Improving Housing Reports to Start 2012

As we progress through one of the milder winters in history (so far, at least!) we continue to see signs of life within the housing market. Although the price of homes is continuing to be dragged down by the sale of foreclosed or distressed homes, the need for homes is starting to climb back. Within Wisconsin we see positive growth in multifamily and commercial projects, as well as more winter activity from our single-family builders.

Regionally, December housing starts rose 54.8 percent in the Midwest, following a decline in November. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is also happy to report an increase in nationwide production of new single-family homes for the third month in a row.

With those numbers, we’re starting to get a more complete picture of last year’s housing market compared to the year before. The total of housing starts for 2011 shows an increase of nearly 4 percent. The number of multifamily starts increased 54 percent from 2010. While single-family starts were down overall, we’re encouraged by improvement in the past few months.

The Random Lengths Oriented Strand Board Composite is inching up, and the latest report shows pricing nearly the same as this time last year. In the North Central region, prices of 7/16” OSB are also edging upward.

Many of us are preparing for expos and other association events across Wisconsin. Keep an eye on the Wisconsin Building Supply Facebook page to find out where we’ll be. And as always, we’d like to stay up-to-date on your projects and community involvement, so let us know how you’re doing!

Winter Building Event Highlights in Wisconsin

We like to keep you updated on opportunities to learn, network and generate leads! Keep an eye on our Facebook Events page to find out what’s coming up across Wisconsin.

Here are some events we’d like to highlight as we begin 2012:

Visit our booth at the Home Expo!

Look for Wisconsin Building Supply at the Brown County Home Builders Association’s Home Expo January 19–22. The KI Convention Center in Downtown Green Bay will host more than 100 professionals in homebuilding and remodeling. Make sure your customers check out the how-to demonstrations and seminars throughout the weekend.
Home Expo attendees will be able to get some great ideas from exhibitors, and then use their Expo tickets to see completed projects the following weekend. The Tour of Remodeled Homes, January 28–29, will feature 13 recently completed remodeling projects. Homes will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Click here to visit the BCHBA website for details about both events. You can also direct your customers to this site for a $1 discount coupon.

The Valley Home Builders Association’s Winter Wonderland of Homes is February 18–19 and 23–26. The public will be able to tour 35 newly constructed homes throughout the Fox Cities. Wisconsin Building Supply’s Appleton location will sell discounted tickets February 13–17. Visit the Winter Wonderland of Homes website and watch our Facebook page for more details.

Wisconsin Building Supply is proud to return as a sponsor of the Wisconsin Builders Conference at Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells. This year’s conference is February 22–24.

The Wisconsin Builders Association lists some great reasons to attend:

• Earn CEU credits at seminars by industry leaders on business and building.
• Network with fellow builders, associates and make new connections. It's open to all industry professionals!
• Jumpstart your year with new business tools to remain competitive.
• Meet industry experts and see innovative products at the Vendor Showcase.
• Award winners will be announced Thursday night at the President's Recognition evening. 

Click here to visit the WBA website for complete details and registration information. We’re looking forward to seeing you at the WBS hospitality suite!

Let us know about your upcoming events! Contact your local Wisconsin Building Supply location or write on our Facebook wall.

Looking Ahead to 2012, Housing News, Dura Supreme Deals

Happy Holidays! As we near the end of 2011, we would like to take the time to thank all of you for your business and the opportunity to work with you and your customers.

Industry Outlook
We are often asked for our thoughts on what the future holds within our industry. It’s important to remember that our industry is most impacted by local events and not national issues. In real estate, appreciation in the California market does not indicate the same will be true for Detroit. It’s the same for construction – just because Florida is soft doesn’t mean Milwaukee is. As for Wisconsin in 2012, we see pockets of growth. We expect new shipbuilding contracts to impact Marinette for the better. However, this is expected to have little or no impact in La Crosse. Fundamentally, good news does seem to be slowly returning to our markets. Continue reading and you’ll learn multifamily continues to show improvement and builder confidence is climbing.

Looking Ahead to 2012
At Wisconsin Building Supply, we are working on several significant initiatives to improve our ability to support you and your business. We will be introducing new products and vendors in 2012, as well as improving and expanding our website and technical resources. We will also commit to providing faster, more accurate estimates. These initiatives are designed to improve our ability to serve you, as you serve your customers.

Multi-Family Production Continues
As we’ve seen in Wisconsin, multi-family housing is a bright spot in the broader U.S. housing market. New households tend to become renters, and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) believes this trend is likely to continue until consumers’ confidence returns. In the third quarter of 2011, NAHB’s Multifamily Production Index (MPI) improved for the fifth consecutive quarter. The MPI measures construction in low-rent apartments, market-rate rental apartments and “for-sale” units, or condominiums.

