Use and Care Guide

How to buy the best home-center lumber

Appearance boards

Common pine and whitewood

For rustic furniture or utility projects, the classic “knotty pine” look remains popular. It’s also an economical choice

because these are usually the lowest-priced appearance boards. Depending on where you shop, these boards may be

pine or just “whitewood.” That means they could be pine, spruce, ﬁr, or one of several similar species.

Common Sizes 1x2, 1x3, 1x4, 1x6, 1x8, 1x10, 1x12

Softwood/Hardwood

Softwood

Color Off-white to light tan

Appearance Smooth surfaces, square edges, has knots and imperfections, may have gouges

Common DIY Uses Farmhouse- and rustic-style furniture, storage & utility projects

Workability Easy to cut, drill, and glue; holds coarse-thread screws or nails

Cost $$$$$

In a separate aisle from construction lumber, you’ll ﬁnd better-quality boards referred to as “appearance boards.” As

the name implies, these boards are made to have a much better appearance. You’ll usually ﬁnd them standing vertically

(rather than stacked like construction lumber) to help prevent damage.

Appearance boards aren’t meant for building structures. They’re great for things like interior trim and cabinets, as well

as DIY and woodworking projects. Because of this, appearance boards have smooth surfaces and crisp edges. Home

centers offer appearance boards in several typical softwood and hardwood species.

Softwoods used to be most commonly used for utility projects and DIY storage. But as farmhouse and rustic styles have

become popular, softwoods are also used for building furniture and other woodworking projects. Though there are many

kinds of softwoods, pine or “whitewood” are the most common in hardware stores.

If you want to create higher-end furniture or built-ins, you may want to build using hardwood. Though not all hardwoods

are “hard,” they are generally denser and more durable than softwoods. Oak, poplar, and maple are common among

home-center hardwoods. Some stores offer others such as aspen, cherry, or walnut.

What kinds of boards can I buy?