Green grade doug fir

[zenwhipper]

Folks, I am building a deck and the railing posts will be 4x4s. At the local big box store they have "green grade" doug fir 4x4s. Anybody know specifically what this means? Can I build with it? I assume it means its not kiln dried. I will be painting the posts soon after I put them up - but the green grade has me concerned about shrinking and it taking paint. I will not be using pressure treated wood for the railings and cedar is too expensive. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks All.

Scott

 

[Duezzer]

Fir is an a great wood to use just keep it oiled or painted and build so water doesn't pool

If you are purchacing it green get it in a bundle restack and band with spacers between wood let dry for a while - 3 months should work

This will stop warping and prep the wood

Shrinkage will be close to the same by then as kiln dried

 

[Geezer]

I never heard of 'green' as a grade of lumber. If it is not kiln dried, it will shrink as it dries and may also warp. I would not buy lumber that is not kiln dried. I have never seen it other than at a saw mill.

Is it actually green in color? If so then it may be green pressure treated, as opposed to yellow pressure treated. I've never seen pressure treated doug. fir either.

 

[user 6393]

and if it is green pressure treated, it has carcingens in it, so don't use it where anyone will touch or walk on it barefoot.

 

[Bugnatr]

and if it is green pressure treated, it has carcingens in it, so don't use it where anyone will touch or walk on it barefoot.

Or lick it

 

[slapnpop]

"Green" in this case means the wood is still fresh, wet, and not seasoned. Far from kiln dried, this wood isn't dried at all. As mentioned above, you would be best served to re-stack the wood properly with stickers (spacers) for air flow. The wood should dry for a while, longer than it sounds like you've got available.

A bigger issue than paint retention is that if you build with green wood, and don't season it first, it's very likely to warp.

 

[RaYzerman19]

Green wood will shrink and twist while it dries if not held in place. It will not likely shrink lengthwise. Fir is a great wood, and not necessary to pressure treat it. You could build with it, and let it dry while nailed in place and it most likely will stay straight... it may not if held in a single rebar style bracket on top of a concrete post, so add additonal temporary brace across two posts to keep it from twisting. Unless you have a real good banding machine or a ton of weight on top of it, I question the ability to keep green wood straight while it dries while piled and stickered.

If the fir looks quartersawn on the ends it will be better. If the 4x4's are the center of the tree, then they will want to twist.