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Wood is the most common building
material used in constructing homes. When cut or formed into boards, planks
and sheathing it is referred to as lumber. Lumber building material is used
for a myriad of home construction applications. It is used in the framing of
the home’s skeleton, for wall and roof sheathing, for subfloors and finished
floors, for cabinets, and even trim work. |
| It is important when building a home or home addition that
quality lumber is used. For example the use of sub-standard framing lumber,
that is either warped or twisted is difficult to work with and results in
uneven floors and walls. Drywall and paint do not hide wall bulges and
finished flooring cannot be installed without first leveling the subfloor.
The use of sub-standard lumber building material always cost more, so don’t
try to save a few dollars on lower quality lumber. |
Photo By Mark Donovan |
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Before lumber arrives at your local
home improvement store, it is cut, stacked and kiln dried. These steps are
necessary as green, or unseasoned wood has high moisture content and will twist,
warp, split and cup as it slowly dries out. Freshly cut wood can frequently have
a moisture content greater that 20%. By properly stacking and drying the cut
wood a stable lumber building material is produced.
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When selecting framing lumber
material you will notice that each piece is stamped with a moisture rating
level. You may notice stamps markings of S-Grn, Grn, S-Dry or KD 19. S-Grn and Grn signify that the
moisture content of the particular piece of building lumber has a moisture
content above 19%. S-Dry or KD 19 indicates that the particular piece of
building material has a moisture content of 19% or less. Most soft framing
lumber that is used in the United States for home construction, such as pine
2x4s, is rated for KD 19.
It is also important to note that the
dimensions used to describe framing lumber are not the actual dimensions of the
cut, stacked, surfaced and kiln dried wood. For example a 2”x4” that you
purchase from your local home improvement store actually has dimensions of 1.5”
x 3.5”. So don’t think you’re getting an inferior piece of lumber when you find
out the actual dimensions are less than the nominal sized referenced.
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When purchasing softwood dimensional
lumber you may also notice that the boards are sold based on different grades,
e.g. C Select, D Select, 1 Common, 2 Common and 3 Common. These ratings specify
the quality of the wood relative to appearance, knots and other defects. C
Select and D Select are higher quality building lumber and are ideal for finish
carpentry applications, including cabinet work, whereas Common ratings may be
used for paneling and fencing applications.
So
when selecting lumber building material make sure you’re buying the appropriate
material for your project. If you want a quality home, select kiln dried lumber
material. And when picking framing lumber out of the bin or rack inspect it
carefully. For example, when buying 2x4s I always look down the length of it,
rotate it once or twice and inspect for twists and knot density. By taking a
little extra care when selecting your lumber material you will ensure a quality
home or home addition.
For more help on how to build a custom home, see HomeAdditionPlus.com's
New Home
Construction Bid Sheet.
The
New Home Construction Bid Sheet
provides you with the knowledge you will need on how to plan for the building of
a custom home,
and what to look for when hiring contractors for your new custom home building
project. It
also includes a detailed cost breakdown table and spreadsheet for estimating
your own new custom home building costs.
How to Finance your Home Project -
can help provide funds for your new home improvement project if financing is
required.
Additional Framing and Carpentry Resources
Framing and Carpentry Tools from Amazon.com
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