About this Project

Unless you're installing major structural components, such as floor or ceiling joists, that will bear significant weight, you can't make a serious mistake when buying softwoods. In most cases, you simply want to buy the wood that looks best or is the least-expensive alternative.

Softwood usually is less expensive than hardwood (see Selecting Hardwoods, Related Projects) because it comes from trees that grow faster. In general, the disadvantage of softwood is evident in its name; it actually is soft. If you use softwood for furniture and other objects that will get handled and bumped against, plan on applying a hard finish or paint. Even then, it will not be as durable as hardwood.

Most retail suppliers stock only a few species of softwood. The chart below summarizes the chief characteristics of each. In most cases, you won't be choosing between species, but between grades of lumber. Which grade you choose depends on the nature of your project.

Softwood grading is tricky because several grading systems exist. Most often, however, you'll find two general classifications: select and common.

Use select lumber, which comes in several subgrades, for trim or cabinetry where finished appearance counts. For all other projects, common lumber will do nicely. Common lumber is graded as No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3.

With some suppliers, you can dispense with the grades and talk about more straightforward categories, such as "clear" (without knots) and "tight-knot" (having only small knots without cracks). Of course, the better the grade--that is, the fewer the defects--the more you pay for the product. Often, however, a better grade is only slightly more expensive. Once you gain some experience, if you sort through the lumber rack carefully, you often can find pieces that are out of their class-for instance, a piece of No. 2 common that actually could have been classified as select.