Home Repair and Paint Guide

... Sun and moisture are the primary enemies of deck lumber, but mold and mildew also cause problems. ... Using inferior screws during construction will give you headaches because they tend to break when heat from the sun causes the lumber to flex. ... For instance, a lumber yard might ask for this figure to provide a price quote, although I haven’t personally had to do this. ... Pressure treated deck lumber should be used for structural parts such as posts, joists, and beams. ... Pressure treated lumber is rated by pounds of preservative retained per cubic foot of wood. ... Matching the rating to intended use will give adequate performance while helping to reduce overall costs. Pressure treated lumber is tagged with the treating solution and concentration that was used during manufacturing. ... Used for the floor, railing, and other topside trim.  Ground-contact (.40). ... Posts and support items that are buried below grade.  When buying cedar or redwood lumber, select boards cut from heartwood. ... Sapwood (cut from the outer edges of the tree) lacks these oils. ... This contains more heartwood than “construction common”. ... Lumber that’s still saturated with the water can be twice as heavy as dry wood. ... This can cause your deck to have uneven gaps between the boards, and could also shear the screws or loosen nails that hold mounting brackets to joists. If the wood you purchased is wet, let it dry for a few weeks in an area that’s covered and away from direct sunlight ...

... Surfaced lumber isn’t the same as its nominal (advertised) size. ... Every time you take measurements, you have to account for this. ... But if you are a weekend warrior, you have to stop and think about this during the planning stage. ... A two-by-six is not 2 inches thick and 6 inches wide. ... Lumber is stocked by most dealers in lengths that range from 6 to 20 feet, normally in even increments. ... You may come across a project that requires you to supply the amount of wood in board feet. ... There is a very simple equation that will allow you to determine how many board feet of lumber you will need for a project - Length(inches) x Width(inches) x Height(inches) / 144 = Board Feet. ... Let’s determine board feet for a 2″ x 6″ x 12′ piece of lumber. Start by converting length to inches. Do this by multiplying the number of feet (12) times the number of inches in a foot (12). ... 144″ x 6″ x 2″ = 1728″ Divide this number by 144, which is the number of cubic inches in a foot ...