And despite all the regulations, it's not hard to find a stamped 2x8/10/12 that is crowned one way with a huge knot on the underside that will eventually dry out, crack, sag, and fail to hold its load.
none of the regulation, codes, certifications mean anything if the inspector fails and they always do. it's all about keeping the little guy out and minimizing competition. if it weren't, there would be other work arounds. go in any house and you will find code violations. so for all the rules, codes, regulation and inspections, it all fails in the end. I've seen new homes wired with every wire in the entire house including the service entrance cable through a single knock out in an electrical panel, complete with an inspectors stamp. so much for codes and inspections, all you got was an over priced fire hazard.
@@cheyennethorpe8626 exactly. with all the modern building codes, it's surprising that any building older than 20 years is still standing if you listen to the engineers and codes people. fully 1/3 of modern lumber simply does not meet grade. with loose knots, checks, bows, crooks and tight knots that are fully 1/2 the size of the board, how they sell it as grade is criminal.
@@cheyennethorpe8626 Survivor bias. Most building were horribly built and quickly fell down. We are only looking at the buildings that were very well built and were worth maintaining and repairing. Flying buttresses are a great example. They aren't decoration. Cathedrals were built over decades in part so that they could figure out what was failing. Buttresses were added to support the roof loads pushing outward. If cracks opened, an outer "flying" buttress was added.
@@1djbecker here in my part of the world, northeastern Pennsylvania, I do a little bit of demolition from time to time. Most of the older housing, and commercial buildings did I have to take down, are all due to water and or foundation issues. Not many of them are due to substandard structural elements. It's always either the roof started leaking, water getting behind the siding, or just poor drainage on the property. I'll bet 90% of them or some type of water damage.
I must say, it is a joy to see someone on the net that give a non biased opinion. While trying to give as much information from both sides of the coin. Thank you sir.
Couple decades ago when I used to live in Southern California we lived in an apartment complex or should I say a condo complex because it was long buildings that were like 4 to 6 units per building, and they were very strict about the parking and they only issued two types of parking tags. The red tag said you were entitled to park outside the garage during the day, but once the sun went down your car needed to be in the garage, and you were entitled to one of those. The 24-hour parking sticker was a blue one which meant you could park it outside the garage in a parking space day and night. The problem was, if there was fewer available parking spaces than blue parking passes (even though there were more parking spaces than there were units in that complex) so you had to get on a waiting list. The main issue is I owned two cars, one for the wife one for me, and the garage was only big enough to fit my car. If you were a part of the homeowners association board you would just simply issue yourself as many blue parking passes as you wanted. For one of the HOA board members, he got a blue parking pass, his wife got a blue parking pass, and their two kids who also drove cars also got blue parking passes. This was a common theme for the HOA board members and their friends. Needless to say the rest of us were not happy about having to be on the waiting list when some families had four five and six blue parking passes. Needless to say I quickly came into possessions of the materials to make blue parking passes, and did so for myself and anyone else who was in the same situation as I was, and we just made damn sure to have our vehicles parked outside before the rest of the HOA family members showed up. Apparently the HOA had failed to record who got which parking pass number and even what was a valid number for a parking pass, they had just bought a bunch of these different colored parking passes without recording what the numbers were, so they couldn't tell what parking pass they issued and what parking pass was manufactured. Situation was quickly squashed by the time I left because nobody wanted to tally up what households had how many blue parking passes, because the HOA board members would quickly rat themselves out.
Thanks for all your background research on the grading topic. I ran into the same problem in central CO in the mid 90's. $10,000 to do the schooling, which took several months at that time. Hundreds of dollars per month for the "license" to grade, plus the cost of each grade of stamps you had in possession. Then there was a percentage fee of all the lumber/ beam value that you grade, with stringent records keeping involved. Then, like you stated, there were random, unannounced checks on what and how well you were doing with your grading process. I actually did an interview with Sawmill and Woodlot magazine and was published in an early issue about all this. The end result that it was cheaper to just hire the guy to come grade your pile of materials a couple times a year, or buy lousy store bought lumber. With lumber costs what they are right now, the first option is now an affordable although inconvenient way to go. Here in rural MT we don't have building codes, except in city limits, and the inspectors are somewhat lenient, providing you're not trying to pull a fast one on them! Again, thanks for your great content. steve
@@garrettkajmowicz The Timber Products Inspection Bureau grants the license, which can be subject to revocation at any time if they think you're not doing a good job! Its all political I'm sure .!
This is to keep the poor, poor and the rich controlling us. Building post and timber is much stronger, cheaper, uses less material and is faster and more energy efficient. They wanted to tac on a hefty bill so they came up with these fuckin codes. Why do I need a inspection to live in my own shitty built house....its my shit. If I sell it, fine, understood...But just like seat belts. They can eat shit. If I wanna be stupid and kill myself they can piss off lol
Got a laugh out of your intro last video (being originally from Florida, but spent almost half my life here in Michigan) & had to watch this one immediately after. ALSC is a GREAT resource for knowing your materials! I used to work for a contractor supply/lumber yard here in Michigan for a few years. To the point that i knew code as well or better than some of our contractors & should have gotten my own license. Here is why you WANT, regardless of beliefs in govt, your lumber stamped, but also know your grades yourself. Multiple layers of "insurance" should things go wrong. We always cover our rears, adding an inspection is doing just that. You now have 3rd party proof that it should have held. None of this stops bad people, which is why you should learn the grades & differences yourself. Your economy follows your housing market. In 2006, the yard I worked for was having trouble & housing was collapsing in our area (signalling the 07 market collapse). They found someone in Indiana or Ohio who would re-mark entire lifts of lumber for them. Turning #4 garbage into #1 premium boards. THIS IS HIGHLY ILLEGAL. I forget how many felonies it is for doing this, for every person involved, not just the marker. If you honestly think a big box store is doing this sort of thing, & make VERY sure, then make some phone calls. Not just your local Housing Dept & Inspector, but there are some lumber unions as well (ALSC again is a great resource!).
My cousin is having a house built in NY right now with rough cut lumber; no stamps, no kiln dried, and no issues. This house/dwelling has, do far, passed every inspection, including foundation, framing, roofing, and insulation. Minimum code is just that, minimum, I’ve never had an inspector do anything but compliment overbuilding when things are done better than minimum code. I’ve been installing whole home surge protectors on every new electrical service for well over a decade, NEC 2020 just made while home surge protectors required as minimum electrical code; going above and beyond isn’t an issue. To me minimum code is quite sub-par and not as good as most older construction, that has lasted.
