Category: Pro Tips – Residential

Construction Lead Generation: Strategies for Contractors

As a contractor, you know your business depends on lead generation, so understanding how to get leads can help you sustain and grow your business as a builder.

Developing a construction lead-generation strategy means three things:

    1. You need to take a high-level view of your potential clients and resources.
    2. You need to determine how much time and money you can dedicate to your lead-generation efforts.
    3. You need to decide whether you’ll do the lead generation yourself — or seek the assistance of a local marketing agency.

If you decide that you’d like to perform the lead generation yourself, understanding how to create a proper lead-generation strategy will help you build a list of previous, current and future clients and establish long-term success.

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Quiet Strength of the Strong-Drive® SDPW DEFLECTOR Screw for Partition Wall Connections

The Strong-Drive® SDPW Deflector screw from Simpson Strong-Tie fastens non-load-bearing, full-height partition walls to trusses and joints in roof and floor systems. Easy to install, the SDPW is designed to compensate for vertical deflection in the joist or truss due to live load or to seasonal material contraction and expansion. With tested lateral-load ratings that meet building code requirements, the SDPW is value engineered for strength, installation speed and jobsite safety.

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Simpson Strong-Tie Connectors and Fasteners Make the Strongest Partners

Parts, however solid and sturdy they are, won’t hold themselves up. They have to be fastened in place. That’s why we offer a complete line of fasteners that are designed and tested specifically for use with our connectors. However, not every fastener can be used with every connector. Here’s how to identify the right fastener-connector combination for your next project.
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How to Fix the Most Common East Coast Framing Errors

Of all the possible mistakes that pop up across East Coast construction sites, one easy-to-correct framing blunder continues to vex even the best builders and structural engineering experts – the use of incorrect fasteners. Despite the industry’s best training efforts, the availability of print handbooks and installation guides, and even easy-to-understand smartphone videos and graphics, framing laborers are seemingly content to bang away at various anchors, straps and plates using whatever nail happens to be loaded in the gun.

“Even with great advancements in building designs and roof and framing systems, the bigger issue remains how well those designs are executed in the field,” explains Simpson Strong-Tie builder service rep Kevin Kelly. “No matter how much training we do and how many pocket install guides we publish, the biggest issue with framing connectors is always the use of incorrect fasteners.”

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Repetitive Training Needed to Fix the Most Common West Coast Framing Errors

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Take framing, for instance. In November 2009, Simpson Strong-Tie Pacific Northwest Outreach Coordinator Jim Mattison penned the article Framing Hardware Dos and Don’ts for the Journal of Light Construction, outlining some of the most common framing errors as seen in the field, including notching studs and joists around anchors, using incorrect fasteners and overdriving nails with pneumatic nailing equipment.

So what’s evolved out there on the jobsite in the eight years since? “Not much,” bemoans Mattison, who says common framing mistakes still vex most of the builders he visits across the Western US.  “When it comes to installing the hardware, the problems that plagued the industry in 2009 persist today, and while some of the hardware has changed in configuration and use, simple installation errors regarding use of incorrect fasteners and fastener overdrive are still happening frequently.”
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Keep Corrosion in Check

Just as knowing the load capacities of your metal hardware is crucial to safeguarding the structural integrity and longevity of your building project, so is understanding the metal’s susceptibility to corrosion. The likelihood of rust and rot increases when you are building outdoors in wet environments or other corrosive conditions. Having a solid awareness of the corrosive threatsposed by the environment and your building materials will help you to choose the fasteners, connectors and anchors that will best mitigate the risk of corrosion and keep your project structurally sound for the long haul.

Start by evaluating the exposure levels in your environment. Is it an interior dry- or exterior wet-service job, for example? Generally, outdoor environments are more corrosive of steel because of the greater moisture levels they present. Projects near the ocean or waterfront are at increased risk for corrosion due to airborne chlorides and salt splash prevalent in marine locales. Salt is also a danger if building materials will be exposed to de-icing salts.
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Prescriptions for a Perfect Pergola

Building a custom pergola, gazebo or patio cover is one of the best ways to enhance an outdoor living space. Beginning your project with a few simple construction tips in mind — and the right hardware on hand — can go a long way toward making your job easier, and toward creating a pergola that’s both structurally sound and stylish. Here are four tips on how to build your perfect pergola or other backyard structure.
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Retrofitting Your Home for High Wind — 5 Questions to Ask Yourself

Nearly all parts of the country are subject to high winds. It’s important that your house is designed to withstand a high wind storm. Knowing whether your house is storm ready requires a few simple steps.

One of the first things to consider is where you live. Coastal areas, for example, are more susceptible to powerful winds such as hurricanes. Local building codes for these areas typically require homes to resist much higher wind speeds than inland homes. You’ll want to check with your local building department to learn about the codes that govern your area.

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What Are the Components of a Strong Wooden Fence?

Spring is officially here, and that means a lot more outdoor living and entertaining. Is your outdoor space ready? While most homeowners focus on building a new deck or on deck maintenance, redoing your fence can also transform your space. Do you know what the crucial structural connections of a strong wooden fence? We will outline them here, along with a sneak peek at our newest fence bracket, the FBFZ, just in time for spring.

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