I went to Home Depot this AM to buy lumber. Their stuff always used to have grade stamps on it, but today the 2×6 x 8′ and 2×4 x 10′ had no markings at all. I looked over half a dozen of each real carefully, no stamps of any kind. I even bought a couple of the no-stamp 2×6’s, real nice stuff with straight grain, only a few small knots. It probably would have been select structural if it were graded.
But what are they thinking? Doesn’t anybody pay attention to grades any more? Don’t inspectors want to see a few stamps here and there? Or does HD figure their customer base is 100% bootleg jobs? Is it so very much cheaper without grading?
— J.S.
Replies
Most of their graded 2x4s and some of their 2x6s are Std & Better. Those are seldom sufficient for structureal members.
A lot of legal work does not need graded lumber.
I don't know about the inspectors but I look at the lumber, not the ink. I've sent a load back, saying, "That's OK for kindling but not structural"
Excellence is its own reward!
I look at both the lumber and the ink, and to a very good extent, they're in sync. It does look like the grader sees one side only, though. There was a #1 yesterday that looked fine on the side with the stamp, but there was a huge hole around a knot on the flip side, it looked to me like some kind of insect damage. And there's always the post-grading HD fork lift damage to watch out for. It always ticks me off to find a nice SelStr split up by a couple of fork tines.
-- J.S.
Here we have what is called " mill run " . It is not graded and it will be #3 and better , but you buy a bundle. The builder grades it to put where he wants it and its cheaper. Doesnt sound like what you found though as what Im talking about is native lumber.
Why dont you just ask them ? I would like to know whats said. Usually its about money .
Tim Mooney
Why dont you just ask them ?
At Home Depot? lol, ask who lol, you're a funny man! :)Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark, Professionals build the Titanic.
I'm not a big HD critic, they seem to do as well as can be expected given the forces involved, but I have to agree with you on this point. If you ask four people at HD you will likely get five answers. None of which agree. Out of the variety offered none are likely to be correct. Kind of like wearing four watches with different times.
I'm actually starting to like the local HD that they just opened, the people still do not know much, but I've learned to except that, and more importantly I now have a pretty good idea where everything is, and they finally realized that having the pro check outs open is a good idea.
And they are off that new store "hi how are you can I help you?" kick so I generally do not have to talk to anyone besides the check out girl and most of them ain't half bad to look at :)Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark, Professionals build the Titanic.
Our new HD in Montrose often has ONLY the pro checkout line open. Every HD I have ever seen treats it simply as another CO line. I get the feeling it is there to con the pros into thinking they care about them all the while they are telling the staff to just use it as another CO line.
Rats! I gotta sell my entire collection of Fine Homebuilding magazine. Issues 1 through 150! So I decided to put it up on eBay. They are being sold in lots of 10. All lots start at 99 cents. So get on in there and pick yourself up a bargain or two...
Check it our here... FHB on eBay
One advantage of HD lumber is that it is indoors instead of out in the rain and hot sun which combine to warp and twist and cup the wood..
Excellence is its own reward!
I need to put my two cents in on staight lumber from HD. Up here at least (Calgary, Alberta) HD has some of the worst lumber around. I contribute it to the fact that, especially in winter, they bring the stuff in wet and frozen and then unbundle it for the masses to pick through wile their forced air heaters dry it out. Can hardly find a board staight enought to make a hockey stick let alone frame up a wall worth putting board on.
Edited 6/13/2003 9:49:56 AM ET by CherryCreek
i dont know about other stores but here in sarnia ont they store their deck lumber inside!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and where is a deck usually built?
dddddddddduuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhh
we got a snazzy new HD on the south end of Montrose. The front is laid up rock, etc. to meet the new Montrose "big box" standards.Rats! I gotta sell my entire collection of Fine Homebuilding magazine. Issues 1 through 150! So I decided to put it up on eBay. They are being sold in lots of 10. All lots start at 99 cents. So get on in there and pick yourself up a bargain or two...
Check it our here... FHB on eBay
"At Home Depot? lol, ask who lol, you're a funny man! :)"
Damn , youve got a point ! What was I thinking ? Evidently I wasnt . Thanks for bringing me back home.
Tim Mooney
We sometimes get lumber from mills without grade stamps, but they send us a letter of certification that guarantees that it's a particular grade.
Doesn't make much sense to me - There's no way to track exactly where each board goes.
But unless you're building something that requires a specific grade of lumber, I doubt it would make much difference.
What is the white man's greatest contribution to the world? Blondes. [Adam Rifkin]
On a slightly different note I went to Lowes for some CCA 2x8's and 1 2x4.
All of the 2x8', 2x6, 2x10 where the nices stuff you have every seen. If it did not have that funny green look I could have bought all that they had and remilled it for SYP flooring and made off like a bandit.
But I could not find 2x4 CCA in the store that did not look like cr*p. And it was not just the bottom of the barrel either. They where stacked full.
There was a note in a recent JLC that the home horror stores are requesting that their suppliers up the level of the wood. Not a better grade, but the best of that grade level.
Hi John!
My favorite grading peeve relates to the sheathing plywood that we get here in the islands. It is sold a "sheathing" grade but is usually just marked "mill" and often includes a "REJECT" stamp. But since it's 40% cheaper than CDX, this stuff ends up on 99% of the roofs around here!
Dennis.
Sometimes the plastic price tack stapled to the end of the board will have the grade in little tiny print.Do it right, or do it twice.