Construction Rollforming Show: Bigger and Better in June
Regulations issued by the State of Ohio have forced Shield Wall Media to postpone the Construction Rollforming Show (CRS), which was scheduled for Cincinnati in December 2020. Several edicts were a challenge, but one we could not overcome was limiting total attendance on the exhibit floor to 300 “patrons.” The State decided exhibitor booth personnel counted as “patrons”—last year, attendees and exhibitors totaled between 900 and 1,000.
Rather than offer an unsatisfactory show, the event was rescheduled to June 3-4, 2021. It’s still at the Duke Energy Convention Center and the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza; publisher Gary Reichert stated that both the venue and the hotel have been extremely supportive and wonderful to work with.
While instincts might be to push forward, in this case it would not be the right move for our exhibitors or attendees. Instead, we take this as a challenge: We will make the June 2021 CRS bigger and better. Visit www.constructionmagnet.com/construction-rollforming-registration for regular updates.
Metal Roofing Alliance Calls for Strong Residential Resiliency Standards in Western States
As wildfires raged in many areas of the West, home resiliency experts said the priority moving forward needs to be on being better prepared. Except for California, which updated its residential fire codes for new construction in 2008, very few Western states have considered mandates for wildfire-resilient housing in wildland-urban interface zones. Now, leading trade organizations such as the Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA) are calling for the adoption of standards and potential incentives that could help homeowners better withstand the growing threat of wildfires in states and regions that currently have no such initiatives.
Because of the behavior of wildland fires, how a home or outbuilding is designed and constructed is the most important factor in providing fire safety. Smart mandates have the potential to help structures survive a wildfire unscathed, as proven by the California codes that require homes built in wildfire vulnerable areas to be built with fire-resistant roofs and siding, interior sprinklers, decks and patios made of non-flammable materials, heat-resistant windows, and more. Research shows that homes built to these codes have sustained far less damage from wildfires than homes built prior to the codes’ adoption in 2008.
With a home or barn’s roof being the single most vulnerable area for ignition in the event of a wildfire, materials such as quality metal roofing systems that carry a Class A rating for fire resistance are essential, yet their adoption in the West isn’t nearly as high as it is in other places.
As this year’s wildfire season damage on the West Coast is still being assessed, the MRA is urging the housing trade, builders, and local officials to help homeowners be better prepared for future wildfire seasons by considering the following:
• Institute fire-resistant building mandates
• Offer incentives to boost fire safety
• Provide education, resources, and information.
Report: New Home Sales “Unstoppable”
New home sales across the country were termed “unstoppable” by a top advisor for residential real estate development and new home construction. On October 22, 2020, experts at Zonda released its New Home Pending Sales Index (PSI) for September, showing pending sales increased month-over-month and year-over-year across the United States. The index is a leading residential real estate indicator based on the number of new home sales contracts signed across the country.
The New Home PSI came in at 170.7 for September, representing a 46.9% increase from September 2019. On a month-over-month basis, new home sales rose by 2.7% from August. September’s data shows that the momentum in the housing market is showing no signs of letting up.
“The U.S. economy flipped from a service-based economy to a goods-based economy and, right now, the most desired ‘good’ is a new home,” said Ali Wolf, chief economist at Zonda. “New home sales are unstoppable even as builders raise prices and election uncertainty heats up.”
Pending new home sales trended above September 2019 levels in nearly every top market across the country.
The best new home markets in September were Denver, Jacksonville, and Raleigh…All of these markets are benefiting from positive net in-migration and are among the top markets in the country for millennials.
“Those that are still employed are putting the economic uncertainty aside and assessing their current situation,” said Wolf. “After spending more time at home for the majority of 2020, many home shoppers realized that more space or an extra bedroom would be nice, and today’s low mortgage rates can help them get there.”
The New Home PSI blends the cumulative sales of active or recently sold projects with the average sales rate per community, which adjusts for fluctuations in supply. Furthermore, the New Home PSI is seasonally adjusted. The index is baselined to 100 for June 2016. Today’s national New Home PSI is 71% above the base level.
ABC Supply Opens New Location In Concord, North Carolina
ABC Supply Co. Inc., the nation’s largest wholesale distributor of roofing, siding, and other select exterior building products, has opened a new location at 7065 Zephyr Place NW in Concord, North Carolina.
Chris Bauerle manages the new location. Bauerle has spent 17 years in the building materials industry, working 13 years for Norandex Building Materials Distribution before joining ABC Supply in 2015 when the company acquired the business. Prior to that, he served for five years in the U.S. Marine Corps. Most recently he served as the delivery services manager for ABC Supply’s Charlotte, North Carolina, location on Atando Avenue.
“We’re excited about the opening of our Concord branch, which will allow us to meet the growing demands for building products and support in the greater Charlotte area,” said Frank Marcoccio, Vice President of ABC Supply’s Southeast Region. “Chris and his team will do a great job of ensuring that area contractors get the support they need to make their jobs easier.”
Rockwool™ Expands Insulation Offerings
Contractors, designers, and installers now have expanded options when it comes to insulation for thermal and sound applications.
Rockwool, North America’s largest stone wool manufacturer, has extended its Comfortbatt® line with products available in several new R-values (R13, R21, and R38), designed to provide customers with more options. In addition, Rockwool has released AFB® for wood stud applications—an acoustical fire batt that is now available in new dimensions designed for wood stud cavities. Traditionally, AFB was designed for steel stud applications only.
Comfortbatt is a semi-rigid stone wool batt insulation for exterior wood and steel stud applications in both new construction and renovations. Rockwool now offers Comfortbatt in R13, R15, R21, R23, R30, and R38.
Comfortbatt and AFB are noncombustible and resist temperatures up to 2,150°F. They provide excellent sound absorption due to their density and nondirectional fiber structure and are uniquely durable against all forms of weather (vapor permeable, water repellent, high drying potential). Rockwool stone wool products, including Comfortbatt and AFB, are manufactured using sustainable materials like basalt rock (an abundant natural resource) and recycled steel slag.
UFP Industries Acquires Fire Retardant Chemical Technologies
UFP Industries has announced that its UFP Retail Solutions business segment acquired the equity of Fire Retardant Chemical Technologies LLC (FRCT). Founded in 2014 and based in Matthews, North Carolina, FRCT’s business includes a research and development laboratory specializing in developing and testing a wide range of high-performance chemicals, including fire retardants and water repellants. Dr. Futong Cui, FRCT’s founder, President and Chief Technology Officer, will continue to lead the company.
“We have been very impressed by UFP Industries’ commitment to innovating and harnessing technology to improve the quality and performance of their products,” said Dr. Cui. “As part of UFP, FRCT will gain a better understanding of the needs of the market. We’ll also have access to the resources we need to develop new technologies to meet those needs and bring them to market faster. With several new products in development and nearing launch, I am excited for FRCT and the opportunities we will create for our customers.”
“Dr. Cui and his team have earned the respect of everyone in the wood products industry for the technologies they have developed,” said Allen Peters, President of UFP Retail Solutions. “These technologies will join our growing portfolio of products and reinforce our commitment to innovation. We expect FRCT’s fire-retardant products to be among the fastest growing in the wood preservation market, as they present a compelling value compared to other fire-resistant materials in the market.”
“The addition of FRCT truly reflects the diverse nature of our business and the ever-increasing importance we place on technology to innovate and bring more value-added products to our customers,” said UFP Industries CEO Matthew J. Missad.
