Most builders and remodelers were
affected by the swings in lumber prices
during the past year — remember lumber
quotes that were
only good for 24 hours?
The increases were all
the more shocking
because lumber prices
have been mostly flat
through the last decade
(adjusted for inflation)
and only recently
began to reflect the
pricing fluctuations
common with other
commodities. As subsidized
timber sales end
and additional environmental
pressures
emerge, lumber prices
will continue to fluctuate
and increase. The
$64,000 question is,
What can we do about
it? Start using something else?
My company has almost 20 years of
design/build general contracting experience
in a variety of commercial and
residential work. We've always used
steel framing in commercial applications
and wood framing in residential
projects. Why? In large
part because "that's