Contractor articles from July 2007

Contractor archives from July 2007

Condensing boilers save: newspaper energy, space.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
July 1, 2007... DUBUQUE, IOWA -- The Dubuque Telegraph-Herald has been publishing since 1850 to a readership in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. Because the news never sleeps, the building gets a lot of use, at all hours and in all seasons, including harsh...

Home depot to sell: HD supply to private equity firms.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
July 1, 2007... ATLANTA -- The Home Depot has reached an agreement to sell its HD Supply wholesale business to a consortium of private equity firms. After a review of alternatives, Home Depot's board of directors unanimously approved the sale of HD Supply...

Sprinklers could have saved: nine firefighters.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
July 1, 2007... CHARLESTON, S.C. -- A fire sprinkler system would have saved lives in a furniture store and warehouse inferno that occurred June 18 here, fire sprinkler advocates said. The Sofa Super Store did not have fire sprinklers. Nine firefighters...

Preferred weekend leisure activities for women and men.(INFOCUS)
July 1, 2007... Preferred weekend leisure activities for women and men Women Men Home-improvent project 37% 49% Shop at mall 28% 15% Cook/bake 25% 12% Other 10% 24%...

RPA meeting, REX trade show to sport 'All-Stars' theme.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
July 1, 2007... LOVELAND, COLO. -- Contractors, builders, designers, floor-covering professionals, specifiers and other interested trades are invited to attend the upcoming Radiant Panel Association National Conference and Radiant Expo Aug. 22-24 in Hartford,...

Brad Sell, 54, crusaded for cancer awareness.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
July 1, 2007... MARION, MASS. -- Brad Sell, who made it his mission to educate the male-dominated plumbing-and-heating industry about early detection of prostate cancer, died of the disease June 16. He was 54. Before Sell's diagnosis of prostate cancer...

CONTRACTOR offices: move to new address.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
July 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- CONTRACTOR's main offices, including those of the publisher and editors, have moved from Des Plaines, Ill., to a new location. Our new address is: 330 N. Wabash Ave.; Suite 2300; Chicago, IL 60611. E-mail addresses for...

Manufacturers push 1.28-gpf toilet law.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
July 1, 2007... SACRAMENTO, CALIF. -- The Plumbing Manufacturers Institute has partnered with California Rep. John Laird to establish a multi-year phase-in of high-efficiency toilets that use 1.28-gal. per flush or less. PMI has decided to be an active...

Plumbing Council partners with Cardinals.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
July 1, 2007... ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Plumbing Industry Council, in conjunction with United Association Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562, has become a corporate sponsor of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. Starting with its annual "Night at the Ball...

Arbitrators unveil: home construction rules, procedures.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
July 1, 2007... NEW YORK -- The American Arbitration Association announced June 1 the launch of its Home Construction Arbitration Rules and Mediation Procedures, a new process implemented specifically for residential construction. AAA said that as its...

Consumers' biggest reasons in picking HVAC contractor.(INFOCUS)
July 1, 2007... Consumers' biggest reasons in picking HVAC contractor Good reputation 54% Certified techs 10% Lowest price 10% Price by the job 8% Response speed 7% Authorized dealer 5% Don't know 5% Service...

Haberberger.(In Brief)
July 1, 2007... St. Louis-based mechanical contractor Haberberger has been recognized by Anheuser-Busch for its safe working environment for the second year in a row. Anheuser-Busch recently presented Haberberger with the 2007 Alabaster Eagle Award for Safety....

GreenSpec Directory.(In Brief)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... The seventh edition of the GreenSpec Directory will be available at the end of July. This expanded edition includes more than 2,000 product listings for environmentally friendly materials and tools, including 232 new listings. With the...

Plumbers' Success International.(In Brief)
July 1, 2007... Plumbers' Success International will hold its next summit for residential plumbing contractors Aug. 6-10 in Orlando, Fla. PSI members attend each Expo to learn successful strategies and tips from fellow members while receiving five days of...

