Hi, I am framing my mostly 8'9" basement. Here's the obvious question, where can I find 2x4x9 lumbers in the Washington DC area? There are only 8 ft and 10 ft long 2x4 studs available in both HD and Lowes. And why is 10 ft ($3.86) almost double the cost of the 8 ft ($2.10)? Thank you in advance.

If your ceiling will be 9' from the floor, you can use studs that are 104 5/8" long. When a top and bottom plate is added, the wall is exactly 9' tall.

These are sold in all of the big boxes that I've visited (HD, Lowe's, The Lumber Yard). I'm pretty sure that most smaller lumber yards will have them as well. Many, many homes in the DC area have 9' ceilings.

CJ

My experience with the cheapest 2x4x8 at the big boxes is that they are really cheap. The problem is you only get what you pay for. They won't stay straight. If you have areas of your build where you don't need straight walls use them.

CJ,

I only see 92", 8ft, 10ft in HomeDepot in Gaithersburg/Rockville MD. No 9ft in Lowes Gaithersburg either. I thought 9ft basement is quite common for newer houses. Do you know exactly which HomeDepot carry 9ft 2x4's?

Yes, the Lowe's in Chantilly, VA, Winchester, VA (both of them) and the one in Martinsburg, WV have them. Also, the HD in Winchester, VA and Charlestown, WV have them as well.

I know it's not close to you, but look up Lowe's or HD on the web and give the nearest ones a call to see if they have them in stock. I never figured that they wouldn't have 104 5/8" 2x4s.

Good luck.

CJ

I remember seeing them from time to time at the HD in Sterling VA.

I just bought 10' ones and cut them down.

CJ

CJ, BIG, thank you for the responses. I'll check my local HD/Lowes with the availablity of other closeby stores.

CJO, so you can't find them in you local store as well? I'll probably end up doing the same thing. That's a lot of 1.5' leftover studs and extra $$$ spent though.

I still don't understand the lack of choices between 8 and 10 ft in the big stores, especially giving the popularity of the 9ft ceiling among the newer builds.

FYI.
Found them (104 5/8, $2.65) in Germantown HD. The Germantown store is about 30-40% bigger than the Gaithersburg one. Maybe only in the big big box stores?

Goodness, stop buying lumber at these stores. It sucks.

The boards at my local Lowe's are excellent, and cheaper than the others. HD's stuff is not so good.

I also looked at a few local lumber yards and they were no better than HD and were more expensive to boot!

Your mileage may vary.

CJ

Man,, some of you are darn picky about your studs... :)

Man,, some of you are darn picky about your studs... :)

It might be a regional thing but the basic studs they sell in the big boxes here have a mind of their own when you bring them home. If you want straight, bow free walls you need to be picky and selective.

It might be a regional thing but the basic studs they sell in the big boxes here have a mind of their own when you bring them home. If you want straight, bow free walls you need to be picky and selective.

...and you need to use them soon after you pick them up. If they are in a stack with some weight on them, many will do fine. But leave them stacked up on the floor (2 or 3 deep) and many look like cooked spaghetti after a few days!

I had a Master Carpenter explain to me why this happens. He said that the moisture content of the wood is so high that they dry out on the job site. He said the wood used to be much drier and didn't warp and twist nearly as much as it does now.

CJ

I used the "premium" lumber at HD (on Big's advice) and as long as I used it within a couple of days of getting it home, I had no problems with warpage. I also hand picked all my lumber. I found that going in the middle of the week there was usually a new stack to pick through before all the day labo...I mean CONTRACTORS get there for their weekend projects. Often times, they were so dry and light that I could carry four to six at a time balanced on my shoulder from the driveway to the basement. They cost a bit more, but using straight lumber saves time. It was definietly worth it to me.

If at all possible, get it from a lumber yard that stores it outside, they stay straight longer and feel alot more solid! That is why all the HD/Lowes stuff sucks as it is so dried out, it cracks and will barely hold nails.

When you get them home, store them outside until you are ready to use them. This will prevent them from twisting.

If you go with Lowes/HD, then be prepared to buy extras, rip them down, then put additional braces at the top and bottom of every other stud-space. It will make it very solid and prevent twisting. You just nail from the sides into the studs, then put 2 nails at the bottom or top to hold it in place.

-my 2 cents.