23 minute read
ACROSS THE BOARD
SAYING NO
------------ BY PATRICK ADAMS
I HAVE A CURSE. I have a hard time saying “no.” A psychologist would have a fun time unpacking the baggage of what led to this shortcoming in my personality. Perhaps a fear of rejection or letting people down? Wanting to be a “pleaser”? That childhood advice from my grandfather that I should always aspire to excel at what others don’t want to do? Regardless of the cause, it is something that has come to my attention as of late. Both personally and professionally, if someone asks something of me I have a hard time responding with anything other than, “No problem.” I consider it an honor that anyone would ask anything of me and being the “servant” that I am, it brings me happiness to help others. But as we get busier in the business, and I get older personally, I have met that uncomfortable crossroad where I have to begin saying no more often and it is not something that I have yet embraced. In the business, we are blessed to be busier than ever. As you know, it’s the 100th year anniversary of our flagship publication, which has us all running around like crazy trying to build the foundation for the next many decades. We have launched a new consumer publication (check out www.ATFlifestyle.com if you’re into “that” short of thing!) and we’re dealing with the same runaway costs that everyone is dealing with. With that said, we have always prided ourselves on being very selective about who we work with, and who we choose to promote in the pages of our publications. Believe it or not, we say no quite a bit to advertisers that we don’t know as we feel we’re vouching for them to you, our readers. Recently, however, one gave us a VERY good sales pitch and we agreed to run them. I wish sometimes we were a publication where “everything was for sale” and anyone with a bank account is good enough. However, after running them we quickly heard back from a few readers that they were not all they claimed to be. Much to the dismay of our sales team, this led to an easy no, informing the advertiser that we would no longer entertain their business. This was not a pleasant conversation with the advertiser (or the sales rep), but it’s something I believe firmly in and actually was one of my easier no’s. Personally, I shared with you some health challenges that are not yet over, but that I have largely fought back from. I’m not sure if it was that mid-age reality check, or that physically I just don’t fully bounce back the way I used to, but I find I just don’t have the “reserve tank” that I used to. Responding “no problem” to any request in the past was a given and I could easily just balance it all and keep going. Lately I find that isn’t the case and it takes its toll. Saying no to friends and especially family is something that literally tears me apart. Admitting that “I can’t right now” is akin to admitting defeat, something else that I am not good at. This concept is at battle with my own philosophy of “always being prepared and ready” to serve—your family, your friends, your community. How can I feel like I’m always prepared and ready if I also have to say no sometimes? Is saying no to preserve myself more about priority ranking than selfishness? This is something I continue to battle with. However, in my years I have heard and witnessed many who I have great respect for execute their “daily plan.” For me, it always seemed to include a lot of what I would call selfish time— meditation, walks, journaling, or pursuit of hobbies and bucket list conquests. Their response when challenged was always the same—how can I be the best for others if I’m not pursuing being the best me? While there was always some logic to that, I always held back a small opinion that it was a convenient excuse. Honestly, I don’t know the answer but I know that as I grow older that I will have to figure this out. As much as I hate to admit it, I don’t have the horsepower I had in my 20’s. I know odds say that I will likely have more ailments and that my “hobbies” (or self-destructive, thrill-seeking behavior as my wife claims) will take more of a toll on me as I age. When I look in the mirror, I don’t see this having happened, but at the end of the day I feel it.
Whether it’s saying no to business for principal reasons, or especially saying no personally, this is my goal for the year to figure out. I know this industry I love is full of far wiser people than me, so any wisdom you can share is always appreciated! In the meantime, keep charging forward and fighting the good fight! Summer is almost over, so take advantage, say no to something, and instead, do something fun with those who matter! Thank you everyone for the privilege of serving you!
PATRICK S. ADAMS
Publisher/President padams@526mediagroup.com
SPECIALIZED OSB products are now available with value-added qualities and dual functionality, making them more efficient and better suited for particular applications. (Photos by LP Building Solutions)
SELL OSB BY APPLICATION OR AS AN INTEGRATED SYSTEM
------------ BY CASEY SMYTH
ORIENTED STRAND board is versatile and can be utilized for all manner of functions in the inner workings of a building. But all OSB is not created equal. Some products available in the marketplace are engineered for their value-added qualities and dual functionality, which can make them more efficient and better suited for their jobs.
