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We spend much of the time in this column addressing the many facets of gypsum wallboard construction. Lately, with the recent release of our flagship publication, the Fire Resistance Design Manual, we’ve concentrated our discussions on both fire-resistant and sound-attenuating systems. In so doing, we have somewhat ignored other gypsum board wall and ceiling systems that should get more attention. Among these are the one- and two-coat veneer plaster systems.

This month, we’ll conclude the year and our series all about sheathing. In past installments of this series, we looked at the purpose, environmental aspects and types of sheathing products including...

I recently had the opportunity to visit Ft. McMurray, which is located about 300 miles north of Edmonton, in Northern Alberta, Canada. It’s not the northern most point on the road but you can see it from there. The area is a phenomenon because it contains the largest known cash of petroleum in the world. You didn’t know that? Well, neither did I until recently. The amount of oil sand in Alberta is enough-at their current rate of consumption-to provide Canada all of the petroleum it would need for the next 475 years. It’s enough oil to meet the needs of the entire planet for the next 15 years.

When a blues music aficionado uses the term “old school,” he may be referring to artists such as Muddy Waters, Etta James, John Lee Hooker or B.B. King. When old school country music artists are discussed, names such as Bob Wills, Hank Williams Sr., Jimmie Rogers and Patsy Cline will certainly be mentioned. In this instance, old school is used in a positive way. The inference is that these artists were pioneers in their field and that their contributions have stood the test of time and that their art is still considered relevant, even though it was produced decades ago.

Everyone wants to earn more money. That’s a given in any walk of life. So, what do you say when one of your employees demands a raise or he walks?

Why does this matter? Although EIFS started in North America primarily in architectural commercial construction, over the last two decades it has also become a major player in another architectural market: residential (wood framed homes) construction. Occasionally, however, EIFS bridges the gap into wholly new specialty markets. I have run into a number of these types of specialty end-uses over the years and they form one of the more interesting aspects of my consulting business, namely, how to “make EIFS work” on an offbeat application. Here are some examples that you might find useful when prospecting for new work or to perk-up a conversation regarding what is possible or sensible to do with EIFS.

Can any one person be an expert at team building, communication and positive thinking? Must you have all three of these abilities or does one make you an expert of the other two? I’ve read many books on each subject and have attended intensive training seminars on all three and I’ve come to a clear conclusion.

Most of us are familiar with the terms “fire barrier” or “party wall.” These are fire-resistance-rated assemblies that separate two or more distinct areas in a building. Likewise, there are many fire-resistance-rated floor/ceiling systems that are used to prevent the spread of fire from one story of a building to the next. Such assemblies and many other fire-resistance-rated systems can be easily constructed using gypsum board. Designs for these assemblies can be found in the Gypsum Association’s “GA-600, Fire Resistance Design Manual,” the UL Fire Resistance Directory and other sources.

The first thing to realize about finding good employees is that the best ones usually are working for someone else. Capable people don't stay unemployed for long. Once in awhile, you might bump into a top-notch person who just got laid off, moved into your area or for some other understandable reason, is in need of a job. Just don't hold your breath waiting for it to happen.