In this article I will list the grades that are sold, the dimensions that are available and the ways retailers price and sell lumber.

I will not go in depth detail explaining the rules of grading hardwood or softwood lumber as they are very complicated and lengthy. Also some species of hardwood lumber such as Aromatic Red Cedar, Butternut, Cypress, Mesquite, Red Alder, Red Gum and Walnut have slightly different grading rules.

To grade a piece of lumber correctly, It takes a lot of study and lots of experience to become adept in using the grading rules.

There are several 3 and 4 day lumber grading short courses offered each year throughout the United States.

The {NHLA} National Hardwood Lumber Association has 3 1/2 month long lumber grading inspector schools which not only have classroom but also hands on training .

The Venango Technology Center in Oil City, Pennsylvania offers the course each year in the summer.

The {NHLA} headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee offers the course twice a year.

The West Virginia Wood Technology Center and the Pierpont Community and Technical College in Fairmont, West Virginia offers the course 3 times per year.

The NHLA has a certification program. It is a voluntary quality assurance program. If a company is a member of the program, a national inspector will go there and do random grade samplings. If the company's random sample is within 4% of the value determined by the national inspector, the company is given a certification. To keep the certification up to date, a national inspector will come back at least twice a year. This insures that the company is still adhering to the NHLA's grading rules.

In 1897 the {NHLA} National Hardwood Lumber Association was established to regulate hardwood lumber grading. It has more than 1600 member companies that produce, sell and use hardwood lumber, or provide services to the hardwood industry. Hardwood lumber grading does not require having a license to grade or even to be certified. Hardwood lumber does not have a system of stamps and symbols indicating to the consumer what grade of lumber it is. The grade is usually determined by how much clear surface {knot free, clear cuttings} of area is on the worst face side. It is called the yield and is always expressed by a certain percentage. There are a couple of exceptions, they are FASF1F and Select grades which are determined by grading both faces of the board. The thickness {edges} are never used in determining the grade, only the two face sides of the lumber.

There have been only minute changes in the rules of the NHLA since the 1930's, even though every four years, they review the grading rules and accept particular rule change proposals for consideration.

The clear cuttings of a board may not have the following peculiarities that are considered a defect, bark pockets, bird pecks, checks, decay {rot}, neither sound or unsound knots, splits, sticker stains, wanes, worm holes, piths or grub holes.

Sapwood is not considered a defect by NHLA grading rules.

I only buy FAS grade lumber. The yield is almost always 95% - 100%.

This is the best grade. You can buy this grade with different surface, rough and planed combinations. For instance, both the faces and both edges will be planed {2S2E or 4S}, both faces planed and the two edges not planed {rough} {2S}, both faces planed with one edge planed, and the other edge not planed {rough} {2S1E}, both edges planed with one face planed and the other face not planed {rough} {1S2E} and last but not least both faces and both edges not planed {rough} {Roughsawn}. Some retailers take the FAS stock, plane it if needed, then sand all four surfaces, then mark and sell it as A, AA, AAA, AAAA and AAAAA lumber. The 5A being the finest, {almost flawless} that you can buy.

The(ALSC} American Lumber Standard Committee created the American Softwood Lumber Standard in 1924. The ALSC membership is appointed by the Secretary of Commerce.

The {NGRC} National Grading Rule Committee was established in 1941 and is a part of the American Lumber Standard organization. The NGRC actually writes the national grading rules.

The standard {rules} were first printed in 1924. The first standard {rules} with any kind of backbone was initiated in 1970 and was known as the PS {Product Standard} 20-70. Every 5 years the product standard is reviewed and usually a few of the rules are modified or changed.

The {ASLS} American Softwood Lumber Standard PS 20-05, which went into effect September 1, 2005 is what most softwood lumber in the United States is graded by. A lot of softwood lumber that comes from Canada into the US is also graded by this standard.

Because of how strong each piece of wood has to be and the safety factors involved in construction you have to be certified and licensed to grade softwood lumber. There are numerous softwood lumber grading seminars, courses and workshops.

Softwood lumber has two groups, construction and remanufacture. Construction grade lumber can be further split up into three categories, stress graded, no stress graded and appearance. Appearance and no stress grade lumber is commonly called yard lumber and is what is usually sold at retail lumber yards and home centers. With stress and no stress the most important factor is how strong the piece of lumber is. With appearance it is how aesthetically pleasing the piece looks.

Almost all softwood lumber you will find in retail lumber yards and home centers will be S4S {surfaced on all four sides}. There are other planed surface combinations. They are, S1S {surfaced one side}, S2S {surfaced two sides}, S1E {surfaced one edge}, S2E {surfaced two edges}, S1S1E {sufaced one side and one edge}, S1S2E {surfaced one side and both edges} and S2S1E {surfaced both sides and one edge}.

The grades, Appearance Lumber Finish & Appearance Lumber Selects below can be quite confusing. The names of grades are actually an option given the lumber grading agencies such as {PLIB} Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau, {SPIB} Southern Pine Inspection Bureau and {WCLIB} West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau and thus are not standardized throughout the United States.

