The Secret To Getting Lumber At Rock-Bottom Prices At Home Depot
As we all know, prices on everything are through the roof right now. Grocery bills have doubled, gas is almost unbuyable, and of course, other resources such as lumber are just as expensive. According to NextAdvisor, inflation was at the highest it had ever been just two short months ago in May. While this may or may not end soon, and we truly hope it will, there are still some ways to save money. Couponing, discount days, and even price matching can help you save just a little extra money on the things you need. However, some things are a bit harder to save money on.
Lumber, for example, is one of the most expensive items you can buy at any given time, let alone the time period we're currently living in. Therefore, it's suggested by many to not buy it if it's not a necessity. However, unfortunately for some, it is a necessity. Stores such as Lowe's and The Home Depot sell it at an almost even rate. There are also lumber-specific stores that you can buy from. If you're looking for a deal to buy some, there are a few secrets to getting lumber at a low price at The Home Depot.
Cull Lumber is the way to go
Cull Lumber, for those that don't know, is scrap wood that is cut off from other pieces of lumber. This is often done in stores such as The Home Depot, as they cut wood to fit a buyer's needs. Thus, also allowing the customer to only have to pay for exactly what they need and nothing more. However, when a customer does need their lumber cut to specifics, this also leaves a lot of leftover scrap wood. Additionally, these leftover lumber pieces become hard to sell.
This is when the scrap wood gets placed in the cull lumber pile. This cull lumber pile can also consist of damaged wood and flawed boards as well, according to The Silicon Underground. While the prices and discounts may vary drastically depending on several aspects, sometimes, cull lumber can sell for up to 70% off. Of course, if you're needing a specific type and size of lumber, the cull lumber area may not always be the way to go. However, it's still a great place to get some smaller pieces.
Check before you buy
Not all damaged pieces of lumber go directly into the cull lumber pile. Sometimes these damages are unnoticed, and they get placed on the shelves with the normal lumber. It's best to always check your wood before you buy it. Of course, this takes up a lot of time, depending on the amount of wood you are buying. However, it's best to take this time to check the quality of the items you are paying for. While you can always return the wood that doesn't meet your expectations, that would take up even more time for a mistake that could have been prevented, to begin with. Delmhorst offers some recommendations on what to look for.
It goes without saying that any board in any shape and size can be damaged and warped, it's more common for larger and nondimensional boards. Wood sizes such as 2x4s or 2x8s are known to have the most damage. If there are certain sizes you need, but most of them that are already cut to this size are damaged, it's always best to have the store cut larger boards into the size you desire. Just make sure to double-check these boards as well.