Yeah, storage is key—I've learned the hard way. Best tip I ever got was stacking lumber flat with spacers between layers and keeping it off damp floors. Makes a surprising difference...straight walls start way before the studs go up, haha.
Totally agree about the spacers—makes a huge difference. Have you noticed if certain types of spacers or materials work better than others? Curious if you've experimented with that at all...
I've played around with a few different materials, and honestly, I've found plastic spacers to be pretty reliable. They're lightweight, easy to handle, and don't warp like wood sometimes does. That said, I once ran short and improvised with some scrap plywood—worked surprisingly well in a pinch. So, while certain materials might have an edge, creativity and resourcefulness can really save the day when you're stuck...
Plastic spacers are handy, but honestly, plywood shims have saved me more times than I can count. If you're careful about grain direction and thickness consistency, wood spacers can be just as reliable—plus they're usually cheaper and easier to customize on-site.
I've found plywood shims to be invaluable myself. A couple years back, I was framing a wall in an older home—nothing was square or level. Plastic spacers just didn't offer enough flexibility for the subtle adjustments needed. Ended up cutting custom plywood shims right there on-site, carefully paying attention to grain direction as mentioned earlier, and they worked perfectly. They're definitely underrated, especially when dealing with irregularities typical in older structures.
