When it comes to tackling DIY projects that turn outdoor spaces into something special, Jamison Rantz, aka Rogue Engineer, knows how to blend creativity, craftsmanship and smart design. Over the years, he’s partnered with Simpson Strong-Tie on several backyard builds that combine function and style from using Simpson Strong-Tie® E-Z Spike™ fence post spike to create a quick and sturdy DIY privacy fence to building a backyard fence with APRTR connectors. Most recently he began a backyard improvement series designing a full outdoor entertainment area complete with a new pergola, a rolling prep and dining table, and a firewood rack
This year, our branch in Riverside, California, had the privilege of partnering with Lennar and HomeAid Inland Empire for Operation Grace — an initiative dedicated to addressing homelessness in San Bernardino by providing emergency shelters, transitional housing and supportive services that help families regain stability. Hear from warehouse manager and volunteer Fernando Cabrera as he shares his experience participating in this meaningful event.
Hear from Corynn De La Garza, a Simpson Strong-Tie dealer sales representative serving the San Antonio market, as she shares her experience volunteering with Habitat for Humanity’s annual Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project. Corynn was among the Simpson Strong-Tie team members who came together in Austin, Texas, to help build affordable and sustainable homes for families in need. She reflects on what it meant to be part of this life-changing project and how the teamwork and shared commitment to giving back she witnessed brought Simpson Strong-Tie’s values to life in a powerful and inspiring way for her.
Hear from Dan Hesington, branch engineer at our office in McKinney, Texas, as he shares his experience at StickBuilt ‘25 — a hands-on, design-build event with considerations of sustainability and mass timber. Hosted in the woods outside Birmingham, Alabama, the event offered a unique opportunity to connect with current and future architects and explore innovative uses of wood with Simpson Strong-Tie fasteners and connectors.
When it comes to creating inviting spaces for gathering, relaxing and enjoying time outdoors, Dena from Fletcher Creek Cottage has a true gift. We recently teamed up with her once again — this time to bring her latest backyard vision to life using our new Sage System™ DIY pergola kit. With help from her family, Dena built a beautiful and functional pergola that now anchors their outdoor kitchen and dining area, creating the perfect space to enjoy meals, make memories and soak up summer in style.
Discover Efrain Ramos’s 27-year journey of growth and career development at Simpson Strong-Tie. From press operator to engineering supervisor, he illustrates the company’s supportive culture, professional growth opportunities and commitment to its employees.
Right beside my computer sits my favorite children’s book, Stone Soup, a classic tale of isolated and lonely villagers who come out of their dark homes to work together around a huge iron pot to create a delicious soup that everyone can share and enjoy. Ultimately it describes a journey to discover what makes people happy. The story has been retold around the world for generations with various elements adapted to reflect local cultures and traditions. I get emotional every time I read it because the longing for deeper connections is so firmly embedded within all of us that I
One great way to fuel your creativity is with a good LEGO® set. Not only can they transport us to another world while we’re building with them, but they can unleash our imaginations and allow us to create a tangible art piece to admire for as long as we like. One of our very talented inside sales representatives has taken our Simpson Strong-Tie Value #9, Have Fun, and Be Humble to heart with his Simpson Strong-Tie warehouse build. Discover his creation below and learn in his own words about his Lego build and his growth with our company.
Create a dedicated workspace to tackle all your projects with this heavy-duty workbench. Not only can it serve as a location for all your project materials, it will also help make cleanups quicker and more efficient with its built-in storage underneath. This workbench is a great investment for future projects and is perfect for the garage, basement or shed.
The first step to creating a serious home workshop — whether it’s in your shed, basement, or garage — is obtaining an affordable but sturdy workbench. Simpson Strong-Tie has more than 65 years of expertise developing connectors to build safe, strong homes, so imagine the result if you applied our connector solutions to your new workbench.
It’s no surprise that with so many of us stuck at home for most of 2020, there’s been an increased interest in DIY projects. Homeowners have been using the time to build everything from desks to alternative dwelling units. That interest is reflected in where we see visitors going on our website. We’ve seen a significant increase in the number of people downloading free project plans and an especially high interest in free pergola plans.
October is Earthquake Preparedness Month, and October 15 is the Great ShakeOut earthquake drill. In this blog series, we thought we’d share some steps homeowners can take to help minimize the risk of damage from earthquakes. Depending on your location, you may find further information and resources at the end of each blog post, with links to local cities that participate in resiliency plans for homeowners and contractors. If an earthquake were to strike at this very moment, are you confident your home is adequately constructed to withstand its forces?
Over the last decade — in outlets reaching from construction industry journals to the Boston Globe and the Economist; from CNN and Fast Company to Popular Mechanics; to Nautilus and TED talks — we’ve been hearing increasingly about mass timber and related phenomena: “CLT,” big wood, tall wood, tall timber, timber towers, ply-rises, plyscrapers, ply in the sky, super-ply, Brobdingnagian boards, and all manner of engineered arboreal futures.
One of the ways many homeowners increase the enjoyment (and monetary) value of their property is by adding a well-designed deck, pergola or other outdoor structure to their backyard. Whether it’s for entertaining or just chilling with a good read and a bracing beverage, a beautiful outdoor living space makes any backyard activity more desirable. Perhaps that’s why, in a 2017 survey, 25% of National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) remodelers reported adding a deck as one of their most common projects, and the figure was nearly identical for new home construction.
When you live in earthquake country, you know it’s not “if” there will be a big quake, it’s “when.” You may have an earthquake emergency kit ready, but there are also steps you can take now to strengthen your home to make it more resistant to earthquake damage. And if you live in California, there’s a program called the Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) that provides up to $3,000 for seismic retrofit grants to homeowners residing in more than 150 California zip codes. If you’ve checked it before and your zip code wasn’t listed, be sure to check it again
My career with Simpson Strong-Tie has been an exciting journey of personal growth, giving back to the community, and risk-taking innovation. As I look forward toward retirement I’ve begun reflecting on how the lessons learned on that journey can help others as they navigate careers. I’d like to share some of the rich experiences I’ve had. Therefore, if you’re reading this and wondering how to experience more in your life or career, perhaps you’ll find value in my story.
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.
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.
Simpson Strong-Tie’s “Give It Your Best Shot” photo contest is returning for the summer of 2019. Last year, we received dozens of beautiful shots of pergolas that were built using our Outdoor Accents connectors and fasteners. It was tough to choose a winner, but eventually we settled on Chris Lewis from Chula Vista, California.
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
In September of last year, Simpson Strong-Tie hosted our first Strong Partners Seismic Symposium in Southern California. We were pleased to feature several top speakers, including seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones, discussing the importance of making our communities more resilient. Resilience has become a hot topic in the past several years as we continue to experience more frequent and more powerful natural disasters that devastate communities. We’ve seen numerous distressing examples of what happens when people are left without structures in which to live, learn, work and shop.
