Lumberyard Grades & Abbreviations


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Wood is a commodity used in a wide variety of industries, so it's natural that there is a whole lexicon of jargon used to describe the various sizes, shapes, and quality grades available.

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The table below summarizes common abbreviations that may be seen stamped on lumber or used to describe lumber at a lumberyard.  This includes hardwood and softwood lumber and millwork.  Some of the terms are self-descriptive, and to some, I've added a brief description in parenthesis of the term's context.  Further clarification should be easily gained by doing a quick search on Wikipedia, or another online encyclopedia; at least until I get the Lumberyard 101 page completed.

 

AD

air dried

LL

longleaf pine (species)

AF

alpine fir (species)

LNG, Lng

lining

ALS

American Lumber Standard

LP

lodgepole pine (species)

AST

anti-stain treated

M

Roman numeral thousand

AV, avg

average

MBM, M.BM, MBF

thousand feet board measure, thousand board feet

AW&L

all widths and lengths (grading)

MC, M.C.

moisture content (percentage)

B1S, B2S

see EB1S, CB1S, E&CB1S, EB2S, etc.

MERCH, Merch

merchantable (meaning "of like kind")

B&B,
B&BTR

B and Better (lumber grade)

MFMA

Maple Flooring Manufacturer's Association

B&S

beams and stringers

MG

medium grain or mixed grain (grading)

BD

board

MH

mountain hemlock (species)

BD FT, b.f.

board foot or board feet

MLDG, Mldg

moulding

BDL

bundle

Mft

thousand feet

BEV

bevel or beveled (millwork)

M-S

mixed species

BH

boxed heart (sawing method)

MSR

machine stress rated (grading)

BM

board measure

N

nosed (millwork)

BSND

bright sapwood, no defect (grading)

NBM

net board measure

BTR

better (grading)

NOFMA

National Oak Flooring Manufacturers Association

CB, CB1S, CB2S

center beaded, one side, two sides (millwork)

No.

number

CC

cubic content (volumetric measure)

N1E, N2E

Nosed on edge, two edges

cft, cu.ft.

cubic foot or feet

PAD

partially air dried

CG2E

center groove on two edges (millwork)

PART, Part

partition

C/L

carload (train car)

Pcs.

pieces

CLG

cieling

PE

plain end (millwork)

CLR

clear (grading)

PET

precision end-trimmed

CM

center matched (millwork / flooring)

PP

ponderosa pine (species)

Com

Common (lumber grade)

P&T

posts and timbers

CONST

construction (grading)

P1S, P2S

see S1S, S2S

CS

caulking seam (millwork / flooring)

RDM

random

CSG

casing (millwork)

REG, Reg

regular

CV, CV1S, CV2S

center V, one side, two sides (millwork)

Rfg.

roofing

DB Clg, DB Part

double-beaded cieling, partition (millwork)

RGH, Rgh

rough (un-surfaced lumber)

DET

double end-trimmed

R/L, RL

random lengths

DF

Douglas fir (species)

R/W, RW

random widths

DF-L

Douglas fir and larch (species / trade group)

RES

resawn

DIM

dimension

SB1S

single bead one side

DKG

decking (millwork / flooring)

SDG, Sdg

siding

D/S, DS, D/Sdg

drop siding (millwork)

S-DRY

surfaced dry; lumber at or below 19% MC for softwoods

D1S, D2S

see S1S, S2S

SE

square edge (millwork)

D&M

dressed and matched (millwork)

SEL, Sel

Select (grade)

D&CM, D&SM

dressed and center matched, dressed and standard matched (millwork)

SE&S

Square edge and sound (grading)

D2S&CM, D2S&SM

dressed two sides and center matched, dressed two sides and standard matched (millwork)

SG

slash (flat, cathedral) grain (grading)

E

edge

S-GRN

surfaced green, lumber greater than 19% MC for softwoods

EB1S, EB2S, SB2S

edge bead one side, two sides (millwork)

SGSSND

sapwood, gum stains, streaks, no defect. (grading)

