Lumber which comes from
conifer trees (needle-shaped leaves that stay green year-round). Softwoods can be classified as
dry (less than 19
percent moisture) or
green/
unseasoned (greater than 19 percent moisture)
Size
Softwoods are smaller than the size they are named. The thickness of the wood is the smaller of the two measurements; the face width is the larger. Each is measured in inches (The length is measured in feet, and is actual size).
Thickness
- Less than 2 inches
- Dry: subtract 1/4 inch
- Green: subtract 7/32 inch
- 2 to 8 inches
- Dry: subtract 1/2 inch
- Green: subtract 7/16 inch
Face Width
- 2 to 4 inches
- Dry: subtract 1/2 inch
- Green: subtract 7/16 inch
- 5 to 8 inches
- Dry: subtract 1/2 inch
- Green: subtract 3/8 inch
- 8 to 16 inches
- Dry: subtract 3/4 inch
- Green: subtract 1/2 inch
Grading
There are two different classification systems for softwoods that have some overlap. First:
- Rough Lumber
- Sawn, trimmed, and edged, but with rough faces.
- Surfaced Lumber
- Rough lumber that has had some number of sides and edges smoothed by a surfacing machine. The system is SnSmE, where m and n are the number of sides and edges surfaced, respectively.
- Worked Lumber
- Surfaced lumber, that has also been shiplapped, patterned, and/or matched.
The second classification system:
- Shop and Factory Lumber
- Millwork used for moldings, door jambs, and window frames.
- Yard Lumber
- Also known as structural lumber, used for framing, sheathing, and concrete forms.
- Yard lumber is subdivided into: