ls the firc retadant trcated wood market worth the trcuble?

A Manufacturcr says .

"Sooner or later dealers are going to have to be in the fire retardant treated wood (FRTW) business to survive," says Robert H. Timner, director of marketing, Hoover Tieated Wood Products, Thomson, Ga. "Even now there are many different applications such as multi-family homes and commercial buildings which require FRTW as an economical way to meet building code requirements or obtain fire insurance savings."

"Wth the decline in the home building market," he adds, "the building material dealer needs to pursue non-residential, commercial buildings which typically use non-combustible building products, but can use FRTW"

"Dealers are going to have to get over their fear of FRTW and learn the product, its characteristics and the market," he continues. "Since FRTW is a technically oriented product, the dealer can't be just an order taker. He must know what it is all about. The dealer who starts today to master the subject and sell the existing market will be head and shoulders above the competition in the future," Tbnner emphasizes.

Learning the specifications for the different types of FRTW and pursuing the present growing market will build a reputation for a dealer as well as a head start on other lumber suppliers, according to Thnner. "The dealer who can say 'I've got it'will have immediate business. Since contractors find it easy to continue to go to the same source, he will have repeat business, too."

Briefly, all lumber and plywood designated to be exterior fire retardant treated must have a 25 or less flame spread when tested in accordance with ASTM E-84 Standard Method ofGsting for Surface Burnipg Characteristics of Building Materials and must have no evidence of significant progressive combustion when the test duration is extended from the standard duration of l0 minutes to 20 minutes.

There also must be no increase in listed flame spread classification when the FRTW is subjected to ASTM D2898 Standard Method of Accelerated Weathering of Fire Retardant Tieated Wood For Fire Testine.

Story at a Glance

Are the "mysteries" of fire retardant wood worth solving for both dealers and wholesalers?

. product factors such as flame spread rcquirements, drying standards and possible uses how to take part in this growing wood markei.

All lumber and plywood designated to be interior fire retardant treated must meet the requirements of 25 or less flame spread in the extended 30 minute test and should be the new generation state-of-the-art non-hygroscopic type, meaning that it has a corrosion rate similar to untreated wood, Thnner notes. This means that this kind of FRTW may be used in interior applications where relative humidities reach as high as 957o.

C0MMEBCIAI structures, including warehouses, municipal buildings and park structures as well as offices, hotels and stores, which require non-combu$ible building material can use fire retardanttreated wood because it meets fire codes for such buildings.

In addition to being aware of these ratings and values, a dealer must be alert for the proper quality stamps on each piece of FRIW. The Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.'s (UL) symbol or a performance identification label is the

(Please turn to page 46)

Green Douglas Fir rough timbers. surfaced. saw sized, band sawnorselected to your specs. For quality and service rely on us.

The Merchant Magazine dustries fu'., Bt'averton. received the award for finns u ith rnore than -5(X) emplovees

Coast+o-Crnsl stores are included in a leveraged buyout of Household Merc'fuudLsing, htc., by a groLrp of in\estors headed by Roger E. Stangeland, c.o.o. of rilons Grocery Co., Los Angeles. Ca. Wickes Cos. will sell all of its retarl units with the exceoticln of the lumber and home lirrnishings operations

A group ftrrmed by David Mahoney. former chairman af Nortur Sirrutn; Michael Rosenthal, former director at Dttwldson, Luflun utd Jenrette, and Harold Geneen. former1IZ chairman. is bidding an unconfirmed $700 million for the lV R. Grut:e retail group in contention with Bernard Kossltr. Grace senior rrlarketing v.p.. who has tendercd a leveraged buyout offer for the home center clvlslon

H & S Honrc *nprcwonot Certten Glendale. Ca.. has been rernodeled in a $100,000 pruject . . . Unpqua Building cuul Hctdwrue, Reedsport. Or.. has ooened a branch store in Florence. Or. . . . McPtuil's is buildi4g a $3.4 million hrrtte improvement center in San Rafael. Ca. .

