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About Grade Right

Grade Right (NZ) Ltd is a private company set up in 2001 and fully independent of any sawmilling or timber-producing company.

Grade Right (NZ) Ltd, is an Independent Verification Agency (IVA) recognised by MBIE and qualified to assist and audit companies producing wood products and who are operating preservative treatment and remanufacturing plants. We offer excellent Quality Assurance Programmes helping companies produce compliant wood products fit for purpose, covering:
1. Structural or framing timber produced according to AS/NZS 1748, NZS3622 and NZS3631. This is our well- recognised Grade Verified Programme where we monitor and audit about 2/3 of NZ's producers of structural timber but also 3 producers in Chile producing solid MGP10 and FJ F7 for the Australian and domestic Chilean market plus the largest pine producer in Fiji producing 'F' grade products for Australia.
2.Wood preservation treatment which is our Treat Right QA Programme, monitoring and auditing about 1/3 of NZ's treatment plants using NZS3640 and the Timber Treatment SOP document developed by the industry as the basis for this work.
3. Engineered Wood Products QA Programme covering finger-jointed and laminated timber products. This is our EWP QA Programme using AS/NZS1328, NZS1492, AS5068 and AS5069 as the basis for this work.

The Grade verified QA Programme applies to all structural timber that is Visually Stress Graded (VSG—what is termed visual grading currently) or Mechanically Stress Grading (MSG) that requires verification under the New Zealand Standard NZS 3622:2004 "Verification of timber properties".

Unverified structural (or framing) timber has been phased out over time to ensure that all structural timber is "fit for purpose".

From early 2006, Sawmillers and other producers of structural timber for use in New Zealand have been required to have this timber independently verified and confirmed as suitable for use in house building.

These are the Grade Verified Timber brands of
Grade Right (NZ) Ltd. Full brand on left and simplified version below. Either brand can be used.

Technical Support

Grade Right staff are available to assist at all stages of the process, including training of QA staff.

Adjudication Service

This is an optional component to the Grade Verified programme, but one that we would recommend for a number of reasons and designed to benefit architects, engineers, builders, local authority building inspectors and home owners.

As a continuation of the work currently undertaken by Grade Right (NZ) Ltd. We also carry out visual grade audits on a on-demand basis regularly for a number of clients scattered around NZ.