I am a builder here in the Pacific Northwest, U.S.A. As such, I live or die with the price of materials. Lumber is always a volatile market, somewhat based on "supply and demand." Guess what I learned today ... the price of half inch, OSB plywood (4' X 8') is now close to $ 18 PER SHEET.

Last year, I paid $ 7. Why the difference, you ask. Simple ... Bush's war.

At the beginning of the war, the military ordered enough plywood, for Iraq, that it took ALL the production capabilities of the three largest manufactors THREE months to complete the first order.

Couple that with the seasonal hurricains, floods, and fires, plywood, and many other building materials, are priced sky high.

As a deck builder, I rarely need plywood, so I was quite surprised to learn this information from my local lumberyard this morning.

I wonder what other hidden costs are out there? Bob(deckman)Nelson