The swamp plant commonly known as a cattail has been successfully processed into a panel that can be used to replace insulation in homes and commercial buildings.  The process was so successful in fact that a patent has been applied for. 

It has another benefit, according to scientists, that may make it even more popular.  In building projects using recycled materials are an important part of getting a building “Green” certification. How about one using a product that not only is a great insulator but growing its main ingredient in swamp areas has been proven to reduce carbon dioxide emissions? Drained lowland moors in Europe contribute to greenhouse emissions and using these areas to grow cattails will reduce those emissions.

 In addition this insulator is light, permeable, fireproof, and soundproof and it has properties that make using a vapor barrier with this insulator unnecessary.  All of the work performed on this innovation so far have been in Europe as this easily grown plant is much more available there than in the west.  With the many lowlands in America though you can certainly expect we should be able to turn some wasted areas around if this plant can grow here.

The plant itself grows quickly but turning it into panels is not done as easily. At present no manufacturer has invented a way to process these panels on a large scale, but they are working on it. It seems a worthwhile effort especially when you consider all the advantages the product brings to the table.

Current choices for insulation remain the same for now and here at Contractors Solutions we have many hand tools available for you to use in your framing and insulating work. Check out our Balklader work pants with knee pads for those insulation jobs you do in close areas with little head room. Grab a pair today for that next attic or crawlspace job - you’ll be glad you did, and so will your knees.

The Farmer’s Almanac website has gone on record saying the weather for the summer and fall will be drier and warmer than normal. They usually have the best record for long range predictions so we may as well be prepared. One thing is sure when there are heat waves you’ll want to be able to turn to an air conditioning system that can take the edge off those summer melt down days.

Housing starts for the month of April dropped to a five month low and apartment building progress has slowed by almost 40% according to a report filed by Bloomberg News this May. In a somewhat contradictory statistic new building permits issued seems to say that the slump could be over in a very short period of time. There may be a shortage of new land for homes to be built on but that hasn’t seemed to slow the number of permits needed.

The report makes mention of the very low mortgage rates that the Federal Reserve is hoping will end the slowdown. Another indicator that seems to say recovery is slowing, jobless claims, rose at the same time that starts decreased.  Builder sentiment however seems to be relatively high in face of the bad statistics.

The Chairman of the home builder Hovnanian Enterprises was quoted that traffic at new developments was high and the company is seeing “positive momentum.” Some suppliers for the building materials used in this industry have also been seeing an increase in demand.

Most of the optimism does seem focused on the single family home sector. The slowdown in those starts was slight (2.1%) vs. multi-family starts that fell 38.9%. These month to month statistics are hard to read as far as the future goes but in the present builder sentiment isn’t as set in stone as jobless claims and the slowdowns in both markets are. Still the increase in permits and demand for materials is something concrete to hang our hats on.

Those in the housing construction trades can also hang their hats on the fact that Contractors Solutions has the finest contractors’ tool belts and pouches available to make your job easier and more organized. Visit our website and check out our McGuire Nicholas line of these handy helpers and pick out one that will make life on the jobsite a little bit better today.

The old fashioned way to find studs behind drywall meant a bit of trial and error.  You would have a ruler and figure that studs are usually 16” apart and then you’d estimate where the stud is.  Unfortunately you may have had to drive a nail through the drywall to see if a stud actually is there. This practice was not only frustrating, it could have been dangerous if there had been wiring or a pipe there.

This need ultimately led to the development of electronic stud finders and some are better than others. These tools, while handy, can have some drawbacks. Some are not good at finding a stud when you place the finder directly over it. This is due to the fact that their scanners take readings from a single point on the finder. Also when you do find a stud edge you have to continue scanning until a second beep or light flash will indicate the other edge of the stud.

The Franklin Pro Sensor 710 advertises that it uses the full seven inch area of the tool to enable it to find the stud and give you the exact width. The larger area also means that if you place it directly over the stud it will still find it for you without you needing to move it an inch.

There is another tool that is even more effective but adding one to your tool box will cost you. The Bosch D-Tect Wallscanner uses wave technology and can find anything behind your walls. Its scanner penetrates much deeper than any other stud finder - even the Franklin which goes about an inch and a half deep.

At Contractors Solutions we have the hand tools you will want once that stud is found. Our plumb hammers are well constructed and shock absorbent making them great for framing or any other carpentry job you have.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has reported that some new Ford 150 models with their eco-boost system have been having some problems. These vehicles are experiencing sharp reductions of power while driving at higher speeds on highways and one third of the complaints have been made by drivers saying the acceleration is weak during rain storms.

The eco-boost is a fuel injection system with a turbo charger designed to give a V 6 engine V 8 power while reducing fuel costs. There are other engines available for these trucks so not all Ford F 150s are affected. 

Ford has sent three different advisories to dealers about these problems since 2011 and over 400,000 vehicles could have the problem. There is no plan yet to initiate a recall but that may be in the offing. The advisories sent out give instructions on how to reduce moisture build up in the system and if you have been one of those to experience these problems a visit to the dealer will be your best move.
 
A class action lawsuit has been filed in Ohio over these trucks but no accidents have been traced back to this difficulty so far. This setback for Ford could be problematic as they are the number one truck maker in the U.S. and they have been having quite a resurgence in overall sales here and abroad.

The well-made truck is many a contractor’s best friend on the job so here’s hoping you have no problems related to this engine.   At Contractors Solutions we can make that good friend even better with one of our truck racks. Try the new KargoMaster Pro IV Aluminum rack to haul lumber, ladders or any other materials to the jobsite. This high quality truck rack is made for the pickup without a cover and the lightweight aluminum construction can help keep fuel cost to a minimum.