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The Bold and the Beautiful

The insulated concrete forms industry has built its reputation on key benefits: energy efficiency, ease of construction, comfort, and disaster resilience.




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Form Fitting Efficent Systems

For more than 30 years, a quiet revolution has been taking place in the building materials industry. 




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New Estimating Tools in 2020

If you’re like a lot of busy contractors in the walls and ceilings industry, every day can be bid day if you’re working up multiple bids at the same time. 




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Hybrid Solutions: High Savings

The city of Sandy, Utah, is on the rise. 




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The Right Material For Any Climate

The Wall You Install Will Need To Be Able To Stand Up To Various Climate Challenges, So How Do You Choose Materials That Guarantee High Performance?




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Climate Action




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Eastern Shore of Md. First Multi-Story Multi-Use Commercial Building Constructed from ICF Complete

Chaney Enterprises, a ready-mix concrete, aggregates, custom blends, and related construction supplies provider, announced its customer, Eastern Bay Management Corporation completed the first multi-story, multi-use commercial insulated concrete form (ICF) building on the Eastern Shore in Maryland.




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Western Specialty Contractors Provides Safety Tips to Protect Construction Workers in Summer Heat

Summer is a great time for construction work, but a brutal time for construction workers. Excessive heat and sun exposure pose significant dangers, such as sunburn, dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Every year, construction workers become ill on the job and some even lose their lives due to heat exposure.




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Product Focus on ICFs/SIPs

June 2021's product focus.




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Mitigate the Industry’s Labor Shortage With Forward-Thinking Construction Practices

Without question, the building and construction industry has been impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. Approximately 1.1 million construction jobs were eliminated in the first two months of the pandemic prior to the industry’s designation as “essential.” While the industry has recouped nearly 80 percent of its workforce since then, companies will need to hire another 1 million workers over the next two years to meet the country’s insatiable demand for new home construction and improvement.




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SIPS: A Panel That Meets the Needs of Homebuyer's




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SIPA Announces 20th Annual Building Excellence Award Winners

One of the most prominent offsite construction award programs, the Building Excellence Awards showcase the projects that best demonstrate the design flexibility, long-lasting energy performance and resiliency of SIPs.




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Innovative Insulation Solutions for an Energy-Efficient Home

Ways to decrease your home’s energy output and save you money.




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Top 25 Insulation Contractors

Walls & Ceilings’ annual roster of the country’s top insulation contractors.




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Why Spray Foam? Efficiency, Energy Independence & Weather Resiliency

How spray foam can fight climate change and help companies achieve their energy goals.




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Structural Insulated Panel Association Names the 2023 Annual Building Excellence Award Winners

The Structural Insulated Panel Association announced the winners of its annual Building Excellence Awards, an off-site construction awards program that recognizes outstanding residential and commercial projects.




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Structural Insulated Panel Association Names 2024 Building Excellence Award Winners

A K-12 school in rural Alaska, a zero-energy-ready timber-frame home, low-income housing with a high-performance shell...the winners of this year’s Building Excellence Awards are a strong testament to the benefits of SIP construction.




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Product Focus: ICFs/SIPs




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BlackStar SIPs Launches Affordable and Eco-Conscious Building Solutions

The BlackStar Companies, LLC announced the launch of a new business division called BlackStar SIPs. BlackStar SIPs is the company’s latest entry into sustainable, cost-efficient and high-performance construction solutions for residential, commercial and government clients.




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On the Safe Side: Protect Employees With a PPE Maintenance Program

Every day in the United States, more than 10,000 workers are injured on the job with 14 of those injuries resulting in death. While the sheer number of those injuries is staggering, the financial impact to employers is crippling.




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On the Safe Side: Drill Down Safely

Portable power drills are some of the most useful tools in the construction industry, but without taking the proper safety precautions they can quickly become some of the most dangerous.




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On the Safe Side: First Aid

Regardless of the amount of safety training and precautions you take as a company, at some point in time an accident will happen. When that accident does occur, do your employees know the proper way to react?




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An Introduction to Traditional Plaster Blends

For the past few years here at Walls & Ceilings magazine, we’ve been considering the fundamentals of traditional plasters.




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How to Handle Fireproofing in Cold Weather

News flash for those of us in the Northern climates—winter is coming. The cold weather will bring a host of problems: equipment will be strained, men become cold and frustrated, daylight hours will dramatically shorten; but construction schedules will keep on moving along. One trade dramatically affected by cold weather is fireproofing.




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The Modern Library

Wichita’s Advanced Learning Library in Kansas is the city’s newest and largest public library, replacing the old downtown branch.




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Metal Cladding Tiles Helps Airport Design Take Flight

Loading docks generally aren’t known for their stylishness, but a new such structure at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is breaking with that tradition. The addition of glass curtainwall and a protective overhang clad in copper-toned metal tiles create a real visual pop in the middle of the airport’s runway area.




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Backed in a Cornerbead

For years, metal cornerbead was the industry standard and it still remains a reliable choice today. 




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Rondolo Quick Ship Program

Looking for a solution for projects with tight budgets and deadlines that call for rush delivery? We have the answer for you: Rondolo Quick Ship by Decoustics.




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GMS Expands Product Offerings in Florida and Announces Further Platform Expansion Activity

Florida acquisition expands complementary product offering in Southwest Florida; four new greenfield locations expand presence in key markets.




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L&W Names Sanchez Branch Manager in Colorado Springs

Fernando Sanchez expands his long career with L&W to become manager of the Colorado Springs, Colo., branch.




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Action Gypsum Supply Adds New Branch

AD member Action Gypsum Supply adds sixth branch location in two years.




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AGC Says Suspending Federal Gas Tax Adds to the Pain of Using Roads and Rails

Construction official says “desperate” proposal won’t address root causes of higher fuel prices but will blow a huge hole in the federal highway trust fund and undermine efforts to fix infrastructure.




