A GOMMITMENT TO EXGELLENGE

T FINEST INGREDIEI.ITS

I EiIVIR(lI'I MEiITALLY SAFE

I PRESERVES ANIl ENHAI,ICES

NATURAL BEAUTY

Storm Losses Mostly Small

The harsh storm and floods that rocked Northern California in mid-February slowed things down due to road and rail closures, though most area lumber yards reported little damage.

"We're still operating, though we can't ship anything," noted Dave Snodgrass at J.H. Blevins Sawmills, Inc., Napa, several days after the first flooding. "The water went around us."

The railroads, the Eureka Southern and the North Western Pacific, were expected to be down for three to four weeks, according to Eureka's Mike Arrendell.

Many roads were also closed. "Shipping has slowed," Sharon Dare of Louisiana-Pacific in Samoa said at the time. "We might try convoying on Highway l0l, but whether the roads can handle the heavy equipment is another thing."

The Latham Lumber Co. in Roseville, the only yard reporting extensive injury, suffered $300,000 to $500,000 in damages, according to Hamid Naorani, vice president and general manager.

A creek adjacent to the company overflowed, sending a strong current through the sloping property, which was submerged under 14 feet of water at its low- est point, he said.

"It carried away lumber, roof trusses and floor trusses," said Naorani. "It destroyed equipment and fences, and eroded land. It's going to take two to three weeks to clean it all up."

Minor damage was reported also at some locations, such as Blevins' mills in Hopland and Sebastopol. "Four feet of water went through the Hopland planing mill," Snodgrass said. "Now they're under three feet of water. They lost a lot of electrical motors, but no lumber. Now they're just drying out." he said soon after the initial flood.

"In Napa, two big firs went down, but no big damage. The mill was isolated, and they didnt have power for six or seven days," he said.

Overall,according to Humboldt Redwood Manufacturing Co. in Arcata, "everybody just got really wet."

Formaldehyde Decision Due

A pending determination by OSHA as to whether or not formaldehyde is a cancer causing agent may have an effect on lumber and building material dealers.

If formaldehyde is determined to be an irritant, the retailing of products involving formaldehyde such as partic- leboard, paneling and hardwood plywood will be unchanged. On the other hand, if OSHA determines that formaldehyde is a carcinogen, a cancer causing agent, dealers will be required to conform to a number of new regulations.

Dealers could be required to institute employee training, distribute hazardous material safety data sheets to customers, keep records for 30 years and be subject to federal legal action, according to the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association.

At present, formaldehyde is the subject of a comprehensive set of draft regulations issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. No determination has been made as yet as to whether formaldehyde is simply an irritant or a cancer causing hazard.

It is felt that the requirements that would become mandatory if the decision is that formaldehyde is a cancer causing agent would be strict, expensive and time-consuming for dealers to observe.

Retailers are being asked to respond to the threat with letters to Labor Secretary Bill Brock at the Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave., North West, Washington, D.C. 20210. The im(Please turn to page 80)

Wood Raised Floor Approved

In a major victory for wood raised floors, the California Energy Commission has approved a foundation design using insulation applied to the inside of concrete or wood raised floor foundations along the perimeter of a house. This will eliminate the need for "underfloor" insulation, saving some $4O0 per house.

Research by insulation and wood products industries interested in expanding "raised floor" use in the California homebuilding market indicates additional savings in energy costs for heating and cooling can be achieved by using the perimeter-insulated raised floor (PI R F) in place of the poured concrete slab. The slab floor is rypically used in an estimated 7O7o of the homes built in the state over the last 20 years.

The PIRF concept was developed by two Northern California energy consulting firms and is based upon using the thermal mass of the earth beneath a residential crawlspace by insulating around it but applying no insulation between the ground and the floor of the living space above.

When energy-oriented building regulbtions issued by the CEC in 1983 became effective, homebuilders who had preferred to build on raised floors instead of concrete found that additional costs needed to comply often increased housing costs in face of an intensely competitive market.

"The PIRF acceptance means building economics of raised floor houses are in the same comparative range with slab as they were before the regulations," according to Richard C. Connell, Sacramento-based representative of the Western Wood Products Association.

Raised wood floors, he said, were the "only floors to speak of in California

Oak Maintains #1 Show Spot

Oak maintained a #l position in the winter furniture market with 2l.3%o of the spaces in San Francisco and 24.9Vo in Dallas, according to Dave McCullam, vice president, Northwest Hardwoods, Portland, Or.

Ash and pine showed an increase in both market centers as did cherry which placed second in showings in both cities. Alder, maple, birch and walnut were stronger in the West than in Dallas. Hickory-pecan was more popular in Dallas.

