Skip Dressed
Skip dressed lumber has been run through a planer but not aggressively enough to produce a uniformly smooth surface — some areas show planer marks while other areas retain rough-sawn texture. This is common in lower-grade or economy surfacing where the goal is to bring the board close to dimension without achieving a finished surface.
In-Depth Explanation
Skip dressing occurs intentionally or incidentally when lumber is surfaced with a light pass through the planer. The result is a board that is partially smooth but retains rough patches, typically in low spots, cupped areas, or where the board has slight twist or bow that prevented full contact with the planer knives. In some applications, skip-dressed lumber is perfectly acceptable — for example, framing lumber that will be hidden, or rustic paneling where an inconsistent texture is part of the aesthetic. In hardwood lumber, skip dressing is sometimes done as a courtesy to help buyers see the grain and color of rough-sawn boards without fully committing to a specific finished thickness. When ordering skip-dressed lumber, buyers should understand that the board still needs additional planing to reach a clean, uniform surface, and they should account for that material loss in their planning.
Usage Example
The homeowner saved money by ordering skip-dressed cedar boards for the interior paneling, knowing the inconsistent texture actually suited the cabin's rustic style.