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With the new ,{ more valuable } "new growth" lumber we are seeing demanding higher prices do I need expensive tools ?

All kidding aside, if this keeps up will there even be a new housing market in the future ? one report said it cost 25k more per 1000 sq ft of home today than it did 2 years ago ??? we are talking about mostly new growth lumber with low tensile strength ????????????????? It just seems like a lot for new growth lumber ,

Hobbyman2 wrote: ↑Mon May 10, 2021 12:47 am With the new ,{ more valuable } "new growth" lumber we are seeing demanding higher prices do I need expensive tools ?

All kidding aside, if this keeps up will there even be a new housing market in the future ? one report said it cost 25k more per 1000 sq ft of home today than it did 2 years ago ??? we are talking about mostly new growth lumber with low tensile strength ????????????????? It just seems like a lot for new growth lumber ,

Maybe the trend (solution in the future) will be to live in smaller mansions, aka. build single family homes similar to middle class homes in the 50s and before.

That makes sense. Smaller homes equal less lumber, less house cleaning, and less area to have to chase down the Wife.

I just hope they are still growing enough new hardwood for my woodworking projects.

Well, they can always switch over to steel, as is used in many commercial buildings. I think Douglas Fir 2x4's in my area are on parity with steel 2x4's right now. Maybe in parts of the USA, steel is actually cheaper than wood. There is a learning curve to working with them, but carpenters can & will adapt if this lumber shortage persists.

RFGuy wrote: ↑Mon May 10, 2021 8:10 am Well, they can always switch over to steel, as is used in many commercial buildings. I think Douglas Fir 2x4's in my area are on parity with steel 2x4's right now. Maybe in parts of the USA, steel is actually cheaper than wood. There is a learning curve to working with them, but carpenters can & will adapt if this lumber shortage persists.

I doubt that solution. I have worked in steel buildings here on the desert and as a result I prefer something other. I recently moved from a frame built house to a smaller brick and stucco and my electrical bill has gone up about 5% (same utility district).

I know HOT. My workshop has always been open Arizona desert air. Winter time is great

dusty wrote: ↑Mon May 10, 2021 8:42 am I doubt that solution. I have worked in steel buildings here on the desert and as a result I prefer something other. I recently moved from a frame built house to a smaller brick and stucco and my electrical bill has gone up about 5% (same utility district).

I know HOT. My workshop has always been open Arizona desert air. Winter time is great

Dusty,

It is called air conditioning...a must have in the desert.

By the way, I was referring to houses constructed of steel 2x4's and not to steel sheathed buildings. Exterior could be stucco as is common here. Lots of high end homes in this area are ONLY built with steel 2x4's and steel I-beams...same as commercial construction. Much straighter walls and better for fire code.

RFGuy wrote: ↑Mon May 10, 2021 8:54 am

dusty wrote: ↑Mon May 10, 2021 8:42 am I doubt that solution. I have worked in steel buildings here on the desert and as a result I prefer something other. I recently moved from a frame built house to a smaller brick and stucco and my electrical bill has gone up about 5% (same utility district).

I know HOT. My workshop has always been open Arizona desert air. Winter time is great

Dusty,

It is called air conditioning...a must have in the desert.

By the way, I was referring to houses constructed of steel 2x4's and not to steel sheathed buildings. Exterior could be stucco as is common here. Lots of high end homes in this area are ONLY built with steel 2x4's and steel I-beams...same as commercial construction. Much straighter walls and better for fire code.

OKAY. Just let me add that steel/aluminum super structure (to me) does not equate to a steel building. Using these in lieu of lumber is already a prominent trend in housing construction.

smaller houses may be the option unless you are young and plan on a family , it still sounds like a lot of money even for 1k sq ft home .

I just read this this morning . https://www.nbc4i.com/news/u-s-world/si ... 3bT7R_9iYE , (NEXSTAR) – A lumber shortage amid a red-hot housing market has caused the price of single-family homes to jump approximately $36,000 since last April, a new study finds.

The analysis, from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), emerges as lumber prices in April skyrocketed 250% year over year.

dusty wrote: ↑Mon May 10, 2021 8:42 am

RFGuy wrote: ↑Mon May 10, 2021 8:10 am Well, they can always switch over to steel, as is used in many commercial buildings. I think Douglas Fir 2x4's in my area are on parity with steel 2x4's right now. Maybe in parts of the USA, steel is actually cheaper than wood. There is a learning curve to working with them, but carpenters can & will adapt if this lumber shortage persists.

I doubt that solution. I have worked in steel buildings here on the desert and as a result I prefer something other. I recently moved from a frame built house to a smaller brick and stucco and my electrical bill has gone up about 5% (same utility district).

I know HOT. My workshop has always been open Arizona desert air. Winter time is great

Dusty
Something must be wrong. Here in Florida the majority of houses are built from concrete block and stucco. Properly insulated and with correct AC sizing these homes constantly beat similar stick built homes built with normal insulation. The “experts” claim the mass of the concrete blocks provide thermal buffering that the wood cannot.

I do believe houses will become smaller in the future. High ceilings and foyers with 23 feet or higher ceilings will make little sense in the face of raising lumber costs and heating and cooling cost.

But I still suspect something is very wrong with the current lumber prices. What I do not know, but I do know in some areas large commercial saw mills are overstocked with raw timber. My friend in Ga. says they can not get timber cutting companies to cut the wood since the mills have no place to place it. Each cutter calls the mills each day to see how much space is open for the raw timber. There are piles and piles of cut timber standing in the forest because no mill will accept it.