I framed up the walls for a basement I am doing a few weeks ago. The wood was very good, nice and straight all 2×4’s kiln dried. I noticed yesterday that several of the studs are now twisted. What causes that? I assumed the wood was usuable straight away because it said kiln dried but it may have been sitting outside in a lumber yard before I got it. Should it be left to dry out before being used? Should I pull out the really bad pieces or just plane down anything that sticks out or does it matter?
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Plane it.
Thats the easiest and bestest and cheapest way. Win, win, win.
The lumber would be worse if you dried it out in stacks.
blue
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should!
Warning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. There are some in here who think I'm a hackmeister...they might be right! Of course, they might be wrong too!
I've seen it lots of times, usually when you come in to finish a basement and the guy who framed the house threw up a few walls down there already. They almost always have some studs that are really twisted or bowed, add that to the fact that the guy probably did'nt bother to crown his studs and you hve a pretty bad situation. Usually it's a reult of wet, sometimes frozen studs that are put into a basement and promptly heated to eighty degrees. It's just wood doing what it does. One thing you can do to minimize it in the future is get your rock on it right away, that usually holds them in line pretty well
If they are really twisted pull them out and throw them away. If they are just bowed you can plane down the convex side and shim the concave, but I prefer to snap a line on the stud from the top plate to the bottom plate, cut off the bow and reinstall the resulting scrap on the concave side resulting in a straight stud.
Pressure treated wood is kiln died and then treated, so after treatment it's left saturated with water. Either buy extra wood and stack it to dry for a few days or do what I do, include a few extra bucks in my estimate and buy KDAT - Kiln Dried AFTER Treatment. It's also one grade higher. Here in Naples, FL, only Marine Lumber sells it so check for a marine lumber company in your area, if their water around you, and if not, see if your local lumberyard can get it for you. Here, KDAT is used for docks, piers, and other water area uses. Great stuff.
I trust you're not using pressure treated for anything but sole plates.
Getting the rock on it too quick will cause nail pops. its best to wait a few weeks to give the studs a chance to dry out some. A couple of municipalities around here dictate 30 days before you can drywall.
Wood is going to move around a little. sometimes it might even correct itself. When you're ready to rock it go around with a straight-edge and see whats what.
If a stud is bowed out towards you cut a saw kerf 2" deep and then drive a toe nail through the kerf. It'll pull in.
If its bowed in away from you, cut the same kerf and drive a shim into it. It'll come back, then toe nail again.
One more for the should use steel studs discussion.
Have a good day
Cliffy