential and commercial building products for roofing, siding, decking, waterproofing, interiors, exteriors, windows, and doors. DiY Home Center offers the best deals on hardware, supplies, and appliances for your next home improvement project.
In addition to wood, DIY Home Center offers lumber processing and cutting services for a fee. They are a nationwide chain with stores across the country and are dedicated to helping you get the job done.
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Beginning woodworkers usually spend a lot of time determining what tools they need to get started and learning how to use them.
How much is DIY owner worth?
Tan Yu Yeh, Tan Yu Wei, and their family, who specialize in retail, are 100 million richer than the Mr D. I. Y. Group, which owns over 2, 000 outlets across Asia. The family regularly donates to charitable causes, including the University of Malaysia. Lim Kok Thay, chairman and CEO of Genting Group, has amassed a net worth of US$2. 3 billion, despite the pandemic’s devastating impact on the group’s Genting Hong Kong arm and cruise fleet.
Which country is Mr. DIY from?
MR. DIY, a Malaysian home improvement retailer, began as a small hardware store in 2005. It has since expanded to over 188 million customers worldwide. The company operates in countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Cambodia, India, Turkey, Spain, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Poland. Each store covers an average of 10, 000 square feet, offering a comfortable and wholesome shopping experience. MR. DIY stores are managed directly and in collaboration with large retailers and mall owners.
What is DIY emo?
The DIY emo music genre is a subcategory of punk rock that places a strong emphasis on the DIY ethos. It is characterized by confessional lyrics, introspective themes, and a raw, unpolished sound. Such musical ensembles frequently assume responsibility for both the production and distribution of their own music, thereby prioritising authenticity and emotional honesty.
Why is DIY so popular?
The rising cost of living has led many homeowners to consider DIY projects instead of hiring professionals. DIY projects allow homeowners to pay for the necessary tools and materials without the need for professional time and expertise. Emerging trends like wall panelling offer creative freedom and make rooms look amazing. However, professional tradesmen cannot read your mind and can’t provide a detailed vision for your home. DIY projects also offer more creative freedom, as they can adapt to new trends and create a unique look for your home.
Is Mr. DIY a Chinese company?
MR. DIY, established in 2005 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has grown to become the largest home improvement retailer in the region, with stores in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, Philippines, Cambodia, India, Türkiye, Spain, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Poland. With an average store size of 10, 000 square feet, MR. DIY offers a comfortable and wholesome family shopping experience, serving over 188 million customers annually. All stores are managed directly and in collaboration with large retailers and mall owners.
Is DIY worth the time?
DIY projects are worth it if the time investment doesn’t outweigh the money saved. Estimating time is harder than cost, and factors like experience, skill level, and task complexity can affect the time it takes. Estimates of project durations for novice, intermediate, and expert DIYers can be found online. To determine the “wage” you’ll earn per hour by doing the job yourself, divide the cost savings by the time it will take. This will help you determine if you’re willing to work for that wage.
Which country made DIY shop?
MR. DIY, a Malaysian consumer hardware store, began as a store in 2005 in Kuala Lumpur. In 2018, it launched an online store and Shopee presence. In October 2020, it became publicly traded on the Bursa Malaysia stock exchange. MR. DIY’s international expansion began in November 2021 with the opening of its first store in Turkey at Meydan Istanbul Mall. In January 2022, it opened stores in Spain, with 24 locations across Turkey and 12 in Spain. In April 2021, MR.
DIY Express was launched for rural communities. In May 2022, MR. DIY Plus opened a 30, 000 sq ft mega retail store at MidValley Megamall. In October 2023, MR. DIY expanded its operations in Vietnam by opening five stores in three key locations. In 2023, it launched its official online store. In January 2024, MR. DIY announced plans to operate in Romania and Bulgaria.
What type of store is DIY?
Hardware stores, also known as DIY stores, sell various household hardware for home improvement, including fasteners, building materials, hand tools, power tools, keys, locks, hinges, chains, plumbing supplies, electrical supplies, cleaning products, housewares, tools, utensils, paint, and lawn and garden products. These stores often have specialty departments unique to their region or owner’s interests, such as hunting and fishing supplies, plants and nursery products, marine and boating supplies, pet food, farm and ranch supplies, swimming pool chemicals, homebrewing supplies, and canning supplies.
The five largest hardware retailers in the world are The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Kingfisher, Obi, and Leroy Merlin. In Australia, hardware stores specialize in home décor and include large selections of paint. There are three major hardware companies in Australia: Bunnings, Mitre 10, and Home Hardware.
The big-box store concept has changed how new hardware stores are built since the acquisition of Bunnings by Wesfarmers in 1994. Mitre 10 built its first supercentre in 2004, which later closed or turned into large-concept stores. Masters Home Improvement entered the market in 2011, opening more than 49 stores with an average footprint of 13, 500 m2.
