Glossary
Butted boards
Also called: butted lead boards, doubled lead boards
Reviewed
Butted boards are deckboards placed tight against a lead board with no gap between them. The Uniform Standard treats two butted 4 in boards as equivalent to one 6 in board, so butting is a way to build a wide lead board from narrower stock.
How butted boards are used
Wide lead boards (5-1/2 to 6 in) protect the pallet ends from fork impact. When wide stock is scarce or expensive, a mill can place two narrower boards side by side with no gap at each end of the deck. Under the Uniform Standard:
- A board butted against a lead board is treated as part of the end board group
- Two butted 4 in boards count as one 6 in board
What changes on the spec
| Item | One wide lead board | Two butted boards |
|---|---|---|
| Boards per end | 1 | 2 |
| Nails per stringer joint | by the board width (3 for 5-1/4 to 7 in) | 2 per board under Table 5 |
| Board feet | similar | similar |
| Deck gaps | set by remaining interior boards | same |
Why it matters
Butting uses narrower, often cheaper stock and gives each board its own nails, but it adds a board and a set of joints at each end. On a drawing the butted pair should show zero gap and be labeled so the assembly crew does not space them out like interior boards. The deck board spacing guide covers gap rules.
Questions
- Are butted boards as strong as one wide lead board?
- The Uniform Standard treats two butted 4 in boards as equivalent to one 6 in board. Actual performance also depends on the nailing.
Sources
- Uniform Standard for Wood Pallets (NWPCA, now Woodpack Global), 2012 edition