Theated fuatning options offer opportunities for dealers

By Huck DeVenzio Arch Wood Protection

f UMBER dealers may soon find .|-./profit in operating a framing shop - not framing for photographs or artwork, but wood framing for residential and commercial buildings. Like at a picture gallery, this type of framing has options, materials, colors, and characteristics for customers to consider, and the number of choices is growing.

The framing market is huge. The National Association of Home Builders says that new single-family homes average 2400 sq. ft., which translates to about 19000 bd. ft. of lumber and

7O00 sq. ft. of panels per home. For the most part, studs continue to be made from pre-cut spruce/pine/fir material. They are textbook commodity products. typically very price-sensitive with little margin.

Over recent years there have been innovations in framing. These include wood I-beams. Structural Insulated Panels, different truss configurations. finger-jointed studs, and steel studs. These choices provide value-added sales opportunities. Now a new group of framing options-treated woods with differing properties- is entering the market. They. too. provide dealers with the chance to move away from commodity offerings.

Termite & decay resistance

The granddaddy of treated framing options is probably borate pressuretreated wood. which has existed for many years although it has not been widely used. Borates are effective preservatives. recognized in American Wood-Preservers' Association standards and accepted by model building codes for interior applications. They provide resistance to damage from ter- nritcs irncl lirngal clccur'. A stLrclr pLrblishccl in thc Folc.ll ProLltttt.s Jottrtttrl sLlltgcsts that thcr rr[rr lilso |cpcl nonu,oocl clcstlovinu pcsts, Thcrc irrc tto lcrcls ol protcction lrr,ailablc *ith bor-lrtc tr-clrtcrl rroorl: onc intcrtrle tl lor rioorl rrscrl u hclc

Irt'l lllrtrirll \tll)l('l lilll\',rll l('t llIilr'. ilt!' l)lt'sr'lll illl(l rtllr' \\illl I l(r\\!'l lr'tellli')11 lcvcl lirl rlclcrtsc against lcss tlcstlrrc- fJolllc lr-cltcrl rr ootl is conrnronlt rusctl lirl sill Plutc. but hrLs bccn uscil

I i\ (' lrltl t)t()t \' \'()tIlt)l{ )ll l\'ilIIil\'\.

Ior- nrolc thrrn l rlcclrrlc lol u holchousc llanring ln Ilu\\lrii. uhcrc tcrnlilc l)foblcrn\ lrcccssitirtc tIcltctl rvood. It has l-rccn pronrotcd lirr totiLl stn.lcturc pnrtcctiort in thc contincntal U.S.. particLrlallv in the Southclst. w'here thc ncecl is greatcst.

ThoLrgh r nLlnrbL-r o1' honrcs have been built riith borate-treated tl'amin-g. thc wholc-housc irlca hls not progrcssccl as lupitllr ls hutl lrccn envisioncd. Onc ploblcnr hlis bccn tlrc trcrrtnrcnt ol cnginccrctl u ootl plocl tucts. OSII ciurlot bc prcssurc tlcutcrl. so. trnlcss lr sLr itllrlc l)fcscr\ ltir c is incor-polrrtcrl into the lcsin [rintlcr. OSIJ elrrtnol hc rclrtlilr protcetctl l'rr tr-ltlitionlrl Ir'cltnrcnt\. 'l'o irlcntilr lrolltc tlclrtcrl uoor[ plotluccls {r piclrllr rrtlrl u bluc (l\ c to thc trcutil)g soltttion. llris ullon s eon tnrctols lrncl btrildinq in\l)cet()r'\ to (lil' li'r-cntiatc l)()r'lrtc tr-cltctl conrPoncnts lltrrtt untlclrlcti rroorl

Firc retardance

Firc lcturrlant trcirtccl (FII-f) uoorl has bccrt usccl lirr clccarlcs. nranrlutccl b1' bLrilrlins cocles attenrpting to lirlit thc sprcacl of firc ancl rcclucc snroke gcncration i|r conrrrr-'reial nncl institutional builclings ancl in nrulti-fanrilr hor-rsing. Tlrese coclt's clo not appl\ to singlc-l'anriir lcsirlcnccs. but FRT f'nrnring cun bc crlrrullr r lLlulLblc in slo* ing thc clcstr-ue iion ol iL horlc's slt'tttlttt'lr] \).lr'lll,rllrl !i\ ill,- tr!Ltll)iilll\ ludditionll tinrc to cscrl)c.

