Andy Dingley wrote:

On Sun, 10 Oct 2004 19:57:48 +0100, "G&M"
wrote:


As far as I'm aware unless it's TRADA stamped your friendly BCO will tell
you to take it down.


No. Or at least, only if the architect has called for some particular
grading. There's no general rule thgat says ungraded timber can't be
used for building work.

Grading is by and large a sign of _inferior_ timber. What it's for is
to allow unskilled chippies to slap things together "by the numbers"
without they themselves having to understand timber. If you follow the
gradings, nothing too bad ought to fall down.

For low-end work, grading is entirely appropriate. And I hope never to
live in another house built from pre-fab roof trusses and nail plates!

At the high-end though, grading is irrelevant and inappropriate. It's
the _carpenter's_ job to understand the timber they're working with,
and to build competently with it. Unfortunately there's a shortage of
such good people, and at £7.50/hour for timber framers then there's
hardly any incentive for anyone to go into this field.

My chippies charge twice that, plus VAT, and are in great demand.

BTW I trotally agree with you about BCO etc. The BCO will reject
anything obviosuly suspect, but will be totally happy with over
engieered green wood beams, as long as he feels you and the carpenters
understand the shrinkage implications.
I have had EXTREME problems in one area where I used a kiln dried and
outdoor treated bit of wood. The bugger has EXPANDED on me. INDOORS!!!