We're building a new house and will need to install wood trim soon. We will
need a lot of trim and want a natural or stained wood trim, so I'm trying
to figure out the least expensive option for the trim that will still be
attractive and not cause problems later. Our home will have a "rustic"
appearance, with knotty T&G cedar ceilings throughout, and one room that is
completely covered with T&G knotty pine. So, the trim can be a little
"rustic" as well.

I had originally planned on using 1x4 cedar boards for the trim, as it has
the color I am looking for without needing to stain. But, a few checks of
local prices quickly rules this out. So, I figure I'll use a less expensive
wood and stain it to the color we want.

Most other species of the 1x4's I have priced locally are almost as
expensive as the cedar 1x4's. So, I'm trying to come up with other options.

One thought I had is to buy standard kiln dried framing lumber (Douglas
Fir in our area) then rip it in half and plane it smooth. A bit more work,
but only 1/4 the price. If I go with smaller trim, I could even rip a 2x6
into 4 pieces for 1/8 the price. I've used framing lumber for other
woodworking projects in the past and it has worked out nicely. But, I
wonder what problems I might encounter using it for trim? And, I would have
to rip the trim on my table saw which would require two passes to cut all
the way through a 2x4. For areas inside door jambs and whatnot, I would
need to edge glue a couple of boards to get the width I need.

Another thought is to cut the tongues and grooves off of our ceiling lumber
and use that for trim. That would allow the trim to match the ceiling, but
I don't know if all those knots would work as well for trim as they do for
the ceiling?

A similar option would be to buy unfinished wood flooring and rip the
tongues and grooves off. But, I don't know how the price would compare with
just buying 1x4's ready to go.

Short of dismantling wood pallets, are there other options I might be able
to use?

Of course, the best option would be to find an inexpensive source for the
1x4 western red cedar boards, or maybe even redwood.

Thanks,

Anthony