Contractor Advantage September / October 2017

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017

TOP-NOTCH CEILINGS GROOMING THE GARAGE COOL TOOLS

Columns Inside What's Trending On The Jobsite Product Platform Design Talk

CONTRACTOR ADVANTAGE SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017

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JELD-WEN. Put our Expertise to Work Interior doors are a source of privacy, comfort and sound-reduction within the home. They provide essential openings to different

Hollow Core 1 3/8" Door Blocking behind panels for support

sections of living spaces, while helping to define the aesthetic

Solid Particleboard Core 1 3/8" Door 1 3/4" Door 20-minute fire rating available for 1 3/4" up to 3'0" x 8'0"

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and personality of each room. JELD-WEN offers a wide breadth of interior door materials and configuration options, as well as

ProCore® the Quiet Door

ProCore® sound reduction technology in a variety moulded door

This solid-core door offers superior sound reduction. Furthermore, this option helps prevent the dents and dings of daily life. Selected sizes offer 20-minute fire rating when paired with certified frames and hardware. All interior moulded and flush doors are available with ProCore® the Quiet Door construction.

panels. Choose JELD-WEN interior doors and give homeowners

2017

functionality at its finest.

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Manufacturer of the Year Windows and Doors

Ask your local Castle dealer about the full range of JELD-WEN products.

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CONTRACTOR ADVANTAGE

Castle Building Centres Group Ltd. is a Canadian member-owned, Lumber, Building Materials and Hardware buying group representing over 300 member locations across Canada.

Contractor Advantage Magazine is the exclusive publication of Castle Building Centres Group Ltd. featuring quality Castle vendor brands available at Castle Building Centres locations.

Visit castle.ca to find a Castle location in your area.

Editorial Director Castle Castle Building Centres Group Ltd. Jennifer Mercieca Publisher - JAD Media Group Inc. Dan Alexander Managing Editor Teresa Christine Art Director Daniel Polsinelli Contributors Teresa Christine Lawrence Cummer Melissa Campeau Lisa Gordon

Advertising Inquiries Jennifer Mercieca Director of Communications Castle Building Centres Group Ltd. 905-564-3307 jmercieca@castle.ca

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017 Volume 22 Issue 5

Material Contact Maryam Bashir Marketing Coordinator Castle Building Centres Group Ltd. 905-564-3307 mbashir@castle.ca Published and designed exclusively for Castle Building Centres Group Ltd.

by JAD Media Group Inc.

About Contractor Advantage

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Contributors

Lawrence Cummer

Melissa Campeau

Lisa Gordon

Lawrence (“Law”) Cummer has more than 20 years of experience writing for trade periodicals, businesses and communications agencies. He writes on topics ranging from contracting and construction, to general business, to information technology, personal finance and occupational safety, and has been a frequent contributor to Contractor Advantage since 2009.

Melissa Campeau is a Toronto-based journalist who regularly contributes to such publications as Yardstick, the OUR HOMES series of magazines, Mortgage Journal, Financial Post and National Post. She lives in Toronto with her husband, seven-year-old son and two-year-old puppy.

Lisa Gordon is a freelance writer who has created customized content for association and trade publications for more than 15 years. She is also the full-time editor of a Canadian aviation magazine and lives near Brantford, Ontario.

Amber MacArthur Amber MacArthur started her career in San Francisco and Boston during the dot-com boom in the late 1990s.

As a strategist for Razorfish agency and Director of Marketing for an e-procurement software company, she spent four years in the technology start-up trenches.

MacArthur left the start-up world to join Microsoft to build one of the first female-focused lifestyle portals.

In 2006, with her brother, she started her own agency called Konnekt. While building her own business brand as President of Konnekt, she has amassed more than 100,000 followers on Twitter, 450,000 fans on Facebook, 1.6M friends on Google+, and 10,000 followers on Instagram.

Walt Grassl Walt Grassl is a speaker, author, and performer. He hosts the radio show, “Stand Up and Speak Up,” on the RockStar Worldwide network. Walt has performed standup comedy at the Hollywood Improv and the

Flamingo in Las Vegas and is studying improv at the Groundlings School in Hollywood. For more information on bringing Walt Grassl to your next event, please visit www.WaltGrassl.com.

