Maybe it’s because shopping carts and I don’t get along, and I like being able to pull my car right up to the aisle. Maybe it’s because I prefer shopping in the open air to under fluorescents. Maybe it’s because I always have questions and like it when someone has the answers. Whatever the reason, I love our local lumber mill.

When I was buying the wood for our island countertop, I said in my first post that I went through nearly the whole pile looking for the straightest, cleanest boards possible. What I really should have said was that two guys from the yard crew at the lumber mill went through nearly the whole pile for me, letting me look at each individual board until I found the ones that I liked.

Then, they ran each of the boards through their big saw–twice–trimming the edges to my exact measurements. Oh and there was no charge for any of the cuts.

They loaded all of the lumber into my car, making sure that I had enough space to shift gears and see at least some of the traffic around me.

This is the experience every time I got to the lumber mill. Their staff is super knowledgeable and provides outstanding service.

Because they cater to contractors and not just DIYers, they have the answers and the materials that I need.

Have questions about what’s the best material for a particular project? They can talk me through it. Looking for enough baseboard in the profile I’ve chosen to trim the whole basement? They have job lot quantities in stock. Want shelving with the pre-finished square edge that matches my existing shelving? They carry it. Along with all of the nails, screws, tools, hardware and whatever else I might need.

There’s no wandering aisles trying to figure things out myself. I walk up to the counter, ask my questions, place my order and drive out to the yard. There someone finds exactly what I need, answers more of my questions and loads it into my car.

My one quibble with the local lumber mill is that often this loading happens first thing in the morning as, since they cater to contractors, they’re open 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Most of my shopping tends to happen on my way to work, and I end up driving around all day with a pile of lumber stretching from the dashboard, across the passenger seat, through the back seat and into the trunk. Of course, this small inconvenience is outweighed by the convenience of getting exactly what I need, whatever the project.