How To Purchase Lumber

When you are deciding to build a home or even complete a remodel project of some sort you may need to purchase lumber Westchester, NY to complete your job.  Most of what goes into a house is wood.  Wood is used for the entire frame of the home, the walls, roof, floors and doors.  It is also used in a home for the cabinets and shelves, sheathings and maybe even the flooring.  It pays to give yourself a basic course in lumber education before purchasing lumber for your project.  This will help ensure you purchase the best type for your current situation.  There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing your lumber.
 
The basic words and terms used in the lumber Westchester, NY industry can seem very unfamiliar to the average person.  Knowing this basic terminology can go a long way in helping you with your choices.  This can save you a lot of money.  There are two classes of wood: softwood or hardwood.  Hardwoods come from a deciduous tree and softwood comes from a conifer tree.  This does not necessarily always mean that hardwoods are harder and stronger than softwoods.  There are also different parts of wood that are cut from a log.  The heartwood is the older wood more toward the center of the log.  The Sapwood is closer to the bark.  The Sapwood is more porous while the heartwood is a tighter grain and holds up to decay better. 

The species of the wood refers to the type of tree the wood comes from.  Some examples of the different species of wood you may have heard of are oak, spruce, fir, pine and others.  Each type of wood has different qualities making it more suitable for different applications.  For example, if your application calls for a wood that may come in contact with the dirt or earth you may desire a wood that holds up better against decay.  Redwood and cedar heartwood or even cypress may be a good fit here.  These woods would therefore be a good choice for outdoor applications such as building a deck or garden boxes or fencing or other uses. 

When wood has just been cut it is called unseasoned or green.  This does not mean it has a green color to it.  It just means that the moisture content in the wood will be high.  After it dries, it will not have this much moisture in it. 

There are many different terms when dealing with wood.  Understanding what each means will help you when you are in the market for lumber Westchester, NY.