Lumber Processing in 

Selected Sawmills

in Durango and 

Oaxaca, Mexico

Roland Hernandez

Michael C. Wiemann

United States

Department of

Agriculture

Forest Service

Forest

Products

Laboratory

General

Technical 

Report

FPL–GTR–167
May 2006

Hernandez, Roland; Wiemann, Michael C. 2006. Lumber processing in 

selected sawmills in Durango and Oaxaca, Mexico. General Technical 

Report FPL-GTR-167. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory. 14 p.

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Abstract

This report documents a technical assistance trip to four 

community-owned forests and associated sawmill and 

secondary processing operations in the vicinities of Durango 

and Oaxaca, Mexico. The products and processes of these 

enterprises are described, and recommendations for improvement are provided. 

Keywords: Ejido, bosque comunal, sawmill, Durango, 

Oaxaca, Mexico, Pinus, Quercus

Contents

Page

Introduction ......................................................................... 1

Description of Sawmills ...................................................... 1

 Logs ................................................................................. 1

 Log Sorting ................................................................. 3

 Log Breakdown ........................................................... 3

 Slab Recovery ............................................................. 5

 Grading ....................................................................... 5

 Kiln-Drying ................................................................. 7

 Finished Products ............................................................ 7

Information Gathered .......................................................... 9

 Comparison of Mexican and U.S. Pines ......................... 9

 Comparison of Mexican and U.S. Oaks .......................... 9

Comments and Recommendations .....................................10

Trade Associations .............................................................11

Literature Cited ..................................................................11

Appendix—Uses For Low-Grade Lumber ........................12
Lumber Processing in Selected Sawmills

in Durango and Oaxaca, Mexico

Roland Hernandez, Research Engineer

Michael C. Wiemann, Botanist

Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin

Introduction

The Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) was contacted by 

the USDA Forest Service International Programs to provide 

technical assistance to sawmills in Durango and Oaxaca, 

Mexico. A technical visit was coordinated with members of 

the Rainforest Alliance.

In Mexico, forests (bosques) are primarily communityowned. There are two categories of community-owned 

forests, “bosques ejidales” (also known as “ejidos”) and 

“bosques comunales.” The main difference between these 

two systems is in land tenure. Ejidos may be subdivided into 

parcels with individual owners, although a family may not 

own more than one parcel. Bosques comunales, on the other 

hand, may not be subdivided, although the total number of 

owners can increase.

Communities use their collective forest holdings to supply 

timber industries. Much of the production supplies local 

markets, but there is increasing interest in export markets as 

a source of foreign exchange. Foreign markets are demanding, and high quality is required by importers of timber and 

timber products. We visited timber production industries 

associated with community forests to familiarize ourselves 

with their current operations and lumber grading methods, 

and to survey the various species that are harvested. The forests that we visited produce mostly pine, with small quantities of oak. The regions we visited are shown in Figure 1. 

Description of Sawmills 

We visited four sawmills approximately 2 to 4 h driving 

time from the metropolitan areas of Durango and Oaxaca, 

Mexico. The two sawmills near Durango are ejidos, and the 

two sawmills near Oaxaca are comunales. All sawmills are 

members of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), a thirdparty organization that certifies sawmills that follow sustainable forestry practices. 

Logs

Private trucking companies are contracted to haul harvested 

logs from the forest to the sawmills. Typical log lengths in 

the Durango area are 16 to 24 ft (4.9 to 7.3 m), which requires the use of logging trucks and trailers (Fig. 2). At the 

Oaxaca sawmills, logs are typically cut to a uniform 

8-ft (2.4-m) length, which allows the use of flat-bed trucks 

(Fig. 3).

