Lumberyards sell wood for construction and other purposes, mostly dimensional pine lumber. The wood is processed in a sawmill to produce uniform size and moisture content. Lumberyards also sell tools and equipment, but the job can be dangerous. Most lumber yards cater to building contractors, with some specializing in hardwoods for flooring.
A lumberyard is a business enterprise that stores and sells wood for construction and other purposes. Most of the lumber available at a lumberyard is dimensional pine lumber, used for framing houses and building walls, as well as different types of plywood and other sheet metal items. The lumber available at most lumber yards has been finished flat and smooth, although some also sell rough lumber. In addition to lumber, most lumberyards also sell a wide variety of tools and equipment for carpenters, contractors, and carpenters.
Before being delivered to the lumberyard for retail sale, the lumber is processed in a sawmill to produce boards and planks of uniform size, strength, and moisture content, suitable for immediate use. Most lumber sold in a lumberyard has been planed on at least one side or edge to produce a smooth, level surface. Most of the lumber sold by the lumber yards is for the construction of residences and some commercial structures. This lumber is usually pine, a strong and inexpensive building timber that is easily renewable.
Most of the lumber sold is dimensional lumber, meaning it has been sawmilled to standard dimensions such as the two-inch (5.08 cm) by four-inch (10.16 cm) stud, or 2×4, commonly used to frame a house. Other common sizes of dimensional lumber are 4×4 inches (10.16×10.16 cm), 2×6 inches (5.08×15.24 cm), 2×8 inches (5.08×20.32 cm), and 2×12 inches (5.08×30.48 cm) . These are the dimensions to which the lumber was initially cut at the sawmill prior to drying and resurfacing; actual sizes of lumber sold at a lumberyard can be up to 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) smaller per surface area. The lumber will also be graded by the number of edges and sides that have been planed smooth or coated: “S1S1E” is a notation indicating that a board has been surfaced on one side and edge; “S2S2E” means both edges and both sides have been coated.
Lumberyard jobs can be dangerous. Even after being dried, lumber is heavy, and anything over two or three planks must be moved with a dolly, and large quantities are moved with pallet trucks or forklifts. Additionally, even wood that has been sharpened often has splinters, so handling the wood can pose risks. Finally, most lumberyards will cut lumber and sheet metal such as plywood to size for customers with stationary and hand power tools. Lumberyard worker safety is a serious issue, and most US states prohibit employment in lumberyards for those under the age of 18.
Most lumber yards cater to building contractors, and the majority of their stock is pine, which is an inexpensive and durable material for homes and other structures. Many yards in the United States carry a small stock of hardwoods such as oak, maple and cherry for use in projects such as cabinets, furniture and moldings. Some, however, specialize in hardwoods, especially for flooring, and these hardwood lumberyards cater more to flooring contractors, carpenters, and carpenters than building contractors.
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