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2020 has wreaked havoc, doom, and gloom on all our lives, and it seems there is never any good news to report. And yet, the economy has a bright spot: housing. A surprising benefactor of the global pandemic, the U.S. housing market is hot. We aren’t talking 2009, right-before-a-housing-crash-with-underwater-mortgages hot. We are talking about a […]

Landscape timbers are an incredibly popular option with homeowners to help transform their landscaping. But before you buy landscape timbers, it’s important to understand that they can be a challenge for DIY projects but are worth the extra work. Landscape timbers are often used for lining driveways, building backyard patios, and for raised gardening beds.

You deserve a wood that can handle your particular project. As a type of engineered wood, oriented strand board (OSB) is tough, affordable, and reliable. Builders also love OSB for its economy and versatility. Find out more about the OSB options at RoyOMartin.  How Oriented Strand Board Is Made Some builders might not differentiate between

[rs-image img_url=”/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Hand-Sanitizer_5956x1685.jpg” link=”” alt=”Forest Edge Rendering” width=”” height=”” class=”” type=”img-rectangle” border=”default” new_win=”no” margin=”” pos=”center” wrap=”no”/] Welcome to the dystopian world of COVID-19. We wear masks and operate as shut-in recluses working from home, having someone else bring us food, and homeschooling our kids. The stock market collapses and comes back, unemployment falls off a cliff

[rs-image img_url=”/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Logs-on-Yard.jpg” link=”” alt=”Forest Edge Rendering” width=”” height=”” class=”” type=”img-rectangle” border=”default” new_win=”no” margin=”” pos=”center” wrap=”no”/] STUMPED BY SOFTWOODS AND HARDWOODS? If you found yourself on a gameshow with the final-round question being, “What is the difference between hardwood and softwood?,” and you answered, “Hardwood is hard and strong, and softwood is soft and less strong,”

TRADE ASSOCIATION ISSUES WARNING REGARDING IMPORTED BRAZILIAN PLYWOOD The United States is being flooded with massive quantities of Brazilian plywood that do not meet U.S. Voluntary Product Standard PS-1 for structural plywood as claimed. The imported product fails to meet stiffness standards and span rating requirements. Importers have not only falsely claimed compliance. Some will

Ready or not, the 2020 presidential election is upon us, and its potential effect on our industry should have us all paying close attention. Election years typically mean instability in the stock market as investors tend to be skittish during rocky political environments. That sentiment, unfortunately, trickles down to the housing market. Below are a

Oriented strand board (OSB) has come a long way since its introduction in the 1970s. Use of OSB is now commonplace to integrate strength with durability for construction. From the most populated metropolitan areas to the most remote regions, builders count on OSB sheathing as sidewall, roofing, and flooring material. These wooden panels are proving

RADIANT BARRIER: MADE IN THE SHADE It’s summertime in the South, and this is a superbly hot one. Drastic heat-wave temps are hitting the Northeast. It’s just always hot in the South, so we don’t make the news. Not only can we fry an egg on the sidewalk, I do believe we can also roast

Popping up all over Texas are homes being built with flexible cellulosic fiber boards, or non-wood structural panels. These homes, essentially made of a cardboard-like material, are vulnerable to complete demolition in storm seasons. In fact, past tornadoes have obliterated entire home-sites built with these non-wood panels. Unsuspecting homeowners may be unaware of the sheathing