New Law in Tennessee:Native timber/lumber

   / New Law in Tennessee:Native timber/lumber #1  

TnAndy

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After 2 years of working with my legislator (Mathew Hill), there is now a new law in Tennessee regarding the use of lumber cut from native timber.

Signed into law by the governor 05/20/2016, effective 05/23/2016.

This law allows any commercial sawmill operator to certify (requirements below) lumber sawed from Tennessee timber for use in residential construction in lieu of a grade stamp, and building code officials must accept this.

The second thing it does is allow anyone to use lumber sawed off their own place for use on their own place to certify themselves that the lumber can be used in lieu of graded stamped lumber. So if you have a small sawmill like I do, or if you have a portable one come to your place and saw your logs, you can now use that to build a house (just like was the case for hundreds of years), and not have to meet building code stamped lumber requirement.

This law is similar to laws in some other States regarding native timber/lumber.

A small amount of freedom has been returned to the people.



SENATE BILL 822
By Bailey
HOUSE BILL 978
By
Hill M
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 5; Title 6; Title 43, Chapter 28, Part 3 and Title 68, Chapter 120, relative to native species lumber.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1.
Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 43, Chapter 28, Part 3,is amended by adding the following as a new, appropriately designated section:
(a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the å…¸ennessee Native Species Lumber Act.
(b)
As used in this section:
(1) é„*gricultural building means any structure used primarily for agricultural purposes or for forest product production;
(2) 鼎ommercial sawmill means any type of sawmill that produces lumber for sale;
(3) 摘nd user means any person who purchases native lumber from a commercial sawmill for the purpose of residential construction;
(4) 敵rader means the owner of a commercial sawmill, or the owner痴 designated employee, who has visually inspected each piece of lumber; and
(5) 哲ative timber means any hardwood or softwood species growing within the borders of this state.
(c) (1) The operator of any commercial sawmill may, when requested by the end user of the native lumber, certify in writing to the purchaser that the quality and safe working stresses of the lumber are equal to or better than No. 2 grade, in accordance with the conditions set forth in the American Softwood Standard PS 20?0 of the United States department of commerce, as amended; provided, that the minimum grade of lumber use din load-bearing wall members shall be stud grade.
(2) The certification provided pursuant to subdivision (c)(1) shall include A) The name of the wood species; (B) The quantity of wood certified;(C) The location where the wood is to be used;
(D) Whether or not the wood is seasoned; (E) The name of the commercial sawmill where the wood was cut; (F) The name of the grader; and(G) The date on which the wood was cut at the commercial sawmill and graded.
(3)
(A) Upon the request of the local building official, the end user shall provide written certification of the quality and safe working stresses of the native lumber provided by the commercial sawmill operator pursuant to subdivision (c)(1),as part of the building permit application.
(B) The certification provided pursuant to subdivision (c)(3)(A) shall be accepted by code officials in lieu of any grade stamp requirements.
(d) Any person who uses the native timber harvested from and used entirely on the personç—´ own property shall, if required, certify that the lumber meets the requirements of any building codes
.
(e) No certification of native lumber shall be required in the construction of an agricultural building.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.
 
   / New Law in Tennessee:Native timber/lumber #2  
:thumbsup:
After 2 years of working with my legislator (Mathew Hill), there is now a new law in Tennessee regarding the use of lumber cut from native timber.

Signed into law by the governor 05/20/2016, effective 05/23/2016.

This law allows any commercial sawmill operator to certify (requirements below) lumber sawed from Tennessee timber for use in residential construction in lieu of a grade stamp, and building code officials must accept this.

The second thing it does is allow anyone to use lumber sawed off their own place for use on their own place to certify themselves that the lumber can be used in lieu of graded stamped lumber. So if you have a small sawmill like I do, or if you have a portable one come to your place and saw your logs, you can now use that to build a house (just like was the case for hundreds of years), and not have to meet building code stamped lumber requirement.

This law is similar to laws in some other States regarding native timber/lumber.

A small amount of freedom has been returned to the people.



SENATE BILL 822
By Bailey
HOUSE BILL 978
By
Hill M
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 5; Title 6; Title 43, Chapter 28, Part 3 and Title 68, Chapter 120, relative to native species lumber.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1.
Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 43, Chapter 28, Part 3,is amended by adding the following as a new, appropriately designated section:
(a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the å…¸ennessee Native Species Lumber Act.
(b)
As used in this section:
(1) é„*gricultural building means any structure used primarily for agricultural purposes or for forest product production;
(2) 鼎ommercial sawmill means any type of sawmill that produces lumber for sale;
(3) 摘nd user means any person who purchases native lumber from a commercial sawmill for the purpose of residential construction;
(4) 敵rader means the owner of a commercial sawmill, or the owner痴 designated employee, who has visually inspected each piece of lumber; and
(5) 哲ative timber means any hardwood or softwood species growing within the borders of this state.
(c) (1) The operator of any commercial sawmill may, when requested by the end user of the native lumber, certify in writing to the purchaser that the quality and safe working stresses of the lumber are equal to or better than No. 2 grade, in accordance with the conditions set forth in the American Softwood Standard PS 20?0 of the United States department of commerce, as amended; provided, that the minimum grade of lumber use din load-bearing wall members shall be stud grade.
(2) The certification provided pursuant to subdivision (c)(1) shall include A) The name of the wood species; (B) The quantity of wood certified;(C) The location where the wood is to be used;
(D) Whether or not the wood is seasoned; (E) The name of the commercial sawmill where the wood was cut; (F) The name of the grader; and(G) The date on which the wood was cut at the commercial sawmill and graded.
(3)
(A) Upon the request of the local building official, the end user shall provide written certification of the quality and safe working stresses of the native lumber provided by the commercial sawmill operator pursuant to subdivision (c)(1),as part of the building permit application.
(B) The certification provided pursuant to subdivision (c)(3)(A) shall be accepted by code officials in lieu of any grade stamp requirements.
(d) Any person who uses the native timber harvested from and used entirely on the personç—´ own property shall, if required, certify that the lumber meets the requirements of any building codes
.
(e) No certification of native lumber shall be required in the construction of an agricultural building.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.

