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Things To Know About Wood Building Materials Before You Buy Supplies For Your DIY Project

2 January 2019 by Todd Edwards

Wood is one of the most popular building materials in use today. It gives your home a classic look and it can be fashioned into many different shapes. Wood also lasts a long time when it's cared for properly. Here are some things you may want to know about wood when you're thinking about using it for siding, flooring, or other building materials.

Wood Is Supplied In Different Dimensions

When you order wood from a company like Hillside Lumber, the width is important because changing the length is much easier than changing the width. Piers are the widest pieces of wood, and they're used for foundations and structural support. Timbers are mid-sized, and lumber is the smaller, common size that you usually see in home improvement stores. You'll probably use lumber for most of your DIY building projects.

Wood Hardness Varies Among Trees

Different types of trees produce wood of different degrees of hardness. You can even refer to a hardness rating chart so you choose the right type of wood for what you're building. Hardwood trees usually have leaves, like the maple tree. Softwood trees are usually evergreen trees or produce cones, like pine trees. While that's a general guideline, the degree of hardness varies among both softwoods and hardwoods. This is important for certain applications, such as choosing wood for flooring. Softwood scratches more easily, so if you have kids and pets, you may want harder wood when choosing new flooring for your home.

Lumber Comes In Different Grades

Another thing to know about buying wood building materials is that the lumber is available in different grades. The grades rate the quality of different hardwood lumber. You may want high-quality lumber for a home construction project, but lower quality and more affordable lumber for a hobby project. Softwood grades reveal the quality of wood as well as the wood appearance when it comes to knots. This helps you choose the right wood for paneling and other projects when appearance is important.

Engineered Wood Is An Alternative

While wood is a perfect building material for many projects, it isn't always suitable. For instance, wood flooring isn't recommended for basement floors due to moisture and humidity that can warp the planks. In cases like these, engineered wood is an option. This is made from wood layers that are bonded together so they don't warp as easily. Since they're made from real wood, they look and feel just like a traditional wood floor under your feet.

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