According to authorities in North Carolina, European construction timber “does not meet the building code requirements”, which could “cause catastrophic failures in wall, floor and roof framing”.
Apparently, this has mainly to do with fasteners. “A primary concern is the specific gravity or wood density that affects the performance of fastening devices, such as nails, screws or gusset plates,” says North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey.
The N.C. Building Code Council has issued an advisory to use European lumber only “as an alternate material” which must be examined by the code enforcement official before use. This is not a ban on European wood products. It “simply requires additional supporting documentation to assure the wood characteristics are properly reflected in the overall project design”.
North Carolina is one of states where Southern Yellow Pine is grown on a vast scale. This type of tree is even one of the symbols of the state.
