Do You Want Your Own Bulletin Board?

Our furniture manufacturing business produced reproduction pine furniture using #2 and #3 pine boards.  We purchased from local lumberyards in Central Florida and did not experience any problems obtaining the lumber until Home Depot aggressively pursued the Orlando Market.  Home Depot lumber buyers acknowledges that most of their lumber is sold at very little profit in hopes the customers who purchase lumber will also buy merchandise from their more profitable departments.  Using this business tactic you can see how local lumberyards can't compete because they have to operate at a higher profit because they don't sell other merchandise to "make up the difference".

In 1993 when the quality of Home Depot's #2 and #3 pine boards had noticeably declined, I contacted WWPA, the lumber grading agency that wrote the standards to which pine boards from the western U.S. are graded, to see if there had been a decline in lumber standards.  I was told that the grading rules have not changed in more than 30 years.  That a #2 board should look that same as it did 5,15, 0r 30+ years ago.  I was also told that lumber grading is a voluntary process designed to maintain standards and quality of lumber.  There are not any "laws" to enforce the grading of lumber.  Therefore proper grading relies solely on the ethical business practices of each lumber grading agency and each lumber mill.  I purchased lumber grading books* from Western Wood Products Association (WWPA 1-(503) 224-3930) (The agency that wrote the rules for grading Western Woods.)  and West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau (WCLIB 1-(503) 639-0651) (The agency that grades most of Home Depot's #2 Pine.).  After thoroughly researching lumber grading by reading the books, speaking with lumber inspectors and graders, talking directly to Idaho Timber's Mill in Boise Idaho, I confronted Steve Conwell with Home Depot's unethical lumber practices.            

*These books may be purchased by anyone for a nominal charge.

Home Depot has a "standard" explanation when caught having below grade lumber in their racks.  It goes something like this: "Each unit (64 pieces) of lumber that is shipped to Home Depot has 5% below grade lumber mixed into the unit, which is allowed by the lumber grading agencies.  The lumber department at this store has not done a good job culling (removing undesirable) lumber from their racks, therefore what you are seeing is an accumulation of the 5% below grade."  While it is true most Home Depot's do not cull their lumber, 5% below grade is not allowed to be mixed in.  According to the West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau (WCLIB), the grading agency for most of Home Depot's #2 pine boards, as stated in their Fundamentals of Good Lumber Manufacturing and Grading Practice (revised Oct. '71) page 43, paragraph 2 . . . "A reasonable difference of opinion between graders in recognized and allowed.  This variation is five percent.  This does not mean a deliberate inclusion of five percent below grade, but represents those borderline pieces on which an honest difference of opinion might exist."  Therefore any below grade lumber in each unit should closely represent the #2 pine board in that unit.  It should not look like a low grade #3 or #4.