S. Chris Edmonds S. Chris Edmonds is a sought-after speaker, author, and executive consultant who is the founder and CEO of The Purposeful Culture Group. After a 15-year executive career leading high performing teams,

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Chris began his consulting company in 1990. He has also served as a senior consultant with The Ken Blanchard Companies since 1995. Chris is one of Inc. Magazine’s 100 Great Leadership Speakers and was a featured presenter at SXSW 2015.

Contributors

What’s Inside?

7 News & Notes

Canada Green Building Council announces 100th LEED® certification in Manitoba

11 What’s Trending

To Succeed as a Leader, Share the Big Picture

23 On The Jobsite

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Cool Tools Faster, stronger, better: Manufacturers leverage new technology to improve the tools of the trade.

Managing results

39 Supplier Spotlight

Steel-Craft Door Products Inc.

49 Product Platform

Premium products from Castle Vendor Partners

61 Tech Talk

Getting Social with your Budget

65 Design Talk

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Grooming The Garage From stylish and energy efficient doors to interior organization systems, homeowners are recognizing the importance of sprucing up this space.

Bathroom Trends for Today

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Top-Notch Ceilings Whether it’s a smooth new gypsum surface or the addition of decorative tiles, options abound for contractors to give homeowners ceilings that improve their comfort and lives.

On the Cover Photo courtesy of Armstrong Ceilings

Contents

CONTRACTOR ADVANTAGE SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017

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Fiberglass Insulation Castlegard速 products meet the highest safety, performance and quality standards. Castlegard速 Insulation is Formaldehyde-free, offering a healthier and safer indoor air quality. Castlegard速 insulation is a cost effective home insulation solution for your home with proven safety and performance ratings.

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News & Notes Photo courtesy of CaGBC

Canada Green Building Council announces 100th LEED® certification in Manitoba The Canada Green Building Council® (CaGBC) and the CaGBC Manitoba Chapter announced last month that Manitoba has reached its 100th LEED® certified project. Totaling 601,753 sq. m. of space, these 100 LEED certifications represent Manitoba’s greenest and most sustainable buildings, with 72 certifications in Winnipeg, six in Brandon, and the remaining 22 projects spread across the province.

“The Manitoba Chapter is thrilled to celebrate the 100th LEED certification in our province,” says Crystal Bornais, Chapter Engagement Specialist for CaGBC’s Manitoba Chapter. “This milestone shows the commitment to green building in Manitoba and to our sustainable future. Each one of the 100 projects represents the hard work of so many members of our green building community, committed owners, and leaders in public policy. I would like to congratulate everyone who has played a part in these successes along the way.”

The honour of the 100th project goes to Stantec’s new Winnipeg office at 311 Portage Street, which earned LEED

News & Notes

Gold for Commercial Interiors certification on June 27.

This 55,000 sq.ft. office space amalgamates the company’s many office locations into one central spot in the city, and incorporated various green design measures in order to achieve a construction waste diversion of 91.33%, a 36.7% reduction in installed lighting power density over ASHRAE 90.1-2004, and reduction of 61.43% over baseline for water fixture performance.

“This excellent outcome in achieving LEED Gold certification in the Commercial Interiors rating system is the result of strong collaboration within our Architecture, Interior Design, and Engineering buildings team,” says Eric Wiens, Stantec Vice President and Regional Leader, Manitoba. “I can’t think of a better way to serve as a role model for our clients than to achieve this certification from the CaGBC and to demonstrate our own high performance design capacity right within our Stantec office in downtown Winnipeg.”

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Manitoba’s 100 LEED certified projects include 16 LEED Certified, 41 LEED Silver, 34 LEED Gold, and nine LEED Platinum. Rating system types are broken down as 72 New Construction or Core and Shell projects, six Commercial Interiors projects, five Existing Building certifications, and 17 Homes projects, with a total of 50 residential units.

Throughout the years, there have been a number of significant milestones for LEED in Manitoba. These include: • The LEED Platinum certified Amber Trails Community School, which recently won a 2017 CaGBC Green Building Excellence Award. Located in the heart of a new neighbourhood in North Winnipeg, Amber Trails has achieved over 50 per cent reduction in water use, and impressive energy savings of 65 per cent in energy cost and 68 per cent in energy use. This is a school for more than its students – it is open and accessible and has evolved into an important hub within the community.

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• The Sir Sam Steele project, a LEED Gold certified group of affordable homes built by Habitat for Humanity and designed by Manitoba company ft3, which is saving residents up to 30 per cent in energy and water costs each year.

