Basis For Presentation

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Basis for Presentation

Nature of Operations

Louisiana-Pacific Corporation and our subsidiaries is a leading provider of high-performance building solutions serving the new home construction, repair and remodeling, and outdoor structures markets. In addition to our U.S. operations, the Company also maintains manufacturing facilities in Canada, Chile, and Brazil through foreign subsidiaries and joint ventures. The principal customers for our building solutions are retailers, wholesalers, and homebuilding and industrial businesses in North America and South America, with limited sales to Asia, Australia, and Europe. References to "LP," "the Company," "we," "our," and "us" refer to Louisiana-Pacific Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries as a whole.

Basis for Presentation

The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (U.S. GAAP) for interim financial information. Accordingly, they do not include all the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete consolidated financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included and are of a normal and recurring nature. These Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes hereto should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the SEC on February 13, 2020 (2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K). Results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for an entire year. All dollar amounts are shown in millions except per share.

COVID-19 Impact

In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) characterized the outbreak of COVID-19 as a global pandemic. In response to this declaration and the rapid global spread of COVID-19, national, state, and local governments have taken extraordinary, wide-ranging actions to contain the outbreak and spread of COVID-19, including quarantines, "stay-at-home" orders, and similar mandates imposing varying degrees of restrictions on social and commercial activity to promote social distancing. We are continuing to follow national, state, and local guidelines, while also continuing to provide our products to support critical infrastructure needs. Activity in the markets in which we serve has continued to improve since the first quarter of 2020 and we expect that improvement trend to continue through the fourth quarter; however, as a result of increasing rates of COVID-19, the demand in most markets remains uncertain.

The pandemic and the resulting containment did not materially impact our results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020. However, the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, the actions to contain the pandemic and mitigate its impacts, and the effects on our operations remain unpredictable and cannot be reasonably estimated. 

As of September 30, 2020, there were no outstanding amounts borrowed under our Amended Credit Facility and we had $420 million of cash and cash equivalents. In response to the current business environment as impacted by COVID-19, we took precautionary measures and adjusted our operational needs, including a significant reduction in capital spending, during the first and second quarters of 2020. We have continued to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and will make appropriate operating adjustments in the future, as necessary.

As a result of the economic and business impact of COVID-19, we may be required to revise certain accounting estimates and judgments such as, but not limited to, those related to the valuation of goodwill, intangibles, long-lived assets, accounts receivable, and inventory, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations.

Recently Adopted Accounting Policies

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326). This ASU sets forth a "current expected credit loss" (CECL) model, which requires the measurement of all expected credit losses for financial instruments or other assets (e.g., trade receivables), held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable supportable forecasts. The Company adopted ASU 2016-13 on January 1, 2020. This adoption did not have a material impact on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (Topic 350). The standard simplifies the accounting for goodwill impairments by eliminating step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. The Company adopted ASU 2017-14 on January 1, 2020. This adoption did not have a material impact on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820). The standard amends ASC 820 to add and remove disclosure requirements related to fair value measurement. The Company adopted ASU 2018-13 on January 1, 2020. This adoption did not have a material impact on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, Customer's Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That is a Service Contract (Subtopic 350-40). The standard provides additional guidance on the accounting for costs of implementation activities performed in a cloud computing arrangement that is a service contract. The Company adopted ASU 2018-15 on January 1, 2020, using the prospective transition method. This adoption did not have a material impact on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Accounting Standards Issued But Not Yet Adopted

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-14, Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Defined Benefit Plans, which amends ASC 715 to add, remove, and clarify disclosure requirements related to defined benefit pension and other postretirement plans. The amended guidance modifies the disclosure requirements for employers that sponsor defined benefit pension or other post-retirement plans by removing and adding certain disclosures for these plans. The eliminated disclosures include (a) the amounts in accumulated other comprehensive income expected to be recognized in net periodic benefit costs over the next fiscal year, and (b) the effects of a one percentage point change in assumed health care cost trend rates on the net periodic benefit costs and the benefit obligation for post-retirement health care benefits. Additional disclosures include descriptions of significant gains and losses affecting the benefit obligation for the period. The amended guidance is effective for fiscal years ending after December 15, 2020. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this guidance will modify our disclosures but is not expected to have a material effect on our Consolidated Financial Statements.

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes (Topic 740). This ASU simplifies the accounting for income taxes by, among other things, eliminating certain existing exceptions related to the general approach in ASC 740 relating to franchise taxes, reducing complexity in the interim-period accounting for year-to-date loss limitations and changes in tax laws, and clarifying the accounting for transactions outside of business combination that result in a step-up in the tax basis of goodwill. The transition requirements are primarily prospective, and the effective date is for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.