Ken Simonson.(In Brief)(commented on payroll employment report)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America, Ken Simonson, commenting on the June 1 payroll employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, said nonresidential construction is still a potent job creator. Seasonally...

Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors--National Association's annual convention, Network '07.(In Brief)
July 1, 2007... Contractors seeking ways to find and retain employees in a tight labor market can learn solutions at Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors--National Association's annual convention, Network '07, Oct. 24-27 in Anaheim, Calif. In seminars Oct. 25,...

Concept home gives blueprint for green houses.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
July 1, 2007... OMAHA, NEB. -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in early June completed America's first PATH Concept Home here featuring more than 60 efficient, sustainable and flexible products and systems in one affordable home. ...

Letter to dean of college construction program.(INDUSTRY EDUCATION)
July 1, 2007... THE FOLLOWING IS a letter that I recently sent to the dean of a college construction program. I was asked about the school's current curriculum and what suggestions I might make to improve upon it. The dean was soliciting suggestions from all...

MSCA taps tech school partner.(INDUSTRY EDUCATION)
July 1, 2007... ROCKVILLE, MD. -- The Mechanical service Contractors of America has named HVAC excellence as its technical school partner for its 5 star Careers technician recruitment initiative. As part of the arrangement, MSCA has included a link to HVAC...

MCAA offers help for contractors going green.(FORUM)(Mechanical Contractors Association of America )
July 1, 2007... WE HAVE REACHED an exciting juncture in the mechanical construction and service industry: Each of us has the opportunity to make a real difference in the world for this generation and generations to come. As Mechanical Contractors Association...

Small hole in valve aids gravity system.(LETTERS AND E-MAILS)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... VIA E-MAIL -- I have a gravity return line in my home that I personally built (I was an upscale builder). It has worked fine for the past 10 years until I went away for 10 days recently and decided to shut the water off to forestall any damage...

Questions on solar DHW.(LETTERS AND E-MAILS)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... GLENVIEW, ILL. -- Great article by Dave Yates about his domestic hot water solar application in CONTRACTOR ("Liquid sunshine," May, pg. 40). Several quick questions: How did he decide on sizing for the collector and also the storage tank?...

Most want to do a good job.(LETTERS AND E-MAILS)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... VIA E-MAIL -- I did a Google news search about morale and H. Kent Craig's column was one of the selections ("Have a clue how much workers don't work?" March, pg. 48). I want to thank Kent for emphasizing the "complete lack of morale for...

Elegant retreats: K/BIS retains its place as the beauty contest for the home-building and remodeling industry.(KITCHEN/BATH)
July 1, 2007... A couple decades ago when the Kohler Design Center opened in Kohler, Wis., Herbert Kohler gave a speech about "gracious living." That's the focus of the annual Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, held this year in Las Vegas--the kitchen and bathroom,...

A new age in North American hydronics.(EATHERTON ON HYDRONICS)
July 1, 2007... DURING THE ISH Frankfurt show in March 1999, I was exposed to a product that made my mind race. I saw, for the first time, a variable-speed, constant-pressure, variable-flow concept circulator for use in residential hydronic applications. ...

What's wrong with this picture?(HYDRONIC SYSTEMS)(steam boiler installation)
July 1, 2007... THE CALL: On the line was a contractor who has been a one-man shop since his dad retired from the trade. He wanted to know if I would like to meet him at a historic estate that is now run as a foundation, offering the building for weddings,...

Service management tools for field work.(FELDMANS ON COMPUTERS)
July 1, 2007... HERE ARE TWO solutions for contractors active in service work. Both take advantage of evolving technologies. Electronic Service Control (www.desco-soft.com, 800/226-7529) is a Windows Vista compatible desktop service management solution...

Arbitration: do you want to use it?(MCGREEVY ON LAW)
July 1, 2007... I KNOW THAT NO one reading this column wants to think about getting into disputes. You just want to concentrate on your business and ways to improve it. the law of averages tells us, however, that once in a while you will have disputes and, if...

