Wood that is used primarily for framing and building
homes. On the west coast of the United States, use Douglas Fir and on
the East Coast they often use Southern Pine.
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Construction standard lumber usually comes in four
different grades.
Utility or number 3 grade construction standard lumber is usually one of
the worst pieces of wood you can purchase and normally isn't allowed to
be used in the construction of a building.
Some building plans require specific lumber grades. Most of the time the
building blueprint requirements will specify a number two or better
grade of lumber.
Number 2 is usually what you're going to find at most lumber yards and
home improvement centers. This is the most common grade of wood
available today and usually works well for building stairs and framing
houses.
Number 1 usually has fewer knots or lumber imperfections than number 2
and if a architect or engineer specifies a number one grade of lumber on
the blueprints, plan on spending a few extra dollars.
Last but not least, there is a select grade of lumber. This is a premium
quality lumber, that usually has even less imperfections than a number 1
grade.
When I first started working in the construction industry, almost every
stair stringer I cut was a select grade of lumber. As years went on, I
started to see less and less, select grade lumber. It just got too
expensive for most home builders to use.
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