What is inside Mr DIY store?
MR. DIY stores are managed directly and in collaboration with large retailers and mall owners. They offer an average of 18, 000 products in ten categories, including hardware, household, electrical, furniture, car accessories, stationery, sports, toys, gifts, computer and mobile accessories, and jewelry and cosmetics. Their goal is to be the largest home improvement retailer in Asia, create a globally recognized retail brand, and maintain a wide variety of quality, value-for-money items.
Is DIY actually cheaper?
DIY home improvement projects can save up to 83% on a comparable contractor’s job, according to AHS data. Homeowners are increasingly choosing DIY projects over professional renovations due to economic uncertainty and housing market uncertainty. Here are six DIY home improvement tasks that offer significant savings over hiring a professional:
- Painting: Painting can save up to 83% on a comparable project.\n2
Why is DIY called DIY?
DIY is the practice of building, modifying, or repairing things without the help of professionals or certified experts. It involves using raw and semi-raw materials and parts to create, transform, or reconstruct material possessions, including those from the natural environment. This behavior can be triggered by marketplace motivations such as economic benefits, lack of product availability, and need for customization, as well as identity enhancement motivations like craftsmanship, empowerment, community seeking, and uniqueness.
The term “do-it-yourself” has been associated with consumers since at least 1912, primarily in home improvement and maintenance activities. By the 1950s, the phrase “do it yourself” became common, referring to the emergence of a trend of people undertaking home improvement and other small craft and construction projects as creative, recreational, and cost-saving activities. Since then, DIY has expanded to encompass a wide range of skill sets and has become a social concept, with people sharing ideas, designs, techniques, methods, and finished projects online or in person.
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My proudest moment was when I walked into my local lumber yard and announced “I’m new at this and don’t know what I’m doing. Do you have an employee that can help me figure it out?” The guy laughed and spent the next 20 minutes walking me through the store explaining most of what you just said and helped me pick out the best boards for my project. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Better to announce your short comings and willingness to learn than to pretend you know what your talking about and make mistakes.
I just want to point out that while home depot is convenient, I always try to go to a lumber yard whenever possible. I bought home depot pine for a long time before I decided to check out my local lumber place. They had furniture grade pine for around 1/2 the price of what home depot charged for much better quality and much wider boards. When it comes to hardwood it’s even more of a difference.
I appreciate this article. I am a beginner and I found that my orange store is very helpful. The blue store sometimes has better quality but is not so helpful or organized. I am lucky that they are a quarter of a mile from each other, too. I did not know about furring strips when I bought the wood for my first real project – the California Side Table and I bought these and used them. It was a beginner project after all. I have been encouraged by all of your articles. When you say beginner you actually mean beginner unlike some of the other articles I have found.
If you are starting out or just doing small projects, ask if the store has a selection of off-cuts and remainder pieces. They may have a cart like the one @8:08 and they will practically give away those pieces for a low price. Sometimes they have very nice hardwood in a size no one will want, and you can just grab it and save it for an inlay, or a little thing like building a handle, and you win on the price.
Always love your stuff man!! *ONE HUGE PRO TIP* (if I may sir..) Bring a pair of basic working gloves (Utility makes a great choice, I actually get them at my Home Depot as three pairs for roughly 10 bucks)… when you’re going back and forth from moving wood… all the 2×4 / 4×4 lumber and 4×8 sheets… checking which pieces are splintered or have knots or have dings… a simple pair of gloves will save your hands a ton of headache!! I keep a very basic pair in the glove compartment for just that
Great article Steve. As a manager at Home Depot you make great points, I really like when you said be considerate and put the boards back when your done. Nothing drives me and my staff crazier then someone tearing apart a bay of wood and leaving a huge and dangerous mess. I am jealous that your store carries woods like cherry. Mine only carries oak and maple. Also really liked the way youe explained the carts and the uses. Nothing is worse then trying to put a board on a regular shopping cart. As for the saw, sorry to hear you can’t find someone to run it ever. We to have issues with them breaking, but a lot has to due to rough handling. All in all a great article!!
I’m working on a small bedside table for wife’s family member. I’m using all reclaimed or cutoff wood from previous projects. I tried to donate a wooden sleigh bed frame, they wouldn’t take it so I’ve been dismantling it and using the parts for various things. I’m making table legs out of the slats that were under the box spring. Glued them in pairs and cut them into table legs. Sanded them, I think they are red oak. They look really good. I find the Home Depot stair treads are really good too, better than the typical pine boards and cheap.
