NBN Online for the week of May 28, 2007

(Plain Text Version) for full graphical version, click here.

In This Issue:

Front Page
Bid to Require Fire Sprinklers Defeated at Code Hearings
ICC Hearings Decide on CO Alarms, Foundation Wall Anchors and More
2007 National Membership Day Sets New Record, 11,845
$1.2 Million Still Available in ‘Buy Now’ Grant Funds, Apply Today
Nation's Building News Will Not Be Published June 4 or June 11
Layouts for Living
Floor Plans: Personal Outdoor Living Space As You Like It
Coast to Coast
America’s Most Overpriced Home Markets
Housing Forum
Letter to the Editor: Snow Shovels in Miami
Letter to the Editor: Don't Reward Illegal Immigrants
Politics & Government
House Approves Sound GSE Regulatory Reform Bill
Immigration Bill Provokes Flurry of Amendments
Tax Credit Reforms Needed to Spur Affordable Rental Housing
New Law Suspends HUD Investor Approval Process
Tax Breaks, New Minimum Wage, Katrina Relief in War Bill
Economics & Finance
New Home Sales Up an Unexpected 16.2% in April
New Jersey Tops in Property Taxes, Louisiana Among Lowest
Eye on the Economy: 2007 Housing Outlook Weakens
Useful Links to Monitor Economic and Housing Trends
Tips
Builders’ Tip: A Temporary Extension for Table-Saw Tops
Sales
A Coastal-Inspired Upscale Getaway Near Washington, D.C.
50Plus Housing
Retiring Boomers to Hasten Search for New Tax Revenue
Register Onsite for the 50+ Housing Symposium in Denver
June 1 Deadline for NAHB/AARP Livable Communities Awards
Multifamily
Builders Upbeat as Rental Demand Outpaces Supply
Financial Viability of Affordable Housing Threatened
Custom
Register for Custom Builder Symposium in Naples, Fla.
Education
Education Calendar
Design
Sustainable Communities on Design Institute Tour
Orlando HBA Redecorates Guest Room in Ronald McDonald House
Green Building
HBAs Pursue Green Marketing to Boost Consumer Interest
Green Standard Committee Preparing for July Meeting
Environment
Seminar Helps Builders Comply With Stormwater Rules
Regulation
Flood Maps Being Redrawn With ‘Unscientific’ Data
Codes and Standards
Changes to Building Envelope Standard Raise Concerns
Construction Safety
OSHA Appeals Ruling Against ‘Multi-Employer’ Citations
Consumer Deck Safety Effort Includes 10-Point Checklist
Legal
Register for Upcoming Construction Law Seminar
Disaster Relief
Residents Warned to Prepare for Busy Hurricane Season
Workforce housing
June 14 Symposium Looks at Safeguarding Homeownership
Building Products
Dow Foam Filler Used for Water Features and Insulation
TV
NAHB-Produced Programs on HGTV and DIY This Week
Endowment
Endowment Funds ‘Building Communities of Our Own’
Operation Forever Free Honored For Helping Injured Veterans
Association News
Drive Away With a Shiny New $500 GM Offer
Spring Board Meeting Set for June 5-10
Free NAHB ‘Homeownership Month’ Kit Available Online
NAHB Career Center: For a True Competitive Edge
Save 30% on Biz Forms and Checks
Calendar of Events
NAHB Career Center

Builders’ Tip: A Temporary Extension for Table-Saw Tops

 

 
 

Click for larger image.

Every now and then, I have to use my portable table saw to cut wide, lightweight sheet goods — such as rigid-foam insulation.

The trouble is, the saw’s top isn’t wide enough to accommodate the sheet goods.

As shown in the accompanying drawing, I made a temporary saw table that extends the work surface substantially on the right side of the blade.

  • The top is made of 1⁄2-inch oriented strand board (OSB).

  • It’s screwed and glued to a 1x2 frame that fits tightly around the saw’s table.

  • Most of the weight of the auxiliary table is on the right side of the saw. So to keep the OSB table from lifting, I bored a hole through the frame on the left side of the blade.

  • A machine screw fits through this hole into a corresponding hole in the saw table, as shown in the inset drawing.

  • A clamp-on fence made of 1x pine completes the rig.


Now it’s a cinch to cut 23-inch wide sheets of foam to vent a ceiling.

— Robert Conrad, Pellston, Mich.

Tips & Techniques provided by Fine Homebuilding.
©2005 The Taunton Press

To request a reprint of this feature, e-mail Christina Glennon at Fine Homebuilding.



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Free NAHB Kit Gives Builders Back-to-Basics Tips in Cooling Market

With the current cooling of the nation’s housing market expected to persist next year, NAHB has developed a comprehensive online toolkit geared to providing association members with information that will help them prosper in today’s changing business environment.

To access the “Back to Basics” toolkit, you must be an NAHB member and have a login to www.nahb.org. To create a login, go to www.nahb.org/login or click on the log-in button on the main menu bar on the NAHB Web site.

For assistance, call the NAHB Member Service Center at 800-368-5242.


 

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