Unprotected woods in direct contact with soil will rot over time and attract pests like termites. Assuming you don?t want that behavior, here are several ways to protect yourself or at least the structure.

Pressure Treated Woods

The most common material one typically considers here is pressure treated woods. Preservatives are forced into the wood to create a chemical barrier from the soil, thus protecting the underlying wood. The actual preservatives used and their retention (lbs/cu ft) help determine effectiveness and where one can use the wood. The more preservatives retained in the wood, the longer term it could be used with direct contact to the soil. Think top decking wood vs. fence posts vs. foundation wood here for instance. While you don?t want to replace the top decking wood, you don?t need the same retention levels as a fence post which will be buried in the soil. And, foundation wood you never want to replace, if you can avoid it.

If you go the pressure treated wood route, which chemicals to use for the treatment can produce varying levels of success. As previously mentioned theretention of the chemicals determine their effectiveness. But what about the actual chemicals? For about ten years now Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) treated wood has been banned from residential use. For the longest time, it was the go-to chemical. If you?re dealing with older construction though, you may still run across it. The A there is for the arsenic in the treatment. Since that is a carcinogen, it is to be avoided. Sealing CCA-treated wood annually will keep the danger at bay but for new construction you?ll want to use a different treatment. Some options to consider today are Alkaline Copper Quaternary (ACQ), Copper Boron Azole (CBA), Cyproconazole, and Propiconazole, where the latter two are only for above ground applications.

Plastics and Composite Materials

Termites like wood not plastic. Polyethylene (HDPE or LDPE) plastic or PVC (polyvinyl chloride) survive well on the plastics side where material needs to come in contact with soil. On the composite materials side, you?ll find recycled and reclaimed materials like wood fiber (aka sawdust), rice hulls, and reclaimed plastics (like old grocery bags). Rubber timber, or old tires and plastic, can be considered here, too. Materials of this nature will survive like 10-50 years and are 100% insect resistant without the need for resealing every year. A common way to better preserve wood is to wrap it with plastic, where the wood might be in a cement footing and have a plastic coating wrapped around it. The only thing left touching the soil in the end is the plastic. Check with local building codes for what can be used structurally though. Typically, wood is a required element.

Naturally Durable Woods

You?ll find some wood species are naturally resistant to termites, or at least their heartwood is. The outer sapwood layers help conduct water to keep the tree alive but the inner heartwood of the tree can be used successfully where termite resistance is desired. In fact, some heartwoods are not just resistant to termites, but downright toxic. Consider construction-grade Alaska cedar, redwoods, or Tallowood, where the latter is a common Australian construction wood. Exotic hardwoods like Mahogany also work but are cost prohibitive and low in supply.

Metal Framing

Like plastics and composites, if you avoid the wood, you avoid the termites. Steel-framed structures are considered by many as an alternative to wood-framed homes. Steel however is only termite resistant, not termite proof. The feces from termites can corrode the steel. If they happen to get to the gypsum and eat the paper backing, what they leave behind could cause considerable damage. Also, while they might not eat the metal frame, you still have to worry about window and door frames. Use with care and make sure to spray the slab and protect any other areas that a termite could penetrate.

For structural needs, wood-soil contact is hard to avoid. Use an appropriately treated wood material with the retention level needed to best protect yourself from termite damage. If all else fails, you can avoid all risks of destruction by moving into a cave.

Unprotected woods in direct contact with soil will rot over time and attract pests like termites. Assuming you don?t want that behavior, here are several ways to protect yourself or at least the structure.

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1. Photo credit: cbb4104 / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

2. Photo credit: US Fish and Wildlife Service - Recovery Act Team / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Whether you're planning your next construction project or are right in the middle of preparation, one of the most important factors that you always have to consider involves the specific type of drywall that you're going to be using. Due to the fact that drywall is commonly used to make interior walls, ceilings and other properties in a building, it is actually one of the most common types of material in the entire structure. Drywall in general has a wide variety of different benefits that can't be ignored - chief among them is their success at acting as a passive fire protection item to keep everyone in a building safe. One of the unfortunate downsides is that due to the thin nature of the material, it often gave way to noise pollution - especially in buildings where units are designed closely together.

That is, until now. QuietRock Drywall is a high quality product that has been designed to both offer the same benefits that contractors have come to depend on, as well as fix a number of the issues and complaints that people have had over the years.

One of the major benefits of QuietRock Drywall is that it is the first drywall in history that has been designed specifically for noise control in buildings. As a result, it holds benefits across a wide variety of different types of projects - regardless of the intended use of the finished building. If your next construction project is for an apartment complex, for example, QuietRock Drywall can be used to create a much quieter and intimate environment in each unit.