1. Air and Moisture Management
Every builder knows that it’s essential to maintain the integrity of materials on the jobsite before a project is complete, just as it’s crucial to select materials that can stand the test of time for their clients.
During and after the construction process, some OSB products can be used to establish a tight building envelope that defends against water intrusion and allows moisture vapor to escape. When used on walls and roofs, this sheathing combines air and water protection with structural integrity due to its Structural I rating. For high-humidity environments, other OSB roofing alternatives have technology designed to help prevent moisture buildup.
2. Longer Burn Times
Other OSB products are engineered for fire resistance. Not only do they help building pros build wall systems that aid in meeting fire codes, but they can also help you accomplish it at an affordable cost.
3. Thermal Regulation
When the strength of structural OSB is combined with the thermal bridging abilities of XPS foam, the result is a single insulated wall panel that delivers an elevated R-value designed to protect against heat loss and gain. Thermal-insulated
2022 OSB Top 10
1 West Fraser
Headquarters: Vancouver, B.C.
OSB Mills (12): Huguley, Al.; Cordele, Ga.; Guntown, Ms.; Bemidji, Mn.; Joanna, S.C.; Jefferson and Nacogdoches, Tx.; Grand Prairie and High Level, Alb.; Barwick, Ont.; Chambord and La Sarre, P.Q. [Plus Scotland, Belgium; Allendale, S.C. (idle)] At the end of last year, West Fraser completed acquisition of Georgia-Pacific’s OSB mill near Allendale, S.C. The facility— idle since 2019—will add 760 million sq. ft. of capacity to West Fraser’s industry-leading 8+ billion sq. ft. a year of OSB, after it restarts and ramps up to full production by mid- to late-2023.
sheathing is engineered for this purpose, and because of its OSB component, it can be installed with regular wall stud spacing—meaning no extra steps or hassle required to get the added thermal benefit.
Still other enhanced OSB alternatives boast radiant barrier technology, which helps block heat in a roof panel from leaking into a building’s attic. Some are so effective that they can reduce attic temperatures by up to 30º F. This is a huge selling point to clients, who can end up paying less over time in energy bills.
4. Advanced Stiffness
Some OSB subfloor options work well with specific adhesives that, when installed together, create an exceptional bond between the subflooring and supports, enhancing the stiffness of the entire floor system. Subfloor options like LP Legacy Premium SubFlooring and LP TopNotch 350 Durable Sub-Flooring can be used with LP Legacy Premium Sub-Flooring Adhesive in this way, and systems like these will help prevent squeaks.
Engineered to Work Together
Together, value-added OSB elements can be combined to create a structural system specifically suited to its location to make it more durable and resilient, and to help withstand weather during construction. Whether the final build will face high humidity, regular extreme weather events or simply be in a high temperature region, choosing to invest in products made to stand up over time means you are also choosing to build better.
And when they come from the same portfolio, you do not have to sink extra time into planning how each structural component will work with the rest. They are already designed to work in sync. This is not only appealing to prospective clients, but it can also result in builds with more resilience and staying power—which is ultimately more sustainable.
When chosen for their extra abilities and capacity to work harmoniously, value-added OSB products allow you to build to a higher standard—helping both your business and your clients in the long run. BP
SOLUTIONS LIKE LP NovaCore Thermal Insulated Sheathing are engineered to deliver elevated R-values that protect against heat loss and gain.
2 Louisiana-Pacific
Headquarters: Nashville, Tn.
