There are few terms in the world of hardscaping that sound similar but have very different meanings.  But “screed” and “screen” are two that are often confused.

In hardscaping, screeding is the process of striking a board along two screed rails (also called “screed guides”) to evenly distribute crushed aggregate stone between those rails.

The screed board itself can be a piece of 2×4 lumber or square tube aluminum or magnesium alloy.  The alloy boards are far more expensive and typically only the pros go to the expense of having these in their toolboxes, as they never warp and will last a lifetime.  But even the professional hardscaper will use dimensional lumber for screed boards, for those times when the areas to be screeded has obstacles, or requires a notch be cut in a board, or the area is of a size that an alloy board just won’t fit.

So for you, the weekend warrior, it’s off to the local lumber yard or big box store for your screed boards.  It’s a safe assumption that you won’t be working during a downpour, so buying treated lumber won’t be very helpful.  Not to mention it roughly doubles the weight of the board, so unless you’re trying to build a new patio and 20″ biceps at the same time, just stick to the interior stud grade lumber.

Make sure the boards are nice and straight with no twists, and don’t buy any that are longer than 8′ in length.  Anything longer than that and the board will bow as you pull on it, either putting an unwanted crown or swail in your patio base prep.