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. No recall worries when you buy Maze! leeo/o I made in the I USA f N GRADE school. teachers lfocused on the three R's as the key to successful learning. Reading, writing and arithmetic were a student's foundation for all intellectual growth and career development

In a similar fashion, when it comes to serving the structural framing needs of residential contractors, lumber and building material dealers can create a solid basis for profitability by focusing on three S's-strength, straightness, and sustainability. Keeping these attributes in mind when working with remodelers and builders can help dealers better position themselves to retain and capture customers. as well as boost sales amid the ups and downs of the housing market.

Of the range of structural framing products available, engineered wood products (EWPs), in particular, are well suited to the three S's. EWPs retain the inherent advantages of wood as a building material-ease of use, wide availability, and affordability-and expand upon them through engineering and technology. These materials help builders meet their structural framing challenges for both home additions and new construction in the following ways:

Strength

A primary benefit of EWPs is their exceptional strength and stiffness.

The alignment of individual wood strands in materials such as laminated strand lumber (LSL) and parallel strand lumber (PSL) is designed to help maximize strength across the entire cross section of each framing member and in all dimensions. In essence, the raw logs are taken apart and reassembled in a way that produces a product that performs better than the original.

In addition, the manufacturing processes help eliminate the natural defects found in wood, such as knotholes and voids, resulting in a finished material of uniform consistency and strength. Examples of these materials are TimberStrand LSL and Parallam PSL.

The superior strength and consistency of LSL and PSL make them well suited for a number of structural framing applications, including beams and columns. Both materials are available in longer lengths than are typically available with solid sawn lumber. allowing for one-piece construction.

LSL and PSL beams and columns can be used in either new homes or remodels. In remodels, particularly renovations or upgrades of older homes, contractors will often replace old timbers with an EWP beam. The This Old House television crew completed a project in 2001 in which they removed a large floor beam from an

1897 shingle-style home in Newton, Ma., and replaced it with a TimberStrand LSL beam. The EWP beam provided a level of strength previously available only with larger size solid sawn beams.

Straightness

A second notable feature of EWPs is their exceptional straightness. The production process for both PSL and LSL allows for long-length materials that are consistently straight and resist bowing, twisting and shrinking. Because of these properties, EWP studs - typically LSLare often specified for applications where flat, straight walls are especially important to the homeowner. such as kitchens and bathrooms.

LSL provides a straight and stable framed wall, helping reduce the potential for cracks in finished walls, including tile. It also provides a uniform surface for installation of cabinets and countertops, helping them hang straight and level while reducing the hassle of shimming.

LSL is also well suited for tall walls-increasingly popular in foyers, family rooms, and great roomsgiven its availability in long lengths. The single-piece studs eliminate the need to stack shorter walls on top of one another, which creates a hinge point that can lead to leaks or cracks in drywall.

Straight and stzrble walls are important to homeowners. especially those moving up frorn starter homes, or for those undertaking upgrades to their homes. Replacing existing studs with LSL when rebuilding kitchen and bathroom walls. or when constructing an addition to the home. can bc a good way for builders to further boost the value to homeowners of a remodel.

Beyond wall applications. EWPs are also wcll suited for floors. Engineercd wood I-joists. such as TJI joists, arc also straight and stable. helping to reduce annctyin-{ squcaks and bounce. Oriented strand board (OSB). such as Structurwood Edge Gold floor panels, work well with Ijoists to creatc a tcttal floor system solution. Such OSB panels remain flat long afier installation and resist buckling and edge swell, which can create uneven floors.

Sustainability

As builders respond to homeowr"rers' growing desire fbr green hornes, dealers can be a valuable resource to thcm by providing inforrnation on how wood structural framing can be uscd to support sustainable construction. EWPs as well as solid sawn Iumber- provide several green building bencf-its.

The first environmentally beneficial aspect of wood products is that they comc from a renewable, natural resource. Similar to fbod crops, trees can be -qrown in very efficient ways and harvested in rotating cycles to hclp ensure long-terrn forest availability. Irr uddition. growing trees in sustainably managed forcsts can help ofiset thc adverse environmental effects ot othcr hurnan activities. Notably, as trees grow. they pull large amounts of carbon dioxide a ercenhouse gasout of the atmosphere and store it. Even after the tree is harvested. approximatcly one-third of the carbon remains in thc final wood products.

EWPs takc the sustainablc attributcs of wood even further. LSL, PSL and OSB can be rnanufactured from lo-ss that are too sn.rall fbr solid-sawn lumber, and thc manufacturing proec:sc\ use virtullly crery porlion of cvery log to produce strong. :truight irnd eonsislent liaming mcm- bers. For example, Weyerhaeuser on average uses 997c of each log to produce iLevel building products and other wood products. as well as energy to power mills.

E,WPs also help optimize the use of wood through improved product design. For cxample, wood I-joists are engineered into a structuriilly efTicient shape that can do more work whilc using less material than would otherwise be possible with a typical rectangular joist.

Regardless how the housing market evolves. dealers continue to play a valuable rolc to builders in helping them identif,v solutions to thcir building ch:rllenges. Dcalers arc expert sources of infurmation. and by keeping in mind the three S's of engineered wood products, they can help builders find solutions to their full ran-Ee of structural fiaming needs and chal lenges.

- Don Schwubc is r,.p. o.f ertgineercd produ(ts Irtr iLcrel b.t' Wcyerhueuscr. Rcttc:lt him ut (888) 153 8-J58 or llrr