As a contractor, when you see how bad the workmanship can get on a project, you quickly understand and appreciate the need for inspections and grading. Because I am not an engineer, I tend to over build. Sometimes I won't agree with codes that I feel are inadequate and build stronger than required.
As a builder I completely agree with this comment. There are several codes when framing a house that in my mind are unnecessary, while there are also several that are insufficient and I would never trust. Due to this i used to think that Inspections and code was just a scam and another way for the government to get money. but codes are the only thing preventing the carpenter trade from being completely over ran with hacks without violating someone's constitutional rights. A permit is a fraction of the cost of the price to hire someone who knows what they are doing to come back out and fix a hack job and I cant think of any time that a homeowner has been scammed out of money by a crook when they have pulled a permit
Good video. I am a certified grade (QC) for a big lumber company. I deal with the lumber inspector every 3 to 4 weeks. 12 visits a year. Also ser ALS around every 3 years. Lumber appearance is nice. There is a such things as a ugly stud. Lol.. lumber grading takes a good while to know. Specially every demention has there own grade. From knots, grain, wane, holes, and decay. Keep up on the good videos. I enjoy watching.
Troy we used some rough sawn pine for a combination timber/stick frame structures. Our code official allowed us to use the un-graded wood as long as we obtained a structural engineer stamp on the construction drawings. The structural engineer had to provide connection details for all members and fasteners. In short, just as you said, it is best to have a working conversation with your code officer.
Licensed engineer's stamp superseds code requirements. Anytime someone wants to build with exotic materials, they can do so with an engineer's approval. The only mind bender here is thinking about lumber as an "exotic material" instead of carbon fibre or titanium. Of course, the engineer assumes professional liability for work they stamp. Theoretically if an engineer did their work and found a structure made with toothpicks and bubblegum was alright, you could build it within code.
A building inspector in Colorado explained it thus. They protect the consumer from the contractors and subs. Now, If you have the ability to build a house in Jefferson county yourself, you do not need to get it inspected, but if anything happens and the insurance company refuses to pay, your on your own. If you get your work inspected, the building department will show up in court to help you counter the insurance company.
35 years ago I was living in Durango restoring a 100 year old house. I was young and stupid and decided I wanted to be a general contractor and went to the local inspection office and asked what I needed to get a contractors license. The lady at the desk said "What ?", and I said what test or tests do I need to pass to get a general contractors license. About that time another guy walked in and she said "Bob (or some name I no longer recall) this guy wants to know what he needs to be a general contractor". The guy just laughed and said "Hell, you only need a truck and a dog". He then explained to me that Colorado didn't do contractor licensing, they made it up in inspections. If you wanted to call yourself a contractor you just went ahead and did it. You could get a bonded license but that was just a financial thing not a technical thing. I liked that approach, but I moved back to New Mexico (which does have licensing) and never pursued it, probably the smartest thing I ever did.
Oregon permits sawn lumber if inspected and graded appropriately (no. 2) for the task, per oregon building code. Must also be same species in a given installation so as to not give load bearing differences.
I understand the need for inspections of lumber, structure, plumbing and electrical. However I've also seen some pretty shoddy construction on buildings that were "inspected." I lived in a house that was built way before stamped lumber or inspections. The studs (anywhere from 12" to 2' apart) looked like someone had grabbed them from the slabwood pile and the floor joists were logs, rotten by the time I was there. I'm not saying that it was well constructed but it is still there after 150 years. Here in VT the state and town (no county government to speak of) do not have inspections for private buildings or licensing for carpenters and I do not see any houses collapsing
... that moment when you are watching the speaker and you see something big and black moving in the woods behind him... totally thought that was a 🐻 black bear! 😆
Depends in New your where you live in the state and whst your building to if it's a barn cabin pole barn stuff like that sheds ext you can build it with sawmill board s per say
I tried using my trees and couldn’t get it to pass here in Pickens County Ga , Didnt have my mill then may try again with my mill my trees and my building.
Howdy! Just found your channel & subbed. Must be across the state line from you over in the western highlands of VA. We used to run multiple woodmizer band mills, & this is definitely an interesting topic you're discussing! -Josh
Thanks Troy for information that I had not completely realized before. I know about the inspections of lumber, but never thought about most of the projects most people take on and the type of lumber used. Of course I know Big Brother is there to protect the "Neighborhood" from someone trying to build a Scrap Wood type house, but never considered the Inspection before, (of course never milled any lumber before either). I watch and learn, so you and your family are providing some schooling for an old, old(too old to mill lumber anyway)man...
I'm from central WV also and all I can find in any of the big box stores, is lumber from Canada that is so badly handled that you could use it for rockers on rocking chairs and not have to shape it.
In the south the stamp is SPIB which stands for southern pine inspection breau, the inspections are for you and anyone who may buy it, also an insurance company will and can sue for fraud. Also build by the southern building code.
I believe codes and codebooks are a good thing. There is a codebook (API 1109) regarding weld inspection on pipelines being constructed or modified. The company that owns the pipeline does not want a junk product handed to them. And you probably do not want a pipeline blowing out near your place. Likewise, I do not believe that you would want your son or daughter to buy a house that did not at least meet the code minimums (standards). In the community that I grew up in on a lake, many of the old cottages were basically built yesteryear (ie 1930) from shipping crates. So they have the old plumbing, old sewer system, old insulation (if any), and cruddy old wiring. Most of these are wrecks with plastic siding over the surface of them. My father had 4 or5 sawmills when us kids grew up. So I do see the value of rough sawn lumber, planed or not in home construction.
I appreciate your caution about trying to get around the rules by imitating a real stamp. A copyright violation fine can cost $100,000 per copy -- as in every single stamped board.
So if you're building with logs then it's no problem right cut it take the bark off but that Solution on it did do the notches everything's fine and dandy right?
Salvaged lumber is my field and the conversation on getting salvaged lumber, Long Leaf Pine which I have a million board feet stocked up, and recertification does change the value potentially. Perhaps you will be able to address and offer a comparative analysis of fresh cut to the incredible savings of using salvaged lumber instead.
Town of Salina, Liverpool, NY (Central NY) My zoning code guy told me a few weeks back, I can use my own milled lumber only if my prints say its ok. I asked my architect what it would take to make that happen, and I'll quote "... how do you test and certify your personal milled lumber? I spec SPF #2 lumber with Fb 750/863 and E of 1100k . Something else can be specd, but we'll need to authenticate the values in order to comply with the building code." Not sure what the heck she means with that, but I'm just gonna go store bought for my home addition. I own 8 acres about a half hour north into the country, and that's where I'll utilize my mill other than trim boards.
