It’s not news that there’s been a lumber shortage since the start of the pandemic, but how is it really impacting the flooring industry and costs? Lumber prices are currently up over 300%, costing an all time high of $1,459 per board foot. These price hikes are causing steep increases across the building and home improvement industries, forcing many builders to put their projects on hold or search for alternative materials. One of the contributing causes to the shortage of lumber was the large number of DIYer’s at the start of the pandemic buying up lumber for home improvement projects. While lumber production is now above pre-pandemic levels, the number of people remodeling and working on home improvement projects is higher than ever. Unfortunately, using real hardwoods is expensive right now, however there are a number of convincing faux wood substitutes, like LVP, to choose from. If you have existing hardwood floors, you’ll definitely want to keep them for years to come to add more value to your home.