How to Select the Proper Grade of Wood for Woodworking

The type of wood you choose for a woodworking project is the most important factor in a product's durability and quality. While the species of wood is the most publicized factor in making your selection, there are other variables that determine a wood grade.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Examine the Quality of Wood with Lumber Grades

1. Familiarize yourself with the various initials and grades that are standard throughout the industry. Visit the Western Wood Products Association qeb site to find examples of grade stamps.

2. Learn about composite lumber products to determine if they are proper for your woodworking project. The main grading factor in composite wood is their ability to maintain integrity when exposed to wind and water. You should select composite wood when you have gained some woodworking experience and desire to expand your horizons.

3. Speak with a lumberyard manager or an experienced woodworker about the proper wood species for your needs. Each piece of wood has an abbreviation that indicates tree species.

4. Locate the lumber-grade stamp on any wood that you plan on purchasing.

5. Select lumber that has a S-Dry rating under the moisture content section of the stamp. There are two standard moisture ratings, S-GRN and S-DRY, that indicate the amount of water in a wood. For woodworking purposes, the S-DRY rating of under 19-percent moisture content is ideal because you can use the wood immediately.

6. Read the numerical grade given to a particular piece of wood. The scale of lumber grades ranges from select, structural wood at the high end of lumber to Number 3 at the lower end. The decisive factors, used by lumber companies that assign grades, include the number of knots on a piece of wood and their influence on the wood's integrity.

7. Ensure that the lumber you are purchasing is certified by a regional or national lumber organization. Each lumber stamp contains an organizational certification, as well as a mill identification number for quality assurance purposes.

Tips & Warnings

• Lumber experts can attest to the quality of woods, like Douglas fir or Virginia pine, for durable, wood furniture. Seek out expert opinions of the proper wood selections to help ensure the success of your woodworking project.