Another way to build a house is with posts and beams. These put an H structure frame with the 8 or 10 inch square posts set about 2ft inboard of the corners and similar beams between them. This "table" frame supports the upper floors and similar frame sat on top supports the roof and/or purlins. Floor beams (and of course the posts) will need to be graded timber but the wall frames are not structural so can be any timber you like.
the trick is to use a few store bought boards with 75% your own as long as you use the same tree types. I might have done that a time or 2. also I don't own the saw mill which helps avoid suspicion. also it helped to live in an area with no building permits.
It depends on the inspector. A good inspector would immediately see the difference from normal 2 by material that has been planed smooth and has rounded Edge's. The surface of the board has no or very few saw marks. But some inspectors don't even notice joist hangers that have not been nailed off properly and that is important. So don't try to trick an inspector if you do every inspection from then on will be finding things that you just can't imagine.
You made a comment in here about inspections and building code and how they were originally done for safety. While I agree that the need for safety was the inspiration for at least most of them, there are still some codes that don't make sense to me.l
Thank you , Troy! Decided to go a legal way , following your suggestions. If I’ll start to produce I-joists where can I pass the inspection?Any contacts or names of organizations? Bless ya
There may be an exception for restoring old buildings, because it says they can be repaired in the way they were originally constructed. The idea being you're basically putting them back how they originally were, so if you have a rotted beam you can replace it with a new beam made like the original (and not inspected). This is important since old structures were often built with dimensional lumber that were true sizes and no longer available at big box stores.
Wow, it is very similar to welding certification. (Most welders misquote it like it is a once and done when really it is a continuous recertification on very specific type of weld)
Welding is a totally different game. I certified 6G when I was 21....But I could not do it now. You must make sure your welders are ready at each Job. A good contractor should have a REPUTATION not a government license !!!
When you receive Lumber you need to check it yourself as you use it. Typically there will be some Lumber that doesn't meet the inspection standard as marked. It's hard for a inspector to be fast and completely accurate. Set those boards aside and use them for things that need to be cut. Cut around the defects. You also will get some boards that are marked Select Structural and other boards that are just much better quality set them aside for places that you need that quality. A big problem is lumber that is stamped common when you need 2 and better. Some dealers substitute the lower grade Lumber in spite of what you actually order. You get a framing inspection and fail because the grade is wrong and your building inspector never trusts you again.
I like your style and am impressed with your knowledge. I would like to meet you in person to discuss the disposition of the byproducts of our manufacturing process. My name is Dean Johnson. I’m with Synergy Stakes in Macon, Georgia. We produce silt fence stakes from rough cut lumber from various regional sawmills. We are a few months into our new facility and are processing about 10-12 thousand bf a day. Ultimately it would be 80,000 bf per. Since it’s all rough I sometimes wind up with thousands of bf of green boards not of acceptable size for our product but perfectly salable to another user, I’ll I had one. Currently this excess is going to the grinder and begin hauled to a paper mill. I’d like to discuss options.
The stamp is a notice of species and grade of lumber,, and the stamp grades the lumber as to modulus of elasticity, shear and bending. Every species has a range of strengths that are quantified to those numbers. You also will have some consideration as to propensity to rot, and or twist and deform when drying. What your stamp will mean is that you have personally guaranteed the structural appraisal and hence , application, of the finished lumber. You should be a corporation in case someone sues you. You may need an attorney on retainer. You stamp it. You guarantee it.
I wanted to build a log cabin on the block I own, I wanted to mill three flat sides (with a routered lock in system at the top and bottom of the log) and have one rough side to face outside, the logs where going to be 300mm (12in) in diameter and was told because they wouldn't be graded I wasn't allowed so I was told to build it out of 90x35 and mill the boards for the front. So according to my local government it's safer to use 1/10th of the timber in our house construction because it has a stamp on it. It makes absolutely no sense what so ever.
San Diego Ca--- I have been buying lumber from Home Depot for years and have never seen a stamped piece of lumber!!! all they have is a bar code paper stapled to the end!!! So there is nothing for an inspector to look at !!! Now, the home building process does come with a horde of inspectors for structural, electrical, plumbing, ad nausium... all who have to sign off on a home before the next step can begin and before the home can be inhabited...
My father was the manager of Canadian Lumber Standards. One of his jobs was tracking down fraudulent grade stamps. He once stopped an entire boatload of lumber at the dock and had all the lumber removed and regraded before it could be shipped. He taught lumber grading classes. 80% of Canada's lumber lands in the USA so we really like to maintain our integrity. All grade stamps feature the number code for the mill in question. So it is easy for an inspector to look at the grading standards and the actual grade stamps from that mill. The stamps are like fingerprints. A lot of lumber is now is machine stress graded so no human actually touches it. Codes are printed directly onto the lumber and are not easily doctored. A good tradesmen will still chuck out the occasional stick due to imperfections.
re: the summer cottage idea. I pretty sure I remember that in the UK if you built a structure and it went undetected for 25 years by the authorities it was accepted as a building/home or whatever it was. Not sure if that remains the case today. Obviously a slightly more crowded country than the US so it would be a rare thing. Now in an Appalachian holler wouldn't it be easy to just build a small cottage ( to a high standard of course ) and with friendly neighbors get away from the pencil necks in the bureaucracy and their fees that eat us out of our sustenance? Also does such a 25 yr rule or something similar exist in the US anywhere?
Actually building codes are fueled by national building associations, lumber manufactures ( Corporate Labor Unions). And yes life safety is promoted by fire departments.
Energizer hardcase professional, bought on clearance at Cambodian Tire but it has outlasted a dozen headlamps, so warn out I've had to knot the strap to keep tension and gone through enough double AA batteries to power a small city. Sorry long story short, although I've missed the sale, I'm interested in these light. For when the energizer finally shines no more, it shall truly be a dark day.
Most of the lumber I have milled for structural building purposes is usually with less knots and from the center of the tree. The first few cuts I do are usually 1x and used for trim etc. on the outer part of the tree depending on the size of tree Im milling. If you build a structure use bigger lumber sizes. Building with 4x instead of 2x if you use a typically non structural lumber species. If you sell your milled lumber sell it as non structural lumber.