The raw material processed and the facilities at the four 

sawmills are summarized in Table 1. The majority of the 

Figure 1—Durango and Oaxaca regions in Mexico.

www.TrailMonkey.com

Figure 2—Specialized log-hauling semi-truck and trailer 

for carrying logs up to 24 ft (7.3 m) long.
General Technical Report FPL–GTR–167

2 Table 1—Summary of sawmill characteristics

Sawmill Speciesa Length De-barking Primary sawing Re-sawing 

Lumber 

grades 

Air 

drying 

Kiln

drying 

Finished 

products

Durango #1b P. durangensis Martínez

P. ponderosa Dougl. P. michoacana Martínez P. arizonica Engelm. 

20–24 ft 

(6.1–7.3 m)

No Band saw; 

8, 16, 20 ft (2.4, 4.9, 6.1 m) lumber; short stock

Wane removal; pallet stock;1×1×48 in. (2.5×2.5×122 cm) stock; slats for fruit boxes 

No. 1No. 2No. 3No. 4No. 5 

No Oil-based; 

wood-fired 

kiln

None 

Durango #2 P. durangensis Martínez

P. cooperi Blanco P. engelmannii Carr. P. ayacahuite Ehrenb. Quercus sideroxyla Humb. & Bonpl.Quercus rugosa Née 

16 ft 

(4.9 m) 

Yes Band saw; 

8, 16 ft(2, 4.9 m) lumber; short stock

Wane removal; pallet stock;1×1×48 in. (2.5×2.5×122 cm) stock; slats for fruit boxes 

No. 1No. 2No. 3No. 4No. 5 

Yes No kiln None 

Oaxaca #1 P. pseudostrobus Lindl. 

P. patula Schlecht. & Cham. P. oaxacana Mirov P. lumholtzii Robins. & Fern. P. tenuifolia Benth. P. teocote Schlecht. & Cham. P. leiophylla Schlecht. & Cham. P. oocarpa Schiede P. montezumae Lambert P. pringlei Shaw P. douglasiana Martínez P. ayacahuite Ehrenb. Abies oaxacana MartínezQuercus laurina Humb. & Bonpl.

8 ft 

(2.4 m) 

No Band saw; 

8 ft (2.4 m) lumber; short stock

Wane removal; pallet stock;1×1×48 in. (2.5×2.5×122 cm) stock

No. 1No. 2No. 3No. 4No. 5 

Yes

(short term)

Modern None 

Oaxaca #2 P. patula Schlecht. & Cham.

P. pseudostrobus Lindl. 

8 ft 

(2.4 m) 

No Band saw; 

8 ft (2.4 m) lumber; short stock 

Wane removal; pallet stock;1×1×48 in. (2.5×2.5×122 cm) stock

No. 1No. 2No. 3No. 4No. 5 

Yes

(short term)

Modern Doors;

fingerjointing;

modern

a P. designates Pinus. b A total of seven species are processed; representative species are listed here. 
Lumber Processing in Selected Sawmills in Durango and Oaxaca, Mexico

3

logs are pine species, with a small percentage of oak. We 

saw no effort to separate the various species of pines at the 

log yards or during lumber processing. Pinus durangensis 

is the primary species processed at the Durango sawmills. 

About 60% of total production at Oaxaca sawmill #1 utilizes 

P. pseudostrobus and P. patula; 60% of production at Oaxaca sawmill #2 utilizes P. patula, with the rest consisting of 

P. pseudostrobus. 

Log Sorting

Log shipments are unloaded in the log yard (Fig. 4); the logs 

are stacked into more orderly stockpiles by front-end loaders (Fig. 5). All sawmills conduct some degree of log sorting, primarily by diameter. Durango sawmill #1 separates 

out all small-diameter, long, straight logs for utility poles, 

but does no additional sorting of the remaining logs (Fig. 6). 

Durango sawmill #2 separates all logs by diameter classes, 

so that more uniform diameters are processed in sawing. 

Small-diameter short logs are accumulated at all sawmills 

(Fig. 7) because no profitable markets currently exist for this 

resource. Neither of the Oaxaca mills sorts logs, and none of 

the sawmills sorts pine logs by species (Fig. 8).