Single-Family Housing Shows Improvement
The cost of lumber materials for a typical two-story house is up 1.80% from last month. Nationwide, there have been some more signs of improvement. For example, builder confidence tracked by the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index climbed six points over the past two months to a reading of 20 in November. A reading of 50 indicates a balanced market. New single-family home sales have been up for two consecutive months, and single-family starts rose by a solid 3.9% in October after declines for three months in a row.

U.S. Lumber Exports Surge
The volume of softwood lumber available to the U.S. market was up 4.1% through three quarters of 2011, thanks to domestic gains in output that offset declines in imports. Random Lengths reports that nearly 26 billion board feet (bbf) of lumber was available to the market – the highest for the nine-month period since 2008. U.S. lumber production totaled 20.339 bbf through the period, a gain of 8.8%. Total U.S. imports, at 6.759 bbf, represented a 5.1% decline, while U.S. exports surged 29.3%, to 1.148 bbf.

Featured Product and Promotion: Dura Supreme
Minnesota-based Dura Supreme cabinetry has established a tradition of craftsmanship and service that is supported by a lifetime warranty. Of Dura Supreme’s three cabinetry product lines, our WBS kitchen designers use Crestwood most often. That’s because they can create their own designs with cost-effective construction and consistent quality. Our WBS design centers are offering special prices on your Dura Supreme orders, including NO UPCHARGE on premium woods and NO CUT-DOWN CHARGES. You can get these savings through January 15, 2012.

Get Some Attention in 2012!
How about a win-win New Year’s resolution? Show off your projects, business news and community involvement through Wisconsin Building Supply. We’re eager to share customer updates and photos on the web. Click here to contact WBS, or check us out on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

As your local provider of building materials we look forward to working with you to create a prosperous 2012 for all of us. Thank you again for your business.

November News: Multifamily Growth, Confidence Boost, Faulty Appraisals

Welcome Lyman Lumber

Wisconsin Building Supply is pleased to welcome a new member to the family. On October 28, 2011, Lyman Lumber joined the USLBM family of companies and adds to the continued growth of our organization. Lyman Lumber has been in business for 114 years and has facilities in Eau Claire, as well as the Twin Cities in Minnesota.


Market Updates
We’re always keeping our eyes on the markets, and our numbers show the cost of lumber materials for a typical two-story house is down 0.41% from this time last year. According to Random Lengths, U.S. lumber production as of August is up 8.5% from the same period of 2010 – that’s a total of 18.008 billion board feet for the first two-thirds of this year. Nationwide, August production totaled 2.301 billion board feet, up 7.3% from August 2010 and 3.1% higher than the July 2011 total. Prices for 7/16” OSB are holding steady at levels slightly higher than one year ago, and sales are in step with production for the most part.


Multifamily Growth Continues
Multifamily builds are continuing to push U.S. housing starts. The Census Bureau reports that in September, the multifamily rate surged 51.3% to its highest level since October 2008, while the rate of single-family starts rose by 1.7%. Analysts say these gains are due to the rising demand for apartments and condominiums as more Americans look at renting.


Boost in Builder Confidence
The National Association of Home Builders says builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes has had the largest one-month gain its index has seen since the home buyer tax credit program helped spur the market in April of 2010.

“This latest boost in builder confidence is a good sign that some pockets of recovery are starting to emerge across the country as extremely favorable interest rates and prices catch consumers’ attention,” said NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe.

Crowe also points out that builders still aren’t giving market conditions a good rating: “One reason is that builders are facing downward pricing pressures from foreclosed homes at the same time that building materials costs are rising, and this is further squeezing already tight margins.”


Fighting Faulty Appraisals
Another recent focus is faulty appraisal practices that hurt builders who are already facing declining home prices, rising foreclosures and plunging new-home sales. The NAHB says builders’ houses are too often appraised at less than the cost of construction.

“This is not only unfair and unreasonable, but it perpetuates the cycle of declining home values, drives more home owners underwater, negatively affects housing demand and acts as an obstacle to the recovery of the housing market,” NAHB Chairman Bob Nielsen said.

Last month, the NAHB held its fourth appraisal summit with representatives of federal banking regulators, the appraisal industry, the housing finance industry, real estate and residential construction. To learn more, visit the NAHB Appraisal Issues Page.


