Picking Lumber: What to Look for at the Hardwood Dealer

Walking into a hardwood dealer for the first time intimidates most woodworkers. The stacks of rough lumber look nothing like the clean boards at home centers. No dimensional markings, no surfacing, just raw wood speaking a language you haven’t learned yet. Here’s how to become fluent.

Understanding Lumber Grading

Hardwood grades describe the percentage of clear, defect-free wood in a board. FAS (Firsts and Seconds) guarantees 83% clear face area in boards at least 6 inches wide. Select offers similar quality at narrower widths. Number 1 Common drops to 66% clear area and is often the best value for furniture makers.

Don’t chase the highest grade automatically. FAS commands premium prices for wood that’s often larger than you need. Number 1 Common from the same stack costs significantly less and yields excellent material if you’re willing to work around defects.

Reading the Rough Surface

Rough lumber hides its true character. That perfect-looking board might have terrible figure or internal stress that only appears after surfacing. Trained eyes learn to see past the saw marks.

Look for consistent color across the board. Dramatic color variation often indicates sapwood mixing with heartwood, which may or may not be desirable for your project. Check both faces; lumber is graded from the better face, but you’ll use both.

Sight down the board for bow, crook, and twist. Some distortion straightens during milling, but severe cases waste too much thickness. Cupped boards lose less material than twisted ones.

Checking for Defects

Knots aren’t automatically disqualifying. Sound, tight knots add character and can be incorporated into rustic designs. Loose knots that might fall out, or spike knots that penetrate through the board, are more problematic.

Look for checking, the small cracks that form during drying. End checks are normal and usually confine themselves to the last few inches. Face checks indicate more serious drying stress and may propagate during your project.

Reject boards with sticker stain, the gray lines left by stacking sticks during drying. While surface-deep in theory, the stain often persists after planing and looks particularly bad under finish.

Moisture Matters

Ask about moisture content. Properly kiln-dried lumber should read 6-8% for indoor furniture. Higher moisture means more shrinking ahead, more warping after milling, and potential joint failure.

Carry a moisture meter if you’re serious about lumber buying. Press it against a freshly cut end, not the weathered surface, for accurate readings. Different species require different settings; know your meter’s calibration requirements.

Calculating Board Feet

Hardwood sells by the board foot: thickness times width times length, divided by 144. A board 1 inch thick, 6 inches wide, and 8 feet long equals 4 board feet. Nominal thickness rounds up, so 4/4 lumber (four-quarter, or 1 inch thick) might actually measure 13/16 inch after drying.

Always buy more than you need. The industry standard is 20% overage for furniture projects. You’ll reject some wood during selection, lose material to defect removal, and inevitably make mistakes. Running short after investing dozens of hours is maddening.

Building Dealer Relationships

Independent hardwood dealers reward loyalty. Regular customers get first pick of special stock, better prices, and valuable advice. The gruff guy behind the counter knows more about wood than any book can teach.

Ask questions. Dealers appreciate customers who want to learn. They’ll show you how to spot quality, steer you toward better value alternatives, and sometimes share offcuts perfect for small projects.

Buying lumber is a skill that improves with practice. Your first trips might feel overwhelming, but each purchase refines your eye. In time, you’ll walk into any dealer and immediately identify the best boards in any stack.