Blog: All Articles

  • pier 15

    San Fracisco Exploratorium: Net Zero

    October 24, 2024

    The Exploratorium in San Francisco is renowned as a leading science museum and a pioneer in environmental sustainability.

  • Image for Green Building Trends that we've seen in 2024

    Green Building Trends that we've seen in 2024

    August 8, 2024

    The latest green building trends reflect a growing emphasis on sustainability, energy efficiency, and eco-friendly materials. One prominent trend is…

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    AI and Forest Sustainability

    March 1, 2024

    Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a powerful tool in the quest for sustainable forest management and conservation. Its applications span a wide array of areas, from monitoring and managing forests to combating deforestation and promoting biodiversity.

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    Resysta Wood Products

    October 2, 2023

    Resysta wood products are innovative and sustainable alternatives to traditional wood materials, renowned for their durability and eco-friendly characteristics.

  • Image for Sustainable Forestry: Nurturing Our Forests for Future Generations

    Sustainable Forestry: Nurturing Our Forests for Future Generations

    September 22, 2023

    Sustainable forestry is a vital approach that seeks to strike a delicate balance between meeting the global demand for wood and forest-based products while preserving the health and biodiversity of our forests for future generations.

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    Perfect Pergola

    August 16, 2023

    Great materials and ingenuity transformed this backyard into a great place to bring friends and family together.

  • Image for New Electric Forklifts

    New Electric Forklifts

    March 16, 2023

    Two new additions to the lumber yard!

  • Image for Solar Energy: Green and Sustainable

    Solar Energy: Green and Sustainable

    February 8, 2023

    In 2016 Channel Lumber invested in sustainable energy for their facility in Richmond, CA. Their new energy source is solar. Partnering with Forecast Energy and CED Greentech, Channel Lumber implemented a ground up reconstruction of their energy usage, and is saving on increasing energy costs in the process.

  • Image for Central Subway Starting Service

    Central Subway Starting Service

    September 15, 2022

    The MUNIi subway lines have always been a great way to get around San Francisco, unless you wanted to navigate the central, most congested and hilly part of the city. Now with the T-line expansion, the most traffic-congested parts of the city can now be navigated underground with speed and efficiency.

  • Image for Plywood Grades

    Plywood Grades

    August 22, 2022

    Channel Lumber is a leading supplier in plywood. There are many different types of plywood from structural to finish. There is a comprehensive system of grading for each plywood category. Let’s take a look at the many types of plywood, and define the grades.

  • Home under construction

    Passive Home Building

    July 11, 2022

    Passive homes are the latest trend in sustainable building, and set the highest standard for conserving energy, and using eco-friendly materials.

  • Builders working on benches

    Everything You Wanted to Know About Ipe Hardwood

    May 9, 2022

    Ipe Haywood t is extremely versatile, and is known for its physical beauty, durability, resistance to moisture, and resistance to insects.

  • Image for Sustaining Communities: Lomakatsi

    Sustaining Communities: Lomakatsi

    November 23, 2021

    Forest restoration projects in Oregon and Northern California.

  • Image for Green Construction Trends in 2021

    Green Construction Trends in 2021

    September 15, 2021

    Channel Lumber is a leader in green building.

  • Forest

    Seeing the Forest Through the Trees

    May 11, 2021

    New strategies are being developed so that reforestation is closer to how natural forests evolve.

  • Image for Green Building 360 Degrees

    Green Building 360 Degrees

    April 26, 2021

    There is a movement in Green Building which is taking a 360 degree look at the the entire building process. LEED is still the gold standard for Green Building, and Channel Lumber has worked closely with LEED over the years, and seeks to support the most sustainable products and practices.

  • paint

    The ABCs of VOCs

    April 14, 2021

    Channel Lumber is a leader in Green Building, and using safe and sustainable products. We support the use of safe and sustainable products in all aspects of development and construction.

  • Wood work carving

    Channel Lumber Custom Shop

    February 26, 2021

    Channel Lumber specializes in custom shop orders. Our staff and mill workers are the best in the business and we are prepared to meet any of your custom order needs.

  • Image for Net Zero Part II: A Closer Look.

    Net Zero Part II: A Closer Look.

    February 15, 2021

    A net zero building is a residential or commercial building whose energy needs can be reduced greatly, and matched or exceeded by the functioning of the building itself.

  • Image for Biden Takes on Net Zero Building

    Biden Takes on Net Zero Building

    January 29, 2021

    Under the leadership of President Biden, we are seeing an unprecedented effort to slow global warming and climate change.

  • Image for U.S. Greenhouse Gases are Dropping

    U.S. Greenhouse Gases are Dropping

    December 28, 2020

    With the sharp drop of air travel, due to pandemic, greenhouse emissions have dropped by 9%.

