How to sell treated framing as "wet" damage insutance

Tlw Sowhern Pine Ma*eting Couttcil is promoting pressure treated southern pirc franing to prevent joist danage from moisture, decay and termites. The idea can be used in the West for both the increasing omount of treated southern pirc being sold here and treated weEtern species - Editor.

w1,1""",::::ifl ffiff #'lf "# essential wherever framing meets cinder block, concrete, masonry or exposed soil, builders are just beginning to recognize that it's necessiuy for floor joists, the Southern Pine Marketing Council maintains.

Retailers dealing with uninfonned or budget-minded builders need to be ready to point out that about 30Vo of. all crawl-space houses built with untreat€d floor joists will experience water danage from leaking tubs, toilets or sinks. Home inspectors and repair contractors frequently find wat€r damage in crawl-space homes or room additions. "We find water damage in the floor joists of homes that are only two years old," said

Eddie Welch, American Home Inspectors Inc. "We urge home builders and remodelers to build with treated joists, plates, sills and perimeler banding to avoid problems."

"Builders should also use treated plywood for subfloors," he added, explaining that in areas with high humidity and high water tables homes collect water in the crawl space.

Inspectors often find subfloor, underlayment and joist damage caused by a combination of standing water and poor ventilation beneath the house and leaking fixtures above.

Don Crawford, Crawford Inspection Services, Portland, Or., and National Association of Home Inspectors secretary, said, "We inspect about 2,500 homes per year, and we find that about a third of all the crawlspace homes have floor framing with water danuge."

SiU plates and joists are especially vulnerable to water damage below batbrooms and around the perimeter of the home.

Treated framing costs approximately $1.50 per joist more than untreated, but many builders consider it worth the price. They can sell the long tenn benefits of treated framing to clients as insurance against moisture, fungi and tennite damage.

Sales of treated framing lumber and plywood subflooring fo repairing joist damage discovered during a refinancing inspection or as pafi of the sale of an older home are becoming more frequent Some conmctors now specialize in this type of repair work.

Retailers can encourage sales of treated joists, floor framing and plywood subflooring by educating both homeowners and builders on the inherent danger of wet area damage and the advantages of using treated wood. Fact sheets, such as a copy of this article, can be handed out in the store, used as mailers or bill stuffers. Seminars can explore the cost and extent of joist damage caused by moisture found in crawl-space homes. Inspeclors and realtors are good panelists to cite potential damage, but a treated wood expert should be present to explain the advantages of using treated wood and answer questions.