Mastering the Craft: Essential Dos and Don’ts for Installing a Slate Roof

Posted by Brett McCutcheon on Nov 4, 2023 7:15:00 AM

In the world of roofing material, slate is among the longest-lasting and the most durable. It's so long-lasting that some slate roofs from the 1800s are still in use today. This longevity and durability mean that slate is a very different roofing material than other types of roofing material commonly used today. Slate roofs have unique considerations that affect the installation process. If you're a contractor responsible for installing slate roofs on residences or commercial buildings, these do's and don'ts can help you find success.

Of course, working with the right tools makes all the difference. The FASCO® (a BECK member) F24 Slate Hook System is designed for slate roof installation. The system includes the Slate Hook tool for some of the fastest and most efficient slate shingle installations in the world. The FASCO® F24 Slate Hook System can be operated with just one hand, so it's perfect when working on steeply pitched roofs.


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Topics: Construction Fasteners, building, fasteners, Tools, Roofing, Slate Roofing, construction site, outdoor construction, power tools, fastening system, commercial building, construction, nail system, sheathing




Pro Tips for Fastening to Steel and Concrete

Posted by Brett McCutcheon on Oct 28, 2023 7:00:00 AM

Some jobs are harder than others, and as a builder, you probably have a few jobs on your list of least favorite things to do. For many builders, those least favorite jobs include driving fasteners into steel and concrete. When you’re working with wood, drywall, or other, softer materials, you can leverage nail guns to make it quick and easy to drive fasteners. Where steel and concrete are concerned, however, it often requires a lot of time and hard work.

Below, we’ll explore the difficulties you’ll face when using traditional fasteners with these materials. We’re also going to show you a better way to fasten to steel and concrete: The ET&F® (a BECK member) Model 710 fastening system, which is designed for steel and concrete—and offers the same ease of use that you’d get from a nail gun.


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Topics: Construction Fasteners, building, fasteners, Tools, ET&F, steel framing, construction site, outdoor construction, power tools, fastening system, commercial building, construction, concrete, trimfast, nail system, nails, steel construction, concrete pins




Reasons Why Buildings Fall Apart

Posted by Brett McCutcheon on Oct 21, 2023 7:15:00 AM

Buildings are designed to stand the test of time, but sometimes, they face challenges from natural forces or structural defects. Understanding the factors that can lead to a building's deterioration is crucial for ensuring the success of your construction projects.

To enhance the durability and stability of your structures, consider the advantages of BECK’s patented diamond-coated fasteners. This innovative diamond coating technology is expertly applied to a range of products, including BECK’s SCRAIL® SUBLOC® PRO and JUMBO strip nails. This coating significantly reduces friction between the fastener and the wood structure, resulting in a stronger grip on the material and fewer fibers being damaged.

Curious about the underlying causes of building failures? Keep reading to discover more.


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Topics: Construction Fasteners, Scrail Fasteners, building, fasteners, Tools, construction site, outdoor construction, power tools, nail screws, commercial building, construction, sustainability, diamond coated, nail system, nails, sustainable building, structural integrity




The Importance of Using Recyclable Building Materials

Posted by Brett McCutcheon on Oct 14, 2023 7:15:00 AM

More and more, people are turning toward sustainable building methods—and it’s not just within the homebuilding industry. Commercial and industrial construction clients are also looking for ways to create more sustainable buildings.

And one of the best ways to do that? It’s through recyclable materials.

In many instances, builders are searching out materials that they can recycle directly into new builds—like timber, for example. For other types of materials, people are choosing options that, while you may not be able to directly recycle them at the end of their useful life, they can be recycled at the industrial level. Metals and concrete are examples of this type of recycling.

Fasteners are included in the push to use recyclable materials—and that’s what makes SCRAIL® nail screw fasteners, developed by BECK, a great choice for sustainable, recyclable builds. In this post, we’re going to show you the importance of recyclable materials, and we’ll show you how SCRAIL® fits into a recyclable building plan.


