The CIT fund has an interesting initiative for a building envelope program.

O’Shaughnessy Ventures LLC, a family office that invests in ambitious seed and pre-seed startups, announced Feb. 2 that it has invested in Furno Materials Inc.

Big changes are coming to adhered masonry veneer codes with the 2022 updates to TMS 402 and 602, soon to be adopted in the 2024 building codes. The revisions introduce two design approaches — prescriptive and engineered — giving more flexibility to architects and engineers.

A new tool that leverages the capabilities of NAIMA’s 3E Plus pipe insulation thickness calculator for commercial and industrial facilities is now available. Within just a few minutes, the 3E Estimator can give users a ballpark estimate of the energy and emissions savings from adding insulation to the piping in an industrial facility.

The role of polyisocyanurate insulation in high-performance systems.

Barricade Building Products announced that its products will now be available at all Building Products Inc. locations throughout the Midwest. The expansion allows customers in the region to easily access Barricade’s comprehensive range of high-quality building materials, ensuring their projects are safeguarded from the ground up.

Imagine training employees with a virtual reality, audio-visual headset that puts them on the job, inside a realistic house, with saws buzzing, hammers tapping and birds chirping. That is the concept behind an industry-leading virtual reality training program sponsored by Owens Corning.

On Oct. 8, Holcim Group announced the acquisition of OX Engineered Products, a leader in residential wall insulation and sheathing. The acquisition further strengthens Holcim’s commitment to expanding its comprehensive building envelope solutions beyond roofing, providing customers with a broader range of high-performance materials for residential and commercial construction.

Knauf Insulation, Inc. announced the opening of its new, state-of-the-art facility in McGregor, Texas, bringing Knauf’s manufacturing network to eight locations across the United States.

Barricade Building Products announced its partnership with BIMsmith, which will enable architects, engineers and designers to access Barricade’s extensive product information and seamlessly integrate it into their projects.

Before I speak to organizations about energy-efficient and disaster-resilient construction, I update the toll that recent storms and disasters have taken.

Offsite construction methods like prefabrication, modularization, preassembly and offsite multi-trade fabrication have been around for decades.

Fiber cement siding is less susceptible to common environmental threats (such as fire, heat or moisture) than traditional wood cladding.

Prefab construction is here, and it’s happening. The combination of a severe labor shortage and extreme shortfalls in housing supply is driving a renewed interest in prefabricated construction as a more cost-efficient alternative to traditional building.

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

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. 

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Lime plaster has a notable place in the history of art, architecture and design throughout the world, from the Egyptian pyramids to the Italian Renaissance frescos.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

Sometimes the limits of what EIFS can do get pushed too far, and problems ensue. Usually these misguided uses of EIFS are well intentioned, and are due to a lack of understanding of the properties of EIFS.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor - Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are approximately 6 million citizens or legal residents of the United States between the ages of 18 and 64 who are actively seeking work, but who are unemployed. What happened?

When I first began to learn how to plaster, if someone would have told me then that it would one day become necessary for me to learn to speak Italian, I would have chuckled and turned away.

As the director of a national training program for plasterers, I help develop and implement training criteria and curriculum materials for young people just entering the trade. So, nothing gives me greater pleasure than to witness young men and women, who’ve got a few years under their belt, excelling at the craft-especially in a down economy! 

Monterey Bay Aquarium improves the illusion of its largest tank utilizing FRP panels, EPS foam and construction software.

Advances in chemistry make more sustainable building envelopes.

 Over the past 15 years, building information modeling has developed into the undeniable future of the architecture and design industry.  

 The Glenwood Regional Medical Center in West Monroe, La., strives to maintain a first-class medical facility, both in terms of patient case and overall appearance.  

This year’s Northwest Wall and Ceiling Bureau’s Annual Convention and Trade Show named the 2012 Outstanding Projects of the Year. The event, held May 10-12 in Scottsdale, Ariz., named several of its members from Canada and the U.S. The following are the winners:

Tougher-than-concrete exterior coating over foam-based substrates protects both property owners and contractors.

The Northwest Wall and Ceiling Bureau announced the winners of its annual Outstanding Project of the Year Awards.

A high-profile green building project meets high standards for indoor air quality.