What is Rough-sawn Lumber?
Before we cut into the benefits of dressed lumber, let's discuss the other available option. Rough-sawn lumber is simply the boards cut from a log and kiln-/air-dried. As the board has yet to go through a planer or jointer, the edges and faces are rough and uneven. Rough-sawn lumber is typically for woodworkers who have a planer, jointer, and plenty of time to perform the milling process. Since mills don’t spend time on processing the boards, rough-sawn lumber is typically cheaper than surfaced lumber. However, keep in mind that rough-sawn lumber is thicker than dressed lumber (boards that have been planed/jointed). This means there are less board feet per shipment, raising the cost of shipping. Additionally, the milling process takes a substantial amount of time. Some manufacturers and woodworkers realize and regret the amount of time they spent on a project and prefer finished lumber. There are several benefits to dressed lumber, even if they are only S2S lumber or S3S lumber. (add link to previous post)
Benefit #1: Saves a Significant Amount of Time:
Rough-sawn lumber often needs time to dry before its planed, jointed, and added to a project. Which means this type of lumber is only workable after lowering the moisture content. However with finished lumber, the wood can be immediately used in a project after acclimating to your environment. This allows work to quickly begin without additional preparation. Projects can also be finished sooner as there is less time invested in labor. Woodworkers who favor dressed lumber enjoy being able to finish a design in a straightforward manner. Furthermore, lumber mills can process large orders faster than a typical woodworking shop’s equipment, saving even more time.
Benefit #2: Reveals the Lumber’s Unique Characteristics
Woodworkers who choose their lumber by grain patterns and distinctive traits benefit from dressed lumber. While adding a bit of water to rough-sawn boards can help determine a board’s coloration, dressed lumber reveals the grain pattern. This allows you to see exactly what kind of characteristics each board has. The planed faces of the board visibly display the details with a flat, smooth, and splinter free surface.
Benefit #3: Safer to Work With
As surfaced lumber is already planed and smoothed, there’s less chances of splinters. Any projects that have potential for bare skin brush against wood can easily cause splinters, especially projects such as:
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Gazebos
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Balustrades
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Fence Tops
As every woodworker knows, regular contact when working with wood with bare hands has the likelihood of acquiring a splinter. Working with finished lumber reduces that possibility.
Benefit #4: More Cost-Effective
As mills have time involved in processing with dressed lumber, it might seem like rough-sawn lumber is the cheaper option. Despite this, factors like labor costs, time, and shipping cost are all much higher than finished lumber. Busy manufacturers on a deadline can reduce time and effort necessary when planing, jointing and cutting individual boards. Furthermore, they can load more dressed lumber per truckload than rough-sawn boards, saving freight expenses. Overall, even S2S and S3S lumber is a better affordable option.
Benefit #5: Versatile
Dressed lumber is great for diverse types of projects! Any type of project where the wood is visible on all four sides is perfect for S4S lumber. As mentioned above, manufacturers and woodworkers are able to jump right into the assignment at hand with minimal required tools. The planed surfaces create perfect, straight edges for flush joints that are stronger and aesthetically pleasing. Which is excellent for shelves, kitchen work surfaces, window ledges, outdoor structures like gazebos, exposed beams, and much more! Additionally, dressed boards are prepared for finishes such as wax, stain, paint, or varnish.
Where to Buy S4S Lumber?
Buying S4S lumber at a big box store or home improvement store is not recommended. This is because they don’t have the capabilities of properly storing finished hardwoods. Nevertheless, finding a lumber supplier whose products you can trust can be difficult as well. Lumber from a careless supplier can create more work if an edge wasn’t cut straight or if the boards are improperly stored. At Heritage Oak, we take great pride and care in our beautiful ozark hardwood products. We would be happy to help you evaluate the best lumber style for your needs. Contact us today to discuss how dressed lumber can help your business!
Additional Questions
Is S4S jointed?
The jointer machine is used to generate a flat, straight edge on a board. This allows boards to be joined flush, edge-to-edge to create wider boards or used as a guide to rip into smaller widths. As S4S stands for surfaced on all four sides, which includes edges, S4S lumber is indeed jointed. Additionally, S3S, also known as SLR1E, is also jointed but needs a tablesaw to rip into desired width.
What is S4S Lumber Used For?
S4S lumber is ideal for flat surfaces such as:
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Shelves
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Tabletops
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Kitchen Work Surfaces
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Window Ledges
Or for outdoor structural architecture like:
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Gazebos
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Garden Pavilions
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Patio Covers
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Exposed Beam Designs