This lilc pclfirlnrune c is nrost rr cl cornc in honrcs htrr]t in cnrurlctl Lrrbln ltrclts lurtl irr u ilrl llrnd iucil\ r'cnlolc

Itirttt Iitt' I)11)lr'r'li(,lr str'\ itts.

Sorlc Iill l uootl hlls lrn lrtklccl hcn cl'it: in lrlrlition Io its lrlc lctiutlrrnec. it

Itlts I l'\ tt Ji:lt lr'rl 1q'sir11111.1' lrr 11 nritcs anrl lun!.ri l rlccur. \\ ith llris ll'arrring. thc honrcou ncr' gcls lr bcrrclit cvcn il li l'irc ncr cl' ()ccur'\. lrs l)rrnrc ()\\'lrcrs hopc n ill bc tlrc e lisc.

Sonrc rlcalcrs stock FR-[- rroorl. It is lulso lr lilablc llonr 1-x'otluccr\ lis l sltc cial orclcr'.

Maid resi$tnflcs

Of high interest at this tinre is rnolcl lrrcvcntion. rlr. lrt lcast. nrold ntulrg.'nrcnt. Honrcowrlcls hlrr c nrolil con ccrns. ltntl c()l)tflct()f s u otf r, lttrottt nrolrl liabilitv. lt hus bccn lcporlcrl 1hrr1 10.(X)0 nrolcl lau'suits alc pcntlinu in thc Ll.S.

I)e lrlcrs ulso ltirvc to bc cone cr-ncrl. To lrvoirl lltcr' pnrblcnrs. sonrc rlcllcls hlrr c r-ctltrir-crrl cLrslonrcr-s to sign tlocLr nrL'nt\ \tiltlns that their \\'oocl hird no sigrrs o1' nrold ut thc tinic ol purchusc. Nlolrl-rcsistunt u oorl cuu hclp nrini nrizc tlrc rr()\\ tlr ol nroltl anrl thc likc lihootl ol liribilitr elrriurs. To tlris cttrl. nllrtrr lrrtlutcls llrrc rcccntly intlo tlutctl unti-nroltl eoutinrs lir- l'r-lrruirrg Itrnrbcr. trLlsscs. lrrrl cnginccr-cd lvootl plotlLrets. lhc bcst ol tltcsc llc lpPlicrl

( l'lt ttsL' lt!nt lt) It('\l l)(tq( )

RAINBOW FRAMING: Manufacturers are adding coorant to dentify different treated wood prodrcts At this fantasy constrJCtron srte. lhe bluisl' ,rood represens bo"ate-treated studs and sill p'ate (SillBor). the pink studs are "e'eta'oa't redted rD'rco'rr. a1d the green studs and panels are coated with mold inhibitor (FrameGuardl. These brands are censed by Arch Wood Protection.

Tieated Framing Options

(Continued from previous page) by spray or dip at central locations where the coverage can be controlled and quality monitored, rather than being applied at each jobsite.

This presents an opportunity for building materials suppliers. Typical applicators are truss plants, pressuretreating plants, fabrication facilities, and stain operations. A lumber dealer can purchase mold-resistant wood from them, or, if demand justifies it and space allows, install his own application operation.

As with borate treatment, moldresistant coatings usually contain a dye, either green or blue, for identification during construction.

The ultimate stud?

The ultimate wood stud may be lumber that is pressure treated with a fire retardant and then coated with an anti-mold solution. In a recent survey conducted by Good Housekeeping, nearly a quarter of I 200 respondents said they would "definitely" pay 4Vc to 7Vc more for a house with framing that resists fire, produces less smoke. and fights termites and mold. Another 6O7c answered by saying they "probably" would.

A demonstration house in Baton Rouge. the Louisiana House. includes three of the above options: borate pressure-treated lumber for framing. fire retardant treated plywood around a fireplace, and SIPs with OSB skins coated with an anti-mold product. The house also features "optimum engineered framing," designed to handle high wind loads. More information is available at www.louisianahouse.org.

Yet another framing option has generated attention for the time it saves in erecting steel stud systems. Wood backing is often required in such buildings to support cabinets. handrails. and wall fixtures. A modular wood backing system has been introduced that anaches to studs. precluding the need for custom-cutting each piece of blocking.

These options can enable lumber dealers to benefit from profitable sales of a previously low-margin product. Now there's an opportunity that is suitable for framing.