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.

For many homeowners that need extra space—a spare bedroom, a bigger kitchen, a sunroom, or a larger living space—home additions are worth considering. In some cases, it’s certainly easier than purchasing or building a new home, when you consider the time and money involved. And now that housing prices are on the rise, this is doubly true. Rather than paying a premium for a larger home, many homeowners will be looking to add on to existing homes.

As a contractor, you’ll probably start seeing more and more of these requests from clients. It’s important to be prepared, have an efficient process in place and take time to consider what tools and fasteners you will need for that particular job. For example, for your framing and general construction needs, SCRAIL® fasteners are by far the best choice. They fire quickly and easily just like nails, plus you can adjust them and remove them as you would with screws, making It the most efficient fastener for any project! To help you prepare for home addition work, we’ve explored several factors you’ll want to consider before you begin.

Outdoor kitchens, which used to be more common with larger homes for the wealthy, have now become more popular among middle-class homeowners with a yard and garden on their property. These innovative amenities for serious outdoor dining can vary enormously in size, appliance complexity and layout, but they don't need to be extremely pricey or complicated.

 With the right kinds of professional pneumatic tools and other equipment, you can deliver a finely finished outdoor kitchen for your clients in no time. Knowing about doing this is especially important as the chances of being asked about them increase. Here are some selling points and tips to keep in mind if a client requests an outdoor kitchen plan.

Decks are one of the most popular home improvements out there. If you’re a contractor, you probably get asked about deck building all the time—and so do your competitors! So how do you build a better deck (and a better portfolio) than the competitors? The right fastening system is one way to do it. You’ll definitely want to check out BECK’s INVISIDECK® Hidden SCRAIL® System. To help you get started, here some other things you can do to build the best decks possible.

Like any industry, commercial construction contracting can't escape the pull of technological innovation, at least not if you want your company to stay competitive. This doesn't mean that you must keep up with every latest trend or wear out your management budget on new gadgets at every turn. But keeping an eye out for productive innovations in the field is always a good idea.

It's, therefore, important to test new technologies if you can really see a possible use for them. New technologies might involve using innovative assembly systems, such as BECK’s SCRAIL® line of fastening tools, or something as simple as a new smart phone app for better project management. Either way, trying new things out will keep you adaptive and effective. Here are several key construction technology trends you might want to start focusing on.

Despite the common perception that the construction industry is an unsafe place to work in and that accidents are on the rise, the reality is usually the opposite. Due to improvements in workplace safety, strict enforcement of OSHA regulations and largely also due to better tools for construction safety, such as the FASCO® (a BECK brand) line of tools, it's easier than ever to avoid accidents.

Misfortunes still do happen of course. As the numbers show, about 20% of workplace deaths in the U.S. occur on construction sites, despite construction workers making up only 6% of the workforce. In part, this is due to construction being more physically demanding than the largely office-based service jobs that have come to dominate the U.S. labor force. With that said, a sloppily run construction site will always be a risk to everyone involved, but it's mostly avoidable. Here's how to achieve just that.

Downtime happens—especially in the winter when it’s too cold to work outside and homeowners are reluctant to tackle interior renovation projects. Fortunately, there’s a lot that a construction company can do with that time, like getting ahead on the millwork that you know will be in high demand in the coming days. For that, you’re going to need some lumber and some tools—like either the FASCO® (a member of BECK) F20A Bradder or the F30AT Bradder. Both are useful for a variety of jobs including custom millwork!

Almost every service and product-oriented business in the world uses packaging materials at some point in its operations. If your own business does, it's one of the many thousands, possibly millions, of others that do the same. What's easy to forget every time you assemble a box or pallet for shipping, or use pallets as part of your project work, is the possible environmental impact of all the materials being used.

 This is where wooden crates and pallets become useful. They're an ideal sustainable packaging solution that can be used multiple times over—if handled carefully—and you can even sturdily finish their assembly yourself with a minimal need for tools.

 Essentially, with little more than a reliable staple gun and a handy supply of Crating SCRAIL® fasteners, you can handle your own wooden packaging materials like a pro. Here are a few reasons why you should consider this practice.

The new year is here and with it, the booming peak of the 2022 construction and renovation season has begun. We're talking about spring, summer and fall of this year and lots of projects are sure to be in the works for all kinds of minor and major home renovations.

With metal siding, there's a wealth of myths and misconceptions about how usable it is for home and household structure installation. Fortunately, most of them are well off the mark or based on badly outdated information. If done with the help of tool combos such as the SCRAIL® RoofLoc® Metal Roofing System, a firm, well-sealed metal siding or roof project can be thoroughly durable and easy to install. Let's debunk the falsehoods and explain what helps make metal siding projects into successful structures.