OSB Mills (8): Clarke County and Hanceville, Al.; Sagola, Mi.; Roxboro, N.C.; Carthage and Jasper, Tx.; Fort St. John (Peace Valley), B.C.; Maniwaki, P.Q. [Plus Brazil, two in Chile] LP continues to push its OSB mix toward greater percentage of value-added products, which last year rose to 45% of the total volume for its OSB segment. Its goal is to reach 75%. As part of the initiative, early this year LP completed conversion of its Houlton, Me., OSB facility to Siding Solutions production and promptly began a similar changeover in Sagola, Mi. Yet overall OSB capacity still remains at about 4.5 billion sq. ft., after late last year restarting its Peace Valley OSB mill in Fort St. John, B.C., following a two-year layoff. Production was supposed to ramp up through this year close to full capacity of 750 million sq. ft.
3 Weyerhaeuser
Headquarters: Seattle, Wa.
OSB Mills (6): Arcadia, La.; Grayling, Mi.; Elkin, N.C.; Sutton, W.V.; Edson, Alb.; Hudson Bay, Sask. Weyerhaeuser’s six OSB mills are operating near their combined annual capacity of 3.1 billion sq. ft.
4 Georgia-Pacific
Headquarters: Atlanta, Ga.
OSB Mills (5): Fordyce, Ar.; Hosford, Fl.; Clarendon, S.C.; Brookneal, Va.; Englehart, Ont.
To bolster its OSB operations, GP is installing a third strander at its Clarendon, S.C., mill. The $40-million expansion, expected to come on line in the first quarter of next year, will add 150 million sq. ft. of capacity, bringing the five GP mills’ overall capabilities to 2.8 billion sq. ft.
5 Huber Engineered Woods
Headquarters: Charlotte, N.C.
OSB Mills (5): Commerce, Ga.; Easton, Me.; Broken Bow, Ok.; Spring City, Tn.; Crystal Hill, Va. Huber continues working towards bringing to life a planned 800,000-sq. ft. OSB facility in Cohasset, Mn. Earlier this year, it received city council approval for its revised environmental review, but indigenous activists continued to raise objections. The $440-million plant on 400 acres would supply Zip System and AdvanTech structural panels to western and Midwestern markets—increasing Huber’s overall OSB capacity by 30%. Its five mills are currently able to produce up to 2.556 billion sq. ft. a year.
6 Tolko Industries
Headquarters: Vernon, B.C.
OSB Mills (3): High Prairie and Slave Lake, Alb.; Meadow Lake, Sask. Tolko took a production hit when a May 20 fire caused the ongoing closure of its mill in High Prairie, which is responsbile for about a third of the company’s overall OSB capacity of 2.26 million sq. ft.
7 RoyOMartin
Headquarters: Alexandria, La.
OSB Mills (2): Oakdale, La.; Corrigan, Tx. To meet rising demand beyond its two mills’ combined 1.7 billion sq. ft. capacity, RoyOMartin is currently building a second OSB plant in Corrigan, with plans to be in production by fall of 2023.
8 Arbec Forest Products
Headquarters: St. Leonard, P.Q.
OSB Mills (2) Miramichi, N.B.; Shawinigan, P.Q. Arbec’s two OSB mills have a combined capacity of 700 million sq. ft.
9 Forex Amos
Headquarters: Montreal, P.Q.
OSB Mill (1): Amos, P.Q. Now in its third year of producing 7/16” OSB, with a max capacity of 450 million sq. ft. yearly, Forex has since formed a new division—Wawa OSB—that is working to reopen an idled plant in Wawa, Ontario, in the fall of 2023. Weyerhaeuser had produced OSB at the site until 2007, after which Rentech used it to manufacture pellets until 2017.
10 Langboard
Headquarters: Quitman, Ga.
OSB Mill (1): Quitman, Ga. Langboard OSB has a 440-million sq. ft. annual capacity.
PANEL/EWP MILLS TAKE A BOW FOR SAFETY
APA – THE ENGINEERED Wood Association honored two Tolko Industries facilities for their inventiveness during APA’s 2021 Safety & Health Awards.
Tolko’s Athabasca, Alberta, mill won the Equipment-Based Innovation Award for its Pink Panther invention, while Tolko of Armstrong, B.C., took home the Jeff Wagner Process-Based Innovation Award for its Area-Based Lockout Matrix Program.
