Southern pine closes in on doors and windows

IOORS and windows are among Llthe markets southern pine is eyeing as it expands its usage westward.

Over the past five years, many prehangers, millwork houses and distributors have switched to southern pine because of its competitive price, stability, strength and versatility both as a fingerjointed and solid wood species for door and window frames, jambs, casing and brick moulds.

Merit Millwork, Houston, Tx., "pioneered" the use of southern pine lumber for door jambs five years ago. Today, according to Merit's Jim Darling, "we're using more southern pine than ever."

Darling says that Merit first began using southern pine for exterior door frame stock and brick moulding. "This market was dominated by West Coast species but we began using southern pine because of its availability and competitive cost," he says.

He notes that now several southern pine manufacturers are cutting and drying lumber stock especially for the millwork industry. "We've expanded our use of fingerjointed southern pine to interior door stock and door casing," Darling says.

Merit Millwork saves about $1 per door by using southern pine rather than radiata pine. Darling adds that southern pine has been well accepted by Merit Millwork's customers, and is building a reputation for high quality.

Many door manufacturers, such as Lone Star Plywood, Houston, attribute the rise to improved production and drying techniques that have helped solve grain raise or warpage problems which formerly affected southern pine lumber used for door frames. Last year, Lone Star spent $100,000 to expand its elaborate showroom where all kinds of exterior and interior doors are on display for visiting architects, builders, remodel-

Story at a Glance

Southern pine pushes westward in door and window frames, jambs, casing, and brick moulds.

ing contractors and homeowners.

Another reason for southern pine's increased presence in this market is the uncertain supply and price in western and hardwood lumber species. Several producers manufacture a clear, solid stain grade, a clear fingerjointed paint grade, and a No. 2 salvage grade.

Another alternative, radiata pine, is trying to become a factor in the marketplace, but many manufacturers still prefer the strength, price, and superior screw-holding and machinability of southern pine.

Rafe Hagel, Burns Morris Stewart Inc., Nacogdoches, Tx., a national supplier to the door industry, says that the growth of the metal door market has also helped stimulated demand for southern pine frames and jambs. "Steel doors have to be painted, so it's logical to use paint grade, fingerjointed southern pine jambs and frames with them," Hagel says.

Bison Building Materials' Houston, Tx., display center illustrates the growing trend toward southern pine door frames and jambs among architects, contractors, remodelers, builders and homeowners.

"About 98Vo of our exterior doors have southern pine frames and jambs," explains a Bison spokesperson. "Our customers like the fingerjointed stock because we deliver it to them already primed, ready for final finishing."

Bison, which caters primarily to the builder and remodeling contractor, switched to southern pine from other exterior door frame species about four years ago, and has had good customer acceptance.

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Retailss

F oxworth-Galbraith Lumbe r Co. closed its 38-year-old Grams. N.M., yard, installed new equit: rrnt at its Las Cruces, N.M., -trdls plant, and relocated its Tucson, Az., truss operations to a new facility adjacdrt to its Tlrcson lum beryard...

Tlw Moulding Bfz, Bakersfield, Ca., was guttgd April 7 by fire of unKnown ongm

Copeland lwnber closed ie ZOyear-old Multrromah,0r., yard

Early Bird Supply, Clarkston, fd., increased its showroom bv 4,000 sq. ft. to 7.200 so. ft. ani add€d ai Ace tool rental s'ation

Woodworker's Lumbe r Co., Los Gatos, Ca., has closed after 47 years; operator Bruce Fitzgerald will open a general contracting company in Washington, while hii father, Don, will retire

Scon McLendon's True ValuePort Orchard, Wa, relocated to the vacated Ernst Hardware buildins nearby, providing more room] including space for a nursery ...

Steinb au gh's Hardw are, Louisville, Co., is closine this month after 105 years in bu-siness due to fetail warehouse competition

F.r7le Hardware signed a lease for a new store in Portland, Or. ...

Robb's Hardware, Thousand 94o,.Cu., is closing after 5l years rn Dltsmess ...