  • old structure

    Druiry Court

    October 14, 2020

    New home from the ground up in the Berkeley Hills.

  • Concrete structure

    Concrete Forms

    September 4, 2020

    Channel Lumber is an industry leader in concrete forms.

  • Image of Siding

    Sidings

    August 27, 2020

    Channel Lumber is an industry leader in sidings. In addition to a vast selection of brands and products, Channel Lumber can also provide custom mill sidings to match your specifications.

  • Image for 3 Great Sustainable Building Materials

    3 Great Sustainable Building Materials

    July 21, 2020

    Building with BambooAt Channel Lumber, we believe in Green and sustainable building practices. Many of our products are at the forefront of…

  • Image for 5 Services for Your Next Construction Project

    5 Services for Your Next Construction Project

    June 24, 2020

    With over fifty year's experience in the commercial lumber business, we have learned what it takes to satisfy customers. The size and quality of our inventory, milling facilities, and our services reflect our commitment to fulfill your every need.

  • Image for World of Concrete

    World of Concrete

    February 7, 2020

    Concrete ConventionChannel Lumber attended the World of Concrete 2020 convention in Las Vegas February 3-7.Concrete is one of the most…

  • Image for Channel Lumber Annual Holiday Party

    Channel Lumber Annual Holiday Party

    January 17, 2020

    We had a blast at our annual Holiday Party. Check out the pictures below!Enjoying a moment by the treeThe annual Channel Lumber…

  • Image for Custom Milling

    Custom Milling

    December 17, 2019

     Leading Products, Leading CraftsmenChannel Lumber has full service custom milling which features industry leading…

  • LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

    November 15, 2019

    LEED ExplainedLEED is a platform by which construction projects can gauge and improve their environmental impact. There are four categories…

  • Image for San Francisco Bay Trail

    San Francisco Bay Trail

    October 7, 2019

    Long view of form lumber.Trail to Encircle the BayThe San Francisco Bay Trail is under construction, with gaps in the trail being…

  • Image for How You  Can Help the Amazon Rainforest

    How You Can Help the Amazon Rainforest

    September 4, 2019

    Support the Rain ForestAs many of you know, the Amazon forest is experiencing devastating, massive fires. Thus far over 80,000 fires have been…

  • Image for Leed Platinum: Tumble Creek Cabin

    Leed Platinum: Tumble Creek Cabin

    August 26, 2019

    LEED Platinum ConstructionChannel Lumber is a key supporter of the green building movement, with numerous LEED gold and platinum…

  • Image for Concrete and Steel: 650 Townsend

    Concrete and Steel: 650 Townsend

    August 12, 2019

    The interior begins to take form.Originally constructed in 1990, 650 Townsend is a 6 story concrete and steel office building. It has a…

  • Image for Channel Lumber Sponsors Young Athletes in The International Kickboxing Federation

    Channel Lumber Sponsors Young Athletes in The International Kickboxing Federation

    July 3, 2019

    Channel Lumber Supports Local AthletesOn June 2nd 2019, The International Kickboxing Federation (IKF) Amateur Modified Muay Thai Rules…

  • Image for Channel Lumber Sponsors Team 6918

    Channel Lumber Sponsors Team 6918

    June 17, 2019

    The Cellar Rats Outstanding SeasonTeam 6918, or The Napa Cellar Rats are a robotics team at Napa High School. The team has performed well in…

  • Image for Chase Center: Construction Update

    Chase Center: Construction Update

    May 14, 2019

    The New Chase Center in San FranciscoChampions Come to ChaseThe Chase Center, which will be home to the Golden State Warriors next…

  • Image for Engineered Lumber

    Engineered Lumber

    March 26, 2019

    Understanding Engineered LumberAt Channel Lumber we offer a wide variety of building materials. There have been interesting advances in the…

  • New Frontier Tiny Homes

    A Tale of Two Tiny Houses

    March 11, 2019

    Inspiring Use of SpaceIn our ongoing search for sustainable design innovation and inspiration, Channel Lumber would like to feature two top…

  • Solar Panels

    5 Green Building Innovations

    February 26, 2019

    Green and SustainableAs a leader in the Green and Sustainable building movement, Channel Lumber continues to make a professional…

  • graphene concrete

    Concrete Goes Green with Graphene

    January 10, 2019

    Green Concrete DevelopmentsConcrete is the world’s most widely used construction material. Cement production accounts for 5% of man…

  • lumber stack

    Lumber Types and Top Uses

    January 1, 2019

    Lumber LogicAt Channel Lumber, we carry a variety of wood and lumber products for applications in all types of construction. Many of our…

  • san francisco

    Golden Gate Green

    November 13, 2018

    San Francisco Eco FriendlyIn a series of independent studies, San Francisco has consistently earned top marks for being environmentally…