Log Breakdown

Durango sawmill #2 debarks logs prior to sawing (Fig. 9) 

so that the slab wood and edgings are bark-free. All four 

sawmills utilize large band saws (Fig. 10), and saw filers 

are in charge of daily maintenance of the blades. During the 

production of sawn lumber, all the sawmills try to maximize 

the production of wide lumber (Fig. 11), which is dictated 

by strong market demands in Mexico, although the widths 

attainable are limited by the log diameters. Production at all 

four sawmills is similar to the appearance-grade processing 

common in the United States for hardwood lumber, which 

typically processes random-width dimensions. In the United 

States, the majority of pine species are sawn into dimension lumber for structural and utility applications, although 

some mills make an attempt to produce appearance-grade 

material. After the primary processing of full-width lumber, 

Figure 3—Typical heavy-duty truck for transporting logs 

cut to nominal length of 8 ft (2.4 m).

Figure 4—Example of log unloading at sawmill.

Figure 5—Logs stacked in sawmill yard.

Figure 6—Example of sorting logs for specialty 

products; in this case, utility poles.
4

Figure 7—Accumulation of small-diameter logs at log 

yards resulting from lack of markets for small-dimension 

lumber.

Figure 8—Mixture of species and diameters of logs 

queued for sawing. Large-diameter log on right with 

heavy bark structure is Pinus pseudostrobus; other 

logs are P. patula.

Figure 9—De-barked logs. 

Figure 10—Large band saw used at sawmills.

Figure 11—Sawmill processing in Mexico targets 

production of wide lumber because of strong market 

demands. 

General Technical Report FPL–GTR–167
5

lumber with wane is edged through a gang-rip saw, resulting 

in narrower-width lumber. Slabs are accumulated and stockpiled (Fig. 12) for further reprocessing into smaller stock, 

such as slats.

Durango sawmill #2 and both Oaxaca sawmills process 

log-length lumber from logs that are harvested and cut to a 

specific length in the forest. Durango sawmill #2 primarily processes 16-ft (4.9-m) logs, and both Oaxaca sawmills 

primarily process 8-ft (2.4-m) logs. Durango sawmill #1 

acquires the majority of their logs in 20- to 24-ft (6.1- to 

7.3-m) lengths; a large percentage of these logs are later cut 

to 16-ft (4.9-m) lengths in the yard (Fig. 13). Only the highest quality logs are processed full-length into lumber longer 

than 16 ft (4.9 m). This process results in an abundance of 

short log cut-offs (Fig. 14).

Slab Recovery

A common problem among all four sawmills is to find 

methods to utilize the sawmill waste. All sawmills have a 

re-saw production line (Fig. 15), where lumber is recovered 

from slabs. Three products are commonly processed on 

these re-saw lines (Fig. 16):

(a) Thin slats for fruit boxes 

(b) 1- by 1- by 48-in. (2.5- by 2.5- by 122-cm) clear 

 stock for broom handles

(c) Components for pallet stock 

All four sawmills named these three products as outlets for 

lumber recovered from slabs. No other primary products are 

made from slabs.

Grading

All sawmills have similar grading methods and grading systems. Green lumber is visually graded and categorized into 

one of five lumber grades, No. 1 through No. 5. The No. 1 

and No. 2 lumber grades are commonly combined into 

a single high grade, referred to as “Firsts.” Table 2 

Figure 12—Example of slabs accumulated at sawmills.

Figure 13—Bucking long logs into short lengths in log 

yard.

Figure 14—Large quantity of log shorts resulting from 

poor log bucking practices.

Figure 15—Lumber recovered from slabs is sawn into 

slats, pallet stock, and blanks for broom handles.

Lumber Processing in Selected Sawmills in Durango and Oaxaca, Mexico
6

Figure 16—Byproducts made from slabs: (a) slats for fruit boxes; (b) blanks for broom handles; (c) pallet components.