Very good and informative video...... I think none structure wood you as a private person can make the best money with anyhow. I think perfect are balusters, hand rails, crowing and base molding I think is the best version. Plus big logs in general. I know a lot of people with money love to use decorative lumber to encase objects like a beam in a house. Also very very good money is in kitchen cabinets.Same with bathroom vanities. I think those are the best money maker. Less the cabinet but the front panel of the cabinet. You have to think what you have and what your market is. I see more and more IKEA like expensive cabinets which are great quality for the cabinet frame and all, but the front and doors are MDF and not solid wood. Those are a best mix. Panels for kitchens and bathrooms is there the money and market is because not a lot of good Companies and products are out there. Simple design with great quality is something a lot of people will pay the price not thinking twice about it. Also I myself just ran into the issue with an IKEA kitchen where the MDF panels crack splinter and the paint color even changes. So if people know they can do change a full on kitchen's look by changing and redoing the panels it can be a big money safer and profit in the pocket, like you want to sell your house but have 2-5 panels in your kitchen to look nasty so replace them this way. Just ideas because I see the market is missing out there.
I understand, to some degree, the need to be educated on the inspection process regarding structural lumber. But the fact that the cost to obtain and (specifically) Maintain that ability tells you what that is Really all about
Many years ago I used to grade lumber in a mill. If I'm qualified to grade lumber there - and have that product shipped internationally, then I fail to see why I would be un-qualified to grade my own lumber made in a mill at home. Same stuff as far as I can see.
Tennessee SB822 Admindment 2 authorizes any person using homestead lumber to be able to choose to be exempt from state or local building codes regarding ASSPS lumber inspection. The same law also permits commercial sawmills to self certify native lumber. As amended, tn title 5; 6; 43, chapter 28, part 3; amd title 68 chapter 120, The Tennessee native lumber Act, 2016
can you build a structure with stamped lumber for structure, roofing and support walls, then home milled for none support walls of a standard size? It seems that would save a ton of money in a build.
I appreciate the balance between 'follow the rules, they make you not die' and 'but you don't have to pay through the nose to do it and pay the wacky shit'
@@DSiren that's about right, I think. Gotta codify "don't be an idiot when you're building something that people are going to live under" but hell, I wish it were easier to get them to sign off that you haven't been...
Looking forward to the timber frame discussion. You quickly mentioned it but is the round over on the corners part of the inspection? Can rough lumber pass inspection? My understanding is the round over is for fire safety and to reduce splitting stress.
@@RedToolHouse I have cousin in right now West Virginia a church group built a house next door because there’s and allowed the roof overhang to overhang their house they’re still fighting in court over it
VA pine is what I was planning on milling into dimensional lumber, but I have heard it warps badly when it dries. What is your experience with this, please? Is this a viable source for studs?
It does move a bit. I haven't noticed that it moves excessively. I have used it for barn siding and it has done fine. Have used it for 2x4 for a chicken coop. They did fine too. I would make sure you have plenty of weight on your stack as it air dries.
I had thought the inspection process was automated where each piece of lumber was run through and deflection under load was measured. Better stuff was pulled for use in trusses. Lessor boards marked for generic stud grade. Seems like could be cost prohibitive for smaller mills. Not sure how one could use visual inspection for such a test.
well having a sawmill i read up on it i don't remember all the particulars it was 15+yrs ago it was kind of like different formulas so many knots at a certain size , the location of the knots factored in, 1 knot of a certain size or larger automatically downgraded it. There were quite a few things that factored into it
Good video sir. I'm a sawyer and work at a commercial sawmill in Marysville Ohio and we mainly saw hardwoods. We run a frick circle mill and do saw some soft woods for barns but what they do with it is on them. I've spoke with my boss about grading lumber and it's not worth the price and time but we know and the customer knows if it's clear and prime material but structural is on a different scale. You know its structurally sound after learning your species and how trees grow but you just cant stamp it. Thanks again for the information on this. If ya get a chance we have a few videos we've recently posted here on TH-cam Kreis lumber, check them out ~Ryan
I remember my church made an additition to a building the inspector cam by said NO, tear it out, with no explination refused to say how it should be done ..."that wasn't his job" and "get someone who knows how"...
So what is the solution for people who are procuring their lumber from their own wood lots? Is there freelance inspectors who will come to your lumber pile and grade/stamp it? Could that be done economically? If such a service industry exists, where would one shop for that service?
But you know and I know that that rough cut lumber is 90% sturdier than what you would buy from a big box store whether it be for a load-bearing wall or what it's more sturdier
You should also do a more detailed explanation of how "hardwood" and "softwood" is a botanical descriptor and not a structural descriptor. Pine is botanical "hardwood", but you wouldn't use it to build a 3 story house.
And despite all the regulations, it's not hard to find a stamped 2x8/10/12 that is crowned one way with a huge knot on the underside that will eventually dry out, crack, sag, and fail to hold its load.
none of the regulation, codes, certifications mean anything if the inspector fails and they always do. it's all about keeping the little guy out and minimizing competition. if it weren't, there would be other work arounds. go in any house and you will find code violations. so for all the rules, codes, regulation and inspections, it all fails in the end. I've seen new homes wired with every wire in the entire house including the service entrance cable through a single knock out in an electrical panel, complete with an inspectors stamp. so much for codes and inspections, all you got was an over priced fire hazard.
Several thousand years without regulations or inspectors... How did we ever manage??
@@cheyennethorpe8626 exactly. with all the modern building codes, it's surprising that any building older than 20 years is still standing if you listen to the engineers and codes people.
fully 1/3 of modern lumber simply does not meet grade. with loose knots, checks, bows, crooks and tight knots that are fully 1/2 the size of the board, how they sell it as grade is criminal.
@@cheyennethorpe8626 Survivor bias. Most building were horribly built and quickly fell down. We are only looking at the buildings that were very well built and were worth maintaining and repairing.
Flying buttresses are a great example. They aren't decoration. Cathedrals were built over decades in part so that they could figure out what was failing. Buttresses were added to support the roof loads pushing outward. If cracks opened, an outer "flying" buttress was added.
@@1djbecker here in my part of the world, northeastern Pennsylvania, I do a little bit of demolition from time to time. Most of the older housing, and commercial buildings did I have to take down, are all due to water and or foundation issues. Not many of them are due to substandard structural elements. It's always either the roof started leaking, water getting behind the siding, or just poor drainage on the property. I'll bet 90% of them or some type of water damage.
I must say, it is a joy to see someone on the net that give a non biased opinion. While trying to give as much information from both sides of the coin. Thank you sir.
Couple decades ago when I used to live in Southern California we lived in an apartment complex or should I say a condo complex because it was long buildings that were like 4 to 6 units per building, and they were very strict about the parking and they only issued two types of parking tags.
