There’s always something to howl about.

Blogoff Post #11: Ask the Broker: Why wood . . . ?

This is me asking a question of myself:

Why in hell do we frame houses with wood in the Sonoran Desert?

Because it’s cheap.

Look at this:

That’s a finger-jointed 2×4. An ordinary 2×4 wasn’t cheap enough, so the builder is using glued-together mill waste to keep his costs down. Nice.

This is one of the driest deserts in the United States. Wood dries out in our air, warping as it dries. If it gets wet, it is susceptible to mold and dry rot — a fungal infection that causes it to crumble. It is an irresistible treat for subterranean and dry-wood termites.

That finger-jointed member is going to shrink away from its glue as it dries, and the glue itself is going to dry up. Some day, that 2×4 is going to be about as sturdy as a stack of empty milk cartons. Nice.

Wood framing is cheap. Steel framing is forever.

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