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A LTHOUGH some in the lumber

Aindurtry fear that media misinformation about treated wood has scared off many consumers, a newly released survey reveals thatl5To of U.S. homeowners are willing to use treated wood in their homes.

The study, "What Do U.S. Homeowners Think about Treated Wood?", was conducted in 2001 by Louisiana State University's Richard Vlosky and Todd Shupe and queried nearly 500 homeowners on their perceptions of treated wood.

| . Treated wood vs. other materials

Homeowners rated concrete and steel as the most durable building materials, followed by hearty wood species like cedar and redwood. Treated wood was ranked fourth, ahead of only untreated wood in the | | -25 year durability category.

Over two-thirds of respondents believed that treated wood would last I l-25 years in exposed conditions.

Approximately half of those surveyed felt that plastic and steel caused the most environmental damage, whereas 387o felt that treated wood was environmentally harmful to produce.

2. P"rrrptions about treated wood

Only 5Vo of homeowners had a negative perception of treated wood. Almost half l40vo) had a positive perception of treated wood and nearly a quarter had "a very positive" view of the product.

Out of 327 respondents who said they would use treated wood in their home, 427o lived in the South, 677o were male and 5lVo had a college degree.

For the 25Vo who said they would not use treated wood in their homes, the greatest concern was the perceived health risks, followed closely by a concern about long-term exposure to the product.

Respondents received their information on treated wood, in order of frequency, from friends, magazines, newspapers and television.

Other findings included: 54Vo would pay a premium for

Homeowners had

great difficulty naming treated wood brands, treated wood over the non-treated alternative, 497a felt they understood the concept of wood treating,

. 457o believed that using treated wood can reduce deforestation, and .27Vo trtst claims made by treated wood manufacturers.

8. Applications and purchases

Over half 62qo) of respondents said they have decks made of treated wood at their homes. Exactly half have landscape timbers and 3'17o have some other type of outdoor structure made of pressure treated wood.

A quarter of the homeowners said they planned to buy landscape timbers in the next 12 months, l97o plannedto purchase decking and 177o had plans to purchase treated fence posts or rails.

Nearly a quarter of homeowners have hired a contractor or remodeler in the past l2 months for a treated wood project.

Only 2l%o knew what a Consumer Information Sheet was.

4. soyrty irru",

Sixty-nine percent of homeowners felt that treated wood is safe for humans in outdoor applications. Over half (55Vo\ felt it was safe if handled and disposed of properly. About half said it was safe for builders to use.

Sixty percent said that they wanted more information on treated wood products, although they indicated that treated wood manufacturers were the least trustworthy source for information on the safety of treated wood products.

The survey also revealed that homeowners consider environmental orpanizations as the most trusted source for information on the safety of treated wood.

Other findings included:

. 37Vo believed that treated wood is safe for children's outdoor play equipment,

. 34Vo said it was safe for pets or farm animal exposure, and

, 33Vo believed that some types of treated wood are safer than others, while two-thirds were not sure.

a-

O. Brands and chemicals

Homeowners had great difficulty naming treated wood brands. Many of the names they cited were not actually treated brand names. The only treating chemical that was widely recognized (10Vo) was creosote. Familiarity with all other chemicals listed was very low.

Seventy-one percent felt that arsenic posed a significant risk to human health. The perception of health risks dropped sharply with the remaining chemicals listed. Many of those surveyed had no opinion on many of the chemicals listed.

Ara

lo.Termites

Homeowners felt overwhelmingly (88%) that steel was the best building material to combat termites. Only onethird believed that treated wood greatly protects against termite damage.

Of the 22Vo who said they were familiar with Formosan subterranean termites, 65Vo were from the South and 9lVo felt that the pests had the potential to cause serious damage to the houses. Treated wood was cited by 26Vo as a preventative measure asainst the termites.

THE QUALITY ol'service providI ed by your supplier. Availability. Price. All valid considerations in looking for a source for engineered lumber.

Product perfbrmance, at least for most applications, should not be a worry. According to Jeff Linville, manager of technical services for the American Institute of Timber Construction: "Most (engineered wood) manufacturers' products are certifled by third party agencies, either AITC or APA, to meet or exceed the industry standard." The quality stamp provides a guarantee as to how the product should perform.

As one glulam industry consultant generalized, "Every manufacturer has to comply with the same standards. so the beams are pretty much the same."

Still, Linville notes that a few manufacturers build higher capabilities into their products (such as a stronger 3000F glulam instead of the typical 2400F beam).

0lulons

Glued laminated timber, or glulam, is a stress-rated product comprised of wood laminations ("lams") that are bonded together with strong, waterproof adhesives.

Glulam components can be a variety of species, and individual "lams" are typically 2" or less in thickness.

Glulam's reengineering improves strength and stiffness over comparable dimensional lumber and eliminates natural performance variations.

Olulam Producers

Alornco Wood Products Inc, Albert Leo, Mn.