Think your kid's stock will survive a divorce?(BLACKMAN ON TAXES)
July 1, 2007... ARE YOU THINKING of transferring stock to your kids, or does one or more of your kids already own stock in your closely held business? Beware: You, your family and your business could be starting on a dangerous journey--dangerous to your...

Estimates for some jobs pulled ... from thin air.(CRAIG ON PROJECT MANAGEMENT)
July 1, 2007... IT'S BEEN A long-standing practice in mechanical contracting to throw numbers out on some jobs that are basically pulled from thin air. The bids are submitted knowing that they might be a little high but, just in case all the other bids come in...

A high-tech and personal relationship.(HUDSON ON MARKETING)
July 1, 2007... MY SISTER IS coming to visit in a couple of weeks. Oh, and my other sister is too... plus at least one of their children each, with a new spouse, an infant, and my niece is bringing her boyfriend, whom I'm sure I'll hate (on principle alone,...

Carbon monoxide safety is both right and green.(BEST PRACTICES)
July 1, 2007... IT'S EASY FOR ME to fit into the green current. I am one of the many fortunate thousands of technicians influenced by the continuing, U.S. Department of energy-funded, energy-conservation training and implementation program. This program's...

Website directory showcase.
July 1, 2007... ONLINE AT WWW.CONTRACTORMAG.COM Below is the Website information for leading industry manufacturers and suppliers. Please visit the www.contractormag.com homepage and click on the Website Directory link to learn more about the products and...

The MC4 suite autocad compatible software.(editor's choice)
July 1, 2007... THE MC4 SUITE AUTOCAD COMPATIBLE SOFTWARE for integrated mechanical system design is able to produce complete mechanical designs without the need for additional software. Now available through Rehau as an authorized seller, the innovative...

The cold-shot pipe freezing kit.(PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... THE COLD-SHOT PIPE FREEZING KIT allows the user to repair pipe without draining lines. It will freeze liquids in copper, steel, cast iron, aluminum or copper pipe 1/8" through 2" in diameter using carbon dioxide. Dip-tube type cylinders are...

Tri-mount sinks.(PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... TRI-MOUNT SINKS are designed to be installed three ways: drop-in, under-mount, and flush-mount. All have a 1/4" thick rim. The sinks are constructed from 16-gauge, type 304 stainless steel. There are 35 models to choose from. [ILLUSTRATION...

The alarm and readout plug-in software module.(PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... THE ALARM AND READOUT PLUG-IN SOFTWARE MODULE automatically notifies users via cell phone text message or e-mail when temperature, humidity or other conditions exceed defined limits. It also enables data from networked data loggers to be...

This pre-assembled indoor sump pump system.(PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... THIS PRE-ASSEMBLED INDOOR SUMP PUMP SYSTEM features a bolted basin cover to prevent debris from getting into the pit. It includes a 3/10 HP thermoplastic sump pump or 1/3 HP cast iron sump pump. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Blue Angel Pumps...

The P'7911 multihammer.(PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... THE P'7911 MULTIHAMMER combines the essential functions of a drill with the power of a pneumatic hammer. It drills into concrete, stone, wood and steel, with just one switch allowing the user to alternate between any of the tool's five...

The kwik-close series 6000 wafer-style butterfly valve.(PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... THE KWIK-CLOSE SERIES 6000 WAFER-STYLE BUTTERFLY VALVE is available in sizes from 2" to 16". The epoxy-coated valves feature a ductile iron nickel-plated disc, EPDM seat liner, one-piece stainless steel stem, corrosion-resistant internal...

The max climber 2000 rack and pinion hoist.(PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... THE MAX CLIMBER 2000 RACK AND PINION HOIST is designed to ensure maximum safety while lifting building materials. It comes equipped with a downward interruption sensor that will automatically stop operation if it senses a foreign object in its...

The TC-7000 portable radio.(PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... THE TC-7000 PORTABLE RADIO offers a range of features including adjustable RF power output, a built-in scrambler, power-on self test, a time out timer, busy channel lockout and advanced signaling. It offers users 16 channels, either UHF or VHF....