Table 2—Summary of lumber grade specifications, based on interviews with lumber 

graders 

Grade Knot size Frequency and characteristics of knots and other defects 

No. 1 No knots Clear both faces 

No. 2 Smaller than 1 in. (2.5 cm) Clear one face; 4 or fewer knots permitted on back 

No. 3 Smaller than 2 in. (5 cm) 4 or fewer knots permitted on both faces 

No. 4 Smaller than 2 in. (5 cm) 5 to 8 knots permitted on both faces 

No. 5 Larger than 2 in. (5 cm) More than 4 knots on both faces; checks, splits, 

and centered pith 

General Technical Report FPL–GTR–167
7

summarizes the specifications of the lumber grades, based 

on our discussions with the graders. This grading system is 

applied only to full-length lumber, and no grading manual 

was available at any of the sawmills. Figure 17 shows representative boards from each of these lumber grades.

Kiln-Drying

Three of the four sawmills operate dry kilns. Durango sawmill #2 does not operate a kiln; 100% of their product is 

sold as green or air-dried lumber. Durango sawmill #1 operates an oil kiln that is heated by burning solid wood waste. 

Three shifts are required to manage this kiln; highly skilled 

operators are required to maintain proper temperature and 

humidity control. Both Oaxaca sawmills operate modern 

kilns (Fig. 18) with computer-controlled sensors and utilize 

sawdust waste for heat generation. At three of the four sawmills, we observed stickers that were improperly aligned 

(Fig. 19). Only Oaxaca sawmill #2 had perfectly aligned 

stickers in every lumber bundle that we inspected.

Finished Products

With the exception of thin slats, pallet lumber, and broomstick handle blanks, only Oaxaca sawmill #2 manufactures 

secondary products; their primary added-value product is 

floating-panel doors (Fig. 20). This sawmill is in the process 

of installing a finger-jointing system to be able to efficiently 

utilize the short clear lumber from mill residues (Fig. 21).

Although Oaxaca sawmill #2 is using modern equipment to 

produce fine quality doors, we saw a few instances of splits 

and checks in the rails and stiles of these manufactured 

products (Fig. 22). We noticed that the rails and stiles in the 

finished doors are primarily made from flat-sawn lumber, 

and they are stored in the warehouse in an unfinished condition. To produce a more dimensionally stable and valueadded product, we recommended that the sawmill consider 

Figure 17—Representative boards from lumber grades: (a) “Firsts”: combination of No. 1 and No. 2 grade lumber; 

(b) No. 3 grade; (c) No. 4 grade; (d) No. 5 grade. See Table 2 for description of grades.

Lumber Processing in Selected Sawmills in Durango and Oaxaca, Mexico
8

quarter-sawn lumber for door rails and stiles. Because the 

operation is a sawmill, specially cut lumber can be selected 

from the production line. In addition to the use of more dimensionally stable lumber, we also recommended the application of a surface finish soon after manufacture, to reduce 

the amount of shrinking and swelling resulting from fluctuations in relative humidity. We recommended that lumber for 

the unfinished door market be immediately shrink-wrapped 

before storage.

Figure 18—Example of modern drying kiln for Oaxaca 

sawmill.

Figure 19—Misaligned stickers during drying result in 

warped lumber.

Figure 20—Floating-panel, solid-wood doors manufactured in Oaxaca.

Figure 21—Modern finger-jointing system.

Figure 22—End checking on flat-sawn grain of 

unfinished door stiles.

General Technical Report FPL–GTR–167
9

Information Gathered

With our newly gained knowledge of the pine species available in Oaxaca and Durango as well as the lumber processing and grading capabilities, we conducted a review of the 

literature to compare the mechanical properties of the pine 

species utilized in these regions in Mexico to those commonly utilized in the United States.

