Definition of "Green lumber"

Chris Hill  real estate agent

Written by

Chris Hill elite badge icon

Century 21 New Millennium

Green lumber is not necessarily a lumber that’s green; though it might, sometimes, be a little greenish. And it’s also not a definition of an environmentally conscious type of wood.

Ok, what’s the best green lumber definition, then?

Let’s say that green lumber is wood that had not had the adequate time to dry and be seasoned. That kind of wood is not good for Real Estate, so you might hear a contractor say “That’s green lumber; we can’t use it”. And the reason why it’s no good is because green lumber can warp with time – not to mention that is much more difficult to work with. Cutting and nailing a green lumber is basically a waste of time and energy.

Some people call it wet lumber, but the term is not 100% correct because a wet/moist lumber is not necessarily a green lumber and it can be used in construction.

However, because the environment changes materials, green lumber is sometimes used in arid regions of the United States like Arizona and California. The thinking behind it is that (i) green lumber is cheaper and (ii) because the lumber dries and comes of age faster over there, once they get transported they will quickly reach a fine point for construction.

Because of floods, wood can revert to flood, so home inspectors and flood insurance companies typically look for green lumber on houses to assess risks.

Real Estate Tips:

Don’t get a “green real estate agent”; search through our Real Estate Agent Directory and find an experienced one that won’t warp or break!

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

model depicting on paper what a structure physically looks like. The dimensions are draw on a proportionate basis to the real thing. An example is a scale of an existing or proposed office ...

The unadjusted basis of assets is the actual price paid for purchasing an asset without any reductions from depreciation deductions. In order words, the unadjusted basis is an asset’s ...

Giving of a promise or guarantee to the receiver to instill confidence. ...

Deed used to transfer property rights to a governmental authority. ...

The definition of the term right of way is an easement or the right of another person to pass over land owned by someone else to reach a particular destination. An individual is typically ...

Market price pf all the property prior to a condemnation proceeding. ...

Action that is beyond that allowed legally. Examples are charging illegally high interest rate on mortgages and real estate exceeding the amount permissible by legal statute, and a real ...

The occupancy ratio is the ratio of rented or used space to the total amount of space available. An occupancy ratio or occupancy rate is used by analysts when hospitals, senior housing, ...

The term actual notice is used most often in connection with property law, but the concept can also be applied in other law areas. To define actual notice, we can look at the two major ...

Popular Real Estate Questions