The Forestry Forum

General Forestry => Sawmills and Milling => Topic started by: stumpy on October 24, 2005, 09:55:21 PM

Title: Green Lumber
Post by: stumpy on October 24, 2005, 09:55:21 PM
My nephew,  who is a Carpenter foreman, sked me a question about lumber. He figured since I have a sawmill, I must be an expert. He was in Hartford CT. and he went to a Home Depot to buy 2x4's. He found that they sold "green" lumber. He asked if I had ever heard of building with Green lumber. He said the label actually said "green" on it and they were very heavy(no they weren't pressure treated, that was my first question). Have any of you ever seen this before?
Title: Re: Green Lumber
Post by: SAW MILLER on October 24, 2005, 10:09:04 PM
If you do a search on green lumber ,you will find a lot of yuppies talking about lumber that has been harvested in a way as not to harm "mother earth " and they call that green lumber as near as I can figger.That might be what he was looking at. ??? ???
Title: Re: Green Lumber
Post by: Rockn H on October 25, 2005, 12:23:44 AM
Lately, when I hear green lumber mentioned they are referring to reclaimed lumber.  I suppose the green comes from recycling wood and not cutting new trees ,there by keeping things green. ::)  I do know it seems to be the environmental rage right now.  Politically correct if you will.
Title: Re: Green Lumber
Post by: Ernie on October 25, 2005, 12:56:33 AM
Sounds like a great way to market RS pine straight off the mill. ;D ;D
Title: Re: Green Lumber
Post by: stumpy on October 25, 2005, 07:31:08 AM
I'm pretty sure it's not the environmental "Green". He said it was very heavy .
Title: Re: Green Lumber
Post by: IL Bull on October 25, 2005, 08:48:04 AM
If the wood is not stickered it will mold if the wood is "green".
Title: Re: Green Lumber
Post by: Tom on October 25, 2005, 12:51:29 PM
I tried to get my buddy who owned the Ace Hardware in town to sell "green" lumber.   He wouldn't do it.  I figured that these backyard cabinet makers would buy from him the same as they tried to buy from me.   He's not much of one to experiment.

Perhaps you have a local sawmill that saw a new market.
Title: Re: Green Lumber
Post by: Ron Wenrich on October 25, 2005, 05:57:41 PM
The reason it wouldn't be green lumber is because of the liability problems with bugs.  Kilning lumber will kill bugs.  Selling it green could spread bugs to places you don't want them.  Even export pallets need to be kilned.

I like the environmental answer.
Title: Re: Green Lumber
Post by: WeeksvilleWoodWorx on October 25, 2005, 06:07:57 PM
Actually Ron, don't pallets/pallet components only need to be heat treated, not necessarily kiln dried?

Brian
Title: Re: Green Lumber
Post by: Ron Wenrich on October 25, 2005, 06:26:44 PM
That's about all some of the kiln dried lumber has.   ;D   Doesn't a SD stamp mean skin dried?  It heats the lumber up to a certain temperature, which kills the bugs, but doesn't necessarily dry the lumber.
Title: Re: Green Lumber
Post by: AtLast on October 25, 2005, 06:48:24 PM
140 degrees for at least 3 hours
Title: Re: Green Lumber
Post by: stumpy on October 25, 2005, 06:58:57 PM
Has anyone seen green lumber at Home Depot or any lumber yard? I realy don't think they meant Environmental Green. He said it was as heavy as preasure treated.
Title: Re: Green Lumber
Post by: whitey on October 25, 2005, 07:51:46 PM
      Stumpy       My guess would be the Green pressure treated lumber we use in constuction It's heavy and it's wet drive a nail and the water flys we call it pond dried . thats as close to green lumber you can get at a box store . unless enviro safe (Green) my 25cents anyway.
Title: Re: Green Lumber
Post by: Don P on October 26, 2005, 08:05:19 AM
I found this description in the Canadian Wood Council span book,

S-DRY indicates that the lumber had a moisture content of 19% or less at the time of surfacing. S-GRN had a moisture content exceeding 19% at time of surfacing.

Last week I noticed a S-DRY stamp and a KD 19% HT stamp on the same boards.

I've never seen green dimensional lumber sold at the building supply although I can get green (above 19%) timbers from some building supplies. We did get a load of KD stamped lumber last month that was soaking wet and growing hair, I spent a couple of hours cloroxing and stickering. 19% doesn't last long sitting dead piled in the weather.
Title: Re: Green Lumber
Post by: Jeff on October 26, 2005, 01:55:35 PM
I plan on visiting the home depot next day or two to look. Seems like I recall something called green lumber as well but I am almost sure it was an enviro type tag...
Title: Re: Green Lumber
Post by: Husky on October 26, 2005, 04:07:16 PM
You want to use hemlock green otherwise you will never get a nail through it. The older and dryer it gets the harder it gets.
Title: Re: Green Lumber
Post by: wiam on October 26, 2005, 09:41:10 PM
You can not pull them very well after hemlock dries. ::)

Will
Title: Re: Green Lumber
Post by: SwampDonkey on October 27, 2005, 01:47:54 PM
Quote from: Husky on October 26, 2005, 04:07:16 PM
You want to use hemlock green otherwise you will never get a nail through it. The older and dryer it gets the harder it gets.

Quote from: wiam on October 26, 2005, 09:41:10 PM
You can not pull them very well after hemlock dries. ::)

Will

I've experienced the exact same things.