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.
