I had heard the rumors of wood shortage at the beginning of this spring, but it was not until the summer that I witnessed it with my own eyes. On a trip to our local logging yard, I found bare shelves that usually have no products — of the many slots dedicated to this common size, there are only a handful of processed 2 x 4s.
After a quick search on the Internet for “wood shortage in 2020″, you will find that most articles and news briefings are about how this shortage affects the residential market (which has been booming). According to data from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), since mid-April this year, the compound price of wood has “surged by more than 170%. This surge has increased the price of new single-family homes by approximately $16,000, an average of new apartments. The price has increased by more than US$6,000.” But of course there are many other construction sectors that rely on wood as their main resource, especially the post-frame industry.
The small town newspaper even reported the issue on the front page, including a report published in the Southern Reporter, a community newspaper in Mississippi on July 9. Here you will find a dramatic story in which a Chicago-based contractor was forced to travel more than 500 miles to purchase large amounts of processed wood. And today’s supply situation does not look much better.
Before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, tariffs on timber (up to 20% on processed timber) were already imposed between Canada and the United States, which has caused problems. Introducing a health crisis on a global scale, and shortages are inevitable. As states tried to slow the spread, they imposed statewide restrictions on companies deemed “necessities”, effectively closing many industries, including wood processing facilities. As factories slowly reopened, new restrictions on operations (allowing social distancing) made it difficult for supply to meet the astonishing growth in demand.
This demand arises because a large part of the American population is already at home and still working, which gives them time to complete “one day” projects such as decks, fences, sheds, and barns. This sounds like good news at first! Any money budgeted for vacations may be invested in family projects because they cannot go anywhere and may enjoy the surrounding environment.
In fact, despite the initial concerns when the pandemic first broke out, many of the contractors (and manufacturers) we spoke with recently have been very busy and successful. However, as the contractor gets busy, more materials are needed, so now you not only need the DIY crowd to scramble for the last 2 x 4s on the shelf, but the contractor has to be forced to find supplies around every local or even remote Lumber yard.
A recent poll conducted in our weekly e-newsletter showed that as the timber shortage continues, 75% of contractors are interested in alternative materials or are already looking for alternative materials.
One option is to explore the world of metal frames, even in the short term, until this shortage is corrected. David Ruth, president of Freedom Mill Systems, sees a sharp increase in sales of cold-formed steel pipe. According to Ruth, contractors were tired of queuing and waiting for each shipment of timber, so they bought their own machines to produce their own materials. In order to start using this method (in addition to the need for a lot of research), Ruth suggested the following must-have list:
Another alternative option is tension fabric construction, especially for agricultural customers. Jon Gustad, ProTec’s construction sales manager, shared how easy this transition is for back-frame builders: “When’carpenters’ think of anything related to steel frames, they tend to assume that welders and cutting torches are involved. In fact, the existing skills and tools of most wood manufacturers are sufficient to meet many of our stretch fabric needs. With proper planning, these buildings are as easy to put together as erectors.” It’s easier, they provide unlimited resources for the people who make the conversion.
There are other builders that are studying the options available on the man-made wood market. Craig Miles, LP Construction Solutions National Sales and Marketing OSB Director, said: “We design value and multiple benefits for the product. For builders, reducing work corrections to a minimum and improving the quality of products built are huge advantages.” They Provides one of the strongest and hardest floors in the industry, with more strands, resins and waxes to provide excellent moisture resistance.
If you plan to stick to wood and continue to look for materials, NAHB recommends adding an upgrade clause to your contract. This allows you to charge the project leader up to a predetermined percentage of material cost increase-useful today.
Many large manufacturers and even smaller kit suppliers are considering returning to “normal” status as soon as possible. Myers shared: “At the beginning of the pandemic, we did see the sentiment of builders, home sales and the demand for LP products declined. These have rebounded sharply and continue to climb, and we have resumed full production.” Your best chance to get the wood you need, please try the following techniques when you need it: buy wood when possible, not when you need it; ask for pre-orders; ask for bulk orders, even if the quantity exceeds your normal needs; Ask if paying in advance or paying with different terms will bring you to the top of the waiting list; and ask if there are sister stores or other replenishment options at the lumberyard, and you can transfer materials between them through pre-sales.
Just as we get more information from industry experts, we will make sure to share every information with our readers.
Post time: Mar-26-2021