LP Products Increase Production Efficiency, Deliver Quality

SUMMARY

When it comes to standing out in the barn building business, Five Star Industries knows the importance of using high quality materials. With over 25 years of experience building barns, the company keeps an eye out for products that will help differentiate them in the Indianapolis market. According to operations manager Ryan Gettum, LP® Outdoor Building Solutions™ products and LP® SmartSide® 2000 Series Trim have done just that.

OBJECTIVES

Five Star has been using LP SmartSide Siding for its barn exteriors for years. When the company was introduced to LP® ProStruct® Floor with SmartFinish® and LP SmartSide 2000 Series Trim, they saw an opportunity to continue to deliver on their reputation for quality through better floors and doors.

IMPLEMENTATION

“We started using the Outdoor Building Solutions products in 2011, and we’ve seen the most success with ProStruct,” Gettum said. “In the past when a customer wanted a treated floor, we’d use green treated plywood. We could never find the product in the right size, and the pieces would fall apart. It often made building difficult. With the tongue-and-groove ProStruct, we have stronger, easier-to-build floors. There are no voids like plywood, no veneer cracks, and the product doesn’t delaminate.

“We first started showing ProStruct to our customers at the state fair. We accidently left the window in our model open overnight during a rainstorm. We cleaned up the floor the next morning, and within 45 minutes it was dry and looked good. There weren’t any visible effects of the water. While we know to avoid that kind of exposure, it became a big selling point for our customers.”

That’s because LP ProStruct Floor with SmartFinish is created using LP’s Treated Wood Strand Technology with SmartGuard® protection, which minimizes warping and twisting and resists fungal decay and termite damage. Plus, the product has a 5-year limited warranty against delamination.

“We expected to sell ProStruct in the same quantity as the green treated plywood, but since we’ve been using it, we’re selling a lot more treated floors than we ever have before.”

Five Star also started using LP SmartSide 2000 Series Trim in 2011 as a door frame solution. “In the past we used pine for our door frames. There’s a lot of hand sorting involved to get boards without defects when using natural materials. Switching to SmartSide has provided us with a stable material that helps increase our efficiency and production. We don’t have to cull through boards. Now I can just pick up the trim, cut it and put it together.

“I see this product eliminating a lot of my door repairs because the material holds up better. It hasn’t only increased our efficiency, but it also gives our customers a door that will have the same consistent longevity as the rest of our building materials.”

OUTCOME

“Going to some of these products has been a little more expensive, but the end result from production savings and having our customers see better products in our models has made the switch worth it,” Gettum said. “LP’s products really make us stand out in our local market.”

Five Star has already included LP ProStruct in more than 60 percent of its buildings this year, and LP SmartSide 2000 Series Trim is now a standard for all of the company’s door frame construction. Additionally, Five Star has begun using LP ProStruct Roof Sheathing and LP SmartSide Panels with SilverTech™ in its models.