Wet wood?

[drillbit]

I'm a very amateur woodworker, and I normally buy my wood from Travis Perkins.

This week, I thought I'd try my nearest independent timber merchants, thinking I might get better quality timber.

I wanted some 2x2 stud to build a rack in my workshop. When it arrived I got a couple of surprises. First, it was green, tanalised wood, and second, it was very wet. The first point, I put down to my own inexperience, because the bloke said it's all treated now. But wet? It wasn't just a bit damp from being loaded in the rain, but wet like it had been outdoors for a while. I've had it drying indoors for over 24 hours now, and it's still wet to the touch.

It's a pain, because I was hoping to run it through the thicknesser to remove the green treated part and have nice untreated timber to make my rack with. I don't really want to thickness it while it's wet.

Is it normal for wood yards to deliver wet wood like this? Being an inexperienced amateur, I'm always torn between thinking I've been ripped off, and thinking I'm being paranoid and just don't know what the norm is.

 

[adidat]

by the sounds of it you have bought fencing timber? like larch or something. when you say timber merchants do they sell different hard and softwoods veneered board etc. or like decking boards.

adidat

edit. i have a great place near me for outdoor timber it sits out all year round open to the elements so its soaked.

 

[drillbit]

Hi adidat

They sell everything - sheet goods, PSE, hard woods, all sorts. Advertised as 'timber and builders merchants'.

I asked for stud or carcassing - expecting the sort of wood used for partition walls - and I thought I was buying what they called 'Construction grade softwood'. But what I got was actually 2x4's sawn in half, which they had said they would do. I was just expecting it to be drier, and not treated...

To be honest, the PSE and ply which was on the same order is inferior and more expensive to what I would find at TP, so I'm thinking maybe Travis Perkins isn't so bad after all...

EDIT: Just saw your comment about wet outside wood. I thought I'd been clear about wanting to use it inside the workshop, but maybe they thought I meant an outside timber rack. Oh well, being an amateur learning on your own involves a lot of expensive lessons....

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Treated wood is often stored in the rain - it makes no difference to it, that's what it's meant for. You just bought the wrong stuff - you just needed planed all round (PAR) or sawn 2" x 2" (if for some obscure reason you felt inclined to waste your time planing it). A bit of a communication breakdown, I'd have thought, one reason why it pays to go to pick up your own - the other being that you can pick out clean, straight stuff.
Don't forget PAR is always undersized.

 

[adidat]

doesn't really sound right try wickes they have a pretty good selection of soft wood studding, i think i bought some stuff for 2.80 a length it was great worked really well and customer was pleased. spent about 10 mins picking out the 40 straighest ones with the least pith and made these.







adidat

 

[drillbit]

You just bought the wrong stuff - A bit of a communication breakdown, I'd have thought,

Yes I think you are right - on the invoice it says it is 'C16 TAN reg'd softwood'. I didn't want planed, so I thought 'stud' was a fairly accepted term for what I wanted, but it sounds like 'sawn untreated' would have been better...

So - now I know it's my mistake, can I 'salvage' it by running it through the thicknesser to get something more like sawn untreated?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

It'll look a mess, as the preservative will have penetrated to different depths. Let your stuff dry - it won't look so bad dried.

 

[Graham Orm]

Rough sawn and treated timber is often stored outside, planed smooth (PAR Planed all round) is stored inside usually. If the guy said "all timber is treated now", as you said he did, it sounds to me like he was fed up of dealing with you and wanted you done and out. What you wanted was PAR 3x2 or for staging in your workshop maybe 2x2

 

[drillbit]

"it sounds to me like he was fed up of dealing with you and wanted you done and out"

Yeah I think you are spot on there. I was on the phone to him at least 5 minutes, and I only spent 150 quid, so he probably considered me a waste of his time. I'd guess most of his customers are spending at least ten times that, and know exactly what to ask for.

I definitely didn't want PAR though. I wanted stud. Just been googling, and loads of timber sellers call it that and so I don't think it was wrong for me to ask for it. PAR is usually heavier and obviously more expensive than the wood sold for partition walls and the like.

The more I hear, the more I think he was in the wrong. I asked for stud, and said I didn't want it treated. Wickes, TP and B&Q all call it stud. It's what you use for stud work. I think he should have known what I meant. And telling me no one sells it untreated was wrong - I've just checked around and plenty do. I thought he meant maybe its all lightly treated with something, rather than actually tanalised. Why would he saw tanalised wood in half? Never occurred to me that's what he meant..

