Does The Skyrocketing Cost Of Lumber Affect Live Edge Tables?

When the price of wood makes the news, you know something unfortunate is happening. Every homeowner considering a new deck or addition knows that the price of lumber is pushing the limits of their budget. The rising costs have affected other industries, too, including furniture. 

Does the skyrocketing cost of lumber affect the price of live edge tables? If the live edge wood is locally sourced, it shouldn’t! 

 

What’s Causing The Rise In Lumber Costs?

 

There are many factors behind the almost astronomical rise in lumber costs. Some analysts say that the demand pre-dated mill shutdowns across Canada and the United States. Pre-pandemic, many timber mills were already running close to capacity; COVID caused many of them to shut down for long stretches. It only made the supply more limited!

As more jobs moved to remote workstations, more homeowners were spending more time at home, leading them to tackle long put-off DIY improvement projects like decks and interior rooms. Many governments have been encouraging construction to stimulate their economies. Combined with low mortgage rates, builders ramped up construction, putting more strain on the supply. 

Though economies are opening up, mills have not been able to ramp up production fast enough to go with the increasing demand. Combined with the difficulty in finding workers for mills, the outbreaks already affecting them, and the remoteness of the locations, it all becomes a perfect storm for rising prices.

 

How Do Rising Lumber Costs Affect Furniture Makers?

 

All this points to furniture makers, like contractors and builders, being affected by the higher costs. Many furniture makers reliant on the large-scale delivery of lumber from across the continent (or world) are raising prices on their finished products. While the costs rise, the limited life of the table or chair will stay the same.

Rising lumber costs have affected the price of shipping a lot, too! More consumers are buying large appliances and furniture in the pandemic; this has helped increase lumber prices because many manufacturers ship large, heavy items on wooden pallets. 

Where can Londoners find a quality piece of furniture unaffected by these market dynamics? You can start in the Rustix workshop!

 

Do Skyrocketing Lumber Costs Affect Live Edge Tables?

 

While lumber prices are affecting many types of wooden furniture, most live-edge tables are unaffected! If you’re wondering how this can be, let’s start the answer by considering the distance of even Canadian wood. Most of the softwood used in the construction industry comes from British Columbia. The softwood timber becomes studs, joists, beams, and other components used for framing.

It’s quite the distance from Ontario (though we have a substantial hardwood industry turning out lumber and plywood). It signals how a lot of lumber on the market isn’t local. Even the price of hardwood used in furniture-making is going up, as lumber mills in Ontario and Quebec suffered the same problems as those out west. 

For finding wood that is little affected by the ins and outs of large-scale markets, trade disputes, and the pandemic mill problems, your best bet is to choose something not just local, but hyperlocal. Here is where live edge wood – specifically Rustix live edge wood – comes at an advantage! 

All the wood we use comes right from London, and we upcycle local trees that the City takes down as part of routine green space management. The wood comes about as raw as you can find wood – it’s our job to cut it, finish it, and ensure it works as a tabletop. We’re all the steps of processing lumber under one roof!

Many market specialists say that if you’re planning on building a home or deck with lumber in 2021, you’ll be paying up to three times more for the materials than you would have only two years ago. If you’re planning on adding some durable wood furniture to your home, though, the price will be about the same!