My friend Mark Breslin often refers to the culture of the trades and how they need to develop a better culture within their own industry. The culture within a group shapes the group’s image, for better or worse.
We first ran this column in the November 2004 issue of Walls & Ceilings. Since then, the Gypsum Association has conducted an ongoing public relations campaign designed to broaden awareness of gypsum area separation walls and gypsum roof underlayment.
In
multi-story wood frame residential construction, the various floor levels are
usually constructed as a series of platforms, one at a time, on top of each
other. The horizontal framing at the floor line has its grain running parallel
to the ground.
Location: Northwestern Mutual-The Beer Foundation, Woodland Hills, Calif. Contractor: Douglas Emmett Builders, Santa Monica, Calif. Architect: Rey Viquez, WWCOT, Santa Monica, Calif. Manufacturer: USG, Chicago Product: Cadre Wood-look ceilings
Many of the economic predictions in circulation mark 2009 as the year the world will begin to see improvement in the economy. Most foresee a long, slow path to recovery, something that may be 10 years in the making. It took about this much time for the current green building movement to gain real momentum.
Being the boss is a pretty good feeling for most people. Those of you who own your business or have management authority draw a certain comfort from calling the shots and being able to tell subordinates what to do.
While contractors are certainly not the enemy, a sales pitch can sometimes seem like a strategic battle. Both require a plan, both require knowing the customer, predicting his or her next move and having a countermeasure to accomplish the plan.
Steel is one of the most widely used of all building materials. The list is as long as it is varied; columns and beams, stud framing, concrete reinforcement, doors, door frames, ladders, sheet metal, lockers, bolts, nails, and on and on. It would be impossible to build a building without using some steel.
This is not a pleasant article to write, because it has to do with failure. But don’t equate failure with being a loser. Thomas Edison failed with thousands of different filaments before finding one able to sustain the light of an incandescent bulb, and he most certainly wasn’t a loser.
The past year, as you may have noticed, has been a challenging time for the building materials manufacturing industry. But despite the economic downturn, new materials continue to come to market.
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