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Okay, if you have got a project coming up soon inside that maybe you are going to remodel your basement. Whatever it might be you are probably going to have to buy some 2 x 4. Okay, you just go down to the lumber yard and buy any particular one. There are certain things I want you to look at because when you buy 2 x 4s you have to buy the certain ones so that they work for different parts of the job.
First you need to realize that 2 x 4s do not measure two inches by four inches, they measure an inch and a half thick by four and a half inches wide. The next thing I want you to look at is we are going to check for crown and we are going to check for bow.
Now, what a crown is, a crown is when you look down the edge of the 2 x 4 and if it has a hump in it, it has a crown. A bow is when you look down the side of 2 x 4 to see if it also has a bend in it. Now, it is okay to buy crown studs and bowed studs but we also want a mix of ones that are straight.
You are going to need straight 2 x 4s when you start to frame in doorways and when you work with corners. You would like those to be perfectly straight if at all possible. Now, if you want to make sure that the 2 x 4s are not going to twist, try to look at the end grain. What you are looking for is to see if you can find what we call vertical grain where the 2 x 4 was cut out of the center of the tree.
Those 2 x 4s generally are the most stable. Now, some 2 x 4s also having defects on the edge, it is called the wane where parts of the edge of the wood is missing. Those studs will work fine for what we call the packing studs along side of door frame where it is not perfect and it is not critical to have a solid corner.
So, do not worry, you can buy some 2 x 4s that do not look the best and they are going to work on your job. Okay, an assortment of 2 x 4s just like this will work on most jobs. So, go ahead and pick and choose wisely, get some straight ones, get some crooked ones, you will use them all up I am sure.
If you want to discover more home improvement tips, go to AskTheBuilder.com.
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