Warped timber

[Mat and Suzy]

Hi

Nearing the end of a mammoth DIY fencing project here. Materials were bought from a midwest home improvement chain. Some of the treated pine

2x4's are warped enough to make them unusable on this project. I'm using standard fence brackets to attach to the posts, and a warp of more than a couple of inches makes it impossible to make a good join. Not many are bad - maybe 6 out of a total of around 80 pieces used so far. Should I return them to the store for refund/replacement?

Maybe this is a stupid question, I just wonder whether there is an acceptable wastage level that I should just write off myself. Wanted to make sure before I load up the car to head down there. The annoying thing is that you always seem to get the crap stuff when you have them deliver, rather than pick it out yourself.

TIA

Mat

[Tim Fischer]

If it's not usable, you don't need to buy it -- take it back.

I'm guessing you're talking about Menards? A friend of mine had an entire deck's worth of stuff delivered last year. He actually had THEM come out to re-deliver and pick up some unuable boards, since he had no way to transport them.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Not just Menards. The state of construction lumber today is just plain terrible and getting worse. Why take time to dry it properly when people still buy the crap?

[B]

Take it back. I once had Lowes select and deliver some lumber, and they picked the most warped, cracked, dry-rotted, moldy, and termite-infested pieces in stock, and I made them come get it.

-B

[Vic Dura]

I would.

[George]

Thats why I like our real local lumber yard. I ordered a bunch of material for a project and they dropped it off when I wasn't here. The next day my neighbor was admiring the quality and said "you must have spent a long time at the "depot" picking out that wood". He didn't know what to say when I told him I called the order in and never saw the material until I looked outside.