It’s worth mentioning that even Orange and Blue will usually give you at least one free cut on a large sheet of plywood, and even if they charge you for more than 1 it’s cheaper to buy a 4×8 sheet and cut it into four 2x4ft panels than to buy four of that same size in the pre-cut panel section. Their big panel saws will always cut straighter than you can get with a circular saw in the parking lot, too. I’ll also recommend getting some Carhartt silicone work gloves — they’re great protection, a lot more comfortable than leather, and the silicone is grippy enough to make a big difference when trying to manipulate those big sheets of plywood.
I love this concept, as I’ve personally had to get over the difficulty of learning this without guidance. I’d like to see more on this subject, of sourcing and buying materials like plastics, metals, more “exotic” materials like those aluminum X website bars. I know I shouldn’t prejudge the help at some stores, but I have a lot of baggage asking for help from the comic/game shop as a kid (and I know that was probably weighted to me having only $5 allowance to spend in the early 90’s) and half the time if I couldn’t figure it out on my own, I just left the store and gave up on my project.
Thanks for guiding us through this! This article is great for when you get started. Super useful and practical information. Started with my woodworking journey during the lockdown by making your basic box, still proud of that project. Happy that I found your website and thanks for all the information and your humor😁.
At the store where I usually shop for sheets of plywood, they will cut down a 4’x8′ sheet to whatever you like (For me usually a 4×4) at no cost. However you do have to buy the whole sheet. It’s an alternative to buying the hobby boards as they are usually 2’x4′. Just make sure that if you need a piece that is a true 4×4 that the cut off piece will be undersize due to the saw kerf. Great article.
I love Home Depot but I never go there for hardwood. Where I live they charge double what the hardwood dealer does and because it was milled long before it went on the shelf it has usually moved a considerable amount. This is even more important because there is nothing left to mill off unless you want something 5/8 or 1/2″ thick.
The big orange store has really improved their customer service focus. I have had outstanding experiences with them cutting sheet goods on the panel saw and in loading all the lumber for me in the covered area of the store. I’ve also had great luck in buying online then picking up. They usually pick the best boards because they don’t want to have to restock if you don’t like what they picked. It’s a time saver.
Excellent advice. A few other things I learned the hard way. For heavy sheet good on lower shelves, pull it out, stand it up on the 4’ end, line it up with that center section, and tip it onto the cart. For any board, check for edge knots, gouges, chips, and checking/splitting on the end. I sometimes bounce it on the concrete floor and listen for anything other than a solid sound.
I wish you and your website were available to give this advice when I was starting out but we didn’t have YouTube in those days. (The Romans were still here in England!) If you have a timber mill within reach, popping in there and striking up a relationship with them can pay dividends long term. Thanks Steve. As usual a great article!
Quality and price aside, at least it appears you have a readily available wide choice. Here in the UK, the equivalent retailers hold nowhere near the range you’ve shown here. Only choice in plywood is the size, and hardwoods usually only extend to small trim pieces. It is either the timber yard or rare specialist retailers for us.
Another tip for the big stores is to find their “cull wood” pile. It’s a dog’s breakfast of offcuts, warped and knotty boards, and stuff they just need to get rid of to make room for newer stock. Lots of it is garbage destined for the dump, but you can often find really good useable pieces at vastly reduced prices. I usually make it my first stop when shopping the big stores for wood.
When I built my 24’x18′ deck I hand-picked and examined EVERY board I used! Rented a U-Haul and spent a full day going in and out of Home Depot buying 2×4’s, 2×6’s, 6×6’s, 5/4×6’s, 2×10’s. I was wearing an orange t-shirt by chance and people kept asking me for help – that turned a 8-hr job into a 12-hr job. We saw 3 different shifts of store staff come and go! LOL
@SteveRamsey Love your youtube website to give pple a chance at learning and seeing completion.. Here is a fellow who uses recycled materials and you as a craftsman would understand how your colleague in the woodcraft world makes it look so easy.. never says a word as its all shown or implied. ! Yet awesome.. Epic UpCycling. Youtube website.. This episode.. last 2 posted 3months ago titled :- Machinist Tilting Drop-Down Drawer Tool Chest Made From Scrap.
@Steve Ramsey So, have you ever been to a Menards? They compete with Home Depot and Lowes, but their lumber section is typically more like a traditional lumber yard, in that it’s largely outside in sheds, and what lumber is in the main store is farther away from the front. Perhaps the biggest difference from Home Depot (don’t know about Lowes, haven’t been to one) is that Menards stacks the lumber flat, rather than on end, which I prefer.
Freaking hilarious. I’ve been doing basic woodworking projects for years for home and have watched your articles that whole time. I always ask my neighbor Andy who’s a professional woodworker about your articles and he was always like yeah he’s a good guy. And then I’m perusal this article and halfway through I see the BMW lot across from home Depot and I’m like Hey! How many home depots have a BMW storage lot across the street. Dude must be in Marin. That being said home Depot is ok for low end projects but Gooidmans, Fairfax lumber and Rafael lumber have better furniture woods for competitive price. And of course MacBeath is the king of Baltic Birch.
