Search

The article reports on volunteer work for the rebuilding of houses along the Gulf Coast that were destroyed by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Habitat for Humanity built an estimated 1,000 houses and gutted another 2,200 for renovation. Retired remodeler Tim Kiernan worked with the St. Rose Outreach and Recovery to rehabilitate houses at the Gulf Coast. more...

The article presents questions and answers related to house building, including the effect of a full-view storm door on a wooden entry door, the installation of the peel-and-stick membrane to the valley when stormproofing a roof and which circular saw can be set with 3.81° bevel. more...

The article reports on the settlement of the lawsuit filed by carpenter Jerry Crutchfield against Stanley Fastening Systems and the Home Depot in December 2007. Crutchfield was awarded $3.4 million, 45 percent of the original $7.6 million sought by the complainant. The jury considered Crutchfield 55 percent responsible for the accident. more...

The article discusses the restoration of Montpelier in Virginia which is the home of former U.S. President James Madison by Mustard Seed Master Builders under the management of owner Scott McBride. His company has been helping to set the historical record straight by bringing Montpelier's original 12,000 square feet form back from 160 years of remodeling and decay. However, McBride stated that the restoration of the historical house will be his most important and critical project. more...

The article reports on the results of the Building Science Corp.'s test on the impact resistance of walls built with foam sheathing in place of plywood or oriented strand board (OSB). A description of the test conducted by a team of engineers is provided. The test showed that neither wall met the hurricane-resistant window standard. more...

The article focuses on the recycling of discarded asphalt shingles to make hot-mix asphalt used to pave roads. According to the article, 21 states have asphalt-shingle recycling programs and 10 converted old shingles into new road surfaces. Several drawbacks of recycling shingles include facilities' preference for scraps rather than debris from tearoffs and old shingles made with asbestos. more...

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Energy smart foundation in two days," by Tim Robinson, published in the #186 issue.

The article reports on the development of a system that minimizes structural damage to single-family houses during earthquakes. The system was developed by Japanese homebuilding company Ichijo and rubber company Bridgestone Inc. The article discusses the ability of the seismic-isolation system to dramatically reduce damage inside houses by using Teflon-coated stainless steel sliding plates and rubber bearings. more...

The article offers information on retrofitting the basement insulation. It states that moisture, insulation, and air infiltration must be the basic procedure in reconstructing the basement. It says that moisture must be managed before insulating and air-sealing because a tighter basement is capable of drying out when it becomes wet, air leakage also wastes energy and causes moisture problems. It adds that rigid-foam insulation eliminates condensation in the basement by keeping the surface warm. more...

The article presents the views of Henry Cisneros, the mayor of San Antonio, Texas, on the role of Hispanic Americans in the growth of the house construction industry in the U.S. He predicts that they will account 40% of all new-home buyers in the next 20 years. Moreover, he believes that public housing renovation, New Urbanism, smart growth, entrepreneurial city governments, and investments by anchor institutions are making cities more attractive to this growing minority middle class. more...

The article presents several Web sites about homebuilding. A Web site provides information on historic buildings in the United States, including sod houses, Southern mansions and timber-frame churches. The Federal Alliance for Safe Homes Web site promotes life safety, property protection and economic well-being by strengthening homes and safeguarding families from natural and man-made disasters. more...

The article presents the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing's (PATH) 10 top technologies that are job-site tested and ready for implementation. They include mold-resistant drywall, solar water heating, recycled aggregate in concrete, combined heat and power, single-unit washer/dryers and induction cooktops. more...

The article reports that the Oregon legislature is considering competency training and certification for builders and subcontractors who work on any part of a building envelope, such as roof, walls, windows and doors. According to the article, the proposed legislation is in response to the increasing number of construction litigation resulting from moisture leaks. Under the proposed legislation, the work of builders and subcontractors would be inspected by a certified envelop specialist. more...

The article reports that 2.4 million pounds of rechargeable batteries were collected for recycling in the United States and Canada in the first half of 2006. The figure was 6.4 percent higher from the first half of 2005. Several factors attributed to the success of the Call2Recycle program are the number of retail partners, California's Rechargeable Battery Recycling Act of 2006 and increased public awareness. more...