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CertainTeed Architectural Launches Terminus Transitions and Terminus Glazing Channel to Streamline Ceiling Applications

CertainTeed, a leading North American manufacturer of building materials, today announced the launch of Terminus Transitions and Terminus Glazing Channels as new product extensions to the company’s Terminus Perimeter Trim line. The Terminus Perimeter Trim line is a premier suspension system accessory that allows for easy installation of suspended ceilings with exposed edges, including clouds, peninsulas and islands.




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Westlake Royal Building Products Celebrates 300th Home Built with Habitat for Humanity - MidOhio

During a time where there is a need for affordable housing, Westlake Royal Building Products, one of North America’s largest manufacturers and distributors of exterior and interior building products, celebrated its 300th home built in partnership with Habitat for Humanity - MidOhio, an organization that aims to build homes, empower families and develop communities. On Thursday, Sept. 15, the keys to a three-bedroom, two-bath single family home were turned over to a partner family in Columbus. For this home, Westlake Royal donated 20 squares of siding, including Exterior Portfolio Vinyl Siding and Portsmouth Shake & Shingles Siding, as well as Royal Shutters, Mounts and Vents accessories - marking its 300th siding donation to Habitat MidOhio over the last 20 years.




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Empire Moulding and Millwork Opens New Distribution Center to Service the New England Market

Novo Building Products is pleased to announce the opening of a new Empire Moulding and Millwork distribution facility in Amherst, New Hampshire. Strategically located 60 miles north of Boston, the new 217,000-square-foot facility services 750 independent lumberyards, specialty millwork shops, stair manufacturers, door fabricators, ProDealers and home centers across New England.




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One Line, Two Construction Worlds

Curious as to the differences between drywall installation/taping in the U.S. vs. Mexico? Read on.




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Westlake Royal Building Products Acquires Palight Trimboard from Palram Americas

Westlake Royal Building Products announced that it has acquired Palight Trimboard from its long-standing partner Palram Americas. Through the acquisition of Palight Trimboard product lines, Westlake Royal will expand its portfolio of brands offered under Westlake Royal Trim & Mouldings Solutions, which provides the finishing touch for the interior and exterior of a home.




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Westlake Royal Distributor Partnership Announcements

Westlake Royal Building Products announced three partnerships that will distribute Versetta Stone (Lumbermen’s Inc., Mid-Am Building Supply and Wausau Supply Company). These partnerships will expand the Versetta Stone footprint in the Midwest as well as the East Coast.




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Transforming Job Site Efficiency: One Drywall Corner at a Time

One product that can help save time and money and reduce waste




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Plastic Components’ Tom Stark Passes

Plastic Components announced the death of its longtime president, Tom Stark, on March 6.




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A Tiny Project Has a Big Heart

Westlake Royal Building Products has partnered with Operation Tiny Home to build and dedicate a custom-built tiny home to a Lummi Nation U.S. Veteran facing housing instability.




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Westlake Royal Building Products Selected as Carter Lumber’s 2022 Vendor of the Year

Westlake Royal Building Products has been named 2022 Vendor of the Year by Carter Lumber, one of the nation’s top building materials retailers. Despite industry shifts and challenges, the partnership has remained strong, allowing both companies to continue meeting the needs of customers.




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Tamlyn Named Best Family-Owned Business by Houston Business Journal

Tamlyn received the prestigious “Best Family-Owned Business” award from the Houston Business Journal.




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Westlake Royal Building Products Rebrands Palight Trimboard to Skytrim PVC Line

Westlake Royal Building Products, Inc. announced Sept. 7 that Palight Trimboard is now Skytrim, a sophisticated line of PVC trim options.




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New Product Line Brochures Now Available from Plastic Components

Plastic Components now offers individual brochures for its PVC Trims and Accessories product lines, which include stucco/plaster, stone veneer, drywall, Direct Applied Systems, Exterior Insulated Finish Systems and fiber cement board trims.




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Westlake Royal Building Products Expands U.S. LUMBER and Amerhart Partnerships

Westlake Royal Building Products announced Nov. 28 expanded partnerships with U.S. LUMBER and Amerhart, which are both Specialty Building Products brands, that will encompass multiple products and locations. U.S. LUMBER and Amerhart are leading distributors of building materials.




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Improve Corner Quality and Save on Labor and Materials

Ideal for EIFS and direct-applied, 2209MESH Corner Bead combines Plastic Components’ reliable PVC corner bead with fire- and alkaline-resistant, 4.5-ounce fiberglass mesh for a time-saving alternative to wrapping corners by hand with multiple pieces of mesh.




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Non-Rusting Trims for Hardcoat CI Walls

Save time with Plastic Components’ non-rusting continuous insulation trims. They improve job quality and deliver a better finish.




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Trowel Talk: The Smell of Money

I recently had the opportunity to visit Ft. McMurray, which is located about 300 miles north of Edmonton, in Northern Alberta, Canada. It’s not the northern most point on the road but you can see it from there. The area is a phenomenon because it contains the largest known cash of petroleum in the world. You didn’t know that? Well, neither did I until recently. The amount of oil sand in Alberta is enough-at their current rate of consumption-to provide Canada all of the petroleum it would need for the next 475 years. It’s enough oil to meet the needs of the entire planet for the next 15 years.




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Trowel Talk: Solid As A Rock (Part One)

I met Kevin Moyer at the national plastering contest held last year in Long Beach, Calif. I listened as he spoke of the future of the plastering industry and the need for skilled plasterers to meet the expected demand of a trade once in decline, but now on the eve of a renaissance. I asked him then if I could have the opportunity to interview him for Walls and Ceilings and recently our schedules permitted us to get together.