Any House Framers?

[Allen]

Let us know how things turn out.

[Sako]

The one picture shows to be an outside wall which would be a load bearing wall. The wood used is utility grade white wood which is the cheapest. Building code does not allow utility grade lumber on a load bearing wall. Like already stated, if replaced you will have toe nailed studs but that is better than shaky lumber.
The splits (shake) in the boards may be caused by one of two things - wind damaged trees or harvesting dead timber that has dried and split and that further devalues the lumber.
Link on wall construction.

http://www2.iccsafe.org/states/newjersey/nj_residential/pdfs/nj_res_chapter6.pdf

Selling shaky lumber makes shaky customers and shaky customers make shaky business and shaky business make everyone dissatisfied.

look up the building codes for your state.

[Allen]

The splits (shake) in the boards may be caused by one of two things - wind damaged trees or harvesting dead timber that has dried and split and that further devalues the lumber.

After one of our many hurricanes we lost 55 huge pecan trees. They were all laying on their sides with the roots and limbs still attached along with what looked like bomb craters where the trees had once stood. We contacted companies that buy/sell hardwood lumber. They said they weren't interested in buying them because they had been laid down by the wind stating that so many times they twist and splinter, crack, split the internal grain before coming down.

I have seen lumber graded as 3rd's that looked better than what I'm seeing on this photo of the wall.

[warbrds]

I have helped build a few homes, large decks, shops. Get that wood out of there, sub standard. Not what you want for your walls, trouble down the road

[ray55classic]

The one picture shows to be an outside wall which would be a load bearing wall. The wood used is utility grade white wood which is the cheapest. Building code does not allow utility grade lumber on a load bearing wall. Like already stated, if replaced you will have toe nailed studs but that is better than shaky lumber.
The splits (shake) in the boards may be caused by one of two things - wind damaged trees or harvesting dead timber that has dried and split and that further devalues the lumber.
Link on wall construction.

http://www2.iccsafe.org/states/newjersey/nj_residential/pdfs/nj_res_chapter6.pdf

Selling shaky lumber makes shaky customers and shaky customers make shaky business and shaky business make everyone dissatisfied.

look up the building codes for your state.

Sako is right about whitewood it's the cheapest crap available and to add insult to injury they're using seconds and thirds of the cheapest crap available.
Using it as framework for a home is highly unethical IMO
whitewood has little structural strength compared to yellow pine , even primed and painted whitewood usually rots out within a few years .
The only thing I've found it's good for is dunnage to keep the good lumber off the ground with.
His advice to look up your state & local building codes is sound . This will be valuable info for you to study and use as ammo.

If it was mine I'd be talking to a good lawyer & looking for a way to back out of any contract due to the contractor using substandard materials during construction.
Seriously don't accept this , any of it. Walk away now & you'll be ahead of the game

[PWC]

34years ago when we built our house i was there every day from the time they drovethe stake with the permit til final walk thru....when i saw a sub par / broken & repaired stud i took a picture of it then knocked it out. Once the contractor was there and said they were having trouble with vandalism and had to repair before they could go on. I told him it was me and he said i couldn't do that. I asked him if he wanted to go with me tomorrow to the home office and explain the pictures to to the builder and registrars of contractors. He sId no and i never had any more problems with the framing.

[dryheat]

The OP unfortunately has no experience in building but has at least the eye to spot studs that 99.7% of the population would be suspicious of. Not to be rude, but they must have seen you coming(it was the lowest bid wasn't it?). I can't imagine any builder trying to pass that stuff off. Now, if Mexicans are on the job that's another wrinkle. They are about as smart as rocks sometimes. I was having a tile floor installed in the kitchen. When the helper went to the store for more tile the Lot/Run No. was different. Didn't matter to him, he just kept on putting them down. All that had to be jacked out(more dust all over the house) and replaced.

[Sako]

Rifleman, I used a general contractor to build a house last year and man did I learn a lot! Building methods and materials have changed dramatically in the last 20 years. Waste of materials drove me nuts as did quality of work and it wasn't because the subcontractors couldn't do good quality of work they just looked to cut every corner they could get away with.
I had issues with the concrete, framing, nailing of the zip board, finish carpenters, plumbers and brick layers. I didn't win all of my arguments.

Another man that had a new house built down the road was diagnosed and treated for cancer after he stared building his house. The man said if he had to pick between having cancer and building another new house he would pick the cancer.

[PWC]

Not true, Dryheat.....One of the 3 largest builders, at that time, here in the valley

[Former Cav]

oh, you are in Phoenix. Everything they build out here is *hit!!
I had some moron going to do some remodeling and wanted to stick in studs that looked like a drill bit they were so twisted. I canned the guy.
He has either gone out of business or has changed the name of his outfit. Another B.S. Artist.

[S.A. Boggs]

Rifleman, I used a general contractor to build a house last year and man did I learn a lot! Building methods and materials have changed dramatically in the last 20 years. Waste of materials drove me nuts as did quality of work and it wasn't because the subcontractors couldn't do good quality of work they just looked to cut every corner they could get away with.
I had issues with the concrete, framing, nailing of the zip board, finish carpenters, plumbers and brick layers. I didn't win all of my arguments.

Another man that had a new house built down the road was diagnosed and treated for cancer after he stared building his house. The man said if he had to pick between having cancer and building another new house he would pick the cancer.

From someone who has just been down the cancer route what he stated is amazing...at least to me. Chemo is tough, being cooked from the inside out is tougher!!!
Sam

[Sako]

From someone who has just been down the cancer route what he stated is amazing...at least to me. Chemo is tough, being cooked from the inside out is tougher!!!
Sam

Sam, I am sure his statement was tongue in cheek and his wasn't as serious as what you have been through.

[Rifleman]

No actually This builder is normally awesome framing a house. I have walked thru every home they have framed in the last 6 months...and they welcomed it. I walked thru 3 houses today that where framed the same week as mine and they are excellent. My foreman is on his honeymoon so I really can't explain wth is going on but it is sureal. I called the bldg inspectors and they just blew me off. Everyone just thought I was making noise out of nothing and figured they would let kyle deal with me when he got back. Finally someone emailed me that those two board where bad and should never have been used...trying to appease me. I explained to him that in the 4 days he ignored me 34 more like it where used in the outside load bearing walls and the 2nd floor was now framed and in just as bad cond. Anyone know a good Attorney in Indy?

[Allen]

Shows you who the inspectors work for in your area. I would stop work on the house till your foreman decides to come back to work.

[Rifleman]

Exactly what I am thinking Allen. My wife and I have documented the heck out of it, literally every board in the house. I called the local news station attack dog, we'll see how that all goes tomorrow. I gave the builder a deadline of 14:00 TOMORROW or I talk to the media no turning back.