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Questions tagged [lumber]

For questions involving the use of lumber as a construction material.

Lumber

Lumber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production.

Lumber is supplied either rough or finished. Besides pulpwood, rough lumber is the raw material for furniture-making and other items requiring additional cutting and shaping. Finished lumber is supplied in standard sizes, mostly for the construction industry, primarily softwood from coniferous species including pine, fir and spruce (collectively known as Spruce-pine-fir), cedar, and hemlock, but also some hardwood, for high-grade flooring.

Lumber is commonly available in standardized dimensions - this is known as dimensional lumber. Dimensional lumber made from softwood is typically used for construction, while hardwood boards are more commonly used for making cabinets or furniture.

More information

Wikipedia on lumber

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Safe/professional way to transport lumber with just a roof rack

I'm doing some home improvement, and have the necessary skills, tools, etc, for the job. There is one thing I'm lacking: a large pickup truck for transporting lumber. A buddy of mine used to have one, but he had to trade it in for an SUV to get the…
Cloud
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Why are 2x4s really 1.5"x3.5"?

Just curious as to the reasoning. Is it a spec, or is it simply for backwards compatibility?
esac
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What are framing dimensions like in the metric world?

I was always curious about this. In the states we have: Lumber - Comes most commonly in 2 inch (2x4,6,8,10,12,16) and 4 inch (4x4,4x6) varieties. Plywood - Almost always 4x8 feet Drywall/Plasterboard - Various 4 foot varieties (4x8,10,12) and…
Eric Petroelje
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What's the difference between "Framing Lumber" and "Framing Studs"?

The Home Depot website has these two as categories under Dimensional Lumber. Why would one want to exclude items from one category during a search for wood to use in a project? What is the difference?
brentonstrine
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Should I let pressure treated lumber dry before building with it?

I bought some treated 2x4's from Lowes, and it was fairly wet and heavy. I went ahead and built a firewood rack, but screwing into it releases a lot of water. It got me thinking, is it better to let the wood dry out a while before building with…
TheSean
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Is straight lumber a thing of the past?

I am working on a bathroom project, which is a brand new room. I've gone out to purchase 2x3" lumber for this project (I don't prefer metal studs). It seems like everywhere I go to buy lumber, almost all of it is bowed, bent, or twisted. Even worse,…
Mark
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Does decking board orientation really matter?

I've been told that decking boards should always be installed "bark side up" so that the boards crown (and shed water) as they age rather than cup (and collect water). But then I've also heard that it should be done the other way around. And I've…
Eric Petroelje
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Outdoor kids playset - type of lumber use/look for

I'm looking at getting a wooden playset (one of those with a rock wall, swings, slide, and small clubhouse up top) and I was wondering what type of lumber I should be looking for. Not so much the type of tree it came from but the treatment of the…
Curtis
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How do I understand this description of lumber?

The instructions to a DIY project asks me to purchase something described as: 8-foot ¾-inch clear pine 1 x 8 What exactly does this mean. Here's my guess 8-foot: the length of the board ¾-inch: the actual height? clear: no knots? 1 x 8: in inches…
Michael J Swart
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How can I get true 1" thick oak boards?

I'm trying to make a drawer face to match the other cabinet and drawer faces in my kitchen. They are all 1" thick, so I'd like to match that size. I'm trying to buy some unfinished oak boards that I can cut to size and then route around the edges,…
rothloup
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Does RTD in plywood mean "Rated" or "Resistance Temperature Detectors"?

Lots of plywood at Home Depot have the letters RTD in the title, with no further detail. Many of these have multiple user questions of the form "What does RTD mean?" Answers seem to be split 50/50 between what it actually means though. On the one…
brentonstrine
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Can cutting pressure treated wood harm my saw blade?

Should I take time to clean my circular saw blade after cutting pressure treated lumber? Since fasteners other than stainless steel or galvanized can corrode when used in pressure treated wood, is it going to cause my blade to corrode? Or is it only…
Doresoom
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How long should I wait before painting new lumber?

I am building a fence. I just bought some treated 4x4s from the lumber yard and they are water logged from being out in the rain for an unknown amount of time. The weather has been cool and wet for the past few weeks and I doubt we'll have a…
wweicker
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When ordering lumber what percentage of waste should be expected?

Let's say I'm getting ready for a remodeling project, and I'm getting ready to order 2x lumber for framing. Specifically, I'll be ordering No. 2 or better 2x lumber. What percentage of my order should I expect to be scrap (i.e. twisted, warped,…
Tester101
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Can I use the area above my garage for storage?

The ceiling joists in my garage are 2x8 spaced 24" o.c., and span 21'. The roof load appears to be carried by the walls, so the joists seem to only be in place to hold the drywall. I'd like to use the space for light storage (holiday decorations,…
Tester101
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