Fiberglass reinforced panels work well in a range of situations. They are as durable as other options and provide superior scratch resistance and strength. In fact, these panels have strength the same as up to five times the same weight of steel, providing you with lightweight but strong surfaces. Unlike steel or other metal surfaces, these panels won't corrode or rust, but will simply remain strong in a wide range of less than ideal environments. They're also very resistant to shattering from heavy impacts. Though basic version of fiberglass-reinforced plastics have been in use for over six decades, the use of this material in building panels is still relatively new.

They have superior durability in atmospheres where regular commercial and educational settings, as they are easy to clean and resistant to scratches and abrasion. The panels also work well in restrooms, locker rooms, kitchens, dining rooms and cooling towers, due to their durability and strength. They withstand bleaching, chemicals and other sanitation materials. The panels can hold up very well against pressure washing and even the vapor permeability of steam cleaning. They are also mold and stain resistant, making them hold up very well in less than ideal circumstances.

The panels are lightweight, making it easier to move and install them, and they can be installed either using fasteners or adhesive. They don't require any special tools or skills and can be installed using a fine-toothed saw, a carbide drill bit, a trowel in a size recommended by the panel manufacturer and a laminate roller to ensure good adhesion. They can be installed using adhesive over wood, drywall, concrete, concrete block, plastics and similar porous materials. The panels can also be used in retrofit situations, making them a good choice to install over new or old drywall. This means if your new facility isn't holding up to expectations, retrofitting it with fiberglass reinforced panels can provide the durability needed without disrupting your operations any more than necessary.

The panels are available in a wide rainbow of colors and finishes, from completely smooth to pebbled textures that break up boring lines. They're also available in a wide range of sizes and thicknesses, allowing you to only cover what is needed while minimizing seams and transitions. The fiberglass reinforced panels can be manufactured with a standard matrix or one that provides additional fire retardant properties or resistance to breakdown in ultraviolet light into your wall system. The hard surface can be manufactured to meet USDA and health department requirements for non-porous surfaces.

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Winter comes up fast each year. In fact, it can surprise even experienced contractors who are used to working outdoors. Here are some tips that can enable contractors to be ready when winter comes;

Winterizing Equipment

As the seasons transition from autumn to winter, the equipment that a contractor uses will change. To begin, trucks and vehicles may need to be winterized. It is a great idea to check the battery of a company vehicle. A vehicle that has been dependable for many years may not be if the battery needs to be changed or the charging system is weak.

Besides this, tools and equipment may need to be exchanged in order for a contractor to have the winter tools that are necessary. Think about carting shovels, chains and recovery equipment during the winter months.

Appropriate Attire

When the cold comes, it is quite important for a contractor and team members to have appropriate attire when at the worksite. This is especially the case when working outdoors. Some contractors have uniforms or company jackets for all employees. This is a great way to getting the logo and brand of the company out to current and prospective clients. If you have been considering spending the money for company outfits, this winter might be the perfect time to invest.

While this is a beneficial idea, another great idea is to have contractors wear gloves that are specifically designed to be worn outdoors. After all, winter can bring frigid temperatures. At times these temperatures can reduce work effectiveness, but wearing warm and proper attire will certainly help in production at the worksite.

Winter Education

Common sense can help anyone get ready for winter conditions however; there are times that common sense is not enough to deal with the elements. Providing winter education can help get a contractor back into the thick of things for winter.

Suppose that a contractor does air conditioners and heaters. During the spring, summer and even autumn months, time and effort is spent with air conditioners. However, during the winter months, a contractor is focused on repairing and replacing heaters.

A brief refresher course on heaters can prepare a contractor for the upcoming winter season. Furthermore, it can enable a contractor to be ready when the first heater repair call arrives. Being ahead of the curve will save a lot of stress later on.

These useful tips can help prepare contractors for the winter. Although some of these tips can take time, the reality is that these need to be done in the first place.

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Photo credit:ájulipan / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0), Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

When it comes to outdoor living in the northeast, ice fishing is practically a rite of passage. Once you've become hooked on the hobby, sitting on the ice in the wind becomes less a necessity and more of a pain - or lack thereof, as the cold numbs your extremities. Fortunately, some enterprising individual invented the ice fishing shack, otherwise known as an ice shack, ice house, ice shanty and any number of other monikers. But that inventor could never have seen the lengths some enthusiasts have gone to over the years to develop ice houses that go above and beyond, providing the ultimate in luxury, technology and high living on the ice. Here's a quick look at the best shacks on the ice.

A Whale of a Tale

We've all heard fishing stories. My granddad's favorite was talking about how he once caught a fish "this big", he'd say, holding his hands a couple feet apart before following up with the punch line, "between the eyes!" This whopper was built of spray foam insulation by Ron McMullin in northern Wisconsin, allowing him to combine his passion for ice fishing with his professional foam insulation career. This orca-inspired fish house is a real killer!

Having a Grand Time

Much like glamping, ice fishing shacks have become more and more luxurious as the years have gone by. And why not? Though catching is a pretty exciting time, the hours spent waiting for the fish to bite can sometimes be a bit monotonous. So "The Grand Lodge" was designed as a four-season certified RV trailer, with bore holes for fishing, beautiful wood paneling and a TV to watch the game while you wait.