• The 17-storey office tower at 220 Portage Ave. in Winnipeg, which earned LEED Platinum for Existing Building certification in 2013, becoming one of the province’s most high-profile green building projects and showcasing how an older building could be retrofitted to maximize performance and efficiency.

• When it certified LEED Platinum in 2012, Manitoba Hydro Place was Canada’s largest LEED Platinum office tower and was one of the first in Canada to be designed as climactically responsive. It is also known as an extremely energy efficient building.

As of June 1, 2017, there were a remarkable 3,176 LEED certified buildings across Canada. www.cagbc.org

News & Notes

Performance Power Tool Accessories for Green Builders When it comes to protecting our environment and delivering value, EAB gets top marks. Over 1,200 high performance products to ensure your job is top-notch.

Make the smart choice and contribute to saving our planet hundreds of tons of natural resources —everything we do at EAB is lean green.

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EAB Tool Company

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EABtool.com

© 2017 EAB Tool Company Inc. All rights reserved. All registered and unregistered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

CONTRACTOR ADVANTAGE SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017

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LOOKING FOR COMMERCIAL DOOR HARDWARE? COMMERCIAL HARDWARE Repairs / Projects

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What’s Trending Photo courtesy of Spectrum Brands

To Succeed as a Leader, Share the Big Picture Written by Walt Grassl

The growing trend in small to medium size businesses is to communicate the “bigger picture”. A management philosophy where every employee is important, like the links in a chain, and sharing bigger picture information with all, help to reinforce that message.

Every employee plays a role in the company’s performance.

It is important that they know their role. This gives them a sense of purpose. It answers the question, “Why does it matter?”

Some people always take great pride in their work. They know it reflects on them. Some people only push themselves when others are relying on them to do their part. Sharing the big picture helps to get the most out of these people. Getting the small things right leads to bigger success.

Here are five different strategies a leader can use to foster a workplace where every employee feels valued and can contribute to the overall vision of the company.

What’s Trending

1. Include All Employees in Strategy Meetings To the extent possible, involve employees in strategy meetings. When you are contemplating a change in the company's direction, modifying one or more processes or seeking new methods to improve delivery, involve the people who perform the tasks before decisions are finalized. They are liable to push back. When they do, use your wisdom and judgement to determine if the push back is valid. If it is valid, figure out a better path forward. This will prevent mistakes that save time and reduce waste. If it is the natural reaction to resist change, deal with it now. You will avoid passive-aggressive behavior that will sabotage the path forward. Done right, you will earn the respect and buy-in of your team members.

However, things like impending job actions (layoffs, promotions, transfers) must never be shared until it is time. When you are otherwise open, the need for discretion will be respected.

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2. Stress the Importance of Every Position

4. Your Business Story

A good leader knows how every employee contributes to the overall performance of the company. Some employees interface with customers. Others provide a clean and safe work environment. Some create the finished product. All the employees play a part in the success of the company. Good leaders praise the individuals and the teams, both in public and in private, for the significant contribution they make to success of the organization. This is important. Over time, people who don’t deal with the finished product may forget the significance of their role. They need to be reminded.

The most powerful story for any business is the story of why the company exists. Who founded the company? What problem did the company originally solve? How did the company evolve into its current state? This works for businesses of all sizes. This is effective in external sales presentations. It is also effective in keeping employees motivated. When that story is known and repeated, employees will realize that they are part of growing or preserving a legacy.

3. See the Big Picture There is a common fallacy in the workplace that one job contributes more than others to the success of the project or company. It is a great thing when employees realize that what they do is important. It is not so good, however, when the needs of the other employees and other affiliated organizations are discounted. Local optimization can result in less than optimal total performance. Explain to your teams the bigger picture. Look at the needs of the other teams and individuals. Understand the other’s position. Explain your organization’s role and the roles of your internal suppliers and internal customers. Keep focused on the end-to-end process, not only your link in the chain.

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5. Maintain an Open-Door Policy When you involve employees in strategy, communicate the importance of the roles of each employee and see both the big picture of the company and the reason why the company exists, your employees will see you as someone who not only talks communication, but communicates. You can further enhance that relationship by having an open-door policy.

Set boundaries and let people know, but invite people to approach you with their concerns or questions. Maybe they come to you. Maybe you walk around and catch them doing things right.

When you share the big picture, every employee feels valued.

They know they play a role in the success of the company.

Job satisfaction increases. It costs little to do this and brings back big returns.

What’s Trending

You know they’ll never, ever, just stay in the bath.

