TOPIC: These Stamps Aren't Made For Mailing

John, answer is here

www.apawood.org/

Okay thanks, I took a quick glance at the site.  Do you have to be a member to get answers to questions?  Is it free?

And one Karma for you kind Sir.

Thank You UMMMMMMMMM! yummy karma 

Señor McKee!  Good stuff!  By way of explanation --

This "event" occurred I think in 1993, maybe 94.  This house was marketed as a "prestige" home, with all the "best" materials.  This is a very exclusive neighborhood, even today, in McLean VA.  It was $1.5 mil 15 or 16 years ago!  Nice place.

The cedar shakes were real popular then.  They almost exclusively came from Canada.  The Canadian manufacturers always had recommended installation procedures.  The shake installation style here is the so-called "Eastern" style - a flat surface plywood (not slats) with lots of tar paper, under and kind of "step-flashed" along with each course of shakes.  It was just under 3/4", not the current 17/32" used today.  They did not use OSB then.  The Canadians recommended the flat surfaces for geographic areas with driving snow. And they recommended THEIR plywood products.

And the "prestige" builders were using the Canadian products.  They were stamped "up" and "down", I was told then, because the outside layer had a slightly thicker ply and a different glue, OR, it had a coating on the outside.  Both of these things, and builders used both different products, were to combat moisture.  It wasn't for structure.

That was my understanding anyway. 

Soon American manufacturers were feeling snaked by Canadian products and began producing products with the good glues throughout!  That is why the APA (read that AMERICAN Plywood Association) began the chant that Up and Down did not matter,  and it didn't!

I checked with a friend here today who has a very large roofing company.  He confirmed my memory about the plys and glues and coatings.  In fact, he has not been in business long enough to remember the Up and Down stamps!  He called an older guy into the office during my call!  Now they use American-made CDX with the shakes.  They get away with 17/32" and they use OSB too! 

So, times dey arrrr a'chaaaaangiiiinnn!

To answer your other question, this stamp was different than the manufacturer's stamp which gives product quality, material and specs and so forth.  Those were there too.  I can tell you that the buyer was not interested in any of that info!  He was wondering about the Up and Down stuff!  I rarely explain the stamp spec info to my clients.  Do you all?

Thanks Jay,

Jay, look what you started "Reference Library" well not really you, Drew did, but you're a mover and a shaker man.

Does Dom have you on the payroll?  :-X  If not he should.

Russ