THE OUTLOOK FOR TIMBER DEMANDS 



19 



Two-family dwelling units have averaged about 

 3.5 percent of all dwelling units constructed in 

 recent decades. In the projections of future 

 construction it has been assumed that two-family 

 dwelling units will compose about 3 percent of the 

 total units built. 



Wooc/ Use VariesWidely by 

 Dwelling Unit Characteristics 



Both the type and size of living quarters con- 

 structed influence the use of wood products in 

 residential construction. One- and two-family 

 dwelling units built in 1962, for example, used 

 an estimated average of about 11,190 board feet 

 of lumber, compared with 4,500 board feet per 

 multifamily dwelling unit and 1,800 board feet 

 per mobile home (table 9 and fig. 10). These 

 figures represent gross volume of lumber required, 

 including allowances for manufacturing and on-site 

 losses. 



These variations in lumber use reflect the fact 

 \ that much of the multifamily housing is heavy 

 construction where concrete and steel have strong 

 competitive advantages However, in one- and 

 two-family dwellings, lumber and other timber 

 products are still preferred for many uses such as 

 framing, sheathing, and flooring. 



Use of materials within any given type of dwell- 

 ing unit also varies rather widely with differences 

 in structural characteristics. In prefabricated 

 single-family dwelling units, for example, consump- 

 tion of lumber per unit is substantially below the 



average of 12,560 board feet used in convention- 

 ally constructed units. In multifamily dwellings 

 lumber use ranged from about 1,200 board feet per 

 unit in high-rise apartments to 5,600 board feet 

 in garden-type apartments. 



Lumber use also varied considerably by regions 

 of the country as a result of differences in climatic 

 conditions, custom, and other factors. For exam- 

 ple, in 1962 average use of lumber in FHA- 

 inspected single-family housing ranged from a low 

 of 6,100 board feet in Florida to 12,100 board feet 

 in the South Atlantic region. 



Average Use of Lumber Per 

 Dwelling Unit Decreasing 



Extensive changes in the amounts and kinds of 

 wood materials consumed per dwelling unit have 

 occurred with changing trends in types and sizes 

 of housing constructed and with changes in con- 

 struction methods and builder preferences. In 

 the decade between 1952 and 1962, for example, 

 the average use of lumber for all types of dwelling 

 units dropped from 10,000 to 8,700 board feet 

 (table 9 and fig. 11). This in part reflected the 

 substantial increase in multifamily housing from 

 10 percent of total housing starts in 1952 to 29 

 percent in 1962. During the same period, pre- 

 fabricated houses rose from less than 4 percent to 

 about 18 percent of all one-family starts. 



Growth in the proportion of single-family houses 

 built on concrete slab foundations was an addi- 



Table 9.- — Lumber and panel products consumed per dwelling unit by type of unit, 1 952-2000 





Lumber 



Plywood and veneer 



Building board ^ 



Year 



All 



types 



One- 

 and 



two- 

 family 



Multi- 

 family 



Mobile 

 homes 



All 



types 



One- 

 and 

 two- 

 family 



Multi- 

 family 



Mobile 

 homes 



All 

 types 



One- 

 and 

 two- 

 family 



Multi- 

 family 



Mobile 

 homes 



1952 



Board 



feet 



10,000 



8,700 



Board 



feet 



Board 



feet 



Board 



feet 



Square 

 feet, 



Ys-inch 

 basis 



1,200 



2,600 



Square 

 feet, 



Ys-inch 

 basis 



Square 

 feet, 



Ys-inch 

 basis 



Square 

 feet, 



Ys-inch 

 basis 



Square 

 feet, 



Yi-inch 

 basis 



Square 

 feet, 



y2-inch 

 basis 



Square 

 feet, 



Yi-inch 

 basis 



Square 

 feet, 



Yi-inch 

 basis 



1962 



11,190 



4,500 



1,800 



3,010 



1,800 



1,840 



1,030 



1,320 



350 



1,000 



PROJECTIONS 



1970 

 1980 

 1990 

 2000 



7,990 



10,740 



4,280 



1,800 



2,920 



3,610 



1,820 



1,870 



1,110 



1,480 



360 



7,570 



10,290 



4,050 



1,800 



3,130 



4,010 



1,830 



1,910 



1,230 



1,720 



370 



7,290 



10,070 



3,920 



1,800 



3,240 



4,260 



1,840 



1,950 



1,420 



2,100 



380 



7,110 



9,950 



3,830 



1,800 



3,280 



4,390 



1,850 



2,000 



1,600 



2,460 



390 



1,020 

 1,040 

 1,060 

 1,080 



' Estimates include allowance for manufacturing and on-site waste. 

 2 Includes insulation board, hardboard, and particleboard. 



