Old timer at the lumber yard corrected my stud spacing logic

Last Friday I was loading up 2x4s at the yard in Dayton and this retired framer watches me grab extra studs for a 12 foot wall. He asks why I'm buying 8 when the plans call for 6, and I told him I always add a couple for warped lumber. He laughed and said he used to do the same until he realized he was paying for his own anxiety. Then he showed me how to sort through the pile for the straight ones instead of just grabbing from the top. I took his tip and grabbed 6 clean sticks, saved about 14 bucks that trip. The wall went up in 3 hours flat with zero waste, which never happens for me. Anyone else find that sorting stock at the yard beats buying extra? I've been doing the overbuy thing for 8 years and feel like an idiot.

2 comments

2 Comments

simonp761mo ago

Ngl, that old timer just saved you years of wasted money, and it sounds like his sorting trick is the real gold here.

-1

the_jake1mo ago

Ha! Bet that sorting trick works even better than the fancy apps, @simonp76.