NBN Online for the week of January 21, 2008

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

In This Issue:

Front Page
NAHB, Administration in Sync on Housing Legislation Need
Builders: Today’s Rate Cut Is Tomorrow’s Sale
Avoid the Lines, Register Online for IBS by Friday, Jan. 25
NAHB Branding Online Survey Coming Soon
Coast to Coast
Falling Timbers: Good News for Builders, Buyers as Lumber Prices Hit Two-Year Low
Building Products
Lutron System Remotely Controls Home Lighting
Lubrizol Offers Versatile Water Distribution Manifold System
Sage Software Improves Visibility of Critical Business Data
Dow Structural Insulated Sheathing Faster to Install
Bose Entertainment System Integrates Seamlessly Into Home
Lennox Products Keep Indoor Air Clean and Comfortable
PERC Booth Shows Advantages of Propane Lifestyle
HGTVPro.com Interviews the Experts, Holds Panel on Color
Politics & Government
Green Mandate an Obstacle to HOPE VI Support
States Taking the Lead to Limit Home Foreclosures
Permit Process Remains Top Industry Concern Even in Downturn
Illegal Worker Crackdown a Threat to Businesses, Report Finds
Economics & Finance
Builders Cut Housing Starts Further in December
Builder Confidence Virtually Unchanged in January
NAHB Members Urged to Complete Economic Data Census Form
Useful Links to Monitor Economic and Housing Trends
IBS
Get Top-Level Survival Tips at ‘Executive Edge’ at IBS
Tips
Builders' Tip: Reduce Cleanup With This Paintbrush Garage
Business Management
Computer Labs at IBS Showcase Builder Technology
50Plus Housing
Madison’s Troy Gardens Builds a Sense of Community
Multifamily
Learn About Multifamily Forecast, Marketing at IBS
Remodelers
NAHB Averts End to Census Bureau Remodeling Data
Things You Can Do If the Slowdown Slowed You Down
Do You Know a Remodeler Who Deserves Recognition?
Building Systems
Quality, Not Speed, Important to Modular Home Buyers
Courses Provide Training on Proper Roof Installation
Commercial
Light Commercial Offers Challenges, Opportunities
Education
Education Calendar
Green Building
Green Building Standard Comments Due Feb. 4
Green Building Award Entries Deadline Soon
Design
Best in American Living Awards Fete Set for Feb. 12
Regulation
Rapanos Guidance Fails to End Wetlands Permit Confusion
Construction Safety
Safety Award Finalists Named, Ceremony Tickets Available
Labor
Industry Leaders to Recognize Job Corps Graduates
TV
HGTV Giving Away $2 Million Dream Home in Florida Keys
NAHB-Produced Programs on DIY, Fine Living and HGTV
Endowment
Charitable Contributions to Be Honored at Builders’ Show
Association News
Bob Moomey, Spokesperson Trainer for NAHB, Dies at 71
NAHB Board Meeting Set for Feb. 15 in Orlando
Introducing the Hertz Green Collection. Reserve and Conserve.
Dell to Give Double Discounts in February
UPS Offers Up to 30% Discount to NAHB Members on Shipping
Calendar of Events
NAHB Career Center

Builders' Tip: Reduce Cleanup With This Paintbrush Garage

 

 

 

Click to enlarge.

Real painters clean their brushes every day.

I am not a real painter, but I often seal end-grain cuts and back-prime siding and exterior trim with an oil-based primer.

To save cleanup time at the end of the day, I keep my brush in a “brush garage” rig shown in the accompanying drawing.

  • My brush garage consists of a one-gallon paint pail, a 1x4 crossbar nailed to a doughnut-shaped plywood base and a five-gallon drywall bucket with a lid.

  • To use it, I put several inches of paint thinner in the paint pail and suspend the brush from the nail hanger so that the bristles are immersed in the thinner.

  • Then I cover the drywall bucket to keep the thinner from evaporating.


This setup allows me to go weeks between cleaning my brush.

Also, at the end of a long day of running siding and trim, it sure is nice not to have to deal with paint-thinner fumes and drips.

— John Carroll, Durham, N.C.

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

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



Set Yourself Apart With CGB Designation

Join the ranks of the nation’s top building industry professionals with the Certified Graduate Builder (CGB) designation. The “Builder Assessment Review” (BAR) is your first step towards obtaining the CGB.

This comprehensive assessment measures your expertise in the four key areas of the building industry: building technology, business and finance, project management and sales and marketing.

Your results will show the areas where your knowledge is strongest and weakest and will help determine the courses required for you to obtain your CGB.

To learn where the next BAR will be held, visit NAHB’s education listings, or call the Professional Designation Help Line at 800-368-5242 x8154.



BuilderBooks.com Offers More Than 250 Books That Help You Build Your Business

BuilderBooks.com is your source for training and education products for the building industry. The official bookstore for NAHB, BuilderBooks.com offers award-winning publications, software, brochures and more available in both English and Spanish.

To view these publications online, click here, or call 800-223-2665.



Free NAHB Kit Gives Builders Back-to-Basics Tips to Navigate the Slowdown

What was once expected to be a relatively mild housing slump following three years of record new home construction and sales has given way to a significant downturn.

To help members navigate the uncharted waters of this slowdown, NAHB has compiled a comprehensive “Back to Basics” online toolkit — the best of the basics, the tried and true and the truly new. To access the toolkit, click here.

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.

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


 

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