Engineered Wood Products (EWP): What They Are, Why Builders Use Them, and How to Get the Most Out of Them

Posted by Turkstra

If you've priced out a framing job recently, you've probably noticed that engineered wood products are showing up in more spec sheets, bid packages, and building codes than ever before. But what exactly are they and are they always the right call?

What Are Engineered Wood Products?

Engineered wood products (EWP) are structural building materials manufactured by binding or fixing strands, particles, fibres, veneers, or boards of wood together with adhesives to form composite materials. Unlike dimensional lumber cut directly from a log, EWP is engineered from the ground up to meet precise, consistent performance specifications.

The category covers a wide range of products. Here are the ones you're most likely to encounter on a residential or light commercial project:

Each product has its own engineering properties, span tables, and ideal applications. Understanding which product fits which situation is where real efficiency gains come from.

EWP vs. Traditional Dimensional Lumber - Key Differences

Dimensional lumber isn't going anywhere because it still makes sense for a large range of applications. But on a job where precision, span, or waste control matters, the differences between EWP and traditional lumber become material very quickly.

EWP often carry a higher upfront material cost compared to traditional dimensional lumber, but the investment pays off through significant labour savings on the job site. For example, longer span capabilities of EWP like LVL beams and I-joists mean fewer posts, beams, and point loads to work around, reducing the time a crew spends on layout, cutting, and structural problem-solving.

The bottom line: EWP costs more per piece and generally less per project once you account for design efficiency, reduced waste, and faster installation.

How Custom EWP Orders Work (and Why It Matters for Your Project)

One of the most underappreciated advantages of working with a supplier like Turkstra is the ability to order EWP cut and labelled for your specific job based on your plans and Turkstra's product placement plan.

Precision Cut Joists

Rather than ordering standard lengths and cutting on site, you can submit your framing layout and receive I-joists (and possibly headers and beams) cut precisely to your floor plan. This does three things: it eliminates offcuts, reduces the number of decisions the framing crew has to make, and removes a majority of field errors.

Clear Labeling

A well-labelled EWP package might seem like a small thing until you're on a large floor system with multiple framers or crews working simultaneously. 

Working with a Design Team

Turkstra's experienced design team can take your architectural drawings and propose a framing solution optimized for both performance and material efficiency, as well as prepare the required documents to successfully obtain your Building Permit. From open-web floor systems, wall panels and roof trusses to other EWP needs Turkstra has it all. Not to mention that we custom build all of our panels and trusses. This is a genuine value-add that has caught costly issues on jobs before they hit the sites. If you're not using our services on jobs, it is worth discussing with a Turkstra sales rep and considering before you finalize your framing package.

The Environmental Case for Engineered Wood

Sustainability in construction is increasingly a client expectation, a code requirement, and a genuine competitive differentiator. EWP checks several important boxes here, and it's worth understanding why, not just accepting it as marketing language.

Why Source EWP Locally in Ontario?

Engineered wood products are available from national distributors, big-box stores, and online suppliers. But there are concrete reasons why local sourcing, particularly through a supplier with in-house design capabilities like Turkstra, produces better outcomes on most jobs.

Lead time and logistics. EWP is bulky, heavy, and needs to arrive at the right time in your framing sequence. A local supplier who understands Ontario project timelines and has reliable delivery infrastructure is worth more than a marginally lower price per foot from a distant supplier who shows up late.

Design support. A national distributor or big-box store will sell you standard lengths. A supplier like Turkstra can review your drawings, optimize your package, and flag issues before they show up on site. We even cut custom lengths!

Relationship and accountability. When something is wrong, a mis-cut member, a missing piece, a substitution question, you want to call someone who knows your job. Local relationships make problems solvable quickly.

Turkstra, with locations across Ontario and a dedicated EWP design team, is built specifically for this kind of project-level partnership. Our team works directly with contractors and builders to develop framing tuned for peak performance.