LBM Journal

LBM Journal is a top media outlet catering to lumberyards, building material distributors, wholesalers, manufacturers, and service providers in the lumber/building material (LBM) distribution sector. Established in 2003, LBM Journal offers both print and digital editions, publishing 11 times a year. Each week, readers can stay informed with the LBM Alert e-newsletter, which provides the latest industry news and insights. The LBMJournal.com website features a wealth of resources, including a free, searchable archive of past issues that can be downloaded. Our mission is clear: we aim to provide a combination of practical business intelligence and an overview of industry trends. We strive to equip our readers with the knowledge and tools necessary to succeed in a competitive landscape while offering advertisers an engaging and trustworthy platform to share their messages. Subscriptions to LBM Journal are available at no cost to qualified industry professionals.

National, Trade/B2B

English

Magazine

Outlet metrics

Domain Authority

Ranking

Global

#1348372

United States

#357196

Heavy Industry and Engineering/Construction and Maintenance

#3092

Traffic sources

Monthly visitors

Articles

How to sell the deck project

3 weeks ago | lbmjournal.com | Mike Berger

When it comes to today’s deck building environment, knowing the market’s growing trends and having available inventory to meet them is only part of the equation in making the decking sale. While decks have been a consistently growing part of the American backyard landscape for decades, the larger trend of outdoor living has been on the rise for some time—especially since the advent of COVID-19—and all indications point to that trend continuing in this post-pandemic world.
Publisher Letter | April 2025

3 weeks ago | lbmjournal.com | Rick Schumacher

When we built our home in 2016, I had one item on my wish list: a big, beautiful deck facing the lake that we were fortunate to build on. The initial deck design was an 8’x12′ rectangle. We explained to the builder that we planned to spend a lot of time outside, and we wanted a large deck that would give us plenty of space with friends, family, and dogs. He responded with a slightly larger rectangle, measuring 12’x16′.
Outdoor living continues to drive sales for LBM dealers

3 weeks ago | lbmjournal.com | Mike Berger

Jules Henri Poincaré, the famous French mathematician, theoretical physicist, engineer and philosopher of science, once said, “It is the harmony of the diverse parts, their symmetry, their happy balance; in a word it is all that introduces order, all that gives unity, that permits us to see clearly and to comprehend at once both the ensemble and the details.” Those words hold just as true when it comes to deck railings and accessories as they do for science, as it’s those details that help...
When it comes to growth, outdoor living remains the hot spot for LBM dealers

3 weeks ago | lbmjournal.com | Mike Berger

The date was May 5, 1961, and Alan Shepard became the first American in space. Piloting the Mercury spacecraft Freedom 7, he flew a 300-mile, 15-minute suborbital flight. Also poised to launch was the popularity of the backyard deck. Coinciding with the space race, people began to desire more outdoor living space in their backyards, and not just to watch the stars; essentially, the deck became a replacement for the porch for many homeowners.
Slight decline in rates helps hew home sales edge higher

4 weeks ago | lbmjournal.com

The pace of new home sales in February was up 5.1% compared to a year earlier.
Do it Best aims at improving the world’s largest home improvement co-op

1 month ago | lbmjournal.com | Mike Berger

At the Do it Best Spring Market, co-op leadership compared the organization to the television show, “The Six Million Dollar Man,” Bigger. Stronger. Faster. More competitive. With the recent acquisition of True Value, there’s a lot of improvement for the organization lined up, and it starts first and foremost with partnerships. As a whole, Do it Best is aggressively pursuing growth, top executives report.
Upbeat outlook dominates Do it Best Spring Market, event geared toward members success

1 month ago | lbmjournal.com | Mike Berger

This week, Orlando, FL played host to the 2025 Do it Best Spring Market, and it was easy to feel the excitement of Do it Best members. It’s the first time since the acquisition of True Value that its dealers have been at the Do it Best event, and it was a chance for all of Do it Best’s members to learn about the latest insights on industry trends, challenges, and areas of opportunity. If there was an encompassing theme during the presentation, it was perhaps the idea of partnerships.
Publisher Letter | March 2025

1 month ago | lbmjournal.com | Rick Schumacher

You may have noticed something called LBM Talks when paging through the magazine, in our enewsletter, or on social media. Here’s the story: Thea Dudley has built a loyal following with her Credit Q&A column in each issue, and with her monthly credit-themed webinars. If you know Thea, you know that she won’t rest until every business has access to smart credit advice.
Durability and sustainability dominate today’s roofing market

1 month ago | lbmjournal.com | Mike Berger

You’d be forgiven if you thought roofing was a boring, stagnant segment of the LBM world. There are, however, examples from all over the world that prove otherwise, structures that use unconventional roofing materials such as glass, gold, reeds, sparkling ceramic tiles, and more to create singular statements. For example, the Wat Rong Khun temple in Thailand uses a mix of white plaster, mirrors, and glass to form a glittering roof structure.
Builder confidence falls amid tariff, housing concerns

1 month ago | lbmjournal.com

Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes was 42 in February, down five points from January and the lowest level in five months.