Shoutout to the guys at the Amarillo Habitat for Humanity ReStore

I was picking up a used window there last month and saw a guy grab a pressure-treated 4x4 from a stack that looked fine. He loaded it and left. When I went to get mine, I flipped it over and the bottom was completely soft and rotten, like wet cardboard. I told the staff and they pulled the whole stack, maybe 20 boards total. Now I check every single piece of lumber from any reuse place, turning it over and poking it with my knife. Anyone else run into hidden rot like that around here?

4 comments

4 Comments

lewis.mila3mo ago

Oh man, that's the worst. I learned that lesson the hard way with some deck boards from a salvage yard. Looked perfect on top, total mush underneath. Now I make a whole show of it, flipping each board and giving it a solid jab with my car key. The staff probably think I'm nuts, but it saved me from buying firewood priced as lumber last fall. That hidden rot is sneaky.

murray.cora3mo ago

That "hidden rot" thing is everywhere once you start looking. It's like when a used car looks clean but the engine makes a funny noise. Or a house with a fresh coat of paint over old water stains. So much stuff is fixed up just enough to pass a quick look. Your key test is smart because it goes past the surface. We're all just poking at things, trying to find the solid bits.

felix4143mo ago

Ever try that with a floor? Same deal. Key test is the real check.

drew_hart41mo agoMost Upvoted

Flip every board and jab the ends too. The ends are where moisture gets in first. I do this at the lumber yard before they even cut anything. I've had boards look solid in the middle but totally soft at the cut ends. Also check the knot holes real close. Water pools there and rots from the inside out. If you can push into any part of the wood with your thumbnail, walk away. That board is already dead.