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With an 8-acre property in Southern Indiana, I’ve begun the process of building a home, shop, and needed infrastructure so that Beth and I can put down roots again and have our forever home. The process has been a challenge, even for someone who has been involved with building many...

If you have spent your truss career in one region, and even more so with just one company, you will have seen that, generally speaking, your competitors and co-workers tend to frame houses essentially the same way. Only when you are exposed to a different company or region do you start to see...

In his series on The Development of the Truss Plate, Joe Kannapell is recounting many interesting details on the evolution of truss plates in the U.S. For another perspective, this article will focus on eight relevant nail plate truss inventions from Finland —two made by Matti Turulin, two...

Where you wanted to be and what you wanted to sell both figured mightily as factors in construction supply’s acquisition, openings, and closures activity in 2022. Deals were almost as numerous as in 2021, but big deals were rarer. Meanwhile, greenfield openings were far more...

Attic truss with 7 feet room height – should it be designed for 20 psf (pounds per square foot), 30 psf or 40 psf room live load? IRC (International Residential Code) defines Habitable Space as a space in a building for living, sleeping, eating, or cooking. Per IRC 2018 Table...

“Change is the only constant in life” and “When you are finished changing, you are finished” are quotes from the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus and Benjamin Franklin, respectively. I’m reminded of them as I review the numerous changes to codes and standards...

Seeing so many flat roofs early this year made me wonder if the future of truss building will be flat. During the January SBCA Phoenix Open Quarterly Meetings, some of us saw Truss Fab Components’ yard loaded with flat trusses, and others saw the flat roof lines of Frank Lloyd...

I’m always amazed, and irritated, when people expect an instantaneous answer. In these days of instant electronic communication, the fact that replies could be immediate is often conflated with the thought that they will be immediate. This leads to unnecessary aggravation for everyone...

The plated truss industry went bonkers around 1961. Truss fabricators were besieging suppliers for product and were willing to try nearly any plate or machine. Plate suppliers had to conform to the new testing and QC required by TPI-60, but machinery vendors had no guidelines beyond satisfying...

When arriving back to work after Christmas holidays, I had a few hundred emails to work through and a multitude of other tasks to conquer so I’d be up to speed again for 2023. One of the most compelling emails I had was from a Truss and Wall Fabricator who was appealing to me to help solve...