The red tag said you were entitled to park outside the garage during the day, but once the sun went down your car needed to be in the garage, and you were entitled to one of those.
The 24-hour parking sticker was a blue one which meant you could park it outside the garage in a parking space day and night.
The problem was, if there was fewer available parking spaces than blue parking passes (even though there were more parking spaces than there were units in that complex) so you had to get on a waiting list.
The main issue is I owned two cars, one for the wife one for me, and the garage was only big enough to fit my car.
If you were a part of the homeowners association board you would just simply issue yourself as many blue parking passes as you wanted.
For one of the HOA board members, he got a blue parking pass, his wife got a blue parking pass, and their two kids who also drove cars also got blue parking passes.
This was a common theme for the HOA board members and their friends.
Needless to say the rest of us were not happy about having to be on the waiting list when some families had four five and six blue parking passes.
Needless to say I quickly came into possessions of the materials to make blue parking passes, and did so for myself and anyone else who was in the same situation as I was, and we just made damn sure to have our vehicles parked outside before the rest of the HOA family members showed up.
Apparently the HOA had failed to record who got which parking pass number and even what was a valid number for a parking pass, they had just bought a bunch of these different colored parking passes without recording what the numbers were, so they couldn't tell what parking pass they issued and what parking pass was manufactured. Situation was quickly squashed by the time I left because nobody wanted to tally up what households had how many blue parking passes, because the HOA board members would quickly rat themselves out.
You do a great job with these topics, Troy! I really appreciate the calm and balanced viewpoints you present!
Open minded and understanding is good way to look at it.
I can't wait for the timber frame discussion!
What a beautiful day to be in West Virginia! Spring is in the air.
Thanks for all your background research on the grading topic. I ran into the same problem in central CO in the mid 90's. $10,000 to do the schooling, which took several months at that time. Hundreds of dollars per month for the "license" to grade, plus the cost of each grade of stamps you had in possession. Then there was a percentage fee of all the lumber/ beam value that you grade, with stringent records keeping involved. Then, like you stated, there were random, unannounced checks on what and how well you were doing with your grading process. I actually did an interview with Sawmill and Woodlot magazine and was published in an early issue about all this. The end result that it was cheaper to just hire the guy to come grade your pile of materials a couple times a year, or buy lousy store bought lumber. With lumber costs what they are right now, the first option is now an affordable although inconvenient way to go. Here in rural MT we don't have building codes, except in city limits, and the inspectors are somewhat lenient, providing you're not trying to pull a fast one on them! Again, thanks for your great content. steve
Who issues the "license"?
@@garrettkajmowicz The Timber Products Inspection Bureau grants the license, which can be subject to revocation at any time if they think you're not doing a good job! Its all political I'm sure .!
This is to keep the poor, poor and the rich controlling us. Building post and timber is much stronger, cheaper, uses less material and is faster and more energy efficient. They wanted to tac on a hefty bill so they came up with these fuckin codes. Why do I need a inspection to live in my own shitty built house....its my shit. If I sell it, fine, understood...But just like seat belts. They can eat shit. If I wanna be stupid and kill myself they can piss off lol
Thank you Troy for sharing your research! This is incredibly interesting!
Got a laugh out of your intro last video (being originally from Florida, but spent almost half my life here in Michigan) & had to watch this one immediately after. ALSC is a GREAT resource for knowing your materials! I used to work for a contractor supply/lumber yard here in Michigan for a few years. To the point that i knew code as well or better than some of our contractors & should have gotten my own license.
Here is why you WANT, regardless of beliefs in govt, your lumber stamped, but also know your grades yourself. Multiple layers of "insurance" should things go wrong. We always cover our rears, adding an inspection is doing just that. You now have 3rd party proof that it should have held.
None of this stops bad people, which is why you should learn the grades & differences yourself. Your economy follows your housing market. In 2006, the yard I worked for was having trouble & housing was collapsing in our area (signalling the 07 market collapse). They found someone in Indiana or Ohio who would re-mark entire lifts of lumber for them. Turning #4 garbage into #1 premium boards. THIS IS HIGHLY ILLEGAL. I forget how many felonies it is for doing this, for every person involved, not just the marker.
If you honestly think a big box store is doing this sort of thing, & make VERY sure, then make some phone calls. Not just your local Housing Dept & Inspector, but there are some lumber unions as well (ALSC again is a great resource!).
Very interested in the log cabin discussion; specifically, "When does lumber become logs?"
Hey Troy, thanks for researching this topic. I'm never going to build a house; I still find it interesting.
Excellent presentation about lumber inspections and solar generators. I'm looking forward to future videos of the camp construction.
My cousin is having a house built in NY right now with rough cut lumber; no stamps, no kiln dried, and no issues. This house/dwelling has, do far, passed every inspection, including foundation, framing, roofing, and insulation. Minimum code is just that, minimum, I’ve never had an inspector do anything but compliment overbuilding when things are done better than minimum code. I’ve been installing whole home surge protectors on every new electrical service for well over a decade, NEC 2020 just made while home surge protectors required as minimum electrical code; going above and beyond isn’t an issue. To me minimum code is quite sub-par and not as good as most older construction, that has lasted.
Hello, I'm from the government, and I'm here to help you!!!!!!!!
As a contractor, when you see how bad the workmanship can get on a project, you quickly understand and appreciate the need for inspections and grading. Because I am not an engineer, I tend to over build. Sometimes I won't agree with codes that I feel are inadequate and build stronger than required.
anybody can make a house stand (overbuild), it takes an engineer to make a house barely stand. lol
As a builder I completely agree with this comment. There are several codes when framing a house that in my mind are unnecessary, while there are also several that are insufficient and I would never trust. Due to this i used to think that Inspections and code was just a scam and another way for the government to get money. but codes are the only thing preventing the carpenter trade from being completely over ran with hacks without violating someone's constitutional rights. A permit is a fraction of the cost of the price to hire someone who knows what they are doing to come back out and fix a hack job and I cant think of any time that a homeowner has been scammed out of money by a crook when they have pulled a permit
Good video. I am a certified grade (QC) for a big lumber company. I deal with the lumber inspector every 3 to 4 weeks. 12 visits a year. Also ser ALS around every 3 years. Lumber appearance is nice. There is a such things as a ugly stud. Lol.. lumber grading takes a good while to know. Specially every demention has there own grade. From knots, grain, wane, holes, and decay. Keep up on the good videos. I enjoy watching.
