BC Wood and FP Innovations are inviting you to participate in a geo-traceability workshop, to determine the potential role of traceability systems like ThisForest as a marketing tool, and as an addition or alternative to certification.

Attendees will be introduced to forest product marketing trends, how certification changed the game, and the growing use of geo-traceability. The leaders of the workshop will discuss geo-traceability in depth, providing a solid understanding of its unique attributes. A forest products geo-traceability system, ThisForest, is being developed by Ecotrust and will be introduced and review in some detail.

Attendee’s comprehension of the growth and importance of geo-traceability will be expanded include insights as to how international markets perceive and in some cases demand geo-traceability.

Consumers are increasingly curious about the story behind their purchases, and once they know that story, they are likely to tell it to friends and family for years to come, generating support and referrals for your business.

With today’s technology, it is easy to share the story of your products with your clients using geo-traceability. This workshop will also explore how geo-traceability situates itself in relation to certification, international trade trends and supply chain management.

Geo-traceability is certain to become an important tool for marketing and branding companies as responsible, concerned and accountable. It is in your best interest to find out if participation in this project will benefit you now and in years to come.

Date: Thursday, February 21, 2013
Time: 10:00am-3:00pm
Location: 7551 Westminster Hwy, Richmond, BC

For more information, contact Randi Walker at rwalker@bcwood.com or 604-882-7100.

Click here to register

As stronger wood products hit the construction market, expect the height of wood structures to rise, say engineers and architects.

In the seminar Innovation in Wood Construction, engineer Eric Karsh and architect Jana Foit will hammer home the benefits of wood construction and how new wood building materials will lead to projects beyond the six-storey limit that exists in B.C. today.

“The new wood products have progressed so much. Building codes need to recognize the differences and include them in the standards,” said Karsh, a civil engineer and principal at Vancouver’s Equilibrium Consulting.

One product he expects to be included in Canadian building codes within a few years is cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels.

The panels, which can be 10 feet wide by 40 feet long and up to 16 inches thick, are built up from narrow planks, roughly one inch thick.

Click here to read the entire article

Donguri Anne Library Exterior

Mayor and Ambassador

It has been almost two years since 3/11 and with most of the clean-up now done the reconstruction work is expected to move ahead at full steam this year. The Canada-Tohoku Reconstruction Project has been at the forefront of the reconstruction in Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture and we are proud to announce that the Donguri Anne Library project was completed on January 18^th. Canada’s new Ambassador to Japan Mackenzie Clugston as well as NRCan’s Director General Glenn Mason were on hand to celebrate along with many representatives of the Canadian wood products industry.

Anne of Green Gables Corner

Donguri Anne Library Interior

The library project has been very well received by the local community. The mayor and other town officials repeatedly praised the Canadian effort to rebuild this crucial community gathering place. The exposed Canada Tsuga (hem-fir) posts and beams created a warm but dynamic interior that will welcome locals for years and years to come. The beautiful WRC on the outside of the building also stands in sharp contrast to the cold concrete structure that is being replaced (the original building suffered extensive damage in the 9.0 earthquake and is currently being demolished). However, watching locals and in particular children rush in to borrow books as soon as the ceremony had been completed was the most rewarding scene of the day.

Yuriage Project Ground Breaking

January 18^th was actually a double celebration as we also held the ground breaking ceremony for the Yuriage Market reconstruction project immediately following the library opening. The market project is much larger and also more complicated as the original facility was ground zero for the tsunami. As a result, reconstruction in that part of Natori City has been slowed by fears of future disasters. One of the countermeasures that has been taken is to raise the ground level between 70-400cm. Natori City finally completed the ground raising for the market area in December which has allowed us to proceed with construction.

Yuriage Project Site

Once again the local community came out to thank Canada for helping rebuild this area. The ground breaking was extensively covered by local print and television media demonstrating the importance of this market which before the earthquake was the largest and most famous in the Tohoku region. The chairman of the association that runs Yuriage on behalf of the city became emotional as he explained how this project will be the cornerstone of the entire area’s rebirth once it is officially open in early May. I am very much looking forward to that day which will see people return to this now empty and eerily quiet former neighbourhood.

