New white wood products

tl, HEN PRICES get out of hand UU and product is in short supply, the lumbermen of this country have always responded with typical Yankee ingenuity to solve the problem; new manufacturing techniques, new products from old, adapting existing products to do more things.

Among these innovators is Ed Fountain, president of Ed Fountain Lumber Co. of Los Angeles, who has pioneered products such as Lam-Loc Pecky Cedar, Lam-Loc timbers, a variety of types and sizes of decking, barge shipment techniques plus unique manufacturing and handling methods which have helped deliver better products for less money.

Sfory at a Glance

New pressure-treated white wood products appear on the market. innovative siding costs less than similar redwood, cedar products. initial market testing has brought excellent acceptance.

When western red cedar and redwood prices went through the roof, Fountain began experimenting with white woods for siding. The aim was for a cost savings of up to 400/0.

It was found by pressure treating these woods, their durability and resistance to insect attack was comparable to that of redwood and western red cedar, according to Fountain.

The lumber mellows to a warm brown color and requires no other surface treatment. However, it can be stained using approximately one-third of the material normally required.

Another method is to pre-stain the siding without pressure treating. This too, provides excellent protection, and there is a definite savings in painting or staining on the job site.

To help prevent cupping, which often occurs in white wood. it was found that by scoring the backs that much of this problem could be eliminated. The decision was also made to provide the product in 6" and 8" widths with specified lengths to 20' for additional flexibility and elimination of waste.

To date, Fountain has found excellent acceptance for the white wood siding, Dealers report the product is easy to use, provides a good appearance and contractors appreciate the substantial savings, the company notes.

Energy Conservation Study

A new market study on energy conservation products for the home, using the concept of payback analyses, reports that "storm windows are the most practical alternative, followed by wall insulation, floor insulation, and ceiling insulation. in that order."

The 316-p. study also concludes that the least cost effective approaches, "though unfortunately the least expensive," include weather stripping and caulking to stop air infiltration. The value of this step, however, "depends very much on the quality of house construction in the first place," the study adds.

Market highlights include: r Storm door shipments to increase 70lo annually through 1980, then 40lo thereafter to total 6.7 million units by 1985. o Storm window shipments increase from 32 million units annually in 1978 to 43 million units by 1985. o Wood and coal-burning stove shipment, including fireplaces, to increase from 600.000 units in 1977 to 700,000* by 1990. "Conversions will account for 90 per cent of the shipments."

. Insulation market at $990 million in 1978 to increase 270lo through 1980, another llo/o through 1982, whereupon market growth significantly declines to less than 7o/o through 1985.

According to Frost & Sullivan, Inc., which made the survey, plumbing products that curtail hot water consumption, thereby saving on fuel costs, will undergo significant market growth as advertising and promotion efforts take hold. The potential for water heater insulation kits, for example, amounts to 55 million units cumulatively through 1985.

For shower heads, the potential market totals $800 million over the study time frame. For flow-reducing faucet adapter devices, it can be as much as $450 million.

These overall projections, however, tell only part of the story. Market demographics vary widely by geographic region, type of material used, especially for insulation. and retrofit vs. new construction activity. The net result: F&S says, "Our findings are not as sanguine as are many others." In the case of insulation, for example, most market analyses extrapolate usage standards in the North to the U.S. as a whole.

Similarly, wood and coal-burn-

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