In my own experience, I have bought Sugar Pine Appearance Lumber Selects graded B&BTR {B and Better} and it was better than the so called Sugar Pine Appearance Lumber Finish graded B&BTR {B and Better} that another lumberyard had across town. I have also bought 12" wide D Select Sugar Pine, that was perfect on both sides and should of been graded at the least, B&BTR {B and Better}

The best grade of appearance lumber is Finish. It is split up into grades designated by letters, combination of letters and names, such as Superior, Prime, B&BTR {B and Better}, C, and D.

Selects is the next best grade of appearence lumber and is designated mostly by letters and names A, B, C, D, A Select, B Select C Select D Select. A and A Select being the best grade, and D and D Select the worst. A lot of times A and B, A Select and B Select are united, and then sold under the grade of B&BTR {B and Better}.

Does not have any knots, splits, or other visible defects. Supposedly perfect. Used for fine furniture, exposed cabinetry, trim, flooring.

Has a few, small defects but nearly perfect. Used for fine furniture, exposed cabinetry, trim, flooring.

Has small tight pin size knots. May be nearly perfect on one side. Used for mostly furniture, shelving, some trim and flooring.

Has more numerous pin sized knots and more small blemishes. May be used for some furniture, shelving, trim and flooring.

There are some variations pertaining to particular species such as Cedar and Redwood, their grade names are Clear All Heart, Clear and Select. Some appearance lumber will have FG for flat grain, VG for vertical grain and MX for mixed grain.

With this grade, the numbers and letters are standardized throughout the US. The grades for 2" x 4" or wider lumber are in descending order Select Structural, No.1, No. 2, No.3, No. 2&BTR {2 and Better} and No. 3&BTR {3 and Better}. The grades for posts, beams, timbers and such are Select Structural, No. 1 Structural {Douglas Fir}, No. 1 SR {southern pine}, No. 2 SR {southern pine}.

Medium sized tight knots. Paints fine. Used for paneling, siding, shelving and some furniture if you like the rustic look.

Larger more frequent tight knots, some loose knots. Paints good. Used for paneling, siding, shelving and some furniture if you like the rustic look.

Splits, cracks and knotholes present. Really does not paint very good. Used for crates, sheathing and subflooring

Many splits, cracks and knotholes. Large waste areas. Really does not take paint very well at all. Used for sheathing, subflooring, concrete form work.

Hardwood lumber is sold a little differently than softwood. Some species are not only available and sold kiln dried but also air dried. Yes, hardwood lumber is sold primarily by the board foot 12" x 12" x 1" {144 cubic inches}. Some lumber is sold by the pound such as Snakewood, Pink Ivory, Amboyna Burl, Afzelia Burl and numerous other burls. Certain retailer's sell hardwood lumber priced by the lineal foot, some retailer's even price it by the lineal inch and some on the internet sell it by units of 1/10th. of a board foot. If you want 2 board foot, you order 20 units, 1 1/2 board foot, you order 15 units, so on and so forth.

With softwood lumber when you pay for 4/4, you actually get 3/4" thick dressed out and with 8/4 you get 1 1/2" dressed out. This is not necessarily true with hardwood. I have received 4/4 thick lumber {2S} that ranged from exactly 3/4" thick all the way up to 1 1/16" thick and 8/4 thick lumber {2S} that ranged from 1 3/4" thick up to 2 1/16" thick. For example you can buy one board foot of Rosewood from one retailer for $20 and it will be 3/4" thick, then you go to another retailer and find the same species of Rosewood runs $25.00 per board foot but find out the thickness is a full 1".

Some retailers sell the more used hardwoods such as Oak, Walnut, Cherry, Mahogany, Cocobolo Rosewood and Purpleheart, 1/8", 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" thick, in lengths up to 6 foot and surfaced {planed} all 4 sides {S4}.

Because of the many different species of hardwood that are available, time and space does not allow me to actually go into the different dimensions that one may purchase. They vary so widely and are always changing with each particular species.

You can purchase burls weighing from a few pounds to over 1200 pounds in some species and slabs from 18" through 30" wide x 48" through 72" long x 1 1/2" through 4" thick to make tables out of. When ordering hardwood lumber be sure to specify widths and lengths, otherwise it will come in random widths and lengths. The extra charge for specifying widths and lengths varies greatly from one retailer to another. It can run from 5% all the way up to 25% per board foot.

Softwood lumber in the majority of lumber yards and home centers is usually sold by the piece. The price per piece is figured by using a board foot price. I have also seen softwood lumber sold by the lineal foot. Softwood lumber is always kiln dried. 1" softwood lumber comes in widths of 2", 4", 6", 8", 10", 12" with lengths up to 16' { 2' increments}. 2" and thicker comes in widths of 2", 4", 6", 8" 10" and 12" with lengths sometimes of up to 24' depending on the species. Softwood 4/4 is 3/4" thick and 8/4 is 1 1/2" thick. 1" x 4" is actually 3/4" x 3 1/2", 1" x 6" is 3/4" x 5 1/2", 1" x 8" is 3/4" x 7 1/4", 2" x 4" is 1 1/2" x 3 1/2", 2" x 8" is 1 1/2" x 7 1/4".