Engineered Lumber Framing can account for up to 70% of the 11,000 board feet of lumber used in the average home, so framing is where builders can do the most to reduce their environmental impact. And that's just what's been happening. With fewer acres of old-growth trees available for harvest, there's been a movement in the trenches towards alternative framing systems, including foam-core panels, steel studs, and various engineered lumber products. For the most part, these products have been well-received; the reason is that they're usually of higher quality than the twisted framing lumber that's been showing up on many job sites lately. One of the most common engineered products is OSB (oriented strandboard), which is used both for sheathing and
