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

Part of something such as the units making up a heating or air conditioning system in a building. ...

Payment made by the tenant to the landlord for the right to use property, such as an apartment or office. ...

See concrete block. ...

In short, an overage means a surplus or an excess of money. An overage can present itself at a property at an auction where the asset has gone over the asking price. Suppose there’s a ...

" A metal plate attached to the lower end of a door to prevent marring from people "kicking" the door in order to open it. A metal plate mounted on the open edge of a stairs platform." ...

Managing partner of a limited partnership who is in charge of its operations. A general partner has unlimited liability. Member of a partnership who is jointly and severally liable for ...

The abstraction method is a valuation procedure used to determine the land value relative to the total market value of the property. The abstraction approach is most often used when there ...

Performance of a complete inventory of real property within a jurisdiction. A cadastral program produces the cadastral map. ...

Depressed, poorly kept locality that may include vacant businesses. It may be a high crime area. The people living in the area are typically poor and there may also be homeless people. ...

Popular Real Estate Questions