Lumber Prices Up in March, but Tariff Concerns Loom
Madison’s Lumber Reporter shows increases in prices at the end of the month, with many holding off on buying pending new trade developments. In the week ending March 28, 2025, Madison’s said the price of 2×4 benchmark softwood lumber Western Spruce-Pine-Fir was $545 MFBM (thousand feet board measure), up $10 or 2 percent from the […]
Washington DC, Las Vegas, SF and Dallas Lead Home Downsizing Trend
If you’re looking for a new apartment or condo and it seems smaller than you expected, you’re not imagining things: downsizing has become widespread. New research from Storage Sense, which runs storage facilities and would of course benefit from this trend, shows that apartments and condominiums in many major American cities have gotten smaller over […]
With Fires Raging, KB Home Unveils ‘Wildfire Resistant’ Development
The big builder has opened a new community in California that it says meets Insurance Institute for Business & Home safety standards. The recent wildfires that have hit parts of the country – especially California – are prompting home builders to develop structures that offer the most fire-resistant construction possible. KB Home is taking up the cause […]
What Is the Most Popular TV Home Design Ever?
We all love the homes on television so home builders might want to know which are the ones Americans would most like to live in. Yes, they’re not real people and real homes – some of them are just facades and these days they may even be computer generated – but when a research company […]
A New London Exhibition Celebrates Japanese Master Carpentry
The works of Tsunekazu Nishioka, who passed away a quarter century ago and is considered Japan’s greatest “miyadaiku,” or master carpenter, are now on display. “The Craft of Carpentry: Drawing Life from Japan’s Forests” opened at Japan House London last month and runs through July 6, celebrating the work of this classic woodworking technique and […]
February Was an Unexpected – and Pleasant – Surprise for Housing Starts
Even as the new construction market for housing continues to struggle the results from February were better than expected. The new numbers are in from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development and they are encouraging compared to the previous month. Privately owned housing starts were 1,501,000, an 11.2 percent […]
U.S. Southern Pine Lumber Futures Trading Starts This Month
Exchange operator CME Group said it is launching trading in Southern yellow pine futures on March 31. Trading in lumber futures has been a staple of the marketplace for years but it will now include Southern pine as the situation with Canadian lumber continues to get more complicated. Up until now trading has been in […]
In Big Acquisition, QXO Buying Beacon Roofing Supply
In what’s being called an $11 billion deal, the purchase will create a new powerhouse in the building sector. For QXO it’s the latest acquisition as it continues to build out its business in the trade and there are more to come the company says. “Acquiring Beacon is a key milestone in our plan to create […]
Thomas Moser, Innovative Furniture Designer and Woodworker, Dies at 90
The founder of Thos. Moser Cabinetmakers who took classic wooden Shaker designs to contemporary looks, died earlier this month at age 90. Moser’s seemingly simple interpretations of classic Shaker looks were the foundation of his long-running cult-like brand, founded in 1972 and recognized as “galvanizing a broader revival of American craft traditions,” according to Architectural […]
KCD Software Buys CADCode Systems
The custom cabinet and closet software company will expand its advanced CNC machining software capabilities. “We are thrilled to welcome CADCode Systems into the KCD Software family,” said Cadman Campbell, KCD Software president in making the announcement. “This acquisition is a natural fit for our mission to empower everyone from designers to manufacturers with powerful, […]