# Lumber species



## wimp (Jul 19, 2007)

OK, here is a good multi-part question. Thanks in advance.

I have been reviewing many Architectural drawing sets for residential construction and finding that they specify either Doug-Fir or Hem-fir #2 or better for framing lumber. I live in the Northeast and can not find any lumber yards that stock this lumber (including Home Depot and Lowes). Everyone stocks Euro-Spruce. None of the lumber yards know what grade the lumber is or where the lumber comes from. For instance, Austrian spruce has different values than some other European country's spruce.

So here are the questions:

How does a designer specify the grade and species of lumber if they know that the contractor does not have the ability to buy a particular grade.

The worst quality Euro Spruce has somewhere in the 500psi bending stress. It is awful! what do you specify when designing with wood.

Is there a stamp on the Euro spruce which will tell someone what actual species and grade it is?

thanks

:brickwall:


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## grover (Jul 19, 2007)

Easy answer: liability. They know full well the installer isn't going to care, he's just going to buy whatever cheap 2x4s he can find. And honestly, unless this is a highly-stressed truss or something, the species of softwood isn't really going to matter much BUT, if the building collapses and the designer can point to the wrong wood? Well, easy out!

Can you contact the designer and get them to approve euro spruce? Doug/Hem-fir are probably common in his/her area, but every part of the country has different predominant species and that has to be taken into account. (Around here, it's impossible to find anything but SPF!)


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## kevo_55 (Jul 19, 2007)

wimp said:


> OK, here is a good multi-part question. Thanks in advance.
> I have been reviewing many Architectural drawing sets for residential construction and finding that they specify either Doug-Fir or Hem-fir #2 or better for framing lumber. I live in the Northeast and can not find any lumber yards that stock this lumber (including Home Depot and Lowes). Everyone stocks Euro-Spruce. None of the lumber yards know what grade the lumber is or where the lumber comes from. For instance, Austrian spruce has different values than some other European country's spruce.
> 
> So here are the questions:
> ...


Wow, I wouldn't use ANY wood species if it wasn't found in the NDS.

Grover is right, there is too much liability on the engineer's side.

When designing, the species and grade are both to be specified. If the species and/or grade can't be found, then it's usually rechecked with something else in an addendum calcualtion booklet.


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## jroyce (Jul 19, 2007)

We deal quite a bit with components in the building that would be anchored to the wood substrate. Generally on the drawings we will mark something to the effect of it has to have a specific gravity of G=0.55 or better for SYP or I think 0.45 for SPF. This generally takes care of that one wood issue and the availability of that wood in a particular region. The liability issue is the answer though. I couldn't tell you how many times I heard that the wood used was inferior to what was specified.

On another wood substrate question, anyone in FL know of any OSB or plywood that is approved for use in the hurricane section (HVHZ) of the state? I am trying to help a customer out and I can't find a single one that is approved.


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## MetroRAFB (Sep 2, 2007)

jroyce,

Sorry man, I'm six weeks late but just found this thread. I'll check on the plywood/OSB question first thing Monday morning on the off chance you haven't answered your own question by now.


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