From building simple floating shelves to constructing a tiered garden planter, there are plenty of woodworking projects even beginners can do. Whether you’re a total novice or you practically live in your workshop, it won’t take long before you’re lugging home some lumber from your local hardware store. Most big box stores have long aisles full of a variety of sawn wood, and 2x4s are among the most commonly used lumber for DIY projects. According to House Digest’s expert carpenter and remodeler Bob Beacham, although it may not matter if you’re going to use them for framing a building, if you’re buying lumber for a woodworking project, you should always inspect the end grain of your wood 2x4s to check for stability and straightness.

During an exclusive interview with House Digest, Beacham told us that no matter what size or type of lumber you’re going to use, you should carefully inspect the end grain of every single board before purchasing it. “The same is true of any board: 1×6, 2×8, etc., not just 2x4s,” he said. As the expert explained, “Inspecting the end grain can give you a good idea of how the original log was cut at the sawmill. This can indicate dimensional stability.” According to our resident carpenter, there are three types of sawn wood you may encounter: plain sawn, quarter sawn, and rift sawn. Each type has a distinct end grain pattern and has different pros and cons depending on how you intend to use it. 

Along with the safety tips every beginner woodworker should follow, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the most popular types of sawn wood before picking the one that’s best for your project. “Plain sawn is far and away the most common, particularly in hardware/big box stores,” Bob Beacham told House Digest during his exclusive interview. You’ll know your 2x4s are plain sawn when their rings are horizontal. “Plain sawn is the cheapest because there’s less waste at the mill, but it’s the least stable (most prone to twisting or warping), especially if exposed to moisture,” he explained.

Our remodeling expert said quarter sawn is a more expensive option that also offers better stability and beauty. “Because of the way it’s cut, quarter sawn hardwoods quite often have more attractive grain on two of the four faces,” Beacham told us. Although you wouldn’t typically use quarter sawn lumber for structural framing that gets hidden behind drywall, he said it’s commonly used in decorative applications like furniture and woodturning.

According to Beacham, you are much less likely to encounter rift sawn lumber at your local big box store. “Rift sawn is the most expensive because a lot of the log is wasted. As a result, it is very uncommon,” he said. Explaining that it’s the strongest and most uniform of the three types of sawn wood, Beacham told us that “unless you’re a furniture maker, you’ll likely never come across it.”

During his exclusive interview with House Digest, we asked Bob Beacham what our readers should look for when purchasing 2x4s. “Most people buying softwood for framing, fencing, or outdoor furniture will find plain sawn lumber meets their needs perfectly adequately if they choose reasonably carefully at the store,” he told us, adding, “Quarter sawn hardwoods are good for flooring and furniture projects.” Our expert also noted that “rift sawn is something for specialists.” If you’re about to embark on a woodworking project, we recommend checking out Beacham’s guide to the most durable kind of wood for your home improvement needs before getting started. 

Once you’ve decided on the right sawn lumber type for your project, there are a few other tips for choosing a 2×4 to keep in mind. “If buying softwood, go for kiln-dried where possible. … Most of the moisture has been removed before it gets to the store so it’s less likely to bend,” Beacham advised. Along with looking for softwood that’s been marked as kiln-dried, Beacham recommends looking for an FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) mark. “It means it has been sustainably forested,” he said. Finally, you should visually inspect each board before purchasing it. “Hold up the board and look along it,” Beacham suggested. “If it’s already twisted, put it back. No amount of nails or screws will straighten it.”