Here we have a typical version of the "chicken and the egg" problem. This is why coordinated action, either by an industry group and/or the government, is necessary to get suitable vertical/horizontal integration so that coherent chunks of the economy convert in unison. Ezra [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > >>> Joseph B. Reid 2001-03-28 17:34:36 >>> Back in the 70s or 80s I heard of a lumber yard that had a stock of metric lumber, but could not get rid of it. If the house builders want metric lumber the lumber trade will stock it. Joseph B. Reid 17 Glebe Road West Toronto M5P 1C8 Tel. 416 486-6071 ======================== Joe, the contractor I spoke with said the opposite. He said that if the lumber yards stocked metric lumber, they would use it. He sees the advantages of using metric, but the cost and availablity of metric materials are prohibitive. I suspect this is a classic "Catch-22" situation. I wonder if that same lumber yard would have the same troubles today selling metric lumber now that people are much more are familiar with metric than they were 25 years ago? I suspect it would require a co-ordinated effort between architects, suppliers, and builders. Residential architects would have to design houses using 1200 x 2400 mm plywood sheets with 2320 x 40 mm studs at 400 mm centres at the same time that the materials are made available for the builders to use. This could be a means of avoiding the impending trade dispute over softwood lumber exports to the US! ;) greg