Top Safety Company awards went to Resolute Engineered Wood (three or fewer mills) and West Fraser (four-plus mills).
Also recognized were: • Honor & Safety Roll leaders (plywood) RoyOMartin, Chopin, La., and Boise Cascade, Chester, S.C.; (OSB) LP Brazil and RoyOMartin, Oakdale, La.; and (EWP) Roseburg, Chester, S.C., and Resolute, St. Prime, Quebec. • Three-year Safety Award receipients (plywood) RoyOMartin, Chopin; (OSB) West Fraser, Nacogdoches, Tx.; and (EWP) Boise Cascade, White City, Or. • Safety Improvement Award winners (plywood) Boise Cascade, Oakdale; (OSB) LP Brazil; and (EWP) Boise Cascade, Homedale, Id.
The program’s Incident Free Honor Society also noted 13 facilities with zero reported mishaps—LP,
TWO Tolko OSB mills were honored for their inventiveness in APA–The Engineered Wood Association’s 2021 Safety & Health Awards. (Photo courtesy Tolko Industries)
Swan Valley, Manitoba; Dawson Creek, B.C.; Newberry, Mi.; Tomahawk, Wi.; and Ponta Grossa, Brazil; Resolute, Larouche and St. Prime, Quebec; Roseburg, Chester; RoyOMartin, Oakdale; Tolko, Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan; and West Fraser, Bemidji, Mn.; Joanna, S.C.; and Nacogdoches.
“We are proud of our members’ commitment to developing systems and processes that improve worker safety,” said APA president Mark Tibbetts. “People are the foundation of our industry, and we support making workplaces as safe as possible.”
In all, 69 APA-member structural wood panel and engineered wood product facilities in the U.S., Canada and abroad participated in the 2021 program, its 14th year.
The APA Safety & Health Awards Program is the premier safety award program for the engineered wood products industry in North America, both encouraging and recognizing operational excellence in hopes of reducing injury and illness rates. BP
UPSELLING CEDAR
DON’T SELL THE PRODUCT, SELL THE VALUE
------------ BY SIMON CAMERON
THE ULTIMATE GOAL for most softwood retailers is, of course, to sell their product. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s their main mission. The Western Red Cedar Lumber Association has long supported their member retailers in what’s commonly known as valuebased selling (also referred to as value-added selling)—the process of taking a consultative approach to sales and conveying the value of a product or service along the way.
The goal with a value-based selling approach is to put the needs of the customer first: they are guided through the sales process to make an informed decision to best suit their needs; with the ideal outcome of having your product be
WESTERN RED CEDAR siding can be finished to complement all styles of buildings from modern to traditional to rustic. (Photos courtesy WRCLA) the solution that best meets those needs. With the WRCLA, their sales process begins with an advertising and communications program that informs consumers, distributors and retailers not only about the benefits of western red cedar, but about the value the products have as an appearance product.
“The look of western red cedar is a major reason for choosing it,” noted Brad Kirkbride, managing director of WRCLA. “But when you start to add in the value the products offer in terms of what they do for the environment, or the incredible versatility and range of finishing options you have, then you start to build a competitive but highly positive narrative around your product in the mind of the consumer.”
Consistency of messaging has been an important part of the communications program, and the WRCLA works to maintain this the entire way through the sales funnel, beginning with the advertising through to the retail level.
“Highlighting Real Cedar’s role in carbon capture and as an environmentally friendly building product is important,” continued Kirkbride, “but we’ve also found that consumers are very responsive to the sheer range of options they have to enhance the beauty of the wood and design the exact finished look they want. These are two major benefits that composite substitute products really can’t match, and add tremendous value to the product.”
(Continued from page 16)
Western red cedar’s versatility in finishing options has shown to be such an impactful topic that the WRCLA has also made it the subject of a recently launched continuing education unit course (CEU) with the American Institute of Architects. “Architects are a very influential group,” noted Kirkbride, “and educating them on the benefits and value of the species is particularly important in getting that message seeded.”
