Furring strips and common boards are both types of lumber used in construction, but they serve different purposes and have unique characteristics. Furring Strips: These are thin strips of wood that are typically used to level a surface for the application of another material, such as paneling or drywall.

Furring or the use of furring strips (sometimes misspelled “firring”) is the use of narrow strips of wood usually attached to a wall, ceiling or floor. Their job is to create a true plane on which to attach or strap flat surface materials.

The primary difference between a furring strip and a common board is that a furring strip is primarily used as a substrate for a finish material like drywall or plaster, but a common board is a structural component used to build the foundation of a structure.

Furring Strip vs Common Board: What’s the Difference? Both furring strips and common boards are fairly inexpensive options for lumber. Both are usually made of softwood varieties. But which one should you choose for your DIY project? Furring strips are usually even less expensive than common boards.