EXPO 2009

June 11-13, 2009

in New Orleans

 HOME    PREVIOUS ISSUES    SEARCH

February 6, 2009

Southern Pine Adds Special Touch to House of the Year

A 12-page spread in the February issue of Country Living showcases the magazine’s 2009 House of the Year, a mountain-side jewel that makes impressive use of Southern Pine in several key areas. The 3,022 square-foot home was built in Sawmill Village in the mountains of West Virginia. To compensate for a narrow lot, the project’s builder opted to go up instead of out with the home, which extends four stories. The home’s main living areas are encompassed in a “great room” at the top of the house. The great room is capped by a vaulted ceiling of white-washed Southern Pine planking that the magazine says “lends texture” to the room. Southern Pine plank paneling is used on the kitchen walls, while the master bathroom features pine board wainscoting.    

Richard Wallace, SFPA’s vice president of communications, worked with editors to help make sure Southern Pine was included in the project; and Southern Pine Council member company J.W. Jones Lumber Co. of Elizabeth City, N.C., generously donated the Southern Pine 1x6 and 1x8 boards used in the home. SPC received credit for furnishing the home’s “Southern Pine wall and ceiling boards” in a “special thanks” section of the feature. SPC and J.W. Jones Lumber Co. are also mentioned in the magazine’s “Shopping Guide.”

Click here to see photos and other “House of the Year” information featured on the magazine’s Web Site. For additional details, contact Richard at 504/443-4464, ext. 236, or by e-mail at rwallace@sfpa.org.

SFPA Staff Promotes Raised Floors in TV Segments

SFPA staff members, including SFPA President Digges Morgan, will explain the advantages of building a raised floor home in 10 two-minute television segments that start airing next month during the morning show of New Orleans CBS affiliate, WWL-TV.  The segments were taped this week on the site of Project Home Again (PHA) in New Orleans. In three segments, SFPA’s Richard Kleiner covers energy efficiency, termite protection gained by using treated wood framing, and cost and maintenance benefits related to raised floor construction. Cathy Kaake draws on her background as a professional engineer and certified floodplain manager to explain how raised floor homes resist floods and wind damage, and help homeowners address insurance issues. Digges focuses on the curb appeal that a raised home offers along with extended living areas such as porches and decks. SFPA’s Russell Richardson fielded green building questions, noting wood’s stature as the only renewable building material, one that is a natural insulator contributing to lower utility bills. Closing segments include comments from coordinator/developer Will Bradshaw of Green Coast Enterprises, project architect John Schackai and finally, one of the new homeowners.

“This series moves the message of Raised Floor Living to the next level, beyond the scope of a 30-second commercial, in a key market still actively rebuilding,” says SFPA’s Richard Wallace.  PHA is a 20-home development funded by the Riggio Foundation, where candidate families swap their neighboring properties destroyed by Hurricane Katrina for a new raised floor home, designed to be energy efficient and to withstand future hurricanes. In turn, the foundation hopes to redevelop the properties acquired in the swap to trade with other homeowners displaced by the storm.

The Southern Pine Council is sponsoring the series, which will air over a 20-week period.

SPC Receives Funding for Raised Floor, Outdoor Living Programs

The Southern Pine Council received word this week that it is being awarded $1.96 million to help fund an existing SPC program – the Raised Floor Living campaign, which began in 2000 – and a new campaign titled Outdoor Living. SFPA will continue to take the lead with the Raised Floor campaign, while the Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association will coordinate the Outdoor Living effort.  “Raised floor construction and outdoor living applications are two key markets for our members’ products, and this additional funding support is highly welcome,” said SFPA President Digges Morgan. The grant comes from monies generated by the Softwood Lumber Agreement between the United States and Canada. Among the designated uses for those funds are projects that strengthen and build markets for North American softwood lumber products. SFPA and SLMA worked hand-in-hand on SPC’s grant request.

SFI Seeks Comments on Draft Standard

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) Inc. is inviting comments on its draft 2010-2014 Standard. SFI third-party certification supports responsible forestry practices across North America through a standard based on principles that promote sustainable forest management, including measures to protect water quality, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, species at risk, and forests with exceptional conservation value. To be certified, forest operations must be audited against the current SFI Standard, which is enhanced through an open public process every five years. This is the third full review – it began in June 2008 and will lead to the SFI 2010-2014 Standard, which takes effect on Jan. 1, 2010.

“The changes proposed in the draft SFI 2010-2014 Standard reflect views we received during an initial 60-day public review process last summer – we invited 2,000 individuals and organizations to comment on the SFI 2005-2009 Standard and publicized the process to reach even more people,” said SFI Inc. President and CEO Kathy Abusow in an SFI news release. “This helps to ensure the standard addresses the latest science, changing values and new issues. For example, proposed changes refer to the role forests play in mitigating climate change and bioenergy production.”

Click here for more information and to submit comments. Comments are due by March 2.

PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION  

mechanical means, without written authorization from SFPA is prohibited.