As a long, hot summer eases into fall, the Chinese drywall situation that has impacted North America since the beginning of the year deserves a retrospective review as it relates to domestic gypsum board production.
I was raised in the construction industry and surrounded by men whose handshake was their bond. As a young buck, I looked up to these men. These men were raised through the Depression era and survived wars in Europe and Korea. They were tough, hard-working and they don’t take bull from no one.
When EIFS was first introduced into the North American market in the late ’60s, there was skepticism about its performance. Designers and specifiers asked, “How well would such a lightweight wall cladding perform when subjected to the usual rigors that wall systems are exposed to?”
The worst thing about a deep recession may be the inevitable stupid pricing that follows. By stupid prices, I mean bidding or pricing goods and services that are below a company’s cost. The second worst thing about a deep recession is below-cost pricing drives the entire market price down and it takes two to three times as long for them to return to a reasonable level.
The push for green buildings is happening so fast and with such urgency that it is difficult to keep up with all the latest developments. Since the USGBC launched its green building rating systems, several more have cropped up and are in various stages of development.
One of the many beneficial characteristics of gypsum board is the ease by which it can be cut to fit a specific dimensional application. Score one side of a sheet with a sharp blade, snap the core, and you can split a board in about ten seconds.
As your eyes are drawn to follow its curvaceous lines across a room, one must admit that a curved soffit is one of the most dramatic and eye-catching architectural features to be built.
At some point on a project, generally after the mechanical trades begin their installations, we are advised by the code official that we have framing deficiencies that will most likely result in a “failed report” unless corrective action is taken.
The Firestop Contractors International Association Accreditation and Standards Committees have built a model for better construction quality based on independent audits by FM & UL of Contracting Company Quality Manuals, and through standards for third party independent inspections of installed firestop systems.
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