Guy at a lumber yard in Fresno told me to buy the ugly boards, and I'm still not sure he was doing me a favor
I was picking through a stack of 2x10s at a yard in Fresno last month and a guy next to me said "grab the ones with the big knots, they hold nails better and they're cheaper." I went home with 6 knotted boards and saved about $40, but two of them crowned bad and one split right at the edge when I ran a screw close to it. So here's my debate: is buying the ugly lumber at the bottom of the pile a smart move or just a way to get stuck with the junk nobody else wants? The old timer swears the grain around a knot is denser and the board is stronger there, and I can see his point on the framing side. But for anything you gotta finish or cut tight, I feel like the knots just cost you time and sandpaper. Where do you all draw the line, do you hunt for clear boards every time or take the cheap ones and work around the knots?