Giving Back: Simpson Strong-Tie Celebrates Do What You Can Day

One of the Simpson Strong-Tie core values is to give back to the communities where our employees work and live. This value, established by our company founder, Barclay Simpson, is reflected in the actions of not only our company but also of our employees.

One of our biggest days of giving back is November’s Simpson Strong-Tie Do What You Can Day, an annual event celebrated throughout our company at our locations around the world. Here are some of the ways we did what we could.
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DIY: How to Build a Large Package Shelter

It’s the holiday season, so that means it’s package delivery season! Many reasons could impact your package delivery, including long driveways, dogs and weather. We’ve partnered with Rogue Engineer to come up with a solution for preserving your delivery person’s sanity while keeping packages safe from damage.
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DIY: How to Build a Leather Ottoman

One of the simplest ways to add stylish comfort to any room is with a leather cushioned ottoman. If you go to the store, you’ll end up paying more than $150 for a decent foot rest. That’s why we’re excited to partner with Jaime Costiglio to bring you this DIY leather ottoman. She used our A21 angles to make sure this ottoman will stand the test of time. See her plans below.

The coffee table does double duty as an ottoman when paired with a leather cushioned top. And since it’s an ottoman, you can put your feet up without anyone yelling at you to get your feet off the table. Let’s build this round leather ottoman and upholster the top so you can take full advantage.
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DIY: Building a Stylish AC Screen Cover

If you check out the DIY tag on our Building Strong blog, you’ll discover a diverse selection of indoor and outdoor furniture you can easily build at home. You’ll also find a growing list of projects that can help enhance and beautify your yard. Simpson Strong-Tie Brand Ambassador Jaime Costiglio was seeking a way to hide her AC unit without blocking access to it. Here’s how she did it.
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Five FRP Advantages for Contractors and Structure Owners

FRP fiber-reinforced polymer provides a number of advantages over traditional concrete-strengthening materials and methods. Strengthening concrete structures by means of this composite has benefits for contractors and property owners alike.

While FRP is not feasible for all applications, there are demonstrable FRP advantages for many structural rehabilitation projects.
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How to Build a DIY Potting Bench

Hi everyone! Jen Woodhouse here, excited to share my newest project: a DIY potting bench! Plants are one of my love languages, and I’m happy to say that my “vocabulary” is growing rapidly! It’s fall planting season, so this DIY potting bench is the perfect weekend project for all you plant lovers out there.
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From Our CEO: Why Company Culture Matters

“When people join our company, they don’t come for a bus stop. This is a career.”

— Barclay Simpson

That quote from our company founder is one of my favorites. I had the pleasure to work very closely with Barc when he was alive, and I can tell you that he truly believed and invested in people. I’m certainly a product of that belief.
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How to Restore Your Home After a Hurricane

In 2011, it was Hurricane Irene; in 2012, it was Sandy and then Hurricane Patricia; 2017 gave us Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria and Nate. This year, with Hurricane Florence, we’ve been reminded that damage can’t be predicted by the frequency of the hurricanes or even necessarily where one ranks on the Saffir-Simpson Scale when it makes landfall. Many factors can make even a Category One Hurricane devastating.
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Cross-Laminated Timber Takes Wood Construction to Greater Heights Than Ever Before

Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is changing the way urban builders scrape the sky.

From London to Tokyo, the race is on to build the tallest wood-framed skyscraper in the world. Prized for its workability, low cost and visual aesthetics, wood was widely used by urban builders until the early 20th century, when fires triggered by the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake leveled the largely stick-built city. Until recently, the other knock on wood was a vertical one, in that stick-framed buildings generally top out at five stories, owing to the accumulation of dead and live loads in excess of the allowable loads for lumber.
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How to Beautify an Old Porch Using Outdoor Accents

Over the last year we’ve shared dozens of examples of how to use the Simpson Strong-Tie® Outdoor Accents® line of decorative hardware for adding strength and style to your new do-it-yourself projects. Have you considered using Outdoor Accents to enhance existing structures or backyard furniture? We’ve been waiting for such a project to come along, so when Pneumatic Addict’s Elisha Albretsen told us she wanted to use Outdoor Accents to redo her porch, it was an easy sell. Over two days, the DIYer swapped out her ugly support straps for our sleek strap ties and washers. The end result is night and day. See how she did it below, and check out her blog for more projects.
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