The course focuses mainly on WRC siding, including soffits and trim, as it plays such a major role in the design and style of a home or building as well as protecting it from the elements. The course also points out that although the siding category has had a myriad of competitive man-made substitute products that have appeared and
disappeared over the decades, WRC siding has been a popular constant for hundreds of years.
“We know that professionals and homeowners alike are genuinely surprised when they learn that they literally have hundreds of options when it comes to specifying finishes for siding and trim,” said Kirkbride. “Add in the different textures, profiles and grades and you can create whatever design you want.”
The CEU covers the first and most simple non-maintenance option of leaving WRC siding unfinished so it naturally turns gray over
ARCHITECT Webster Wilson clad this home in a beautiful knotty grade of western red cedar finished with a semi-solid stain.
time. This option also has the advantage of having the most benign environmental impact of all alternative product choices for similar building applications, according to a recent third-party Life Cycle Assessment of natural western red cedar siding and decking.
As the majority of western red cedar users will prefer a finish that preserves the wood’s natural color and appearance, the range of natural finishes such as transparent and semi-transparent stains is also explained. One technique that is gaining in popularity is the use of bleaching and weathering products. These are essentially water-repellent finishes containing pigments and other additives. Bleaching stains accelerate the weathered, gray look faster and more evenly than if the wood was left to naturally weather. After bleaching, the western red cedar can be left in its natural state or given a coat of clear sealer.
Included in the variety of finishing options available are opaque finishes—used with fingerjoint products or in cases where the color and natural grain of the wood are not required—and the waxes and coatings used in interior applications.
The importance of using WRC products to mitigate climate change and the versatility they offer are but two of the benefits that contribute to upselling western red cedar’s true value to the customer. The emerging area of biophilic design, in which studies are showing that incorporating natural products like wood in interior and exterior design have positive health benefits and help reduce stress-related illnesses, also resonates strongly with consumers and further differentiates WRC from composite competitors.
By adhering to a consistent message and focusing on the value of their products, the WRCLA is avoiding bombarding potential customers with meaningless messages and instead are working to stand out from their competitors and create longterm, happy customers by providing more value than anyone else. BP
CYPRESS can help blur the lines between the indoors and the outdoors. (Photos courtesy of Flanagan Development, LLC)
OUTFITTING OUTDOOR SPACES WITH SOUTHERN CYPRESS
------------ BY IAN FAIGHT
OUTDOOR LIVING spaces are one of the most popular and sought-after features in today’s homes. Built for relaxing and entertaining, homeowners are viewing these spaces as extensions of their indoor rooms and are choosing building materials that offer good looks and dependable performance. And as lumber dealers and distributors are finding out, that means increased demand for a versatile species like cypress.
“Cypress is a beautiful and desirable wood to use in a wide variety of outdoor applications,” says Cassie Lewis, Turn Bull Lumber Co., Elizabethtown, N.C. “It’s dimensionally stable and most importantly, it’s naturally durable. Cypress trees produce an oil in their heartwood called cypressene. It acts as a preservative that protects the wood from decay and repels insects like termites and carpenter bees. It’s also competitively priced and readily available. All these traits make cypress the perfect alternative to cedar and pressure-treated wood.”
And for custom home builder Brett Flanagan, president of Flanagan Development, LLC, Sea Island, Ga., durability and aesthetics are the two most important factors to consider when selecting building materials for the outdoors. “Just because a product is durable doesn’t mean it looks pleasing, and just because it’s attractive doesn’t mean it will hold up well outside,” he explains. “And in my experience, cypress is a great choice for outdoor projects because it pairs natural durability with undeniable beauty.”
Flanagan prefers working with cypress for structural applications—like beams and columns for porches and pavilions—as well as for more functional projects, such as outdoor kitchen cabinetry.
“We recently completed an outdoor kitchen for a homeowner who has a lot of cypress throughout their home’s interior,” he said. “The homeowner wanted to add a full outdoor kitchen and had several appliances to incorporate. We were able to blur the lines between indoors and out by designing the space with custom cabinetry wrapped in river-recovered cypress. And because the wood is so good-looking, we finished it with a clear sealer. That’s by far our favorite finish to apply because it protects and preserves the wood, while maintaining its inherent beauty.”
