Over the years, there have been housing styles that have come and gone. The craftsman, the Tudor, the Victorian, the ranch: all these homes were very popular in their day. One modern option that is quickly gaining ground to remain in the records of history is the tiny house. Though the definition differs depending on who you talk to, these go from an ultra-portable 80 square feet to a "tiny mansion" of 1,000 square feet. Focused on the movement towards minimalism and simplicity, the tiny house forces its occupants to only retain what has value to them, instead of plastic totes full of decorations for every holiday and boxes full of old records that "might be needed".

1) This beautiful floating tiny house in Maine brings a whole new meaning to the term house boat! At 240 square feet, it's solidly a tiny house, but after building it, the owners decided to ditch their plans of using it as a vacation and rental home in favor of enjoying a permanent home on the water. The decision was probably easier due to the home's design with an off-grid electrical system to provide the amenities. Image courtesy of Country Living.

2) This tiny mansion in Oklahoma is at the top end of the legal limit at 1,000 square feet. After spending a month in an RV at various national parks, the owners decided to sell their large home in Oklahoma city in favor of camping for eight more months on family property. Though the original plans were somewhat smaller, the family added an upstairs loft for a much-needed master bedroom suite and office space. Image courtesy of Country Living.

3) Are you in love with the idea of a simple New England cottage? This beautiful Maine vacation cottage is technically not a tiny house at 1,200 square feet, but most people would still consider it very small. But that doesn't prevent it from having all the amenities you'd expect in a traditional home, such as a full-size oven and a soaking tub. Due to its location on a small island, the owners - successful designers from Charleston, SC - had some challenges with the renovations as everything had to be brought over by bridge or causeway. Image courtesy of Country Living.

4) If you're determined to have a modern tiny house, this beautiful 300 square foot studio home in New York gives you the best of both worlds. The window wrap, somewhat unusual in tiny houses, provides both a frame for the beautiful scenery and expands the visual appearance of the living space, making it seem much larger than it actually is. Walnut is used extensively in the interiors and the site's rock features compliment the cable railing front porch. Image courtesy of House Beautiful.

5) Prefer a taste of the eclectic with plenty of elbow room indoors and out? This 800 square foot cottage was designed using sustainable materials and one-story living for the retiree owners. What you can't see from the outside is the amazing timber framed interior and beautiful woodworking throughout this home. Because of its size, the owners were able to splurge on high quality, full size appliances and granite countertops. A beautiful counterpoint to the large beams and living space are all the tiny niches and crannies for easy storage. Image courtesy of Tiny House Talk.

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When you're looking at building materials, there's no doubt that insulation of any type ends up being a green material because it lowers the amount of work your HVAC system needs to do to keep your home or business at a comfortable temperature. But with the push for green construction, what insulation products are actually created using sustainable practices and materials? We've taken the opportunity to look at different earth-friendly insulation options for your review here:

Green Insulation Types

Insulation tends to come in a few different forms. Here's a quick review of those types and the pros and cons of each:

Faced or Unfaced Batting: Though fiberglass batting is the industry standard, there are also batts made with mineral wool and animal wool that can be a little more sustainable, though many fiberglass products also contain higher post-consumer recycled waste content. If the right size is selected, batting can be installed quickly and easily without any gaps between the stud, but requires an offset double-stud wall to prevent heat transference through the studs.

Blown-In Insulation: Blown insulation includes material made from cellulose, fiberglass, recycled clothing and many other products. It's a great product when you're doing a retrofit job, because it can be blown into walls by creating an entrance in one or two places at each wall cavity and does very well in attics where it can rest over the ceiling cavity for the room below, but can be easily moved out of position accidentally or by small animals, reducing its effectiveness.

Sheet Foam: Though it's not made from any type of recycled material, sheet foam does to a great job of providing insulation in particular situations. If you're in a windy area or have thin walls, sheet foam can be used to block the wind or up your structure's potential R-value, provided that you remember to tape the seams between each sheet.

Spray Foam: Spray foam is another material that doesn't use recycled products, but it does a great job of sealing your structure from air leaks. This is especially true if you're trying to work around hard-to-fit gaps or areas where other insulation products won't stay in place readily. It's pretty fast to apply and stays where you put it for a durable solution.

