Timber Framers Guild Forums General General Forum Questions Ungraded timbers and home insurance--a problem?

Here's the latest excuse circulating against timberframes. Hopefully someone can help me.

Up in here in Southeast Alaska we have abundant wood but no lumber graders.

A client is concerned that perfectly good wood can't be used because the home couldn't be insured, due to the lack of a stamp. We'd use old growth Sitka Spruce, surely some of the nicest stuff around.

Anyone out there have any insight or suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Zach

In my neck of the woods, the building inspector is the head honcho as far as liabililty goes, if the inspector passes your plans and subsequent frame, then the insurance may follow.... those insurance folks are good at finding loops though. And putting others through loops.
good luck, try to get the building inspector and the insurance people on the same page...

Contact the Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau. They have a member mill in Ketchikan and quite a few in BC. You might be able to hire someone to come onsite and give you a certificate of grade.

It's place to start anyway...

http://www.plib.org/

Pacific Log & Lumber
Ketchikan, Alaska 99901

You might also try the Western Wood Production Association. http://www.wwpa.org/about_wwpa.htm They say they service Alaska, but I didn't see any mills.

One final thought...contact the closest lumber mill in your area and ask who they use for grading, or, if it's in-house, if you could hire somebody to grade your timbers.

Around here, graders sometimes do work on the side.

Good luck!
-srj

Thanks for the information. I'll check with the building inspector and both bureaus.
All the best-
Zach

get your graders liscence???? I know it's possible to do it here in ontario... you just need some time and money