max388•2mo 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?

3 comments

3 Comments

mitchell.shane2mo ago

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

wadeyoung2mo 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.

simon_black1mo ago

Actually the younger tree thing has been going on way longer than 2019... I remember reading a forestry report from 2015 that mentioned mills were already cutting smaller diameter logs because the big old growth was gone. What changed around 2019 was the demand spike from everyone building decks and sheds during lockdowns. Mills started rushing the drying process to keep up, which makes the warping worse. The knots are just from younger trees though, that's been a slow decline for a decade plus.