Millwork producers take long look at southern Pine

CIOUTHERN pine lumber is gaining \)market share each year for window and door mouldings, casing and frames as well as lineal moulding and other types of millwork.

That's the report from several major millwork manufacturers and pre-hangars who have evaluated competitive materials and continue to increase their use of southern pine.

Barnett Millwork, Theodore, Al., is a full service company providing manufacturing, pre-hanging and distribution of windows, doors, jambs, moulding and other specialty millwork. It uses southern pine for moulding, jambs, and interior and exterior door and window frames. The company offers over 100 patterns in specialty millwork, including linear molding and decorative mantels.

"We like the consistent quality and controlled moisture content of the millwork stock we buy," says president Paul Barnett.

Most of the moulding the firm Produces is fingerjointed paint grade' Barnett says there is little or no difference between finishing techniques with southern pine and white Pine, and they don't experience grain raise, cupping or warping problems with southern pine.

"We like the competitive Price, stability, strength, density, screwholding and finishing capabilities of southern pine," he adds.

Bill Peeples, Orvis Co., Valdosta,

Ga., says the manufacturer, pre-hanger and distributor has been using southern pine for brick mouldings, casings, jambs and frames for the past four decades. The volume of southern pine used at Orvis has increased in the past three years.

He says southern pine has the edge over other wood species such as ponderosa pine and radiata pine because of its consistent availability, quality, competitive price and stability in both solid and fingerjointed stock. Southern pine, he explains, "provides

Story at a Glance

Southern pine becoming a preferred species among millwork manufacturers.

a better surface for stain than either ponderosa or radiata, and consistently costs less."

Orvis buys southern Pine exterior and interior door frames, flat jambs, casings and brick mould from outside suppliers and assembles custom door and window units to order. PeePles says "every order is different, with various styles, hardware and trim"'

The pre-primed southern Pine jambs from Orvis work well with steel entry doors because the steel units must be painted. Orvis cus- tomers include large home centers such as Lowe's, 84 Lumber and Scotty's, as well as several large and medium size independent retailers.

At Stephenson Millwork, a third generation is continuing the pioneer firm's reputation as one of Alabama's premier producers of southern pine mouldings and custom architectural millwork.

Russell Stephenson, who started the business with six emploYees before World War II, has built the company into a major Producer currently employing over 100 workers. Grandson Lee joined the comPanY two years ago.

"The secret to southern Pine's superiority for moulding and millwork is correct drying," exPlains Russell Stephenson. The lumber is dried in steam heat kilns rather than hot air kilns to achieve a finished solid wood product with very little checking or grain raise

"We like the texture and straightness of southern pine, and we now use it for about 60Vo of all the moulding that we produce," he notes. Most of the lineal moulding as well as door and window jambs and frames are solid paint grade, sold direct to the general contractor.

Stephenson also fills manY orders for "old pine" paneling in 6" and 8" widths, purchased from old buildings and recycled by re-running it through their molders.