Why Is Community Resilience Important?

Community resilience is the concept that we can design and build better to reduce susceptibility to disasters. The idea of building for resilience is in the DNA of Simpson Strong-Tie and is why we’re considered a leader in structural systems research, testing and innovation. That commitment to building for resilience is why we partner with other leaders in the field like the Dr. Lucy Jones Center for Science and Society. 

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Give Back: Building Benches for Humanity

When your company is in the business of building safer, stronger structures, you’re sure to have more than a few employees who are handy with a hammer (and a screwdriver and drill). This winter, our Pleasanton engineering department decided to put those design and carpentry skills to the test for the greater good. 

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Dream, Design, Win: The Deck Planner Software™ Design Your Dream Deck Contest

We want to help you make the deck of your dreams a reality. This week we’re launching the Deck Planner Software™ Design Your Dream Deck contest. 

Open to everyone, from homeowners to pros, the Simpson Strong-Tie® Deck Planner Software Design Your Dream Deck contest is easy to enter. Entrants just need to design a deck using our free, web-based Deck Planner Software. The winner will receive up to $500 of Simpson Strong-Tie products, as specified in the winning design, to build their dream deck during the 2020 deck season.  

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He Shoots, He Scores! See the Winning Projects from Our Outdoor Accents DIY Contest

This summer we asked you to participate in our second annual “Give Us Your Best Shot” contest. If you were building a project with our Outdoor Accents® line of decorative hardware, we wanted to see it. More than 40 customers sent in photos of pergolas, hammocks, arbors and other outdoor living projects. Of those projects we had the enjoyable challenge of selecting two winners, one for a large project and one for a smaller project.

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Great ShakeOut 2019: Reddit Asks Us Anything About Earthquakes

Each year, Simpson Strong-Tie teams up with the West Coast’s top earthquake scientists and preparedness experts to take questions from Redditors about earthquakes and tsunamis. The Reddit AMA is part of the Great ShakeOut, the world’s largest earthquake drill, where 55 million people drop, cover and hold on. The next Great ShakeOut is scheduled to take place at 10:17 a.m. on October 17, 2019, and your organization still has time to get involved. 

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Drop, Cover, and Hold On: International ShakeOut Day is October 17

Each year, an earthquake preparedness event known as the Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drill takes place around the world. The coordinated earthquake drill provides an opportunity for schools, businesses, homeowners and others to practice what to do once the ground starts shaking or swaying.
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10 Critical Deck Connections

Decks continue to be a popular addition to homes. In 2017, nearly 24 percent of the single-family homes started that year included a deck. The same year, 25 percent of National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) remodelers reported adding a deck as one of their most common projects. Those numbers have remained pretty constant for the last decade, steadily swelling the number of decks in the United States.

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Deck Guide: How to Build Safe, Strong Decks

A little like Bugs Bunny’s, Simpson Strong-Tie’s favorite season is “deck season.”

This penchant makes sense, because for more than half a century Simpson Strong-Tie has been the leader in structural wood connectors. That history of fashioning solid connections makes us the perfect partner for homeowners and contractors who want to build safe, strong wood decks.

But did you know our deck solutions don’t end at connectors? Every year, our team of engineers innovates better ways not only to build new decks but to strengthen existing decks. Whether you’re a contractor seeking new ways to build faster and more safely or a DIYer embarking on a spring deck project, we’re likely to have the solution you’re seeking. Here’s our Ultimate Guide to Building a Safe, Strong Deck with Simpson Strong-Tie.
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Building Safety Month 2019: Partnering to Build Strong and Smart

Simpson Strong-Tie is proud to sponsor Building Safety Month. This annual event, which takes place over the entire month of May, is intended to raise awareness of building safety and all that it involves. The International Code Council pairs together professionals from the building construction, design and safety communities with corporations, government agencies, professional associations and nonprofits to promote building safety.
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Garage Storage: Essential Guide to Garage Organization

By one definition, a garage is nothing more than “a shelter or repair shop for automotive vehicles.” However, for many of us our home garage doubles as a workshop or even an escape. Most commonly, though, the garage doubles as a storage space for random stuff. As the years tick by, garage organization can become a daunting task. Thankfully, we at Simpson Strong-Tie have put together this brief but handy guide on garage organization and reclaiming valuable real estate using smart garage storage solutions.
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