Green Insulation Products

Much of John Manville's product line has received the GreenGuard Gold certification. As a formaldehyde-free product, it releases fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs) than similar products on the market. Their certified products include their Attic Protector and ClimatePro blow-in insulation, kraft-faced and unfaced batts and rolls, ComfortThermand MicroLite batts and rolls and PEBS unfaced filler blanket lines. Though GreenGuard covers commercial building products, Manville's commitment to the environment extends to their residential supplies and feature a 20% post-consumer recycled waste content and a total of 25% recycled material content in their products.

Knauf's EcoBatt product line is a batt insulation product that is one of the most sustainable in the industry. It's made using organic compounds that are easily replenished in the environment instead of petroleum products and has an amazing 70% reduction in the use of high-VOC binding agents, providing a naturally-low VOC content. It's produced using sand, an absolute minimum of 61.9% post-consumer recycled waste while still handling, cutting and installing very easily with less dust. It also helps reduce noise pollution with a significant reduction in noise transference through your walls.

Owens Corning's ProPink L77 wall system and AttiCat expanding blown insulation lines have low VOCs and over 30% post-consumer recycled product in their products.

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Sources:áhttp://builtgreen.org/industryleaders/johnsmanville/index.html
http://www.ecobatt.us/eco_batt.html

There are a number of new buildings being constructed using cold form steel framing. These products are well known for offering all the structural stability that many teams need to complete projects on time. There are a few aspects that will set cold form steel framing apart from many other materials. Versatility and lightweight are a few reasons why cold form steel framing has been gaining ground for projects.

These materials are increasingly seeing a wide range of uses, which should draw in support from a few different sources. They are popular materials for use in large buildings and bridge designs. But they have also been used to construct storage racks and car bodies.

Benefits

• Versatile, can be formed in many ways
• Used in Large or Small Structures
• Lightweight
• Can be stored in many forms until they are needed

Transmission towers and poles have been used using this material as well. Consumers are increasingly looking to use this material to adapt to the some of the different types of options that they have. But they should plan to use it alongside other materials to improve the structural stability that may be in place.

Since modern techniques have diversified, there are a few different types of systems available to people. Most owners will appreciate the opportunity to use the highest grade cold form steel framing. It can be generated into bars, which are increasingly common for some structures.

Other structures can be pressed in to plates and set alongside other materials. Modern techniques have made it much easier for people to adjust to the way that these products are made over time. Builders should coordinate with their team to use these kinds of materials effectively as well.

Finally, the price point of these different types of materials are starting to decline as well. This has made it surprisingly simple to stock up on these products over time. Builders may want to find a way to store these materials in a few different types of settings. This is part of the appeal behind these projects, since the cold form steel can actually be put into storage until it is ready to be put in to place.

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

2. Photo credit: D H Wright / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Steel framing is becoming much more prevalent in construction, but we often think more of the limitations of the material rather than the possibilities. But some contractors have begun to undertake truly amazing projects using steel framing. In this post, we'll take a good look at several beautiful structures that you won't believe used steel framing:

1. Catholic Charities

Image courtesy of Green Country Interiors.

This beautiful buildings for Catholic Charities blend in perfectly to the southwestern architecture common in their area, but they actually used extensive steel framing though out the structures. Who says that giving isn't physically beautiful? The range of structures constructed for this project helps this worldwide charity get the job done for poverty and disaster relief.

2. St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church

Image courtesy of Huggett Betten Corp.

This beautiful church building has the appearance of laminated wood joining in a beautiful pattern at the peak of its dome, but it's all a beautiful example of the amazing possibilities of steel framing and faux finishes. From the exterior, it has the appearance of a traditional stone and masonry construction. The intertwined beams are actually built up and around each other to create the aesthetically pleasing knotwork star at the apex of the chapel ceiling.

3. Kendall Whittier

Image courtesy of Green Country Interiors.

Though these beautiful surroundings have the appearance of classical architecture and old-world framing and plaster, they're a great way that steel framing can be incorporated into even the most traditional projects, in this case a neighborhood revitalization program. In this case, it was the entrance to a health clinic, creating a relaxing atmosphere for healthcare workers and patients alike.

4. Fire Pit

Image courtesy of Kurt Krueger Architects.

