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| Alert! Not all Southern Pine is Equal! |
Everyone familiar with Southern Pine lumber knows and relies on the many attributes of this species, including high strength, nail-holding, and treatability. Years of testing have validated Southern Pine's physical properties, which the lumber industry monitors through constant evaluations. If your lumber is grade-marked, domestically-grown Southern Pine, you know you can trust it.
In recent months South American lumber manufacturers have begun to market Argentinean Southern Pine lumber in the United States. This internationally-grown product should not be confused with domestic Southern Pine. Although it contains many of the same species allowed in the domestic Southern Pine classification, there are significant differences, mostly due to differences in the growing climate and silviculture between Argentina and the southern United States. These differences are very important because they impact the physical properties of the wood. These differences translate into shorter allowable spans, weaker nail-holding and greater deflections under the same load. The differences are clearly illustrated in the following table.
Wary consumers should look carefully at the grade stamp on the material they intend to purchase. The domestic Southern Pine grade stamp is significantly different than that used on the international sourced material. A comparison of the grade stamps of the two products follows:
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| This is a Renewable Resource Associates grade mark used on Southern Pine produced by Arauco in the Misiones area of Argentina. Note the "I" that supersedes the "SP" grade designation. This letter indicates that the material was imported. |
One of these three grade marks is found on almost all domestically-grown Southern Pine. The grading agencies are the Southern Pine Inspection Bureau (SPIB), Timber Products Inspection (TP), or Renewal Resource Associates (RR). |
If you intend to use Southern Pine to its full domestic capabilities, make certain you are purchasing Southern Pine grown in the United States.
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