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and Australia, "timber" is a term also used for sawn wood products (that is, boards), whereas generally in the United States and Canada, the product of timber cut into boards is referred to as lumber. In the United States and Canada sawn wood products of five inches diameter or greater (4½″ nominal size) are sometimes called "timbers". Lumber is supplied either rough or finished. Rough lumber is the raw material for furniture making and other items requiring additional cutting and shaping. It is available in many species, usually hardwoods. Finished lumber is supplied in standard sizes, mostly for the construction industry, and is primarily one of a few coniferous (needle-bearing) species such as pine, cedar, hemlock, fir or spruce. History and geographyLumber was one of the first industries in the United States. Maine and New York were early leading producers; however, later expansion led to Michigan and later Oregon, Washington, and California assumed the lead in domestic lumber production. Logging, the felling and preparation of trees for lumber was a related frontier industry; various tales of lumberjacks were a substantial portion of a certain chapter in North American folklore.
ClassificationsRough lumber comes from the sawmill without further cutting or shaping. It is usually sold in random lengths and widths and measured in the USA and Canada in board feet, a unit of 1 foot × 1 inch × 1 foot. It is available air-dried or kiln-dried. Air-dried lumber is carefully stacked and allowed to dry for several months, depending on thickness. It is used for some outdoor purposes, such as building sheds and fences. Kiln-dried wood is stacked and dried in moisture- and temperature-controlled kilns built for the purpose. It is then ready to be used for furniture-making or other woodworking uses. Finished lumber is usually kiln-dried, then planed and cut to predetermined sizes, primarily for use by the construction industry. When using Imperial or U.S. customary measurements, the widths given are from before planing, whereas the piece actually sold is smaller; a 2×4, for example, is actually only 1½ by 3½ inches after planing. Other stock is sized similarly. The lengths are actual sizes and are usually multiples of 2 feet. Sizes from 8 to 16 feet (8, 10, 12, 14, 16) are commonly available, and smaller sizes (4, 6, 7) are sometimes available. Larger sizes (18, 20, 22, 24) are sometimes available. When using metric measurements, lumber is measured in actual sizes. In the United States, timber is cut in the forest in 24 foot lengths. At the mill it is again cut into three 8 foot lengths, an 8 foot and a 16 foot length, a 10 foot and a 14 foot length or two 12 foot lengths.
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