A Fine Log Building, based in Chilliwack, BC, handcrafts log home and timber frame structures. With over 23 years of experience in the wood building industry, Eric Menard started the business in 2000 building unique log home projects and completing log & timber work on many commercial buildings. His creativity lead him to explore and create new products throughout the years. Now, they have expanded to include a signature line of luxury log tables and benches that are shipped throughout Canada and the United States. Since the tables and benches are made from natural logs, each is uniquely different and last a lifetime.

What sets A Fine Log Building apart is that they use logs that mills can not use. They take a log or stump of any size that mills discard and use it to make a one-of-a-kind product. They build anything from small character log cabins to large recreations facilities and furniture.

An interesting project they recently completed was a traditional 18th century Long House for the Sto:Lo Nation in Chilliwack, BC. The Long House was built as it would have been by their people during that time in history. The building covers an area of 40′X70′. Local Douglas Fir was used for all of the log beams & trusses and local Western Red Cedar was used for the posts. Split cedar shakes were used on the roof and rough sawn board & baton were used along the exterior walls. This building is open to the public and is currently used for educational purposes.

For more information on A Fine Log Building, visit www.finelogbuilding.com

By Roy Manion

2013 is starting out with a bang for the Specifier’s Program with 9 Lunch & Learn (L&L) seminars booked for January. Seven of the nine seminars are with architect firms we have never visited before; we are continuing our efforts of expanding BC Wood’s circle of influence throughout the architect community.

The other two out of nine L&L seminars are focus sessions where BC Wood will be joined with a representative from industry who will be presenting their products in an educational format. These two sessions are will take place at an architect’s firm that we have already had L&L seminars in the past. This is when relationships with specific companies are really formed, making these follow up sessions invaluable.

The Specifiers Program is close to reaching the point where, by the end of our fiscal year (March 31st), we will have visited all but a handful of the major firms throughout the province. Therefore, if all goes according to plan, by the end of our next fiscal year, BC Wood will have held at least one lunch and learn session at each architect and designer firm throughout BC.

We are also working on group seminars. During the week of March 4th, we, along with four participating members, will be in Kamloops and Kelowna giving seminars to the specifier communities.

At the end of March, BC Wood, accompanied by participating members, will be giving our first group seminar to the contractors who are members of the Lower Mainland Chapter of the Independent Construction Builders Association (ICBA). We are also working with the Vancouver Regional Construction Association, BC’s other major construction association, for a similar session. This is part of our continuing effort to expand the Specifiers Program to include the construction and engineering communities.

I have also been asked to speak on marketing to the architects during the first weekend in February at the BC Log and Timber Building Association’s upcoming conference in Chase, BC. I am very much looking forward to it, as well as the opportunity of meeting with many of their members.

If you have any questions on this article or wish more information on any aspect of the Specifier Program, please contact me at rmanion@bcwood.com or call the office. I look forward to hearing from you.

The 2012-13 Working Wood Program has evolved into STRUCTURE – a cost shared activity that was developed to provide local BC Designers with the opportunity to gain some new business skills; work with a unique material (Brisco’s LVL); and participate in an important local tradeshow to demonstrate the reach and connection these platforms can offer.

STRUCTURE will provide an opportunity for these young designers to enhance their business and marketing skills, while building important connections in the industry. The following Designers have been selected to participate in this activity:

• Peter Chen -Casika Modern

• Gerald Lauze – FeatureWorx Creative

• Brad Sieber -ReForm + Design

• Karla Tull-Esterbrook -Deer Heart

• Kirk Loveland – Loveland & Lovett

• James Spouler – Mainland Woodworks

• Pat Christie -Daly Company

All the finished products designed and built will be on display in the IDSWest booth at the BUILDEX Show, taking place February 13th and 14th at the Vancouver Convention Centre West. Make sure you drop by to see the innovative design and use of LVL, supplied by Brisco.

To learn more, Pat from Daly Company uploaded a blog post on his experience and images from the STRUCTURE program: https://daly-company.squarespace.com/blog

A few comments, suggestions, and ideas that may of interest…

If you needed another sign that the US construction Industry is on the rebound, then you need to look no further than the Northern California market. The town of Truckee, California, which is situated nicely between the south shore of Lake Tahoe and the ski mecca of Squaw Valley, is currently experiencing a bit of a housing boom. Recent housing stats from the local town hall show that over 100 homes are currently under construction with an additional 80+ homes in the design stage. The majority of the construction starts are for secondary vacation homes with an average listed value of $2.4 million dollars.

