Why Switch from Dimensional Lumber?
Why are we looking for alternatives to dimensional lumber? Lets start out with a little history. The United States has enjoyed an abundant supply of timber products over the past two centuries. The availability and workability of wood has enabled builders to construct millions of homes in North America. Today, new residential construction and remodeling consumes two-thirds of the lumber used. Any change in the supply and cost of lumber directly impacts the homebuilding market. This impact was strongly felt in 1993, when lumber prices more than doubled. Framing lumber composite prices jumped from $200 per 1,000 board feet in 1990 to $500 in 1993. You can see this unusual leap in prices shown in the graph in Figure 1-2. The rising price sent a panic throughout the residential construction industry. While homebuilders lobbied for lower lumber prices, they also looked for alternatives to lumber. Theres a lot of speculation as to why prices jumped so drastically. Some environmentalists were