There's No Place Like (Tiny) Home

Though the tiny home trend is growing, many people still feel these small homes just don't leave enough room to move. But in smaller doses, such as the hours spent ice fishing on evenings, weekends and holidays, this tiny house ice shanty is just the right size for kicking back and getting in some serious fishing time, whether it's enjoying the view through the French doors or fishing off the deck on nicer days.

The Pink What?

Let's face it - when it comes to what to name your ice fishing shack, The Pink Palace would probably not be the first thing that comes to mind. This roomy ice fishing house combines fine fishing with fine art, featuring a beautiful mural around the entire exterior, bilateral shelves combined with propane lights and stoves. At 16' by 8' with an 8.5' center height, the ski-mounted fish house has spring hinge doors, adjustable ventilation and privacy windows to create a comfortable ice palace.

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When you're in the habit of using wood framing for your project, it's easy to stay stuck in a rut. However, there are a number of advantages to using metal studs that can have you on the right track for any number of project types. But how do you know where to apply this type of framing and what is different from the wood framing you're already familiar with? Here are some details to help you along the way.

Lighter weight.

Metal studs are easier to hold in position because of their lighter overall weight, making it much easier to sink that fastener exactly where it needs to go instead of where you accidentally caught it as it fell. This also makes it much easier to load or unload the framing members at the store or on the job site.

More compact.

Because metal studs have a hollowed design, you can store twice as many studs in the same space as you would wooden studs. This means not only can you carry the weight, you can literally double the amount of studs you're carrying in terms of bulk at the same time.

Less reactive to humidity and temperature.

We've all run across a few wood studs that got a little damp in a rain storm or hot, high humidity days on the job site and turned out looking like they went through a Texas twister. Metal studs are almost always completely straight, barring a traffic accident on the way from the store.

Naturally fire retardant.

Sure, in theory metal studs can burn. But not without the application of oxygen, fuel and a serious torch. If you want a little more security for a structure where fire is a concern, metal studs win, hands down. You won't get that kind of peace of mind when you use wood studs.

Lower overall costs.

Because you can pack more in a load with lower weight, it takes fewer trips and costs less to transport metal studs versus their wood counterparts. You'll also have a serious reduction in warranty callbacks due to warping or curving boards, making it easier to spend more time on the next job instead.

Recyclable scrap.

Not only do metal studs produce less scrap, with some estimates as high as 18% difference compared to wood, but the scrap can be directly recycled to help you gain back your material cost and lower your disposal costs.

Lasts longer.

Because most metal framing members use galvanized steel, it doesn't corrode; and unlike wood, it doesn't rot either, causing maintenance and repair headaches down the road.

Easier to route services.

Metal studs come with pre-drilled holes in the structure, which makes it much easier to run electrical line, small-diameter plumbing pipes, communications wire, gas lines and similar services through the studs, reducing your overall installation time of these services.

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If there's one thing you can count on in New England in the spring and early summer, it's that it's going to get muddy. Unfortunately, mud can cause some serious problems, from material damage to slips and falls. It can also flow into sewer systems, gumming up the works, and create a visual blight on the neighborhood. Here are some tips you can implement on how to keep your job site cleaned up and safe even through the mud season.

The first steps in mud management involve not making it in the first place. Take the time to walk the site and add protective material in sensitive areas. If the drive into the job site involves gravel or dirt roads, consider placing geogrids to better distribute the load of the equipment and vehicles across more of the soil, preventing ruts from forming. Avoid doing grading work while the site is wet or when wet weather is expected shortly. Take steps to protect exposed soil from wind and water erosion.

If your equipment or vehicles gather mud in the tire treads and on the undercarriage, you'll want to remove it before leaving the job site. This prevents the mud from being deposited on the road, creating a nuisance and safety hazard for other drivers. One approach you can take is by creating a space where tires and the vehicle's undercarriage can be washed off before entering the highway. This can be as simple as a hose with a power nozzle to clean off the mud, brushes to scrub it off or similar options. If you do use water, make sure the clean-out area has good drainage available for the water to run off without creating more mud. If you still have mud entering the public roads, you may want to add a road sweeper to provide additional cleaning when necessary.

When you're dealing with foot traffic, some soils can become problematic with mud causing slip and fall accidents. Whether it's a patch of slick mud or mud building up in the treads of your worker's boots, slipping can cause serious injury, especially with heavy equipment and power tools in common use. Providing a boot brush for removing mud from boot treads, using metal grating to provide additional traction or laying down planks or geogrids to protect the soil and prevent the mud from forming in the first place are all excellent options to consider when figuring out a job site mud plan.

But what if, after all this work, you still get mud on the job site? Though these options would minimize the amount that forms, they can't completely eliminate the chance that you'll end up with mud regardless. Try to limit how many times materials are moved to reduce traffic and chance of the material getting muddy. Create a wash station to remove mud in a well-drained location. Use a stiff bristle brush to remove dried mud from surfaces.