Where to buy lumber in Maryland?

[Greg in Maryland]

Newbie here ....

Does anyone know good sources of quality lumber in Montgomery, Frederick, or Prince Georges counties in Maryland?

I've looked at the big boxes and local building supply companies, but their wood is a mess and selection is limited.

I've found this place: http://www.exoticlumberinc.com/ but was wondering what else is out there.

Thanks.

Greg

[russd]

There's Wood World in Rockville, off Rt 355 and Rt 28, near Rockville Metro. Sorry, don't have the number off hand.

There's Sticks, on Plyers Mill in Kensington (near the fire house).

There's Wood Workers Club, Rockville, off Boiling Brooke. It's actually on Wyconda Drive (or something like that). It's in a warehouse, behind the shopping center with Amazing Savings, the Kosher grocery store, etc...

Mizell Lumber in Kensington, Metropolitan Avenue. Has 1/4" tempered hard board.

Sorry, no numbers on them. Check the yellow pages or 411 for more info. Wish I had it for you.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

[atgcpaul]

Newbie here ....

Does anyone know good sources of quality lumber in Montgomery, Frederick, or Prince Georges counties in Maryland?

I've found this place: http://www.exoticlumberinc.com/ but was wondering what else is out there.

Thanks.

Greg

Hi Greg,

Welcome to the forum! I live in Old Town Gaithersburg. Anyway, I had the
same dilemna as you when I moved here this summer. I have been to
Exotic and they have a big selection and the guys are nice. It's a tight
little warehouse, though. They have pretty decent deals on shorts (6' bds).
As far as I can tell their wood is in the rough. The one time I went, I picked
out red oak shorts. I had one of them joint one edge and face for me. They
charge $60/hr for this and I paid $15 for 15min. Their jointer has no guard
and the guy used no push block for the face jointing--really scary to watch.

I have also been to www.hardwoodsincorporated.com in Frederick. I have
only gone once there, too, and only when I was in the area because it's
25 miles away. Their short specials are about the same as Exotic. Their
shop charge is an extra 50cents (I think) for S2S so probably cheaper than
Exotic. However, from what I can tell about the stock I bought at
Hardwoods, their rough stock is straighter and flatter than Exotic's so I didn't
have them surface it--I'll just run it through my planer and make a jig to do
a straight rip on my table saw. Nice staff, too. I think husband/wife. They
have a pretty decent selection of plywood products, too, but I didn't check
out the prices. Exotic doesn't really deal in ply.

Check out www.woodfinder.net, too. There are places in VA that are just as
far as Frederick, but I haven't checked them out.

Anyway, I like both lumber places I've been, too. Exotic is more convenient
to get to for us, but store hours not so convenient and place is a little tight
to navigate if they get busy. You'll have to dig a little more for straighter, flatter wood. They do have a lot of exotic woods, though, if that's your
thing. Hardwoods is much further away, but nice big aisles to take your
time in, and their stock seems flatter and straighter if you don't own a jointer
but have a planer. Plus they have a good selection of plywoods.

Paul

[Jeffrey Schronce]

The shorts at Exotic look ok in price.

Cherry 4.25
Walnut 4.45
Maple 3.90
Red Oak 2.75

Not too bad.

Try searching the forums at woodnet. I know there is a shop in your area that has very wierd hours that has some crazy prices and decent stock.

[Greg in Maryland]

Thanks for all replies. I'm home sick from work today (cough, cough) and am going to take a little road trip to Frederick to check out Hardwoods Inc.

Hopefully the smell of all that lumber will make me feel better ..

Thanks again.

Greg

[atgcpaul]

Thanks for all replies. I'm home sick from work today (cough, cough) and am going to take a little road trip to Frederick to check out Hardwoods Inc.

Hopefully the smell of all that lumber will make me feel better ..

Thanks again.

Greg

Let us know how it goes. I still need to check out Wood World. I like that
there isn't a minimum bdft purchase at Hardwoods Inc to get the shorts
special.

Paul

[gwyneth]

There are several terrific places over the Pennsylvania line...one of them is Hearne Hardwoods, in Oxford (www.hearnehardwoods.com, for driving directions as well as ordering). The names of the others escape me, but they advertise in the back of the wood magazines. When I lived in Catonsville, the savings more than made up for the gas.

[Jeffrey Schronce]

There are several terrific places over the Pennsylvania line...one of them is Hearne Hardwoods, in Oxford (www.hearnehardwoods.com, for driving directions as well as ordering). The names of the others escape me, but they advertise in the back of the wood magazines. When I lived in Catonsville, the savings more than made up for the gas.

Hearne Hardwoods has nice wood and a great selection, however I definately would not consider them to be low cost. It is worth a visit though, especially the "showroom" which has some great slabs.

In central PA I like Groff and Groff.

[gwyneth]

In central PA I like Groff and Groff

That was who I was really trying to remember. Hearne has gotten a lot fancier over the years.

There's another one within 10-15 miles of Groff, but it, too has completely slipped my mind.

[Jeffrey Schronce]

That was who I was really trying to remember. Hearne has gotten a lot fancier over the years.

There's another one within 10-15 miles of Groff, but it, too has completely slipped my mind.

Ya, there is a ton of the around here. Varying prices and quality. I find Groff and Groff to have average prices and great stock.

We should start a list of lumber suppliers through out the country.

[gwyneth]

We should start a list of lumber suppliers through out the country.

It's funny, because the same thing occured to me as I read this thread, and also whether to suggest that 'wood' might be worth a sub-forum. Not just buying it (though the hot tips about tool prices obviously reveal us members to be fervent shoppers who like chasing down the best deals) but drying it and exchanging other info.

Although it's been almost five years since I really bought any (a hiatus with a long story), back then it seemed as if the best places were regional secrets. I collected several dozen price lists and decided the places that did the least advertising probably had the best prices.

Back then, I was thinking of getting together an informal group in MD and making a run a couple of times a month to PA, because the prices were so much better.

Of course, here in northern Wisconsin, wood seems to be less expensive yet.

[mmgross144]

Wood in DC Metro area

If Manassas isn't too far to drive, I bought great cherry & oak rough cut at Northland Forestry Products (they will also mill it for you for a fee). Here's the link http://www.northlandforest.com/

[gwyneth]

This is probably not too helpful, but speaking of northern Virginia, there used to be (maybe still is) a very, very strange place that specialized in those weird hardwoods that pallets from the far East sometimes use. This place broke them down and sold the wood very cheaply. It might have been near Centerville...I'll have to dig the box of old Fine Woodworkings out and see if I can find the place's name.