Insulation is a growth business in commercial construction. Freedonia Group projected U.S. demand for insulation in the commercial building market to rise 3.0 percent annually through 2022 to $3.1 billion, driven by office, retail, lodging, and institutional construction. Those building types use insulation intensively because owners want lower utility bills and less energy consumption, and […]
The standards behind every piece of structural lumber began as a government experiment during the Great Depression. In June 1933, with the economy in collapse, the National Industrial Recovery Act created a system of industry codes that reached into virtually every sector of American manufacturing, including wood products. Out of that system came the regional
An independent lumberyard in West Virginia came within weeks of closing when its founder, who opened the business in 1989, could not find a buyer before his July deadline. A new owner stepped in, kept the name with a small change, and the yard stayed open. Stories like this play out across the country as
Wood is the one structural material that keeps moving after it is installed. Every board, panel, and trim piece carries moisture from the forest, and the mill is the last place a manufacturer can remove it under controlled conditions. A Louisiana plywood and solid wood plant recently put $8 million into that exact problem: a
Privacy fencing has moved far beyond the plain picket line. Homeowners now choose between horizontal board layouts, reinforced vinyl panels, and wood-grain textures that mimic premium lumber without the refinishing schedule. The category has grown into a testing ground for materials science, where steel reinforcement, UV-stable polymers, and textured finishes compete on durability and looks.
Lumber production sits at the start of almost every building project, and the facilities that turn logs into framing lumber are major construction projects in their own right. A single new mill can represent a $150 million investment, occupy more than 300,000 square feet, and feed hundreds of log trucks through its gates every day.
Decks, patios, and porches have long been the places where homeowners relax and entertain, but today’s projects push further into full outdoor rooms with kitchens, ceilings, and cabinetry. The materials that make these spaces work need to hold up to sun, rain, and insects while still looking like part of the house. Southern cypress has
A timber company in rural southwest Virginia announced a new processing complex backed by a $3.76 million investment and a commitment to buy more than $14 million of state-grown timber over three years. Projects of this scale need a full professional team before the first log is cut: engineers to design the plant, surveyors to
Composite decking has become the default choice for outdoor living spaces, and color is a large part of that shift. Manufacturers now offer palettes that mimic freshly milled cedar, sun-bleached driftwood, and rich walnut tones, with embossed grain patterns engineered to survive years of foot traffic. New color lines carry names like Coastline, English Walnut,
Independent lumber yards survive by doing what big-box stores will not: knowing the customer, carrying the right stock, and fixing problems without an argument. A family-owned yard in Nebraska draws customers from a 30-mile radius, gets 60 percent of its business from contractors, and keeps 80 percent of buyers on house accounts. The yard competes
