NBN Online for the week of March 24, 2008

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

In This Issue:

Front Page
Move to Ease Mortgage Credit Crunch Not Bold Enough
Salt Lake Builders Make ‘Buy-Now’ Headlines in Local Newspaper
Layouts for Living
BALA Room of the Year — A Boat Builder’s Refuge
Coast to Coast
Housing Slump Means Tough Times for Timber
Politics & Government
Foreclosures Taking a Big Toll on City Finances, Poll Shows
Mark Your Calendar for the 2008 NAHB Legislative Conference
Economics & Finance
Single-Family Starts Hug a Downward Road in February
Close Ties to Lenders Urged as Credit Crunch Spreads to Builders
Albany Faring Better Than Many Other Local Housing Markets
News Encouraging on Mortgage Rates, Existing-Home Sales
Eye on the Economy: The Core Problem Is Falling House Prices
Useful Links to Monitor Economic and Housing Trends
Tips
Builders' Tip: How to Cope-Cut Quarter-Round Trim
Business Management
Satisfied Customers Key to Success in Down Market
Knowing the Local Market Inside and Out a Matter of Survival
Use a Blog to Enhance New Home Customer Service
Building Quality
Researcher Offers 10 Survival Tips for the Housing Downturn
50Plus Housing
Attend 50+ Symposium in New Orleans on May 19-21
Help Rebuild New Orleans at 50+ Housing Symposium
Multifamily
Industry Experts Headed for Colorado Pillars Conference
Design
Enter the Best in American Living Awards Competition
Remodelers
Census Bureau Stops Collecting Remodeling Data
Join the Fun of Remodelers Night Out at Buffalo Billiards on May 1
Building Systems
Cement Consumption Expected to Be Down Until 2009
Education
Boost Business Skills During National Designation Month
Education Calendar
Green Building
Attend the Green Building Conference, May 11-13
Building Products
BASF Study Shows SIPs Cut Framing Labor in Half
JELD-WEN Says Buyers Judge a Home By Its Outside Appearance
TV
NAHB-Produced Programs on DIY, Fine Living and HGTV
Endowment
Endowment Awards HELP Grants to Four Colleges
HBAs: Challenge/Build/Grow Proposals Due by March 28
Applications for Centex ‘Build Your Future’ Scholarships Due April 7
Apply for Herman J. Smith Scholarships by May 5
Association News
Philip Polivchak, HBI President and Founder, Dies at 74
Get Free ‘April Is New Homes Month,’ Resources Online Now
Drive Away With a Shiny New $500 GM Private Offer
UPS Offers Up to 30% Discount to NAHB Members on Shipping
New: Register Online for Spokesperson Training
Introducing the Hertz Green Collection. Reserve and Conserve.
Calendar of Events
NAHB Career Center

Builders' Tip: How to Cope-Cut Quarter-Round Trim

 

 

 

Click for larger image.

I recently had to install a lot of 3⁄4-inch quarter-round trim.

I prefer coped corners to mitered corners, but given the amount of trim required by this job, I had to find an expedient way to cut it all.

As shown in the accompanying drawing, I devised a rig that yields accurate results with a minimum of effort.

  • I started with a scrap piece of 2x6 about 14 inches long.

  • Using my table saw, I plowed a 3⁄4-inch by 3⁄4-inch groove the length of the 2x6 to accommodate the quarter-round trim. The groove holds the trim as it is cut by a 1-1⁄2-inch diameter hole saw from above.

  • As shown in the drawing, the hole saw is guided by a 1x4 guide block. I made this block out of oak because it holds up well after repeated cuts.


Using this rig makes coping quarter-round trim a breeze.

For quarter-rounds of a different radius, simply cut a groove to fit the trim, and use a hole saw that is twice the radius of the trim.

— M. P. Whipple, Afton, N.Y.

Tips & Techniques provided by Fine Homebuilding.
©2008 The Taunton Press

To contact Fine Homebuilding, e-mail Christina Glennon.



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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