The owner of the building can then use the fact that the walls have been made with such a material as a marketing tool. Single individuals who move in next to a family of four don't want to have to worry about whether they'll hear kids crying at all hours of the night. The reverse is also true - families who would normally be upset to learn that a group of college students have moved in across the hall won't have to worry about loud parties disrupting their important sleep or even daytime activities. By using QuietRock Drywall, everybody wins - from the contractor to the building owner to residents and more.

The same is also true of buildings in other types of industries. If your next construction project is for an office building in and around the Boston, Massachusetts area, for example, you'll want to create the quietest environment possible for each unit so that one business does not disrupt any others in the same area. Office buildings tend to be confined spaces, but the types of businesses may vary wildly from one unit to the next. A certified public accountant could operate right next to a day care facility, for example. With QuietRock Drywall, those businesses won't have to worry about noise pollution from other areas of the building interrupting the important activities that they have going on daily.

To get an example of just how successful QuietRock Drywall is at keeping out sound (and how important sound treatment is in general), consider the Lollipop Lounge. Located on the Upper East Side in New York City, New York, it is a high energy Tapas Bar and Lounge that is incredibly successful. Because of the area where the Lollipop Lounge is located, however, sound pollution is a very real concern. Not only could the lounge potentially be sued by area residents in close proximity if things get too loud, the business could also be shut down completely.

After contractors used QuietRock Drywall during the construction of the Lollipop Lounge, the issue evaporated practically overnight. The owner of the establishment has reported no complaints about noise from area residents, despite the fact that he has a $100,000 sound system installed on the premises.

For maximum success regarding noise prevention and control, it is recommended that QuietRock Drywall be used with the associated acoustical sealants that are also on sale. These sealants will prevent noise leaks in the most efficient way possible, making sure that the occupants of the building in question don't have to worry about a thing when it comes to noise. Also available are various glues and coatings like QuietGlue Pro that will easily adapt to any type of condition or requirement that your specific construction project may involve. These types of solutions make QuietRock Drywall ideal for every situation.

When you begin researching building materials for your next construction project in the Boston, Massachusetts area, it will quickly become clear that QuietRock Drywall is the right choice for you. As the first drywall in the history of the business that has been specifically designed for noise control in buildings, it is an ideal solution for everything from nightclubs to apartment complexes and everything in between.

Not only that, but you still get all of the same great benefits that you have come to expect and depend on from commercial drywall materials. To find out more information about what QuietRock Drywall can do for your next project, don't hesitate to contact us today.

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National Gypsum Board Company, one of the largest gypsum board producers in North America, launched DEXcell, a conglomerate of up-to-date and hard-wearing roof boards for commercial roofing systems.

The DEXcell Brand consists of three products:

• DEXcell Brand Glass Mat Roof Board
• DEXcell Brand FA Glass Mat Roof Board
• DEXcell Brand Cement Roof Board

DEXcell products hold various approvals and are in alignment with numerous industry standards making their roofing products resistant to mold, while also providing a fire blockade for commercial structures such as hotels, hospitals, and schools.

Roof Board Particulars

- DEXcell Glass Mat Roof Board and DEXcell FA Glass Mat Roof Board are manufactured to resist mold. They are designed for use as a cover-board or thermal obstruction in commercial roofing applications. These products score and incise smoothly and are especially finished on the front, rear, and sides for trouble-free handling.

- DEXcell Glass Mat Roof Board is perfectly suitable for mechanically attached roofing systems and has encrusted fiberglass facers with an ameliorated gypsum core.

- DEXcell FA Glass Mat Roof Board is created for fully supported roof systems, and produced with heavy-duty coated fiberglass facers with an improved gypsum core.

- DEXcell FA Glass Mat Roof Boards are perfectly designed for a broad range of roofing systems along with, but not restricted to, fully supported single ply membranes, mechanically affixed roof systems, adapted bitumen, developed roofing, fluid applied spray foam and metal. It is also used on the roof side of low or parapet walls.

- DEXcell BRAND Cement Roof Board is a gossamer type moisture and mold resilient cement board manufactured for use as a cover board or thermal obstruction in all commercial roofing applications. It administers a fire-wall and thermal barrier. Portland cement is used for manufacturing, glass mesh, and a lightweight mixture of substances that produce a remarkably solid, long-lasting surface.

National Gypsum integrated its lightweight cement board know-how to produce a multipurpose product for all commercial roofing applications. DEXcell Brand Cement Roof Board offers a superb defense against dampness if trapped beneath the roofing membrane for an extensive length of time. In addition, the cement roof board has outstanding freeze and thaw properties.

