European lumber grading

[Josko Catipovic]

I am confused by the European lumber grading system. It looks like something like: 'Species - type of cut - quality' in either 4 or 7 grades. Is there a standard similar to our 'FAS' or 'seconds and better' to ask for? Is 'Q-F1a' similar to our 'Oak FAS'? And I'm assuming they sell by the cubic meter vs our board foot?
Any first hand experience of dealing with a European lumber yard would be welcome.
Thanks in advance

[roger wiegand]

Here's an example table outlining the EU rules for sawn oak-- they may well have different rules for different species. My first read is that the grades are much more specific and fussier than the US grades where it seems most anything goes, at least when you're buying retail.

https://timber.fordaq.com/fordaq/html_jboss/quality_oak_En.htm

Here's the spec for QF1-A

513866

[Josko Catipovic]

Thanks Roger - I had indeed found that link. I'm really wondering if they sell retail at those (complex) specs of if there is a more informal way of specifying one's needs at a lumberyard.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

A neat thing I saw in England was furniture lumber kept together as it was before it was "gotten out" of the log. When you go to the lumber yard the whole log is available, Kiln dried and stacked up, looking like a log.

[Richard Coers]

Wouldn't the retail outlets tell you that on their website?

[Josko Catipovic]

Richard, I';m dealing with Slovenia and Croatia, and these lumberyards don't even have websites. I'd just like to be as knowledgeable as I can when walking in the door.

[Jim Becker]

A neat thing I saw in England was furniture lumber kept together as it was before it was "gotten out" of the log. When you go to the lumber yard the whole log is available, Kiln dried and stacked up, looking like a log.
There are many sellers in the US that keep the boules together in the same way to provide opportunity for the craftsman to have the best grain and color matching for a project. Those that do, carefully number the slabs so that they can be reassembled after cutting. Hearne does that, for example, for 'the really good stuff'.

[Josko Catipovic]

Just for completeness sake, here are some notes from a Croatian lumberyard/sawmill: they had a large quantity of KD dimensioned softwood lumber and some hardwoods, binned by species and above-mentioned grades, sold by the cubic meter. However, bulk of their hardwood business were presawn (both wet and KD) boules marked according to quantity and grade. They also had logs for custom sawing marked with a guarantee(!) of top grades within, i.e. one's not committed to buy the log if it doesn't yield the posted quantity, but one pays for the actual grade/quantity it yields. They also had a kiln on the premises at very reasonable rates. Overall prices were roughly double to what one would pay stateside for binned (not of the same log) lumber, but boule prices seemed reasonable. FWIW, we had a Dalmatian 'Black Oak" sawn for some beams for a historical reconstruction.

[Kevin Jenness]

Josko, what are you doing over there?

[Josko Catipovic]

FWIW, we're restoring a Venetian (pre-Napoleonic) watch tower and historical 'conservators' are giving us fits wrt materials and methods.

[Kevin Jenness]

That's very cool. Is this a commercial project? Are you involved at all with Charpentiers sans Frontieres?