What are some basic things I should know about timber before buying it

From hardwood to softwood, timber is the comforting foundation for your home's flooring, fencing and decking. Timber is fondly enjoyed by your closest family and friends, but ready to wear away at your hard work are freeloading borers and termites. Your timber's resistance to insects and harsh environmental conditions are determined by a range of ratings to grade strength and hazard levels.

When embarking on a DIY challenge at home, renovating or new construction, quickly decoding the numerous timber grades and classes is your headstart in building your upcoming timber project. Knowing the different types of timber ratings gives you long term security when it's time to choose the right material for your building project.

Hazard Levels and Where to Apply Them
Hazard levels determine the degree of biological hazard timber will be exposed to in specific applications. The varying levels represent chemical treatment used to increase the timbers' resistance to termites, decay and fungal growth. The hazard level is rated on a scale from H6, the highest level, down to H1, the lowest level. In Fiji, timber is generally treated at H3, H4 level and H5 level upon request.

Risk Level (Class)	Exposure	Service Condition	Hazards	Examples
H2	Interior (inside) use and above ground level	Protected from wetting, no leaching	Weather, borers (wood boring beetles/insects)	Framing, flooring, interior joinery and furniture
H3	Exterior (outside) use and above ground	Periodic moderate wetting and leaching (subject to project preparation before installation & regularly maintained paint coat system)	Weather, borers (wood boring beetles/ insects/terminates) and moderate decays	Suitable for weatherboards, fascia boards, verandah flooring, exterior joinery, decking and roofing.
H4	Outside use and in ground contact	Severe wetting and leaching	Severe decays, rots, borers (wood boring beetles/insects/terminates)	Fence posts, retaining wall less than 1 metre high, garden furniture, flowerbeds and landscaping timber
H5	Outside use and in ground contact or fresh water	Extreme wetting and leaching	Very severe decay, borers (beetles/insects/terminates)	Piling, house stumps, power poles (EFL) and (TFL), building poles, retaining wall more than 1 metre high
H6	Marine Waters	Prolonged immersion in sea water	Decay, marine borers (molluscs and crustaceans)	Boat hulls, marine piles, jetty cross bracing, jetty, landing steps, ramps and slipways.