Plywood or OSB Panels: Which is better?
Both OSB and plywood wood panels can be used for wall sheeting, sub-flooring panels and roof panels, but OSB has some advantages
Builder Insights / Blog
Category / DIY
How to Prevent Nail Gun Injuries
Every year about 40,000 nail-gun injuries occur in the US and nail guns account for 14% of the injuries reported to OSHA. It’s not only the nail gun operators that are in the firing line; 12% of injuries happen to bystanders.
Jobsite safety: Best Practices from OSHA
We’re no experts on safety, so we turned to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for some guidelines on best practices for onsite job safety. They set standards for employers and employees to follow to reduce the risk of injuries on construction sites. Here are some of the most important steps to keeping your job site safe. Always check for local requirements before embarking on a new build.
Taller Wall Sheathing Makes Walls Stronger
Innovative manufacturers like West Fraser that think outside the box have flipped the structural sheathing panels for vertical installation and increased their height. Longer wall sheathing like TallWall enables an overlap at the joists which eliminates hinge points to increase wall strength. Longer sheathing also reduces the number of seams which improves energy efficiency and makes for a stronger, smoother, flatter wall.
West Fraser’s Onsite App Helps Reduce Callbacks and Costs
Norbord’s Onsite app helps prevent mistakes and reduces construction time. Onsite enables builders, framers, and DIYers to work effectively with all their OSB products.
Carpentry Tips from the Pros
Knowing the tips of the trade can help you to complete jobs on time and at a profit. This improves the customer’s experience and results in fewer delays and expensive callbacks. Here are some pro tips that will help you to get the job done right.
Building for High Wind Events
While it’s more difficult to build structures that resist higher impact storms from EF-3 to EF-5, modern technologies and a better understanding of shear and uplift forces is making it possible to construct homes that survive even violent storms.
Clever Workshop Storage Hacks
Trips to the hardware store cost you in time, transport and downtime on your jobsite. Here are some easy workshop storage tips to help you keep all of your ducks in a row.
Keeping up with Codes: A small Business Owner’s Guide
The rapid rate with which burgeoning technologies introduce new materials, products and techniques to the construction industry marketplace means that building codes need to be constantly changing in order to provide consumers with buildings which are safe and energy efficient. This means that every three years, building code changes help to improve the way we build. For small business owners, these constant changes may prove difficult to keep up with.
Prevent Condensation on Walls around Air Vents
A common summer problem is condensation on walls around AC air vents. Moisture is insidious and, once allowed to enter wall structures, can result in damage, mold and mildew. While quick-fix solutions may provide cosmetic relief, it is best to spend the time and money to ensure that moisture is not seeping into your wall structures.