Brand NEW ESSENTIEL PLUS vinyl composite plank flooring is sturdier, stronger and more waterproof than ever.

It’s now available in several different ultra durable finishes from natural stone to hardwood. With the glueless, easy click “5G Lock Technology”, make quick work of any room. Even in the ones that see more of the traveling ducks.

• 6” x 48” longer plank format • Attached pad for more sound absorption • 25 year residential and 3 year commercial limited warranty For more information about Essentiel PLUS, contact us at taigabuilding.com Innovation, from product to distribution, makes us leaders in the category. Whatever it takes.

CONTRACTOR ADVANTAGE SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017

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COOL TOOLS

Faster, stronger, better: Manufacturers leverage new technology to improve the tools of the trade.

Written by Melissa Campeau

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Feature Story: Cool Tools

Doing a job well requires skill, of course. But having some great tools on hand never hurts. With technological advances and plenty of innovation, manufacturers are making tools that are more powerful, longer lasting, and more versatile than ever.

In this issue, we’ve rounded up some of the best new gadgets designed to help make your workday a little more productive, to solve some tricky problems or to offer up some new creative possibilities.

Cordless Continues its Climb Just ten years ago, cordless products were frequently disappointing: many tended to lack both power and stamina.

“Within the last two years, however, manufacturers have done a really good job of delivering the performance of an electric tool, but in a cordless product,” says Shawn Ottewell, Senior Vice President, Makita.

Makita’s new 18-volt x2 7-1/4" circular saw (DRS780Z), for example, delivers the power of an electric saw in a cordless platform. “This allows professional contractors to switch from electric to cordless without sacrificing power and performance,” says Ottewell. “For instance, the circular saw will cut 558 2x4s on a single charge. In most cases, that’s well over a day’s work.” He adds, “In previous battery generations you’d have to charge the battery at lunch break and coffee break and at the end the day, but now a professional can go to a job site with a single battery and work all day.”

Milwaukee Tools has a number of new entries in the cordless category, too.

The M18 Sliding Dual Bevel Compound Miter Saw 10 inch blade will do 90 percent of the cuts in 4x4, 2x4, and trim materials, says Keith Potts, National Trainer, Milwaukee Tools Canada.

“It has the power to cut all woods from MDF to hardwood to hardie board. Plus, it’s very accurate,” says Potts. “It has all the capacities of a corded 10 inch miter saw but it only weights 40 pounds, so it’s very portable, unlike some other cordless miter saws.”

Photos courtesy of Milwaukee Tools

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For most manufacturers, the lineup of powerful, no-compromise cordless products continues to grow. “It’s really the direction the industry is heading,” says Ottewell. “I would say 20 per cent of the industry was cordless when I started with Makita in 1991. Now it’s closer to 60 per cent.” He adds, “I fully expect that within 10 years, the young people coming out of trades schools will say ‘I can’t believe you guys used to use electric tools.’”

Alternatives to Gas-Powered Tools In addition to the shift away from electric, Ottewell notes the growing number of cordless options for many products traditionally powered by gasoline. “In the same way the automotive industry is moving from gas engines to electric, the power tool industry is doing the exact same thing,” says Ottewell.

Makita has recently launched an 18volt x2 chainsaw that offers contractors a more mobile option with no sacrifice to power. “It has the same speed and cutting performance as a 32cc gasoline

chain saw and would allow professional contractors to switch from a gasoline engine to cordless without the headaches of mixed fuel, noise and emissions.”

Sub-Compact Options, Too Another trend, says Ottewell, is a need for subcompact tools, especially in more confined spaces where the very powerful tools might deliver more than a contractor needs. “Through brushless technology, motors are becoming smaller and smaller,” says Ottewell. “Makita’s sub compact drill, for example, delivers 18v power, but is the size of a 12v product.”

Photos courtesy of Makita Canada Inc.

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Feature Story: Cool Tools

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Photo courtesy of Task Tools

Photo courtesy of King Canada Tools

Focus on Specializations New tools for highly specialized work may not be needed every day, but they can help solve some key challenges.

King Canada Tools, for example, has recently introduced a jam and undercut saw (KC-8363). “When someone is doing a renovation or a retrofit of a floor, this tool allows you to cut the bottom of the door jam off and then you can slide the floor tile underneath it,” says Ted Fuller, Vice President of King Canada Tools.

