Lumber In Short Supply Due To Coronavirus Pandemic
PEMBROKE (CBS) - First, it was toilet paper. Now, lumber is in short supply due to the pandemic.
"I've never seen anything like this in my life," said Kevin Johndrow of Sampson Lumber in Pembroke.
Johndrow describes it as a perfect storm of events, with social distancing and quarantine restrictions slowing down the milling of lumber. Then, demand for it took off, with more people staying home and forgoing expenses like meals-out and vacations.
At Sampson Lumber and other companies around the region, that means there are big delays for lumber and higher prices.
"We're talking more than double what things were selling for in the spring," Johndrow said.
There have also been supply chain issues for other home improvement items like shingles and insulation.
All the demand has meant good news for Wilkins Lumber. The Milford, New Hampshire company has their own saw mill and mills local lumber.
"People have had to stay home so they've been coming up with projects and coming here to get the lumber to make it," Jerry Wilkins said.
The question is, when will the demand for lumber slow down?
"I expect it's going to last into the early part of the winter," Johndrow said.