Troy we used some rough sawn pine for a combination timber/stick frame structures. Our code official allowed us to use the un-graded wood as long as we obtained a structural engineer stamp on the construction drawings. The structural engineer had to provide connection details for all members and fasteners. In short, just as you said, it is best to have a working conversation with your code officer.
Licensed engineer's stamp superseds code requirements. Anytime someone wants to build with exotic materials, they can do so with an engineer's approval. The only mind bender here is thinking about lumber as an "exotic material" instead of carbon fibre or titanium.
Of course, the engineer assumes professional liability for work they stamp. Theoretically if an engineer did their work and found a structure made with toothpicks and bubblegum was alright, you could build it within code.
I just bought my own mill i cant wait to start milling
A building inspector in Colorado explained it thus. They protect the consumer from the contractors and subs. Now, If you have the ability to build a house in Jefferson county yourself, you do not need to get it inspected, but if anything happens and the insurance company refuses to pay, your on your own. If you get your work inspected, the building department will show up in court to help you counter the insurance company.
35 years ago I was living in Durango restoring a 100 year old house. I was young and stupid and decided I wanted to be a general contractor and went to the local inspection office and asked what I needed to get a contractors license. The lady at the desk said "What ?", and I said what test or tests do I need to pass to get a general contractors license. About that time another guy walked in and she said "Bob (or some name I no longer recall) this guy wants to know what he needs to be a general contractor".
The guy just laughed and said "Hell, you only need a truck and a dog". He then explained to me that Colorado didn't do contractor licensing, they made it up in inspections. If you wanted to call yourself a contractor you just went ahead and did it. You could get a bonded license but that was just a financial thing not a technical thing.
I liked that approach, but I moved back to New Mexico (which does have licensing) and never pursued it, probably the smartest thing I ever did.
@@james_robnett NY doesn't license contractors either. Some cities do, however.
New to the channel, thanks for the brass tacks useful information. I'm sure it's gonna save a lot of people a lot of time.
Thank you for just providing some of the info we are needing, while planning a barn/guest house built from our own white pine .
This was a topic i had not thought about i thank you for the information
Oregon permits sawn lumber if inspected and graded appropriately (no. 2) for the task, per oregon building code. Must also be same species in a given installation so as to not give load bearing differences.
I understand the need for inspections of lumber, structure, plumbing and electrical. However I've also seen some pretty shoddy construction on buildings that were "inspected." I lived in a house that was built way before stamped lumber or inspections. The studs (anywhere from 12" to 2' apart) looked like someone had grabbed them from the slabwood pile and the floor joists were logs, rotten by the time I was there. I'm not saying that it was well constructed but it is still there after 150 years. Here in VT the state and town (no county government to speak of) do not have inspections for private buildings or licensing for carpenters and I do not see any houses collapsing
Love watching your videos! Another native with the same goals and mindset! Thankful for so much information and practical conversation and ideas!
I'm from Canada but your video is awesome. Thanks again
Great video. Well done!
Informative, really for anyone using a sawmill.
Very Informative video - thank you
I think of myself as a master lumber man
when I rip and plane a 1x4 I remove from a pallet
... that moment when you are watching the speaker and you see something big and black moving in the woods behind him... totally thought that was a 🐻 black bear! 😆
Ha! I have been getting that comment a bunch lately.
@@RedToolHouse so funny!!
That is a hog
Samsquatch
@@jjones503 Hamsqautch
Depends in New your where you live in the state and whst your building to if it's a barn cabin pole barn stuff like that sheds ext you can build it with sawmill board s per say
I tried using my trees and couldn’t get it to pass here in Pickens County Ga , Didnt have my mill then may try again with my mill my trees and my building.
Howdy! Just found your channel & subbed. Must be across the state line from you over in the western highlands of VA.
We used to run multiple woodmizer band mills, & this is definitely an interesting topic you're discussing! -Josh
Thank you for all the information. Looking forward to the timber frame and log building information.
Coming soon!
Thanks Troy for information that I had not completely realized before. I know about the inspections of lumber, but never thought about most of the projects most people take on and the type of lumber used. Of course I know Big Brother is there to protect the "Neighborhood" from someone trying to build a Scrap Wood type house, but never considered the Inspection before, (of course never milled any lumber before either). I watch and learn, so you and your family are providing some schooling for an old, old(too old to mill lumber anyway)man...
I'm from central WV also and all I can find in any of the big box stores, is lumber from Canada that is so badly handled that you could use it for rockers on rocking chairs and not have to shape it.
In the south the stamp is SPIB which stands for southern pine inspection breau, the inspections are for you and anyone who may buy it, also an insurance company will and can sue for fraud. Also build by the southern building code.
Great vids, great info.
I believe codes and codebooks are a good thing. There is a codebook (API 1109) regarding weld inspection on pipelines being constructed or modified.
The company that owns the pipeline does not want a junk product handed to them. And you probably do not want a pipeline blowing out near your place. Likewise, I do not believe that you would want your son or daughter to buy a house that did not at least meet the code minimums (standards).
In the community that I grew up in on a lake, many of the old cottages were basically built yesteryear (ie 1930) from shipping crates. So they have the old plumbing, old sewer system, old insulation (if any), and cruddy old wiring. Most of these are wrecks with plastic siding over the surface of them. My father had 4 or5 sawmills when us kids grew up. So I do see the value of rough sawn lumber, planed or not in home construction.
I’ll build with what I want!
I appreciate your caution about trying to get around the rules by imitating a real stamp. A copyright violation fine can cost $100,000 per copy -- as in every single stamped board.
So if you're building with logs then it's no problem right cut it take the bark off but that Solution on it did do the notches everything's fine and dandy right?
Great video, odd question at what dimension do most inspectors no longer consider structural and consider beams than logs
Another great video 👊😎 thank you very much
Salvaged lumber is my field and the conversation on getting salvaged lumber, Long Leaf Pine which I have a million board feet stocked up, and recertification does change the value potentially. Perhaps you will be able to address and offer a comparative analysis of fresh cut to the incredible savings of using salvaged lumber instead.
Town of Salina, Liverpool, NY (Central NY) My zoning code guy told me a few weeks back, I can use my own milled lumber only if my prints say its ok. I asked my architect what it would take to make that happen, and I'll quote "... how do you test and certify your personal milled lumber? I spec SPF #2 lumber with Fb 750/863 and E of 1100k . Something else can be specd, but we'll need to authenticate the values in order to comply with the building code."
Not sure what the heck she means with that, but I'm just gonna go store bought for my home addition. I own 8 acres about a half hour north into the country, and that's where I'll utilize my mill other than trim boards.
