It’s possible that it could hold much more weight than 50 lbs. If you’re allowed to span 16′ with your joists 16″ on center, but you only span 8′ with your joists 12″ on center, then that deck can hold substantially more weight. The table provides the weight of lumber produced from three commonly used tree species: Sitka Spruce, Douglas Fir, and Southern Yellow Pine. The choices on the list are kiln dried pine, green oak, pressure treated above ground, and pressure treated below ground. It depends if you are using it as a column (vertical) or as a beam (horizontal). This lumber is for a wide range of uses from framing of houses to basic interior finishing applications. The weight would be evenly distributed. per square foot. Wood strength, including the relationship between grain direction and strength, specific gravity as an indication of wood strength, and additional ways to measure wood strength. For example, 4 x 6 lumber is not on the list, but you can simply choose 2 x 6 and double the value. Finally select a type. How much weight can a 1x8 vertical board hold? Weight vs mass - the difference ; Drying lumber takes time. Smaller and shorter boards use considerable less time than larger and longer boards. Every piece meets the highest grading standards for strength and appearance. From Professor Gene Wengert, forum technical advisor: The grain direction (flat or vertical) has essentially no effect on the strength. The joists should support your weight, but the space between them almost certainly will not. You would/will be amazed at just how unstable such shelves can be when heavily loaded. The shelf as constructed WILL support a substantial weight, but the whole middle shelf could easily "wobble" from side to side if there is a substantial weight on it. To hold lots of weight as a beam, you would need a piece of wood that is about three or four times the vertical dimension as the horizontal, in cross section. The following table provides the approximate weight (dead load, self-weight) per linear foot of the various sizes of dimensional lumber (also called “structural lumber” or “finished lumber”) used in building construction in the US. The weight of the lumber is automatically returned in pounds. I'm building a bed frame and thinking about using 1x8's as the sides. And, pardon … A 4x4 column is a lot stronger than a 4x4 beam. Not sure what type of wood. When supporting joists that span 12 feet with no overhang beyond the beam, a double ply beam can span in feet a value equal to its depth in inches. Next select a length in feet and inches. For larger pieces natural drying takes months and often even more than a year - depending on the surrounding temperature, moisture and air circulation. A good 2x8 will support as much as a 4x6. 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