S2S (Surfaced Two Sides)
S2S stands for Surfaced Two Sides, meaning the lumber has been planed smooth on both faces but the edges remain rough or unfinished. This is a common surfacing specification for hardwood lumber, allowing buyers to see the wood's character while retaining the flexibility to rip to custom widths.
In-Depth Explanation
S2S is the most popular surfacing option in the hardwood lumber trade because it strikes a practical balance between rough-sawn and fully dressed material. With both faces planed, buyers can clearly evaluate the wood's color, figure, and grain pattern — something that is much harder to assess on rough-sawn stock where the surface is obscured by saw marks. Meanwhile, leaving the edges unjointed means the buyer can rip the board to whatever width their project requires without paying for edge processing they might not need. S2S hardwood is typically surfaced to standard thicknesses: 4/4 (four-quarter) stock is surfaced to 13/16 inch, 5/4 to 1-1/16 inch, 6/4 to 1-5/16 inch, and 8/4 to 1-13/16 inch. These dimensions allow the buyer to finish-sand or take a light cleanup pass and arrive at standard finished thicknesses of 3/4, 1, 1-1/4, and 1-3/4 inches respectively.
Usage Example
The cabinet shop ordered 500 board feet of S2S hard maple in 4/4 thickness, planning to rip and joint the edges to their own specific widths for face frames.