NBN Online for the week of May 29, 2006

Copper Prices Put Plastic Water Piping on the Rise

Plastic water piping, plumbing manifolds and stainless steel tubing for gas distribution are among innovative products on the PATH (Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing) Technology Inventory that builders can consider to help deal with ongoing increases in copper product prices, according to Shawn Martin, director of applied technology for the NAHB Research Center.

In a recent interview, NAHB economist Michael Carliner told Dow Jones Newswires that the use of plastic plumbing is on the rise following substantial increases in the cost of copper. While most waste pipes carrying water away from sink drains and toilets are now made of plastic, Carliner said that copper maintains a small lead in water distribution, but that could soon change, especially since the transition to plastic is an easy one for home builders to make.

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Southeast U.S. Told to Prepare for More Hurricanes

The question is not whether the hurricane season beginning on June 1 and lasting through Nov. 30 will be above normal, but how much above normal it will be, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which is urging residents in hurricane-prone areas to make preparations.

“For the 2006 north Atlantic hurricane season, NOAA is predicting 13 to 16 named storms, with eight to 10 becoming hurricanes, of which four to six could become ‘major’ hurricanes of Category 3 strength or higher,” said Navy Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere, on May 22 in conjunction with National Hurricane Preparedness Week.