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Topics: Construction Fasteners, Scrail Fasteners, building, fasteners, Tools, construction site, outdoor construction, power tools, nail screws, commercial building, construction, sustainability, nail system, nails, sustainable building, structural integrity




Why is Sustainable Construction Important?

Posted by Brett McCutcheon on Feb 11, 2023 7:45:00 AM

In construction circles, one of the top topics these days is sustainable construction. It’s important not only to builders and project managers but to homebuyers, renovators, and others on the consumer side of the spectrum.


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Topics: Construction Fasteners, lignoloc, Wooden Nails, mass timber construction, Eco-Friendly Construction, sustainability




Avoid These Steel Framing and Sheathing Errors

Posted by Brett McCutcheon on Nov 19, 2022 3:40:27 PM

Steel framing construction should be as mistake-free as possible. A well-framed structure can make the difference between a satisfied customer and one who is forced to deal with numerous structural and utility problems down the road. To avoid framing mistakes, you need to keep in mind the most common errors that can happen and ensure that you're using the right fastening tools for attaching other elements to the steel frame of your structure.


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Topics: Construction Fasteners, ET&F, steel framing




Soundproof Drywall: Is It Worth It?

Posted by Brett McCutcheon on Nov 5, 2022 8:15:00 AM

Whether you’re a home builder or a remodeler, soundproofing isn’t something that typically comes up a lot—but it’s something that becomes more common when you’re working on duplexes, apartments, or other multi-family units. You may also get the occasional request from homeowners who have either gotten noise complaints or want to reduce noise.


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Topics: Construction Fasteners, Scrail Fasteners, Soundproofing




What’s the Difference Between Underlayment and Subfloors?

Posted by Brett McCutcheon on Oct 15, 2022 7:30:00 AM

This is a question that sometimes results in a little confusion. Is there a difference between underlayments and subfloors? Yes—there is. Do you always need to use both? Often—but sometimes, you can get away with just the subfloor. But there’s more to it than that. Below, we’ll dive into the types of flooring available, which underlayments to use with them, and more. We’ll also talk about the SCRAIL® SUBLOC® PRO System, which is ideal for installing subfloors.


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Topics: Subloc Pro, Construction Fasteners, Scrail Fasteners, floors, subfloors, fasteners, coil nailer, wood, scrail




Tips to Improve Efficiency on Framing Jobs

Posted by Brett McCutcheon on Sep 24, 2022 8:30:00 AM

Framing is a large and regular part of any builder’s daily work. And that means that ways to make this job more efficient are always welcome since efficiency can save time, materials, and potential headaches or framing failures down the road—all of which can prove costly for your business.

So, what are some helpful tips to make framing more efficient? The right tools are a good start, for one thing. We suggest the FASCO® (a BECK member) F70G Joist Hanger Nailer, which is a powerful tool that lets you drive fasteners when you’re hanging joists or other heavy-duty types of framing. Aside from that, there are a few other things you can do to make framing more efficient.


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Topics: Construction Fasteners, Nailers, building, fasteners, framing, joist hanger nailer




Build With Fasteners That Can Stand Up to the Sun

Posted by Brett McCutcheon on Jul 30, 2022 8:00:00 AM

You might not think too much about how temperature can affect the materials and tools on a construction site, but it certainly does—and in all kinds of ways. Virtually every building material has thermal properties of one kind or another than can create subtle (or not so subtle) problems when they manifest during sizzling summer weather under the sun.


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Topics: Construction Fasteners, fasteners, FasCoat, fastening system, corrosion protection, fasteners and the sun, coated fasteners, treated metals, treated alloy





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SCRAIL®, Fast like a Nail, Strong like a Screw, are incredibly versatile collated fasteners that can be driven with a pneumatic nailer at a rate twice as fast as collated screws and eight times faster than bulk screws. You can rely upon SCRAIL® fasteners to hold strong, without callbacks to fix a squeak or a nail pop.

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