What are the 3 grades of softwood lumber?

For the most part Softwood lumber grades are divided into three basic categories; appearance products like siding and flooring, factory and shop grades intended for remanufacturing purposes like windows and doors, and structural grades like dimension lumber, visually and/or mechanically graded for primarily for …

What is the strongest grade of wood?

Hardwood Lumber Classification and Grading

FAS (First and Second). This is the highest quality grade. An FAS board must be at least 6 inches wide, 8 to 16 feet long, and is 83.3% clear on its poorest looking side.
Select — No. 1 Common.
Select — No. 2 Common.
Select — No. 3 Common.

Which is the highest grade of lumber to use?

This is the highest grade of lumber, used for its strength and durability. You’ll find the least number of defects in this grade of lumber. Knots are permitted in certain sizes, as long as they are sound, firm, tight, and well spaced. With this grade of lumber, few defects are allowed.

Which is the best grade for softwood wood?

The best grade is called Factory Select or Select Shop; the remaining grades are usually numbered in order of decreasing quality, No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3.

What’s the purpose of stress graded softwood lumber?

Stress-graded softwood lumber. The goal of stress-grading is that all the lumber in a single grade will have similar mechanical properties; it is principally used for dimension lumber such as two-by-fours. Unlike the appearance and nonstess grades, a single set of standards for stress-graded lumber applies across the United States,…

What kind of lumber is best for vertical framing?

Lumber of this grade has strength and stiffness values that make it suitable for use as a vertical member of a wall. In other words, a stud. There are varying levels of quality within this grade regarding appearance. Standard grade lumber is used for light framing projects.

The best grade is called Factory Select or Select Shop; the remaining grades are usually numbered in order of decreasing quality, No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3.

What are the grades of softwood plywood veneer?

In the case of softwood plywood, each veneer contains two grades, one for the “face” veneer and the other for the “back” veneer. There are four grades of plywood veneer: A, B, C, and D. A-grade plywood is the highest quality. While it will cost more, the time savings can be worth it for projects that will be visible to the eye.