Common Lumber Abbreviations and Terms
Common Abbreviations:
| BF | Board feet (1 BF = 1"x 12"x 12") |
| BEV | Beveled |
| BN | Bull-nosed |
| LF | Lineal feet (per foot) |
| Com | Common |
| CLR | Clear |
| CV | Center V |
| DIM | Dimension |
| E | Edge |
| FJ | Finger Jointed |
| FT | Foot (or Feet) |
| G1S | Good One Side |
| G2S | Good Two Sides |
| GR | Green |
| IN | Inch |
| KD | Kiln Dried |
| No. | Number |
| NH | No Hole |
| PET | Precision End Trimmed |
| RGH | Rough |
| RDM | Random |
| RL | Random lengths |
| RW | Random widths |
| RLW | Random lengths and widths |
| S1S | Surfaced one side |
| S2S | Surfaced two sides |
| S4S | Surfaced four sides |
| S1S2E | Surfaced one side & two edges |
| SE | Square Edge |
| S-GR | More than 19% water by weight (More likely to warp if not installed quickly) |
| S-DR | Less than 19% water by weight (Less likely to warp) |
| STD | Standard |
| SQ | Square |
| SL | Shiplap |
| T&G | Tounge & Grooved |
| VG | Vertical Grain |
Species:
| CDR | Cedar |
| DF | Douglas Fir |
| DF-L | Douglas Fir, Larch |
| GDF | Green Douglas Fir |
| HEM | Hemlock, Fir |
| LP | Lodgepole Pine |
| RW | Redwood |
| SPF | Spruce-Pine-Fir |
| SYP | Southern Yellow Pine |
| WC | Western Cedar |
| WRC | Western Red Cedar |
| WF | White Fir |
| YP | Yellow Pine |
Grades:
| BTR | Better |
| #1BTR | #1 & Better |
| #2BTR | #2 & Better |
| #3BTR | #3 & Better |
| B&B | B & Better |
| CON COM | Construction Common Redwood |
| CON HEART | Construction Heart Redwood |
| STD BTR | Standard & Better |
Common Terms:
Checks: Gaps or separations along the length of a wood member, crossing the annual rings. Caused by rapid shrinkage or uneven seasoning of the wood.
Shake: Shakes are gaps parallel to the annual rings. Unlike checks, shakes occur before the felling of the timber. Caused by uneven stresses along the trunk.
Pitch: Pockets of tree sap. As the lumber cures, the pitch pockets empty or harden leaving an imperfection in the wood.
Knots: Knots occur at the intersection of trunks and branches. Wood grading limits the presence and location of knots in the lumber.