ls Western lumber better than its competition?

IUMBER doesn't grow on trees. ENeither does quality. Quality assurance of lumber as a product as well as in use requires constant dedication throughout the manufacturing and installation process. Western lumber producers manufacture a product that is consistently in accordance with standards of grade, size and moisture content, says WWPA.

Member mills of the Western Wood Products Association comprise the largest group of its kind in the world, shipping nearly one-third of the nation's softwood lumber. WWPA's Quality Standards Department supervises lumber grading in some 250 lumber mills in 12 western states.

These mills manufacture approximately4O9o of all softwood produced annually in the U.S. The association's staff of lumber inspectors regularly inspects the quality of lumber shipped from each WWPA mill, paying special attention to grades, moisture content and manufacturing standards.

The association also provides lumber reinspection services on western species shipped under rules published by WWPA. Grading rules published by the association and its Quality Standards Department are approved by the

Story at a Glance

Price, availability, qualaty . what determines a lumber buye/s choice? several retailers and an association res. pond to the question.

Board of Review of the American Lumber Standards Committee.

The association is the world's largest lumber rules-writing and inspection agency. Its lumber inspectors check mills producing approximately 12 billion board feet of lumber annually. Monthly inspections and training, along with certification programs for graders, assure the uniformity of lumber grades between mills and maintain the integrity of western lumber in the marketplace.

Western softwood species are well known for their strength and durability. Western lumber producers maintain that reputation for quality by their diligence in manufacturing a product that is consistent in standard, size and moisture content. WWPA's role in quality control helps to assure the user benefits from a product that is as good as the raw material it came from.

"Both western and Canadian lumber meet the grading standards. It's a seasonal thing. Whoever's got the best price at the time. We're in a very gifted area up here with lumber mills all around us. There's a market for southern pine in the South, but it's more expensive for us. It would be kind of stupid to haul it up here."

Dean Ziegler Head of Purchasing Dept. Ziegler Building Center Inc. Boise, ld.

'Availability is the big thing. Montana has a lot of lumber. But the market is down disastrously because of price wars with Canada. There's good quality on all lumber and their characteristics are similar. There's lots here to cut."

Paul Wauer

Operations Manager Coast to Coast stores Missoula. Mt.

"Western and Canadian lumber are similar. It really depends on the area, the species and the mill. Some mills grade close to tolerance. With some Canadian mills, we've had to watch out for bark on cuts.

"Now the Canadian lumber is lower priced. With a weak Canadian dollar, the exchange rate is cheaper. Canadian lumber has also been easier to obtain."

Rod McGillibray Assistant Manager Lumbermen's Linwood, Wa.