BUILDER These three keys to changing a company for the better are within every builder's reach. By Clark Ellis Business innovation isn't rocket science—it's really just a creative new way of thinking about how to accomplish a goal. But truly innovative home builders are nearly as rare as people who have walked on the moon. Builders who [...]
BUILDER Have declining rates turned the corner? By John McManus One decimal point. How can one-tenth of one percent of anything be so freighted with meaning? But it is, even factoring in margins of error. It's part math, part psychology. If Yogi were around, he might say homeownership in America, and its role in American Dreams of [...]
New tariffs, lack of supply and increased demand for housing have resulted in higher lumber prices this year BY MOLLY PRIDDY // AUG 1, 2017 Boards stacked at F.H Stoltze Land and Lumber Co. Beacon File Photo GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON | The price of lumber has shot up from last year, a market trend seen as somewhat [...]
BUILDER Intuitive glass controls daylighting to improve residents' Circadian rhythms. By Jennifer Goodman RavenWindow A new window automatically adjusts to block UV rays when it's sunny outside and let in more light when it's cloudy. Gen3 thermochromic windows from Denver-based RavenWindow optimize natural light, block UV rays, and mitigate glare—three key factors for occupant health, wellbeing, and [...]
Builder GP recently announced that all UltraStock MDF products are now manufactured using 100% No-Added-Formaldehyde (NAF) resin. By Lauren Shanesy Georgia-Pacific Wood Products In an effort to provide more building materials for a healthy home, Georgia-Pacific has converted its UltraStock MDF (medium density fiberboard) products to be formaldehyde free. The company announced that the company has converted [...]
BUILDER Looser local laws on pot, and wider use amount to a growing challenge for construction employers who want productive, safe, and healthy jobsites. By John McManus A Gallup poll taken July 5 through 9 reaches a conclusion that one in eight American adults smokes marijuana. Among men ages 18 to 29, it's closer to one in five. Gallup [...]
Unlike warehouses on the outskirts of town, these multi-story distribution centers will be located in cities and manned by robots and drones. BY DAVID FRANE - JUL 19 Amazon's vision for the future includes multi-story automated distribution centers sprinkled throughout urban areas. Goods will arrive by truck and be delivered to customers by fleets of drones issuing forth from [...]
9 best practices for large window installation. Brought to you by JELD-WEN Windows are one of the most delicate areas of the building envelope, requiring precise installation to prevent moisture intrusion, air infiltration, and energy loss. Today’s trendy, large windows and wide expanses of glass may not require many more steps than traditional units—but the larger the [...]
BUILDER As housing, medical, and education costs spiral, new single-family for-sale housing types will appeal as options. By John McManus Houses designed intentionally to be multigenerational--accommodating two adult generations of a family household living under one roof--may still be considered a fringe segment of new residential construction. But for how long? Pew Research tells us that one in [...]
BUILDER Can and will construction come clean on the impact of substance use and abuse on its job sites, and take action to protect workers? By John McManus Like clockwork, every 10 minutes or so, 24/7, 365 days a year, an opioid or street drug overdose kills an American. In testimony to the Senate Banking Committee about [...]
