In the economic atmosphere we are now faced with, changes not for the good of the consumer have been taking place. As I have predicted, quality keeps falling to the wayside for price. Changes in the above articles are as follows.
My favorite OSB supplier, Grant, has fallen on hard times causing them to file bankruptcy protection until they get back on their feet. They have changed their logo and their color to red. I find it very hard to obtain the product at this time and have switched to Weyerhauser brand. Remember not to confuse the brand with price. Some large stores sell rejected product from these top brands which means lower quality for those lower prices.
Drymix has been the redi-mix cement of choice for my business. It has the most cement per bag making it a stronger product. Earlier this year they were bought out by a major competitor. Drymix continues to sell their original formula for the time being. Hopefully the company who bought out this brand will keep it the same to offer a product of higher quality.
Treated lumber has been and is now a complete mess. The time tested CCA material is still available in 60 retention, but only for pole barns and commerical use. The ACQ treatment, that was forced into being by lobbyists, for residential use fought a hard battle against micronized treatment MC2 and MCQ. Micronized is basically taking the copper quat and making it a crystal instead of a liquid. Independent testing has shown this process to be flawed. The advocates of both have been to court over the issue and I was informed it was ruled allowable to accept the new treatment since it does come with warranty. Since the beginning of summer I have seen the new treatment with retentions of .06 to .20. Originally it labeled itself as above ground use, but I have seen labels marked ground contact for .15 retention. I’ve also been asked if I want dark or light? Talking with suppliers I gather some treatment is constantly stirred keeping the solid a float and giving a darker color. If this is correct then the outside of the wood has more collected treatment. To make my decision in buying even more difficult, I have received product without a retention number. I don’t know where this industry is headed and maybe we won’t know until the future performance problems make themselves evident. I’d hate to tear down a nice deck to replace a post that rotted and is covered by a warranty that only gives you a piece of material, with no other compensation for labor or stain.
Do you want a composite deck? They are nice and offer a more or less maintenance free structure. Some are even “non-staining” in case you drop that burger or spill something. The biggest draw back to composite is that it is expensive. To give it a more attractive price it’s made thinner, narrower, limited in color and with a lesser warranty. Some are extruded systems that haven’t seemed to hold their popularity. When considering a composite deck you have to know the treated framing will have to be beefed up to support the weight. Use 2x10 where 2x8 would have worked and keep it 16” on center. The deck fasteners come in colors and are self-drilling and counter sinking all in one motion. Hidden fasteners look nice but are very expensive. Even though it’s getting better the fade factor in composite color was around 30%. This could be a problem if part of the deck was shaded. In the sun composite is like walking on a hot plate. Usually the warranty is about the same as wood, around 30 years depending on the product. Be sure and check the fastening requirements. Other than being 3 to 4 times the cost of wood, it’s a matter of choice.
Do you think a 2x4 is a 2x4 and the price is all that matters? Chances are that in the days of your Grandfather this was true. All small town lumberyards bought their material from the same suppliers. The grades were either good or bad back then. Now material comes from a lot of different areas of the United States, Canada and overseas. To most people it’s all about price or appearance. If you call around for lumber pricing you’re doing yourself an injustice. Western forests still yield the best material for performance and quality. However it costs more. Take home a cheap 2x4 stud and it’s warped by morning, even if it looked good in the store. Take home a western stud and it’ll stay the same day after day unless you leave it out in the sun. Eastern lumber comes from smaller trees and is less stable with more bark on the edges. Canadian lumber has lower grading standards and only needs two good edges. The other side can look like a Lincoln Log. The mill the lumber comes from is critical as well and only certain mills of the same name. When you’re looking for quality material visit your supplier and look at their inventory. Then sit down with them and voice your wants and needs. They may ship in something even better than they stock if you want them to.
Pole barn metal is similar in rating to vinyl siding in that advertised thickness may not be as represented. Probably the most common now is the 9” on center rib. Good pole barn metal made by a reputable company starts with the proper thickness of steel before galvanizing it to g60 g90 or galvalume. (That’s rated with g60 being the lowest). The metal is then painted with several coats of time tested quality paint. Even bright colors can give years of performance without much fade if of good quality and applied thickness. Some warranty painted finishes 30 to 40 years. Companies interested only in offering low prices gauge their thickness after painting and start with a lesser steel. When applied to a roof, sagging may become noticeable after a few years between the framing and the color fades or chalks. Some companies buy flawed or seconds of coiled steel and try to cut out the bad areas. It also makes a difference which edge of the metal is lapped under the next sheet. Never pre-drill your metal or drag a sheet off the stack. These metal shavings and scratches will promote rusting. There’s always some way to cheapen a building product so don’t buy for price. Get your money’s worth and do the job once.
Vinyl siding is another of my buyer beware building products. It comes in a variety of thickness, warranty and color. My advice is never purchase any vinyl siding if the back is a different color than the front. You won’t have a through and through color for fading and performance with that product. Thickness is one of the key factors in looking for a good vinyl siding. You need to ask a qualified salesman if the thickness stated is the true thickness on the product and not one area of measurement. The regulating body that sets the standards lowered the requirements years ago where a .038 product can be passed off as a .040 product. This doesn’t seem ethical but it happens with a lot of building products. A good thickness to look for is .042 and .044 gauge. If you get too thick a siding it looks bad at the lap joints. Usually brighter colors are a lot thicker to withstand warping, during expansion and contraction in the hot and cold. Also purchase a well known brand that you’ve heard of nationwide. Too many times big stores have siding made for them to their specifications (even length) to offer the low price image. When they lose the price they drop the siding and you can’t find more for additions or repairs. Price your siding by the “square” (100 sq ft) and not the piece when shopping. Other than these basic points a qualified salesperson can show you advantages between name brands offering different nailing hems and lap joints.