The better question is - Who is "they"? Straight lumber is plentiful and cheap in Canada, for example. So my question is, do they still produce 2x3" studs that are straight? Could be that we get better (mostly Canadian) lumber than in other regions. The bottom line is that, unless you're building furniture, the hassle of buying a few boards through a lumber yard's process or special ordering boards isn't likely worth it. Lumber that's exposed to very wet or dry conditions will warp whether it's bundled or not. Store it under cover and use it or weigh it down soon after purchase. Use badly bowed or twisted boards for drywall backing and other places where they can be cut to shorter lengths.This reduces waviness at the center of the wall's height. Crown your studs to put all the slight edgewise bows to the same direction.Use bowed boards where you can straighten them, such as in wall plates that are anchored at close intervals."Fifth-sided" boards with a little bark on one corner aren't usually a problem if they're straight. Reject severe twists, though, as you can't really work that out during installation. Sight down one corner lengthwise to properly assess straightness.No, it's not really a problem with a few techniques: Yes, modern lumber is softer and may warp more.
#Crooked bent and twisted just paint it. how to#
They also tend to be used by finicky homeowners who don't know how to use them correctly more often, so the slightly bowed ones are left behind to accumulate and become severely bowed. 2x3s in particular don't sell nearly as quickly as 2x4s, so they're sitting in a store drying out and warping longer. If lumber isn't kept dry and sold quickly it'll warp. This means wider grain and softer wood, which can warp more. We consume so much lumber these days that most of it is "new growth", planted (naturally or artificially) 20-30 years ago specifically for lumber harvest. The simple fact is that two things primarily affect lumber quality, aside from grade (and most stores sell more or less the same grade):Īge of the trees. The reputation at Home Depot, for example, mostly comes from folks walking in to buy their first 2x4 and not recognizing that this is a natural product with natural variation. The local HD's competition were actually forced to raise their lumber quality to compete on that front. In fact, it's often better from big boxes due to higher customer expectations. I've worked through hundreds of units of framing lumber over the last 30 years, and the difference between big box lumber and "lumber yard" lumber is insubstantial, on average*.
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