Who is driving this market demand? The vast majority of the buyers come from the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley markets who are actively investing in real estate in the Lake Tahoe market. The short two hour commute from the Bay Area has made the town of Truckee an attractive option for many.

There are a number of developments underway with two in particular that should be of interest to BC wood product manufacturers. The first is the Martis Camp Development (image above - www.martiscamp.com), a private ski and golf resort community, is experiencing significant construction activity with over 50 homes currently under construction. Just down the road from Martis is another development, Shaffers Mill ( www.schaffersmill.com), which has seen a change of ownership and as such, is experiencing a high level of construction activity. Like Martis Camp, the Schaffers Mill project will consist of a golf course and village clubhouse surrounded by 200 high-end homes. The golf course development, designed by Ward Young Architects, prominently features contemporary wood architecture including a heavy post and beam design.

One way for BC manufacturers to benefit from this construction activity is to connect with the two key building product distributors in the region. Tahoe Truckee Lumber Company (TTLC) and Tahoe Building Supplies are responsible for supplying construction products to builders in both the Martis Camp and Schaffers Mill projects. Both offer a wide variety of wood products for both structural and finished applications including a number of BC suppliers. In discussions with managers at both building yards, they are interested in wood products from British Columbia and in particular any product that is unique, innovative, and priced well for the market.

As the US market continues to improve, we will continue to focus on providing market intelligence and key contacts to the BC Industry. We will target markets and sectors in the residential and light commercial construction sector such as the two projects listed above. For more information on these projects or any region in the US, please feel free to contact me at  dfarley@bcwood.com

*Martis Camp

Our 2012 Global Buyers Mission videos have now been uploaded. All of our videos can be seen on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/BCWoodAssociation?feature=watch

Global Buyers Mission Video

Wood First Program Video

Buyer Testimonial Video

Exhibitor Testimonial Video

Please join us for our Open House and Co-op Presentation Evening on Thursday, January 31st, 2013.

All are cordially invited to our annual open house event, where you can learn more about the education, training, and industry assistance programs that go on in our building. Starting with a complimentary lunch at 12.30, there will be some short presentations between 1pm and 3pm, followed by equipment and software demonstrations in our machine lab.

This year’s afternoon presentations will highlight research and development at UBC and how it benefits the wood products industry, as well as showcasing the training and product development programs available to companies in the sector. In the evening final year co-op students in the Wood Products Processing program will talk about the projects they completed during their recent co-op work terms. There will be ample opportunity in the afternoon and evening to network with manufacturers, suppliers, students, staff and faculty.

There is no charge for these events, but we ask that you please RSVP to  cawp@cawp.ubc.ca, specifying whether you will be attending in the afternoon, evening, or both.

Date: Thursday January 31st, 2013

Schedule:

12.15pm – Registration Opens
12.30pm – Light lunch for industry guests
1pm to 3pm – Presentations from staff and faculty
3pm to 5pm – Machinery and software demonstrations, lab tours
5pm to 6pm – Networking and light dinner
6:00 – 9:00  pm – Co-op Presentation Evening (including 30-minute refreshment/networking break)

Venue: 

Centre for Advanced Wood Processing
UBC Forest Sciences Centre
2900 – 2424 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC  V6T 1Z4

9th Annual Call for Nominations for the Wood WORKS! BC 2013 Wood Design Awards will close on January 25, 2013.

Nomination forms are available online at www.wood-works.ca

2013 Timber Connections Design Workshop – 2-day event Hosted by Wood WORKS! BC/Canadian Wood Council

This two-day workshop is intended for the experienced structural engineer looking for an opportunity to do hands-on designs of wood connections. The first day of the workshop will cover connections found in the CSA 086 Wood Design Standard, providing a foundation for those who have not attended a connections-based workshop before or who need a refresher course. The second day will progress beyond 086 exploring high performance self-tapping screws, epoxy-based connections and European-style connections. Day two is ideal for those who have attended a previous Wood WORKS! connections workshop, though attending both days is recommended.

