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Q.
I bought boards that I am using for liners in my window casing. At the time,
there was not much stock to choose from at Lowe's, so I tried to find the best
boards possible, e.g., straight with the least amount of faults. Anyway, there
were a few imperfections like snags and dents, and when I got them home and
looked at them in the really good light, I found a few more. In order for me to
use these boards I'm going to have to sand away and use maybe some wood putty.
Is it worth it for me to put the time in to get these boards suitable for use,
or should I just go out and try and find new boards?
A. Assuming that
you are planning to finish your window trim with stain and/or some type of
clear coating that will allow the natural wood to show, you obviously will want
the boards to be in the best shape possible. As you have discovered, lumber
does not always arrive at the store in perfect condition. Regardless of how it
looks, you should give all of it at least a light sanding before applying
finish. This will help to achieve a more uniform look for the final product.
Wood putty, filler, dough or whatever you might use, will never provide a look
of natural wood. It will always be apparent, to those who really look, that
some patching was done. If the flaws are minor, using some sort of patching
filler may be acceptable. That is a judgment call that only you can make.
If you decide to use a patching material to even out some spots, proceed with
caution. If the wood has an open grain, like oak or lauan, it is very difficult
to apply filler and make it look good. In filling the hole, you will inevitably
get some of the filler in the open pores of the surrounding grain. After
sanding it may look good, but after you apply the finish, it looks like a
splotch on the wood. This will also happen to a lesser degree on tighter
grained woods like maple or hemlock. The oil that is in the filler is absorbed
by the wood, and this will effect the way the stain and finish are absorbed
later. You can lessen this by applying a sealer before you patch with the
filler, but again, be aware that the surrounding grain will pick up the filler.
You can remove some of it with a soft cloth dampened with mineral spirits used
before the filler has a chance to harden.
My preference would be to follow this path:
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Select the best lumber possible within your budget.
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Sand all surfaces that will be exposed.
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Pre-finish all of the lumber.
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Install the trim, being careful not to damage the finish when cutting and
nailing.
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Fill nail holes and any other minor defects with a color matched putty.
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Touch up with stain or finish if needed.
So, in answer to your question, you could look for better lumber if you are
really dissatisfied with what you have. If the flaws are pretty bad, I would
recommend it, but of course everyone wants the best looking lumber so supplies
are generally well picked through. You may have better luck at a smaller lumber
yard, but they are disappearing as the mega stores take over the world. The
higher price you may have to pay at a smaller yard is often worth it in the
long run. From a contractor's view, it may be more cost effective to spend more
on material and save labor costs on trying to make bad lumber look good.
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