Wood floors manufactured by RBM Lumber using Montana species wood

Flooring Info & Specs

Although frequently referred to as hardwood, our wood flooring is actually softwood which brings you a warmth and comfort that can’t be found elsewhere. The natural beauty and variety of character as well as product options in our Montana wood flooring is unsurpassed. At RBM we price our wood flooring to fit almost any budget.
At RBM Lumber we have become a leader in the softwood flooring industry because we take the time to produce the best product available. We offer you the following specs on all our wood flooring products:

Dried to 6% moisture content. This is crucial to eliminate shrinkage and movement after installation. Does not require acclimation.
End-matched and ready to install.
Relief grooved on the back.
Tongue and groove standard to the industry run to very tight tolerances.
Rough boards are leveled with a sander to eliminate grain tear and knot blowout.
Packaged in true random length bundles with 20″ to 12′ lengths.
Tight grading standards tailored to the general needs of our customers.
Milled at just under ¾” thick

Wood Flooring Species:

Fir and Larch (F&L)
Pine
Birch (White Birch)

Wood Flooring Grades:

Vertical Grain (quarter sawn, VG)
Vertical Grain #2 (VG with knots, this product is unique to RBM)
Select (very limited knot content)
#2 (has unlimited knots of good sound quality)
Rustic (has characteristics some consider desirable and others consider defects and is just as serviceable as #2)
Blue stained (has a natural blue stain, only available in Pine)

Wood Flooring Textures:

Smooth
Circular sawn ( gives a rustic feel)
Wire brushed (brings out grain patterns when stained, goes well in any decor from contemporary to rustic)
Band sawn (shows band saw cuts, also a rustic feel)
Circle saw/skip sanded (gives a worn antique look)
Circle saw/wire brushed (brings out the grain in the circular sawn)
All flooring must be finish sanded after installation

Wood Flooring Sizes:
Most flooring products are available in 8” (6 – 7/8” coverage), 6” (5 – 1/8”) and 4” (3 – 1/8”) widths and come in random lengths from 20” to 12’.
Notes:

Not all textures and grades are available in all species.
We will ship in any combination of widths if a random width is desirable.
You can also mix grades such as #2 and select to obtain a desired appearance.
Tell us your square footage and we will calculate the necessary footage for your project.
Our flooring is easy to install for anybody inclined to do it yourself. Let us explain how.

Please call and let us guide you through our many options to determine which suits your needs best.

Wood Beams and Timbers: Grades

#2 structural is the base of our grading system. It is primarily concerned with structural quality and may have some wane, checking and other defects that don’t effect structural quality.
Choice is our own grade which is a #2 high-graded for appearance purposes.
#3 has defects such as excessive checking, twist or rot that are not allowed in the #2 but are still useful in some applications.
Green beams are cut from green timber which has a high moisture content.
Dry or dead standing beams are cut from dead standing timber. They have a much lower moisture content and therefore are more stable.

*Because we hand cut our logs, and don’t use the conventional high-volume logging machinery, we are able to deliver these longer logs.

Wood Beams Stability

When we talk about stability we are referring to how much a beam will shrink, twist, check and move as it acclimates to the environment it is in. All movement in wood takes place while the wood is drying out or picking up moisture. There are only two sources of beams that can be guaranteed not to move and that is glue lams and recycled — both of which may force you to sacrifice the price advantage and/or the appearance you are looking for. For this reason we make as many beams as possible, where stability is of concern, from dead standing Fir & Larch which is already partially dry and therefore more stable than green cut beams.

Rough Lumber Specs

There are many uses for rough cut lumber … from barns and fences on the farm, to exterior trim on a custom home. Each application has its own set of issues to be considered when selecting the best product to use. At RBM Lumber we’ve been supplying rough lumber for myriads of applications for over 30 years. The following are some basics to keep in mind.

Movement in Wood

When wood dries out it shrinks. When it picks up moisture it expands. Consequently, in an exterior application in most climates wood will shrink and expand with the season changes.

In an interior application, once it acclimates, wood moves very little due to a more constant humidity. Where the product is being used in your project and your own personal taste is what determines how critical it is to try to control that movement. In many instances the natural movement in wood is irrelevant.

Rough Lumber Moisture Content

In applications where stability is crucial moisture content is very important. For interior applications 6% MC is ideal. In semi-dry climates 12% MC is ideal for exterior. In certain applications such as siding, proper installation is very important because of the continual movement of the wood. At RBM we can help you know what moisture content is ideal for your application and give you installation tips. In some cases we will either air dry or kiln dry products where lower moisture is necessary. Other times, when available, we will try to cut from dead standing timber because of certain advantages.

RBM Rough Lumber Grades

#2&Better The baseline grade for our rough lumber is a #2&better which is primarily concerned with structural quality. It may have defects such as wane, checks, splits, stain, etc. within the limits of the grade. To some these characteristics enhance the rustic appearance of the product.
Choice Choice is our own grade which is basically a #2 that has been high-graded for appearance purposes. It will be free of wane, no heart checks with pitch and various other defects are limited depending on the product.
Select In some products we can supply a select grade which has very limited knot content.
#3 This grade has defects that are not allowed in a #2 such as excessive checking, wane, rot or warp but it is still useful in some applications. Such as fencing and sheeting.

Rough Lumber Dimensions

At RBM we cut all our rough full dimension which means a 2×4 is a full 2″ by a full 4″ not 1 1/2″x 3 1/2″. This means our 2×6 has more wood in it than a surfaced 2×8. But you can special-order pretty much any dimension you want from ¼ inch thick up to 30 inches or wider depending on grade and species.

We try to inventory as much of the more commonly requested products as possible such as 2×4 through 2×12 in rough green and in dry exterior trim stock, as well as various specialty products like 5/4 trim for different siding products and commonly used 1” boards. 5/4 is a dimensional term… that is, it’s really a full inch and a quater thick. The width is dimensional… Our 5/4×4-inch is cut at a full 4-inches wide and then shrinks slightly as it dries.

Depending on the product we can cut up to 32 feet long. We literally have thousands of different products in stock and can cut almost anything.
Because there are so many uses for rough lumber with such a varied desire for appearance we at RBM don’t assume anything. We will ask as many questions as necessary to be sure your product both works and satisfies your taste for appearance.

Not all products come in all grades and all species
but we can usually find a product that will fit your needs.
If not we may know where you can find it.

Flooring Info & Specs

Stair & Handrail Info

Stairs

Wood Staircase Parts

Staircase Handrail