Featured Product:
We’re continuing our monthly series of featured products with Andersen 100 Series Windows. Whether you’re replacing, remodeling or building, you can bring Andersen beauty, craftsmanship and time-tested performance into a home for less than you may expect. Andersen 100 Series windows are made with Fibrex® composite material, which allows Andersen to offer an uncommon value that’s environmentally responsible and energy efficient. Watch our Facebook and Twitter posts to learn more, or contact your local Wisconsin Building Supply to get a closer look.


Spreading the Word

We’d be glad to shine our social media spotlight on your projects and activities with photos and updates. We’re also adding more Facebook Events, such as the House of the Future Preview Party in Mount Horeb on November 16. Keep us in the loop, and we’ll spread the word!

WBS Kitchen Remodel: A Place For Everything, and Everything in its Place

A seasoned veteran of the kitchen and bath industry, Lori Engelhart began her career in 1986 and earned her accreditation with the National Kitchen & Bath Association in 1996. Lori enjoys creating beautiful dream kitchens that are also truly functional. Striving daily to exceed her clients’ expectations with outstanding design and service has earned her many repeat customers and referrals.

My client’s kitchen was only ten years old, but the cabinet doors were falling off the hinges. The kitchen was dark -- even on sunny days -- as there was a wall separating the four-season sunroom and the great room. The homeowner wanted to open up the area to create open living space. By doing so, the dining room table would be moved out to the four-season room. The kitchen would be expanded with a large island at bar height to hide the kitchen area. She wanted to add large appliances and more counter space, since she enjoys cooking and baking. With two children in middle school and sports and her own volunteering, she also needed a place to house the calendar (her "family Bible"), her cell phone and purse -- all out of sight, but not out of mind.

The family consists of the father, mother and two children. Since the father is a doctor and does not have a 9-to-5 day, they wanted a warming drawer to keep his dinner warm until he made it home. They are also very active (running, biking, boating), so they wanted an ice maker to avoid buying bagged ice every time they went out on the boat. They also requested instant hot and cold water and a beverage area out of the work triangle. I achieved their needs with:

• A small sink between the refrigerator and ovens and a hutch above. The sink has an instant hot and cold water tap, as well as a standard faucet.
• An ice maker to the right of the sink with a door on it to conceal the look.
• A Sub-Zero drawer refrigerator in the island with paneled drawer fronts to conceal the appliance.

The homeowners are 6’2” and 5’2”, so another challenge was to get storage and accessibility for both.  I achieved this by:

• Lowering the wall cabinets to 16 1/4” above the counter. This allowed for the 14” high mixer to be stored in the appliance garage but made the upper cabinets more accessible to the bottom two shelves in the wall cabinets.
• Moving the microwave from above the stove into the island using Wolf’s drawer microwave.
• Adding a tall pull-out pantry to keep the storage of the homeowner’s spices close at hand.

Because they wanted as much cabinet space as possible, Holiday Kitchens’ Robin Wilson Home (RWH) custom cabinetry frameless line was selected for this project.

• Perimeter selections were Georgian door style, along with 3” stiles and rails in cameo with mocha glaze. This makes the space appear brighter and look larger.
• The islands and hutch cabinetry selections are Embassy door-style, with splits and wormholes in a custom color on maple. A glaze anchors them in the room and ties in with the wood flooring.

Ultimate Goal Achieved
We opened the wall up, and kept the traditional look the homeowner wanted by using a large beam and pillars. The original floor in the kitchen was refinished and the hickory was extended into the great room area for continuity. I took out the lowered seating around the island and made it one big work surface, putting cabinets back to back and finishing with wainscot end panels. But rather than having a standard 1 ½” overhang on the center island tops, we created additional interest by repeating the radius on the ends as on the raised bar top. Since we used the cameo-painted cabinets with glaze on the perimeter and went with darker accent cabinets for the island, the space seemed larger thanks to the tie-in to the darker colors in the hickory floor.

In order to stay organized, “Mom” needed a place for a calendar to record all the family members' activities. I designed a raised counter where the top drawer houses her calendar. This allows a comfortable standing position. This area also holds her purse and cell phone when she arrives at home – a spot out of the way of food prep, but easily accessible. The family needed a place for the computer, so we placed a small desk in the corner of the four-season room, using entertainment hardware to conceal it when not in use. There are also cubbies for envelopes, stapler, etc. behind the right side door.

Finally – A place for everything and everything in its place.

Watching a design come to life—and seeing the smiles on my clients’ faces—is one of my greatest rewards!

- Lori Engelhart, CKD – Wisconsin Building Supply, La Crosse

This post originally appeared on the Holiday Kitchens blog.

