Cross-laminated timber, or CLT, is an engineered wood panel made from layers of dimension lumber stacked at right angles and glued under pressure. Producers across North America are adding capacity as demand climbs in the eastern United States, where a single plant can ship more than 1 million board feet of CLT per month and […]
Most lumber a builder touches passes through at least one distributor before it reaches the job site. Regional distributors buy in rail-car and truckload volumes from mills, warehouse the material across a network of branches, and deliver in smaller lots that match project schedules. The relationship between a builder and a yard often lasts decades,
Few building materials carry as many moving parts as softwood lumber. Trade agreements, weather, fire seasons, housing starts, and import duties can all move prices within a single year, sometimes within a single quarter. For buyers the swings show up directly in framing and finish budgets; for western red cedar, a premium product priced against
Decorative composite panels now carry finishes that once required sprayed lacquer or dedicated foil-laminating lines. The technology matured in Europe, where PET film lamination became a high-volume production process before reaching North America. Architects who have specified aluminum composite material panels in modern architecture know how far composite surfaces have come; PET-faced wood panels fill
A proposed $20 million sawmill expansion in Colorado shows how lumber supply chains respond to construction demand. The project, pending long-term timber agreements with the San Juan National Forest, would add capacity for 1×4, 1×6, and 1×8 lumber used in framing and decking, with construction expected to take about two years. Expansion carries two meanings
Rustic composite decking brings the look of distressed hardwood to a board that never needs sanding, staining, or sealing. Manufacturers achieve the aged appearance with embossed grain patterns and layered pigment blends, offering light brown, dark brown, and weathered gray tones within the same product family. For homeowners who want cabin-style warmth without the upkeep
Virtual reality technology has crossed from the design studio to the warehouse floor. The same headset displays that let architects walk through unbuilt buildings now place forklift operators inside a simulated warehouse before they start a real engine. Equipment manufacturers ship simulators that attach directly to production lift trucks, so the machine a trainee will
Every board, sheet, and bundle of siding on a job site got there through a distribution network that most builders never see. Lumber moves from mills to wholesalers to regional distribution centers to local dealers, changing trucks and warehouses at each step. Forest Products Supply, based in St. Louis, opened its seventh distribution center in
Roof and floor trusses have replaced most stick-built roof framing in residential construction. A truss is a prefabricated frame of lumber members connected by steel plates, engineered as a single unit and set in place with a crane. Because the whole triangle works together, trusses span farther with less material than rafters and joists framed
Rooftops carry more than weather: HVAC lines, plumbing vents, conduit, and pipe runs all cross the membrane, and each one needs a secure support. Straps and caps that hold these components in place face sun, rain, freeze-thaw cycles, and wind. The hardware that survives that environment is molded from weatherproof materials and engineered for the
