Tornadoes and Home Construction

USA Today - Making a tornado-proof home is tough

I saved this post to publish this week. Not sure how it feels now. Thankfully, my family has made it through yesterday's tornadoes. Many families have not been as fortunate. Our thoughts and prayers are very important, but please don't forget to volunteer if possible or send supplies.

China Timber Deficit

Forecasts for China's Timber Supply Deficit

Hebei, China - A Growing Market

Clearwater Times - Hebei gets third truss plant, wood-frame research centre
Further growth in the Asian markets for wood construction.

Expected Increase in U.S. Exports

Japan's wood imports sure to rise
This may help our timber industry begin to put people back to work as demand rises.

U.S. Lumber Exports on the Rise

U.S. Lumber gets an Asian boost
 Home Channel News
Good to see that while we import many things from Asia, we can benefit from exports to the area as well.

USDA to Support Wood Construction

USDA to Support Wood Construction

It is nice to see recognition given to the sustainability if wood framing. By allowing alternate rating systems, such as Green Globes, portions of our industry certified under forest management programs not named FSC will benefit from this new direction.

Follow Through!

I spent April Fool's Day travelling to two different sites with wood frame structures.  While I observed several items that will eventually make this blog, one that stood out the most is shown below.  The anchor bolt installation was consistently inconsistent, with about 1 in 3 installed correctly.  From cut-off anchor bolts cast outside the edge of the sill plate to anchor bolts embedded into wood studs to the 1/2" diameter in lieu of 5/8" diameter, it was a free-for-all for picture taking.  But please, when everything comes together and all you have to do is place the nut on the bolt, just do it.  That nut has threads just waiting to be twisted onto the end of the bolt. 

Six-story Wood Framing Less Expensive than Steel

BTY Group cost analysis finds substituting wood for steel in building construction cuts costs – Daily Commercial News

As our economy is recovering ever so slowly, switching to wood framing may become more common. Similar stories have been published regarding construction here in the U.S. As good as this is for the wood industry, we need to ensure that qualified framers are used on commercial projects.