My local HD is great! The staff are friendly and helpful, the inventory is almost always adequate, returns (when needed) are courteous and efficient. My nearest source for more interesting hardwoods is 90 miles away, and the local ACE often has better and lower-priced softwoods and sheet goods, and they’ll deliver! I can check availability and prices for both HD and ACE on-line. Most of the time HD is my go-to, and I like it.
Great tips. I avoid “big box” stores on weekends if at all possible. Also, they often have a morning rush when the contractors are there. Project panels are a great alternative for 4×8 sheets. When you do the article for a “real” lumberyard, discuss the difference between board foot and linear foot prices. Definitely confusing for some.
And last but not least, you’ll soon figure out that all plywood from home depot and lowes is garbage compared to what else it out there. Although you can order Columbia forest plywood online thru home depot and they have all sorts of species. Unfortunately it’s only cost efficient to buy it in 2×4′ sheets, but its still a good option when you need cherry, walnut, or white oak plywood. For my recent project I just ordered some white oak plywood in 1/2″ and aromatic cedar in 1/4″ for drawer bottoms.
For plywood, the blue and orange stores near me will make two cuts in an 8’x4′ sheet of plywood for free. I don’t have a truck, so I usually look at my plans and see what cuts would make the most sense while allowing the boards to fit in the back of my car. Usually I have them take a 2’x4′ panel off the end, and then split the rest into a pair of 3’x6′ panels. Just like you said, however, it’s a real crap shoot on whether either of the stores will have both the sheet I want AND a working saw.
When your at a big box store your not on your own ! Depending on how nice the employees are, they are their to help your. Coming from a disabled person that likes to build, you can get help loading things, they wont strap down for you do to liability tho. An yea you can cut down large sheet goods in the parking lot. But most stores, not all. Have a big saw an will make some cutts for your. Say turn that 4×8 sheet into a 2 4×4 sheets. Some places one cutt is free. Some places the cost alittle. But dont expect them to cutt your hole project for your. Nor is their accuracy always the best. Something I’ve had things alittle off, so get it bigger so you can make the final cutt at home. Plus sometimes they have tear out
I was shocked when I saw you in a previous article at Home Depot, and your location had hardwoods for sale. The closest two HD’s near me in South TX do not sell any hardwoods, whatsoever. The nearest to me is a Lowe’s that carries some Red Oak and Poplar. For all other hardwoods (domestic & exotic) I have to order them online.
Nice article, as usual, Steve. I work part-time at Home Depot about a month away from my 20th anniversary. I routinely spend lots of time with novice DIYers helping them better understand what they really need to complete their project. I wish more customers would watch your article. It would make their shopping experience much easier and more enjoyable. By the way, if you ask for help at your local HD, you might be surprised that some associates actually know what they’re talking about.
This was a great article. You touched on just about everything, especially those subtle items that many folks won’t understand early on. For instance, understanding the difference between lumber that is sold by the piece versus that sold by the linear foot will help avoid embarrassing moments at checkout. My day job had me sitting in front of a computer most of the day. I have a little bit of carpal tunnel, but no calluses. Therefore, I usually take a pair of gloves with me to protect against splinters and cuts from the sharp edges on plywood. The gloves I like are the stretchy ones where the palms and fingers are coated in rubbery nitrile. I also carry a small, pocket-size tape measure so I don’t have to wander around the store looking for one. I really like the Stanley 10-ft tape with a scale on the back for directly measuring the outside diameters (OD) of metal tubing, PVC pipe, etc. (Some woodworking projects use materials other than wood now and then.) My preferred tape measure is a Stanley model 33-115. (I have a cheap engraver that I use to carve my name on the side so I won’t get suspected of shoplifting.) This is the one mentioned above with the OD scale on the back side of the tape. Thank you for the excellent tutorial. I am looking forward to the one about shopping at an actual lumber yard. I haven’t done much of that yet, so I’m sure it will be enlightening.
As a Home Depot cashier thank you for some of these. So many people miss the LF (which I admit is very small) and are shocked by prices). And the bar codes for many cashiers are completely unfamiliar with lumber and have no idea what it is. If there’s no bar code on the board you want, bring up another with the bar code and explain you only want the other one. Or take a picture of the shelf tag or write down the code.
