How to Choose your Building Materials

In this "How to" I will give you some guidlines and cautions that will help you to choose quality materials at a descent price for your area. Materials and thier prices vary from area to area and from one supplier to the next... also standard dimensional lumber like dog eared fence boards sometimes vary in thickness... so be on guard and know what you are buying.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Telephone and phone book
• Pencil and paper
• Calculator helps
• List of Building materials needed for your project.
• Mark the list with special considerations (like interior use or exterior...)
• Tape Measure

1. Review the List of Materials needed and the special consideration (like interiour use or exterior... Metal fittings or plastic... what kind of fasteners are recomended and which one is prefered. etc...
   
   When you move on to step 2 you want to have all your little ducks in a row.
2. The Home Improvement Center
   
   There is nothing that can replace the value of wandering around a home improvement Center (HIC) and just looking at the materials and considering things like the prices and quality differences... and looking at the different options that you have for your materials...
   Once you have decided on the basic list... and any brand considerations... Like prefering Paslode 2" ring shank nails for your Fence project over the 2 3/8" nails of another brand... Know which one you are looking for before you get on the telephone in step 3.
   Step two can be boiled down into this commen sense: Make inteligent decisions based on practicality and availability.
   You can learn allot from your local HIC!!! Be sure to write down prices and availability of your needs.
   Do you need to pick the item up yourself or do they package it and deliver?
3. Now that you have your list of prefered materials and know approximately the prices you are looking at...
   
   Do some armchair warrior work... get on the telephone and go right down the telephone list of Building Materials Suppliers and find out the prices... If you have a fax machine you can ask them for a "Check out" just fax them your list and they will do your pricing and fax it back to you... It may take them some time to do this... Remember they have many customers to take care of and will do the best they can. They are usually very helpfull with advice in later stages also... so be good with them and make note of wich ones are the most helpfull and knowlegable. Even if you spend a little more using one of these suppliers it is money well spent when you need to return an item or get advice as they are going to be your more helpfull "friend in the Business" (If you are in Hattiesburg MS check out Economy Supply)
   Dont worry about getting to many price comparisons... you will learn something after several of these price quotes... the prices of materials although usually close... do vary from supplier to supplier and by a little bit of homework you can save quite a bit on your project. If your project is a large one.... like a 500' fence for example... ask if you can get "contractor price" on the materials... this may open the door for a big discount.

Tips & Warnings

• Not all lumber is created equal... If your going to pick out the lumber yourself anyway buy the cheap stuff and pick through the stack...
• If the lumber will be pre-picked and delivered... be sure to inquire as to the grade of the lumber...
• Just ask them: What Grade are those 2x4's?
• Stud Grade is usually of much lower quality and may be shorter than an actual 8' length.
• Luisianna Pine 2x4's vs Hemlock from another area... Big difference in structural stability. If used for Rafters, the pine may be weak in comparison.
• When in doubt ask one of the people who seems to know the ins and outs of your project and the materials being used. The one who is ready, willing and able to talk to you. Thats usually the store I end up buying at... repeatedly.
• Warning: Watch out for "know it alls" who have never actually done the project, but have heard others talk, and now want to be your jobsite critics... They will usually mess something up that costs YOU and arm and a leg to Repair. Or worse yet... Cut themselves with the skill saw while trying to show you how much they really dont know... "When in Doubt... Escort OUT"