$9.7 billion potential for engineered lumber

Ouestion:

Despite issues with forests, do you still believe wood is the most viable material for future new home construction?

Response:

A LTHOUGH sales of engineered lumber prod.{aucts for residential use have increased dramatically in recent months, total industry sales, which reached $350 million m 1992, are merely a fraction of the possible market

'The full potentid for engineered lunber in North American residential construction may approach $3.7 billion in 1993," says Marv Askey, who represents Trus Joist MacMillan to home center chains.

He predicts uden for engineercd lumber will grow with increased demand fueled prinurily by the expense and inconsistercy of traditional lunbsr. "Over the long tenn, the price of dimension lumber will continue to rise while quality declines," Askey says. "Engineered lumber, on the other hand, is structurally superior to ordinry lumber and priced very competitively. Since many people aren't willing to pay a higher price, they'll likely swirch to engineered lumber."

More and more builders will seek alternatives as the supply of ordinary lumber continues to decline, Askey mainteinq. Engineered lumber is a more environmentally ftiendly solutim ban altern4tives such as rccycled steel and plastic ftaming, ooncrete, stone and briclq which have significant drawbacks including higher embodied energy requiremens.

Tbe National Academy of Science.s estimarcs that leminated \reneer lumber takes nine times less BTUs per ton to extract, process and use than does steel. Unlike these other materials, engineered lumber comes from a biodegradable, renewable nesour@, Askey points out. Furthermore, engineered wood is mce easily adapted to existing building p'ractices.

Askey believes public opinion will fuel increased demand for engineered lumber. "Despite the frct wood is becoming m increasingly more precious and mqe environmentally pressured commodity, an ovenv[slming majority of

Ouestion:

Do you agree that the government should support new technology in wood products to reduce the need for lumber from old-growth forests?

Response: people still consider it to be the best material for building new homes," he says.

To prove his theory, he cites a study by independent research firm Market Facts, Inc. of American's attitudes about wood use in residen'ial construction. Commissioned in March by Trus Joist MacMillan, the survey revealed 68Vo of the American public still believes wood is tle most viable material for new home construction. Wood has a long-tenn funrre in new home construction because it is a renewable resource in the opinion of 77Vo of those surveyed. In addition 767o wantthe government to support new wood product technologies to reduce lumber needed from old growth forests to build houses and 8l%o want the forest products industry to develop and promote technologies such as wood engineered from small, fast-growing trees as an aliernative to old growth forest lumber.

Engineered lumber products can meet these expectations with competitive and stable prices,

Question:

Do you agree that wood products have a long-term future in new home construction because wood is a renewable resource?

Response:

Ouestion:

Do you agree that the forest products industry should develop and promote new technology to utilize wood from small, fast-growing trees rather than old-growth timber?

Askey explains. "Engin@red lumber isn't subject to as great price swings as dimension lumber. Ordinary framing materials must rely on currently uncer0ain supplies of large, old-growth logs, but engineered lumber can use readily available, strrdl-diameter logs.

The installed price of engineered lumber is slightly higher per square foot than that of the solid-sawn lumber it replaces, but Askey says unique benefits more than compensate for this. Unlike regular lumber, engineered lumber has most of the moisnre removed during the manufacturing process, so it won't change shape before or aft€r it is installed. This eliminates customer callbacks. Some engineered lumber manufacturers grxuztntee their product against defects for the life of the home.

In addition, engineered lumber, typically half the weight of solid sawn, is easier to install and helps to reduce injuries caused by working with heavier, dimension lumber. While as much as llVo of traditional lumber might not be used at a job site, waste with engineered lumber, which is manufactured to strict quality criteria, is usually less than l%o, typicaTly the result of saw cuts.

Engineered lumber manufacturers can contain prices by diversifying timber sources and Fansfonning previously unsuitable, low demand species such as aspen and poplar into high quality products. These fast growing, snall diameter trees provide a steady wood fiber source at a practical cost for manufacturing large dimension framing lumber, Askey emphasizes.