ON EWP

with your customers rather than relying on the phone or direct mail," says deleon.

. A dedication to serving contractors with a broad variety of products. on-time deliveries, a sales staff with in-depth experience and competitive prices. "Some of our customers tell us our hardware prices are 507o less than the big boxes," deleon adds.

. A large inventory of products ready for immediate dispatch to job sites, and a faithful group of long-time suppliers that can guarantee delivery of wood products already cut-to-size the next day, if Gray doesn't have it in stock.

Engincered Wood

Gray's handsome building products store is a showcase of engineered wood products, including exposed glulam timber roof beams and Disdero Lam Deck glulam decking. "It's much more effective to demonstrate the aesthetics and warmth of glulam beams and decking by having architects and specifiers visit our buildings, rather than showing them a brochure," deleon says.

Gray's history dates back to the early 1900s when most wood beams were solid sawn timbers. Glulams have largely replaced the solid beams because of the strength and low moisture content of glulam, which prevents twisting and checking.

"We've seen a steady growth in glulam demand," deleon says. "Most of our glulams delivered from wholesalers are 3-118" and 5-1/8" wide, in lengths of 48 to 60 feet."

On commercial jobs, most of Gray's glulam timbers are used for floor and roof beams.

For residential projects,the glulams are floor and roof beams. headers. and exposed cathedral type roofbeams.

Although Gray would be classified as primarily a contractor yard, they also maintain a healthy volume of d-iy business from consumers. "We're on a major street in Tacoma and homeowners notice all of the contractor trucks that come into the yard, so they stop by to pick up their building materials, too," deleon says.

- For more information on design and construction with glued laminated timbers, contact American Institute of Timber Construc:tion, ( 303 ) 792-95 59.