Are 2 x 4s purchased at Home Depot Hardwood or Softwood?

[Caveman]

Per subject... Looking for the right pilot dia...

 

[Jeff7]

Pine, and based on a sophisticated fingernail test, I'd say that they are quite soft.

 

[olds]

Soft

 

[95SS]

Soft - Doug fir out here

 

[Colt45]

soft. hardwood is expensive.

 

[skyking]

soft- your circular saw would be hating life with hardwood!

 

[Biggerhammer]

Spruce, pine or fir. Softwood.

 

[Kirby]

Pine around here.

 

[paulney]

Mostly pine and fir. Sometimes it's not even dry - wet as a girl when she sees my blackinches.

 

[slag]

Originally posted by: paulney
Mostly pine and fir. Sometimes it's not even dry - wet as a girl when she sees my blackinches.

Exactly, whatever happened to kiln dried wood..

 

[Vette73]

As said they are soft, mostly Douglas Fir and Pine.

But soft and hard do not describe the strength of the wood but its type. There are plenty of "soft" woods that are harder/stronger then "hard" wood.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: slag

Originally posted by: paulney
Mostly pine and fir. Sometimes it's not even dry - wet as a girl when she sees my blackinches.

Exactly, whatever happened to kiln dried wood..

Wood is kiln dried unless it is treated then it will usually be wet from the chemcials they use. Most reg require wood to be a certain % of water or less. Now if the store leaves it outside when it rains they that is another story.

And be careful if you buy plywood. I know HD now buys a lot from china and the qualty is really bad.

 

[rbV5]

Framing lumber = softwood varieties.

You can identify your lumber by looking at the grade stamp on the board itself. Mill/cert, Grade, species and moister content are marked on the stamp.

Basically, lumber moisture content is graded S-GRN (green lumber) or S-Dry (dried lumber) It can be air-dried or kiln dried, and Kiln dried will generally be marked kiln dried.

 

[Evadman]

soft. And they are 1.5" * 3.5" in actual size.

 

[boomerang]

Softwood - General term used to describe lumber produced from needle and/or cone bearing trees (Conifers)

Hardwood - A general term referring to any variety of broad-leaved, deciduous trees, and the wood from those trees. The term has nothing to do with the actual hardness of the wood; some hardwoods are softer than certain softwood (evergreen) species.

 

[Bulk Beef]

It's softwood, but if you talk to it real nice and rub it just right...

 

[Howard]

Dimensional lumber is almost always softwood, but Home Depot does sell both types of wood.

 

[Evadman]

Originally posted by: Howard
Dimensional lumber is almost always softwood, but Home Depot does sell both types of wood.

Not in a 2*4 size.

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: Evadman
soft. And they are 1.5" * 3.5" in actual size.

Yep, my grandmothers house had lumber in it built by my dad and grandfather from a family sawmill. rough on all edges, and really a 2 x 4

 

[brandonbull]

Originally posted by: skyking
soft- your circular saw would be hating life with hardwood!

LOL.

Would need a stack of saw blades to do that.

 

[Evadman]

Originally posted by: skyking
soft- your circular saw would be hating life with hardwood!

No, you just need a better saw like this.

 

[IronWing]

Mostly warped wood.

 

[shabby]

Pine is good.

 

[soydios]

it's softwood. easy on the saw blades and bends instead of splitting, but take care to paint ALL the sides, or it will warp as it dries unevenly.

 

[Triumph]

you mean you can't cut hardwoods with a circular saw? what are you supposed to use?