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IN DEPTH: Lumber and Structural Panels

The changes are focusing some builders on adapting advanced-framing techniques, which in turn require longer lengths of lumber. “More builders are using a 24-inch on-center flooring or wall design,” Weyerhaeuser’s Dedmon says. “It allows them to stack studs on the joists to get more insulation into the cavity. The 24-inch on-center joist spacing also gives the HVAC trades more room to run ducts through the floor system, relocating the ducts from the unconditioned attic to the conditioned floor cavity to meet new energy codes.”

But some builders don’t realize that hardwood flooring installed over 24-inch on-center spacing requires a 7/8-inch subflooring to meet the National Wood Flooring Association and [glossary]APA[/glossary] standards (rather than 3/4 inch or 23/32), he warns. “If they don’t upgrade, they’re not within the national guidelines. As they recognize this, it’s going to create a move toward 7/8-inch subflooring.”

Fire-resistant lumber is growing in interest, too, especially for multifamily builders. “There’s a lot of interest buzzing around it,” Sherwood’s Berwick says. “It costs more due to the premium for the coatings, of course, but it also offers more value. On top of offering more value, it inhibits mold and moisture, so coastal areas in particular are using it. Builders are selling it as an upgrade, and it’s being chosen more often.”

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“Fire resistance is a growing interest,” Boise Cascade’s Mills agrees. “We’re taking it seriously and looking for alternatives that can meet the builders’ needs in a cost-effective manner.”

New products aren’t always the obvious approach, Roseburg’s Killgore points out. “We’re looking closely at how codes want builders to deal with fire. There are lots of solutions out there, but we believe the answer is more about technique than creating a new premium product. Using drywall may be the best answer in terms of efficiency and cost. The goal is always to find the low-cost solution, whatever format that takes. We’re optimistic that we can provide that.”

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