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What is it about Boston that makes it such a construction-friendly town? Well, in the first place, the construction market in Boston has developed a new norm. This new normal is especially important when measuring the city's growth and opportunity. Some of the brighter spots for construction, with some of the biggest growth opportunities exist in downtown Boston and Cambridge. However, the further you get from downtown Boston, the less new construction exists.

Private Sectors Pushing Construction

Construction growth opportunities basically stem from projects in the private sectors of Boston. Some of these private sector jobs in construction include healthcare sector, industries in life science, private user developers and residential and school projects that are high density. Comparative to what was seen with the construction boom in the pre-recession days, there has still been steady growth from 2009-2011, with investments continuing in both the education and healthcare sectors.

General Contractors Also Coming Back

Construction and general contract work have made comebacks. That is because many have made it through the hard economic times and are in better shape than they have ever been before. The contractors that fell by the wayside before have essentially helped create a healthy market for those construction survivors.

Yes, it's true. After that hard year of 2008 and the financial struggles of many general contractors. Many Bostonians are surprised at the roaring comeback for residential construction. Boston is incredibly hot for construction, with a rebound that has can best be called a mixed bag.

Not Such A Surprise for Some

For Boston, what it really depends on is the type of construction that is going on. Even though there seems to be an increased payroll for construction workers as well as sales, some have deemed the construction rebound as modest at best. For example, the apartment sector has been doing very well for the last couple of years and continues to operate strong.

Another hot area for construction in Boston is colleges and universities. Expecting to see growth in such areas as biotech, hospitals or pharmaceuticals, the construction business is consistently strengthening. The construction insurance market continues to remain stable.

For Boston's property side, there could be a lot of potential but it also depends on the risk. It boils down to those construction companies that have stayed well managed and good safety policies and loss history still have the range of options when it comes to the insurance. Those general contractors that did survive the recession are much wiser today than they were five years ago.

In Closing

So if you are a contractor in the Boston area you should have already seen an increase in business, if you plan on moving your business or looking for business in the Boston area, check it out, you might like what you see.

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Photo credit: l . e . o / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Photo credit: danxoneil / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Mud season is coming - is your home's entryway ready? Entryway and mud room flooring options can mean all the difference between an easy cleanup after a rainy day and ruining your flooring. But what are the best possible options for your home's entryway that can look attractive, be durable and make for easy cleaning? Here are some great options to consider.

Solid Wood Flooring

Solid wood flooring is a timeless option to consider and it helps build your home's overall value. However, you'll want to stick with a dense hardwood, such as maple, oak or similar materials to ensure that it doesn't scratch or dent from the heavy traffic. It may require occasional refinishing or sealing, but is specifically designed for refinishing, unlike the other options we're mentioning below.

Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring allows you to have the look of softer woods with superior durability. It also gives you the appearance of more expensive wood without the extra expense. It's easy to install and can be very durable, but if it begins to wear, it may need to be replaced if you choose a variety that has too thin of a veneer for the surface layer. It can also be louder than traditional hardwood flooring with a hollow feeling for floating floors.

Ceramic Tile

Ceramic tile has great versatility, durability and longevity with a lower overall price tag, allowing you to get a nice appearance that will last for a long time. It's also relatively easy to maintain and clean by simply sweeping or mopping. However, it can be slippery when it is wet, so it's important to look at the slip resistance rating to make sure it won't become a hazard when it's raining outside. It may be a poor choice if comfort is a factor.

Stone Flooring

Stone provides you with a high-quality flooring that is designed to stand the test of time. Available in a wide range of colors, it's very easy to clean and maintain, though you may have more issues with removing dirt from more textured areas. However, natural stone can be extremely expensive and it's not easy to install, making it a poor choice if you want to DIY your entryway flooring. It can also be cold and hard underfoot.

Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl flooring gives you a wide range of inexpensive flooring options, with appearances from the fanciful to traditional materials such as wood or stone. It has a low price, is simple to install and is easy to keep clean, even in rainy weather. However, it won't last as long, with wear expected to become visible within five years.

Linoleum

Linoleum is available in a wide range of colors and patterns, and is becoming popular again as an earth-friendly flooring. It's more durable than vinyl, very affordable and easy to clean by sweeping or mopping. However, it does require professional installation and will eventually begin to show wear, though it remains very comfortable underfoot.

By having the right flooring in your entryway or mud room, you can ensure that rainy season cleanup is easy while your home retains its beautiful appearance. If you need help finding the right material for your home's mud room or entryway, our experienced associates are always happy to help. Please feel free to contact us today with any questions, to place an order or to take advantage of our special order service.

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