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Hardwood lumber by application: what to order for each end use
A cabinet door and a stair tread can be cut from the same red oak log and still need a different grade, thickness and edge. Start from what you make and the order spec follows.
Typical order spec by end use
Starting points used by many plants, not rules. Your own cutting list, finish and market decide the final spec. Moisture values are typical interior targets.
| End use | Common species | Typical grade | Thickness | Drying | Surfacing and sort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabinet doors and face frames | Red oak, white oak, hard and soft maple, cherry, alder | No.1 Common and better, FAS for long rails | 4/4, 5/4 for heavy doors | KD 6 to 8% | S2S or SLR1E, color sort for clear finishes |
| Furniture and casegoods | Walnut, cherry, white oak, maple, ash | FAS and Select for tops, No.1 Common for parts | 4/4 to 8/4 | KD 6 to 8% | Rough or S2S, mixed thicknesses |
| Mouldings and millwork | Yellow poplar (paint), oak and maple (stain) | FAS for long profiles, rip first blanks from Common | 4/4, 5/4, 6/4 | KD 6 to 8% | Ripped blanks or S4S to the knife |
| Strip flooring | Red and white oak, hickory, hard maple | No.1 and No.2A Common | 4/4 and 5/4 | KD to the flooring plant spec | Rough, ripped to strip widths |
| Stair treads and risers | Red and white oak, hard maple, hickory, poplar risers | FAS or glued from No.1 Common | 5/4 to 8/4 treads, 4/4 risers | KD 6 to 8% | S2S, edge glued to width |
| Butcher block and countertops | Hard maple, white oak, walnut, cherry, birch | No.1 Common and better in clear strips | 5/4 to 8/4 | KD 6 to 8%, tight spread | Gang ripped strips, color matched |
| Musical instruments | Hard maple, mahogany types, walnut, cherry | Seller figure grades on top of clear stock | Blanks and sets | KD, tightly controlled | Quartered or rift blanks, matched sets |
| Pallets, crating and blocking | Mixed hardwoods, oak, poplar | No.3A and No.3B Common, cants | Part sizes | Green or partly dried, heat treated for export | Sawn to pallet part sizes |
Typical. The NHLA rulebook governs grade definitions. See hardwood species for hardness and color sorts.
Grade to the part, not to the board
The cheapest lumber is the lowest grade that still yields your parts. A plant cutting 18 in door rails gets good yield from No.1 Common. A plant running 16 ft casing needs FAS. Match grade to the longest clear piece your cutting list needs.
- Short partsDrawer fronts, door stiles and rails, chair parts: No.1 Common is usually the best value.
- Long clear partsMouldings, casing, long rails and wide tops: FAS or Select, or rip first blanks.
- Character partsRustic flooring and furniture: No.2A Common, with knots and mineral allowed.
- Hidden partsDrawer sides, backs and secondary frames: poplar or lower grades of the show species.
- Glued partsTops, treads and butcher block: Common grades gang ripped and edge glued.
- Industrial partsPallet deck boards, crating and blocking: No.3 Common and cants.
Furniture, cabinets and millwork
These buyers convert lumber into many short parts and care about color, machining and yield. Mixed thicknesses in a few species, bought by the unit or a mixed truck, are normal.
- ColorClear finished cherry, maple and walnut need a color sort. Paint grade work does not.
- EdgesSLR1E saves a jointer pass and gives a straight reference edge for ripping.
- Moisture6 to 8 percent with a single board limit, checked on arrival before machining.
- MouldingsStraight grain and no pin knots on the profile face. State it, because grade alone does not cover it.
Floors, stairs and work surfaces
Wear and movement drive the spec. Hardness matters more here than anywhere else, and so does a narrow moisture spread, because these parts are wide, glued or nailed tight.
- Flooring stockCommon grades by the truckload, ripped to strip widths at the flooring plant.
- Stair treads5/4 is common for standard treads, 6/4 and 8/4 for heavy or open stairs.
- CountertopsStrips glued at about 6 to 8 percent with a very small spread between strips.
- HardnessHickory, hard maple and white oak resist dents better than red oak or cherry.
Specialty and industrial uses
Slabs, tonewood and pallet stock sit outside the usual grade system. Seller terms and photos replace NHLA grades, and paperwork rules change with the product.
- Slabs and thick stockNo NHLA grade. Ask for photos with a tape and a core moisture reading.
- TonewoodQuartered or rift blanks in matched sets. Figure grades are the seller's own.
- Pallets and cratingLow grades and cants. Export packaging usually needs ISPM 15 treatment and marking.
- ProcessingDimension plants supply blanks, panels and parts. See lumber processing.
Tell us the end use on the RFQ
We are a matching service, not a sawmill. Naming the end use lets us pick suppliers that already sell into it: flooring stock mills for flooring, dimension plants for blanks and panels, distribution yards for mixed cabinet lots. We pass the spec to up to 3 of them and reply within 24 business hours.
What grade of hardwood do cabinet shops buy?
Most cabinet shops buy No.1 Common and better in 4/4, because doors and face frames are made from short clear pieces between defects. FAS goes on long rails and wide clear panels. Ordering FAS for everything usually wastes money on clear length the parts never use.
Can I buy glued panels or blanks instead of lumber?
Yes. Dimension plants supply edge glued panels, finger jointed blanks and cut to size parts made from kiln dried lumber. They suit shops that want to skip ripping and gluing or that have no room for a lumber inventory. Attach a cutting list or a panel drawing to the RFQ.
Which hardwood is best for painted millwork?
Yellow poplar is the common choice. It machines cleanly, holds a crisp profile and its color variation disappears under paint. Soft maple is a harder alternative. Neither suits a clear or light stain finish if green or gray streaks would show.
Does lumber for export pallets need treatment?
Solid wood packaging that crosses borders usually needs ISPM 15 treatment, either heat treatment or approved fumigation, and the official mark. Ask the supplier which treatment they can provide and confirm the rules of the destination country. This is typical information, not legal advice.
Guides by end use
- Species
Hardwood Lumber for Butcher Block and Countertop Plants
Buying hardwood for butcher block and wood countertops: species, strip grades, moisture spread, lengths and yield, with RFQ points for countertop plants.
- Grades and Specs
Hardwood for Stair Treads and Risers: Species and Grade
Choose hardwood lumber for stair treads and risers: typical species, hardness, NHLA grades, thickness and widths, glue-up options and RFQ details for makers.
- Grades and Specs
Hardwood for Moulding and Millwork Plants: Grade Choices
How moulding and millwork plants choose hardwood lumber: grade by profile, rip-first yield, species, moisture and grain rules, and what to put on a lumber RFQ.
- Cost and Ordering
Industrial Hardwood for Pallets, Crating and Blocking
How buyers specify industrial hardwood for pallets, crates and blocking: low grades, cants, sizes, moisture, ISPM 15 rules and what to write on an RFQ.
- Cost and Ordering
Live Edge Slabs and Thick Stock: Drying and Sourcing
How to buy live edge slabs and thick hardwood stock in volume: drying time, core moisture, size and grade terms, bark and shipping rules, and RFQ details.
- Species
Tonewood Lumber for Instrument Makers: Grades and Supply
How instrument makers buy hardwood tonewood: species by part, quartersawn and rift cuts, blank sizes, moisture, figure grades and papers for protected species.
Know what you are making?
Send the end use with species, grade, thickness and board feet. We pass it to up to 3 mills or yards that fit and reply within 24 business hours.
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