“You get a nice even transition instead of trying to chip away at it with a hand saw or a variety of other tools.” He adds, “It takes the manual labour out of it and

makes it machine operated. Plus, it’s more accurate because you can set the depth of the cut which allows you to just skim the wood and not chew into the structure underneath.”

Task Tools, too, has a new specialized tool: the 12” Reciprocating Saw Blade for Rigid Insulation. “The new blade—precision crafted in Switzerland —addresses contractors' growing need for a tool to cut through rigid and semirigid insulation,” says Terry Hamer, Product Manager with Task Tools.

“In the past, contractors have resorted to using sharpened putty knives, bread knives, hot wire tools and even chain

saws. With the new blade, it's not only much more efficient, but also much safer.”

He adds, “Contractors are telling us it offers them better speed, flexibility, strength and accuracy."

Milwaukee tools has a new option meant for electricians, but with broader appeal, as well. “The 2404 M12 12v hammer drill has a similar torque rating to some brushed 18 volt tools, but with Milwaukee technology, this tool is ideal for commercial electricians putting tapcons into cinder block walls, and plumbers’ and general contractors’ lighter work, but it still has a hammer function for concrete,” says Potts.

Photos courtesy of Milwaukee Tools

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Feature Story: Cool Tools

THE MUST HAVES...

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Precision-engineered for outstanding thermal efficiency, Regency windows incorporate best-in-class features to ensure an exceptionally strong and weathertight fit, as well as year-round energy savings and long-lasting beauty.

• Fusion-welded masterframe and sash corners; metal-reinforced sash • Double-glazed EnergyPlus™ glass with Low-E, argon gas and Super Spacer® structural foam spacer • Double- and triple-glazed EnergyPlus and Solar Shield glass packages available • Full selection of window styles and installation accessories for every application • Custom colours, decorative grids and specialty glass options • Lifetime limited, transferable warranty – see printed warranty for details

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H G U O FIERCELY T Razor Back® Blades Razor Back®, true to its name, is a powerful breed of high performance power tool blades.

We guarantee these saw blades, diamond blades, hole saws, and reciprocating blades will outlast all others.

And when you’re ready for a replacement, we’ll put dollars back in your wallet with our green exchange system. Just bring back your used blade, and we’ll credit you up to 40% towards your next EAB purchase.

For when you need the best.

EAB Tool Company

TF 800.663.2510.

info@eabtool.com

EABtool.com

© 2017 EAB Tool Company Inc. All rights reserved. All registered and unregistered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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Photos courtesy of King Canada

Versatility in Demand

Feature Story: Cool Tools

The industry’s newest tools reflect both advancing technology and the wide-ranging needs of today’s contractors. “Today when people refer to a general contractor, they really mean it,” says Fuller. “It used to be you had a kitchen guy and a framing guy and a trim guy and so on, and now the general contractors do everything.”

Products that offer versatility and flexibility, and meet contractors’ needs for more and longer-lasting power, will be welcome additions to any tool lineup.

Photo courtesy of EAB Canada

“We have a heavy-duty mixing drill that’s becoming really popular with f looring professionals,” says Fuller.

The combination drill and mixing drill, RKC-8316, is an entire kit and includes a variety of mixing paddles.

“What typically happens with a floor installer or a drywaller is they need to mix materials, and finding a mixing drill that is robust enough to stand up to the job is very difficult. We’ll stack ours up against international brands any day.” Fuller adds, “The kit comes with a paint mixing paddle for glaze and paint and so on, plus paddles for mixing drywall and cement.”

Versatility and ease of use are selling points of a new product line from EAB tools. “One of our newest members of the exchangeable team is the Starlock Oscillating Accessories program,” says Danny White, VP of Sales, for EAB tools. The company has incorporated Starlock (by Bosch)

technology into a line of accessories products to cut wood and metal, sand, scrape and grind.

“What these products offer is notouch, ultra fast accessory change over,” says White. “There are no tools required to change a blade when used with the Starlock oscillating tool.” He adds, “There’s also a lock tight feature at multiple angles to help with work in hard-to-reach spots.” The products are the newest entry in the company’s recycling program, offering contractors $5 towards their next Starlock purchase when they bring a used blade back to the dealer.

EAB Tools then either recycles the blade or sends it to the manufacturing plant, to be returned to better-than-new condition.

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On The Jobsite

Managing Results? Great. That’s Half the Leader’s Job. The Other Half? Read On. Written by S. Chris Edmonds

How well is your business performing today? I’ll bet you know exactly where your business stands with key metrics at your fingertips.

