Louisiana-Pacific continues wood innovations

The Louisiana-Pacific Corporation mill near Houlton continues to produce innovative products.
That is evidenced by the company’s recent announcement that laminated strand lumber (LSL) made at the mill is being sold in the United Kingdom under the LP SolidStart® Simply Better™ Stud brand.
LP’s Houlton-made laminated strand lumber (LSL) is straighter than dimensional lumber. It is a more consistent product that is more uniform in size, with superior dimensional stability and offers the exceptional performance builders across the globe have come to expect from LP’s wide selection of engineered wood products.
Innovation is the norm at LP Houlton.
In 1980, when LP was pioneering the production of a new engineered wood product, the company picked a site in New Limerick for its second “waferwood” mill.
By the time LP Houlton started full production in 1982 it was producing waferwood sheathing for roofs and walls as well as notched sub-flooring. In 1986, LP Houlton led the transition from waferwood to oriented strand board (OSB) with new equipment that allowed the wafers to be oriented and an expanded production line.
Throughout the ’90s, innovation continued at LP Houlton as investments in new equipment and training reduced waste and increased efficiency and product quality as LP’s specialty product offerings expanded.
In 2001, LP Houlton was the first site certified to produce LP TopNotch®, revolutionary subflooring that allows water to easily drain from the job site, reducing damage from rain during home construction.
So it came as no surprise when LP announced in 2006 that LP Houlton was selected to produce laminated strand lumber (LSL), a new product that adapts OSB technology for use in framing products.
LP invested $140 million in the Houlton upgrade. Designed for an annual production capacity of 7 million cubic feet, Houlton is LP’s first LSL manufacturing facility, and one of the few facilities producing LSL in North America.