max388•12d ago

Noticed framing lumber quality dropped big time around 2019

I was putting up a storage shed in my backyard back in 2019 and every other 2x4 from the local lumber yard had big knots or was twisted bad. Fast forward to last month I built a small deck and it was the same story. I swear the wood I got from the same place in 2010 was way straighter and cleaner. Has anyone else seen a shift like that in your area or did I just hit a bad batch twice?

2 comments

2 Comments

mitchell.shane12d ago

Same here. Lumber quality has gone downhill everywhere since 2019.

wadeyoung12d ago

Did you catch that podcast where a contractor was breaking down how they're harvesting younger trees now compared to pre-2019, @mitchell.shane? That's apparently why the knots are way more frequent and the boards warp easier in the kiln. Makes total sense given how fast everything got rushed during the building boom.