Date:
Thursday, January 31 + Friday, February 1, 2013

Location:
Delta Vancouver Airport
3500 Cessna Drive,
Richmond, BC

Free breakfast and lunch if pre-registered by Friday January 18, 2013

For registration, please e-mail lshauer@wood-works.ca

For more information, click here

ONE DAY ONLY – Wednesday, February 20, 2013

8:00 am – 4:45 pm (followed by a reception until 6:15 pm)

Vancouver Convention Centre (West), Vancouver, B.C.

This is a one-day event with a program designed to inspire and educate designers and builders about how new technologies have made way for traditional mass wood products to be used in non-traditional applications.

The program will showcase various mass wood products, look at old products in new ways, and allow designers to explore how they can “push the limit” when designing with mass wood.  Various experts, both international as well as local, will present and discuss the research currently taking place, innovative applications as well as mass timber projects in other jurisdictions.

Why should you attend?

Whether called heavy timber, mass wood or mass timber, building and design professionals agree that these emerging successful forest products are a new opportunity for wood use in new applications.  Organized by Wood WORKS! BC/Canadian Wood Council, this symposium will be a unique opportunity to learn more about the products and their benefits. Over the course of the program, all major aspects relating to mass or heavy timber panels will be discussed including architectural and structural design, seismic resistance, connections, fire safety, durability, and environmental performance.

Program details and registration are available at www.wood-works.ca

Program fee – $185 +HST includes a continental breakfast, hot lunch and sponsored reception at the end of the day.

Registration closes Friday, February 15, 2013

Continuing Education Credits

• Architectural Institute of BC. 1 LU core per seminar, maximum 6.75 Core LUs
• Professional Development Certificates will be available to professionals toward their continuing education program

For more information, please contact program manager, Lorna Malone:

Tel:       1-877-929-9663 extension 4
Email:  lmalone@wood-works.ca

Cross laminated timber (CLT) is an engineered wood product that can directly benefit Canada’s forest sector due to its significant market potential in the North American construction market.

What is cross laminated timber?

CLT is a multi-layer wooden panel made of lumber. Each layer of wood is stacked perpendicularly on the previous one and they are all glued together using hydraulic or vacuum presses.

While cross laminated timber panels are produced in different sizes, they can be manufactured in thickness of up to 508 millimeters, lengths of up to 18 meters, and widths of up to 3 meters.

To read the entire article, click here

By Brian Zak – Canada Wood

Understanding the rules for the export of forest products from Canada is complicated.  We ship to over 129 different countries and each country has its own version of import rules for countries that it imports from.   Phytosanitary rules govern the safe movement and trade of forest products around the world in order to prevent the introduction of quarantine pests and diseases.

The exports of Canadian forest products offshore have grown tremendously as we try and reduce our reliance on the U.S. marketplace and find new homes for our different products.  Canadian offshore shipments of sawn lumber, as an example, have increased from 9% in 2005 to over 37% at the end of 2011.  These Offshore shipments at the end of 2011 totaled over 5.2 billion Board Feet with a value in excess of $2.4 Billion.

In order to provide some guidance on the rules of entry, Canada Wood has put together a matrix of countries with the current levels of information.  These rules oftentimes change without notice and catch all of us off guard – but CFIA will be advising us of changes as they get to hear about them through the official channels.  IT DOES NOT HURT TO CHECK THE RULES OUT WITH CFIA BEFORE SHIPPING.  (Hence all the Disclaimers on each and every page – we are trying to do our best to keep you informed but we can’t guarantee that what we have in print is the final product!).  We try to make it comprehensive but easy to understand.

When you wander around the site you will see:

• Home Page – with news alerts and notices section,
• Product Categories – a list of what we try to cover,
• Phytosanitary terms and definitions – for a practical understanding of what it all means,
• Help and How-To section – on Import permits, Phyto permits, ISPM 15, CE Marking etc.
• Country listings – 24 individual countries + EU 27 Member States + EU Protected Areas
• Useful Links
• Contact Us page

The new Website is located at:   www.canadawood.org/phytosanitary-guidelines/ and is password protected. 

Send an email to phytosanitary@canadawood.org  with your name, your company name, your location (town & province) and your e-mail address, and I will send you your User Name and Password for entry to the site.

Remember, this is for Canadian exporters of Canadian forest products – the export rules for shipments of products from other countries (i.e. United States rules) will be different from the rules for our products when we both may be entering the same country.

