KITCHENER -- As prices for lumber skyrocket, one Kitchener family woke up to find part of their fence missing.
“I just opened up the curtain facing the backyard and I couldn’t believe my eyes,” said Agnaldo Masquieto. “A few boards were missing.”
He adds that the fence he installed in the fall is now destroyed. He believes the wooden boards were stolen and he’s reported the incident to police.
“Whoever did this, they knew what to do, because every single screw was removed,” said Masquieto. “There was no damage at all.”
Last month, more than $10,000 worth of lumber was stolen from a Home Hardware on Wellington Street in Guelph.
A man was captured on surveillance video hauling the lumber onto a white truck.
“Lumber has now turned into a precious commodity,” said Will Currie of Timeless Material Company.
Since the pandemic, the price of lumber in North America has skyrocketed and increased in value by 170 per cent over the last six months.
Currie adds that an increase in the renovation market, especially for decks and fences, is one of the reasons it’s hard to come by.
“I know that people are looking for lumber, but stealing base boards, that’s insane,” said Masquieto. “I’m in shock.”
The Kitchener resident says he has ordered seven new replacement boards that cost him about $60.
“What frustrates me is you put all your effort to getting your home looking better and then someone just steals,” said Masquieto.