Comparison of Mexican and U.S. Pines

Figure 23 compares the specific gravity of several U.S. and 

Mexican pine species. Table 3 compares the modulus of 

rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), side hardness, 

and radial, tangential, and volumetric shrinkage of four native commercial pines of the United States, one species 

(P. radiata) that is native to the United States but has commercial value only as a plantation species in foreign countries, and three Mexican pines. Of the commercial U.S. species, P. taeda is a southern yellow pine, P. ponderosa and 

P. contorta are western yellow pines, and P. strobus is 

northern white pine. Pinus radiata is native to California 

and Guadalupe Island. Pinus taeda has the highest specific 

gravity of all the species shown in Figure 23 and is considered one of the strongest softwood species in the United 

States for structural applications. Southern yellow pine is 

commonly used for structural joists and planks and in engineered wood products such as glued-laminated timber members. Pinus ponderosa and P. contorta are commonly classified as Western Woods in U.S. lumber grades. These species 

are known to possess lesser mechanical properties compared 

with those of southern yellow pine. These species are commonly used for construction studs as well as nonstructural 

applications in molding and millwork. Pinus strobus is 

usually processed as appearance grade lumber and used in 

nonstructural applications such as furniture, molding, and 

millwork. 

The processing of Mexican pines that we observed at the 

four sawmills most closely resembles the U.S. grade sawing 

methods for P. strobus. As observed in Figure 23, the specific gravity of the Mexican pines exceeds the specific gravity 

of P. ponderosa, P. contorta, P. radiata, and P. strobus. Our 

data indicate that Mexican pines have sufficient to excellent 

mechanical properties for structural and semi-structural 

applications.

Comparison of Mexican and U.S. Oaks

Table 4 compares the MOR, MOE, side hardness, and radial, tangential, and volumetric shrinkage of three native 

oaks of the United States and six species of Mexican oaks. 

Quercus alba is the most valuable white oak in the United 

States, and Q. rubra is the most valuable red oak. Quercus 

virginiana is much less valuable than these two species (perhaps because of its small size, poor form on many sites, and 

drying difficulties), and it resembles the Mexican oaks in 

Figure 23—Specific gravity of various U.S. and Mexican 

pine species.

Lumber Processing in Selected Sawmills in Durango and Oaxaca, Mexico

Table 3—Physical properties and dry (12% moisture content) properties of pine (Pinus) species 

Shrinkage, green to ovendry (%) 

Data sourcea

Basic specific 

gravity Species 

MOR

(MPa)

MOE

(GPa)

Side hardness

(kN) Radial Tangential Volumetric Originb

FPL 0.34 P. strobus 59 8.5 1.7 2.1 6.1 8.2 USA 

0.47 P. taeda 88 12.3 3.1 4.8 7.4 12.3 USA 

0.38 P. contorta 65 9.2 2.1 4.3 6.7 11.1 USA 

0.42 P. ponderosa 65 8.9 2.0 3.9 6.2 9.7 USA 

0.46 P. radiata 81 10.2 3.3 — — — Asia 

Cockrell 0.46 P. radiata 91 12.4 3.4 5.2 7.0 11.4 CA 

0.41 P. radiata 79 10.0 3.2 4.0 6.3 — Australia

Lavers 0.43 P. radiata 85 9.0 3.8 — — — Kenya 

0.39 P. radiata 85 8.3 2.7 — — — NZ 

Davalos 0.46 P. durangensis 102 11.9 3.4 — — 13.1 Mexico 

0.47 P. patula 95 12.5 3.8 — — 10.8 Mexico 

Sachsse 0.45 P. pseudostrobus — 11.1 — — — 11.6 Mexico 

a

FPL 1999b; Cockrell 1959; Lavers 1983; Davalos and others 1978; Sachsse and Cruz de León 1992. b

CA is California; NZ, New Zealand. 

0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

P. taeda

P. ponderosa

P. contorta

P. radiata

P. strobus

P. pseudostrobus

P. patula

P. durangensis

Specific gravity

U.S. pines Mexican pines
10

anatomy. Quercus alba and Q. rubra are both ring-porous 

species; Q. virginiana is diffuse-porous, as are the many of 

the Mexican oaks. The mechanical properties of the Mexican oaks are largely unknown, but shrinkage is high, which 

may partially account for the limited utilization of this 

wood.

