That lumber guide is hilarious. I've sent it to friends.
I've sorted through stacks and stacks of Lowes and HD in the past, sometimes going home empty handed because the wood is so useless.
I suppose one day in the future, doug fir two-by's will have 3 or 4 rings.
I also see full-length 2x4's on the curb in free piles - fairly frequently. If they're mostly straight, they're going home with me. Here's 4 examples of wood from the free pile. All of these were straight, unused 8 foot 2x's when I scooped 'em up.
The one that says 'PREMIUM" was part of a garage shelving unit that someone just decided to dismantle and throw to the curb. They used them full length, there were 6 of these, each one better than the last. I've never even been able to
buy better 2x4's; straight, tight knot, dense. I reused most of these as some shelving in
my garage. This one is the last of the stash)
