Alaska’s New Lumber Grading May Increase Options In Residential Home Construction Statewide

Alaska’s recently advanced local-use dimensional Lumber Grading program may present new cost-saving opportunities within the construction market and spark much-needed growth in homebuilding throughout the state.

The Alaska Lumber Grading program provides a certification course that allows small and medium-scale sawmill operators to produce dimensional lumber from local spruce, hemlock and yellow cedar for home construction in Alaska. When the conditions of the program are met the lumber may be accepted as an alternative to grade-stamped dimensional lumber, most if not all generated from the Lower 48, for structural applications where required by residential building codes.

“This program represents a significant advancement for Alaska’s mill operators to grade stamp lumber in compliance with Alaska Housing’s building standards,” says Jimmy Ord, director, Research & Rural Development, Alaska Housing Finance Corporation.

“Expansions of this nature demonstrate how thinking outside the box can address and often solve regional challenges. It is a win-win for the lumber and construction industries, as well as future homebuilders and homebuyers.”

Certification Process

Certification is obtained by completing a one-day Alaska Lumber Grading program training by the State Division of Forestry & Fire Protection and UAF’S Cooperative Extension Service and passing the proficiency test. The certificate is valid for five years and can be renewed by re-taking the training. The program includes ongoing technical support in dimensional lumber grading and educational resources in supplemental topics including lumber drying and sawmill operation.

Certification training will be provided on at least an annual basis in the following regions: Interior, Southeast, and Southcentral Alaska. Additional training locations may be requested by filling out a Course Interest form.

Scale and Purpose

The International Residential Code stipulates that dimensional lumber bearing a grade stamp – lumber inspected by an authorized official – is required in specified structural applications.

Lumber grades are determined by various factors, such as the presence of knots, splits and other defects, as well as the strength of the wood. These grades help contractors and builders choose the right type of wood for each specific application. Understanding timber grades allows for informed decision-making in balancing appearance and structural integrity. Quality assurance and certification ensure that timber meets industry standards for safety and longevity.

Dimensional lumber serves as the foundational material in construction, providing standardized sizes of wood for building various structural elements. It’s commonly used for framing walls, floors and roofs and can also be found in decking, fencing and other residential construction applications. The standardized dimensions make it easy to design and build structures with uniform materials.

Most sawmill businesses in Alaska don’t operate at an economy of scale which justifies the cost of membership with an accredited dimensional lumber grading agency, particularly because of the high travel cost for site inspections in Alaska compared to the Lower 48. This stipulation prevents the use of most locally produced dimensional lumber in homebuilding.

The Alaska Lumber Grading Program’s purpose is to allow in limited circumstances the use of structural lumber that is not grade-stamped in residential home construction.

Tree Species

In 2005, the American Lumber Standard Committee published design values for three species groups, comprising a total of five Alaska softwood tree species. The five species underwent mechanical property testing conducted by the Ketchikan Wood Technology Center in conjunction with the Western Wood Products Association.

The Alaska Lumber Grading system applies exclusively to these five species for which there is documented strength property data, allowing for integration into building code requirements. The species are: white spruce, Sitka spruce, western hemlock, mountain hemlock and Alaska yellow cedar.

As a provision of Senate Bill 87, section AS 41.17.630, local building code officials retain authority to allow, reject or require modifications to the use of structural lumber graded under the Alaska Lumber Grading program. SB 87 was passed in 2023 by the 33rd Alaska State Legislature. 

Municipal building departments are encouraged to contact the Alaska Lumber Grading Program for detailed information about how the program works and how it compares to the existing regional grade mark standards.

Expanding Opportunities

“I’m excited for what this program will do for Alaskan communities,” says Jeremy Douse, director, State of Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection.

“We have already trained about 140 mill operators in grading lumber and approximately 40 in wood drying techniques. UAF is looking to expand the educational opportunities to include mill operations and to develop a wood drying handbook specifically for Alaskan tree species. As we look toward the management of young growth timber in the Tongass National Forest, we also want to gain more understanding of the strength properties of lumber produced from those managed stands. These efforts combine to support a housing need in Alaska, as well as our local forest products industry that provides employment opportunities in rural communities.”