
Some types of wood are sold at a specific width and “per lineal foot” of length. This is in contrast to “per board foot,” which is a volume measure, and can be used to tally lumber of random widths
Read More...We’ve updated our “Definition of Terms” page and renamed it “Glossary of Wood Terms.” We’ve tried to include some of the most commonly used, and in some cases, most confusing, terms we use on our site.
This is a work in progress – if there is a term we use that you don’t understand and would like to see added to this glossary, please let us know!
Some types of wood are sold at a specific width and “per lineal foot” of length. This is in contrast to “per board foot,” which is a volume measure, and can be used to tally lumber of random widths
Read More...How Is Wood Measured? Wood comes in so many sizes and shapes, it is difficult to find a standard way to measure it. So, there are more than one type of measurement systems. Board Foot is a system to measure lumber by volume after it has been cut into boards, but before it is smoothed
Read More...Lumber size is often referred to as 4/4 (pronounced FOUR-QUARTER), 5/4 (FIVE-QUARTER), 6/4 (SIX-QUARTER), etc. This refers to the thickness of the lumber when it is first sawn and in its rough dimensions. 4/4 lumber is sawn in the rough to a full 1 inch. The size increases in 1/4″ increments. 5/4 lumber is sawn
Read More...FAS, or Firsts and Seconds, is the hardwood grade which includes the superior “furniture grade” hardwoods. This grade is typically free of defects, but some defects are allowed.
Read More...“RGH” indicates that the specified material is being sold as it came off the saw. It is in its “rough” state. This material is not planer-finished and will have no jointed edges.
Read More...What is S3S? The abbreviation “S3S” is a description of surface finish, usually pertaining to hardwood species. It stands for “Surfaced Three Sides”, which, as used in Goosebay’s hardwood lumber descriptions, indicates that two faces have been planed, and one edge has been processed with a straight-line rip saw, rendering the edge straight and smooth.
Read More...What is S4S? S4S is an abbreviation for “Surfaced on Four Sides”. It indicates a finish which renders both faces and both edges of a board planer-finished.
Read More...S1S2E indicates that the material has been surfaced on two edges and one face, leaving the second face rough. See S3S.
Read More...Quarter sawn lumber has been cut through the heart of a log and thus the annular rings are perpendicular or 90º to the face of the board.
Read More...Rift sawn boards are generally more stable than flat sawn but do not exhibit any quarter sawn patterns.
Read More...A flat sawn, or plain sawn, board has a ring-to-face angle of 30º to 0º. These are the boards sawn from the edge of the log and comprise the least stable lumber in the log.
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