ACQ Lumber Mills

dproc

In your opinion what mill puts out the best ACQ lumber? I'm getting tired of the crap I'm given to work with and want to see what else is out there so I can make a recommendation to change.

I am consistently amazed at the crap that shows up in hacks and wonder how it could possibly leave the yard. Giant bark holes, long wide wane edges, half sawn marks running length of board. #2 grade that looks like it should only be used for ditch forms.

John Hyatt

ACQ, even .40 coming from Arkensaw Boys, is not all that great. #2 means diferent things to different Folks, its the yellow pine showing 1/8'' from the outside that I dont like.

I can frame with the # 2 acq I get local with no problem not a lot of picking thru going on it all depends on the supplier. My # 1 over here is klin dried twice with a lower know grade.

ACQ has completly lowered the standrad for all of us. J

lgoode

Anything with the KDAT (Kiln Dried After Treatment) is a preferred choice. It is 'preshrunk'. Before 2002, most PT came that way. In a cost cutting move, many treaters started skipping the final drying step. So that is why your PT framing has gotten so much heavier.
We work a lot with Coxwood out of Orangeburg SC. Or Conrad Forest Products on the west coast (they treat with CA or ACZA).
There are a lot of new treatments coming. L-cubed, Microwood, etc. What I foresee is more and more specialization. There used to be one PT wood for everything; now it is getting more and more application specific.
I have been speaking to the Timbersil people and they are still at it. I do not really know if it is any better than another type of treatment - it's all wood under there - the quality of which probably makes more difference than the treatment.

obxdeck

I tend do do about 75% treated. I only use NO1 grade round edge 5/4 or 2x6. Same with 1x6 for fencing etc. Universal Forest Products manufactures all the stuff available to us locally in North East North Carolina.
The lumber yard I get it from will come pickup returns for free, so if it looks like too much of it had to be picked through on one job, the next I order 25-35% more and then make them come get the bad ones...after I mark all of them. If I get one back on a job....they have a bad day.