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54 °F Forecast | Road Cams Monday, April 5, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend March 2, 2004 Since You Asked Housing starts keep plywood prices up I thought the price of plywood is supposed to drop during the winter when there is less building demand. But after a short period of lower prices, it went back up. I heard that it’s because so much of it was going to Iraq. What gives? — Howard J., Central Point Well Howard, there’s a kernel of truth to the Iraqi theory. But those in the know at Random Lengths, the highly- respected wood products journal in Eugene, say that there are other major factors Random Lengths say Iraq was a contributing factor during the summer of 2003 when prices for plywood and oriented strand board skyrocketed, but the record prices were spurred by the record surge of 1.498 million housing starts brought on by low mortgage rates. Random Lengths projects that number could be surpassed this year unless there is a notable jump in interest rates. It also reports that repairs and remodels could be at new levels as well. February’s composite panel price averaged $545 per thousand board feet compared to last year’s $263 mark. Advertisement Prices for framing lumber have also climbed since late last year and heavily traded items are going for about $100 per thousand board feet higher than 12 months ago. A tight log supply and a shortage of railcars also added to the price. Another factor is that weak prices in early 2003 led to the closing of four U.S. plywood plants, reducing production capacity. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times