Post by ogeezer on Dec 22, 2006 11:41:23 GMT -6
The decreasing supply of large diameter, old-growth trees has resulted in an increased popularity of engineered wood materials -- those that process young, small diameter trees into strands and reassemble them into panels, boards, and framing material. Engineered wood has many uses, including wall framing. Engineered wood wall framing is used as a replacement of traditional 2 x 4 and 2 x 6 dimensional lumber, installed with the same process, tools, and fasteners. A manufacturer of engineered wood framing states that its product is superior in strength, stability, and uniformity to standard lumber, and is comparable in cost.
For the purpose of this write-up, engineered wood framing is currently made from lamininated strand lumber (LSL). LSL begins with small diameter logs from abundant species such as aspen and poplar, that are processed into small wood strands up to 12 inches long. The strands are coated with adhesive and compressed into large billets that are sawn into standard lumber dimensions.
Wall studs and plates are available in nominal 2 x 4 and 2 x 6 sizes. Headers and beams are available to match standard wall thickness and height: 3-1/2" and 5-1/2" thickness, and 4-3/8" to 18" height. Engineered wood studs and plates are available in many standard lengths up to 22' and custom lengths up to 48'. Manufacturers guarantee performance for the life of the structure.
ADVANTAGES:
DISADVANTAGES:
Of course the price disadvantage is expected to come down once the amount of timber harvested by U.S. suppliers decreases, and some speculators, anticipate that should the environmentalists and global warming theorists get a favorable President in '08, the cost for natural timber is likely to double, which will open the door for more engineered wood products in the building industry.
For more info, please Google: Engineered Lumber.
NOTE: lumber is marketed from mills to lumber dealers, and builders by 1000 board feet (BF) rather than per stick. A Board Foot is a unit of measure having a mathematical dimension (pre-milled) of 1" (thick) by 12" (wide) by 12" (long); examples of board footage are:
12' long 1x12 = 12 BF
12' long 2x6 = 12 BF
12' long 1x6 = 6 BF
12' long 1x4 = 3 BF
12' long 4x6 = 24 BF
12' long 1x2 = 2 BF ... and so forth.
For the purpose of this write-up, engineered wood framing is currently made from lamininated strand lumber (LSL). LSL begins with small diameter logs from abundant species such as aspen and poplar, that are processed into small wood strands up to 12 inches long. The strands are coated with adhesive and compressed into large billets that are sawn into standard lumber dimensions.
Wall studs and plates are available in nominal 2 x 4 and 2 x 6 sizes. Headers and beams are available to match standard wall thickness and height: 3-1/2" and 5-1/2" thickness, and 4-3/8" to 18" height. Engineered wood studs and plates are available in many standard lengths up to 22' and custom lengths up to 48'. Manufacturers guarantee performance for the life of the structure.
ADVANTAGES:
- Engineered wood makes use of fast-growing small trees. It also uses logs more efficiently than solid-sawn lumber.
Engineered wood is uniform and stable. - Wall Studs are purported to not bow, warp, twist, or shrink once they are installed.
- They have few defects, such as cracking, splitting, knots, and wane, that would result in material waste. There are some estimates that approximately 35% of traditional lumber is wasted, due to imperfections.
- LSL offers nearly 100% utilization. Also, improved productivity due to material uniformity can result in labor savings that will partially or fully offset the additional cost of materials.
- Engineered wood framing may result in less material and total installed costs. For example, wider spacing of wall studs can be implemented due to its superior strength, and it can be used for tall walls, such as in open foyers.
DISADVANTAGES:
- When substituting engineered wood studs and plates for traditional framing materials on a one-for-one basis, material costs may be higher than dimensional lumber.
- Another disadvantage is that it is heavier than an equivalent amount of pine. For instance, a 1 x 12, 16 feet in length, weighed approximately 29 Pounds. An LSL equivalent weighed approximately 43 Pounds.
- COST - Typical LSL prices will fluctuate from $1.20 to $2.00 per board foot, compared to approximately 90¢ per board foot for #2 pine, the typical shop grade. It is important to note that LSL should be bought only in large quantities, around 12,000 board feet, where the cost per stick will drive prices down below what discount chains like HomeDepot/Lowe's sells the similar sized lumber.
Of course the price disadvantage is expected to come down once the amount of timber harvested by U.S. suppliers decreases, and some speculators, anticipate that should the environmentalists and global warming theorists get a favorable President in '08, the cost for natural timber is likely to double, which will open the door for more engineered wood products in the building industry.
For more info, please Google: Engineered Lumber.
NOTE: lumber is marketed from mills to lumber dealers, and builders by 1000 board feet (BF) rather than per stick. A Board Foot is a unit of measure having a mathematical dimension (pre-milled) of 1" (thick) by 12" (wide) by 12" (long); examples of board footage are:
12' long 1x12 = 12 BF
12' long 2x6 = 12 BF
12' long 1x6 = 6 BF
12' long 1x4 = 3 BF
12' long 4x6 = 24 BF
12' long 1x2 = 2 BF ... and so forth.