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Your remodeling materials list indicates the materials that you will be installing in your bathroom. However, it may not be sufficiently specific. For example, it may indicate 120 sq. ft. of VCT as flooring, but not what grade or design. That’s when it’s time to go shopping. What do you look for in materials? Here are some guidelines. The primary ingredient in framing and remodeling walls and floors is lumber. Lumber is dimensional wood cut to a specified size to make construction and remodeling easier. Most lumber is cut to 8 ft., 10 ft., 12 ft., or 16 ft. in length, with one big exception. Wall studs are 2 in. X 4 in. nominal, but cut shorter than 8 ft. They are 7 ft. 8¼ in., just short of the typical height of interior walls. Remodeling Words Nominal size is the size designation of a piece of lumber before it is planed or surfaced. If the actual size of a piece of surfaced lumber is 11/2 X 31/2 inches, it is referred to by its nominal size: 2 X 4. The quality of the lumber you’re buying is important, too. The materials list for your remodeling job will probably indicate what lumber grade you should be using. Much depends on where you live and what species and grades are most popular and available in your area. Douglas fir lumber of the west, for example, is graded differently than southern pine or northern fir. The lumber you buy will be referred to as kiln dried or green. Green lumber is cut and stacked with a high moisture content that can change the shape of the wood as it air dries. Kiln dried wood is put into a heating kiln for a period to remove some of the moisture. Kiln dried is preferred, but is more expensive. Some remodelers and do-it-yourselfers prefer to use steel wall framing. If local building code allows for its use in construction, ask your building material supplier to demonstrate installation. It’s quite easy. In most cases you install the top plate on the ceiling, install the bottom plate directly below it, then install vertical studs in between at 16 or 24 in. o.c. (on center or center to center) depending on local codes. Steel wall framing is fastened with screws.
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