The Trade Commissioner Service invites you to join the “Greenbuilding Tour in Italy” and to participate in the “3rd Canada-EU Greenbuilding Forum”.

This initiative will take place from February 26th to March 3rd in conjunction with the Ecobuild Trade Show in London where Canada will have a stand to exhibit Canadian products and technologies in the greenbuilding sector. It will include visits to construction and work sites in Milan, Bergamo, and Trento. The mission will end in Rome where Canadian organizations will also have the opportunity to present their products to an audience of Italian builders, architects, and technology producers at a showcasing event hosted at the Canadian Embassy in Rome on March 1st, 2013.

For more information, click here

Every January in Japan is consumed with New Year’s parties and people wishing their friends, family, and clients a Happy New Year. This year, however, actually feels like a “Happy” New Year.

In December, Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party won the lower house election making him the Prime Minister for the 2^nd time (he had to quit for health reasons in 2007 after being at the helm for less than a year). He campaigned on ending deflation and returning Japan to a solid growth path stating that he was willing to follow the American policy of printing money until the ink runs out if necessary to do so. Apparently believing both his commitment and capability to achieve these goals, the markets reacted bullishly the day after election and the Nikkei has been on a tear rising over 12% since the election.

More importantly, the people actually seem to have faith in him. This is saying a lot in a country that had seemingly lost all faith in politicians and has seen a revolving door of new PMs each year. The mood of the country has changed and for the first time in a very long time people are positive about the economy. The new government’s approval of a Y20 trillion (US$234 billion) stimulus package just three weeks after the election that aims to create 600,000 jobs and add 2% to Japan’s growth rate will further bolster people’s confidence. Economic growth depends a great deal on consumers feeling positive about spending, but the Japanese have held their wallets shut tight for many years. If this newfound consumer confidence sticks, the new PM may actually be able to achieve his economic goals more easily than many had anticipated.

The housing industry is in an even more interesting position. Construction of new homes took off in 2012 with people looking to avoid the consumption tax increases scheduled to begin in 2014. 2013 was expected to be even stronger as the “tax incentive” would be coupled with full-scale reconstruction in Tohoku. Add optimistic consumers with large savings behind them to this mix and the year of the snake could be a bonanza for the construction industry.

Last week I attended a New Year’s reception for the imported lumber industry and was interested in hearing how companies were dealing with higher SPF prices combined with a weaker Yen (like the weak US$, the weak Yen is a result of Abe’s willingness to print money). In the past, the specter of even one of these sent importers into a state of panic. However, at last week’s reception everyone was bullish. People told me the market had to and would accept the price increases. One president confidently told me, “if they don’t pay the increase, there is no lumber for them!” With even the lumber industry in Japan this positive, it is definitely shaping up to be a Happy New Year indeed!

BC Wood recently participated in Holzhaus 2012 in Moscow, Russia.  This return to the market was based upon the success from attending the show in 2011.  During that initial visit, it became clear to manufacturers that this large (audience base) and geographically expansive marketplace has considerable opportunity for sales of member products.  Successful sales contracts have been secured by members who have already participated in this program, with market indicators suggesting further growth in this area will be realized in the years (next 24 months) to come.

Holzhaus 2012

This trade show is one of the many construction industry exhibitions held in the Moscow area each year.  This show focuses primarily on wood framed housing and features 90% local products.  While the exhibition hall was dominated by local manufacturers of Siberian pine products, the presence of our BC Wood pavilion drew considerable attention from the show attendees. Local laminated log products and large diameter (Pine) handcrafted products featured heavily in the show. BC Wood showcased five member companies in the pavilion and featured a diverse range of products from handcrafted, machine cut log homes to specialty western red cedar products.  The show attendance was down on last year due in part to an overlap of construction exhibitions taking place on the same dates; however, members were able to reach a good cross section of the construction audience.  Although this show was billed as a business to business show, there were examples of consumers in attendance who were visiting the show with plans and construction projects in hand.  As a group, BC Wood members were able to gather qualified show leads and also make crucial introductions to key industry partners who showed interest in representing BC’s manufacturers.  The Canadian Embassy once again hosted a meet-and-greet event that enabled members to interact with some of Moscow’s prominent construction companies and prospective partners.

