Framing Lumber SPF / Doug Fir

“If we don’t have it, we will find it.”

• Long Length Douglas Fir (20’ – 28’)
• Kiln Dried Hem Fir
• Southern Yellow Pine
• Machine Stress Rated (MSR) Lumber
• Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL)

Supplier:

Lumber Mills
Tolko - http://www.tolko.com/index.php/products/lumber
Sierra Pacific - http://www.spi-ind.com/html/products_lumber.cfm

West Fraser
http://www.westfraser.com/products/lumber/index.asp

• A. Grading Agency
• B. Grades of material
• C. Other Facts about SPF/KDDF/White Fir

• a. Grading Agency
  • i. Western SPF - National Lumber Grades Authority - NLGA -
    The National Lumber Grades Authority or NLGA provides the rules regarding lumber grading standards that are approved and enforced by the Canadian Lumber Standards Accreditation Board or CLSAB and the American Lumber Standard or ALS Board of Review. Approval under the NLGA standards enables the acceptance of lumber products under the Canadian and US building codes.
    
    The NLGA membership consists of all the lumber manufacturer associations along with the independent lumber grading agencies in Canada that are accredited by both the CLSAB and the ALS. The National Grading Rule, which covers all North American dimension lumber that is 2" to 4" thick, establishes the standard lumber grades and grade names. This assures lumber users and buyers of uniform design and performance when using all commercial species of dimension lumber.
  • ii. Kiln Dried Doug Fir - Western Wood Product Association - WWPA -
    The Western Wood Products Association or WWPA is a trade association that represents softwood lumber manufacturers located in the 12 Western States- from the Canadian border going south towards Mexico and from the West Coast up to the Black Hills of South Dakota. Additionally, WWPA also provides its services for the State of Alaska.
    
    The main objective of WWPA is to provide lumber manufacturers with the proper grading rules and standards for their lumber products. Lumber products with the WWPA registered grade mark provides lumber buyers with the assurance that the lumber consistently meets with the standard grad specifications and performance standards developed for both local and international markets. The WWPA is certified as a lumber inspection and standards agency that is approved by the Board of Review of the American Lumber Standard Committee, Inc. or ALSC which operates under the jurisdiction of the US Department of Commerce. It also includes providing and testing lumber grading standards for Kiln Dried Douglas Fir lumber.
  • iii. Inland White Fir - Western Wood Product Association - WWPA -
    Just like Kiln Dried Douglas Fir lumber, the WWPA also covers providing testing and grading standards for Inland White Fir or Hem Fir lumber.
• b. Grades of material
  • i. Douglas Fir -
    The Douglas Fir is considered unique among the other softwood species because it is dimensionally stable, meaning that it doesn't considerably shrink in size in changing levels of moisture. This type of lumber is also known to season well in position. Because of its unique ability, most builders prefer using Douglas Fir- cutting it, nail and fastening it in its green or unseasoned condition.
    
    As framing lumber 2 inches or less in thickness, Douglas Fir lumber are shipped after being seasoned to a moisture content of 19 percent or less. They can either be air dried or kiln dried. It is indicated by being stamped S-DRY which can stand for either air or kiln dried varieties and KD-HT for Douglas Fir that has specifically been kiln dried.
    
    Lumber grading is assigned to lumber products on the basis of visual testing and/or mechanical testing. Graded lumber can be classified into structural lumber grade, Appearance grades or factory and shop grades. Douglas Fir products can belong in the three classifications. But in the case of framing lumber, Douglas firs are graded under structural lumber, products that are graded for its load bearing and load carrying properties.
  • ii. White Fir -
    The Hem Fir is similar to a White Fir in terms of their properties. Both are known to be elegant and versatile softwood species. The lumber is usually light in color, ranging from nearly white to a straw brown color. Not only that, it is also known for being strong, making it a preferred choice for those looking for a strong wood with a very light touch of color. Hem and White Firs are graded into three basic categories- for structural framing, appearance and remanufacturing grades.
    
    As for framing lumber grades, the Hem and White Fir is comparable to the Douglas Fir-Larch in terms of strength. That is why it is usually chosen for structural load bearing and load carrying uses in residential, light commercial and heavy construction. This type of lumber is usually used for dry framing with Hem Fir structural products usually stamped with S-DRY and KD. Most of such lumber grades are also used as dimension lumber with grades for structural light framing, light framing, as well as being used as STUD grades for vertical installations and structural joists and planks.
• c. Other Facts about SPF/KDDF/White Fir
  • i. HT Stamp -
    The American Lumber Standard Committee (ALSC) also provides certification for heat treatment (HT) programs for wood packaging materials in lumber mills to allow them to stamp qualifying lumber with the KD – HT mark. In collaboration with APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) and the wood packaging industry, it was implemented and developed in order to create a quality control program to allow ALSC to officially label heat treated wood packaging materials (WPM) with the ISPM 15 official mark to indicate compliance with the ISPM 15 standard.
    
    Producers of WPM under the HT program are required to produce wood packaging materials by one of two accepted methods in order to be ISPM 15 compliant. The WPM producer may purchase HT grade marked lumber from an ALSC accredited agency, and use that to make components for the construction of WPM. The other method is for a WPM producer to use non-heat treated lumber to create WPM. The resulting WPM product is then made to undergo heat treatment in a heat chamber for the product to achieve a minimum wood core temperature of 56 degree Celsius for 30 minutes. The resulting product must then be labeled with ALSC accredited Agency Quality Marks to make the heat treated WPM ISPM 15 compliant.