Thread: Gray streaks in dressed pine

It could be a nutritional or a fungal problem. The latter can happened while the tree is still living or after it has been cut down.

In Western Canada construction framing is marketed as SPF (Spruce, Pine or Fir -- but these days it's almost all spruce).
The grey streaks you describe are found in Spruce where it's the result of a fungal growth. The wood is called "Denim wood" and commands a premium

Originally Posted by ian

In Western Canada construction framing is marketed as SPF (Spruce, Pine or Fir -- but these days it's almost all spruce).
The grey streaks you describe are found in Spruce where it's the result of a fungal growth. The wood is called "Denim wood" and commands a premium

A premium for construction framing??? Are they nuts?? Only reason I could se for paying a premium would be for clear for exposed beams etc.

Hi Kevin,

It sounds like a fungal issue and in some timbers creates an attractive figure called spalting. I have some Crows Ash that shows a very similar behaviour. It was a tree that died probably from fungal attack. As BobL says above there can also be fungal attack after the tree is felled if storage conditions are wet and/or warm.

Some photos would help with a more certain response.

David

I think you are seeing a form of sap stain / blue stain which is prevalent in radiata that hasn't been treated with a fungicide or the treatment was incomplete. The blue stain occurs mostly in sapwood or a mixture of heartwood & sapwood when the MC is 20% or so and more common if felled & milled in warmer weather. Many other timbers including the Flindersia's (silver ash, crows ash, QLD maple etc) also suffer a form of blue stain.

I have also noticed it in some King Billy Pine.