  • You Tube HQ - Channel Lumber

    Green Dream: YouTube Headquarters

    August 13, 2018

    The YouTube headquarter in San Bruno was designed by William McDonough + Partners and Huntsman.Rooftop GreenspaceChannel Lumber…

  • manna house

    Smart and Green: The Manna House

    June 18, 2018

    Innovative DesignChannel Lumber is committed to green and sustainable building. The Channel Lumber headquarters itself has many green…

  • Bart Train

    BART Berkeley Hills Tunnel

    June 6, 2018

    The BART Berkeley Hills Tunnel runs between the Rockridge and Orinda stations. Construction began in 1965, with construction completed in 1967…

  • Skyscrapper

    Green Giant: Bank of America Tower, Manhattan

    May 21, 2018

    Channel Lumber is committed to the process of Green Building, and supporting LEED certification. Today we want to showcase a cutting edge Green…

  • Stone corbels - Channel Lumber

    Channel Lumber Custom Lumber Shop: Corbels

    May 8, 2018

    In architecture a corbel is a structural piece of stone, wood or metal jutting from a wall to carry a superincumbent weight, a type of…

  • Concrete forms

    Turn It Up to Ten

    April 30, 2018

    Concrete Forms for Level 10 Sunnyvale projects.Level 10 is a leading construction company based in Northern California. Channel Lumber…

  • Earth

    Earth Day 2018

    April 4, 2018

    Earth Day is a Global event which will be held on April 22 of this year. The campaign and focus for this years’ Earth Day is “A World…

  • forest

    Today is International Day of Forests

    March 21, 2018

    International Day of Forests is celebrated on 21 March each year. It was established in 2013 by the United Nations, and the week long symposium…

  • sail boat - channel lumber

    Alaskan Yellow Cedar

    March 12, 2018

    Transformational Sailing is an organization which helps Veterans and others with stress related disorders find relaxation through sailing. Their…

  • napa river

    Channel Lumber is Friends with the Napa River

    February 27, 2018

    Friends of Napa River (FONR) is a community organization whose mission is to “be the community’s voice for the protection,…

  • Side of building

    Net Zero Energy Library in Half Moon Bay

    January 30, 2018

    Half Moon Bay is building a new 22,000 square foot library with Channel Lumber providing products and services throughout all phases of construction.…

  • Mill 72

    Making the Grade

    January 22, 2018

    Because wood is an organic product, a wide variety of factors can affect the usability, structure, look, and strength of a given harvest. Even…

  • Old time sawmill

    Evolution of the Sawmill

    January 10, 2018

    The earliest type of sawmill, or lumbermill, was the sawpit. The sawpit was a pit over which the log was positioned and held in place by…

  • sustainable holidays

    Five Tips to Keep Your Holidays Green

    December 8, 2017

    Sustainability is one of our core values, here are five tips to your holidays green. Purchase a live christmas tree. There…

  • Image for Form and Function: 4 Types of Concrete Forms Available at Channel Lumber.

    Form and Function: 4 Types of Concrete Forms Available at Channel Lumber.

    November 27, 2017

    At Channel Lumber we specialize in concrete forms. We can meet the specifications of nearly any project large or small. There are several types…

  • TruGrain product

    Resysta®: Seven Facts about this Leading Edge Product

    November 7, 2017

    Technology is transforming the lumber industry, and Resysta® is at the leading edge. At Channel Lumber we are pleased to distribute…

  • Image of the Carquinez Bridge at night

    Carquinez Bridge

    October 23, 2017

    The Carquinez Bridge which spans the Carquinez Strait between Vallejo and Crocket is actually two bridges. The eastbound span is a cantilever…

  • Happy worker at Channel Lumber.

    The Cutting Edge: 5 Products and Services at Channel Lumber

    October 10, 2017

    At Channel Lumber we are proud to offer a wide variety of industry leading products and services. From lumber and plywood to hardware to lumber…

  • Community center

    Lathrop Generations Center

    September 12, 2017

    After receiving a $5 million dollar grant from the State of California, the city of Lathrop voted to build the Generations Center. Construction…

  • Dolby Laboratories HQ

    Sound Off: New Dolby Headquarters

    September 5, 2017

    In September 2015 Dolby Laboratories opened its new headquarters on Market Street in downtown San Francisco. The building was a consolidation of two…

  • picture of credit card.

    Hip to be Square

    August 15, 2017

    For a group of employees who affectionately refer to themselves as “Nerds”, the employees of Nerdwallet have one of the hippest HQs…

  • Forest

    Building Green. What does it mean?

    July 5, 2017

    At Channel Lumber, sustainable building is one of our primary goals. Sustainability and “Green” building means that the process of…

  • Red Rocks Las Vega

    Deep in the Desert: The Red Rock Casino

    June 14, 2017

    Channel Lumber provided lumber and services during the construction of the Red Rock Resort in Summerlin, NV. The project was proposed in 2003, and construction completed in 2006. At the time of the construction, there was little development in the surrounding area of Summerlin.

