FAQ

How to Buy Rough Cut Lumber: provided by eHow.com

1. How is Rough Cut Lumber sold
2. How do I know I'm buying quality rough-cut lumber?

Dimensional lumber vs. Rough Cut lumber

1. What is Dimensional lumber?
2. Why use Rough Cut lumber for my project?

How to Buy Rough Cut Lumber: provided by eHow.com

2. How do I know I'm buying quality rough-cut lumber?

Some steps to follow when reasearching rough-cut sawmills: 

1. Find a reputable sawmill or wood dealer by asking people you know who have purchased rough-cut lumber before . Most rough-cut sawmills are found by word of mouth and good references. Then, call the place of business ahead of time to see what they have in stock. You can also get a good idea of how they do business from a phone conversation.

2. Inspect the stock they have on hand. is the material air-dried or kiln dried? Kiln-dried rough-cut lumber should cost more because of the process. The kiln will kill the eggs of insects in the lumber because of the high temperature. Air-dried lumber may be prone to pest problems as it is dried outdoors. Ask the operator when the lumber was cut and how long it has been sitting in the lumberyard.

3. Ask how the wood was stacked after it was cut. The wood should have been sticker-stacked soon after cutting. Sticker-stacking wood is the method for air-and kiln-dried lumber. The individual boards are stacked on 1-inch-by-1 inch sticks. The sticks are laid in such a way as to create gaps between the boards. This allows air movement around the wet lumber and keeps mold growth from occurring.

For more tips on buying quality rough-cut lumber go to: eHow.com and search for How to Buy quality rough-cut lumber.

Dimensional lumber vs. Rough Cut lumber

1. What is Dimensional lumber?
   
   Dimensional Lumber is lumber that is cut to a certain pre-defined size. It is sawn, planed, and smoothed (though not always smoothed) and ready for building applications.The most common type of dimensional lumber is the 2x4 (two-by-four). Due to the thickness of the saw, the 2x4 is not 2 inches wide, 4 inches deep but is 1 1⁄2 in × 3 1⁄2 in (38 mm × 89 mm).
   
   Definition provided by: About.com/Home renovations
   
   
2. Why use Rough Cut lumber for my project?
   
   Rough lumber is the raw material for furniture-making and other items requiring additional cutting and shaping. It is available in many species, usually hardwoods, but it is also readily available in softwoods such as pine and hemlock. Definition provided by Wikipedia
   
   Copy and paste this address into your browser for 19 Tips for Buying and Using rough lumber:
    http/americanwoodworker.com/blogs/tips/archive/2012/05/08/19-tips-for-buying-and-using-rough-lumber.aspx