Last year, we reported that the market opportunity for members was in Log and Timber Frame products along with speciality WRC products.  This is certainly the case and I would add that there is a niche opportunity for remanufactured products sector as well as the millwork sector.  Below are some market observations that should enable BC companies to increase market share in this area.

Resort Projects Growing

Value added manufacturers could reap the benefits of a recently announced $18 billion plan for seven ski resorts scattered throughout the mountains and three beach developments costing $4.6 billion on the coastal regions of Russia.

Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics

The upcoming 2014 Winter Olympics being held in Sochi on the coast of Russia will generate interest from global partners in construction.  A well run Olympics could showcase the Black Sea coast area as a viable location for further investment in housing and resort style construction projects.

Government Incentives

With the Russian Government launching multiple national construction sector projects, it is not an exaggeration to say that wood is a material that is being embraced by industry professionals who are involved in local construction planning.   With the congestion of inner Moscow seemingly increasing since our visit 12 months ago, the support for wood framed construction projects on the outskirts of Moscow appears to be favourable. Russian leaders, from Vladimir Putin on down, support increased tourism and have allotted Government funds to provide incentive to developers in Russia’s huge geographic area.

Next steps

Economic development is going to increase in this market. To capture the opportunity and turn this into sales for you, the manufacturer, you will need to find the right partner in Russia. There are companies and prospective partners ready to connect with BC Wood members.  Participation at upcoming BC Wood 2013-2014 market development activities will ensure you meet qualified industry members who are both willing and able to form joint venture and long term partnerships.  For more information on this show or if you wish to engage in market development in this area please contact bhawrysh@bcwood.com.

This is a very unique book that focuses exclusively on converting the log shell into a finished home. It is a must-have guide for builders, general contractors and do-it yourself enthusiasts. It covers steps right from the foundations to ensure that the sill log will be tightly sealed, all the way to the installation of kitchen cabinets in a manner that will allow the logs to settle without damaging the cabinetry. Each chapter of this book shows one aspect of the finishing process and provides several options using a diverse selection of techniques and products available today. Three-dimensional colour drawings depict the placement of sealants, e.g., gaskets, wind-proofing membranes and vapour barriers, and explicitly show how to use and install them so that they effectively perform their function. The book is invaluable educational material and food-for-thought when developing new log building solutions and assemblies.

“This book is a giant step towards demystifying the process of turning a log shell into an outstanding dream home.”
Wayne Sparshu, Spar-Log Homes Inc., Alberta, Canada

“Log Homes are everyone’s dream home. Building with logs is truly an art and a science. This essential guide details the necessary provisions to complete the dream and avoid the nightmares of guesswork.”
Robert Savignac, Arbor Vitae Log Craft, British Columbia, Canada

“This book promotes the observation and understanding of the separate parts of the building process puzzle. It provides creative common sense solutions that have evolved through the open sharing of ideas by a network of focused log building professionals. The result yields enduring end-user satisfaction, creating more work for all.”
Donald L. Breimhurst, Home Field Advantage Ltd., Pennsylvania, USA

“This is critical, timely information that has been long overdue!”
John Boys, Nicola LogWorks, British Columbia, Canada

Only $24.99 CAN for FPInnovations members, $49.99 CAN for non-members and $49.99 USD for those residing outside Canada.

You can order your copy by contacting our Publications Services at publications@fpinnovations.ca, or through Amazon Books at http://www.amazon.ca/The-Illustrated-Guide-Home-Construction/dp/0864885423.

In Canada, there are two methods that can be followed to ensure a log home meets mandated (national or provincial building codes) energy efficiency requirements: a prescriptive method and a performance based method. The prescriptive method clearly sets out minimum standards for each component and they must be met. No measurements or modeling is required which in turn makes it easy to follow. The performance  method has thermal performance minimums and how these are to be met are up to each builder – a full selection of building products and practices can be used as long as they can meet the performance requirement. Proving compliance requires computer modeling and/or other calculations and testing to be performed.