Great information.
I just like watching your channel. Pretty cool stuff.
Another way to build a house is with posts and beams. These put an H structure frame with the 8 or 10 inch square posts set about 2ft inboard of the corners and similar beams between them. This "table" frame supports the upper floors and similar frame sat on top supports the roof and/or purlins. Floor beams (and of course the posts) will need to be graded timber but the wall frames are not structural so can be any timber you like.
Troy - love all of your videos - you totally rock it !!
Great video. Look forward to timber frame video.
Lumber is literally rotting on the racks at my local big box store. The price has come down sharply as of July 8, 2021.
the trick is to use a few store bought boards with 75% your own as long as you use the same tree types. I might have done that a time or 2. also I don't own the saw mill which helps avoid suspicion. also it helped to live in an area with no building permits.
... Would they not notice that 3/4ths of your boards don't have any stamps on them?
It depends on the inspector. A good inspector would immediately see the difference from normal 2 by material that has been planed smooth and has rounded Edge's. The surface of the board has no or very few saw marks. But some inspectors don't even notice joist hangers that have not been nailed off properly and that is important. So don't try to trick an inspector if you do every inspection from then on will be finding things that you just can't imagine.
thank you for sharing all your knowledge!
You made a comment in here about inspections and building code and how they were originally done for safety. While I agree that the need for safety was the inspiration for at least most of them, there are still some codes that don't make sense to me.l
Thank you , Troy! Decided to go a legal way , following your suggestions. If I’ll start to produce I-joists where can I pass the inspection?Any contacts or names of organizations? Bless ya
How can you find out what types of lumber you can use for structured building. Pine is predominant but what about cedar or beech
There may be an exception for restoring old buildings, because it says they can be repaired in the way they were originally constructed. The idea being you're basically putting them back how they originally were, so if you have a rotted beam you can replace it with a new beam made like the original (and not inspected). This is important since old structures were often built with dimensional lumber that were true sizes and no longer available at big box stores.
depending on where you live some require all new work comply with code example you build an addition that addition has to meet current code.
thanks for all the great info and interesting subjects. i'm specifically interested in the timber framing discussions.
Great discussion, let's talk timber framing
Wow, it is very similar to welding certification. (Most welders misquote it like it is a once and done when really it is a continuous recertification on very specific type of weld)
Welding is a totally different game. I certified 6G when I was 21....But I could not do it now. You must make sure your welders are ready at each Job. A good contractor should have a REPUTATION not a government license !!!
When you receive Lumber you need to check it yourself as you use it. Typically there will be some Lumber that doesn't meet the inspection standard as marked. It's hard for a inspector to be fast and completely accurate. Set those boards aside and use them for things that need to be cut. Cut around the defects. You also will get some boards that are marked Select Structural and other boards that are just much better quality set them aside for places that you need that quality. A big problem is lumber that is stamped common when you need 2 and better. Some dealers substitute the lower grade Lumber in spite of what you actually order. You get a framing inspection and fail because the grade is wrong and your building inspector never trusts you again.
I like your style and am impressed with your knowledge. I would like to meet you in person to discuss the disposition of the byproducts of our manufacturing process. My name is Dean Johnson. I’m with Synergy Stakes in Macon, Georgia. We produce silt fence stakes from rough cut lumber from various regional sawmills. We are a few months into our new facility and are processing about 10-12 thousand bf a day. Ultimately it would be 80,000 bf per. Since it’s all rough I sometimes wind up with thousands of bf of green boards not of acceptable size for our product but perfectly salable to another user, I’ll I had one. Currently this excess is going to the grinder and begin hauled to a paper mill. I’d like to discuss options.
The stamp is a notice of species and grade of lumber,, and the stamp grades the lumber as to modulus of elasticity, shear and bending. Every species has a range of strengths that are quantified to those numbers. You also will have some consideration as to propensity to rot, and or twist and deform when drying.
What your stamp will mean is that you have personally guaranteed the structural appraisal and hence , application, of the finished lumber. You should be a corporation in case someone sues you. You may need an attorney on retainer.
You stamp it. You guarantee it.
I wanted to build a log cabin on the block I own, I wanted to mill three flat sides (with a routered lock in system at the top and bottom of the log) and have one rough side to face outside, the logs where going to be 300mm (12in) in diameter and was told because they wouldn't be graded I wasn't allowed so I was told to build it out of 90x35 and mill the boards for the front. So according to my local government it's safer to use 1/10th of the timber in our house construction because it has a stamp on it. It makes absolutely no sense what so ever.
San Diego Ca--- I have been buying lumber from Home Depot for years and have never seen a stamped piece of lumber!!! all they have is a bar code paper stapled to the end!!! So there is nothing for an inspector to look at !!! Now, the home building process does come with a horde of inspectors for structural, electrical, plumbing, ad nausium... all who have to sign off on a home before the next step can begin and before the home can be inhabited...
My father was the manager of Canadian Lumber Standards. One of his jobs was tracking down fraudulent grade stamps. He once stopped an entire boatload of lumber at the dock and had all the lumber removed and regraded before it could be shipped. He taught lumber grading classes. 80% of Canada's lumber lands in the USA so we really like to maintain our integrity.
All grade stamps feature the number code for the mill in question. So it is easy for an inspector to look at the grading standards and the actual grade stamps from that mill. The stamps are like fingerprints. A lot of lumber is now is machine stress graded so no human actually touches it.
Codes are printed directly onto the lumber and are not easily doctored. A good tradesmen will still chuck out the occasional stick due to imperfections.
re: the summer cottage idea.
I pretty sure I remember that in the UK if you built a structure and it went undetected for 25 years by the authorities it was accepted as a building/home or whatever it was.
Not sure if that remains the case today.
Obviously a slightly more crowded country than the US so it would be a rare thing.
Now in an Appalachian holler wouldn't it be easy to just build a small cottage ( to a high standard of course ) and with friendly neighbors get away from the pencil necks in the bureaucracy and their fees that eat us out of our sustenance?
Also does such a 25 yr rule or something similar exist in the US anywhere?
Doubt there us a place with a 25 year rule. Maybe some random law in some random tiny town from a hundred years ago
Actually building codes are fueled by national building associations, lumber manufactures ( Corporate Labor Unions). And yes life safety is promoted by fire departments.
👍⭐🤔⭐⭐🐕
Energizer hardcase professional, bought on clearance at Cambodian Tire but it has outlasted a dozen headlamps, so warn out I've had to knot the strap to keep tension and gone through enough double AA batteries to power a small city. Sorry long story short, although I've missed the sale, I'm interested in these light. For when the energizer finally shines no more, it shall truly be a dark day.
