Lumber ratings

Free Samples Available At Your Local Store! What is Grade lumber? Are there different grades of lumber? These depend on various factors like the type of wood used and the number and types of defects, if any.

Before we get into the different grades of lumber , let’s take a look at the various defects you may find in a piece of lumber. When selecting woo look for its grading stamp because different lumberyards sometimes use different names for the same grade. Premium and Standard grades. The grading system for white pine alone consists of about ten levels. The basic concept of grading is that the grade of all lumber is determined from the poorest face or side of the lumber , with a few cases considering the better face as well.

The NHLA rules were designed to provide the furniture industry a mathematically measurable method to grade lumber for its amount of clear, defect free wood. Wood has a sponge-like cellular structure that absorbs moisture under humid conditions and loses it when the air is dry. E: Machine Stress Rated (MSR) lumber is evaluated by mechanical stress rating equipment. The ratings are based on the amount of preservative used to treat the wood.

Lumber Yards in Frankfort on YP. ACpressure-treated wood is not recommended for saltwater immersion. Composite plastic lumber. All Major Categories Covered. So the general rule of thumb for lumber grades is this: the lower the number, the more strength and better appearance.

A quick visit to the American Wood Protection Association (AWPA) website will clear up this matter for you in minutes, if not seconds. At the time I wrote this column, there were no less than twelve different treated lumber ratings or categories for treated lumber. Each one is given a specific acronym category code such as UC UC all the way up to UCFB.

B Common, Sound Wormy, No. Hardwood lumber grades as defined by the U. Some of the above grades are rarely used commercially and others are typically combined. These markings signify the quality and strength of the wood. Wood markings identify the following: 1. All grades, except economy grade, are stress grade that is, fifth percentile specified strengths are assigned to the different engineering properties such as tensile strength parallel to grain, compression strength perpendicular to grain, longitudinal shear strength, etc. In terms of classification, there are two types of wood: hardwood and softwood.

The lumber industry uses a scale called the Janka Rating System to measure and rank the relative hardness of wood. Hickory is the hardest common wood that is commercially available, followed by pecan, hard maple and white oak. As lumber moves through a mill, grading inspectors review each piece and separate them onto different paths. The grades provide a tighter presumption of the structural performance of each piece. Department of Commerce, stipulates that a National Grading Rule Committee composed of members competent in the field of lumber technology shall establish, maintain and make fully and fairly available nomenclature and descriptions of grades for dimension lumber.

In this series, he’ll share everything cedar-relate from what exactly western red cedar is to the difference between kiln- and air-dried lumber to installation best practice. Today’s video is all about how to interpret western red cedar lumber grades. Designed to Last, Styles For Any Budget. Get the Flooring You Want Today!

The Number Common grade, also called cabinet grade, is used to produce kitchen cabinets and furniture parts. Unless you learn to speak the language, a trip to the lumberyard can seem like visiting a foreign country. The identification of the mill usually a number issued by the lumber association. Below are two examples of lumber labels: Grade Markings Grade markings identify the species and the strength of the woo these rate the woods’ strength from high to low. Select Structural, the highest grade and the strongest wood.

Elastic ratios for various wood species at approximately moisture content - see bottom of webpage. Western Wood Products Association Supported by Western lumber manufacturers, WWPA delivers lumber grading, quality control, technical, business information and product support services to sawmills as well as those who use Western softwood lumber products throughout the world. Simplified maximum span tables for selected visual and mechanical grades of Southern Pine lumber in sizes 2×thru 2×12.

Listed are tables based on common loading conditions for floor joists, ceiling joists and rafters.