I think he didn't have what I wanted so he sold me what he had. He should have just told me they don't have any instead of trying to tell me no one would have it. If he'd just said 'look mate, you're best off sticking to the sheds at your level' I'd have been fine really. Lesson learned. I'll stop assuming the guy at the yard knows more than I do about what I want and what sorts of wood you can buy. Or I'll stick to TP. My local branch seem much happier to tell you what they have in stock, and you can see it on the website - and it's cheaper. At least now I won't think I am missing something by not using a 'proper' timber merchant.

As it is, I've got 60 quid's worth of 2x4 tanalised wood sawn in half down the middle. Anyone want to make me an offer?

Adidat - how did you make metal gates out of wood?

 

[Graham Orm]

Just use it as it is and stop faffing :roll: :wink:

When I come home at night and tell the wife I've been doing stud work all day for some inexplicable reason she has fits of laughter but won't let me in on the joke. (homer)

 

[adidat]

Magic! Haha

The frames are the wickes studding painted grey!

Adidat

 

[wizard]

it needs to be out in the wind to dry

 

[drillbit]

Just use it as it is and stop faffing

Haha. You are right. I'm being very girly. The sad truth is, I've just cleaned out the workshop, put down new hardboard down everywhere for a nice clean sweepable surface, and I wanted my new timber rack to look all new and pretty instead of cruddy old treated wood! Maybe I should just paint it pink and tie some ribbons on?

I probably spend more time buying tools and making nice places for them to go than I do actually making stuff.

 

[drillbit]

Magic! Haha

The frames are the wickes studding painted grey!

Adidat

I genuinely thought you'd put the wrong pics up when I first looked at them. What is it for? It almost looks like a set for film or something...

 

[morfa]

Just to check, you bought the stuff over the phone and had it delivered?

Normally, I go down the yard and pick up what I want. Even if I'm getting it delivered, I still go down the yard on a Saturday morning, pick out what I want and get it delivered the following Saturday. That way you can just go 'I want X, can I see that, to make sure it's what I want'.

My local yard are great. They'll spec stuff up for me, happily give me quotes for stuff. Give me advice on jobs. Sounds like the place you've picked is a bit rubbish, I'd try somewhere else. If you find a good local yard, then I'd say they're better, especially for hardwoods. i.e. they'll actually stock some. Also you'll be supporting a local business (which I like to do where possible).

As others have said, you want untreated, planed all round, square edge. Honestly buying wood is a real faff to the uninitiated. Loads of odd terms and it's all geared up to selling (often in serious bulk) to professionals really. Also, don't forget that when you buy, say 2x4, it's not actually 2x4, it was 2x4 before it went in the planer, now it's a bit less.

If you've not used the wood, then you can take it back. Most yards will take stuff that's not been used back.

 

[Graham Orm]

Just to check, you bought the stuff over the phone and had it delivered?

Normally, I go down the yard and pick up what I want. Even if I'm getting it delivered, I still go down the yard on a Saturday morning, pick out what I want and get it delivered the following Saturday. That way you can just go 'I want X, can I see that, to make sure it's what I want'.

My local yard are great. They'll spec stuff up for me, happily give me quotes for stuff. Give me advice on jobs. Sounds like the place you've picked is a bit rubbish, I'd try somewhere else. If you find a good local yard, then I'd say they're better, especially for hardwoods. i.e. they'll actually stock some. Also you'll be supporting a local business (which I like to do where possible).

As others have said, you want untreated, planed all round, square edge. Honestly buying wood is a real faff to the uninitiated. Loads of odd terms and it's all geared up to selling (often in serious bulk) to professionals really. Also, don't forget that when you buy, say 2x4, it's not actually 2x4, it was 2x4 before it went in the planer, now it's a bit less.

If you've not used the wood, then you can take it back. Most yards will take stuff that's not been used back.

Just to be pedantic....it's 4x2 in the UK and 2x4 in the USA. Trivial, but as soon as you say 2x4 they'll know you're a novice. Always the larger dimension first.

 

[blackrodd]

I would have thought that CLS stud would have been ideal for you're job. 4x2 1 middle flat cut and bob's yer uncle!
It's available ex "3 x"2 or "4 x 2"and "regularised" by putting through a planer, it usually finishes at 95 mm x 45 mm, rounded edges, so less likely for splinters and all the same size, or 72 mm x 40 mm finish sizes, again all the same size simples
various joist sizes are available too! regards Rodders