Additional products featured in this kitchen project:
Flooring: Natural hickory
Countertops/Vanity Tops: Golden beach granite
Sinks: Elkay ELGULB3322

Faucets: Delta 980T-RB
Instant hot/cold faucet: Insink Erator Indulge™ Contemporary (F-HC1100)
Dishwasher: Bosch stainless steel
Cooktop: Wolf SRT364C-LP
Refrigerator: Sub-Zero BI-48S/S/TH
Beverage refrigerator: 700BR refg in island (with matching wood panels)

Oven: Wolf DO30U/S

Wolf MWD24 microwave drawer

Wolf warming drawer WWD30 (with matching wood panels)
Uline ice maker BI2115B (with matching wood panels)

October Updates: Material Costs, OSHA Guidance, Featured Products

The weather this month in Wisconsin sure hasn’t seemed like autumn -- and we’ll take as many good building days as we can get! The backlog of business with our customers appears to be a little stronger compared to this time last year. Roofing sales continue to be brisk across the state, mainly due to the storm damage over the past year.

The cost of lumber materials for a typical two-story house is up 4.32% from this time last year, although current prices are 2.1% below the YTD average and 3.7% below the 2010 average prices. In fact, the Commerce Department reports U.S. construction spending rose 1.4% in August, estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $799.1 billion. That’s 1.4% higher than the revised July estimate and 0.9% higher than the August 2010 figure.

We also have updates on OSHA’s new fall protection requirements -- there is new compliance assistance for builders. The NAHB says this includes:

• OSHA’s Compliance Assistance Specialists (CAS) will give the highest priority to on-site consultation project requests involving residential fall protection.
• If an inspection finds that employers are following the old directive instead of the new one, a citation will likely be issued but OSHA’s area directors may reduce the penalty by as much as 10% if there is evidence of a good faith effort to comply.
• Area directors will give residential construction employers at least 30 days to correct fall protection violations identified under the new fall protection directive. During this time, if employers are found not to be in compliance at that site or another site, no additional citations or repeat citations will be issued. 

In addition, OSHA’s regional offices will review all the proposed fall protection citations that are issued to ensure that the regulation is being enforced consistently. These additional measures went into effect on Sept. 22 and will expire on March 15.

OSHA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) just released new guidance for residential homebuilders and construction contractors, subcontractors, and supervisors to prevent nail gun injuries.  The guide outlines types of triggers, describes key terms, highlights what is known about nail gun injuries, discusses common causes of nail gun injuries and gives practical steps you can take to prevent these injuries. Click here to read Nail Gun Safety: A Guide for Construction Contractors. 

We’re featuring Weyerhaeuser’s Trus Joist brand of engineered lumber products on social media this month. You may have known Weyerhaeuser’s wood product as iLevel, but the company recently adjusted its name in order to simplify customer contacts. The “iLevel by Weyerhaeuser” business will simply be known as “Weyerhaeuser.” Trus Joist developed wooden I-joists over 40 years ago, and since then Weyerhaeuser has continually improved their quality and made them easier to work with. Engineered to provide strength and consistency, TJI joists are a key part of the Trus Joist Floor System using TJ-Pro Ratings to help ensure high customer satisfaction and quality.

Staying up-to-date on your projects and community involvement is important to us, so please keep us updated. We’re glad to feature your work on our website and social media. Contact your local Wisconsin Building Supply representative or leave us a comment on this post.

Nail Gun Safety: A Guide for Construction Contractors

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) just released new guidance for residential home builders and construction contractors, subcontractors, and supervisors to prevent nail gun injuries.

Nail Gun Safety: A Guide for Construction Contractors outlines types of triggers, describes key terms, highlights what is known about nail gun injuries, discusses common causes of nail gun injuries and gives six practical steps you can take to prevent these injuries:

1. Use full sequential trigger nail guns
2. Provide training
3. Establish nail gun work procedures
4. Provide personal protective equipment (PPE)
5. Encourage reporting and discussion of injuries and close calls
6. Provide first aid and medical treatment.

Click here for a PDF version of Nail Gun Safety: A Guide for Construction Contractors.

Fall Showcase of New Homes Highlights WBS Customers

The Brown County Home Builders Association’s Fall Showcase of New Homes begins this weekend -- September 17-18, 22-25. Wisconsin Building Supply is proud to work with a number of the area builders opening their completed homes to the public. Our customers in the event are listed below, with their Showcase entry numbers. Click the builder links to learn more about each home.

3. Bay Lakes Builders & Development

3546 Brookside Drive, Pittsfield, 54162

WBS Materials: Lumber, Trusses, Shingles, Siding & Soffit, Interior Doors.