Popped into my local big orange store here in the UK today to get some MDF. Quarter sheets were 2x the price per sq.ft of full sheets so, as I knew my project could be made from quarter sheets (2ft X 4ft) I went over to the cutting area and pushed the “Press for help” button. 30 seconds later a member of staff spoke to me through the intercom. I told her I needed a 12mm full sheet, cut in quarters and she appeared in a matter of seconds. She helped me lift and carry a (checked for quality) sheet off the shelving over to the saw station. She set up the cut positions and we loaded the sheet. 2 minutes later I had 4x quarter boards of exactly the same size (which she confirmed they would be before she cut them). Perfect!! Up to 5 cuts are free of charge. Sharp blade. No burning or splinters. £32.47 (about $44.40) for a 12mm (1/2″) 8′ X 4′ sheet of regular MDF.
The big box stores is really not a good place to buy lumber. There is a lumber company or a repurposed lumber company where you can buy your lumber. Your advice is good, where and why you should buy wood. In general there is more cupped and bowed lumber with lots of knots and bark remnants. So buyer beware. I love wood the feel and the smell. Continue with your articles.
As a former Home Depot associate, I can safely say that you’re incorrect in saying that people are “on their own” in terms of loading lumber into their vehicles. In fact, that was a core part of our training: Learning how to properly secure merchandise to a customer’s vehicle, and the lot attendants are specifically asked to help any and all customers load merchandise into their vehicle as we’re the last associates people see before leaving the store.
Very good article, it is nice to see that this process is exactly the same as it is here in Australia. We have a different and smaller range of specialty wood at our home depot (which is named Bunnings here) most of the species of wood are locally sourced. In case if you are looking for more exotic range of timber it is required to look for and visit a specialty lumber yard or suppliers. Another thing I wish to mention is that those are excellent tips for the beginner or a diy worrior, especially these tips : How to get the lumber to your car, being prepared and bringing a circular saw to cut your timber pieces for easier transport home, to make sure that there is a barcode on one end of the timber so your shopping experience is much quicker and more pleasant, plus you get to go back to your project in time. Great article!
When you’re looking for 2 by 4s, start by looking at the ends. Big, wide, smiling grain lines, or lines that go straight across (the thin direction) are generally the best when it comes to not warping. Diagonal lines of the circular center of a tree are the worst, and can almost always be skipped in any further examination.
TO AVOID SAID ‘LENGTHY ORDEAL’; If you pick up a board that does not have a barcode, but you have a smartphone on hand, take a picture of the whole sign for the board you’re picking up. I usually do this anyway whenever I’m buying anything from a big box store when I can’t immediately find the barcode or I don’t want to pick up the item to move it around for them to scan it. If you don’t want to/can’t take a picture, write down the “aisle/bay” numbers OR the C-number. Any big box store can find exactly what you picked up if you reference where they put it on their shelves or the number they use for their global system.
“Noone there to help you”? You know, I’ve watched a ton of articles of your Steve, but this is one point I think you got very wrong. From my experience, if you find someone to help you, they will be more than happy to give you a hand and literally all the information you shared in this article. To anyone out there, don’t be afraid to talk and ask questions. I would note that there may be times when staff is overbusy that I can’t find anyone, I’ve had that twice in my experience so far, so I generally go to the store during the working day when there is lots of staff and little customers. usually 7-11am, 2-4pm. Also for cutting up boards, my experience has been 2 cuts are free. If I’m picking up one sheet of 4×8 plywood I have measured out the exact size that will fit in the tiny trunk of my Honda Accord and the 2 cuts that will get all the pieces to that size. Make sure you know which cut to do first, make that apparent to the worker cutting your piece, I’ve not made the mistake of not saying this yet, and I don’t plan to.
Bringing a circular saw to Home Depot and using it in the parking lot can get you screamed at by the store manager, FYI. Ask me how I know…of course, their in store saw NEVER works here either. The furring strips are pretty useful, but the money you save is paid back in the time it takes to make them pretty. I am impressed by your HD’s hardwood selection! The ones in Houston usually just have oak and poplar.
I’ve been catching up on your articles Steve and I definitely got a story about Home Depot. I was in a building trades class in high school and the teacher sent me and my buddy there to get some plywood. The guy poorly strapped it up on top of my buddy’s suv. Now us being younger and dumber didn’t really know better and thought it would be fine. Let me tell you that it almost went flying off the car at the first stop sign and we called another friend with a pickup to come give us a hand. Definitely an experience I haven’t forgotten nor will ever 😂
I’ve always bought my wood at Home Depot. The store is convenient. The boards also have square edges. Lowe’s edges are always rounded. If the project calls for rounded edges all take a router to it. I always found 1×6 to be a good value and less likely to be warped. The 1×8 and 1×10 always seem harder to find without a warp or a cup. Probably because of the width. I always buy 6′ boards cause that’s all that for in my car. The only time I buy a 1×8 is if I need a bunch of 1x4s. It’s cheaper to rip the 1×8 and save about 40%.
