I recently had the opportunity to visit Classic Truss and spend time with Marty Scott, Operations Manager, and Clarence Houk, Design Manager. It was one of those visits that reminds you how much this industry has changed, and how much of that change comes from steady, intentional progress rather...

If you’re a wood truss designer, you know one thing for sure: your workstation is where the magic (or the misery) happens. Long stretches of modeling, preparing quotes, reviewing digital plans, and generating production documents all happen at that desk. And while companies often focus on...

One of the more hotly debated topics in the multi-story wood community is whether wall stud and truss or joist alignment is required over the full height of a building, or whether it is beneficial to allow the framing to be unaligned. Let’s look at the advantages of each at a high level....

Many buildings place mechanical equipment—such as air conditioning units, heaters, or ventilation systems—on the roof. These are known as Roof Top Units (RTUs). Installing this equipment on the roof helps save valuable floor space inside the building. RTUs come in a wide range of...

Early design decisions have a lasting impact on how efficiently and effectively a building is constructed. By engaging the professionals who make those decisions, the structural building components industry can create better plans, stronger partnerships, and new opportunities for...

Early in my career, I had the opportunity to teach woodworking. For five years at North Carolina State University, I served as both a student and a faculty member within the University Student Center. I arrived with extensive knowledge of woodworking, and during my first week, I met two...

Chapter I: The Idea One day a certain builder had an idea for a spec house that would be a sure winner. So, he got together with the best architect in the area and began to describe what he wanted. “Mr. Architect,” he said, “I want the house to have a studio...

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant concept—it’s here, and it’s reshaping industries at an unprecedented pace. For component manufacturers, AI promises efficiency, speed, and cost savings. For years now, we’ve been promised that one day we would be able to...

As you’re building your 2026 calendar, be sure to block in time for our next wood construction course sponsored by the Virginia Tech Continuing and Professional Education program. Co-sponsored by the International Code Council, this spring we’re offering “Wood Design, Loads,...

When designing a truss to be used as a free-spanning structural gable or party wall application, additional dead loads may need to be considered. The MiTek engineering software does not account for self-weight of the truss or for any additional weight of sheathing or drywall being applied to one...