From four stories up, I realized how far wood components have come. I was atop 170,000 sq. ft. of trusses, viewing the Minneapolis Basilica, and couldn’t help thinking back 47 years to my first jobsite visit. [See PDF or View in Full Issue for photos.] Back then, floor trusses were brand...

Last month’s issue of The Advertiser included a story from us about using, reusing, and repurposing lumber, Responsible Building at Pacific Wall Systems, Inc. In it, we talked about the ways that we use our wood scraps. In addition, pieces smaller than 6” are donated to the community...

A 7-alarm fire in Bound Brook, New Jersey, in mid-January destroyed six buildings and caused approximately $52 million in damages. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries. The cause of the fire was arson, and the perpetrator was arrested soon after. Nonetheless, in the investigations of...

Whether your company is large or small, west coast or east coast, or anywhere in between, there are plenty of opportunities to practice responsible building. Established in 2007 and headquartered in Central Point, Oregon, Pacific Wall Systems is a family-owned enterprise with 80 employees and...

The City of Denver is the latest in a growing number of cities, states, and municipalities to recognize the possibilities of tall mass timber construction. Following states such as Oregon, Utah, and Washington, the City of Denver voted in late December to adopt the 2019 Denver Building Code,...

Introduction In some arid parts of the Southwest, the occurrence and recurrence of cracks at taped gypsum panel (drywall) joints between panels in residential projects have been reported in trade magazines since the mid-1990s. In some homes of a project, one or two cracks or ridges appear at...

The American Wood Council (AWC) is prepared for an active 2020, but first, we look back at the challenges and resulting accomplishments over the course of 2019. Last year was marked by successes in the building codes development process, establishing lines of communications with the fire...

In our October article, we provided some advance highlights of our plans for National Forest Products Week. This month, I want to recap the events of the week’s Timber Innovation Day and also share that there is a second important week in October for the wood products industry and its...

Let’s give thanks to this component industry, for still paying us after all these 50+ years. While so many others have been laid off or retired early, we are still standing tall. Even as the lifeblood of our industry, housing starts, are down 50% since I came on board. Even as four major...

As you’re likely aware, mass timber has received incredible attention in the last year. With interest in mass timber and its use spreading throughout the United States construction industry, the American Wood Council (AWC) and International Code Council (ICC) are working together to...