Mold Prompts Recall of Georgia-Pacific Corp.'s Exterior Sheathing
In a letter sent Aug. 18 to the Knoxville Association of General Contractors, Georgia-Pacific Corporation announced a recall on their popular exterior sheathing that is used on many commercial construction projects. Actions have been taken by Georgia-Pacific to replace some of its DensGlass Gold gypsum product.

The 4-feet-by-8-feet boards of gypsum sheathing made during the two month period could allow mold growth along the edge glue lines when exposed to extreme moisture and high temperature weather conditions, according to the Georgia-Pacific letter.

The boards — similar in size and use to wallboard and used as an under-layer for building exteriors such as brick, stucco and stone — were shipped to Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Virginia.

"We have changed the glue used in the process at this plant, which has corrected the problem," according to Leo Bissonnette, Georgia-Pacific sales manager of Dens products.

Gerogia-Pacific couldn't determine how many projects are affected, but contractors shouldn't get alarmed and should contact Atlanta-based Georgia-Pacific if they have questions.

Owners of completed buildings containing affected boards will receive letters of indemnity and warranty from the manufacturer to protect them against possible damage if the boards can't be replaced.

If you have further questions, or would like to discuss any particular installation of Dens materials, contact a G-P Gypsum representative at 866-245-1076.

For more informatin, read the complete letter sent to the Knoxville Association of General Contractors: G-P DensGlass Gold Recall Letter.

Fall Board Is Fast Approaching
The NAHB Fall Board of Directors Meeting and the Commercial Builders Council Board of Trustees Meeting will be held in Columbus, OH, Sept. 29-Oct. 3, 2004. Be sure to plan now to attend the meetings and events. The Commercial Builders Council Spring Board Schedule is listed below. For additional information, contact Carmel Nayman at 800-368-5242 x8410 or Amy Larrabee at x8455.

Italics – NAHB meetings

Day & Time	Meeting	Room
Wednesday, Sept. 29
8:00 - 9:30 a.m.	Joint Council Chairs	H-Garfield, 1st flr
12 noon - 1:00 p.m.	2004 Executive Board (Lunch)
1:00 - 5:00 p.m.	2004 Executive Board Meeting	H-Regency, 3rd flr
Friday, Oct. 1
11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.	NCBC Trustees and Planning	CC-C21- Level 1
7:00 - 9:00 a.m.	Gold Key	Off Site
Saturday, Oct. 2
8:00 - 10:00 a.m.	Area Caucuses
10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.	Joint 2004 Executive Board	H-Regency, 3rd flr
2:00 - 5:00 p.m.	2004 NAHB Board of Directors Meeting	CC-Grand Ballrm  Level 1
7:00 - 11:00 p.m.	Capital Club	Off Site
Sunday, Oct. 3
8:00 a.m. - 12 noon	2004 NAHB Board of Directors Meeting	CC-Grand Ballrm  Level 1

Cement Shortage Continues to Rise
According to the Portland Cement Association (PCA), availability of cement has been limited in some regions of the U.S. since the spring. What initially crept up in Florida and the southeastern U.S. has expanded, but remains a regional problem.

Since a June survey by PCA Economic Research reporting 23 states with shortage conditions or tight supplies, six states have been added (Arizona, Delaware, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Utah). Shortage conditions in the North Central region has eased somewhat as plant specific production troubles have been resolved.

The PCA says the short-term solution is to import more cement. However, limited seaborne vessel availability, high shipping rates, and strong global cement demand are hindering the industry’s ability to achieve this solution.Longer term, many cement companies have engaged in aggressive modernization and expansion programs. Announced capacity increases are projected to result in nearly 10 million tons of new capacity by 2008 — roughly an 11% increase in domestic capacity.

To address industry concerns about cement supplies, PCA is producing a series of reports. To read the latest Cement Shortage Assessment Update, go to the PCA Web Site. [return to top]

Rise in Building Materials Costs Means Properties May Be Underinsured
A rise in the cost of building materials such as cement and steel, as well as other commodities used in the construction process, may mean that many commercial and residential properties are under-insured. This can have significant implications if an insured's policy is subject to coinsurance or margin clause provisions. With a more than 10% increase in the cost of building materials over the past 12 months, owners who simply renewed last year's policies without reviewing their coverage for replacement costs could find themselves under-insured in the case of a loss.

The recent rise in materials costs should serve as a wake-up call to property owners to review not only their insurance coverage, but also how coverage amounts were calculated. At Risk: Rise in Building Materials Costs Means Properties May Be Under-Insured, by Marsh Risk Consulting, tackles this crucial issue and looks at strategies for ensuring that property owners' policies are up-to-date and provide sufficient coverage in light of recent cost increases.

You can find the At Risk on Marsh's Risk Consulting Practice Web site, or go directly to: http://www.marshriskconsulting.com/st/PDEv_C_370_NR_306_PI_490284.htm. The document is in a pdf format which you can print or download. [return to top]

Update — Revised OSHA Crane and Derrick Standards
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Crane and Derrick Negotiated Rulemaking Committee (CDAC) has reached consensus on language for a revised crane and derrick standard for construction.