An increased use of mahogany, burls until the 1950 s and 60 s. That's when homebuilding became so competitive that everyone turned to the cheapest flooring techniques possible. Crawlspaces began to disappear in new homes, especially those built by volume builders. Most custom homes have continued to incorporate raised floors." and burl clusters, olive ash, mappa and myrtle was noted. Ramin, English yew and teak also were in evidence. Northwest Hardwoods, a division of Weyerhaeuser Co., has conducted this type of survey for a number of years.

In 1984, only about 12,000 homes were built on raised floors in California, according to industry estimates. This could be increased to 40,000 should builders return to the same practices they did prior to 1983.

Record Home Resales Seen

Home resales are expected to increase 4Vo from 1985's 3.17 million to 3.3 million, the highest number of sales of existing homes since 1979's 3.83 million, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Desert Redwood is no mirage

Vru knorv the problent.

Son'rc redwcxxl luntber is ttxr green. Some is ttn dr1-.

\\'ell, ne* l )eser1 Rcdu',, d foont L,rLusiura-I'rrrrfit i: ju.t riglrt. It solves the problenl onL-e zutd tor ail.

New l,oursl.ui.r-Pacrfrc De sefl Rcdwrxxl is trrnstnc[on conrmon or construction healc lumber tluit is krln dried ratlter th:an :ur-dried. But just tcr :i pedect 19 .'. percent or krrver moisture content.

Orih'atter it's dried rs it tnnimed, pLnecl und g-aded. I )utrensions :ir'(' tnl(, Sltnnkrgt' rs t'onttollt'rl. ( 'r;rclurg rs nght on.

l,ouisuulr-l'lrr'rtrr' [ )rst'11 llt'tl wud kxrks nglit, r,vorks right. f**ls ri.rh1 Even better, it's pnced nght. And another (U lLrU.tcl beautiful thuig abor.rt I--[' I)eser1 Redrvrxxlis its u,eigirt. Ljnlike green reclvntxxltlurt rveigirs up to 28(X) grLnds 1rr tilruvu-rd board feet, I)eser1 Redrvrxxl lveiglis ahrLrt 1(j(X) pourds 1rcr thor-rs:uicl. l,ouisiuur- ['acihc I )e serl Rtthvrxxl consttucti(nr (1 )rr lnor r ,il)cl (r )nstltrr'tion lturt-t ;u't. ,tr;ul ;tble ut 2"r 1' ol 2"r (j" cluut.n .loTl: u) lerrgllt. l,r'){ I11.1,1 vv'laa1 ') bl-e'<-z

\',,11 1);11 lc.. ffcigltt tr r get it. \irr-r dcliver ntore per truckload. \ our rektil custonrer c':ur load it r",ttit ease.

Nohxll'else rmkes it. Just LrLusr.ua-Pacific. Discr.rver the ircautv of Louislun-Pacific Deserl Iledui x td t, da!'.

A personal guarantee.

\\rhen 1'ou bu1':ur Aleric-:u.tnrade Louisrana - Pacrhc product like Deserl Redr.vcxxl. u,e expect y,ou to expect the best. Not just qualitv. But a conrpetitrve price. A satrsfactory. business relrtionship. And senice tlnt leaves !-ou c(xr'Ipletel-v satished.

'lhe 12.fiXJ nren and wonlen ol' l,,ouisl ur r - P; rt'tfit' 1,,irt tt tc ut grrurg voLl our pcrsomlg'uaraltee.

We lvill g:rlirm. Il',r'e clur't. let us knou', lrlt';r:t' Sutt't'rt'lr'.

I lL.itttr.r:.,1t(j I't( 't(i|lLl

Housing Big ln West

Seven of the top 20 U.S. housing markets this year will be in theWest, according to the Chicago Title Co. Los Angeles, Ca., and Phoenix, Az., are expected to build more homes than all areas except for Dallas/Fort Worth, Tx.

Other ranking western markets are Riverside/San Bernardino, Ca., 7th; San Diego, Ca., 8th; San Francisco, l2th1. Denver, Co., l5th, and Anaheim, Ca., l8th.

Five of the markets are forecast to surpass last year's totals, with starts in Los Angeles expected to rise by 8Vo to 52.500. almost twice the number of 1983 starts.

Tacoma Lumber Firm Closes

One of the oldest family-owned retail businesses in the Thcoma, Wa., area, the Model Lumber Co. of Fife, will close by mid-March, according to the ownen.

Herman Kleiner, son of founder Morris Kleiner, said the 56-year-old lumber yand and home center was sold because the real estate had become more valuable due to expansion of the nearby Port of Thcoma, while the lumber business had been slowing.

"It's been getting harder and harder to produce a decent income in the lumber business, " said Greg Kleiner, president and grandson of the founder. He said some 500 retail yards closed nationwide last year.

