By Chuck Ross
Builders can reduce the amount of wood required for a home by replacing traditional lumber with engineered lumber and by using a collection of advanced framing techniques called optimum value engineering (OVE), which offer improved building performance and lower upfront costs.
Fewer studs, lower costs
OVE framing uses less lumber by placing framing members only where they're needed. One OVE framing technique is to increase the spacing between 2x6 studs to 24 inches on center from the standard 16 inches. The wider spacing provides more room for insulation, and it can reduce onsite waste. Another useful OVE technique is stack framing, in which second-floor studs are lined up directly over first-floor members on 24-inch centers. Stack framing eliminates the need for a second top plate between the two sections.
OVE can save big bucks. At a Building America research house built by Centex Homes in Victoria, Minn., OVE cut $2,100 off framing costs, compared with an identical 2,000-square-foot residence constructed using standard practices. These results are available on the National Association of Home Builders Research Center's ToolBase website.
Engineering uniformity
Engineered wood components, such as I-joists, engineered trusses and engineered studs, are made from smaller, recycled wood pieces. Although engineered lumber contains less timber, it’s stronger and more uniform than traditional pine lumber. It’s most frequently made from laminated strands of fast-growing aspen or poplar, making it a sustainable product in environmentalists' eyes. Additionally, engineered beams, studs and joists can be manufactured up to 48 feet long.
"We can span longer distances and have fewer posts in the basement," says Jeff Medanich, manager of building science for Louisville, Colo.-based McStain Neighborhoods.
Education is key to any new approach or product, and training crews to use OVE or engineered lumber can mean some upfront headaches, cautions Medanich. Ensuring workers use these methods and materials correctly requires more than a simple one-time crash course or seminar. "It doesn't happen overnight, that's for sure. Some of the old habits are hard to break," he says. "It's an ongoing exercise."
Chuck Ross is a freelance writer who frequently covers construction topics.
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