An inexpensive cedar lumber kiln is one that utilizes the sun for the drying power rather than electrical heat. This allows the the kiln to be placed close to the harvesting location of the cedar. The…
Using lumber for edging forms an attractive barrier in the lawn that separates the flowerbed from the surrounding grass. Although available in a variety of materials including metal, plastic, stone…
As the name suggests, lumber end grain is the grain part of pieces of lumber. These parts are often put together and used as decorations or as countertops. The end grain is found on the inside of the…
A bow saw is similar to a hand saw and can be used to cut lumber to size. The blade of a bow saw comes in various lengths depending on the size of the lumber you are cutting. While cutting with a bow…
Redwood lumber is referred to in nominal dimensions, such as "2 by 4." Like all other types of lumber, this nominal dimension is actually larger than the true dimensions, which in this case are 1.5 by…
Although the framing for a building is hidden away behind walls, it's the last place to scrimp on building materials. The framing of a wood structure holds it up; using high-grade framing lumber…
Whether you are building a home or performing some remodeling around the house, using pre-cut lumber can save time and money. Without the need for cutting to size at the work site, builders and…
Wood is a wonderful building material. It is reusable, recyclable and renewable. Less energy is needed to heat and cool a home constructed of wood, due to its superior insulating value when compared…
The southern magnolia is the state tree and state flower of Mississippi, and it grows all over the southern states. While the magnolia is an evergreen tree, it also produces large fragrant blooms in…
If you're working on an outdoor project that requires a lot of wood like a deck, shed or other type of structure, consider purchasing from a lumber yard. Lumber yards have a wide variety of boards in…
If you ever want to make a profit by selling your sports cards you need to get them professionally graded. Getting a card graded means that a third-party organization examines the card and gives it a…
Unlike materials such as concrete or sand, commonly sold by the pound, lumber is sold by the piece. Once you know how many pieces of lumber you need you can then determine how much all those pieces…
When drying maple lumber, the keys to great looking boards are harvesting fresh wood and drying as quickly as possible. Failure to dry quickly can result in stains to the wood. There are a variety of…
Maple and oak are commonly used woods for furniture, cabinets and flooring. Each has characteristics that separate it from the other and appeal to different tastes in grain, color and finish.
Red cedar lumber suitable for exterior building may not offer the beauty of finish needed for fine cabinetry or other interior work, according to the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association. Different…
Drying lumber prior to building allow the wood to shrink and contract naturally. As green wood drys and shrinks, its density increases. Most commercially cut and processed southern pine lumber is kiln…
Cedar is wonderful lumber and can be used for a wide variety of projects. If you are making things for outdoor use, you may want preserve or waterproof the cedar. Not only does waterproofing cedar…
Melamine lumber is a sheet lumber product that is used for cabinets and furniture. The smooth surface and void-free core make it an ideal material choice for budget conscious builders and…
The most economical way to buy lumber is to buy it in its rough cut form. Rough cut lumber is cut green and skips a couple of finishing steps at the sawmill. Commercial lumber is smoothed and dried so…
Composite lumber is a mix of wood shards, strands and particles that are bound together with adhesive to form usable boards. It may be made from hardwoods, softwoods or even saw dust. Painting…
HDPE lumber is made from recycled high-density polyethylene retrieved from recycled water bottles, milk jugs, detergent bottles and other plastic containers. Manufacturers add chemicals to prevent…
The bamboo industry is on the rise as more people discover the wonderful abilities of this plant. Bamboo can make anything from hardwood floors to soft bath towels. Bamboo makes such a great lumber…
Homeowners use lumber to create garden walls or retaining walls that hold the dirt in a sloped area of the yard in place. Landscapers position the lumber in the yard or garden and then drive railroad…
Brazilian pine, a durable, honey-colored wood, has a straight grain and subdued growth ring pattern. It lends itself well to construction projects and has a superior ability to hold screws.