Comments and Recommendations

The following comments and recommendations are based 

on our review of practices observed at the sawmills in Oaxaca and Durango: 

• More efficient timber harvesting—specifically, bucking 

logs to desired lengths—should be conducted in the forest such that logs arrive at the sawmill in lengths that will 

be processed into lumber. Hauling 20- to 24-ft- (6.1- to 

7.3-m-) long logs is not cost-effective when the final 

length of lumber is typically 16 ft (4.9 m) and shorter, 

and it results in significant waste.

•Lumber yield and sawing efficiency can be improved if 

logs are initially sorted by diameter in the log yard. Processing of logs with a wide range of diameters reduces 

efficiency because it multiplies the number of decisions 

the sawmill operator must make to maximize grade yield. 

• Debarking of logs at the sawmill should be considered 

for several reasons. In the case of utility poles, the removal of bark accelerates drying and facilitates treatment with chemicals. Removal of bark has advantages 

for sawing: defects are visible (Koch 1985), and cutting 

bark-free logs extends the service life of saws. Sawmills 

can sell log residue to pulpmills as a value-added product 

if the bark is removed. De-barking of logs before storage 

in the log yard accelerates drying and results in a highervalued product (Simpson and Wang 2003). Harkin and 

Rowe (1971) described the properties of bark and discussed its possible uses, such as for mulch. 

•The structural pole market and rustic round-timber furniture market are likely outlets for small-diameter logs. 

•In log breakdown, greater care to reduce non-uniformity 

in thickness would produce higher-valued lumber.

•Recovering material from slabs is an important process 

in the complete utilization of the timber resource. Products currently being recovered from slabs are fruit box 

slats, broomhandle blanks, and pallet stock. Although 

the market for these products seems to be well established, we recommend that other higher-valued uses 

for this resource be researched. In the United States, a 

wide range of products in the molding and millwork 

industry are produced from narrow stock, such as trim, 

picture frames, lattice, and finger-jointed molding. We 

recommend that the sawmills review the information on 

producing higher-valued products that is available from 

trade associations, such as the Wood Moulding and Millwood Producers Association (www.wmmpa.com).

• Utilization of narrow and short lumber resources could 

be extended by the use of finger-jointing. Finger-jointed 

molding and millwork products are common in the United States, and initial steps should be taken to make these 

products acceptable in Mexico. Establishing a fingerjoint production line requires knowledge of processing 

and expected performance. Historical information 

is available from the Forest Products Laboratory 

(Jokerst 1981).

•Lumber drying is an important aspect of the production 

of wood products. For sawmills that are not currently set 

up to kiln dry lumber, steps should be taken to implement proper air-drying techniques. Research information 

is available from the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL 

1999a, Peck 1956, Tschernitz and Simpson 1985).

• Quality control in lumber stacking and stickering should 

be implemented. The Forest Products Laboratory publishes information on the importance of proper lumber 

General Technical Report FPL–GTR–167

Table 4. Physical properties and dry (12% moisture content) properties of oak (Quercus) species 

Shrinkage, green to ovendry (%) Data

sourcea

Basic specific 

gravity Species 

MOR

(MPa)

MOE

(GPa)

Side hardness

(kN) Radial Tangential Volumetric Origin

FPL 0.56 Q. alba 99 12.5 5.7 5.6 10.5 16.3 USA 

0.60 Q. rubra 105 12.3 6.0 4.0 8.6 13.7 USA 

0.80 Q. virginiana 127 13.7 — 6.6 9.5 14.7 USA 

Cruz 0.59 Q. affinis — — — 4.6 12.9 18.5 Mexico 

0.73 Q. rysophylla — — — 5.0 11.5 17.5 Mexico 

0.75 Q. polymorpha — — — 5.4 11.4 17.9 Mexico 

0.74 Q. prinopsis — — — 6.2 13.2 20.8 Mexico 

Echenique 0.68 Q. barvinervis — — — — — 21.2 Mexico 

Kukachka 0.91 Q. oleoides 79 12.4 8.9 — — — Tropical America 

a

FPL 1999b; Cruz de Leon 1994; Echenique Manrique and Becerra Martínez 1969; Kukachka 1970.
11

stickering for kiln-drying and the effects of improper 

stickering (Simpson 1991).