Key provisions of the C-DAC proposal include:

• The scope section covers a wide range of cranes over 2000 pounds, which also exempts some equipment such as forklifts, backhoes, excavators, and concrete pumps.
• A qualified person must address a list of key hazards associated with equipment assembly and disassembly.
• Ground conditions must be made adequate for crane set-up to help prevent tip-overs.
• In order to prevent electrocution, employers must choose from a list of options for ensuring that equipment does not come within a prescribed distance of power lines.
• Signal persons must meet specified qualification requirements.
• After a phase-in period, crane operators will have to be certified by either:
• Any crane operator testing organization approved by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, or
• The employer's own qualification program, which must be audited by a testing organization approved auditor.
• Safety devices, operational aids, signals, specific types of equipment (such as derricks and tower cranes), inspections, wire rope, prototype design and testing, crushing and overhead hazards, fall protection and equipment modification are also addressed.

NAHB’s voice at the negotiating table dissented on the C-DAC proposal that would require either third party independent crane operator certification or the employer's own qualification program to be audited by the third party crane operator organization.NAHB dissented because the association believes that these two options do not allow enough flexibility for an employer to “self-qualify” its own crane operators, whereby current suitable and adequate employer crane safety training programs would not meet these new, more stringent requirement.NAHB's concerns will be noted in the OSHA preamble of the notice of proposed rulemaking.

The draft crane and derrick standard for construction will be submitted to the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health and will continue through the rulemaking process during the next year, which includes a review by small business entities and a comment period for the general public.

For more information contact Rob Matuga at 800-368-5342 x8507. [return to top]

Index Finds Rental Market Gaining Strength and Condos Remaining Strong
With consumer demand for apartments on the upswing, multifamily developers across the country are optimistic that the rental market is finally in the midst of a recovery, according to the results of the latest Multifamily Market Index (MMI) released last week by NAHB.

“The results of the MMI for the second quarter are very encouraging,” said NAHB President Bobby Rayburn. “After three years of rising vacancy rates, we’re seeing a turnaround in the apartment market.”

The index for this year’s second quarter found that demand was improving for all classes of apartments.

Class B apartments — the average market-rate communities — were at 50.6 on the index, seven points higher than a year earlier; and luxury Class A units registered 49.2, a 10-point improvement over the second quarter of 2003. Lower-rent units, a category that generally outpaces the other two when it comes to demand, stood at 55.3, 10 points higher than the April-June period a year earlier.

Even With a Month of Decline, Steel Imports are Still on the Rise
The situation with steel availability and pricing continues to look bright even with a slight decline in July. The American Iron and Steel Institute reports that steel industry shipments and imports rose 17% during the first six months of 2004 compared with the first half of 2003 — less than the 27% increase in finished steel imports, resulting in increased import penetration of the U.S. market.

July imports of 2.9 million tons of steel is down 11% from the previous month, including 2.5 million tons of finished steel, down 4% from the record level of imports in June. While imports declined slightly from the previous month, total and finished steel imports year-to-date are both up 33% compared to the same period last year.

For additional information, Visit the American Iron and Steel Institute’s Web site or Steel Framing Alliance’s Web site. [return to top]

First Source — Now Available Online
NCBC members can now access First Source™, the supplement and reverence guide, online. You've been receiving the print edition, but now First Source is right at your fingertip.

First Source (www.FirstSourceONL.com)  offers indexed, searchable and downloadable building product information. First Source provides tools to help you make your key design decisions: First Source™, CSI's SPEC-DATA®, CSI's MANU-SPEC®, First Source CAD and Manufacturers Catalogs. Take a moment to explore the many benefits that First Source has to offer :

• First Source™ — Building product profiles researched and written by experienced professionals
• CSI's SPEC-DATA® — Technical building products datasheets for product selection
• CSI's MANU-SPEC® — Manufacturer-specific product guide specifications for product specification
• First Source CAD — Dimensionally accurate product drawings and details

• Manufacturer Catalogs — Digital reproductions of building product manufacturer's catalogs

NCBC members will continue to receive the print edtion of First Sounce. The 2005 edition with be released in February. If you do not receive your copy, please contact Amy Larrabee at 800-368-5242 x8455. [return to top]

Save on Dell® with NAHB
Dell, the world's leading computer systems company, offers discounts to NAHB members on Dell Dimension™ Desktops, Dell OptiPlex™ Desktops, Dell Precision™ Workstations, Dell Inspiron™ Notebooks, Dell Latitude™ Notebooks, Dell PowerEdge™ SC Servers and PowerVault™ Storage and Dell Printers™.

Go to http://premier.dell.com to order your Dell system. Enter access code “NAHB” and access key “NAHBDELL” (case sensitive). Your NAHB discount will be automatically applied.

Your dedicated Dell Association Sales Representative is available at 1-888-577-3355 Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.-8 p.m. (CT), and Saturday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (CT).

For the most up-to-date details on the Member Advantage discount program and all of the participating companies, go to http://memberadvantage.nahb.org. Or visit www.nahb.org to explore the full range of benefits associated with membership in your local, state and national home builders associations. [return to top]