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

The meaning of the term tort outlines a wrongful act resulting in injury or damages. For example, trespassing on someone’s private property can end up destroying a part of it. ...

A leasehold estate that can be determined by the lesser or lessee at any time. ...

Method of describing a real estate property offering by a developer in lieu of a prospectus. ...

Proportionate share of an item to total items in the population. ...

Real estate sales contract where possession and use is provided to the buyer, but the deed is kept by the seller until the full purchase price is met whereupon the title is placed in the ...

Legal right of the buyer of real estate for the acquisition price paid if the seller does not render the deed to the property. The buyer's lien is not only for the purchase price paid but ...

Real estate, home and life insurance use numerous ambiguous terms you should know because you can significantly benefit from them. Let’s discover what the word boot usually applies to ...

The occupancy ratio is the ratio of rented or used space to the total amount of space available. An occupancy ratio or occupancy rate is used by analysts when hospitals, senior housing, ...

Same as term junior mortgage: Mortgage placed on a property after a previous mortgage. It can be a second, third, etc. mortgage. A junior mortgage is subordinate to the terms of a previous ...

Popular Real Estate Questions