How well is your business operating today - in other words, how do people treat each other in the pursuit of results? You may not know, exactly.

The reality is that our organizations are not great places to hang out in. Gallup’s daily engagement dashboard indicates that only 35% of US workers are actively engaged on the job.

On The Jobsite

The global percentage is much worse - only 13%. TinyPulse’s 2014 engagement and culture report found that only 21% of workers feel strongly valued at work.

You’ve invested years in building skills - and building a business - that solves construction problems. As a solopreneur or multi-site operator (or anything in between), you know quality work helps keep the enterprise afloat.

But quality work isn’t the only key to your business thriving.

You need to make sure the quality of your work environment

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- the degree to which everyone is treated with trust, respect, and dignity in every interaction - is as important as quality results.

You’ve experienced great bosses in this industry - and you’ve experienced lousy bosses. You’ve even experienced great team members and subcontractors - and lousy ones.

How can you create a purposeful, positive, productive work culture in your business? Craft an organizational constitution, then align all plans, decisions, and actions to it.

An organizational constitution specifies your company (or team’s) servant purpose - it’s “reason for being” besides making money or doing kitchen remodels or building decks or delivering whatever your product is. Your organizational constitution then formalizes your desired values and defines them with observable, tangible, measurable behaviors. It also includes performance expectations in the form of strategies and goals.

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Defining your desired culture with an organizational constitution is, to be honest, the easy part. The hard part is aligning all plans, decisions, and actions to these new expectations. Leaders must live the new servant purpose and valued behaviors, every minute. Only then will their organizational constitution be considered credible by employees - and worthy of embracing it by those employees and subcontractors.

The benefits to making values and relationships as important as quality and profits are astounding.

When leaders align practices and behaviors to their desired organizational constitution, three things happen within 18 months of implementing the change. Employee engagement goes up by 40 percent. Customer service goes up by 40 percent.

Results and profits rise by 35 percent.

Those are amazing transformations that are within every leaders’ grasp.

On The Jobsite

Recommended by Jim Caruk, Master Contractor, HGTV Host and Editor-in-Chief of Renovation Contractor Magazine

DO-IT-YOURSELF AND SAVE UP TO 20% ON HEATING & COOLING COSTS* The Owens Corning™ AttiCat® Expanding Blown-In Insulation System is a quick, easy, safe and reliable system to help you take control of your home’s comfort and energy usage.

Quick & Easy: Complete in as little as 2 hours† Virtually No Settling: Keeps its energy saving R-value over time Virtually No Mess: Releases and expands inside machine for low dust

THE PINK PANTHER™ & © 1964-2017 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved. The colour PINK is a registered trademark of Owens Corning. © 2017 Owens Corning. All Rights Reserved. *Up to 20% heating and cooling savings based on Hot 2000, Version 8.7 run for a 2 storey 1972 type base house with 1149 sf per floor for an increase from R-8 to R-40 in the attic in Canadian climates. Savings vary depending on original amount of insulation in your home, climate, house size, air leaks, and personal energy use and living habits. †Blowing time, based on attic size 100m2/1000 ft2 at RSI 8.8/R-50.

1-800-GET-PINK® or visit owenscorning.ca CONTRACTOR ADVANTAGE SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017

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GROOMING THE GARAGE

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Feature Story: Grooming The Garage

From stylish and energy efficient doors to interior organization systems, homeowners are recognizing the importance of sprucing up this space.

Written by Lisa Gordon

Photo courtesy of Steel-Craft Door Products Ltd.

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It’s a purchase that most people will make only once or twice in a lifetime, but a garage door is one of the hardestworking components of a home and a big contributor to its curb appeal.

The right door can increase the value of your home while also making it more energy efficient. But with so many options on the market, how do you select the one that is right for your home?

According to Travis Reynolds, National Marketing Manager at Steel-Craft Door Products Ltd., it’s important to start by doing your homework.

“An overhead door isn’t a purchase

that comes around very often,” he said. “It’s something to sit back and think about. You may pay a bit more for a higher quality, well insulated door that will match the style of your house.

Be careful what you buy. Check out the insulation, is it well-built, where is it being built, what’s the warranty, and does it match your house with a nice look?”

Founded in 1963, Steel-Craft’s production facility is located in Edmonton, Alta., with a network of distribution centres from coast to coast. The company’s 350 employees manufacture

and sell two types of overhead sectional garage doors for both residential and commercial markets.

