An unlikely story leads Woodworking Network traffic in July
Boxabl's houses are shipped flatpack and can be set up in a single day.

Lumber prices once again took a top spot, but this time fell to Elon Musk.

An unlikely story dominated traffic this month: A video tour of Elon Musk’s new $50,000 prefabricated Texas home. The house, from Las Vegas-based Boxabl, is only 375 square feet. Boxabl's houses are shipped flatpack and are unfolded on-site in a single day. The company showed off the house in a quick video tour. Check it out online.

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Next up was back to the usual. Lumber prices once again claimed a top spot – but this time it was about them falling. Softwood lumber prices fell below $1,000 per thousand board feet for the first time since March – a more than 40 percent decline since May’s record high. But despite the fall, prices are still up historically, and they’re expected to remain elevated for the foreseeable future.

Wildfire stock image

And finally, news about Oregon wildfires made waves. In late June, firefighters began to contain two wildfires that set ablaze nearly 10,000 acres of forest in the Northeast part of the state. Another fire then ignited in the state’s center, burning nearly 6,700 acres. Unusually high temperatures, dry air, and high winds fueled the fires.

The top 10 stories of the month:

Check out Elon Musk’s $50,000 prefabricated Texas house bit.ly/2VH7dM2

Lumber prices plunge 40 percent since May’s record high bit.ly/3BcsUE7

Nearly 17,000 acres of forest burn in Oregon bit.ly/3xHs7c3

Custom millwork firm appeals $8,900 fine given for “willful” COVID violation bit.ly/3r7VHoq

World’s tallest timber tower begins overtaking nearby buildings bit.ly/3z0PZY7

World’s first wooden satellite passes test flight bit.ly/3yXaBAB

MJB Wood to build 500,000-sq-ft facility in Indiana after ‘tremendous’ growth bit.ly/3yXGA3L

New evidence shows 17th-century luthiers chemically altered spruced used in violins bit.ly/3elD4YW

Exorcism in the lumber aisle – police remove disorderly couple from Home Depot bit.ly/3raixvB

$440 million OSB plant coming to Minnesota bit.ly/3r7VMse

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About the author
Robert Dalheim

Robert Dalheim is an editor at the Woodworking Network. Along with publishing online news articles, he writes feature stories for the FDMC print publication. He can be reached at [email protected].