Western lumber strong in Southeast

($,fnOXG producr pret-erences tEand new interests in Western lumber are developing in the South, reports Hany Anton, WWPA Field Services representative who has been stationed in the Southeast since 1963.

Anton, and Dave Wilson in Dallas, currently represent Western lumber producers' products in the South. Plans are in the making to place another field services representative in Houston in the near future.

Anton says growing numbers of builders have begun using #3 Douglas fir or Hem-Fir, finding it adequate for the most popular spans in residential construction. Examples are 2xl0 Douglas fir floor joists, Hem-Fir floor joists in second'floors for 30-pound live loads, and #3 HemFir 2x6s and 2x8s for rafters.

The Western board market also continues strong in the Southeast, with #3 common lxl2s and narrower widths popular for shelving, and f2 common Engelmann spruce showing greater use as exterior trim in lx6 and lx8 widths.

Tongue-and-groove roof decking remains popular in the Southeastina wide variety of buildings, such as resort area lodges, restaurants, recreation centers, churches and residences. The thickness of decking used is governed generally by spans, with churches using three-inch double T&G, or a laminated decking, and residences primarily using 2x6. Species are pine or cedar with laminated decking using a face of cedar, Idaho white pine or white fir.

Cedar siding is enjoying a growing popularity in the Southeast, in a wide variety of patterns. A number of dealers have been seeking sources of dry cedar for stability, and are moving away from the locally resawn green cedar siding, Anton says.

Reduced freight rates also are allowing a return to the Southeast of the formerly popular Engelmann spruce / Lodgepole pine and Engelmann spruce/Lodgepole pine/ Alpine fir species. Burlington Nor-

Story at a Glance

South develops strong prod. uct preferences for Western lumber...Additional field servace rep to be added in Houston. . .lower transporta. tion costs helpful.

and studs to ES/LP or ES/LPIAF.

Direct truck shipments to the Southeast also have become more competitive with rail shipments, especially on higher cost items such as mouldings, selects and finish, shop grades and others, Anton reports. And now, piggy-back shipments appear to be competing quite favorably with cargo shipments of Western cedar. Atlanta is improving its piggy-back facilities and plans to be "the piggy-back center of the nation" by 1990.

thern last year reduced through rates to certain points in the Southeast from the Northwest, and in Memphis, for instance, this has contributed to an almost complete turnaround from spruce-pine-fir 2x4s

In the first half of 1983 lumber shipments from the West to the South averaged 15.590, second only to California which traditionally is the largest consumer of Western lumber. The accompanying chart shows the percentages shipped to other regions for 1973, 1978 and 1982 as well as first half 1983.

Top Western Lumber Markets

Percentage Comparison of Domestic Western Lumber Shipments Source: WWPA Destination of Shipment Reports.