THUNDER BAY - Anyone who was hoping to get started on a new backyard project like a deck or a fence might have to wait as lumber shortages across the country and here in town are forcing many to put aside the hammer and nails for now.
“It’s country-wide and it’s been pretty frustrating,” said Rob Dingwell, manager at Chimo Building Centre.
“It’s frustrating for the customers and that’s the hardest part for us, trying to provide materials for somebody and we just can’t. Everyone wants to do different projects and it’s just not happening because of the shortage of lumber.”
The COVID-19 pandemic forced lumber mills across the country to shut down production, and while many are up and running again, physical distancing guidelines have resulted in fewer workers and less shipments.
According to Dingwell, there is a shortage in all treated lumber, which is especially frustrating because there is also an increased demand.
“We’ve seen a definite increase, and I think it’s because people have a lot of time on their hands,” he said. “People are at home with the kids and not working and using that time to get some stuff done.”
The situation is very much the same at Home Hardware. Dealer and owner Chris Sauer said there is a significant shortage of deck boards and fence posts.
“There is definitely a run on pressure-treated lumber right now and we are seeing shortages,” he said. “We do have more coming in next week, we hope.”
This is the first time Dingwell has ever seen his lumberyards so empty and, after talking with others in the industry, said no one else has seen anything like this before either.
Luckily, the shortages haven’t resulted in any lay-offs at Chimo Building Centre, and two staff members have been added to keep up with the number of orders coming in.
But Dingwell said they are still trying not to presell anything because there is no guarantee when the materials will actually arrive.
“They are telling us the beginning of August at the latest,” he said. “One of our suppliers we use quite often said they should be able to get most of the stuff to us by the beginning of August.”
But it could be even longer before everything goes back to normal, and some projects might have to wait until next year.
“They figure it won’t be until next year sometime,” Dingwell said. “They figure by the time everything gets back to normal, it’s still going to take up to two to six months to get back up to full steam.”
It has been frustrating for customers, but both Dingwell and Sauer said for the most part, people are understanding of the situation.
“I would say 99 per cent of our customers are fantastic,” Dingwell said. “We have the best customers in this city. We have a lot of people understanding. We get a couple people who are frustrated with waiting in line everywhere.”
“Most of them are understanding,” Sauer agreed. “We are not the only industry experiencing shortages. There are supply chain issues.”
For those who are still planning to build a deck or fence or just itching to put something together, it’s best to plan ahead and be a little patient.
“Give us some time,” Sauer said. “You can’t build it usually all in a day so plan ahead. It is coming in.”
