The insulation programme was suspended after it was linked to a number of electrocution deaths. Tens of thousands of homes will now have to be checked. Improperly installed foil insulation can conduct electricity from mains cables, effectively making the entire roof cavity live. The national insulation programme was a key plank of the Rudd government’s […]
Building Materials
Waterproofing Your Basement
Nobody likes unsightly stains from mold, mildew or water damage, but that’s what occurs in countless basements across the nation. Basements have a tendency to be damp by simple virtue of being the lowest level of the house, often below grade. The basement walls are the barrier between your living space and the gallons and gallons […]
Makita First to Adopt New PTI Torque Testing Method for Cordless Drills
 NOVEMBER 7, 2008 – La Mirada, Calif. – Makita U.S.A., Inc., manufacturer of high quality industrial power tools and accessories and member of the Power Tool Institute (PTI), will adopt the new PTI Torque Procedure to measure torque in cordless drills, including driver-drills and hammer driver-drills in driver-drill mode. The new test method, agreed upon […]
APA, Allies Increase Structural Options, Energy Efficiency at Code Hearings
(TACOMA) – APA worked closely with allied industry groups to expand bracing options for builders using wood structural panels and produced the single largest increase in energy efficiency in code development history at the recently concluded International Code Council (ICC) Final  Action Hearings in Minneapolis. These results will appear in the 2009 ICC code […]
First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit
If you’re considering buying your first home, then take note. The feds are offering a tax credit (maximum $7,500) that works like an interest-free loan. It must be paid back over 15-year period, but can provide the help needed for many first-time buyers to make their home-ownership dreams come true. The credit is available for […]
LP Issues Product Advisory for Composite Decking
Premature Deterioration Poses a Risk of Injury Includes decking and railing made at LP’s Meridian, Idaho plant and sold as WeatherBest®, Veranda® and ABTCo after Jan. 1, 2005 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (August 7, 2008) — Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (LP Building Products) (LP) (NYSE: LPX) today issued a product advisory for composite decking materials purchased after January 1, […]
Mirant to supply synthetic gypsum to Lafarage beginning in 2010
 Lafarge’s Buchanan Plant To Produce Environmentally-Friendly product Lafarge, North America’s largest diversified supplier of construction materials, and Mirant Corporation, a leading U.S.-based competitive energy company, today announced that they have signed a long-term agreement under which Mirant, beginning in 2010, will supply synthetic gypsum to Lafarge’s gypsum drywall manufacturing facility in Buchanan, New York.  Reflecting […]
Bosch Buys CST/Berger
Bosch is growing….. here’s the Press Release as released by CST Berger: “On June 11, 2008, the Bosch Group announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire CST/berger from The Stanley Works portfolio. The parties expect to complete the transaction, which is subject to regulatory and other approvals, in the next few […]
New Q&A’s: Welding, Gutters, Joists & Plaster
  MIG vs. TIG What’s the difference between MIG and TIG welding? And what’s the best choice for a DIY’er?  Most professionals consider TIG (tungsten inert gas) to be the “elite†of all welding processes. A TIG weld is typically neater, usually stronger and easier to control than with welding other processes. The least […]
New Q&A’s
Q: Our upstairs hardwood floor squeaks in a few places. I can’t access the joists because of the finished ceiling of the first floor. Can I fix the squeaks from above? A: At the location of the squeak, tighten the flooring to the nearest joist with a trim-head screw driven through the floor from above. […]