Just to show that you can take steel framing outdoors and incorporate it into your outdoor living design, this beautiful fire pit uses thin sheets of onyx over steel framing, with LED lights on the inside to backlight the stone's natural beauty. This is a great example of how steel framing can actually be incorporated as part of the design element, creating gentle upright bars and strong verticals across the fire pit.

5. Jenks Aquarium

Image courtesy of Green Country Interiors.

The rounded forms used in this aquarium fit well with its aquatic theme, but is a technique seen much more commonly with wood framing, but with the advances that have been taking place in forming metal framing tracks, this beauty is all steel framed. With the aquarium's focus on aquatic education, these flowing forms make it easy for children and adults to swim gently through the exhibits.

6. Niles, Michigan YMCA

Image courtesy of Huggett Betten Corp.

You already know that these sweeping curves and circular windows had to be an interesting framing job, and the exterior brick on this active YMCA would almost have you convinced it's a cast-in-place job, but it's all beautifully-imagined steel frame construction. The windows almost give the structure a Hobbit-esque appearance, making you wonder where the round door is located.

7. Cliff House

Image courtesy of MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects Limited.

Though your eye is drawn immediately to the steel I-beams that are holding the structure over the face of the cliff, this beautiful home was entirely steel framed, which works very well with its modern appearance. It's easy to be inspired by the amazing views, but you can't help but hope it's not in a landslide-prone area or how they worked with the codes board on this modern home.

8. Renaissance Hotel

Image courtesy of Green Country Interiors

Though the amazing old world interiors and sweeping exterior architecture seems like something from centuries ago, this recent construction uses a wide range of steel framing techniques to bring off the appearance without breaking the bank. From the leather upholstery to the beautiful floors and sweeping columns, you'll think you've stepped into the old world, not Oklahoma.

These projects are a fabulous example of what can be done with steel framing. If you're considering using steel framing for your next project, whether grand or simple, please download our free Metal Framing Product Guide below.

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When you're installing an acoustical ceiling tile project, do you have the right tools for the job? Although it can be tempting to simply improvise or mock up your own tools, having the right tool for the task at hand can mean all the difference between quickly completing a high-quality job and providing poor performance with ill-fitting material. But what tools really make the difference when it's time to get the job done? Here's a review of some of the most necessary and productive tools for your acoustical ceiling tile job.

Edge Cutters and Snap Blade Utility Knives

Ever had to replace material because of a poorly-scored cut made by a bad utility knife? Investing in a utility knife that has a comfortable grip and can quickly be changed for a fresh edge allows your crew to continue working quickly and effectively. Edge cutters help you refine the edge for a perfect shadowline or reveal.

Flanges

If you've never had to work on an acoustical ceiling in a building that wasn't square, level or plumb, you're more than due for one of these problem projects. When you need to adapt your ideal ceiling installation to less than perfect conditions or need better security to keep it in place, flanges will help get you there.

Punches

To quickly punch a hole in your grid without having support behind it, you need the right tools for the job. Punches allow you to easily punch holes with just one hand, making it much easier to get the holes where you need them to go while working on a ladder or a scaffold.

Rivet Guns

To quickly and effectively join your grid pieces together, nothing holds it together as quickly as a rivet. Rivet guns make it easy to get the job done, but not all rivet guns are created equal. Make sure the rivet gun you're looking at can get into small spaces and sharp angles to get the best use out of it.

Lag Drivers

Getting your frame attached into the framing members can be a tough job, especially when a suspended ceiling is far lower than the original ceiling. Fortunately, there are a wide range of tools available to make the job easier, including extension rods to reach from a distance.

Alignment Tools

There's nothing worse than getting all your ceiling tiles in place and realizing that it isn't level. Today's installer has it much easier than past use of line levels, as today's laser levels are available with self-leveling options to quickly get an easy, reliable baseline to work from.

Touch-Up Paints

Let's face it - there's always going to be an "oops" on the job site. Touch up paints are available to correct mistakes made on the tiles or grid, quickly restoring the ceiling's appearance to its original beauty without a lot of extra mess and fuss involved in the overall process.

In addition, feel free to download the CertainTeed Acoustical Ceiling Product Guide belowáfor a complete breakdown of product details and job applications.

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