In this latest episode of If Walls Could Talk, W&C Editor John Wyatt speaks with Sean Browne, Manager, Codes and Standards, at Armstrong on acoustics. As Manager, Codes and Standards, Browne discusses how that relates to acoustics, how codes and standards change and what’s new in acoustic codes and standards.

Browne outlines why do acoustical ceiling and wall solutions matter in the built environment. He also touches on the key acoustical codes and standards to pay attention to for typical Education, Office, and Healthcare buildings. This is the first of two parts with Browne.

In this episode of if Walls Could Talk, Jill Bloom speaks with Michael Kwart, executive director of the Insulation Contractors Association of America. The association will hold its Annual Trade Show in Dallas, September 27-30. In this talk, Kwart outlines some exciting plans coming up with the ICAA.

“We’ve instituted two big changes this year: we ran a survey with our members and what we heard overwhelmingly is only having one day of the trade show, vs. two days, as we’ve typically done in the past. And then the other change is two days of strictly educational sessions,” Kwart says. “This really puts the focus on education.”

Getting marketing data that you know is accurate can be difficult for small businesses. We met with Jessica Rayna of Kill Your Competition to discuss how contractors and other businesses can find easily verifiable information and make sure their revenues match with marketing results. In this episode of “If Walls Could Talk,” Jill Bloom speaks with Rayna on these marketing initiatives.

You never know when a natural disaster is going to strike, but you can be prepared in case it happens. In this episode of If Walls Could Talk, Publisher Jill Bloom sat down with Steve Slepcevic, CEO of Strategic Response Partners, to discuss how you would go about putting a disaster response plan together.

Slepcevic said the key to the disaster response plan is making sure your employees have everything they need for them and their families. “If you are the company that, day one, has a temporary shower setup, a temporary laundry service setup … the people are able to do their laundry there, they’re able to take showers there, you have a catering service that is serving your people, feeding them three times a day, your employees are showing up,” he said.

More and more companies are using artificial intelligence to help run their business. In this episode of If Walls Could Talk, Publisher Jill Bloom sits down with Jessica Reyna, owner and marketing director of Kill Your Competition, to discuss how artificial intelligence, and specifically ChatGPT, are being used in the construction industry.

One point Reyna makes clear is that artificial intelligence is not always right. “ChatGPT, in a sense, can do the same thing [as most artificial intelligence],” she said. “It’ll grab different information across the Internet, what it thinks is accurate and relevant, but it doesn’t always mean those citations can actually be sourced or fact-checked.”

In an effort to curtail spam messages and reduce the risks of scams, a policy change known as “10DLC” has been released by all major carriers like AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. It requires their customers to register their local numbers, or 10-digit code, with The Campaign Registry.

Registration is mandatory and, when registering, businesses are vetted and agree to compliance requirements. If they don’t, they risk higher fees and slower delivery rates for their SMS and MMS messages.

In this episode of “Dear Anna,” Art Unlimited CEO Anna Anderson shares some critical information contractors need to know about 10DLC and how to navigate the policy changes.

Learn more about 10DLC and how it affects your business by downloading the full “Dear Anna” episode here.

In this episode of If Walls Could Talk, W&C Group Publisher Jill Bloom is joined by Trent Cotney of Adams & Reese.

What do all contractors need to know when bidding work?

If you’re a contractor that moving to a new type of service, there are requirements that you need to know. Another issue is it’s important to attain all the paperwork regarding bids. If you are about to bid on a project, take the time to understand what that means to you, the contractor. And, of course, understand the warranty requirements.