If you are buying raw wood for the first time from any hardwood lumberyard then it could be very confusing for you to decide how you should choose your material. You may not be knowing how to ask them any good question unless you are aware about certain basic things regarding lumber.
If you are looking for lumber for making furniture item then by vising any home center at Houston, you will not get enough variety. Normally, such centers in Houston stock only some of the popular construction lumber like pine. For buying hardwood furniture you need to visit lumber yards Houston. In the lumber yard different specimens are grouped separately and you can really find the difference between different varieties of hardwood when they are in raw condition.
Following are few things that you need to know if you are visiting the lumber yard for the first time.
- Thickness of lumber
If you visit any lumber yard then for making any enquiry, you need to specify the thickness of lumber that you are interested in. The lumbers are sold in certain specified thickness and its thickness increased at the step of 1/4 inches. It is known as quarters. For instance, if you want lumber of 1” thickness then it will be called four quarter. In the same way, you can get 5/4, 6/4 and so on. Also, you must understand that the board is never flat and hence if you need 1” thick then you must buy thicker one.
- Priced by volume
Rates of lumber is usually based on cubic feet. Therefore, if you select any board then you have to measure its length, breadth and thickness in inches and then multiply all three measurement and divide it by 144 to find its cubic feet. You can multiply the rate in cubic feet and as a result obtain the above to determine the price to be paid.
- Dressed or rough
If you prefer rough then its is lumber just coming from saw mill with rough surface. If you ask for dressed then it will go through planer.
- Board width
This is the width of the board and nowadays it is becoming more and more narrow in the market. They are generally available in the range of 6” to 12” wide.
You can learn many other things if you visit any local lumber yard. There are woods that are kiln dried while some are air dried. You may get fresh wood or salvaged wood.