The closure will leave a gap in the area's building supply and lumber business, he said.

Morris Kleiner, who died last year at age 95, began Model Lumber in 1929, having bought and sold several lumber companies since 1920 after immigrating to Canada from Poland as a teenaqer.

New Forcst Council Formed

The American Forest Council has been formed to supersede the American Forest Institute which will cease operations after 54 years.

Charles W. Bingham, executive vice president, Weyerhaeuser Co., will serve as the first chairman with Gene Cartledge, c.e.o., Union Camp Corp., as vice chairman. The National Forest Products Association and the American Paper Institute will jointly manage the new program which is dedicated to the promotion of forest management.

China Forestry Tours

Tours for Americans to see Chinese logging operations, mills and [ee nurseries and meet forestry and wood products officials will be held by Roman Associates, Inc., in April and September to China.

'There's Money In Housewares"

The message to retailers that there is money to be made in housewares has been packaged by the National Housewares Manufacturers Association and the National Retail Hardware Association in a l0 minute video.

"Hardware and Housewares Natural Partners features success stories on three different size hardware stores in three completely different communities," said Ronald A. Fippinger. managing director for NHMA.

The video, available from the member services department of the National Retail Hardware Association, is part of a move to counter the deemphasis of housewares in nearlytwothirds of the nation's hardware stores and home centers.

84 Tests Delivery Concept

l3-1 Lurnher Conrpan'n'. the sirth largcst builcling nlrteriuls srrppliel in the [ .S.. is tt.irtr u Lnrique j(,1)\'el\l ir] nrirter'ial delivery to help catapult rtseit into the building-contractor lrarket.

ll4 Lurrrher tc\tcd u Lrr)iLlr.rc !r)n!cpl called "Just in Time " in ctxrperation with a condominium developnrent ln Crcenwood. In. Lumber and other building materials are delivered to the conslruction site as the)' are needed. father than delivered al1 at once at the stafi of the project. Originall,v der,ekrped by Japanese iiuto makers. the concept preVents the rvaste of materials that nray be darra-sed or stolen before they can be used by' the builder 84 Lumber maintains that this delivery system is more cost efllcient fbr the builder and subsequentlv fbr the purchaser.

The inventury system has proven tcr be so successful in the test nrarket that 8.1 Lunrber president and firunder. Joe Hiirdy Sr. is considering testing the s1 stenr in llirger nrarkets across the coLlntry'. He plans to attract contractors u'ith quality finished prodr.rcts. and pledees to meef or better prices orr nraterials. 8-1 will continue to cater to do-it-r'ourselt'ers. but will put nrajor eflirrls into attracting the contractors.

"I don't think there's a large. single compan) that's -uorng after the contractors. and I think r.r"e har.'e to fill that roid." Hzirdy' said.

Founded in 1957. 8-l Lumber. a pri\ate compan\'. is a 38 state. 3721 store chain rvith annual sales near $7(X) rrilIion.

Bee6 Booze and Boards?

The promotional tactics a lumber company can use to attract new customers are countless, although it might seem everything imaginable has already been tried. Don Northrop of Arco, Id., may have come up with a new one. He's opened a liquor store at his yard.

Business has picked up at the recently retitled Lost River Lumber and Liquor. "We're building a habit," said Northrop. "If they come in for booze, they get to thinking about hardware and maybe decide to build something."

As soon as customers walk in the door, they can see the liquor display in a patio setting near a cedar and redwood lattice screen behind the tool department.

What's working for him is a sideline that was sought after by about every business in town. When the owners of the only liquor store in town retired, everyone else applied for the state license to sell liquor. Lost River Lumber won the battle for the booze.

Under Idaho liquor control laws, the state owns the alcohol and Northrop gets paid for managing it. But just its availability has brought in dozens of new customers to the lumber firm.

"We've probably seen 20 or 25 people we've never seen in our store before." he said. "In a small store. that is a bunch."

There are still a number of partlumber businesses around in the West. Many are holdouts from a time when the small town lumberyard might double as a general store. The V. C. Johnson Lumber Co. of Ranchester, Wy., opened in 1916 and three years later installed a gas pump and began carrying Texaco products. To this day, the founder's son, Ray Johnson, continues to profit from the combination.

And the Davis Lumber & Hardware Co. of Davis, Ca., visibly proves radical variety can be an asset. It's seemingly swallowing downtown. What began years ago as strictly a lumber/hardware operation has been diversifying to such an extent that it now has a pet department!

The store is now three blocks long. "I don't think they could expand any more," notes receptionist Mona Prehara. "They're running out of city."

Other non-standard departments include toys, automotive, work clothing, sporting goods, crystal and china; "about everything except for food."