Contractors and homeowners searching for plywood to protect windows and buildings in the path of Isabel last week were hit by sky-high prices, as the hurricane became the last in a sequence of converging factors pushing demand beyond existing supply.
Spot market prices of plywood have more than doubled since mid-May. For example, one thousand sq ft of 1�2-in. southern pine cost $545 on Sept. 12 compared to a springtime price of $253, according to Crow Forest Products Market Report, a Portland, Ore.-based publication that tracks mill prices for wood products. Crow also reports that other types of panel, including oriented strand board (OSB), are experiencing similar price increases.