Here’s How to Choose the Right Lumber
Lumber is the backbone of most major home improvement projects. From adding an addition to your house to installing a backyard deck — or simply trying your hand at a small woodworking project — it all starts with lumber. Here’s how to find the right cut for any job, big or small.
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Types of Lumber
Lumber refers to building materials milled from wood. It includes hardwood and softwood in a wide array of dimensions and fabrications. Here are the most common lumber categories you will choose between for your projects.









Lumber Materials
Lumber is produced from a variety of trees, including softwood and hardwood species. There’s also a manufactured wood product known as engineered wood. Here’s how they compare.
Softwood Lumber
Most lumber used in residential construction and furniture making is softwood milled from spruce, pine, cedar and fir. Softwood is affordable, easy to work with and readily available. Specific softwoods are known for qualities like uniform texture (spruce), durability (pine), insect resistance (cedar) and strength (fir).
Hardwood Lumber
Hardwoods are strong, hard-wearing and dense. They are much admired for their rich hues, scratch resistance and distinctive grain (which is more defined than in softwoods). Hardwood is meant to be seen and is commonly used in flooring and furniture, where you’ll find wood such as red or white oak, maple, birch and cherry.
Engineered Wood
Engineered wood is available as joists, beams and columns, and studs. This manufactured product offers greater strength, more unimpeded spans and better uniformity than traditional lumber.
Tools for Working with Lumber
Whether you’re a seasoned or aspiring DIYer, certain manual and power tools are heavy hitters when it comes to working with lumber and wood. Here are six pieces of essential equipment.
Power Saws
Make shorter work of big projects with a table saw, circular saw, mitre saw, jigsaw or other power saw.
Hammers
Move through your carpentry or craft projects with ease using a handy, all-purpose or specialized hammer.
Power Drill/Driver
Power through major projects, like deck and fence installation, furniture assembly and more, with a cordless drill and driver set.
Nailers & Staplers
Take the grunt work out of big projects, such as framing or hardwood flooring installation, with a powerful air nailer or stapler.
Power Sanders
Put a fresh surface on DIY projects with a wood-perfecting belt sander, palm sander, orbital sander or mouse sander.