The model 2006 faucet and sink installer.(PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... THE MODEL 2006 FAUCET AND SINK INSTALLER is a multipurpose, under-sink plumbing tool that fastens and removes plastic basin nuts, supply line nuts, hex nuts, shut-off valves, and secures sink strainer baskets. The basic wrench can reach and...

The profis anchor design program.(PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... THE PROFIS ANCHOR DESIGN PROGRAM is easy to download and install. The program supports allowable stress design and load resistance factor design, allowing the user to choose the level of detail or complexity needed for each project. It allows...

The series 89-gen grooved end butterfly valve.(PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... THE SERIES 89-GEN GROOVED END BUTTERFLY VALVE features a ductile iron body, BUNA-N or EPDM encapsulated ductile iron disc, a 431 stainless steel two-piece stem and Teflon shaft brushings with NRB O-ring shaft seals. The valve is designed to...

The 5002 series multi-pocket canvas tool bag.(PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... THE 5002 SERIES MULTIPOCKET CANVAS TOOL BAG is now offered in nine new versions. The tool bags are available in 16", 18" and 20" in blue, orange or yellow. The tool bags feature multiple pocket configurations so users can separate, store and...

The type 369 wafer check valve.(PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... THE TYPE 369 WAFER CHECK VALVE is offered in sizes up to 12". It has a unique spring option for horizontal mounting. It features excellent flow characteristics, making it an ideal check solution for a variety of applications. Uses include...

This new metal wall box.(PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... THIS NEW METAL WALL BOX is more durable than comparable plastic boxes. It is tested and approved for 1 and 2 hour fire stop systems in accordance with UL 1479. It is recessed for a more finished appearance. The box accepts TracPipe or...

A new line of wide-jaw adjustable wrenches.(PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... A NEW LINE OF WIDE-JAW ADJUSTABLE WRENCHES is now available. The 12-model line features four different wrench sizes (6", 8", 10" or 12") and three different finishes: chrome, black phosphate or Code Blue grips. The wrenches have a 20% greater...

The series FBV-PEX brass ball valve.(PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... THE SERIES FBV-PEX BRASS BALL VALVE is a two-piece, full-port valve with PEX ends designed for use in PEX piping systems. The valve's brass ASTM F-1807 tailpieces make a solid, leak-proof connection to PEX piping in a matter of seconds, making...

The exubra water dispenser.(PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... THE EXUBRA WATER DISPENSER is able to dispense chilled or carbonated water on demand. It is designed to work efficiently with the company's filtration products. Is simple to adjust the "fizziness" of the carbonated water by adjusting the...

This snow and ice melting system.(PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... THIS SNOW AND ICE MELTING SYSTEM increases safety by keeping surfaces clean and dry. It saves time by preventing the need for snow and ice removal. The system consists of high-quality Nexans cables, a marker plate, a controller and a snow-ice...

Spectrum construction software.(PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... SPECTRUM CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE has now been integrated with the company's QuoteExpress estimating software, eliminating the time-consuming manual entry of data from the one program into the other. The user can review and revise any of the...

Flowguard gold bendable pipe.(PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... FLOWGUARD GOLD BENDABLE PIPE is is a patented, multi-layer CPVC/metal composite pipe ideal for under-slab installations. combines corrosion-resistance and strength at a price point slightly below that of type "L" copper. It has been ASTM tested...

The jobmaster rolling cabinet.(PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... THE JOBMASTER ROLLING CABINET is a durable, portable, secure storage option for both the shop and the job site. Seven 6" swivel casters and one 6" rigid caster wheel allow one person to maneuver the cabinet, when closed, throughout the job...

35 years later, your value is still front-page news.(EDITORIAL)
July 1, 2007... THE HEADLINE OVER the lead story on the front page of our May issue states that manufacturers should pay attention to contractors. More, perhaps, than they are doing today. Who says so? Two industry consultants speaking at the spring meeting of...