When you're working on a home renovation, the urge to purge all of your scraps can be hard to resist. Holding on to that cedar, pine or maple siding or flooring, however, can net you a tidy profit.…
You can make plastic lumber at home for projects that you have in mind. It's not easy, however, and there are dangers as well as expenses involved in addition to the materials you need. Whether you…
Lumber is wood that is cut fresh from logs and is usually purchased from a sawmill. Its moisture content can be 200 percent higher than the moisture content in wood sold to builders and other…
White pine is a soft, light-toned and versatile wood used in a wide variety of carpentry applications. Preserve and protect your white pine lumber by staining it. Because white pine is a soft wood, it…
A fresh coat of stain can transform any wooden surface from ordinary into something beautiful. This is true even of rough-cut lumber. However, because rough lumber often contains areas with jagged or…
A growing stack of fragrant cherry lumber leaned against the back wall of the lumber warehouse. Recently arrived from a local forester, the wood was freshly cut and already exhibited some of the rich…
Reclaimed lumber is a highly sought-after commodity. This wood is prized by residential and commercial builders who want an "old-time" look for the interior of a building. In addition, homeowners with…
Worms in old lumber are actually the larva of wood-boring beetles. The old lumber provides a safe environment where the larva achieve adult beetle form. The adult beetles then burrow out of the wood…
Prices for chestnut lumber skyrocketed after a devastating blight infected virtually all of the American chestnut population, forcing suppliers to import European chestnut lumber. American chestnut…
Cedar is a soft, very stable wood. For that reason it has historically been used in high humidity areas such as in kitchens, baths and steam saunas. Cedar is a very easy wood to work with: one of the…
All lumber cut on a sawmill, from trees or logs, is called green lumber. Green lumber signifies that the boards are not properly dried. There are two basic methods to drying green lumber, air drying…
Cedar has a number of characteristics that make it desirable for outdoor projects including decking, siding and construction. Cedar takes on a wide variety of colors, is low in pitch and resin, has a…
If you are starting a big project such as a home renovation or construction of a deck or clubhouse, you will probably require a decent amount of lumber in order to complete the project. To ensure…
Green lumber is a term for wooden boards that have been freshly cut on a sawmill. The lumber is "green" since it still contains large amounts of moisture. Store-purchased lumber is dried in gas-fired…
Lumber racks protect your lumber from damage caused by warping, water and termites, among others. A lumber rack will allow you to store your wood up off the floor while keeping it clear from your work…
Plastic lumber is a popular choice for outdoor structures, such as fences, decks and pergolas. Plastic lumber doesn't rot; resists stains, mold and mildew; comes in different colors; and has the…
White maple lumber is a hard white maple, also known as Acer saccharum. Other common names include hard maple, rock maple and sugar maple. It is strong and durable, making it ideal for flooring and…
All lumber, regardless of the species, is cut from logs on a sawmill. Fresh lumber has a heavy moisture content and is called green lumber. Green lumber can have as much as 200 percent moisture…
The board-foot (BF) is a unit of volume that specifically measures lumber. It is an estimate of the volume of raw lumber and is primarily used in the United States and Canada, although the term "super…
Oak lumber that is freshly-cut is described as "green." Green lumber that isn't properly dried can crack, warp or grow black mold. The best way to dry oak lumber is by putting it in a "rick stack."…
Because cypress lumber is sturdy with an attractive grain, it's a popular building material. Cypress also resists decay, fungus and damage caused by insects and the elements. These qualities make it…
Grading begins by identifying the type of wood. Wood is referred to as soft wood or hard wood. Each has its particular uses. Hard wood is for cabinets and furniture, and softwood is used for…
Maple trees are a hardwood, broadleaf, deciduous species that is converted into lumber. The diverse varieties of these trees are located in the temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere in Africa,…
Calculating the weight of lumber can be a useful skill when constructing that outdoor deck or tool shed. By having the knowledge of the load weight of the wood, you can determine the type of…
Lumber of all types comes from trees. When the trees are harvested from a forest, they are generally cut to length before being shipped to the sawmill. Hardwoods, which are classified as any tree that…
Pine lumber is the most commonly used framing material in the United States. It is strong, lightweight and relatively inexpensive, which makes it an ideal choice for many applications. Pine lumber is…
Teak lumber is made from the wood of the teak tree, a native of Southeast Asia. Teak is primarily used in the flooring industry in the United States, although it is sometimes used for other purposes.…
Deck lumber comes in many more varieties and options that can replace an old deck or repair one that may just need a few new boards. This article touches upon the types of lumber and composites…
When planning a project for the home, whether it be building a deck, putting up a porch railing or fence, constructing wood cabinets, installing wood flooring, adding wood trim and moldings or…
With the various online and retail options available to buyers and sellers in search of affordable tree lumber, it is easy to find the exact type of wood that you require and at a price that you will…
Rough saw lumber is lumber that has been cut down, brought to the saw mill, and cut. Rough saw lumber hasn't been dressed or planed and it is usually still green. Rough sawed lumber is used when…
Lumber can be expensive, and the larger your project is then the more lumber you're going to need in order to finish it. Buying discount lumber can often be difficult, since many of the discounted…
Reclaimed wood is not only beautiful, it's environmentally conscious as well. Just think, it's estimated that over 3 trillion board feet of lumber have been produced since the early 1900's, and much…
A successful do-it-yourself project starts with good wood. At first you may think there's a secret lumberyard code when you confront the many types and dimensions of wood. But once you take time to…
It's easy to pick out wood if you know what to look for.