Timber Framers Guild Forums General General Forum Questions Building contract - timber movement disclaimer?

Just wondering if anyone has a standard disclaimer they use in their contracts regarding timber movement/checking/pitch etc. that they'd be willing to share.

We're usually working on barns, where it's not much of an issue....

Thanks,

-Otis

Something like:

"Company X is providing Wood Species, Grade, for the Client Name Project. This material is fresh sawn (reclaimed, RF Dried, etc.) and will (tune your response here based on material) have a variable moisture content high enough to cause further twisting, shrinking, and checking. Structural capacity of the timber will not be compromised and joinery design and member sizes have been engineered to account for this movement."

Or something like that. I'm not a lawyer... so you might best get your contracts reviewed by a local.

Note that you might want to include your warranty conditions / disclaimers. I work with one shop that will not warranty fresh sawn oak...

-Mike

Otis, if you'll go to the TFEC website
www.timberframeeingineeringcouncil.org and go to the general library, you'll see the most recent version of the General Notes we created this year. There are several paragraphs in these suggested provisions that relate to quality. Also, a new TFEC committee will be organized after the first of the yearto develop a Code of Standard Practice. I expect we'll be dealing with the issue more in that document as well.

David R. Hourdequin, PE
drh@dremy.com

I like Mike's suggestion as well.

David R. Hourdequin, PE
drh@dremy.com

Thanks for the replies. Mike - that's pretty much where I was heading; David - I'll keep trying, but I couldn't access the TFEC website for some reason...?

I'll post what I end up using in our contract if I'm happy with it.

-Otis

There is a typo in David's link, try

http://www.timberframeengineeringcouncil.org/