Winners will be announced at the official awards ceremony to be held Wednesday, March 2^nd at 1:00pm onsite at the convention in San Antonio, Texas. 

Wall and ceiling spray texture application has traditionally been a frustrating, inefficient and messy experience for professionals and DIYers alike. This year, DAP is reinventing wall and ceiling spray texture in formula, function and finish with the launch of a consistent and reliable product line that delivers a fast-drying, excellent texture match for maximum coverage and professional results.

What is the purpose of fire prevention construction? Read on to find out.

Before you hurt yourself jumping out of your Barcalounger so you can dial up the editor to launch complaints about this piece, a thread on the Walls and Ceilings bulletin board regarding "Box Marts" struck a nerve in yours truly and was the motivation behind this month's diatribe.

The year was 1977 and yours' truly was trying desperately to hold the end of a 12-foot sheet up while trying to finger a nail into the edge of the board and hit the nail instead of my fingers with a roofing hatchet. If memory serves, back then we were using blue ring shank nails. The heads were barely larger than the circumference of the rings, so it was virtually impossible to drive one without ripping the face paper under ideal conditions, and these were not ideal conditions.

Once upon a time, long before there were ads for lawyers on every corner, television, radio station, billboard and listed on 72 pages of every phone book in the country, job-site practical jokes were commonplace.

Being on the front line of the drywall trade allows this reporter a unique perspective into the everyday trials and tribulations of a broad spectrum of drywall dogs.

When a blues music aficionado uses the term “old school,” he may be referring to artists such as Muddy Waters, Etta James, John Lee Hooker or B.B. King. When old school country music artists are discussed, names such as Bob Wills, Hank Williams Sr., Jimmie Rogers and Patsy Cline will certainly be mentioned. In this instance, old school is used in a positive way. The inference is that these artists were pioneers in their field and that their contributions have stood the test of time and that their art is still considered relevant, even though it was produced decades ago.

I was fortunate enough to attend the Specialties of the Drywall Trade Instructor Seminar held from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3 at the IUPAT facility in Baltimore. It was obvious that a lot of planning went into setting up this building, with classrooms on the upper level and a lower level that is wide open, allowing plenty of room for the attendees to hone their skills on miles of drywall.

We had dodged more than one nor’easter up to that point, and were enjoying the effects of global warming, so when a friendly competition between three friends materialized into the Rock-Off for Michael’s Way, weather was not even a consideration.

By always being willing to do work that was specialized and making sure that it was done right, I kept busy. I have suggested this idea in previous articles. And when I hear guys complaining that they can’t compete against the 30-man crews, I wonder if they have considered doing specialized work.

Everyone who grinds it out day after day in the construction trenches, has at least one story of “stupidity unbecoming a human.” Some stories have tragic endings, while others generate belly laughs for years to come.

In May 2000 some of the features and benefits of building with steel were discussed in an AID article co-written with my old pal Bill entitled “Life After Wood: Steel Studs on the Rise.” Like anything else, along with the benefits there are challenges.

When times are good, people become complacent. Riding in gas guzzling land-yachts and dwelling in cavernous McMansions tends to dull the senses and lulls people into a false sense of security. The scale that was once used to measure the distance between wants and needs became dangerously off-kilter.

I once witnessed a contractor mixing red chalk into a bucket of mud, and when I inquired what he was doing, he responded, “I’m making firestop.”

Well folks, it’s been awhile since I have felt whole enough to pen anything meaningful for these pages. The economic issues surrounding the collapse of the construction industry that is such a big part of my life and yours made anything that I may have had to say seem meaningless. After much soul searching and a little prodding from John Wyatt, I have decided to end my self-imposed exile from these pages. 

The preceding is the beginning of a song performed by Styx that was a hit in the ’80s. It describes the trials and tribulations that many people faced during that time by misusing a certain illegal white substance.

As some of you know, I grew up in a little town in northwestern Nebraska. Chadron was your stereotypical Andy-of-Mayberry town with only one stoplight and still only has one to this day. Frankly, it was a great place for a kid to grow up.

The Texas Lathing & Plastering Contractors Association’s Annual Convention and Trade Show will be held on June 11-13. Its 72nd Annual Convention will be at the Hotel Galvez in Galveston, Texas.

The American Concrete Institute is excited to host the ACI Concrete Convention on Nov. 3-6 in Philadelphia. Known as the world’s gathering place for advancing concrete, the convention will take place at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown.

O’Shaughnessy Ventures LLC, a family office that invests in ambitious seed and pre-seed startups, announced Feb. 2 that it has invested in Furno Materials Inc.