7. Ronald J. Sinclair Const., LLC

1164 Herne Bay Way, Howard, 54313

WBS Materials: Lumber, Siding, Roofing, Interior Doors, Exterior Doors, Windows.

14. Smart Custom Homes

1433 Silverado Trail, Ashwaubenon, 54115  

WBS Materials: Lumber, Siding, Roofing, Interior Doors, Exterior Doors, Windows.

16. Integrity Home Builders, Inc.

997 Daffodil Drive Ashwaubenon, 54115  

WBS Materials: Lumber, Trusses, Shingles, Windows & Exterior Doors, Siding & Soffit, Drywall, Interior Doors.

22. Gmack Development, Inc.

1406 Bingham Drive, Ledgeview, 54115

WBS Materials: Lumber, Siding, Roofing, Windows.

23. Detrie Construction, Inc.
2472 Reginald Hill, Ledgeview, 54115
WBS Materials: Lumber, Trusses, Shingles, Drywall.

27. Gmack Development, Inc.
2118 Ridge Haven Court, Ledgeview, 54115

28. M. Gerhard Construction, Inc.
608 Marble Rock Circle, Ledgeview, 54115
WBS Materials: Lumber, Siding, Roofing, Windows.

29. PortSide Builders, Inc.
6792 Denor Drive, Morrison, 54208


31. LeMense Quality Homes, Inc. 
415 Hidden Hollow Court, Denmark, 54208
WBS Materials: Lumber, Trusses, Shingles, Exterior Doors, Siding & Soffit, Drywall.

35. LeMense Quality Homes, Inc.
3708 Hoosier Way, Green Bay, 54311
WBS Materials: Lumber, Trusses, Shingles, Exterior Doors, Siding & Soffit, Drywall.

39. Hurrish Homes & Development 

4047 Snake Island Road, Nasewaupee (Sturgeon Bay), 54235 

WBS Materials: Lumber, Shingles, Windows & Exterior Doors, Siding & Soffit, Drywall.

Visit the BCHBA Fall Showcase of New Homes website for details on tickets, hours and directions. 

Autumn is Arriving at Wisconsin Building Supply

Labor Day weekend has come and gone, and it’s football season once again! Autumn is arriving in Wisconsin, which means the push is on to complete projects before the inevitable winter weather.

The cost of lumber materials for a typical two-story house has dipped slightly from last month, but the current amount is up compared to this time period in 2010 and 2009. United States softwood lumber exports offshore soared to the highest first-half volume in more than a decade, according to a recent Random Lengths report. That’s 488 million board feet in the first half, up 77% from the first six months of 2010. China is still the largest export market for U.S. lumber by a sizeable margin, and Canadian exports to China are growing significantly.

We’re all aware of the dismal status of many economic and housing reports recently. But the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has just released a new monthly economic indicator -- the NAHB/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI) -- designed to track housing markets throughout the country that are showing signs of improving economic health.

“By examining key indicators of home prices, employment and housing permits data, we are using a comprehensive, but conservative method in determining which markets are improving,” said NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. “Last year at this time, there was not a single market that showed improvement using these criteria, and now we can point to 12 examples of growth.”

Click here to see the first metro areas to make the list. 

We also want to make you aware that the Wisconsin Builders Association is seeking nominations for major awards:

•       Builder of the Year
•       Associate of the Year
•       Hall of Fame
•       Rising Star 

Nomination forms are available on the WBA website and are due September 30, 2011.  For questions on these awards, please contact Kathy Johnsen at (608) 242-5151, ext. 12, or kjohnsen@wisbuild.org.

Please continue to keep us updated on your projects and community involvement, as we like to share photos and information on our website and social media sites.  Thank you for your business and continued support!

WBS Employee Recognized By Fox Valley Technical College

Wisconsin Building Supply employee Paul Schneckenberg was recognized as the Construction Partner of the Year for Fox Valley Technical College’s Residential Construction Program. Paul received the award on behalf of WBS for his outstanding dedication to working with FVTC throughout the years.

In working with the Residential Construction Program, Paul coordinates product selection and delivery and takes care of sales and service issues.

Paul has been with WBS for 16 years and works in Contractor and Retail Sales at our Appleton location.

Here are some photos of the awards ceremony, which was held on August 2nd at a home built by the FVTC Residential Construction Program.

FVTC President, Susan May; Paul Schneckenberg; Homeowner Cheryl Pawlosky

Paul Schneckenberg and FVTC Instructor Bill Tuchscherer

Students from 2010-2011 FVTC Residential Construction Program