There is a big debate going on in areas of the construction industry regarding the use of vinyl products. Vinyl products are made from petroleum and other products. The issue centers on two concerns….chlorine and dioxin.

In the polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, manufacturing process, chlorine is used and PVC workers can be exposed to vinyl chloride, a gas. This gas has been blamed for causing various types of cancers. In addition, dioxin is a chemical by-product of any manufacturing process that uses chlorine. Dioxin has been linked to cancer and reproductive problems. When PVC is burned dioxin is released.

PVC is used in many different building products. The most commonly used product is vinyl siding. Northfield Construction Company has never built a new home that used vinyl siding, but it certainly is a popular product. PVC also shows up in carpet backing, windows, trim, piping, and other areas. Virtually all products using PVC have a PVC-free alternative product so some builders and consumers are switching to PVC free materials.

There are some efforts underway to regulate PVC building materials. Some actions include:

• Oakland, California requires PVC-free plastics in municipal projects.
• New York City has a tax credit program for commercial projects that eliminate PVC products.
• Berkeley, California is working to eliminate PVC products in all construction projects.
• Lake Hills, Illinois has banned the use of CPVC piping in new homes.

PVC use will continue to be an issue. I am sure there will be more studies conducted on the material as it relates to the consumer. I also am sure there will be continued scientific studies on how PVC materials are produced and if there are any concerns for workers involved in the manufacturing process.

In the meantime, if you are concerned about using PVC products in your new home or remodeling project I would be happy to visit with you about it. There are many good alternative products on the market that do not contain PVC's. We would be happy to discuss product selection with you.

Posted by Ray Cox at 5:10 AM | Link

 
Yesterday afternoon Ellen and I attended another Over and Back production at the Northfield High School auditorium. What a great event!

For those of you not familiar with Over and Back, the group has been producing 2-3 weekend shows per year for the past 10 years. Funds generated from the productions go to support various local groups. The show this weekend was a benefit for the Northfield Senior Citizens' Endowment Fund and the Northfield Youth Sports Collaborative.

Over and Back is a bit like the Prairie Home Companion show, with Pastor Will Healey filling the roll of Garrison Keilor. The local support musicians are tremendous. Yesterday's performance featured guest artist Tom Hunter playing blues on the piano. And Dr. Mike Hildebrandt is always superb on his violin, as is the vocals of the Bleacher Girls, Charlotte DeVries, Susan Lohmann and others.

A year ago Will Healey talked to me about 'raising Over and Back contributions to a new level'. This involved finding six area businesses to be Over and Back "Backers" and pledge a specific donation per show. I agreed to do that and Northfield Construction joins TBC Foundation, College City Beverage, First National Bank of Northfield, Steven Schmidt Construction and Wells Fargo Bank as the backers.

Over and Back is an example of what this community can do. The production is excellent and each show raises a significant level of funding for support of local groups. I'm proud to be a 'Backer'.

Posted by Ray Cox at 11:57 AM | Link

 
Last Wednesday I attended the 2004 Annual meeting of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Minnesota (ABC). Held at the Holiday Inn in Bloomington, there were contractors from all across the state at the meeting.

The highlight of the meeting for me was listening to Michael Uremovich from Starcon International. Michael gave the keynote address and spoke about how he built his piping company from its inception to where it is today, with over 1,000 employees. His parents came to this country from Eastern Europe. Michael grew up working in his parents slaughter house in Chicago and as he said "You think it's tough working on a construction project when its 100 degrees outside, try working in a non-airconditioned slaughter house when it's 100 degrees".

It was obvious that Michael's number one concern in his business is for his employees. Just as I do, he feels his employees are his company's main asset. He discussed job site safety and how he encourages motivation and new ideas to come forward and be developed.

I think participating in trade associations is an important part of this business. Northfield Construction Company belongs to many groups, such as ABC, Associated General Contractors (AGC), Builders Association of Minnesota (BAM), National Association of the Remodeling Indsutry (NARI) and several others. Each has a different focus but each includes a hardworking bunch of contractors that are working everyday, putting all they own at risk, to build America. It's what we do. I'm proud to be doing that.

Posted by Ray Cox at 3:56 AM | Link

 
Much of the building business material has remained the same for many, many years. Once the industrial age was upon us and it was possible to saw and mill standard size lumber at a reasonable cost, wood framing has not changed greatly. We use a lot of composite materials such as oriented strand board (OSB) for wall and roof sheathing, laminated veneer lumber (LVL) for headers and wall studs, composite I-joists for floor structures, and glue laminated lumber for beams. These materials have become fairly 'normal' in the industry.

There are however many new products that are being developed every day that are introduced to the builidng industry. These products can be something that cuts down on installation time, thereby lowering building costs. Or they can be products that accomplish a task in a different manner, creating a better product for the consumer.

We have a few Minnesota companies that are working to create new building products. The Twin Cities Business Monthly magazine reported on building products in July and said Minnesota companies are very active in finding new uses for materials and creating new products. Nylon Board Manufacturing in Medford is using recycled carpet to make roofing shingles. These shingles will outperform standard asphalt or cedar shingles by years and years. Creating this products also removes millions of pounds of old carpet from our landfills.

The MVP Group in Wyoming, Minnesota uses wood fibers leftover from papermaking operations to produce fiber core materials such as display fixtures, wall peneling and architectural molding. All these products are fomaldehyde-free and generally have a solid wood veneer glued to the core made by MVP.

And a company in LeCenter, All Paper Recycling, is making a simulated stone material from waste paper. Stanley Shetka, company founder and president, says the high-end product can be used as a substitute for Corian or granite countertops. It has been used in many area homes and businesses, including the Office of Environmental Assistance in St. Paul.

I always enjoy it when a client is willing to consider using a new product. I learn about the material and the product generally works well to reduce energy or maintenance....and often removes problematic material from our landfills. That is a win, win, win situation.

Posted by Ray Cox at 3:31 AM | Link

 
The election is over…finally. I was re-elected to my other job as a State Representative from this area. A long, tiring, campaign, but I'll be ready to start work again in January.

This weekend I relaxed by going to my lake cabin and doing a small remodeling project. There was a 16' area of my cabin that still had the old log siding and was un-insulated. Since we heat the cabin during the winter I wanted to add insulation to the wall.

My cabin is a 1923 log cabin constructed by a man that came from Sweden. He used a rather unique building process. He cut 5"-6" spruce logs, de-barked and dressed them, and then cut them in half lengthwise. He then mounted one half of the logs vertically on top of the floor assembly….just like we mount 2x6 studs on top of floors today. He then installed asphalt building felt over the cut face of the half-log, and then nailed on the outside half of the log. So, he ended up with a vertical log cabin where the interior half logs were structural, holding up the roof, while the exterior half-logs were essentially heavy siding. Because the logs were vertical, they drained well and have withstood many Minnesota years without problems.

Once such a cabin is heated you quickly discover the lack of insulation. My task was to remove the exterior half-logs, add horizontal strapping with extruded insulation, then add new 2x6 lapped half-log siding.

This creates a tight warm wall and does not harm the interior half logs. I was also able to use my router to create a concealed channel for some needed electrical receptacles, covered with metal nailing plates.

This is the type of creative remodeling that I really enjoy. I like the challenge of figuring out ways to preserve the look and integrity of existing homes, but being able to upgrade systems to a modern level of service. Doing this often involves a slow process, but the results are excellent. I really appreciate having clients that share the desire to preserve and thoughtfully and sympathetically remodel structures to meet current family needs.

Posted by Ray Cox at 4:45 AM | Link