Not sure this should be here in in building section?

Hi there,
I am not sure what the issues are with using wet timber? My guess is that it will shrink, warp and possibly crack as it dries?

The reason I ask is that I am working on a job at the moment where the builder has used tanilised (spelling) timber as rafters in a roof that he is building. The timber came from a timber merchant in London and had all the correct stamps etc to show it was construction grade. It was delivered on a rainy day and I helped the builder carry it on to site. It was extremely heavy, so in my opinion very wet (not just a bit wet from the rain). This did not stop the builder from using it to build the roof, the timber was being used as fast as it was being delivered. I don't know if it was wet from the tanilising, from being left out in the yard or if it was never allowed to dry after being sawn?

This was a few weeks ago and I have since noticed cracks running along the lengths of some of the rafters and there seem to be gaps between the rafters and ridge plate (where it looks like the timber has shrunk).
The tiles are not on yet, I am sure they will help to close up the gaps once the weight of the tiles are on the roof.

I thought that the best thing for the builder to do would have been to send the timber back and ask for dry timber or to get some from somewhere else.

Any views on this?

The builder did it himself and it looks like it was done by a primary school woodwork class. All I can say is I am glad I don't have to live in the house (or that I am the mug paying him to do it).