LOL, the Home… er, orange stores around me don’t have the flat utility carts! I’d never even seen one of them until you showed one! You have the low carts, the shopping carts, or the plywood × lumber carts. That’s it and that’s all. As for the cheap boards, the firring strips and such… their rough look and “live edges” can be used to your advantage in some situations. Plus, if you have a planer, you can make them much prettier, yourself.
I’m so jealous you guys get to find mahogany boards or maple plywood in Home Depot, the best we get here is rough-saw oak planks which are typically only good for shelves, the rest is sheet goods that doesn’t even say what it’s made of. Even the solid wood is usually just labelled as “soft wood” while the hard wood stuff is laminated bit of leftover something… also for us the sheet-goods department is always at the far-end of the store, nowhere near the checkouts so it’s always fun to drag your 2x4s around the store. Luckily we can get sheet goods cut to our own specs by an employee though not all stores offer that but it’s really convenient when they can (‘cos my car is not big enough for a full sheet of plywood, and neither is my workshop for that matter)
Yeash! I really wish your description of Box Store employees wasn’t so accurate. I once ordered a metal cutting band saw through Home Depot and once it arrived I pulled into the online order spaces out front. Nothing, not even a ” can I help you, sir?” 20 minutes of waiting after confirming online that I was there to pick up my order I went inside to find out where it was.They made me wait another fifteen minutes to hand over the cart my saw was sitting on. And when I got back to the parking lot I noticed that everyone who supposedly was there to help me load a heavy object into my car had mysteriously vanished. I hope it’s just a San Francisco Bay Area box store problem but customer service in central coast California is quite terrible in my experience.
If you’re going to the big box store for your woodworking materials, you can expect to either wind up with garbage materials, or wildly overpriced materials. There are a couple exceptions, but for the most part, you should go to the yellow pages and look up hardwood dealers. Often, there will be a local outlet in an industrial area of town or on the outskirts that stocks and sells hardwoods specifically. Often they will also do things like custom moldings and wood for hardwood floors. This is where you want to go. You can buy your material either “rough sawn”, which is cut and dried from the mill, or you can have them clean it up for you if you don’t own the planer and jointer needed to process it yourself. Often the same place will sell proper A-1 veneer plywood as well. This stuff is expensive, but for an important furniture project, this is what you want. The Big box store is going to sell mostly construction lumber, that for the most part is unsuitable for furniture and cabinetry. They do sell some cheap imported hardwood veneer plywood that you can use sometimes, but beware the veneers are very thin and the stability is not great.They also sell some ultra-premium “select” hardwoods that can be good, but selection will be limited, it will be fully dimensioned and milled, and it will be very VERY expensive. If you’re just building stuff for the shop, you can maybe find what you need at the big box, but for fine furniture, go elsewhere.
Orange and Blue stores… good for construction type lumber, usually cost effective because they get it in high quantity bulk. Everything else, I go to one of my local lumber/construction yards, where the selection of finish grade lumber and specialty woods are way better and, most importantly, have knowledgeable staff. They may cost a few dollars more, but have huge selections and much better quality. Hopefully, you have one or more of these around you.
There is no easy way to say something is a burden quickly, while emphasizing frustration. “A real pain in the ass” is the best way. I use many other choice phrases that I wont type here while looking at current lumber and sheet goods prices. Nonetheless, this article has some great info. Thank you for touching on the lumber etiquette. Nothing like cleaning up some lazy ass’s mess to find good lumber.
For a long time I always went to the local dedeman, and as a 15 year old with VERY little money it really made projects hard. It’s just in march of this year that I accidentally stumbled upon the holy land known as the lumberyard. Everything is so reasonably priced here, and the people are nice. In the dedeman they only had shitty pine boards and sanded pine boards, with a single shitty board costing usually 60-100 lei, aka six months of my allowance, for a single two meter long board. Also it’s really far away, going there on my bike usually takes up the afternoon, and the people there are always mean to me because I don’t speak romanian all that well. The lumberyard meanwhile is 400 m away from my house, they sell boards of different woods, 15 lei for 4 meters, and the best part is that a nice old lady is serving people, she’s always very patient and really tries to help when I’m struggling to say something in romanian
I advise taking a picture of the tag/barcode of the board you think your buying and pay attention at purchasing. Also, don’t be afraid to not buy a board if you get sticker shock. You want to make a coffee table and pick our wood and see it costs 200 in just materials? Maybe re-think that ikea piece you slandered before coming. It may have been you Steve, but a hobbyists should decide if a project is because of need or desire and if your building something cause you just need the thing, and don’t care about the journey of DIY, just buy it.
Easy trick for checking out with boards or moulding that don’t have a bar code sticker or end label. Snap a photo with your phone of the shelf label for that item. It has the item number on it, as well as the price. Show that to the cashier, & they can enter the item number manually. Also a good way to confirm the price matches what’s in their system. I’ve done that a few times with cut-it-yourself moulding at Home Depot especially, if the piece I cut off didn’t have a bar code sticker. I’ve never had a cashier have problems with doing that. Thanks for all the tips!
