Southern Pine: Grade Marks
When you buy wood from Spartanburg Forest Products you can be sure you’re getting a great quality product. All of our lumber is graded according to SPIB (Southern Pine Inspection Bureau) grading rules. Once the wood is graded, it is stamped with the SPIB or TPI mark, an industry symbol of quality that you can trust.
For Southern Yellow Pine grades, you will see this mark as an ink stamp somewhere on the piece of lumber. This mark indicates a third party inspection has been completed, adhering to the TPI or SPIB’s standards of quality. Spartanburg Forest Products believes they are just another way we can ensure our customers that they’re getting the best product available. Understanding the SPIB or TPI grade mark found on Southern Yellow Pine lumber can be a bit challenging, but all of SFP’s lumber marks assure compliance with standards established by the Southern Pine Grading rules.
Typical Southern Pine Grade Marks
Dimensional Lumber – the most common type of lumber used for building because of its consistent sizing is graded on strength and appearance. Generally, the lower the grade number, the more strength and better appearance of the board. #1 Grade – Contains smaller and fewer knots and is visually more appealing. Few defects are allowed and is often used in applications where the strength of the board is desired. #2 Grade – Generally used for non-appearance applications, this board tends to have a few more knots, but knots remain smaller and spaced. Prime Grade – The emphasis with prime boards are on appearance. Still containing the strength elements found in #1 and #2 grade boards, but are more visually appealing. Decking – Available in Standard and Premium grade, these boards are graded for both strength and appearance, with the Premium grade boards offering a better finish for your deck.