Had an interesting event at the local HD today

[leehljp]

Interesting experience at HD today.


I needed 4 2x4s and 4 1x4s. I really need (8) 2x4 by 39 inches, so the 92 5/8” studs would have sufficed.


There was a man about 60, picking through 2 bundles of studs and grumbling. He had about 10 on his cart, but he wasn’t too happy. I went to get my 1x4s and a couple of other small items and came back to the 2x4s. The man had about 20 now. I could tell he was going to be a while so I just decided to pick through the 8ft 2x4s which were only 5 cents more.


He notices me, sees me looking for some straight boards. Then he asks me, are you finding any straight? Me: I only need 4, but it took me looking through about 40.


Man: You through? Me: Yes,


He comes over while I am checking my list and picks up a couple of the 8 footers. Then he says: Hey! These boards are longer than the others that I have!
Me: You were looking through the studs over there! These are framing 2x4s.
Man: What’s the difference?


Me Thinking: (This man is crazy. He doesn’t know what he wants or what he has).
Me Answering: Studs are the vertical boards of an 8 ft wall. They rest on top of a runner, base, the bottom of the wall frame. I tried to speak in a term that he “might” understand, but he didn’t.


Then he said, “I need all the same length to make the decking!”


"Decking" I am thinking! And he is looking at studs and framing 2x4s. I walked away. I didn't want to have to explain to him decking used pressure treated. Not sure he would know what "pressure treated" meant.

As I was checking out, he walked by and complained out loud to the checkout lady: “I won’t ever buy and lumber here.” And then he walked out.


The lady looked at me curiously and asked: I wonder what that was about.
Me - I said: He got confused over the differences between studs and framing 2x4s lengths. Don’t worry, he doesn’t know what he needs and you are better off that he didn’t buy anything here!




It was amusing!

[cwsmith]

Interesting.

I ran into a similar problem many years ago when I built my deck. I had used all PT lumber, and including the normal decking lumber. Except for some damaged stock that I had the lumber company take back in an exchange for better, everything came out great. The locally-owned lumber company was very helpful, including supplying a "How to build a deck" pamphlet supplied by the PT lumber manufacturer. (At that time we didn't have either a Lowes or Home Depot in our area.

Shortly after I built my deck I had a co-worker complaining that I would be really sorry that I bought all my stock from the local lumber supplier. He said he build his deck a couple of years before and it had all warped so bad that he was going to have to tear it apart in another year or so.

I went up to look at it and it truly was terrible. BUT, it wasn't much of a deck. Whereas mine came off level with the family room and therefore sat fairly high off the ground (lowest area the bottom of the joists are 18" above ground), his deck was built two steps down from the house floor level and sat almost on the ground. It looked like it was actually sitting on the ground with 2 x 6's acting as joists. The deck itself was entirely 2 x 4's and none of it was PT. It also looked like he had used regular framing nails. He argued that he put several coats of Thompson's water seal on it and re-surface it ever spring.

Regardless it was appreciatively warped and twisted, with hardly any real spacing between the boards which I imagine was from the swelling rather than lack of spacing.

Now this guy was, IMO, a pretty smart fellow and knew a lot about almost everything. Perhaps he was just too arrogant to really look into such a project. I on the other hand approach any new situation as if I was the dumbest guy on the planet.... I spend a lot more time reading and planning than I actually do building. (That 18 x 25 ft deck is still standing. A few of the deck boards are seriously checked, but everything is still level and plumb.)

However, I really don't care much for HD. In our area, the stock was never great, but has declined significantly in the last few years. It's one advantage is that you can sort through it.

CWS

[Black wallnut]

Some folks, check that, most folks should probably just hire a pro to do their work.

[twistsol]

Unfortunately the ignorance in both these cases is going to get someone hurt when these decks fail.

[mineengineer]

I worked at Lowes in the electrical department for a few years and had one young guy come in and he was picking out a duplex electrical outlet and a box and cover plate to match, I asked him if he needed any wire and he just looked at me in confusion and it turns out he thought you just mounted the outlet to the wall and it would "magically" have electrical power.

[Hellrazor]

I helped people at the lumber yard, box stores, etc. already. Sometimes it goes good and other times it doesn't. Language barriers can be a pain.

Drywall screws for decking is my favorite.
Newbies picking lumber is fun. I have no idea WTH they are going to do with the twisted lumber.
8d or 10d nails for framing is another fun one.
bright vs galv nails for decking

[woodturner]

Drywall screws for decking is my favorite.
Newbies picking lumber is fun. I have no idea WTH they are going to do with the twisted lumber.
8d or 10d nails for framing is another fun one.
bright vs galv nails for decking

There must be more to it than you posted - twisted lumber is typically used for blocking, 8d and 10d nails are code requirements for framing, in addition to 16d in some cases. Agree on the others - drywall screws are only for drywall, and hot dipped galvanized or stainless steel nails are code for PT wood. Strange part is that the box stores often only sell Electro Galvanized nails which are unsuitable for PT.

[Hellrazor]

They just pickup whatever is on top of the pallet and go. I don't buy 20 twisted boards to frame a wall or deck or anything else. If I am paying face value it will all be the best available lumber on hand. Normally I cut blocking from good lumber unless I grabbed a junker by mistake. I might stack firewood on twisted lumber.

I buy 16d to frame a wall or deck. 8d to sheath a wall. I have never used 8d or 10d to literally frame a deck or wall.

I have no idea why they don't carry the proper nails for PT. They did carry the hot dipped galv for my PC framing nailer. I doubt the inventory management people have the experience needed to properly matching things up. Just look at some of the other things they carry. Metal roofing is usually on hand but none of the required trim pieces or capping. They sell dusk to dawn lights that require an arm for installation but they don't carry the arm. They sell lights with the commercial dust to dawn twist sensors but only sell the smaller residential replacements.

[capncarl]

I'm lucky! My local HD is on what is probably the busiest corners in our town and is all but impossible to get out of their parking lot most of the time. Unless I really need a big dose of misery and insult I go to one of the local building supplies for my misery and insults.
capncarl

[Stytooner]

I worked at Lowes in the electrical department for a few years and had one young guy come in and he was picking out a duplex electrical outlet and a box and cover plate to match, I asked him if he needed any wire and he just looked at me in confusion and it turns out he thought you just mounted the outlet to the wall and it would "magically" have electrical power.

Ahh. A wireless power source. That invention would make someone a billionaire. I guess a Tesla coil comes pretty close, but lacks the control needed.

[woodturner]

I buy 16d to frame a wall or deck. 8d to sheath a wall. I have never used 8d or 10d to literally frame a deck or wall.

I'm curious, what do you use to join together headers? 8d are code for nailing two pieces together face to face. What are you using for joist hangars, etc.? Typically those are 8d larger wire size nails and would not meet spec or code if nailed with other than the manufacturer's recommended fastener.