Lumber

Question: 

What type of wood is usually used for wood trusses? I live in Louisiana and I would guess pine, but I want to make sure.

Question: 

When webs are cut is it alright that sometimes the grade mark is removed? From a liability standpoint, what is the rule with grade marks and web members?

Question: 

Are there any published studies or guidelines on the fire rating of floor trusses built with 2x3 lumber?

Question: 

As a home inspector, I have recently inspected an existing home with an attic truss system installed. Several of the truss web members have been cut away to allow access to an attic-mounted heating system. Can you recommend repairs to a truss with cut web members?

Question: 

How do you evaluate whether a metal plate connected truss is still usable after exposure to fire? Are there any recommended tests?

Question: 

The lumber used in most metal plate connected wood trusses is either visually- or mechanically-graded solid sawn dimensional lumber. However, the Truss Plate Institute's ANSI/TPI 1 allows the use of structural composite lumber (SCL) products such as laminated veneer lumber (LVL), laminated strand lumber (LSL) and parallel strand lumber (PSL). These engineered wood products can conceivably compete with sawn lumber and complement it in truss designs.

Question: 

How do you avoid floor performance problems?

Question: 

I am currently working on a project where a wood truss system was loaded with a heavy spring snow. I do not believe the load was beyond the truss's design capacity, but how do you know? Is there safety built into wood trusses? If the trusses were loaded beyond their design capacity, it would not have been for a long duration.

Question: 

What is the life expectancy of wood that was used in an attic truss? Does fire retardant change the life expectancy?

Question: 

Where can I find tolerances and measurements of green and dry lumber?