The 2x4s at my local lumber yard have been getting worse for 3 years straight

2 comments

2 Comments

Three years straight? My local Home Depot has had the same crooked pile since like 2019 and I swear I just pick through them for 20 minutes until I find a decent one. I seriously doubt it's gotten worse every single year unless you're measuring with a micrometer and checking every board. Half the time the lumber's been sitting outside in the rain anyway so it's gonna warp no matter what. Unless you're building something super precise like furniture you can probably just work around a little twist or bow.

lisa8391mo ago

Have you actually tried buying lumber from a real lumberyard lately instead of a big box store? Because I swear the quality drop at places like Home Depot is brutal now, they don't even try to cull the garbage boards anymore. The last few times I needed 2x4s for a deck repair, I had to dig through like 50 boards to find maybe 6 that weren't completely twisted or split on the ends even before they got wet. It's not about being super precise, it's about not wanting to build a wall that looks like a roller coaster from 20 feet away. I've been doing basic framing for years and I've definitely noticed the stock getting noticeably worse each year since 2021 at least.