Page 60 - Green Builder Sept-Oct 2020 Issue
P. 60
Other alternatives to lumber include
factory-built panels and structural insulated
panels (SIPs). The labor savings are clear.
But these products depend on panels made
with oriented strand board (OSB), which
has jumped in cost by more than
percent in the U.S. One variable is whether
the SIP or panel manufacturer was able to
stockpile the material in advance of market
pressures.
But it’s not just the pandemic that has
squeezed OSB supplies. It’s also Climate
Change. For example, Norbord temporarily
stopped production of OSB at one of its
large plants in British Columbia because it
could not obtain enough raw materials. The Irreplaceable? Gaps on shelves in the hardware section seem to be increasing, particularly among
company blamed wildres and severe weather “staple” products such as standard door hinges—many of which are produced internationally. Will
conditions during the - winter. domestic manufacturers rise to replace them? If so, when, and at what cost?
SOARING LUMBER PRICES PUSH THE ENVELOPE
$1,000
$900
$800
Per thousand board feet $700
$600
$500
$400
Random Lengths
Framing Lumber $300
Composite Price
CME Future
Prices $200
1/10/20 1/24/20 2/7/20 2/21/20 3/6/20 3/20/20 4/3/20 4/17/20 5/1/20 5/15/20 5/29/20 6/12/20 6/26/20 7/10/20 7/24/20 8/7/20 8/21/20 9/4/20 9/18/20
58 GREEN BUILDER September/October 2020 www.greenbuildermedia.com
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