What should #1 Western Red Cedar 6″ wide pickets look like?
Got a bid from a well respected fence company. The bid was for 172 running feet of #1 WRCedar , 6″ wide and 8ft. long, that was sent to be dipped and treated with WoodDefender “Cedar Tone” transparent stain.
The color is beautiful. The Cedar pickets are my big question. For this fence to be built of No. 1 WRC, there are so many knots in each board. Some of the knots already have cracked the width of the knot and light can be seen coming through them. At the time of the photo’s, the fence is only 6 days old.
I can go to Home Depot and find No. 2 pickets that are clearer! By looking at the pics, can you help me explain to the wholesale company who sold the pickets to the fencing company that with a single picket has 3″ long spikes on a 6″ wide board, plus five to 10 more round knots ranging in size from Nickels to Silver Dollars, there are far too many?
The whole fence is like the single 2meg picture. Only the last 3 boards are clearer. That’s because the fence builder ran short of pickets and had to go to Home Depot to buy 3 more..
Thanks for your time and
input,
Bill
Replies
Another Photo of fence pickets
Here is another photo if it would help you see my concern.
Thanks,
Bill
Yeah, that's pretty far out on the knotty vs nice scale.
HD knows that people will pick through them, and so they get clearer stuff to begin with.
The difference, in a picket fence, is not all that significant structurally. But it of course makes a bit of difference in appearance.
That there #1 Texas is called 'kindling' out here in PNW where it grows.
Do hear tell that back east anything without an open knothle is called #1 ?
A knot on the edge WILL fallout within a few years, of which you have quite a few.
Next time DIY ?
3 pics of my neighbors fences, mostly clear, about 1/2 here are stained or even painted, otherwise moss grows on them.
That there shed behind the last fence is one of my $2 sheds built from 100% CL scraps <G>
PS: google 'cedar creek lumber', they have photos of grades and grading rules.
due diligence
"Got a bid" is much different than 'had installed'. You're not clear on which is the case. If the former, then don't accept it for failing to meet your expectations. Ask for samples that do and sign off on those. If the later, then you're probably screwed for not investigating the difference in WRC lumber grades before rather than after the fact. Personally, I feel using using a better grade of WRC for a fence of this design would be a waste of quality wood. Whether or not you were charged for a grade you didn't recieve is another story best discussed in a legal advice forum.
You might ask the supplier for their grading standards for #1.