•We found no value-added outlet for No. 5 lumber, the 

lowest grade produced at the sawmills (Table 2). We 

recommend that value-added outlets be considered for 

the utilization of this material; one possibility is the pulp 

chip market. Other alternatives are (1) to re-saw the 

lower grade stock into short clear lumber and use finger-jointing and (2) to produce rustic end-use products, 

which are not downgraded by the presence of knots and 

other defects. Examples of rustic uses of lower-grade 

lumber in value-added products are shown in the 

Appendix. The round-timber members used in some of 

these structures were likely de-barked and then dried to a 

target moisture content. 

• For sawmills that plan to implement industrial molders, 

oak presents a tremendous opportunity for processing flooring and other products, such as furniture and 

cabinets. In the few instances that we observed oak being processed, the final product was pallet stock. In the 

United States, oak is the predominant species used for 

furniture and wood flooring products. It is an excellent 

species for wood flooring because of its high specific 

gravity. We found research articles relating to utilization 

of oak species in a literature search of the Mexican journal Madera y Bosques.

• Finally, if sawmills wish to export their lumber products 

to the United States in the future, the operators will need 

a good understanding of U.S. lumber processing and 

grading systems. The introduction of structural lumber 

will require approval by U.S. grading agencies. Information about the U.S. process of acceptance of structural 

lumber products was reported by Green and Hernandez 

(2000). Some Mexican pine species have already been 

accepted in the United States for use as semi-structural 

products, such as decking. Table 5 shows Mexican pine 

species accepted by the Board of Review of the American Lumber Standards Committee (www.alsc.org). With 

proper processing equipment, Mexican sawmills can currently produce for export radius-edge decking and exterior decking to the dimensions used in the United States.

Trade Associations 

Information on the process and dimensions required for 

producing quality oak flooring or other products is available 

from the following trade associations:

National Wood Flooring Association, www.woodfloors.

org/consumer

Wood Flooring Manufacturers Association, www.nofma.org

Railway Tie Association,www.rta.org

Literature Cited

Cockrell, R.A. 1959. Mechanical properties of Californiagrown Monterey pine. Hilgardia 28:227–228.

Cruz de Leon, J. 1994. Nota sobre las características físicas 

de la madera de cuatro especies de Quercus de Nuevo Leon, 

México. Investigación Agraria, Sistemas y Recursos Forestales 3:91–101.

Davalos, S.R.; R. Echenique Manrique; V.J. Sánchez, 1978. 

Características mecánicas de tres especies de pino del Cofre 

de Perote, Veracruz. Biótica 3:37–55.

Table 5—Mexican species approved by board of review for decking applications

Mexican pine species 

Approval limited to 

specific areaa

 

Approval obtaineda Product

Grade stamp 

nomenclature 

Supporting

agencyb

Michoacan and adjacent Radius edge decking 24-in. (608-mm) span 

States Exterior decking 16-in. (406-mm) span 

Mex. Pine (I) MCH RRA/WCLIB

Radius edge decking 24-in. (608-mm) span 

for 5/4 by 6/4 in. 

(31.8 by 38 mm) 

16-in. (406-mm) span 

for 5/4 by 4/4 in. 

