While plywood and moulding prices have basically remained the same, hardwood and softwood prices have continually climbed. Typically, a price change for raw materials translates into price changes for manufactured or engineered wood products also (even if there is a time lapse). What would keep plywood and millwork prices from going up? Manufacturers are cutting corners somewhere, and the most likely place is the operational elements. While the end user might initially be glad for the lower prices, in the end that person will be the one to suffer the consequences of such poor choices.
Complicated Grading Systems
Unlike hardwood lumber grading, which is pretty straightforward, the systems in place for plywood and mouldings are fairly complex. Because they’re manufactured or engineered products, there are necessarily multiple aspects of the grading systems. In addition, those systems are revisited routinely at the request of manufacturers.
The old “forests-don’t-make-the-same-quality-logs-they-used-to” argument definitely has some validity; it is harder to attain long lengths of lumber with straight, clear grain from which to cut mouldings or wide, clear faces from which to cut veneer. It makes sense that grading systems have been altered in order to account for such shifts.
Problematic Grading Adjustments
Further widening of each grade category keeps happening. The system is constantly being changed, working to lower the bottom end of what’s acceptable in each grade category. So an “A” faced panel can now include many more defects than it could a few short years ago, essentially making the grading categories almost meaningless.
Of course, there are still what we used to consider “A” face panels being produced; it’s just that with maybe half of those categorized as “A” are now demonstrating inferior quality, you can’t depend on getting the quality you need simply by designating grade. Grade, then, becomes almost meaningless.
Some manufacturers take advantage of the situation by running everything at the bottom of the grading categories, allowing them to saw more boards and net more profit.
Other Compromises in Quality
While the grading adjustments allow a higher percentage of raw material to be allowed to be used to manufacture wood products, that raw material is still subject to climbing prices. Even with using lower quality lumber, though, manufacturers can’t quite offer the same pricing they used to. So how are they keeping prices steady? They’re making more products in the same amount of time. Now, assuming that quality control remains consistent, the effect is more products pouring into the market. By selling more products, they’re able to make up for the higher costs of raw materials. But whenever you manufacture more products in the same amount of time, quality inevitably suffers.
That was the bad news. There is a silver lining to this cloud, though. Keep reading with Part 2.