Shoutout to the guy at the supply yard who saved me from a bad batch of cedar pickets

Picked up a load for a privacy fence job in Bellingham last Thursday. Started setting the posts and everything was fine. Went to hang the first section of pickets and the third one just split clean down the middle when I drove a nail. Not a knot or anything, just bad wood. Checked a few more and they were all super dry and brittle. Drove back, kinda annoyed, and the guy at the counter took one look, felt the grain, and said 'Yeah, that's from the lot that sat in the sun all summer, we pulled it.' He swapped the whole pallet for me, no charge. I would've been replacing boards for a week. How often do you guys run into lumber that looks good but is just cooked from bad storage?

3 comments

3 Comments

phoenix_grant3423h ago

Man, that's a solid point about hidden strength loss. I read something similar to what @river_allen said, that the sun just cooks the fibers right out. Makes you check every load twice now.

wendy6281d ago

My old boss in Tacoma said sun-baked lumber loses about 30% of its strength. Always check the end grain for tiny cracks now.

river_allen1d ago

That "sun-baked lumber" thing is a huge deal for old decks and fences. People forget the sun can dry wood out way past normal, making it brittle. It's not just about checking for cracks, the whole piece can get weak even if it looks okay. That hidden loss of strength is why so many old railings snap when you lean on them.