Glossary

4/4, 5/4, 6/4, etc

Industry terms for lumber thickness, measured in quarters of an inch. For example, 4/4 means one inch thick, 8/4 means two inches thick.

Air Dried

Wood that has been naturally dried over time using outdoor airflow instead of a kiln.

Barn Wood Siding

The boards used to protect barns from weather. Usually one inch thick or less, with varied lengths and widths. Colors range from natural tones of browns and greys to faded reds and whites. Occasionally, we come across other colors such as yellow or greens, but that is rare. What makes siding uniquely different from other reclaimed lumber is the texture created by centuries or sun and weather exposure.

Bevel

An angled edge where two surfaces meet, not at a right angle.

Board Foot (Bd/Ft)

A measurement for wood equal to the length x width x thickness. The board footage is equivalent to the cubic volume of the wood. Formula for board footage is [Width (in inches) times depth/thickness (in inches) times length (in feet)] divided by 12.

Bottom planing

Using a planer to insure a perfectly flat bottom to a board, this is also how we take reclaimed lumber that is varying thicknesses to create boards that are all the exact same thickness.

Bowing

When a board curves along its length, creating an arc shape.

Cabinet Lumber

Reclaimed lumber cut and kiln-dried for fine woodworking projects like cabinets, doors, and trim, usually less than two inches thick.

Checking

Small cracks that appear in wood, usually along the grain, as it dries. These cracks are typically hairline and do not compromise the wood’s structural integrity.

Cross Cut

A cut made across the grain of the wood.

Cupping

When a board’s face curves into a shallow trough.

Custom Molding

Decorative wood trim used to finish edges along walls, ceilings, floors, or exteriors.

Density of Wood

The weight of wood per given volume.

Dimensional Lumber

Lumber produced in fixed, predictable sizes (2×4, 2×6, etc). While new lumber is typically less than its name ( a 2 by 4 from Lowe’s might be 1.5 by 3.5”), reclaimed lumber is much truer to the strong measurements.

Dovetail

A woodworking joint that is made by cutting a series of wedge-shaped pins on one board that interlock with matching tails on another board. The angled “tails” resemble the shape of a dove’s tail, which is where the name comes from.

End Cut

Trimming the end of a board to remove damage and create a square edge.

Flat Sawn

Flat sawn (also called plain sawn) is one of the most common and efficient ways to cut a log into lumber. This produces wide boards quickly with minimal waste.

Grain of Wood

The direction and pattern of wood fibers.

Growth Ring

A ring visible on a cross-section of wood, marking one season of growth.

Hand Hewn (Hand Adzed)

Beams cut by hand with an axe or adze, leaving distinctive tool marks and a historic appearance.

Hardwood

Hardwood is a type of wood that comes from deciduous trees, meaning trees that have broad leaves and usually shed them each fall (like oak, poplar, walnut, cherry, and maple). It is important to note that hardwood is classified by the type of tree, not by how hard the wood actually is. Some hardwoods, like balsa, are very soft, while some softwoods, like longleaf pine, can be quite hard.

Heartwood

The older, central wood of a tree, usually darker and more durable than outer sapwood.

Kerf

The width of material removed by a saw blade during cutting.

Kiln Dried

Wood dried in a temperature-controlled kiln to a specific moisture level, reducing movement after installation, making it more stable and less prone to shrinking, warping, or cracking after installation. Kiln drying will also insure that any bugs in the wood are killed, but will not insure that bugs will never come back into the wood (vs. chemical treatments and fumigation which will protect the wood from future infestations)

Linear Foot (L/Ft) (Interchangeable with Lineal Foot)

A measurement that only accounts for the length of the wood, not the width or thickness. Linear foot is often calling “running foot”. Linear footage is often used for trim.

Live Edge

A board with one or both edges left in their natural, organic shape.

Miter

A joint made by cutting two pieces at an angle, often 45 degrees, so they fit together neatly.

Moisture Content of Wood

The percentage of water in wood compared to its dry weight.

Mortise

A rectangular cavity cut to receive a tenon in joinery. Most antique beams do have mortise pockets in them.

Original S4S

“Surfaced on 4 sides.” S4S refers to any boards that have been planed smooth on all four sides (the two faces and the two edges).

Patina

The natural color that develops on wood over time through age and exposure. In reclaimed wood particularly, the patina is often a deepened color with variations that highlight the wood’s grain and history.

Plain Sawn

Same as flat sawn; boards cut so the growth rings are parallel to the surface.

Planed

Wood that has been smoothed and leveled with a planer.

Profile

The specific edge shape milled into a board, such as tongue and groove, shiplap, or straight edge.

Quartersawn

Boards cut so the growth rings are mostly perpendicular to the surface, producing a straighter grain pattern.

Resawn

Lumber that has been cut down from a larger piece into thinner boards using a bandsaw or resawing machine. In reclaimed wood, resawing allows you to turn old beams or thick planks into usable boards while retaining historic patina on one face if desired.

Rough Sawn

Original, untouched surface from when the board was first milled decades (or centuries) ago. It is prized for authenticity and history. In new lumber it is lumber that comes directly off the sawmill blade, with no planing or surfacing. It has a coarse, textured surface with visible saw marks.

Reclaimed Lumber

Wood salvaged from old barns, industrial buildings, rural structures, or other historic construction, typically made from old-growth trees.

Resurfaced

Wood that has had its outer layer removed to reveal fresh material underneath.

Rough Sawn Beam

A beam with its original rough saw marks, aged naturally over time.

Seasoning

The process of drying wood to reduce moisture content.

Shiplap

Boards with rabbeted edges that overlap to form a weather-tight joint, common in siding.

Skip Planed

Wood that is partially planed, but does not go deep enough to take off the entire original surface. Rather, it will take off the highest spots of a board, showing some of the original surface as well as some areas that are planed to below the original surface.

Softwood

Wood from coniferous trees like pine, fir, or spruce. Common softwoods include white pine, yellow pine, heartpine, hemlock, fir and spruce.

Squared Edge

A straight, square edge with no interlocking profile.

Square Foot (Sq/Ft)

A measurement that accounts for the length and width, but not the thickness. Also commonly referred to as “surface area”. The formula for calculating square footage is [length (in inches) x width (in inches)] divided by 144 OR [length (in feet) x width (in inches)] divided by 12.

Stain

A product applied to wood to change or enhance its color.

Straight Grain

Wood fibers running in a consistent, parallel direction.

Taper

When a board or beam gradually changes in width along its length.

Tenon

A projecting piece of wood designed to fit into a mortise.

Texture of Wood

The visual and physical feel of wood, described as coarse, medium, or fine.

Tight Knot

A knot that is firmly fixed in the wood and will not loosen or fall out.

Tongue and Groove

A milling profile where one board’s tongue fits into the groove of another for a tight joint.

Trim

Wood used to frame or finish edges around windows, doors, floors, or walls.

Twisting

Warping where one corner of a board is raised out of alignment with the opposite corner.

Warping

Any change in the flatness of wood, including twisting, cupping, or bowing.

Wire Brush

A tool with stiff bristles used to clean wood or metal surfaces, remove rust, or scrape away debris.

Waning

Having a progressively smaller part of a surface so that it decreases in size.