  • flower on a lake

    Naples Botanical Gardens

    May 29, 2017

    The Naples Botanical Gardens in Florida is 170 acres of cultivated gardens representing seven distinct ecosystems. The natural habitats of the…

  • Skywalker ranch

    May the Force be with You

    May 4, 2017

    30 miles north of San Francisco, Skywalker Ranch is home to a film industry legacy built on the success of the original Star Wars movie. It is situated on Lucas Valley Road, no relation to owner/founder/director George Lucas.

  • matrix reloaded

    Channel Lumber Goes to Hollywood

    April 17, 2017

    In the 2003 action film The Matrix Reloaded, starring Keanu Reeves, an entire chase sequence was filmed on a fake Freeway. The Freeway…

  • Cavallo Point

    Cavallo Point Lodge at Golden Gate

    March 22, 2017

    In 2008, Fort Baker Sausalito became Cavallo Point Eco Lodge. The restoration project cost $103 million, with products and services provided by Channel Lumber.

  • Walt Disney Museum

    The Happiest Place ... in The Presidio

    March 17, 2017

    When the Disney’s decided to build the Disney Family Museum, they chose the Presidio of San Francisco for its home. The project was large in scope and budget, and faced several design and engineering challenges due to the age and restrictions of Presidio structures.

  • Pinterest-HQ

    The Pinterest Headquarters: Where Creative Inspiration is Born

    February 22, 2017

    Pinterest has a new headquarters in the SOMA neighborhood of San Francisco. The company calls itself the “world’s catalog of ideas” and is truly an expansive index of all things hobby, do it yourself, and personal interest.

  • Cedar Kayak

    Project Feature: Cedar Kayak

    January 30, 2017

    Here at Channel Lumber we are committed to providing the best lumber products and services in our industry. Our customers often have a personal passion for wood working. We’re always interested and amazed by the variety of projects that our lumber is used for.

  • Solar panels are installed on the roof.

    Channel Lumber Goes Green with Energy Efficiency, PV Solar and Energy Storage!

    January 9, 2017

    Solar power inverters. These convert solar DC output to utility AC that feeds into our grid. With this exciting solution on-line and delivering clean energy throughout the Channel Lumber facility, we look forward to 2017 becoming our most energy efficient and green year to date.

  • bay bridge eastern span channel lumber #2

    Building Bridges

    December 15, 2016

    Channel Lumber played an integral role in the construction of the new Eastern Span of the Bay Bridge. The bridge connects San Francisco to the East bay, with its route passing over Yerba Buena Island.

  • Interior

    Channel Lumber Gives Airbnb’s Headquarters a New Look

    October 28, 2016

    Channel Lumber recently partnered with Novo Construction to complete phase two of an office build out for Airbnb’s headquarters, located in the SoMa district of San Francisco.

  • Channel Lumber Stanford

    Channel Lumber Supplies Tropical Wood for Stanford University Benches

    October 11, 2016

    Channel Lumber recently partnered with Boyett Construction to build a series of benches on the Stanford University Campus. The installation includes an “X and Y” bench, and in addition circular and bracket bookend courtyard enclosures.

  • CAD

    Custom Moulding: Start to Finish

    September 12, 2016

    Using a computer-aided design (CAD) program we are able to be more accurate than ever.

  • Channel Lumber - TruGrain™ made with Resysta®

    Resysta® now Available From Channel Lumber

    February 29, 2016

    As part of our ongoing efforts to provide our customers with the most durable and sustainable products, we are now offering Resysta®.

  • Channel Lumber - Lumber stacks

    A Day in the Life of Channel Lumber

    December 7, 2015

    With a camera in hand, a walk through the lumber yard becomes a visual odyssey. Come along as we take a walk through Channel Lumber!…

  • Concrete Form Panels - Channel Lumber Co

    Concrete Forming (Looking Up!)

    February 26, 2015

    Have you ever been stopped under an overpass or bridge and noticed that the underside of the structure looked like plywood?

  • Simpson Strong-Tie - Channel Lumber Co

    Now Offering Simpson Strong-Tie Products

    February 14, 2015

    Channel Lumber is proud to offer a full line of Simpson Strong-Tie products. Simpson Strong-Tie has been a leader in structural products for over 50 years.

  • FSC LEED Certified Wood - Channel Lumber

    Channel Lumber: The Invisible Leader

    January 21, 2015

    The United States Green Building Council LEED program has transformed the built environment on a global level. From its inception, the LEED program…

  • Channel Lumber fsc

    The New And Improved ChannelLumber.com

    January 24, 2014

    The team at Channel Lumber is thrilled to announce the launch of our new website. It has been a team effort and we are more than happy with the…