FIG. G.1Guides & Resources
What we know, written down.
Buying guides and material explainers — the answers we give on the phone forty times a week. Written by us, updated when the facts change.

Updated August 13, 2026
A Free Shop Calculator for Feet, Inches and Sixteenths
We built it because the calculator on your phone does not do sixteenths. Free, no signup, no ads, and it works with no signal in the middle of a yard.
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Updated August 13, 2026
What Is a Reclamation Yard, and How Do You Buy From One?
Salvage yard, reclamation yard, architectural salvage, repurposed materials — mostly the same thing. Here's how they actually work and how to buy from one without wasting a trip.
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Updated August 13, 2026
What Is COR-TEN Steel and How Do You Build With It?
It looks completely rusted and stays sound underneath. Here's the chemistry, the price, and the one mistake people make with it.
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