Structural Components of Houses Northampton MA

Source: BUILDER Online
Publication date: October 6, 2008

By Nigel F. Maynard

Home buyers typically care about items they can see and touch, such as flooring, countertops, and lights, but they are less concerned with things behind the walls. Likewise, buyers are unlikely to concern themselves with what type of floor joists, studs, and rafters you use, but that's no reason to skimp and not choose superior structural components.

Fortunately, with the new breed of structural products on the market, builders have access to systems that not only hold up well but also offer added benefits: They can make construction quicker and easier and improve productivity.

Take, for example, the new XJ 85 wood I-joist from Atlanta-based Georgia-Pacific. Unlike typical wood joists, which must be cut on site, the product comes prefabricated with strategically placed openings. Georgia-Pacific says the I-joist "offers builders and contractors a lower installed cost due to fewer callbacks, and the precut holes allow for quicker installation and reduced waste on the jobsite."

"The progression of the XJ was natural because builders were already cutting holes in joists for ducts," says Jeff Key, marketing and communications manager for Georgia-Pacific. But Key says there is always a fear that joists could lose structural integrity if they are cut improperly. The XJ eliminates this risk, he says.

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