I learned a hard lesson regarding the required use of spreader bars when lifting heavy angular objects with a crane:  I was placed in harm’s way and witnessed the destruction of over $20,000 worth of property during a construction mishap.  Fortunately, following some tense seconds, there were zero injuries and several lessons learned.

Planning and Best Practices

The light gauge metal stud framing phase of a project significantly impacts several other trades.  It is no secret that good planning and practices will achieve higher production rates and a level of quality that meets the project's specifications.  Planning and layout should be the responsibility of the project foreman; however, everyone should be involved with preparing the work flow. While actual layout is underway, other production items should also be thought through.

When you consider the lifespan of most fixtures and appliances around the home, toilets rank near the top. According to the Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components which was prepared in 2007 by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), "Toilets have an unlimited lifespan, but the components inside the toilet tank do require some maintenance."

What do Arthur Erickson, Robson Square, and The Olympics all have in common? The ability to attract crowds.

"On Saturday night, more than 50,000 people milled around Robson Square in downtown Vancouver. 50,000 in one small area! On Sunday, it got worse. The crowds were so heavy that the media dubbed it Super Sunday," writes June Campbell.

What will happen to that water bottle you just tossed into your recycling bin? According to Mohawk Industries, manufacturer of EverStrand carpeting, “One in every four plastic bottles recycled in North America becomes EverStrand."

Our trip to Vancouver was intensely successful. However, as I subtly suspected, the content we ended up with was not exactly the type of content we had initially intended to gather.

Designing and Installing a Safe System
Almost every commercial and public building, whether it is an office building, sports arena, place of worship, or school building, contains a guardrail system. Guardrail systems are installed to provide safety and protection for the building occupants, and are placed at or near the outer edge of flights of stairs, ramps, landings, platforms, balconies and accessible areas of roofs. They will also be found at the perimeter edge of any opening or accessible surface, such as an open­ing for a stairway, or at a location where operating conditions require limited access to a designated area in order to guard against accidental fall.

Bathroom vanities are comprised of a base or furniture cabinet, a countertop mounted to the top of the cabinet, a sink, a faucet, and a drain stop assembly located at the bottom of the sink which allows water to drain or be collected. Maintaining each component can be overwhelming, given that there are several different styles, manufacturers, and types of materials used. However, there are only a few components that require regular inspection and/or maintenance to ensure proper function.