What Is The Most Durable Kind Of Wood At Lowe's For Your Home Improvement Needs?

Lowe's is a popular and competitively priced source of lumber, whether you want to put up a few shelves or are looking for the best wood to bring your DIY deck plans to life. However, it can be difficult to know which is the right type of wood for your project. Some might look for the strongest, but I would say that durability is at least as important, and, as we'll see, they aren't always the same thing. I'm House Digest's expert carpenter and remodeler, and I'm going to look at what is the most durable wood at Lowe's for your home improvement needs. Actually, I'm going to look at several, because no one answer is right for every situation.

Douglas fir is undoubtedly the strongest softwood available at Lowe's. Unfortunately, Lowe's often labels it as simply "fir." It might be Douglas, but it might also be hemlock fir (or hem-fir), which isn't quite as tough. Does it matter? If it's for load-bearing purposes, I would prefer Douglas fir, but hemlock is often used as a substitution by other pros, so it's not a problem. However, it might not be my top pick for use outdoors; more detail on that in a minute.

What about the most durable hardwood? Technically, this one's easy. It's hickory. It's tough and very strong. That said, there are alternatives that might be a better choice in many circumstances. I'll talk about those below as well.

Unless it's a special piece of garden furniture, you'll almost invariably want to use softwood for outdoor structures. For maximum durability, it should be pressure-treated to increase its resistance to rot and insect attack. In my experience, Lowe's range of pressure-treated fir is a bit limited, and southern yellow pine is an excellent alternative. It comes in two types — for above ground and ground contact use. The latter is not the strongest but is arguably the most durable lumber at Lowe's.

Southern yellow pine is a great general-purpose choice, but if I was planning the perfect pergola or building a stylish deck, I would be tempted to spend a few bucks more and go for cedar. It is naturally resistant to insects and decay without any treatment, so it's plenty durable. While it benefits from a coat of sealer periodically, to my mind, it has an attractive grain and warm tone that doesn't need to be stained.

Be careful if you see spruce pine fir (SPF). It sounds like it might combine several benefits, but in fact it isn't one wood; the classification includes three separate species. SPF is not necessarily bad lumber, and it's often cheap, but you're unlikely to know exactly which species you're getting. You could choose it if you want to knock up a frame for a garden shed, and it's going to be treated with preservative, but it's not something I would normally buy for outdoor use.

For framing partition walls, pretty much any fir, pine, or spruce will be fine, including SPF. However, if it's structural, use Douglas or hemlock fir. If you want to build some unique and functional shelving, plain pine board could be perfectly adequate. It is low cost, easy to work with, and should last practically forever. Poplar has similar properties, although it's actually a hardwood. Its grain is often uninteresting, so it's a good choice for painting.

If you want lumber to make items that are perceived as higher quality, I would suggest one of the other hardwoods that Lowe's sells. There's plenty of choice. Personally, I would avoid hickory (unless it's for floors) because it's really difficult to work with. I will often use oak, which is also hard-wearing, but much more user-friendly. Lowe's usually has both white and red oak. The former is a little tougher, but the latter has more attractive grain (in my humble opinion).

Maple is a durable, versatile wood that works for a number of home projects. Cherry and mahogany have long been used in furniture making and have natural warmth. Walnut can have a fabulous grain, although it is quite expensive. In truth, you're spoiled for choice at Lowe's when it comes to hardwoods. High humidity, or frequent changes in temperature, don't do any wood much good, but that aside, you should have no trouble with either strength or durability for any of your home improvement needs.