Most of the lumber I have milled for structural building purposes is usually with less knots and from the center of the tree. The first few cuts I do are usually 1x and used for trim etc. on the outer part of the tree depending on the size of tree Im milling.
If you build a structure use bigger lumber sizes. Building with 4x instead of 2x if you use a typically non structural lumber species. If you sell your milled lumber sell it as non structural lumber.
Very good and informative video...... I think none structure wood you as a private person can make the best money with anyhow. I think perfect are balusters, hand rails, crowing and base molding I think is the best version. Plus big logs in general. I know a lot of people with money love to use decorative lumber to encase objects like a beam in a house. Also very very good money is in kitchen cabinets.Same with bathroom vanities. I think those are the best money maker. Less the cabinet but the front panel of the cabinet. You have to think what you have and what your market is. I see more and more IKEA like expensive cabinets which are great quality for the cabinet frame and all, but the front and doors are MDF and not solid wood. Those are a best mix. Panels for kitchens and bathrooms is there the money and market is because not a lot of good Companies and products are out there. Simple design with great quality is something a lot of people will pay the price not thinking twice about it. Also I myself just ran into the issue with an IKEA kitchen where the MDF panels crack splinter and the paint color even changes. So if people know they can do change a full on kitchen's look by changing and redoing the panels it can be a big money safer and profit in the pocket, like you want to sell your house but have 2-5 panels in your kitchen to look nasty so replace them this way. Just ideas because I see the market is missing out there.
I understand, to some degree, the need to be educated on the inspection process regarding structural lumber. But the fact that the cost to obtain and (specifically) Maintain that ability tells you what that is Really all about
Va. Says u dont have to have stamped lumber if the wood come from your property?
Do you know if there are inspectors that will come inspect your sawmill wood for structural approval?
I’m from Canada,we have the same concerns and lumber restrictions.it all boils down to government control.
Many years ago I used to grade lumber in a mill. If I'm qualified to grade lumber there - and have that product shipped internationally, then I fail to see why I would be un-qualified to grade my own lumber made in a mill at home. Same stuff as far as I can see.
Tennessee SB822 Admindment 2 authorizes any person using homestead lumber to be able to choose to be exempt from state or local building codes regarding ASSPS lumber inspection. The same law also permits commercial sawmills to self certify native lumber. As amended, tn title 5; 6; 43, chapter 28, part 3; amd title 68 chapter 120, The Tennessee native lumber Act, 2016
I have a video about that very point
can you build a structure with stamped lumber for structure, roofing and support walls, then home milled for none support walls of a standard size? It seems that would save a ton of money in a build.
Thank you for the info!!
Post and beam that's my dream.
Only need subscription for the month you graded the lumber? Want to know more about the NY legal loopholes please!
We're wanting to build a cabin in the next year or so, so looking forward to that discussion!
What if you plan to build a log cabin? Do the logs need to be inspected ?
I appreciate the balance between 'follow the rules, they make you not die' and 'but you don't have to pay through the nose to do it and pay the wacky shit'
The rules exist for good reason, but the implementation is bureaucratic as hell.
@@DSiren that's about right, I think. Gotta codify "don't be an idiot when you're building something that people are going to live under" but hell, I wish it were easier to get them to sign off that you haven't been...
Looking forward to the timber frame discussion.
You quickly mentioned it but is the round over on the corners part of the inspection? Can rough lumber pass inspection? My understanding is the round over is for fire safety and to reduce splitting stress.
Correct me if I’m wrong but West Virginia doesn’t have a lot building codes for home building.
Not as much as some states.
@@RedToolHouse I have cousin in right now West Virginia a church group built a house next door because there’s and allowed the roof overhang to overhang their house they’re still fighting in court over it
I don't know about all of the codes in WV but if you want the electric company to connect a new service it must be inspected. no sticker - no power.
VA pine is what I was planning on milling into dimensional lumber, but I have heard it warps badly when it dries. What is your experience with this, please? Is this a viable source for studs?
It does move a bit. I haven't noticed that it moves excessively. I have used it for barn siding and it has done fine. Have used it for 2x4 for a chicken coop. They did fine too. I would make sure you have plenty of weight on your stack as it air dries.
@@RedToolHouse Great, thanks! What about letting the logs dry for a season or two and than milling? Think that might help?
I'd definitely love to know common spacing for posts! Like 6x6, 8x8, 10x10, etc
It would depend on the load they intend to carry, should have all that listed in the building codes if you'd really like to find out
I had thought the inspection process was automated where each piece of lumber was run through and deflection under load was measured. Better stuff was pulled for use in trusses. Lessor boards marked for generic stud grade. Seems like could be cost prohibitive for smaller mills. Not sure how one could use visual inspection for such a test.
well having a sawmill i read up on it i don't remember all the particulars it was 15+yrs ago it was kind of like different formulas so many knots at a certain size , the location of the knots factored in, 1 knot of a certain size or larger automatically downgraded it. There were quite a few things that factored into it
I like getting my wood stamped
Good video sir. I'm a sawyer and work at a commercial sawmill in Marysville Ohio and we mainly saw hardwoods. We run a frick circle mill and do saw some soft woods for barns but what they do with it is on them. I've spoke with my boss about grading lumber and it's not worth the price and time but we know and the customer knows if it's clear and prime material but structural is on a different scale. You know its structurally sound after learning your species and how trees grow but you just cant stamp it. Thanks again for the information on this. If ya get a chance we have a few videos we've recently posted here on TH-cam Kreis lumber, check them out
~Ryan
Great 👍 content thanks for posting !!!
I remember my church made an additition to a building the inspector cam by said NO, tear it out, with no explination refused to say how it should be done ..."that wasn't his job" and "get someone who knows how"...
This was good info thanks!
So what is the solution for people who are procuring their lumber from their own wood lots? Is there freelance inspectors who will come to your lumber pile and grade/stamp it? Could that be done economically? If such a service industry exists, where would one shop for that service?
Yes, you can hire an inspector to come out and grade lumber that you cut. ALSC.org is where to find one.
But you know and I know that that rough cut lumber is 90% sturdier than what you would buy from a big box store whether it be for a load-bearing wall or what it's more sturdier
Great info!
You should also do a more detailed explanation of how "hardwood" and "softwood" is a botanical descriptor and not a structural descriptor. Pine is botanical "hardwood", but you wouldn't use it to build a 3 story house.