LP^® Structural Solutions Portfolio Promotes Strength and Resiliency For Oregon Music Garage Project

Summary

Kyle Stumpenhorst, contractor and founder of RR Buildings, had already partnered with LP Building Solutions for several projects, including a shed build, a re-side project and the All-In LP house. But the Oregon Music Garage, located in Oregon, Illinois, represented a new chance to use the LP® Structural Solutions portfolio to improve and expand upon this longtime community favorite.

As an extension of Ukulele Station America, owned by John Lindhorst, the Oregon Music Garage sells acoustic instruments, including ukuleles, banjos, mandolins and dulcimers. The final structure will also allow for office space, a performance stage and a workshop area, serving as a much-needed expansion for this favorite Oregon music shop.

Objectives

Stumpenhorst designed the Oregon Music Garage with LP Structural Solutions in mind. Knowing his priorities were strength and resiliency, he wanted to use engineered wood products because of their lasting nature. “The quality of the product makes my job easier because I don’t have to pick and choose or worry,” he says. With seamless installation and lasting durability, LP Structural Solutions products were a great fit for the Oregon Music Garage.

As an extension of a community shop, the Oregon Music Garage project would become important to those who already treasured Ukulele Station America and its historical location—the “Little Stone Building.” The new portion of the company needed to continue to bring the community together, so it had to be resilient and effective for a variety of uses, including performance stages and more.

Implementation

Ensuring the Oregon Music Garage was built for strength and resiliency began from the ground up. Reliable LP® SolidStart® LSL and I-joists framing helped Stumpenhorst create a framework that would be the foundation of the build’s success. These products’ engineered strength and versatility also allowed for the design flexibility Stumpenhorst needed.

“LP® SolidStart® engineered wood products help ensure that everything is perfectly straight from the beginning to the end,” he recalls, adding that builders who use them don’t have to worry about snapping chalk lines or keeping the bottom plates straight.

Sub-flooring came next, and Stumpenhorst’s first choice was LP Legacy® Premium Sub-Flooring. As one of the stiffest options for sub-flooring in its class, the wood strands in LP Legacy panels are coated with water-resistant resins using Gorilla Glue Technology®. That meant Stumpenhorst could rely on this choice for exceptional strength and fastener holding as well as resistance to moisture and edge swell.

“When you pick up a board, you instantly realize how structurally sound and incredibly stiff it is,” he mentions. “Anytime I’ve installed LP Legacy, I’ve always thought I was standing on concrete once it was installed because it is so solid.” LP WeatherLogic® Air & Water Barrier, which is now rated for roofs and walls and designated Structural I, offered Stumpenhorst a unique chance to use this sheathing on the full Oregon Music Garage. Built for enhanced structural capacity alongside protection from water intrusion, LP WeatherLogic panels help create a tight building envelope that can lead to energy efficiency. It installs just like regular sheathing, so Stumpenhorst benefited from an integrated water barrier and strong structural element for the build. “You don’t have to come behind it and add housewrap. You’ve got a perfect structural panel with a built-in WRB,” he says.

The Oregon Music Garage measures 16 feet tall, which naturally aligns with the 4-foot by 8-foot dimensions of LP WeatherLogic sheathing. “We knew we were going to be sheathing it with 4-foot by 8-foot panels, both on the roof and the walls,” he says. He also kept the product  dimensions in mind from the beginning, showing the cohesive nature of the LP Structural Solutions portfolio: “We laid out all the framing so that we would have very little to no waste while installing the sheathing.”

Outcome

Using the LP Structural Solutions portfolio of engineered wood building materials served the Oregon Music Garage and Stumpenhorst well. Built on decades of innovation, the strength of the products offered the resiliency he needed to be confident in the build lasting for years to come.

“The beauty of using LP Structural Solutions as a total package is that everything is built with the other products in mind,” Stumpenhorst adds, “so everything flows seamlessly together.” With LP Structural Solutions products, he could avoid worry that materials won’t be compatible and the work of navigating many different companies and warranties. “That goes a long way from a builder’s point of view,” he confirms.

"The beauty of using LP Structural Solutions as a total package is that everything flows seamlessly together." - Kyle Stumpenhorst

For this special LP Structural Solutions project, LP’s engineered wood products were invaluable. “They not only made it strong and better for the customer in the long run, but they made it easier for us to install which can lead to less waste,” Stumpenhorst says. He felt confident in how the products would perform, so he could simply get to work with peace of mind that every piece of the product would be ready to go.

The LP Structural Solutions portfolio enabled Stumpenhorst to build and design the Oregon Music Garage with assurance in its resiliency and strength, offering the Oregon community a gathering place for years to come.