I recently went to my local Hardwood Store to purchase a couple pices of oak. I had called first to see if they had what I wanted which was red oak. They did and gave me a price of $2.80 BF. I generaly buy all my lumber from a mill so I’m not used to the priceing of milled lumber but all I needed was a couple of pieces and didn’t feel like making a trip to the mill for so little. The guy at the store said that the wood was s2s and straight lined. I needed 2 pieces 5/4 by 6″ by 8′. I calculate that to be 8 BF but when he added it up he charged me for 10 BF. I ask him why he said that he had to charge extra for his loss due to shrinkage and straightlining. When I asked why didn’t he just charge more for the BF he said that this is common practice. The wood was good and I didn’t feel like going some other place because by the time I paid for gas at the price it is now I wouldn’t come out. Has anyone had experience with this, is this common practice or did I get ripped off?
ZABO
Replies
Unless I missed something, you got 10 BF. Two boards 4/4 X 6" X8' is = to 8 BF. the extra 1/4" in thickness is the other 2' which makes 10.
zabo,
You did very well. Most hardwood suppliers I go to charge an extra $.25-.50 per board foot for S2S and it's based on the 5/4 not the planed finish which is 4/4. However, I paid double for S4S for some maple($12bf)...ain't going back their.
Zabo ,
When you say you think the board footage was 8' , that would be correct for 4/4 lumber , but you bought 5/4 , so there are 1 1/4 bf in every square foot .
6" X 96 " = 576 square inches X 2 boards = 1152 square inches
1152 divided by 144 = 8' but you got 5/4 so now you would multiply the 8'
X 1.25 for a grand total of 10' . You not only were charged for the correct footage , also no extra charge was incurred for as you said shrinkage and now FYI you said the lumber was S2S , then you said the guy at the store said the lumber was straightlined also , the school I went to calls that S3S and yup we do usually pay @ 7% more for the amount that was cut off to make a straight edge .The way I see it , typically you would have been charged for 10.7 bf not just 10'.
IMO if you complained you should apologize if you have any intention of doing business with this place again .
" Don't look a gift horse in the mouth"
regards dusty
think of it like a 2x4. You are paying for 2"x4" lumber but it has been dimension and you actually get 1.5" x 3.5" of wood (or less these days!). You didn't get ripped off at all. This is standard practice, you pay based on the original dimensions from the mill, not the final dimension if you've had it surfaced.
Hardwood lumber is calculated on rough dimensions, whether it has been surfaced or not. A 3/4" thick board that has been planed, started out as 1" thick, or what we call 4/4. Typically, you lose 1/4" to the planing. 5/4 stock is 1/4" thicker than 4/4 stock, board feet are figured by the 4/4 thickness. If your surfaced lumber actually measures 1 1/4" then you should have paid for 6/4 stock. If the boards are 1" thick, you would pay for 5/4 stock. In other words, a surfaced board that is 1" thick by 6" wide and 8' long will contain 5 board feet, even though 1/4" of it went into the dust collector. If your boards actually measure 5/4 or 1 1/4" thick after planing, you ripped them off by two board feet. If they are 1" thick you paid the going rate. You probably made out fairly well, since many lumber yards charge extra for thicker stock.
When you specify a size in lumber, you use the rough dimensions. A 1x6 actually measures 3/4" x 5 1/2" after planing, you pay for 1"x6". A surfaced 2x8 actually measures 1 1/2" x 7 1/4". talk about a rip off. Shrinkage has nothing to do with it. If you specified that the board actually measured 6" in width after straightening, not 5 1/2", you would have to pay for a wider board and they usually only sell even widths, 8" not 7". It doesn't sound like you got taken.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
"When I asked why didn't he just charge more for the BF he said that this is common practice."
Zabo,
Your logic is used for boards that are less than one inch in thickness: it is standard practice to calculate board-footage based upon one inch of thickness for lumber that is one inch thick or less, and to adjust the cost-per-board-foot accordingly.
If you were to buy thin stock (1/8", 1/4", 3/8", 1/2"...), you would perform board footage calculations using one inch as the nominal thickness (the thinner the boards, the greater the waste).
-Jazzdogg-
"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Gil Bailie
Edited 10/11/2005 11:45 am ET by jazzdogg
Thanks for the info guys. This must be common practice. But I guess I didn't explain myself good enough. I wasn't complaining that I didn't get enough lumber (actually it was 13/16 X 5 1/2) but that I was quoted a price for 5/4 lumber I know the actual size after surfacing and straightening will be somewhat less then the original so figuring with those dimensions I received somewhat less than 8BF but that's ok if that's the way they figure it. However I don't think I should apologies to a merchant for asking him what I am being charged for. The guy was happy to explain and I will deal with him again.
Thanks again ZABO
ZABO ,
Perhaps there is some clarification needed here . 13/16 finished lumber is typically 4/4 , you said 5/4 , now it sounds like you were quoted on 5/4 but you actually got 4/4 , there certainly would be a difference in the two , and yes maybe you did pay more than what was appropriate .
I'm cornfused , so which is it ?
dusty
You got it. I was quoted for 5/4 and received 13/16 which I caculated as 4/4 to get the 8BF. Sorry for the confusion. I think I paid $3.50 per ft and was quoted $2.80. Seem like he tacked on the extra for the shrinkage and straightlining. But if it is common to do this I'll know better next time.
FORE-WARNED
ZABO
ZABO ,
O.K. you got 2 boards 5 1/2" X 96" of 4/4 , you got just under 8 bf even including the 7 % waste factor , which is typical here on the West coast . IMO you did not get 10 bf . It's hard to say if you were overcharged per foot , but going by the footage you was given intercourse with no loving , IMO . Now that I understand that if it was me I would just out of principal ask the seller to explain how he comes up with his figures , we all make mistakes . I would not be accusing them of anything but more just asking for clarification .
best of luck to you
dusty
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