Directory of sawmills and lumber yards: where to purchase local wood
Directory of portable sawmills
Know what you want. Each species has different characteristics that may or may not be suitable for your intended use. Generally, softwoods (pine, hemlock, fir and spruce) are used for construction because of their light weight. Hardwoods (ash, aspen, beech, birch, maple, and oak) are used for furniture, flooring, cabinets, and other fine woodworking. This does not preclude a woodworker from using any wood for a specific project. If you intend to use the wood for construction of a structure, contact your local code enforcement officer for building code requirements. In New Hampshire the NH Native Lumber Law, RSA 434:59-61, allows the use of local lumber. For information about New Hampshire Native Lumber Law.
Characteristics of local lumber:
*H=High, M=Medium, L=Low. These are relative terms. Specific values can be obtained from the Wood Handbook, USDA, Forest Service FPL-GTR-113
