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Contractors Can Improve Your Home

Hello! I would like to give you the warmest welcome to my blog. My name is Pete and last year, I decided to carry out some home improvements. Somewhat foolishly, I decided to try and carry out the work myself. As you can imagine, it was a bit of a disaster as I do not have many skills. Thankfully, I have a friend who works in the construction and contracting service. He called in some of his friends who were able to come in and fix up the mess I had made. I am really pleased with the results so I thought I would write about it here.

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Contractors Can Improve Your Home

Timber Selection: Three Essential Tips for Inspecting Wood Before Purchase

by Regina Barnett

If you are planning on building a timber feature in your home, you should choose the construction material with care. The wrong choice of wood could mean the premature failure of your structure. Moreover, the final appearance might not match your idea of aesthetic appeal. Fortunately, you can avoid these issues by inspecting your timber before purchase or even after delivery. This practice will help you confirm the suitability of the material for your applications. Here are some simple tips to help you perform timber inspections.

Check the Timber Grade

You should make certain that the grade of timber provided is the exact type required for your application. If you are not sure about the correct grade for your needs, you should discuss your construction objectives with your contractor. It is crucial to consider the visual grading during your timber assessment. As implied, the visual grade refers to the appearance of the wood. The specific grading is based on the number of defects such as knotting and growth rings.

In general, home construction work uses the standard grade which has some defects but still retains a refined look. However, if you are need of timber for balustrades, stair treads or other similar high-profile features, you should consider the select grade. This type of wood has minimal permitted defects. If you plan on concealing the timber, you should opt for the merchant grade which has numerous blemishes. For the best results, you should also check the timber stress grades.

Confirm the Dimensions

You should evaluate the dimensions of your timber products before final purchase. Often, homeowners choose to estimate the size of wood and their applications by simply looking. This practice is unreliable and can lead to unexpected losses and inconveniences. If you purchase excessively long timber, you will have to cut and might end up with a lot of waste. On the other hand, short pieces might be useless for your applications. Therefore, you should check the dimensions of your planned wooden feature and make comparisons with the available timber before selection.

Examine for Splits

Finally, you should look for damage on the wood such as splits which could have resulted from poor handling and accidents. If the wood is damaged, it might not be usable, especially in structural applications. Therefore, you might need to ask for a replacement if your order is ready. If the strength of the damaged wood as not been affected or structural resilience is not an issue, you can ask for a price discount.

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