Here’s How to Choose the Right Lumber

Lumber is the backbone of most major home improvement projects. From adding an addition to your house to installing a backyard deck — or simply trying your hand at a small woodworking project — it all starts with lumber. Here’s how to find the right cut for any job, big or small.

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Types of Lumber Lumber Materials Tools for Working with Lumber

Types of Lumber

Lumber refers to building materials milled from wood. It includes hardwood and softwood in a wide array of dimensions and fabrications. Here are the most common lumber categories you will choose between for your projects.

Plywood & Sheathing

Plywood is manufactured from sheets of wood veneer glued together in alternating angles for strength. Sheathing is a product, such as oriented strand board (OSB) or plywood, that is commonly used on the outside wall of a house or roof.

Typically used in construction to support floors, walls, roofs and garages; also used in furniture and crafts
Most commonly bought in 4-by-8-foot sheets. Smaller, project-sized panels, known as handy panels, are also available
Typically made from a combination of softwoods and/or hardwoods
BEST FOR: Construction applications and sheathing wall and roof sheathing

TIP: Plywood is graded by appearance. A-grade plywood is smooth, even and meant to be used where it will be seen. B-, C- and D-grade plywood will have increasing levels of visual defects and should be used where they are not visible.

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Lumber Materials

Lumber is produced from a variety of trees, including softwood and hardwood species. There’s also a manufactured wood product known as engineered wood. Here’s how they compare.

Softwood Lumber

Most lumber used in residential construction and furniture making is softwood milled from spruce, pine, cedar and fir. Softwood is affordable, easy to work with and readily available. Specific softwoods are known for qualities like uniform texture (spruce), durability (pine), insect resistance (cedar) and strength (fir).

Hardwood Lumber

Hardwoods are strong, hard-wearing and dense. They are much admired for their rich hues, scratch resistance and distinctive grain (which is more defined than in softwoods). Hardwood is meant to be seen and is commonly used in flooring and furniture, where you’ll find wood such as red or white oak, maple, birch and cherry.

Engineered Wood

Engineered wood is available as joists, beams and columns, and studs. This manufactured product offers greater strength, more unimpeded spans and better uniformity than traditional lumber.

Tools for Working with Lumber

Whether you’re a seasoned or aspiring DIYer, certain manual and power tools are heavy hitters when it comes to working with lumber and wood. Here are six pieces of essential equipment.

Hand Saws

Cut 2x4s, dowels and other timber products quickly and easily with a versatile hand saw.

Power Saws

Make shorter work of big projects with a table saw, circular saw, mitre saw, jigsaw or other power saw.

Hammers

Move through your carpentry or craft projects with ease using a handy, all-purpose or specialized hammer.

Power Drill/Driver

Power through major projects, like deck and fence installation, furniture assembly and more, with a cordless drill and driver set.

Nailers & Staplers

Take the grunt work out of big projects, such as framing or hardwood flooring installation, with a powerful air nailer or stapler.

Power Sanders

Put a fresh surface on DIY projects with a wood-perfecting belt sander, palm sander, orbital sander or mouse sander.

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