My home depot doesn’t know what they’re doing in the lumber section, but that’s a good thing. They let me take “scraps” all the time. Any specialty board that’s been cut to less than about 4 feet, they just let me take. Doesn’t matter how wide, how thick, oak, popper, doesn’t matter. If it’s about waist high, they let me toss it in with what I’m purchasing. Hope they never figure it out.
In addition to your etiquette suggestion about putting things back after you look through, and not taking wood that won’t work for you. My advice is do take wood if the flaws it has won’t make your project worse. I wouldn’t suggest making crappy projects, but if I’m building a garage shelf, surface defects and minor knots aren’t a problem. These materials are already harvested and transported, if I can find a way to put flawed product to good use, and if it won’t make my project worse in the process, I try to be responsible. If more folks do it, then there will be more good wood left for the projects that don’t have those tolerances too. At least in my town the box stores run out of clear pieces pretty quick, I hate to take the last straight grained beam if I just need two legs anyway.
Good tutorial on navigating a big box home center. Your point on bringing your own circular saw to the store is a good one. I bring a 4 ft t-square as well. Lowes and Home Depot both have sheet cutting saws in their stores, but they are often not working, operated by untrained personnel and/or make terrible splintery cuts.
Good article. Those looking for plywood, do a little additional research on the various grades and types of that. Easy to grab a less-than-ideal one if you’re new at this. It’s good to know how to navigate the lumber section at the local big box, it is often the most convenient place to go, but the ultimate tip is to learn where the nearest lumber yard is that will sell to retail customers. The big box is fine for 2x4s and a sheet of plywood and “mixed projects” where you need a bunch of other supplies in addition to lumber. But for anything other than construction lumber and lower grades of sheet goods, the pricing, selection, and quality are likely all to be much better at the lumber yard.
Steve… I think you covered everything… Including the broken/ non-operational saw routine at HD… which is always “broken” when I go in there. LOL. I don’t have a truck so I am curious how you would breakdown the plywood in the parking lot, I haven’t seen anyone do that ever! Have you? I’m just thinking that I lave a limited space in the car as it is and I’d need a saw horse (or two), a straight edge, pencils, measuring tools, saw, extra battery, etc. Because I would need to make cuts for my project, and I’ll still need to get those cuts into my trunk of my car I have a narrow pass through… Cars were not designed for hauling wood! Oh… and BTW I don’t have a roof rack either!
Very good article. I just picked through about 40 1x6x12 could only find 15 good ones had to take 4 bad ones to hope I can make it work on putting up a tongue and groove wall in a few days laying there 3 warped so bad when one end was down the other was up 3 inches these have to go back to the store. I also find that in most cases a person doesn’t show up to help in till you are done even tho they see you. Very high priced for poor quality wood.
“You’re on your own” No truer words have been spoken regarding getting help to move/cut sheet goods at Home Depot or Lowes. The saws are perpetually broken. I have seriously thought about creating a business that delivers sheet goods, broken down to rough dimensions for people who aren’t able to drive or move them theirselves.
Years ago I needed 2x4s. Went to Home Depot. The pile had been gone through to point where all of the boards on the top foot or so were useless. So, Not having any other place to put the bad boards I threw them on the floor. An employee came and told I couldn’t do that. Well, that didn’t set well with me so I continued my sorting method with gusto. Ha! The “manager” came by and “banned” from HD! I actually have to thank him because from that day on I go only to a real lumber yard. Yes, you pay a little more but they usually load the wood and it’s usually straight. I watch them load and reject any pieces that are not top notch.
What only one comment about Menards. It is a green box store here in the midwest. Every month or so they have 11% off everything in the store. Just file for the rebate. It is a little known fact that HD will match that discount IF there is a Menards in their area. For wood Menards is more like a lumberyard than Lowes or HD.
I bought a sheet of plywood one time and tried to cut it down in the parking lot using a hand saw. it worked but took a long time. I always thought battery powered circular saws were silly but they would certainly be convenient in this situation. I don’t have any problem with dimensioned lumber at the store, I have problem figuring out which plywood to choose to get a reasonably good surface. A lot of the grading and designations I learned long ago aren’t used any more.
Was about to ask if there is no cutting service in the store. But at the end you revealed that it’s there, but not very useful. In Germany we have a cutting service in every big hardware store and its usually fast and effective, but if you need an exact size to the milimeter, they are mostly 1 or 2 mm off. But you can also preorder the cuts online and just collect to a given time, which is quite nice if you have a lot of pieces. also with the tapemeasure: the stores here usually have paper measures for take away and usage inside the store. The on i frequent has a wooden measure screwed into the wall next to the wood board aisle.
