Title: Define terms used in lumber grading.
Course: Forestry Management, Advanced (18502-II) > Section: Processing Timber Products and Grading Lumber

Definitions may include

- Softwood Lumber:
  - Stress-graded (lumber graded for structural strength and durability)
  - Nonstress-graded (lumber graded based on both appearance and strength)
  - Appearance-graded (lumber graded primarily for visual quality)
- Hardwood Lumber:
  - Firsts and Seconds (the highest grade, characterized by the fewest defects and a high percentage of clear lumber)
  - Selects (a grade between FAS and Number 1 Common, often used for furniture and cabinet making)
  - Number 1 Common (a commonly used grade for cabinets, millwork, and general construction)
  - Number 2 Common (a lower grade often used for less critical applications or for cutting into smaller pieces)
  - Number 3 Common (the lowest grade, often used for less demanding applications or for basic construction)
- Defects:
  - Checks (cracks that occur along the wood's growth rings, often due to rapid drying)
  - Knots (natural imperfections formed where branches have grown on a tree)
  - Wane (missing wood or an untrimmed edge along the side or corner of a board)
  - Shakes (separations that occur between the wood's growth rings, often before the tree is felled).

Process/Skill Questions:

- Why is lumber grading important?
- What are the differences between hardwood grading and softwood grading?
- How much training is required before becoming a lumber grader?