LmnTIME FNTUING

The life of a home starts with the framing.

Residential inspectors report that framing in a third of the homes they check has water-damaged floor joists, studs, plates and sills near plumbing. That damp environment is an ideal target for decay... and costly repairs.

Lifetime Framing can help homeowners avoid all of that by using protective, pressure-treated Southem Pine lumber around kitchens and baths inside, and for soffit and fascia outside. Contact us for convincing details.

5041443-4464 F AX 5041443-6612 Box 641700 Kenner, LA 70064 www.soulhernpine.com

0ther Evenfs

Visit the living museum o1'the Chicago Botanic Garden. Lake Cook Rd./East of Edens Expwy.; (847) 835-5440.

Work up a sweat at the New Heights Spa,21l N. Stetson Ave.; (312) 6169000.

Take in the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Congress Pkwy.; (312) 902-1500.

Hop aboard the Loop Tour Train fbr a free train tour of Chicago's downtown Loop,17 E. Randolph St.: (312) 1442400.

See the Hancock ObservatorY, 94th floor. John Hancock Center, 875 N. Michigan Ave.; (888) 875-8439.

See for miles and miles from the Sears Tower Skydeck, 233 S. Wacker Dr.; 3t?) 8'7s-9696.

L-P's OSB Fund Dries Up

The settlement fund created by Louisiana-Pacific three years ago to replace faulty OSB siding reportedly has been depleted. An estimated 800 new claims roll in each week.

According to the WaIl Street Journal, while L-P agreed to pay $275 million in installments through 2002, by last March homeowner claims already had topped $365 million. More than 48,000 applicants, some filing over a year ago, haven't seen a dime, and L-P's next installment isn't due until next summer.

Although L-P could be sued again if it doesn't put up more cash, the original settlement bars homeowners from returning to court until at least 2000.

Boise Cascade Closing 4 Mills

Boise Cascade Corp., Boise, Id., is restructuring its wood products manufacturing business, permanently closing sawmills in Elgin, Or., Horseshoe Bend, Id., and Fisher, La., and a plywood plant in Yakima, Wa.

The company will take a nonrecurring pretax charge of $62 million against second quarter earnings for the restructuring, plus a $19 million charge for reevaluation of paper-related assets.

The plant closures reduce Boise Cascade's lumber capacity by 28Vo, all in commodity dimension products, and plywood capacity by l2Vo. The change adjusts production to available timber supply and raises the importance of value-added engineered wood products in the company's business mix.

Pre-Drilled Studs Suit Fails

A lawsuit attempting to reclassify predrilled lumber as exempt from the U.S./Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement has been dismissed by the Court of International Trade.

In February 1997, U.S. Customs had ruled that studs with a small drilled hole should be classified as 'Joinery or carpentry" and not "lumber," placing them outside ofthe 1996 quota treaty. Five months Iater, Customs filed to revoked its decision, sparking the lawsuit by importers of Canadian lumber.

Diablo Timber Streamlines

"The Endangered Species Act in its extreme makes no sense; Only Congress can change it to make this problem past tense."

- Judge Sam Sparks, in his poetic ruling against ESAprotected salamanders keeping an Austin, Tx., parkfrom cleaning a city swimming pool

As part of a consolidation, Diablo Timber Co. is closing its Orange, Ca., industrial remanufacturing division and is moving the plant's machinery to its Redding, Ca., branch facility and its Napa, Ca., headquarters operation.

Diablo will maintain lcl sales and distribution through a presence in Southern California, continuing to service independent dealers and industrial accounts.

HOME SWEET HOME (top left) was sponsored by W-eyerhaeuser Co. Foundation, one ol 100 ttabitat for Humanity homes built recently by.vol' unleers in Houston, Tx. More than 60 Wdyerhaeuser employees from across the country participated, including (right) Building Materials Distribution Business v.p. and gen. mgr. David Slill and pulp mill area.englneer Tom Brinson, here'attachi-ng an inside section to the exterior wall, and ilower left) Leiohton Hiranaga, Mike Vozenilek, Jim Hemphill and Natasha Valach. oieoariinq a wall catitv to receive a window frame. Weyerhaeuser also d6natrid $$,OOO, bringiirg its contributions to the organization over the last 10 years to $490,000 plus labor on 55 homes.

lnsulation Holding SteadY

U.S. demand for thermal insulation is forecast to rise 2.3Vo yearly through 2OO2to 7.2 billion lbs', worth $5 billion. Fiberglass, growing 2.3Vo yearly, will continue to capture the majority of the market at55Vo, followed by fbamed plastic, which will increase 4.2Vo a year and hold 307o of the market.