Bessemeter Blog

“Eco-friendly” is becoming more popular today as people are realizing the need to care for the natural resources available to us.

Wondering why the wooden boards in your construction project are swelling? Getting calls from clients about damage to their homes?

Eco-friendly wood flooring may make less of a difference for the environment than you’d think.

If you’ve ever bought wood and discovered it had some serious issues with its shape or appearance, you’ve probably stumbled across a defect.

Does your home or business feature a beautiful wood floor?

Whether you’re a licensed home inspector or a concerned homeowner wondering whether your basement walls are a mold risk, we’ve got you covered.

Noticing gaps in a hardwood floor you installed? Have a wooden cabinet with a door that won’t quite shut anymore?

In many situations, hardwood floors can boost the value of your home when it comes time to put it up for sale. Not only are they what many home buyers are looking for—they’re also easier to clean and last much longer than other flooring.

Quality management is one of the most important things any hardwood flooring professional can do.

Reclaimed wood—salvaged wood from barns, pallets, buildings, and other projects—has a lot of uses in DIY woodworking projects and home decor.

You’ve heard the stories before. Laminate floor boards bounce when walked on. The living room floor has gaps in the laminate. Or after a home improvement streak, the neighbor’s new floor is already buckling.

You might have heard different reports: some people say moisture meters are a waste of time and money. Others swear by them. Others aren’t sure.

Maybe you just learned some basic woodworking skills and are eager to try your hand at something.

Whether you’re a flooring contractor or a homeowner looking to install new floors in your home, there’s something you have to have before you get started.

Whether you’re a woodworker, DIYer, or home improvement aficionado, you’ll want to consider the ecological impact of your project.

Like every trade, woodworkers have certain items they go through all the time, and lucky for gift-givers, there is always a tool they’ve got their sights on.

Does the idea of building a piece of furniture make you nervous? You may wonder, Are my skills sufficient? Will the furniture turn out decent?

With springtime and warm weather, you might be itching to get out in your shop and work on a new furniture project.

Engineered hardwood flooring is a popular alternative to solid wood because it has the same beautiful appearance—but often with a lower price tag. However, this flooring material also has disadvantages you’ll want to consider: limited refinishing options, less durability in the long run, and potential off-gassing, to name a few.

When it comes to drying wood, using a kiln is the fastest, most common, and most convenient way to do it.

Whether you’re a homeowner looking to install a new floor in your home, or a flooring contractor trying to find the right floor for your clients, you’re probably looking for a versatile floor material that will stand the test of time and never go out of style.

Buying lumber can be a complicated process. How do you know which kind to buy? How much? Do you need to bring tools? And what do those stamps on the wood mean?

There’s a lot to learn when it comes to woodworking. If you’re relatively new to the skill, you probably still have a lot of questions about it.

Are you interested in starting a hobby in woodworking but don’t know where to begin?

We’ve got you covered! This comprehensive guide will teach you what you need to know to start your projects on the right foot.

What does it take to have a happy customer? How about a quality moisture meter? Could a moisture meter make the difference between being an average home inspector and a thorough one? Let’s find out as we cover.

What if there were a crucial aspect of construction that you, as a general contractor or builder, were neglecting? Some crucial measures can prevent these issues. We’ll walk through them in the context of the construction industry.

Are you a homeowner trying to decide on new flooring in your kitchen or another part of your home? Or are you a flooring installer wanting to keep up with trends? Jump to the section with the information you’re looking for.

Trying to decide whether to use kiln-dried wood? It might feel like a tough call. Those are just a few benefits.

Having a plan is a big part of a successful project. In fact, without a plan, you can count on running into issues that either greatly hinder or completely stop your project. What’s more, without a plan, you risk disappointing your clients and, in turn, harming your reputation.

If you’ve browsed through the Bessemeter website, you may have noticed that we talked about different types of meters. On this page, specifically, you’re going to learn all you need to know about pin meters.

Whether warped door openings, loose joints and fastenings, or mold, the construction business is often liable—unfortunately.

Both hardwood and softwood work for many types of projects, from furniture to musical instruments to cabinetry.

The process of drying wood can take anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of years. Talk about a wide range of time!

Air drying or kiln drying—which one? Perhaps you have some beautiful walnut wood you’d like to have dried for your next woodworking project. But the question is, How should you dry it?

While serious water intrusion is something we hope you never encounter, it’s likely that, sooner or later, you’ll experience it in some way.

New to woodworking? Or maybe you’re an expert in the field who has decided to start drying your own lumber.

Did you know that most of the wood that you’re buying, whether from a lumber yard or home improvement store, has probably been through some kind of drying process?

One of the most accurate ways to get the moisture readings of wood is to use a wood moisture meter.

But if you don’t have one for some reason or another, we’ll look at some alternatives.

Worried that your home or a potential rental might have a moisture problem?

Knowing how to identify a moisture problem can go a long way to ease your concerns and help you feel informed as a homeowner or rental manager. You’ll be able to catch the problems before they swell into catastrophes.

On this page, you’ll learn the essential troubleshooting methods that you need to know when faced with moisture meter issues.

And after covering methods of troubleshooting, we’ll even discover how to avoid damage to your wood moisture meter altogether.

If it was made for use with wood materials, then the short answer is yes. Wood moisture meters are designed and calibrated to indicate the moisture content of all types and species of wood and won’t work in the same way with other materials.

But there’s a caveat to that answer.

You’re new to DIY woodworking but eager to get started. You’ve sourced all the needed tools and can’t wait to put them to use. All that’s left to do is get some wood for your project!

But when you arrive at your local hardware store or lumberyard, there are so many options! Which one should you choose?

Caring for your moisture meter is essential to protecting the investment you made and making sure it gives you moisture measurements when you most need them.

After all, your moisture meter will give you the most accurate readings when it isn’t dirty, damaged, or wet.

You might suspect that your moisture meter is giving incorrect readings, but how do you actually know?

Well, there are a few methods that you can use to determine if your moisture meter is providing incorrect readings.

When you look at a beautiful floor, you might not realize that in order for that floor to be installed, several layers need to come before it, including the subfloor.

That’s why this page is all about subfloor issues, and specifically, we’ll be talking about wood subfloor material rather than concrete subfloors.

Moisture meters come in a variety of prices and levels of quality. Is there that big of a difference between cheap ones and high-quality ones?

You notice boards in your hardwood have begun twisting upward and cupping. What happened?

Perhaps your wood floor is installed over concrete. Moisture in concrete subfloors poses a major issue for the wood flooring above it. This is why we want to equip you with the knowledge to address the issue and prevent it.

Preparing your lumber before you start a new woodworking project is probably one of the best ways you can set yourself up for success.

This article is going to be all about the “how” and “why” of lumber preparation.

How do you know whether or not damage to your hardwood floor can even be repaired? What if it has to be replaced?

Well, if you have those questions, you’re in luck because this article will address exactly that.

Here are some basic tips to help you avoid common problems and use your moisture meter more effectively.

These will apply to all types of wood moisture meters.