Trees from the L.A. Fires Are Being Recycled into New Lumber
The devastating fires that hit the Los Angeles metropolitan area earlier this year resulted in 4.5 million tons of debris, but some of it is being salvaged for building materials. Angel City Lumber said it is recycling trees from the Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods fires that destroyed over 16,000 structures and an estimated 40,000 acres […]
25% of Home Renovations in Jeopardy Due to Tariffs
Even as the tariff crisis bounces back and forth, new research shows that homeowners might scale back or even cancel projects. There’s no question that the ever-changing situation with tariffs continues to cause havoc among American businesses but it’s also created problems for homeowners who had been looking at doing renovation projects this year. As […]
Wood Stronger than Steel? It Could Be Coming Soon
As companies look for new ways to make wood a more effective building material, InventWood claims it has the latest and greatest. Wood has always been one of the best building materials in the world, but that hasn’t stopped companies from trying to improve upon it. The latest to go at it is Maryland-based InventWood, […]
The Housing Market Continues to Struggle, Even in Luxury
It was supposed to be a rebound year for the home building sector but stubborn mortgage rates and tariff anxiety are continuing to hold it back. Luxury is no exception. The U.S. housing market remains stuck as we approach the half-way point of 2025 with both new construction and resales down versus prior years and, […]
Teddy Roosevelt Riding into the Mass Timber Movement
The new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota is the latest mass timber structure – fitting for a man who loved nature. He was the driving force behind the creation of the National Parks Department so it seems only fitting that his library, now under construction in Medora, ND, use mass timber construction. Set to […]
These Are the World’s 9 Most Beautiful Bamboo Buildings
Architectural Digest searched the world for the most beautiful structures made of bamboo, many of which are in Asia. Bamboo has been a building material staple for centuries, especially in Asia, but is often used in more pedestrian applications. Architectural Digest magazine decided there was more to bamboo than that and set out to find the […]
Construction Backlog at Highest Level in Nearly Two Years
New findings from the Associated Builders and Contractors show a significant increase for both large and small contractors. The housing slowdown and looming impacts to cost increases due to pending tariffs remain but right now the backlog remains strong, the association said in a survey taken in the period of late April to early May. It […]
Ace Aces First Quarter but Warns of Potential Tariff Issues
The big specialty store operation reported a 4.2 percent gain for the period, even as net income declined. As an indicator of the strength of the DIY home improvement and remodeling sector, Ace’s results are encouraging in a retail environment that still remains challenging for the overall building business. First quarter revenues were $2.2 billion, […]
He Was the Most Famous Builder Ever in American Residential Construction
A new book on the man behind Levittown shows how William Levitt changed the way the country builds new homes. Over a career spanning decades and stretching from the former potato fields on Long Island to as far away as France, William Levitt claims to have built 140,000 new homes, becoming the Henry Ford of […]
Georgia-Pacific Closing Virginia Plywood Facility
The big building materials company is blaming the slow housing market for the decision to close the plant this summer. The Emporia, VA plant, which employed 550 people, is scheduled to permanently close on July 1, Georgia-Pacific said, noting that “normal operations” have already ceased. The company says it will provide all affected employees with […]