Choosing the right lumber for your project can be a daunting task. Although the words wood and lumber are often used interchangeably, lumber is the commercially available material made from wood that is generally cut in standard sizes and increments. By arming yourself with some basic knowledge before your trip to the lumber yard, you…

Choosing the right wood for your wood working project is a vital first step in the process. The type and quality of the wood chosen will greatly impact the end product. What is the best choice for the project you wish to complete? Is it softwood or hardwood? Here is a discussion of popular wood…

There are many kinds of wood joints you can use while working with this natural material. Each kind of joint has a history and use all its own and certain join types work better in certain cases. If you’re new to woodworking and need to make complex structures, here are some wood joints you should…

Wood is both an amazing and frustrating material when it comes to building. It has to be handled just right, but the results are usually well worth the effort. If you have just started milling and woodworking, then you need to know these three facts about wood.   Wood Grain Matters The way a tree…

Lumber from a lumber yard is graded on its quality and appearance. The type of wood and the number of defects have an effect on the overall quality.   Lumber Defects Although some people like the unique character certain defects can add to wood, for structural integrity, defects should be kept to a minimum. Other…

As a contractor, you need to be able to recognize defects in lumber. A lumber yard should cull damaged wood before shipping it to your building site. This doesn’t mean that defective boards don’t get missed. You also need to recognize when you are being swindled. Wood Defects There are many types of defects in…

Wood can shrink and expand as the wood’s moisture content changes in the daily and seasonal relative humidity of the atmosphere. A lumber yard is supposed to dry out lumber before it is shipped to reduce issues with using it for construction. Even if it is dried properly, other factors can affect the moisture content…

A trip to the lumber yard is always a day well spent. While there, you can get just about any type of wood you need, cut to whatever size you need. It is always a good idea to go there with a plan. You want to know what type of wood you are buying and…