:thumbsup:
 
   / New Law in Tennessee:Native timber/lumber #3  
That is great, wish Va had the same. Ed
 
   / New Law in Tennessee:Native timber/lumber #4  
What I am not understanding, how is it graded?

So I saw my own studs and decking, what do I need to do to use this wood in the building process for my garage, shed or home addition?
 
   / New Law in Tennessee:Native timber/lumber #5  
TnAndy, maybe you could come for a visit soon and show me what the heck I am doing.....:D
 
   / New Law in Tennessee:Native timber/lumber
  • Thread Starter
#6  
What I am not understanding, how is it graded?

So I saw my own studs and decking, what do I need to do to use this wood in the building process for my garage, shed or home addition?

From a legal/code standpoint, you simply pick out what YOU think is good lumber, and if an inspector says anything (which in the case of a garage, shed, or even an addition, you likely won't even see an inspector here), simply show them a copy of the new law to education them. That is the personal exemption part, since it's your timber, sawed on your mill, used in your project.

From a lumber standpoint, you may, or may not, want to air dry it 6 months to a year on dry stickers with tin on top (or in a shed).

For a shed, I don't dry mine much, or worry about it....it dries in place. I've built stuff right off the saw, dead green. I prefer it dry some, especially siding, but you can build with green lumber....it was done for centuries.


For a house I was going to drywall, I make sure it's under 20% moisture content or you'll run into shrinkage problems that will give you a fit on plumb/square/level and drywall fasteners popping.

Then of course, you'll want to eyeball each piece for defects....sort of silly to put up a structural member like a joist or rafter with a big knot in it just because you can, and then later have problems. The stuff with defects, I either cut into shorter stuff, or use for something it doesn't matter much, or if really crappy, firewood.

I saw you had a small poplar on your mill....one thing you'll find about them is they really tend to warp (stress relief) AS YOU SAW IT.....especially small diameter poplar. You can start with a log that is perfectly straight, then take a couple cuts off it, and look under the cant and stick your hand under it because it will raise up several inches.....you can almost watch them flex sometimes as you saw. You'll get a board thin in the center and twice as thick on the ends often.

One trick to minimize this is roll the log/cant each time you cut one board....try to relieve the stress equally as you cut around the log. Another trick is cut 2x lumber so the 'arch' is in the width...then when you stack them, turn them on the edge (the 2x edge) instead of the width like you would normally stack lumber. The higher you stack, the more weight you put on the lower courses, and since they are still green, they will flex, then dry, into a straight piece. Getting that edge is the most critical.....the width direction you can move/block into place later if it is warped.

One of my other 'tricks' to working with green lumber is saw it to nominal size (like full 2x4), dry them, then I take them to my shop, cut to stud length (say 93" for 8' wall), then run them on a long bed jointer to get one side perfectly straight, then rip on a table saw to match the straight edge....giving me a 2" x 3 1/2" good, straight stud. (also examine for defects at the time)
 
   / New Law in Tennessee:Native timber/lumber #7  
That's fantastic, I got this mill just in time to not have to deal with bureaucratic crap! Yay, me....:D

First thing I will be building is a lean-to to cover the mill from rain and crap, once I get it leveled AGAIN. I can't seem to get it square and level.
 
   / New Law in Tennessee:Native timber/lumber #8  
we haven't been able to use native lumber here for many years. We're told it's not strong enough and wont last.

That's real strange since the majority of houses in this part of the country are anywhere from 100-350 years old.

I guess no one told those builders they were using bad limber.
 
   / New Law in Tennessee:Native timber/lumber #9  
we haven't been able to use native lumber here for many years. We're told it's not strong enough and wont last.

That's real strange since the majority of houses in this part of the country are anywhere from 100-350 years old.

I guess no one told those builders they were using bad limber.

Just like everything else in this society, it's all about the money. How can we make a law in the name of safety to gain profit, ie...lumber industry.
 
   / New Law in Tennessee:Native timber/lumber #10  
.....snip......and if an inspector says anything (which in the case of a garage, shed, or even an addition, you likely won't even see an inspector here).....snip
When I went to Jonesborough to get a permit for a large rv "carport" they started laughing at me. He says you didn't need to come here we would have never known. That was my last trip to the permit office some 10 years ago.
 
 
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