I like to take pictures of the labels for some lumber if the bar code is hard to find. My local Lowes has a drive in lumberyard so I can load my lumber before I pay. If I take a picture of the label, I can go to any check stand and pay for my lumber with the rest of my stuff. Just need to show the attendant my receipt before I leave.
Love your articles man. The shorts and the long ones. At 30 yrs old I’m now just getting into woodworking and whatnot because I love to build stuff. Since I’m very new to this kind of work, your articles are beyond helpful and always my goto. Keep up the great work man and please keep making articles as long as you can.
Good article. You are correct on the utility cart for 4×8 sheets. If you own a Pacifica or T and C, they were designed to hold a 4×8 sheet inside with all the seats in the sto n go. Probably happenstance but the height of the cart and the height of the van make for a flush push of the material from the cart into the van.
Great article! Two more tips I learned the hard way: 1. Bring work gloves. Handling lumber with bare hands is less comfortable and invites splinters. It will be easier to manage, especially if you are putting wood back and forth because it’s crooked, etc. 2. Bring a tape measure. You know you have one. I realize that Steve mentioned grabbing one from the appropriate department, but 1) that’s a pain every time, and 2) ew handing something that 20 people have previously handled because they also forgot to bring their own tape measure, especially in these times.
Recently I was doing a big project that required 7 sheets of plywood (and siding). In advance of this I made your plywood lifting cleat and brought it with me into the store. This made the trip way easier, my wife was able to help stabilize the cart rather than help me move the wood (and likely hurt herself). There’s nothing wrong with bringing your own stuff into the store. I love your tip on the tape measure. I always mean to bring one and forget it at home or in the car 90% of the time.
Good advice. I feel strongly that I do much better by going to the local lumber mill and get boards where they were cut, but I still need plywood from the big box stores. There is no question that the quality of pine board from the local mill are a higher quality for less money than the big box stores. I was once told that the boards they think are not good enough to sell are sold to a big box store!
Wonderful! You covered so much here…a lot that would’ve come in handy a year ago! One more tip is that my local Lowe’s has some project panels of various sizes wrapped in plastic. I know it’s more satisfying (and cheaper) to glue up your own panels, but I’ve been pretty happy with them…although I did take off the plastic and let the board acclimate to my shop before use.
This is great! When I first started a year ago, this would have been incredibly helpful so I’m sure it’s super useful for those starting out. And it was good to reinforce that what I’ve learnt over this year in regards to picking out lumber is on the right track. It was definitely an intimidating place to go the first few times.
Frankly speaking though, going to a lumber yard at a “big box store” isn’t bad if you understand the materials you are working with and what the project is before hand!! Just knowing what you level of “work” is going to be has a lot more meaning too, then selecting lumber in general!! I work a lot for example with plywood, and there are great things you can do with Home Depots Sanded Plywood!! Sure it isn’t Baltic Birch, but it will take a finish well and does make some wonderful furniture if you are willing to understand how to use it!! Certainly it isn’t going to be “heirloom pieces” but it will last a good long time and look wonderful when it is done right!!! People still comment on my computer desk that I built years ago which is mostly two sheets of 3/4″ Sanded Home Depot Plywood and some trim molding and poly/ stain!!!
A article I wished I’d seen when I started woodworking! When you say “green” lumber I think you’re referring to pressure treated, which is saturated with copper-based chemical preservatives that prevent rot, and is used in outdoor (e.g. decking, fencing) and foundation construction. Definitely not suitable for furniture. My understanding is that the copper they use causes the green tint.
For wood that you’re going to use for shop projects or bracing, don’t over look the mark down cart that’s usually back near the saw (that you can’t find anyone to run). I’ve gotten suitable lumber for a fraction of the price. No one that works there wants to run the saw because as soon as someone does, people line up for you to custom cut all their parts for their project. The saw is only to cut down lumber to fit into your car or truck. If you want custom cutting, buy your own saw or hire someone. You will find some people that work there that will do it, but they’re not supposed to.
I’m going to add a few things here as I work in one of these stores (the blue one): If you use a tape measure that is fine, but please put it back or hand it off to an employee or cashier at check out. The section with lumbar is call “Pro” and is clearly labeled on the outside of the store. You can pull up to load and there is the staff their to help if need be. (at least in my store) If you are buying an off cut, simple write the item number on it instead the barcode. The employee who cut it can do this and should be. This is a high forklift area, be prepared to be asked to leave the aisle temporarily. If you see someone with blue shirt (don’t know about the orange place) and cleaning/organizing, they cannot help you but can call someone. Seriously, please just put it back where you got it from….. If getting hardware, please PLEASE check with that department staff BEFORE opening a closed box. It may not be sold per item. That’s all I got for the moment, feel free to add folks. Thanks