Vendors
People are building homes in Idaho. New developments are going up across Boise, and South Meridian is slated to become Idaho’s fastest growing area. An article in the Idaho Business Review singled out Twin Falls as doing well along with Idaho’s other metro areas such as Coeur d’Alene. Right now, industry leaders say, the challenge is to provide enough housing for the people who want and need it. However, all that construction takes loads upon loads of lumber, framing, and building materials.
If you’re wondering where it all goes, a lot of it is used for basic framing, building the skeleton of a home. Most of the framing begins with dimensional lumber, pieces cut to specific standardized widths and depths. These are the boards that make up the sill plates that anchor to the foundation and all the studs, between-stud blocking and top plates needed to form exterior and interior walls complete with additional framing and headers for windows and doorways. Then there are the floor joists and subflooring materials such as plywood or OSB. The National Association of Home Builders published a basic shopping list of items needed to build the average 1,700 square-foot-home:
- 9,726 board-feet of lumber;
- 4,614 square feet of sheathing, including roof, wall and floor sheathing;
- 243 square feet of plywood for sheathing;
- 55 cubic yards of concrete—three-fourths of which is poured concrete and the remainder concrete block;
- 2,528 square feet of exterior finish—aluminum siding, brick or wood;
- 1,992 square feet of asphalt shingles for roofing;
- 2,500 square feet of insulation;
- 6,484 square feet of gypsum wall board;
- 90 linear feet of ducting;
- 55 gallons of paint;
- 302 pounds of nails;
- 750 feet of wiring;
- 280 linear feet of plumbing lines;
- 100 plumbing fittings for water supply pipe;
- 170 feet of plastic pipe for drain, waste and vent piping, plus 70 fittings;
- 12 windows;
- 10 interior doors, 4 exterior doors and 1 sliding glass door;
- 2 bathtubs or 1 tub and a shower stall;
- 15 kitchen cabinets; and
- 1 range, 1 range hood, 1 refrigerator, 1 dishwasher, 1 garbage disposal, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Today, much of that list remains somewhat the same, but technologies have advanced considerably. Lumber & Engineered wood products can stretch farther and support more yet weigh less, resist pests, and extend durability.
Roofing has also changed, with manufacturers like IKO adding premium laminated architectural shingles to the standard 3-tab design shingles, allowing homeowners the appearance of wood shakes or slate as well as other advantages. For those who live in damp or humid climates where algae can be a concern—the Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene areas, for example—IKO has incorporated algae-resistant systems to protect against discoloration. For any roof, however, the reality is that to be efficient, shingles are but one part of a roofing system. Ridge caps, starter strips, underlayment along with ice and water protectors all work together to keep your home tight, warm, dry, and pest-free.
Lists of building supplies can be daunting to even the most seasoned contractor or builder, but investing in quality products means you’ll only have to do it once. How many things on your list can we help you with? Our Builders FirstSource locations in Boise, Meridian, McCall, Post Falls, and Twin Falls have what you need.