Southern Forest Products Association - SFPA

11/02/2026

You can build with the best treated lumber on the market and still have it fail early… if you use the wrong screws.

The waterborne preservatives that protect treated Southern Pine are corrosive to ordinary steel. Standard fasteners can rust out in just a few years, while the wood around them is still going strong.

The result is loose boards and failing connections on a deck that should’ve lasted decades.

That said, the fix is straightforward: use hot-dip galvanized fasteners at a minimum, and stainless steel for coastal or high-moisture environments.

Check that your hardware—joist hangers, screws, bolts—is rated for use with treated wood.

10/31/2026

From all of us at SFPA, happy Halloween! 👻 Whether you’re handing out candy on a Southern Pine porch, sitting on a deck you built yourself, or just enjoying the crisp fall air, we hope your day is a treat.

10/29/2026

Cold weather’s coming, and there’s nothing worse than firewood sitting out in the rain and snow. A simple firewood storage shed keeps your wood dry, off the ground, and ready to burn all season long.

Built from pressure-treated Southern Pine, it’ll stand up to the same weather it’s protecting your firewood from, year after year. Here’s a video walking through the build start to finish:

Plans For The Firewood Storage Shed: https://artisanmadebuilds.com/...

10/27/2026

Before the first hard freeze, give your deck fifteen minutes now to save yourself headaches in spring.

Here’s the SFPA’s pre-winter checklist:

🍂 Clear leaves and debris from between boards, where trapped moisture does the most damage
💧 Check that water still beads on the surface—if it soaks in, the finish is due
🔨 Tighten any loose boards or fasteners before freeze-thaw cycles work them looser
🧹 Sweep standing water toward drainage and clear gutters that drip onto the deck

Southern Pine handles winter well, but a little attention before the cold sets in keeps it looking and performing its best come spring.

10/26/2026

Is booking a booth for the Forest Products EXPO 2027 on your to-do list? Consider this your reminder. Exhibit space is now first-come, first-served, and floor location goes to whoever commits first.

EXPO is where the wood products industry gathers to do business face-to-face—hundreds of exhibitors, thousands of decision-makers, and the latest in machinery, technology, and services.

EXPO 2027 is August 18–20 in Savannah, Georgia. Don’t wait to claim your spot. https://sfpaexpo.com/

10/24/2026

When you think of what forests give us, lumber comes to mind first. But the list is far longer than most people realize. This National Forest Products Week, consider everything that starts as a tree:

🪵 The lumber that frames homes, decks, and floors
📦 The paper and packaging that move goods across the country
🧴 Bio-based products like bioplastics, biochemicals, and renewable fuels
🧻 Everyday essentials from tissue to cardboard to books

It all traces back to wood’s remarkable versatility. Forests don’t just build our homes. They show up in nearly every part of daily life.

10/23/2026

National Forest Products Week is a chance to recognize something we often take for granted: the forests around us, and everything they provide. 🌲

From the backyard deck to the framing behind the walls to the floors underfoot, Southern Pine is woven into our daily lives.

Behind every board are the working forests of the South—13 states, millions of acres, and generations of growers, loggers, and mill workers.

It’s an industry that grows more than it takes and builds the places we live, work, and gather.

10/15/2026

When most people think of southern pine, they picture lumber. But the value of the whole tree extends far beyond the boards. 🌲

Wood’s cellulose, lignin, and natural fibers are among the most versatile renewable feedstocks on the planet, and they’re powering a fast-growing bioproducts sector: biofuels, bioplastics, biochemicals, biocomposites, and pulp and paper.

These innovations are helping drive the global shift toward low-carbon, renewable materials.

Lumber may be the flagship product, but it’s one part of a much larger story—one where wood sits at the center of renewable energy and circular manufacturing.

10/14/2026

Get to know Noah Industrial, a newer member of the SFPA community. 🌲

Based in Alpharetta, Georgia, Noah Industrial is a specialty heavy industrial construction company licensed across 13 southeastern states.

Their direct-hire workforce self-performs new equipment installations and maintenance projects with a focus on cost, quality, and schedule certainty.

Their work sits right at the heart of our industry, serving Pulp & Paper, Wood Processing, Bioenergy, Power Generation, and Chemicals.

We’re proud to have them as part of SFPA. Learn more at noahindustrial.com.

10/13/2026

One of the main advantages of building with southern pine is how beautifully it takes a finish. Thanks to its even grain and light natural tone, southern pine is essentially a blank canvas.

A clear or transparent stain lets the natural grain show through, warm and golden, while a semi-transparent stain adds color while keeping that character visible.

Or if you prefer a bold, uniform look, a solid stain delivers rich, opaque color with the texture still coming through.

That range means the same deck, fence, or porch can read rustic, modern, coastal, or classic, entirely depending on the finish you choose.

What’s your finish of choice?