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February 1, 2008

‘House of the Year’ Features Southern Pine Porches

More than 11 million readers of Country Living’s February issue are currently enjoying the ideas and products featured in the magazine’s annual “House of the Year” story. Front and rear porches using pressure-treated Southern Pine porch flooring add classic Southern style to the two-story custom home built near Beaufort, S.C. 

The 14-page feature about the house is supplemented by a six-page home almanac detailing construction of the home, including a special section “all about outdoor flooring.” Readers are encouraged to “choose sturdy, time-tested materials” and “build with locally grown lumber.” The first tip under the construction heading is a reminder that “the House of the Year’s porch features pressure-treated Southern Pine for its natural resistance to decay.”

SFPA’s Richard Wallace, vice president of communications, worked closely with the editors to make sure Southern Pine materials were included in this project. Helping matters was the magazine’s decision to work with local builder David Steele who has a background in historic preservation and a deep appreciation of wood. Southern Pine Council member East Coast Lumber generously supplied the primed C&Btr 5/4 tongue-and-groove material. For more information, contact Richard at 504/443-4464, ext. 236, or by e-mail at rwallace@sfpa.org.

New Guide Promotes Termite-Resistant Framing

Builders and remodelers can add value to their next project by using pressure-treated Southern Pine framing. Used in tandem with traditional methods of termite control, the “whole house” treated framing concept adds superior protection against wood-destroying insects and decay. The Southern Pine Council has just published an updated eight-page booklet titled Termite-Resistant Framing to deliver the facts about this proven, value-added construction technique.  

Introductory text presents a cost comparison of using treated versus untreated framing for a typical 2,021 square-foot home, noting the modest additional cost for the entire home. A full page is devoted to the environmental benefits of building with wood, pointing out that the ultimate green material is affordable, renewable and comes from sustainable forests. Two pages explain the aggressive, destructive nature of Formosan and subterranean termites.

Complete details about the latest preservatives are included, along with helpful information regarding design values, fasteners, lumber grade and quality marks. “The guide gives a builder an informative look at treated framing and arms them with the facts their customers need to understand the long-term benefits,” said SFPA’s Richard Kleiner, director of treated markets. Contact Richard at 504/443-4464, ext. 211, or rkleiner@sfpa.org for a printed copy of the new booklet, publication #308. You can also click here to download a PDF copy or visit www.southernpine.com.

Environmentalists Protest Use of FSC Wood

The good news is that pressure from environmentalists caused the mayor of Ocean City, N.J., to abandon a plan to use FSC-certified tropical hardwood for the city’s boardwalk and opt for Southern Pine instead. The bad news is the mayor holds a less than favorable opinion about Southern Pine’s performance. Click here for a story about the issue and the mayor’s perceptions of Southern Pine. After learning of the problem, Richard Kleiner, SFPA’s director of treated markets, contacted the mayor’s office to offer SFPA’s technical assistance in addressing the issues they’ve experienced. He also provided a copy of the Southern Pine Council’s recently revised guide to Aquatic and Wetland Structures, which explains just how suitable treated Southern Pine is for projects like the boardwalk.

Component Manufacturers Tour Southern Pine Mill

Members of the Mid South Component Manufacturers Association got an up-close look at the Southern Pine lumber production process when they visited Weyerhaeuser Company’s McComb mill in Magnolia, Miss., this week. The group – composed of truss and wall panel manufacturers as well as related suppliers from Mississippi and Louisiana – also held their quarterly meeting at the mill. The McComb mill was built in 1984 and is considered one of the best in Weyerhaeuser’s system.

Cathy Kaake, SFPA’s director of engineered & framing markets and a member of MSCMA, helped arrange the tour. She also briefed the group on the Southern Pine Council’s efforts to promote raised floor systems and discussed the need for data on how floor trusses might perform in flood-prone areas. “Component manufacturers produce floor trusses, a major element of the raised floor system, so it’s important that we work closely with them as we proceed with our raised floor promotions,” she said.

MSCMA is a chapter of WTCA, a trade association that represents the structural building components industry. For more information, contact Cathy at 504/443-4464, ext. 213, or by e-mail at ckaake@sfpa.org.

Members Urged to Update Product Listings

The Product Locator on the Southern Pine Council’s Web site offers builders, designers and others an easy way to locate information on producers and their products. Southern Pine Council member producers should receive a Product Locator survey through the mail during the next week or so. To ensure your listing is correct, please complete and return the survey to SFPA. To review your current listing, visit www.southernpine.com/productlocator.shtml, click “Show All Producers” and select your company. Be sure and check your contact information and product listings to make sure they’re up-to-date. If you’re not already listed, just send in your completed survey, and we’ll add your company to the locator. For more information, contact Russell Richardson, director of industrial markets, at 504/443-4464, ext. 239, or e-mail him at rrichardson@sfpa.org.

Office Closed Tuesday

The SFPA office will be closed Tuesday, Feb. 5, in observance of the citywide celebration of Mardi Gras.

PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION  

mechanical means, without written authorization from SFPA is prohibited.