Aneriron lominolors, Droin, 0r.

Anthony Foresl Produds (0., El Dorodo, Ar. tPower Eeom 3000t-2.1 E-290Fv, 2400t-1.8E $ock glulom, ond Power Heoder 2600F1.9t)

3oire, Boise, ld.

Boozer Lominoted Seon (0., Inc., Annisfon, Al. (l.7t ond 1.9[ BoozerHeoder, | .8E BoozerBeom, and 2.1 [ Boozerlom) (olverl (0., Inc., Voncouver, Wq. (ompwood Produrtr [td., Komloops, B.C Duro Lom, Drsin, 0r. EnWood Slruclures, Morrisville, l{.C tiller lfing (0., Homedsle,ld.

Georgio-Potif ir, Af lonta, Gq. G-L lndusldes, Mogno, Ul. Goodlom, divhion of Goodfellow Inr., louiseville, 0uebec

Gruen-Wold Engineered Lominales Inr., Sioux Folh, S.D. {Oruen-Wold Oosk (olumnl Inperiol loninolors, Eogor, Az. loninoled linbers, Inr., London, Ky. les (hontierr de Chibougonou ltee., ftibougomou, Quebec

Itlississippi [ominolors, Shubuto, Ms. Pinnode Wood Produds [td., Ouesnel, B.C

Plune (0., The G.R., Ferndole, Wo. 0B (orp., Solmon, ld. (0B 0uolity Beom)

Riddle lqrninqlors, Riddle, 0r.

Rigidply Rofters, lnc., Richlond, Po. Rosboro, Springfield, 0r. (SmortBeom, Big Beom 30t, Rosboro Glulom, ond Rosboro lJ(-24F1

Senlinel Skudures, lnc., Peshfigo, Wi.

Shelton lom ond Decl, theholis, lllo. Stondord Slrudures, lnc, Vtindsor, (a. Stimson lumber, Shelton. Wq.

Slrudurol Wood Syslemr, Greenville, Al.

Slrudurlorn Produtls, Penlidon, B.C

Iinberweld tonufodudng, Billings, Mt.

Unodillo Lominoted Produds, Unodillo, l{.Y.

Uneedo Wood Produdr, division of Sloron toresl Producb, ftilliwock, B.C

Unil Strudures, [l(, Mognolio, Ar. Weslern fuchrib, [dmonton, Alberto Wertern Slruclures, L[(, fugene, 0r. Weyerhoeuser Co. (former Willomeile lines lo be folded into lrusJoist), Federol Woy, Wo.

l-foists

I-joists are "I"-shaped engineered wood structural members that offer strength, versatility and economy for use in residential and light commercial applications. Ijoists are comprised of top and bottom flanges of various widths united with webs of various depths. The flanges resist common bending stresses, and the web provides outstanding shear performance.

I-joists can be manufactured using solid sawn lumber or structural composite lumber for the flange components, and plywood or oriented strand board for the web.

Hbisr Hrrers

AcuTruss Indurrier, Vernon, B.C (AcuJoisll All tob Erfiding (ompnents, Winnipeg, Monilobo

Anthony-Dornhr Inc., Sauh $e. Morie (Power Johl)

Boise (80 Joisll

D[ Joisls, lhunder Boy, 0nlorio

Georgio-Podfk (Wood I Beam]

Internofionol Seonr lm.. Frededclon. l,lew Brunswick (lB 250, 400, 450, 6ffi ond 800)

Internolionol Poper (0., Ihonby, Al. tlPl Joisf)

Joger Suilding Syrlems, (olgory, Alberto {Super I Jolsf)

Ler (honfierr de (hibougmou ltee.

LP, Porilcnd, 0r. (lPl Joish 20/32,26/30/36/56, 42, ond 200/ 225 fi00 Sedes) l{oseor lnr., (olgory Alberto (llJ, NJH ond llJU Series lolsts) l{orbord In&sfiier, division of llexfor, Toronlo, 0nlorio

Podfk flloofierh, Budinglon, Wo. (PtlllJoisll Roseburg Foresf Produds (0., Roseburg,0r. (RFPI Joisl)

SpoceJoirt Tt" L[( Arlington, Tx. (Irimmoble End SporeJoisll

Stondard Sfudures, Inc. (SSl Jo]sl, SSI Joisl] Sto* Truss (0., Inc, (onlon,0h.

Superior UUood Splems, Superior, Wi. (SWlJoisf, SWI-T Series Joisl, ond SWll-42 Heoderl

TrlnJoisl 6rp., (olumbus, Ms. (TilmJohtl

IrusJobl, division of Weyerhoeuser (0., Boise, ld. {TJl Joist)

Universol iorerl Prodxts, Grond Ropi,&, ili.

Weldwood ol (modo Lfd., didsion of Inlemational Poper, Vonrouver, B.C (tl{ide ll Weyerhoeuser Co. (former Vrlilhmette fines b be folded inh TrwJoisll, (Slrudoi$)