3582 Chapter 29 



The new condominium units constructed in tlie South in 1982 often are 

 reinforced concrete and masonry structures several stories high. Others are two 

 stories high with wood stud walls and a second floor supported on wood joists. 

 Typical of many condominium units successfully competing with historically 

 conventional detached dwellings, however, is the single-floor structure (fig. 29- 

 2 bottom). 



Such single-floor dwellings typically have a concrete slab floor (1,000 to 

 1,800 sq ft heated), two concrete-block fire walls separating units, brick facing 

 over non-wood sheathing, aluminum-framed windows, asphalt shingles, metal 

 gutters, gypsum board interior walls, and wall-to-wall carpets. Wood in such 

 units is limited to a few roof beams or trusses, plywood or flakeboard roof 

 sheathing, studs for two exterior walls plus interior partitions, a few doors, 

 minimal mouldings — perhaps of fiber, veneered particleboard kitchen and bath 

 cabinets, and considerable wood furniture and wall panelling. 



Regardless of the future course of housing starts, the production of paper will 

 continue to expand (fig. 29-lOAB) and its hardwood component will probably 

 increase (fig. 29-5 ABC). 



It also seems likely that structural flakeboard, mostly made of hardwoods, 

 will be a strong competitor of softwood plywood for residential roof and wall 

 sheathing, and for floor decks (table 24-1 , fig. 24-1 , sects. 28-25, 28-27, 28-29, 

 and 28-31). 



High-quality hardwoods will remain in short supply, and Europe will increas- 

 ingly look to the United States to supply an important proportion of their needs. 

 Because hardwoods growing on adverse sites among southern pines are typically 

 small and of low-quality, the pine-site hardwoods will probably not be a major 

 factor in this fine-hardwood trade. 



The pine-site hardwoods will be principally used as follows: 



• In chip form for pulp and paper and for industrial fuel — ^possibly also for 

 chemicals. 



• In flake, fiber, or veneer form for panels, i.e., structural flakeboard, 

 medium-density fiberboard, hardboard, and plywood. 



• In solid form as pallets, crossties, furniture, flooring, and residential 

 fuel; some species, e.g., yellow-poplar, may be used for structural lum- 

 ber should softwood lumber become excessively expensive. 



Possibly composite lumber (sec. 28-21, 28-28, and 28-31), made from hard- 

 woods as well as softwoods, will challenge traditional 2 by 8, 2 by 10, and 2 by 

 12 softwood lumber for use as joists and rafters. 



Illustrations in this chapter are listed in table 29-1 to speed reference to them. 

 They are divided into three categories: general, capacity and production, and 

 price trends. No illustration charting growth of southern structural flakeboard 

 production is provided because the first two southern plants were not operational 

 until 1983 (table 24-1 and fig. 24-1); growth of flakeboard production in the 

 South should be substantial during the 1980's and 1990's, however. 



In concluding this three- volume work, which has involved cooperation of 

 hundreds of people over a 10-year period, and study of approximately 10,000 

 pieces of published literature, it is clearly evident that the hardwoods growing 



