Materials & Construction Issues

1. Moisture – Moisture content should be less than 20% to prevent the wood from decaying, therefore wood cannot be used in areas where there is high humidity or moisture content.

2. Non-uniform strength – Woods have less uniform strength due to knots and flaws, the wood that has to be chosen for the load-bearing wall has to be examined before installing it.

3. Shrinkage of the Wood – Shrinkage of the wood after it has been installed has to be kept in consideration while designing.

TYPES OF WOOD USED FOR BEARING WALLS:

ASTM (American Standards) and BS (British standards) Standards of wood grade.

Barate Wood - Termite, fungi, and decay resistant

LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber) - Recycled wood pieces

Ply Wood -

Soft Plywood - Usually made of sedar, fir, srpuce, or redwood. Typically used to make sub floor floor joists, walls, construction and industrial support.

Hard Plywood -Made from angiosperm trees. Typically used for higher demand or higher strenght purposes. including bearing walls for heavier loads or for taller buildings.

Plywood Grades - There are many different grades of plywood since many pieces of wood may very in defects.

The a visual guide different grades of Plywood