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

Rights granted to owners of property restricted to conservation use, historic preservation, or some other low density function to sell to other landowners allowing them to develop their ...

Administrator of estate is a term used in common-law jurisdiction for a person assigned a particular responsibility. The administrator of estate definition describes a court-appointed ...

Divider made of plasterboard or plaster used to partition rooms. A room is created by the walls surrounding it. ...

Contracts: Awarding a contract to the bidder for the property with the best offer. Lease: To lease property to a lessee. ...

Expenditure to make a specific security or real estate transaction. Real estate transaction costs include survey costs, mortgage points and origination fees, recording fees, state transfer ...

The American Society of Appraisers, also referred to as ASA, is the largest voluntary membership, a multi-discipline trade association that stands for and promotes its appraiser members. ...

The interest rate and terms competing mortgage lenders are offering to potential mortgagees. The mortgage market is competitive on the basis of mortgage interest rates, points, credit ...

Legal obligation to pay taxes associated with owning property or earning income. For example, a real estate owner must pay property taxes. ...

Also called financial leverage. The use of borrower funds to magnify return. Trading profitably on the equity, also called favorable financial leverage, means that the borrowed funds ...

Popular Real Estate Questions