Rough sawn lumber is unfinished wood that must be dried, planed, and seasoned by the recipient. It is less expensive and allows for more control during refinishing. It is larger than finished lumber due to shrinkage. Lumber yards label their products carefully. Mishandling or choosing the wrong lumber can be costly.
Rough sawn lumber is lumber that is not finished before it is shipped for sale. It is left literally raw and must be dried, planed and otherwise seasoned by the recipient. This lumber tends to be less expensive and some people prefer to work with it because it gives them more control. There are also some important precautions and warnings to keep in mind when working with rough sawn lumber or purchasing lumber for a project. Mishandling lumber or choosing the wrong lumber can be a costly mistake.
When lumber is processed in a sawmill, the rough sawing stage is one of the first steps, when the boards have been cut from a tree but not yet planed and dried. When shipped in this state, the lumber is still green, meaning it hasn’t dried and weathered. As a result, it will shrink as it settles and must be allowed to dry before it can be used. Drying is often done by leaving the lumber outside, but it can also be dried in a lumber kiln or shop.
Rough sawn lumber is slightly larger than finished lumber. This is due to shrinkage associated with planing and drying; it is cut coarsely and thickly to make room for planing the lumber to smooth it and make it shrink as it dries. Many different types of lumber can be sold as rough sawn wood, including hardwoods and softwoods, and is available in a range of sizes.
One reason to work with rough sawn lumber is to save money. For people who have the time and space to plan and dry lumber, it may be more cost effective to use this type of lumber than buying finished lumber for projects. Some people also appreciate the ability to have more control over how the lumber is handled during refinishing. Woodworkers, for example, are often very concerned about the handling of their lumber because small mistakes can be magnified in custom designs; a poorly managed table can ruin months of hard work.
Lumber yards are very careful about labeling their products so people understand what kind of wood they are buying. Rough sawn lumber will be kept separate from finished or partially finished lumber, such as lumber that has been planed on one side. It will also be separated by tree species so people can purchase lumber from the right type of tree for a project.
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