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WWPA is the leader in the West in lumber grading,
rules writing and quality control inspection.
Lumber grading rules are a set of criteria used to
determine how various characteristics, such as wane or knots, affect
the structural performance of dimension lumber or the aesthetic
value of appearance grades. Lumber manufacturers are responsible
for grading the lumber to these rules and WWPA, as part of the American
Lumber Standards system, helps assure that Western lumber meet stated
product quality standards.
Association Quality Standards activities include:
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Lumber inspection and grade rules writing.
WWPA is one of seven grading agencies in North America
authorized to write and publish grading rules for lumber. The
Association also conducts regular inspections at mills to assure
consistent quality between mills. Each year, WWPA lumber inspectors
check lumber representing nearly 9 billion board feet of production.
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Grade certification. Lumber
carrying the WWPA grade stamp is backed by a host of quality
standards services offered through the Association. For example,
WWPA mills can provide Inspection Certificates which financially
guarantee the lumber certified meets specifications. The Association
provides special export certificates on lumber shipped to foreign
ports, as well as certification for Japanese Agricultural Service,
or JAS, grading. When disputes between a mill and the customer
on a shipment of lumber, WWPA can act as an impartial third
party and will reinspect the lumber to determine if it meets
the invoiced specifications.
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Special products. WWPA is one
of the largest providers of quality control services for glued
lumber and machine stress-rated (MSR) lumber. The Association
pioneered the quality control procedures used by the lumber
industry to make MSR products, and WWPA provides quality control
for more finger-jointed lumber operations than any other lumber
grading agency in North America.
The Association's grade stamp
is recognized worldwide as a symbol of integrity. This mark represents
the mill's commitment to consistently deliver a product which meets
or exceeds its defined performance standards, whether the lumber
is for structural or appearance purposes.
Another value the comes with this lumber is the Association's
extensive technical support services,
which give users the important design and engineering data needed
to use lumber in construction. WWPA is the only Western lumber association
which provides this broad range of sales-generating and technical
services.
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Mill
Number List Online
Every
WWPA gradestamp includes an Association-
assigned number of the mill that produced the lumber. Now available
online is a list of WWPA mill numbers,
complete with mill names and locations, to help distributors and
others identify where the lumber was produced. Click
here to review the list.
Heat
Treating for Wood Packaging to Europe
Information on European requirements for heat
treating wood packing materials such as pallets and crating is available
in a Frequently Asked Questions section.
WWPA offers a program to allow mills to stamp lumber with the KD
- HT mark to meet the new requirements.
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