The winter months are normally the time to make changes to your processes within your area of influence. Depending on how your company is structured for decision-making, your influence and actions to stay competitive in the face of ever-increasing challenges will determine the long-term...

Originally intended as an improvement in lumber manufacturing, most dimensional lumber used for framing has a radius corner created during the planing process. The rounded corner radius is intended to make the lumber easier to handle and can improve the lumber’s performance because sharp...

In the dynamic landscape of corporate growth, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) have become a common strategy for companies aiming to expand their market presence and enhance their capabilities. While these endeavors hold promises of increased efficiency and amplified market share, the process...

Over the course of 38+ years in the truss and component business, I’ve had the opportunity to see many unusual approaches to designing single family homes. Some I’ve thought were interesting, some were puzzling, and some were just odd – at least to my eye. Here are some that...

The American Wood Council (AWC) released its three new 2024 wood design standards: the National Design Specification® for Wood Construction (NDS®), Wood Frame Construction Manual (WFCM) for One- and Two-Family Dwellings, and Fire Design Specification for Wood Construction (FDS). These...

Applying special load conditions to trusses is a tedious, repetitive, and time-consuming task for designers. Without a visual representation of the load in relation to the trusses on a plan, it can be a challenge to position the loads and determine the load magnitudes required for each truss. As...

Builders have been testing the viability of floor trusses, and they are now considering the results. Many of them switched from I-joists only because they were forced to do so. Either they couldn’t get them, or they didn’t want to pay double the price. Yet today, as they are seeing...

In “Cost-Saving Measures and Memorable Debacles,” I discussed the problems encountered on a site where the owner was acting as general contractor for his new house build and problems that ensued when an inexperienced framer was tasked with installing a complex truss roof. In that...

A splice is the point where two chord members are joined together by a metal connector plate to form a single member. It can occur at a panel point or between panel points depending on the specific design of the truss and the preferences of the truss manufacturer. While the program checks all...

It seems like a simple thing—connect lumber together with connectors creating a top or bottom chord for your floor trusses that exceed your lumber length inventory. It’s one of the simplest applications of metal connector plates. But, while the task seems obvious, there are several...