Customers regularly ask me if they can cut strongbacks. The short answer is yes, but before explaining how, here’s a quick rundown of what strongbacks are, for those of you who aren’t familiar with them. What strongbacks are Strongbacks are horizontal members that attach perpendicularly to a series of open web joists, inside the floor cavity. Their purpose is … Continued
If you’re a residential builder, how you satisfy fire-code requirements for floor systems depends on where you’re building. In states such as California, Maryland and Washington D.C., sprinklers are mandatory in new, one and two-family homes. Other states, such as Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont allow for the local adoption of sprinkler … Continued
Public awareness about the fire safety of engineered wood floor joists has grown exponentially in the past 15 years. Tragic incidents involving rapid collapses of “I” beam type joists during residential fires shocked the public and fire authorities. Engineered wood joists weren’t fire-resistant. Later, the International Code Council established engineered wood fire performance requirements for … Continued
Need to choose between 2 x 10 and an engineered wood joist such as I-joist or open joist TRIFORCE® for your project? Wondering what’s the main difference between I-joist vs 2×10? Well, first off, you need to know that engineered wood has a lot of advantages that can’t be ignored. Engineered wood revolutionized the residential … Continued
An open web design has many advantages over I-joists or 2″ x 10″ when it comes to humidity control during building closure and utility installation. Humidity control to avoid problems down the road Proper temperature and humidity control during and after the building’s transition to being closed are essential. High humidity levels, heavy rain or snowmelt … Continued
The modular housing trend With the recent improvements in construction materials and building techniques, it is no surprise that the modular home is rapidly growing in popularity. Undeniably, modular homes have many advantages: Built in a controlled factory environment and safe from humidity, water or wind damage during construction. This includes not only the home itself … Continued
This is part 2 of a post about why you should use open web joists in your construction projects. See part 1 called Open web design is open to the future. Previously on this subject, I talked about how open web joists like TRIFORCE® eliminate the need to drill holes to pass ducts and plumbing. Without a … Continued
We often talk about the advantages of open web design in this blog. But an open design isn’t just convenient and time-saving. Indeed, what if I told you that open web joists must replace I-joist type floor joists in the near future? Let me explain. The Millennial opportunity In the past year, a lot has … Continued
For lumberyards that don’t typically sell engineered wood, there are many good arguments in favor of carrying this type of product. EWP use will grow Indeed, with the return of a healthy construction industry and increased competitiveness, you can bank on builders looking for wood products that will give them a better bang for their … Continued
Spring is here and construction season is gearing back up. It looks like it will be a pretty productive season too. Builder confidence is higher than it has been in the past 12 years and new home sales are stronger than last year and seem to be trending upwards. This is a good time to … Continued