The real price of engineered wood products

A LTHOUGH lumber yards charge lA,a little more for engineered lumber, it reportedly will cost builders less than solid-sawn materials. Dealers should explain to customers that once on the job site, the price advantage shifts, thanks to labor efficiencies, less materials waste and fewer customer service call-backs.

Last year, Trus Joist MacMillan surveyed 37 builders who combined built more than 2,500 homes across North America in 1994, worth nearly $830 million. TJM asked builders to estimate labor and other associated costs to frame two homes, one with engineered lumber, the other with traditional lumber products.

Builders surveyed estimated a $369.97 savings with the engineered wood system, nearly 10% less than the cost to build the same plans with traditional lumber, offsetting the higher initial cost for materials.

Labor savings tipped the balance in favor of an engineered lumber system.

BOTTOM LINE: Adding in labor, waste and call-backs neoates traditional lumbeis initial price advantagie. Cost estimates are based on

Builders were asked to estimate costs for l0 different labor tasks or phases of work including materials handling and installation of floor joists and framing connectors. On average, the ability to frame a house more quickly with engineered lumber saved them more than $400 per house. Builders claimed it took about two-thirds the time to build with engineered lumber than with comparable solid-sawn materials.

Story at a Glance

Comparing the costs of using engineered wood products vs. traditional materials.

A number of builders, for example, claimed installing I-joists required only half as much time as building with comparable 2x10 and 2x12 floor lloor framing plans for the same 2,090-sq. ft., two-story houie; material costs represent d 12' month average. joists. The engineered joists weigh less than solid-sawn materials, often allowing a single framer to carry and install them. They are also engineered to a uniform quality that simplifies product selection and installation at the job site, as well as cut to specifications, eliminating the time spent sawing traditional lumber to the proper lengths.

Less materials waste and fewer customer service call-backs saved, on average, nearly $500 for builders who used the engineered wood products. Service call-backs, which alone saved about $200 over a floor system framed with solid-sawn lumber, are reduced by engineered wood's consistent quality and typical performance guarantees.

And, call-backs cost builders more than replacement materials and time. "Call-backs not only affect a builder's budget, but also his reputation among potential home buyers," says TJM's Marlin Clausner.

Finally, builders valued the ability to achieve construction solutions with engineered lumber that could not be achieved with solid-sawn materials. "With a 2x10 joist, I have to build soffits to run my plumbing," said one respondent. "With a Silent Floor Ijoist, I can run a 4-inch ABS pipe through the web, which gives me flat, 9-foot ceilings without soffits intruding on the space."