Everin Ltunlx'r. Longmonr, Ctl.. has been purchased from We,-erluteuser Co. by Wckes Lwber . . Elgirt Honte Cetier. Elgin. Or.. has re-opened W. R. Gr{{e will close its AII*'ood horne center in Salt Lake City, Ut., next month

Holn ille Hardttane, Holtville, Ca., has moved into new and larger quarters after 70 years in its previous 1ocation . . Botego Harth,vruz. Borrego Springs, Ca., has enlarged and refurbished, adding approximately 1.600 sq. ft. . . . krc:kett and Peters houre inrprovement store. Whittier. Ca.. is completing a 52 million remodeling and expansion Construction is underway on a 52,000 sq. ft. Hundl,n,rrr store in Bay Plaza, National City, Ca. . Bubbins has opened a new retail store in Winslow: 42....

HonrcClilt has acquirecl lbrtrer Zx[:'s lorurions in Riverside, Los Angeles, North Hollywood and the City of Industry, Ca., as part of their mo\€ to open 18 new stor€s this year (see p. 36 1or details) . Natiuml Lrmtber has cloened new stores iu Encinitas and Fbntana. Ca.. ancl re-designed its Covina, Ca.. store

Orchcurl Sugill' Harchrarc has opened new units in Millbrac, Concord and Redwood City. Ca. Ktnll Lurnbet' antl Harclttvu'e Co.. exhibited a 1.700 sq. ft. n-roclel home in the Seattle Home Show . . . Diamond Natfuttcl3 lumberyard has been tapped for relocation in a city revitaliz-ation plan prepared for Paradise. Ca....

Ole's Honte Centers has opened new stores in La Verne and Yorba Linda, Ca., with units in El Monte and Pomona, Ca.. closing NeitncsrReed's Ltmtber Cirl*. Wbodland Hills. Ca.. has finished a $300.000 expansion and remodel kquoia Suppl;. will close its Wilsonville. Or.. offices and warehouse and move its Hq. including the western region otfice to lrvine. Ca." late this month; the Thcoma. Wa., warehouse which rvas closed eadier is now occupied by OreRrc Builtling Pradrcts

Penl,Brotlrcrs Lwnber Co., City of Industr-v. Ca.. is celebrating its 40th annirersary Pnn' httemafiorwl

Ixl., Aloha, Or.. received the Forest Products Committee. Portland Chamber of Commerce, award for Marketing Firm Of The Year (less than 500 employees), Wlkanene ht-

Ltt'kn' Lturtber & Tvatilry, Inr'.. is the nerv rrarle lbr Jolur (1. Tn'lor Luttrlw' &tlr'.r, ltrt'., Shcridirn. Or. . . , Holl Cornparies has tnolcd to 525"7 Fairview Ave.. SLrite 230, Boise. Id. Peautck Lwttber, Elgin. Or.. lost its of ice in ir recent I'ire lPleasc turn t() pagc 45)

Tirrleu'est Htu"tlv'oocl Co., Rancho Dominguez, Ca.. has completed an otfice addition to house theil nerv main franre computer l*nrt.io Forest Prodtuts htrlusties, Navajtl. N.M., will begin a major mill improvement progrunr this sumnler.

Wweler Lrunlrcr Co. is now operat- ing the fbrmer Boise Crtst:tule ply*'ood plant in Millersburg. Or., us Lirut Cowrh, Plvnocl, a sister company to Wheeler's Plcusutt Vullev PlyrrxxlCrr.. SweetHome. Or.

Shrutunn Hur&vorxl Lmnber Co., 1nr'.. Montebello, Ca., has filed for bankrLrptcy protection uncler Chapter f l StevarT Htu'tlvrtocl Lunther Co.. Los Banos, Ca., has closed with owner Gurr Stcuiu't joining DMK-Putfu . .

Roto fiwtk ofAnrcrictt is opening its second U.S. plant in Modesto. Ca., Henk Intveld, western regional sales mgr. Tlrc Stanls; WorA.r has purchased SICFO (Societe Industrielle et Corrmerciale Francaise D'Outillage ) the hand tool rntg. business crf the Peugeot Group Dk:k O'Briorr Muclinen,Sa/e.s is tlte new name fbr Westent Mctcltilre & Rwulm, Stockton,Ca....

Beta Parfircrs, San Francisco, Ca.. is acquiring Tiianfu Pacifk'tbr $200 rnillbn . Bid Inc is selling its four unit Acine Rrnrtng Supplt, Portland, Or., and two unit PK Supply Co., Salt Lake City, Ut.. to Srar Inc., San Francisco, Ca., for about 53 rnillion.