The ICAA Convention & Trade Show is your one-stop-shop to learn, network and discover the latest insulation industry products and services from the best in the business.

ClarkDietrich is adding two new components to its E-Screen entangled-mesh rainscreen rolls, providing a complete exterior cladding moisture management system that is compliant with ASTM performance criteria.

Proposals include plans to introduce tax relief sanctions for persistent non-compliance with filing obligations and reform of the donor benefit rules, documents show

Arlington, VA — As the Mine Safety and Health Administration works toward publishing a proposed rule on respirable crystalline silica, agency administrator Chris Williamson is encouraging mine workers and operators to “take proactive measures” to assess silica-related health hazards.

The Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance has announced that the SprayFoam 2025 Convention and Expo, also known as “SPRAYTONA,” will be held Feb. 9-12 in Daytona Beach, Florida. The event will bring together professionals in spray foam insulation, roofing, specialty applications, concrete lifting, coatings and related equipment from the U.S. and abroad.

HOK designed the Institute for Specialized Medicine & Intervention’s new clinic in Quebec as a spa-like experience for underserved patients. Supporting this modern, comforting, healing environment, HOK specified Rockfon Medical Plus acoustic stone wool ceiling panels for all of ISMI’s treatment rooms.

Washington — OSHA is reviewing comments on an advance notice of proposed rulemaking aimed at protecting workers from extreme heat exposure, administrator Doug Parker said during a Feb. 25 meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health’s work group on heat injury and illness prevention.

Despite slip and fall accidents accounting for 15 percent of all accidental deaths in the United States, second only to motor vehicle accidents, there is a growing yet dangerous trend to eliminate the most critical measurement to prevent slips on hard-walkway surfaces.

Washington – Robust federal enforcement and an update of EPA rules are key to preventing similar incidents, according to testimony given at a June 27 Senate hearing.

As reports of the current outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) dominate the headlines, keeping calm can prove difficult. However, one of the best ways to combat anxiety – and be prepared – is to be informed.

Newcastle upon Tyne, England – Increased awareness and targeted interventions may help improve return-to-work outcomes for workers who undergo total knee replacement procedures, according to a recent study from Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust and Newcastle University in England.

Gaithersburg, MD — Recently developed artificial intelligence software can determine whether firefighters may be about to experience a potentially fatal cardiac event, researchers say.

What importance does scheduling play in the prevention of cold stress?

Chicago — People exposed to organic solvents on the job may have a greater risk of developing high blood pressure, according to a recent study of Latino workers.

Washington – Two new resources from OSHA detail worker fatalities involving electrocution and engulfment and explain how similar events can be prevented.

Washington – Newly released draft guidance an OSHA advisory committee recommends that staffing firms and host employers implement a safety and health program describing the responsibilities of both entities to protect temporary workers.

Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is seeking comment on potentially expanding a program intended to determine to what extent crashes involving commercial trucks and buses are preventable.

The HH-F1-B Bullhead Safety Blue Unvented Full Brim Style Hard Hat with Six-Point Ratchet Suspension is reversible and made with HPPE material to provide a lightweight product that is weather and chemical resistant.

Bardavon Health Innovations recently has expanded into injury prevention to protect workers from musculoskeletal disorders in addition to helping with recovery. In this endeavor, they have acquired the leading workplace injury prevention company, Preventure.

Failure to recognize a chemical hazard can threaten workers’ lives by risking chemical burns, respiratory problems, fires and explosions.

Washington — A new OSHA fact sheet and sticker are intended to raise awareness of heat illness prevention strategies in the workplace.

Washington — OSHA has published a new resource on how best to protect pregnant workers from heat-related illnesses.

Washington — A wallet card, brochure and checklist are recent additions to OSHA’s resources for helping keep workers safe in high temperatures.

Washington – Outdoor workers need to get plenty of water, rest and shade this summer, OSHA is reminding employers as part of the agency’s annual heat illness prevention campaign.

Washington – A fall prevention guide recently released by NIOSH aims to help building owners and designers build more safety features into their facilities rather than relying on back-end controls.

Washington – April is National Workplace Violence Prevention Month, and OSHA hopes to raise awareness by releasing updated guidance for health care and social service workers.

Washington — A new resource from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences is intended to help employers identify and implement steps to protect workers from heat stress.

Workers caught in trench collapses rarely survive because soil can be extremely heavy. A cubic yard of soil can weigh up to 3,000 pounds – roughly the weight of a small motor vehicle, according to OSHA.