EE

eased edges (rounded corners)

SIT.SPR

Sitka spruce (species)

EG

edge (vertical or rift) grain (sawing method)

S/L, SL, S/Lap

shiplap (millwork)

EM

end matched (millwork / flooring)

SM

surface measure

EV1S, SV1S, EV2S, SV2S

edge V one side, two sides (millwork)

SP

sugar pine (species)

E&CB1S, E&CB2S, DB2S, BC&2S

edge and center bead one side, two sides (millwork)

SQ

square

E&CV1S, DV1S, V&CV1S, E&CV2S, DV2S, V&CV2S

edge and center V one side, two sides (millwork)

SQRS

squares

ES

Engelmann spruce (species)

SRB

stress-rated board (grading)

Fb, Ft, Fc, Fv, Fcx

allowable stress (MPa or psi) in bending, tension, compression and shear parallel to the grain, and in compression perpendicular to the grain, respectively. (grading)

STD, Std

standard

FA

facial area

Std.lgths.

standard lengths

FAS

Firsts and Seconds (lumber grade)

STD.M

standard matched (millwork)

FAS1F

FAS one face (lumber grade), often synonymous with Select grade

SS

Sitka spruce (species)

FBM,
Ft. BM

feet board measure (board feet)

SSE

Sound square edge

FG

flat (slash, cathedral) grain (sawing method)

SSND

Sap stain, no defect (grading)

FJ

finger jointed (lumber built up from short end-jointed lengths)

STK

Select tight knot (lumber grade), or stock

FLG, Flg

flooring

STPG

stepping

FOHC

free of heart center (sawing method)

STR, STRUCT

structural

FOK

free of knots (grading)

SYP

Southern yellow pine (species / trade group)

FT, ft

foot or feet

S&E

side and edge (surfaced lumber)

FT.SM

feet surface measure (square feet)

S1E, S2E

surfaced one edge, two edges (surfaced lumber)

G

girth

S1S, S2S, S4S

Surfaced one side, two sides, four sides (surfaced lumber)

GM

grade marked

S1S&CM, S2S&CM

surfaced one side and center matched, two sides and center matched (millwork)

G/R

grooved roofing (millwork)

S4S&CS

surfaced four sides and caulking seam (millwork)

HB, H.B.

hollow back (millwork)

S1S1E, S1S2E

Surfaced one side and one edge, two edges (surfaced lumber)

HEM

hemlock (species)

S2S1E, S3S

surfaced two sides and one edge, or surfaced three sides (surfaced lumber)

H-F, Hem-Fir

hemlock and fir (species / trade group)

S2S&SL

surfaced two sides and shiplapped (millwork)

Hrt

heart (grading)

S2S&SM

surfaced two sides and standard matched (millwork)

H&M

hit and miss (surfaced lumber)

TBR

timber

H or M

hit or miss (surfaced lumber)

T&G

tongued and grooved (millwork)

IC

incense cedar (species)

UTIL

utility

IN, in.

inch, inches

VG

vertical (edge) grain (grading)

IWP

Idaho white pine (species)

V1S, V2S

see EV1S, CV1S, E&CV1s, EV2S, etc.

J&P

joists and planks

WC

western cedar (species / trade group)

JTD

jointed (surfaced lumber)

WCH

West Coast hemlock (species / trade group)

KD

kiln dried (to a specified MC)

WCW

West Coast woods (species / trade group)

KDAT

kiln-dried after treatment

WDR, Wdr

wider (grading)

L

western larch (species)

WF

white fir (species)

LBR, Lbr

lumber

WHAD

worm holes are defect (grading)

LCL

less than carload (see C/L)

WHND

worm holes no defect (grading)

LGR

longer (grading)

WT

weight

LGTH

length

WTH

width

Lft, Lf

lineal foot, feet

WRC

western redcedar (species)

LIN, Lin

lineal

WW

white woods (species / trade group)

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References:

The Encyclopedia of Wood, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Skyhorse Publishing, 2007.