Which Lumber Is the Right Lumber?

Choosing quality materials is an important part of the building process. To do it right, you need to weigh your options and understand the pros and cons of the different types of materials available. Today, we’re going to explore the world of lumber and options for your next project.

Softwoods vs. Hardwoods

Lumber falls into two categories: softwood and hardwood. A major advantage of choosing softwood is that it’s plentiful in the U.S. and tends to be less expensive than hardwood. A down side is that softwood absorbs and loses moisture more easily than hardwoods, so it may need extra care over its lifetime. Softwoods are usually used for construction (framing a building, building a deck, etc.) and do-it-yourself (DIY) projects. You can readily find softwood lumber at your local home improvement store.

On the flip side, a big advantage of choosing hardwood is its durability. However, hardwood trees take much longer to grow to maturity, so their lumber is more expensive than the faster-growing softwoods. Hardwoods are generally used for furniture construction, cabinetry, and flooring. Home improvement stores don’t typically stock hardwood in large quantities.

Unless you’re a woodworker, you’ll likely only be dealing with softwoods for your building needs and any at-home projects.

Softwood: Which One?

Southern Yellow Pine

There are many options when it comes to the softwood classification. Southern yellow pine has the highest density of all structural lumber species. It is also plentiful in the southern United States, so you can feel good knowing you’re supporting an American-made product. The price of southern yellow pine is also a major plus. Its incredible strength allows builders to accomplish more with less wood. Southern yellow pine looks good, holds nails well, and is strong and easy to treat. You really can’t go wrong with selecting southern yellow pine for building, framing, or a DIY project.

Eastern White Pine

Another softwood option is eastern white pine, often used for quality of construction and fine woodworking. Eastern pine is great for cladding, paneling, moldings, and furniture. It’s not as durable as southern yellow pine, but it’s easy to treat.

Western Pines

Western pines (Ponderosa pine, sugar pine and Idaho white pine) are best known for their light color and uniform grain. Ponderosa is ideal for anything that needs a light to moderately strong, splinter-free, stable wood—like jointed drawers or shutters. Sugar pine is often used for precision woodworking, such as in piano keys and cabinetwork. White pine is great for architectural moldings. While western pines look beautiful, they aren’t necessarily known for strength and durability.

Our Materials

Pro-Line uses quality materials that won’t break the bank. Whether for a shop building, farm storage building or a commercial building, we use southern yellow pine for our lumber, as well as laminated wall columns made of southern yellow pine to create strong and durable framing in all of our buildings. We support our strong framing with three- and four-ply laminated foundation columns that won’t split, weather, crack, or deteriorate.

In addition to our quality materials, Pro-Line offers a devoted, fully certified team who will be with you every step of the way of the building process. We know the building process can be daunting, no matter whether you’re building a large or small structure, but you can have peace of mind knowing you’re working with dedicated experts who use top-of-the-line materials.

Check out the full list of quality features we use in our buildings. If you live in or around Des Moines or Central Iowa, we’re ready to work with you on your next building project!