"I've mostly stuck with standard stuff myself and just accepted the occasional headache..."
I get the appeal of kiln-dried, but honestly, even kiln-dried lumber can warp after installation if humidity fluctuates. I've found focusing more on careful storage and quick installation helps me avoid headaches more than anything else...
I've found kiln-dried lumber to be a bit overrated myself. A few years back, I built a small garden shed using some leftover green lumber from a neighbor's project—figured I'd just roll the dice. Surprisingly, with careful stacking and letting it sit for a couple weeks under cover, it stayed pretty straight. Sure, it took patience, but sometimes working with what you've got and giving it time can beat paying extra for kiln-dried stuff that might warp anyway...
Totally get what you're saying about kiln-dried lumber being a bit hyped up. I built a deck last summer with some green lumber I scored cheap from a local sawmill. Like you said:
"sometimes working with what you've got and giving it time can beat paying extra for kiln-dried stuff that might warp anyway..."
I stacked it carefully, let it breathe under a tarp for a few weeks, and honestly, it turned out pretty decent. Sure, there was some minor twisting here and there, but nothing that a couple clamps and patience couldn't sort out. Saved me enough cash to put toward better decking screws...
Yeah, kiln-dried lumber isn't always the magic fix people think it is. One thing I've found helpful when working with green lumber is to frame walls flat on a level surface first, then brace diagonally before standing them up. Makes a huge difference in keeping things straight.
"frame walls flat on a level surface first, then brace diagonally before standing them up"
This is exactly what my contractor recommended when we built our custom home last year. At first, I was skeptical since kiln-dried lumber was advertised as the ideal solution, but we still had some noticeable warping issues. After switching to this method with diagonal braces, the difference was remarkable... walls stayed straight and true. Definitely learned the hard way that drying methods alone won't solve every framing challenge.
