How’s your I-joist and floor truss business? Have you noticed it tapering off as a percentage of your overall business or has it maintained or even increased over the past couple years? As new codes are adopted state by state and in local markets, it is important to take notice of subtle changes in each area of your business to know if code changes having an impact. If you’re in states like Minnesota, Ohio or Iowa, you’ve probably noticed the impacts of the latest code changes on your I-joist and floor truss business due to the gypsum requirement. A variety of component manufacturers (CMs) have expressed concern over the new codes to the SBCA, and SBCA staff has been working on ways to mitigate lost sales in those markets and others affected by code changes to protected floor structures.
In this instance, the SBCA conducted a variety of tests on floor trusses and competing products to better understand the performance of each option while they are engulfed in a house fire. The results were surprising among some products, while others performed exactly as anticipated. I will leave the nitty-gritty details to others who are more “in the weeds,” but to summarize, floor trusses performed as expected and, as a result, should regain market share with respect to the alternatives.
You should see a lot more information in the coming weeks and months on the floor assembly fire testing conducted by the SBCA. Take some time over the next week to review your sales numbers to know if you’ve been affected by the code changes so you can interact with SBCA to gain the knowledge and tools to fight back and regain lost market share. The primary purpose of the SBCA is to defend and expand market share for CMs. Keep this in mind as you work to promote your products, from I-joists and floor trusses to wall panels and roof trusses, and don’t hesitate to reach out to staff if you feel you have an issue that needs consideration.