Price of OSB

[300UGUY]

I am not sure about the lumber stuff, but anything construction related is flakey right now. A neighbor of mine that used to have a framing company has recieved 2 job offers, to run framing crews. Both companies want him to train people, they can't find enough experienced folks to complete projects.

 

[teejk]

WOW!
Hey, osb is pretty good chit @ $5-$10, but for much more than that, I look at plywood

I agree...I hate to use the stuff (band-aid cost). If I do use it, it's only where it will get buried behind something else and never get seen.

 

[teejk]

I am not sure about the lumber stuff, but anything construction related is flakey right now. A neighbor of mine that used to have a framing company has recieved 2 job offers, to run framing crews. Both companies want him to train people, they can't find enough experienced folks to complete projects.

yeah...well...experienced people went through the fake housing boom. In the past 4 years they probably sold all their tools to buy food after their 99 weeks of unemployment ran out.

 

[LD1]

I am sure diesel plays a large part, but I don't see it being more than 50% of the operation. So that should justify maybe a 25% increase. Certainly not 300%. And heck, just last year OSB was %6-$7 a sheet. And diesel is about the same now as it was then.

 

[crazyal]

The last time I bought OSB it was about $6 to $7 a sheet, couple of years ago. It looks like it's about $10 to $12 here now.

 

[clemsonfor]

WOW!
Hey, osb is pretty good chit @ $5-$10, but for much more than that, I look at plywood

But when osb is $14 a sheet ply is close to $25!!

Beleive it or not OSB is stronger than plywood. Before you tell me i am crazy i would not have beleived it. I am not talking about a hammer test where you take a 20 oz claw hammer and beat a sheet of OSB and a sheet of ply and see which it goes through easiest or leaving the things outside for a year then testing them. But in a test of weight load the OSB outperformes ply. I dont have a dog in this fight i sell trees not lumber i dont care really what folks buy as long as their buying wood!!! I have a wood products minor in college. the test for this is to take a sample of each, say 12"s square, then you put it under a ram thats got pressure sensors on it and it presses down on the sample thats suspended by resting on its ends with the ram pressing from above, just like a shop press, basically was one fitted with sensors and electronics. Then you start it, it meassures pressure in weight and when it breaks or fails it will stop test. OSB held a significant amount more weight, now it does so with more deflection, but deflection without fracture is what counts. Also i beleive (could be wrong dont exactly remember these results) when we glued fittings to each then tried to pull them apart from the top and bottom that OSB held togeather longer before tearout.

Again i know i wont change anyones mind that wont go look up results for thier self, but i am just trying to clear up some of the misconceptions with a great product that is OSB. Again i do not work for an OSB mill or anything.

 

[dave1949]

I am not sure about the lumber stuff, but anything construction related is flakey right now. A neighbor of mine that used to have a framing company has recieved 2 job offers, to run framing crews. Both companies want him to train people, they can't find enough experienced folks to complete projects.

Read an article the other day that said many have given up on the construction trades. Long-term, they cannot afford the boom bust cycles--which existed well before the recent recession. Also, that immigration policy and low wages are reducing the number of Hispanics available/willing to work in construction.

IIRC the average wage for construction labor nationwide is about $11.50/hour. People who used to make $30/hr are now finding work at $20/hr.

I'm sure that will change as the housing sector gets healthier, but for now that's the picture.

 

[clemsonfor]

And this last post reminds me of a thread about a year ago where trades (as there called up there in Canada)were making $30-50/hr in canada. this is the skilled labor not the owner/contractor of the crew!!!

I know thier economy is said to be much better than ours right now i just cant fathom that type wadge for a "skilled" laborer. Again i am not talking about a master cabinent maker who owns his own business but the guy that he may employ, that has the skills just not his own business.