Why it matters to materials
Wood dominates low-rise residential construction wherever it grows, because it is strong enough for the spans involved, light enough to be carried by two people and cuttable with hand tools on site. The demand is cyclical and interest-rate sensitive, and sawmill capacity cannot be added inside one cycle - which is the whole explanation for how violently lumber prices move.
What it is made of
All materials →| Material | What it does here | Importance |
|---|---|---|
| Douglas Fir | Beams and long spans where stiffness governs | Defining |
| Industrial Roundwood | The logs all of the above are cut from | Defining |
| Oriented Strand Board | Wall and roof sheathing and subfloor | Defining |
| Plywood | Structural sheathing, subfloor and formwork | Defining |
| Softwood Lumber | Framing: studs, joists, rafters and plates | Defining |
| Southern Yellow Pine | Framing and all treated ground-contact timber | Defining |
| Spruce-Pine-Fir (SPF) | The northern framing commodity | Defining |
| Hem-Fir | Framing and millwork | Important |
| Mass Timber | Floor slabs and frames in mid-rise buildings | Important |
| Western Red Cedar | Siding, shingles and exterior joinery | Important |
| Wood-Based Panels | Interior linings, cabinetry and joinery | Important |
Douglas Fir
Not a true fir. The strongest and stiffest softwood in wide structural use, and the species that built the American…
Industrial Roundwood
Logs. The tree after felling and before anything has been done to it except cutting it to length.
Oriented Strand Board
A structural panel made from long wood strands laid in layers and pressed - the cheaper sheathing that largely…
Plywood
Thin layers of wood peeled from a log and glued in a stack with the grain crossed at right angles.
Softwood Lumber
Sawn boards from coniferous trees - the 2x4s and joists that most of the world's houses are framed with.
Southern Yellow Pine
A fast-grown, dense, strong southern US pine - the workhorse of American framing and the only major species that…