The EnerGuide Rating System (ERS) is the performance modeling tool used in Canada for determining energy efficiency and Hot2000 is the software used to calculate estimated energy consumption for a home. This consumption is compared to a benchmark consumption value and an ERS rating, ranging between 0 and 100 is given to a home. The 2012 National Building Code of Canada (NBCC), which many of the provincial building codes are based upon, proposes that a new home must achieve a minimum ERS 80. Achieving such a rating can be accomplished by ensuring a home has adequate insulation in the walls and attic, energy sufficient windows, exterior doors and that the house is well sealed to retain heat. As well, a house should incorporate energy efficient mechanical services and appliances such a high efficiency space heating, hot water heater and heat recovery ventilator.

ERS is capable to quantify energy saving effect of high efficiency mechanical systems and renewable energy systems (photovoltaic, ground source heat pump, etc.). However, provinces may set minimum requirements for performance of building envelope. For example, British Columbia requires that a house achieves ERS 80 by the features incorporated in the building envelop alone. Similarly, the U.S. Department of Energy requirements as outlined in their 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) also does not allow mechanical and renewable trade-offs.

From a log home perspective, the impact of not permitting trade-offs is significant. Log walls, as part of the building envelope, have difficulty meeting the minimum prescriptive requirements for R-value. In the energy calculation their lower R-value creates an energy deficit that needs to be compensated by other parts of the building envelope in order to achieving an ERS 80. Using thicker logs and/or logs of a less dense wood species (Cedar versus Douglas-fir for instance) will improve the energy performance ratings. However, extra insulation in the attic, foundation, use of triple glazed windows and heat recover ventilation may be necessary to achieve compliance with the new energy requirements.

The energy consumption requirement of housing is continually being ratcheted down in both Canada and the U.S. In the US, it is expected that the 2015 IECC energy consumption requirement will be 50% less than the same requirement set in the 2006 IECC. Log home manufacturers must continue to improve the performance of their homes by making them more air tight using gaskets and paying attention to all connections between logs and other assemblies.

Working with the energy auditors from the start of the building process is the best way to determine the optimal choices for the building envelope and the mechanical systems. Conduction a blower door test early after lock up will detect areas of potential air infiltration and provide effective means of addressing them before the home is completed.

For more information on this topic, contact Dalibor Houdek (780) 413 9031, dalibor.houdek@fpinnovations.ca

By Derek Williams

The fenestration industry in Canada has seen a rebranding in recent years with the result being the renaming of the national and regional associations to include fenestration in their respective association names. At the national level, the Canadian Window and Door Association are now named Fenestration Canada, and at the regional level, the Window & Door Manufacturers of BC (WDMA-BC) are now named the Fenestration Association of BC. The name change for WDMA-BC is a result of a merger between the WDMA-BC with the Glazing Contractors Association of B.C. By having these two trade associations working together as one entity, the continuing challenges associated with meeting regulatory requirements and keeping up with evolving technical innovations can now be dealt with more effectively.

At the conference held in Burnaby on October 23rd, three topics that directly pertained to the wood window and door industry were discussed. The first topic covered Proposed Fenestration Changes likely to be in the new 2012 BC Building Code. Although the code has not been published as of yet, Murray Frank of Constructive Home Solutions presented information based on the information available to date.

The second topic dealt with Best Practice for Window and Door Replacement – Wood Frame Buildings, a topic intended for contractors and consultants. A guide has been compiled by RDH Building Engineering Ltd and it provides a methodology to assess the existing conditions of a fenestration replacement project that includes replacement product and installation considerations and installation details, followed by a consumer checklist. The guide will be made available early in January 2013. Follow-on guides covering Maintenance Matters for Consumers will also appear in the months following and will likely be available through provincial and federal government agencies.

The third topic dealt with Glazing Issues for Windows, by demonstrating that the addition of a durable “e” coating or Mid e coating to the room-side glass surface (i.e. the #4 surface) of a two panel window glazing system, can improve the products’ thermal performance or U value. Mid e is a more durable glazing coating than the regular low e coating. Application of a mid e coating provides the glazing greater ability to withstand potential damaging action on the exposed #4 surface. This technique of gaining more thermal performance from an existing two pane window system can delay the eventuality of having to convert to a three pane window system to achieve the mandated thermal performance requirements. Shifting to triple pane glazing systems will require considerable retooling of the wood window and door profiles to accommodate the wider glazing unit thicknesses, plus additional testing will also be required.

For more information on the topics presented at the conference, contact Derek Williams, Derek.williams@fpinnovations.ca  (604) 222-5673