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TIMBER PRODUCTS October 2016 Newsletter Volume: 10/24/2016
Online Newsletter
Matt McGowan - WPM Program Manager
mmcgowan@tpinspection.com
mmcgowan@tpinspection.com
Office: 770.785.4769
Mobile: 678.480.2451
Mobile: 678.480.2451
For more information on the IPPC program
Please contact:
Matt McGowan
WPM Program Manager
Conyers GA
Office 770.785.4769
Mobile 678.480.2451
mmcgowan@tpinspection.com
The unauthorized and/or fraudulent use of the TP IPPC mark is illegal and a situation we take seriously. Anyone with information regarding the misuse of IPPC marks should contact TP's WPM Manager immediately. Thank you for helping to protect the integrity of the ISPM 15 program which is vital to our business and economy.
Bark Cards
Larger Window and Notch Style
Traditional Credit Card w/ Stripe Style
We have two types of bark cards to offer all TP monitored facilities. There are a limited number of the larger "window and notch" style bark card. These are being phased out for the traditional "credit card and stripe" style that we offered previously and have brought back due to popular demand. Both are great tools for those who manufacture and repair WPM at your facilities. The window and notch style has regulations in both English and Spanish. The "credit card and stripe" style offers separate cards in English or Spanish. Please contact us at 770-922-8000 x152 to place an order for either card.
Wanted: Feedback
Your feedback is always appreciated. Whether it's a question generated from this newsletter or a comment about our services or personnel, we welcome any thoughts you might have on what we're doing right, what we could do better or what you would like to see us incorporate into the services we provide. The bottom line is we value your opinion and want to hear from you. Please call or email me with any feedback you have. Thanks.
Market Notes
RETAIL SALES JUMP 0.6%
This September gain was impressive – minus auto sales, the advance was still 0.5%. In August, both headline and core retail sales fell 0.2%. While consumers bought more last month, they were less confident earlier this month – the University of Michigan’s initial October consumer sentiment index fell 3.3 points to 87.9.1
INTEREST RATES MAY SOON RISE
The minutes from September’s Federal Reserve policy meeting affirmed what some investors suspected. One, last month’s decision not to raise the federal funds rate was a “close call.” Two, the Federal Open Market Committee expects to make a move “relatively soon.” Last month, 74% of economists responding to a Wall Street Journal survey thought the central bank would raise rates in December.2
PRODUCER PRICE INDEX UP 0.3%
A 2.5% advance in energy prices became the biggest factor in September’s PPI gain. The headline PPI rose 0.7% in the 12 months ending in September.3
Citations.
1 - marketwatch.com/economy-politics/calendars/economic [10/14/16]
2 - tinyurl.com/hhanz42 [10/12/16]
3 - foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/10/14/ september-producer-prices-rise-more-than-expected.html [10/14/16]
Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy. Dale Carnegie
Success is never final, failure is never fatal. It's courage that counts. John Wooden
Bark Conformance
Regardless of whether you use hardwood or softwood in the production of your ISPM 15 conforming WPM, bark can be a challenge. The goal of this newsletter is to help facilities better identify it so bark can be addressed to meet conformance. Below is a description of what bark is and how to identify it on wood.
Measuring Bark & the Use of Bark Cards
The measurement of bark occurs at its widest point and includes both inner and outer bark. If it is less than 1-3/16" it is considered conforming. Conforming bark will be narrower than the notch or green stripe on the TP bark cards (1-3/16").
Anything wider than this is considered non-conforming unless it can fit into a 50 cm2 area. Using the bark cards, the card size or window, depending on the bark card you have, is the equivalent to 50 cm2 so the total amount of continuous bark in question needs to be less than the size of the window or credit card sized bark card. If there is a total break in bark so it is not connected to any other bark, it is considered a separate piece and measured accordingly.
Below are several examples of how bark is measured.
What About Cambium?
Cambium is a paper thin layer of cells that is sometimes confused with inner bark (see pictures below). The cambium layer is difficult to identify because it is so thin and can deviate in color depending on the species of wood. For these reasons, it is recommended to remove all non-conforming bark to the wood rather than trying to remove it just to the cambium. If an inspector finds bark (innner and/or outer) that exceeds ISPM 15 it will be documented as a non-conformance. Generally speaking, if there is any thickness to the material being discussed in this information, consider it bark and remove it to meet ISPM 15 conformance.
Knowledge is Important
Non-conforming bark is one of the biggest issue facilities face when trying to conform to ISPM 15. Please make sure everyone understands what bark is and how to properly remove it so WPM that will receive an IPPC mark conforms to ISPM 15 regulations. With bark being such a serious issue, it is best not to take a chance with it so when in doubt remove everything questionable to the wood.