Raise your sales with floors

lllOULD you like to know UU how you can sell approximately 2,500 additional board feet of lumber for each house built with material from your store?

The answer is simple. Sell your builder/contractor customers on the merits of raised floors, houses built with crawl space rather than concrete slab foundations.

Homebuilders all over the country are swinging over to raised floors as they become aware of the advantages, especially in energy, for both the builder and homeowner. Even California,which is renowned for tough

Story at a Glance

How to sell 2,500 more bf of lumber per house with raised floors. facts lo educate your builder/contractor customers on advantages. .what help is available from associations and their field reps.

energy standards, is re-examining its energy code in relation to raised floors and their energy performance.

Association fieldmen in every region are reporting increased interest in wood floor systems. They are demonstrating, advising and keeping builders up to date with the latest techniques. In many cases they are also enlightening building inspectors on their advantages.

If you need additional information to sell your customers on the concept, consider these facts as ammunition. They are backed by the research and integrity of the Western Wood Prodducts Association.

FACT: Some builders have the construction technology down to a science, making the raised floor directly competitive in cost to concrete slab.

FACT: In energy terms, there is new evidence that crawl space construction benefits from the thermal mass of the earth beneath it. One study showed no difference in utility (heating and cooling) costs of homes whether built on slab or raised floor, contrary to traditional thinking. This is why in California energy officials are taking a second look at the energy performance of raised floors as related to that state's tough energy code.

FACT: Builders generally agree their customers prefer the walking comfort and warmth of raised floor homes.

FACT: Wood floors are durable. With proper installation they don't settle and crack like concrete floors.

Maintenance and access to heating, plumbing and wiring utilities are easy in floors with crawl space.

FACT: Many builders calculate raised floors overall actually are more economical to build than slabs, once details of utility installation, repairs and other factors are figured in. This contradicts the normal perception of raised floor economics.

Field representatives from the American Plywood Association also are available for guidance on APA panel floor construction. They are Fearn LaBan, 1581 Phoenix Blvd., Suite 6, Atlanta, Ga. 30349, (404) 997-7182; A.M. Leggett, 440 Northlake Center, Suite 211, Dallas Tx. 75238, (214) 348-0e3; Byron Oberg, P.O. Box 3536, Fremont, Ca. 94539, (4t5) 657-s9s9.

However you approach selling your builder/contractor customers on the merit of the raised wood floor systems, you are bound to be a winner. At least 2,500 additional board feet of lumber sold per house can add up to a lot of dollars.

For more information and help in scheduling demonstrations of raised wood floor systems for your customers, contact one of the following associations:

American Plywood Association

P.O. Box 11700

Tacoma, Wa. 9841I (206) 565-6600

American Wood Council l6l9 Massachusetts Ave. NW

Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 26s-7766

National Forest Products Association 1619 Massachusetts Ave. NW

Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 191-s8m

Southern Forest Products Association

P.O. Box 52468

New Orleans, La. 10152 (so4) 4/3-1p.64

Western Wood Products Association 1500 Yeon Building

Portland, Or. 97204 (so3) 224-3930