And when it comes to maintenance, Flanagan says real wood like cypress is easy for homeowners to care for and maintain. “We recommend thoroughly cleaning cypress woodwork once a quarter and applying a new coat of stain or sealer every other year,” he says. “If properly maintained, cypress can truly provide a lifetime of service. BP
WEIGHING THE BENEFITS OF REAL CEDAR DECKING
------------ BY SIMON CAMERON
CHOOSING A DECKING material in today’s crowded market is no easy task. There are a multitude of different materials and just as many reasons to choose one product over another. As with most design and building decisions, however, the product you end up buying comes down to weighing out the benefits.
Western red cedar is often chosen for its natural good looks. The species has a rich luster, a fine grain and its colors range from a deep reddish-brown to a light-honey hue. While consumer research puts looks and price as the two most important factors in the purchase decision for western red cedar (and other decking materials), there are other benefits that deserve closer examination, particularly in light of the fact that environmental considerations continue to grow in importance when it comes to making home-improvement decisions.
Wood products like Real Cedar decking play a significant role in mitigating the impacts of climate change, primarily due to their ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by capturing carbon. As a forest grows, it removes carbon from the atmosphere and stores it in the wood as organic matter, as well as performing other essential ecological functions, such as regulating climate extremes and water cycles by purifying water and preventing flooding.
As trees age, however, the forest becomes more susceptible to distur-
PRODUCTS like WRC decking help reduce climate change by capturing carbon.
bances such as fire, pest outbreaks, droughts, and storms. Although these are naturally occurring disturbances in all forests, decomposing or burning trees release tremendous amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases back into the atmosphere. By sustainably managing forests to avoid large emissions from the loss of old trees while rapidly removing carbon from the atmosphere through young forest growth provides both storage and sequestration benefits.
Wood products like western red cedar decking store carbon long after the trees are harvested. When compared to the carbon-intensive manufacturing process needed to produce composite decking, and the fact that used composite products end up in our landfills, using natural wood products is the far-more beneficial choice for the environment. Actually, WRC is approximately 50% carbon by weight.
Another lesser-known advantage of building with western red cedar is its flame spread rating, fire retardant rating and smoke developed classification. It is listed in chapter 7A of the California State Fire Marshall’s list of products allowed to be used in WUI (Wildland Urban Interface) areas. Scientific testing conducted in April of 2014 assigned
WRC a Class B/Class 11 flame spread and fire retardancy rating, a smoke developed classification of 125 and found WRC to be self-extinguishing.
Western red cedar also passed ember penetration tests and is allowed to be used in WUI areas. It is important to note that building to WUI standards has proven to reduce the loss of homes and structures to wildfires, which is of significant concern in a number of areas, California included. Natural materials like WRC have the additional advantage over synthetic and composite materials in that they do not give off harmful emissions when exposed to heat.
Western red cedar’s flame spread and fire retardancy rating compare well against other species and materials, and can be used in areas where other materials may not be permitted. If WRC is to be used where the risk of fire is high, additional protection can be added by applying a permanent fire retardant. Fire retardant systems are safe and environmentally friendly, and are usually done using a vacuum-pressure impregnation system to remove moisture and air from the wood cells and replace it with the fire retardant. The process significantly increases fire protection without sacrificing the natural beauty of the wood.
Knowing the facts about decking materials is the only way to make a decision that’s right for you and the environment. “Factors like maintenance, finishing options, and durability are always going to be important,” noted Erik Ostensen, director of marketing & product management at Western Forest Products in British Co-
(Real Cedar deck image by Zuern Building Products)
lumbia, “but as awareness of climate change continues to grow, we’re seeing more and more distributors and consumers weighing out the environmental impacts of the products they’re buying. Natural materials like western red cedar definitely come ahead over composites when you look at the total picture.” BP