Tr4lS Wotld Wide, Yancouver, 'Wa, a division af Tualain lhllev Quilders Supply, Lake Oswego, Or", has opened an office-in l{ugoya {upug; Larry Tommerup N Overseerng the staft-up...

Sears Hardware is considering sites in Folsom, Elk Grove and Placerville, Cd., for Orchard Suppb Hardware stores

Hame Depat opened a new store June 12 in San Jose, Ca., and plans a 20,@0-sq. ft rrerchandismg suppoft oenter this fall in the

Idaho, Utah, Colorndo and REno. Nv., Jeff Birren in chmge ...

Home Deporis eyeiag a 3Gacre site in Brea, Ca.; is cbmoetine withLucky siores for a iite iil Cupertino, Ca.; plans to enter Billings, Mt., nc.xt-year; received initial planning commission approval for a 105,000-sq. ft. replacement store in Huntineton Beach, Ca.; proposed a 104,d00sq. ft. store with 28,000-sq. ft. nursery for Sacramento, Ca.,-less than a mile from a planned HomeBase, and has Bo-ise, Id., neighbors and local officials working to rcvoke its store's conditional-use permit ...

. Wickes Lumber Co. is changing rts corporate narF to Wickes Inc.; all 100 building cenrers will continue to operate under the Wickes Lumkxname...

Anawalt Lumber Ca., Los Angeles, Ca,,didwt sign a pldge not to sell old growth reawboa as claimed by the Rainforest Action Nework (see May, p. 38); it does have.a policy not to purchase any more old growth

Wholesalss & Manuf rc{urers

Lo ui s iana- Pacific is arctioning off mills and other equipmeni from operations closed-ovei the last two years in 13 cities, including Libby, Mt.; Priest River, Id., md Willits, Ca.

Terranova Forest Products. Bellevue, Wa., parent Forettal. Terraiova,S.A. asreed to buv 3240A acres of piie plantationi and sawmills in southern Brazil from Grupo Gerdau Empreendi,flentos Ltda,. for $,1$ millibn

Califurnia Hardware is building a new 411r5@sq. ft. Hq. and DC in Ontario,'Ca ...

Boise Cascade's Buildins Mate rials Distribution Divisioit a#ed a sae,llite brmch in Minnemta for its Billings, Mt., DC

Hampton Lumber Sales Co.. Portland, Or., has comoleted acquisition of Califurnia Biilders Supply, Sacramento, Ca., from RosCburg Forest Products, Ros{mrq, Or. ...

Owens Corning has agreed to purchase vinyl sidine mufiofaturer Fibreboard Coip. for about $500 million

Coleman iC movine its Hq. to Widhire IG., foomGol-clen, Coi ...

Harwood P roducts,Branscomb, Ca., is spending $5 million this yeargn unpovements, including a new ne4c ng

Hardware Wholesalers Inc. has Iaunched a private label credit card for its InCom Distributor SuWb division...

Willnmette Industrie s acouired a Clonmel, Ireland, MDF plant from Medite Corp.

Schuller shareholders asreed to change the corporate nameiback to Johns Manville Corp.

Humboldt State (Jniverslry students rejected changing the lrrcata, Ca, school mascot from a lumberjack to a marbld murrelet

Web sites: Swan Secure, www. swansecure.com Capital Lumber Co., www.capital-lumber.com(Capital is also linked to The Merchant's site) preservaP roducts, www.preservaproducts. com . Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers dsvl., www.kcrna^org ...

Anniversaries: Lorr", Bror. Lumber Co., San Leandro, Ca., llsth ... Inng Beach Plywood & Lumber Co., Long Beach, Ca., 5fth .. Forest Praducts Society. sfth Flui&naster Inc., 4Ath ..'.'

Housing starrs in April (latest figs.) rose 2.6Vo to a ieasonallv adjusted annual rate of 1.47 nnilion ... single-family construction crept up 0.3%, multi-familv

Rosboro's tonuloctured Timber