(31.8 by 25.4 mm) 

P. strobiformis, 

ayacahuite, leiophylla, 

chihuahuana,

lumholtzii, arizonica, 

engelmannii,

durangensis, jeffreyi, 

cooperi, montezumae, 

douglasiana, rudis, 

hariwegii, michoacana, 

pseudostrobus,

maximinoi, oaxacana, 

nubicola, patula, 

oocarpa, pringlei, 

teocote, lawsoni, 

herrerai

Durango and Chihuahua 

Exterior decking 24-in. (608-mm) span 

for 5/4 by 6/4 in. 

(31.8 by 38 mm) 

16-in. (406-mm) span 

for 5/4 by 4/4 in. 

(31.8 by 25.4 mm) 

Mex. Pine (I) DUR RRA/WCLIB

a Includes all species of Mexican pine except P. strobiformis and P. ayacahuite. bRRA is Renewable Resource Associates; WCLIB, West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau. 

Lumber Processing in Selected Sawmills in Durango and Oaxaca, Mexico
12

Echenique Manrique, R.; J. Becerra Martínez. 1969. Algunas características físico-mecánicas de la madera de tres especies de la cordillera neo-volcánica. Notas Técnicas 6:1–6.

FPL. 1999a. Air drying of lumber. Gen. Tech. Rep. FPL–

GTR–117. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 

Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI. www.fpl.fs.fed.

us/documnts/fplgtr/fplgtr117.pdf

FPL 1999b. Wood handbook. Wood as an engineering material. Gen. Tech. Rep. FPL–GTR–113. U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, 

Madison, WI.

Green, D.W.; R. Hernandez. 2000. Codes and standards for 

structural wood products and their use in the United States. 

In: Proceedings of Forest Products Study Group Workshop, 

North American Forestry Commission, Merida, Yucatan, 

Mexico. www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf2000/green00d.pdf

Harkin, J.M.; J.W. Rowe. 1971. Bark and its possible uses. 

Res. Note FPL–RN–091. U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI. 

www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplrn/fplrn091.pdf

Jokerst, R.W. 1981. Finger-jointed wood products. Res. Pap. 

FPL–RP–382. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI. www.fpl.

fs.fed.us/documnts/fplrp/fplrp382.pdf

Koch, P. 1985. Utilization of hardwoods growing on southern pine sites. Agric. Hbk. No. 605. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Washington, DC.

Kukachka, B.F. 1970. Properties of imported tropical 

woods. Research Paper FPL–RP–125. U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, 

Madison, WI. 

Lavers, G.M. 1983. The strength properties of timber. Building Research Establishment Report. London. 60 pp.

Peck, E.C. 1956. The air drying of lumber. FPL Rep. No. 

1657. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI. www.fpl.fs.fed.us/

documnts/fplmisc/rpt1657.pdf

Sachsse, H.; J. Cruz de León. 1992. Das holz de mexikanischen Pinus pseudostrobus Lindl. Holz als Roh-u. 

Werkstoff 50:29–32

Simpson, W.T. 1991. Dry kiln operator’s manual. Agric. 

Hbk. AH–188. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI. www.fpl.

fs.fed.us/documnts/usda/ah188/chapter05.pdf

Simpson, W.T.; X. Wang. 2003. Estimating air-drying times 

of small-diameter ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir logs. Research Paper FPL–RP–613. U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI. 

www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplrp/fplrp613.pdf

Tschernitz, J.L.; W.T. Simpson. 1985. FPL design for lumber dry kiln using solar/wood energy in tropical latitudes. 

Gen. Tech. Rep. FPL–GTR–44. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, 

WI. www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplgtr/fplgtr44.pdf

Appendix—Uses for Low-Grade 

Lumber

The following figures illustrate uses for low-grade lumber 

in value-added products. The round-timber members used 

in some of these structures were likely de-barked and then 

dried to a target moisture content.

Rustic semi-structural application.

Semi-structural application.

General Technical Report FPL–GTR–167
13

Rustic furniture.

Lumber Processing in Selected Sawmills in Durango and Oaxaca, Mexico
14

Non-structural application. Structural application for round timbers.

Semi-structural application.

General Technical Report FPL–GTR–167