Everything that goes into a Steel-Craft door -- including hinges, rollers, tracks, springs and windows -- is made in the Edmonton facility.

“We think we’re the made in Canada solution,” said Reynolds. “We not only manufacture our own garage door panels, but we make every single component that goes into that door. Everything is made for and engineered for our climate, and we’re the only ones doing that. We’re the homemade, home-grown product.”

Photos courtesy of Steel-Craft Door Products Ltd.

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Feature Story: Grooming The Garage

LOOKS GOOD. WORKS HARDER.

Contemporary Series Cedar At Steel-Craft, we overengineer every part of our garage doors to ensure they work hard from the inside out. That’s because we know you want a door that doesn’t just look good – but performs even better.

Contemporary Industrial Series

Therm-O-Dor Series

Elite Series Walnut

Esteem Series Black

THE DOOR WITH MORE. For a complete list of products and specs, visit Steel-Craft.ca CONTRACTOR ADVANTAGE SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017

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STYLISH & CONTEMPORARY

At Kohltech, every window is custom.

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Photo courtesy of Steel-Craft Door Products Ltd.

Steel-Craft makes two types of overhead sectional garage doors: polyurethane-injected steel and aluminum. While steel doors account for about 85 per cent of company sales, Reynolds said aluminum is on the rise.

“We’re seeing an increase in the aluminum doors, especially in the residential market,” he noted. “We’re seeing trending in that direction because they can be customized. That is key. Whether it’s size, colour, design, finish or glass windows, aluminum is very customizable. The homeowner can choose colour and glass options to match the style of the building.”

Current trends in the marketplace see homeowners leaning towards

wood-look steel and aluminum garage doors, some with frosted glass inserts.

In response to escalating energy costs, people are also looking for doors that are more energy efficient. In response, Steel-Craft will soon be introducing a new two-inch thick steel garage door with an R value of 18.5. Reynolds said that on average, the R value of an overhead sectional garage door is around R10.

The installation of a Steel-Craft door, particularly for the residential market, is well within the abilities of a professional contactor. The doors are backed by a limited lifetime warranty that Reynolds said people rarely need.

“Our product stands up to the test of time.”

Smart Style Another Canadian garage door manufacturer, Garaga, is noticing similar market trends.

Founded in 1983 with locations in Saint-Georges, Que., and Barrie, Ont., Garaga designs and builds residential, commercial and industrial garage doors. Its products are sold in Canada and the U.S. According to J-François Morin in the Garaga marketing department, a home’s style is the first indicator of what type of garage door to choose.

“If your home is over 20 years old, it’s very possible that you’ll have to choose a more classic style,” he said. “If you are thinking about building a new house, contemporary and modern styles with Photos courtesy of Garaga

Feature Story: Grooming The Garage

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clean, straight lines and in darker colours like brown and black are gaining popularity.”

Rural homeowners are still choosing carriage house, Craftsman and ranchsince 2014 have led to the development of “smart” garage doors that can be linked to smartphones via Wi-Fi. “Now you can open, close and monitor the status of your garage door from wherever you are in the world,” said Morin.

“It’s even more practical when your kids get home from school. Instead of carrying

a key around their neck or using the exterior keypad, kids can use their phone to get in the house in complete safety.”

Morin agreed that energy efficiency is important to homeowners shopping for a new garage door. “We often overlook the fact that even if we don’t heat our garage, the cold air from it enters our house each time we open the door to the garage,” he said.

Garaga offers garage doors with some of the best performing insulation values and most efficient weather sealing systems

to help keep out the harsh Canadian climate.

Morin also agreed with Reynolds that research is a must before buying a garage door. However, he said customers often come in ultra-prepared, having done their homework and then some.

As for trends, he said people want something unique, something that sets them apart from their neighbours. Dark colours like black, moka brown and dark sand are popular at Garaga.

Photos courtesy of Garaga

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Feature Story: Grooming The Garage

CONTRACTOR ADVANTAGE SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017

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Photos courtesy of Organized Living

Behind Closed Doors While garage doors make up a large part of a home’s façade, what lies behind them is often a source of frustration for many homeowners who complain that they do not have enough storage space.

Cincinnati, Ohio-based Organized Living has the solution in its popular freedomRail Garage system. Sold by a network of installing dealers and distributors across Canada, the system conquers the clutter and sends it packing.

Founded 98 years ago as Schulte Corp., today’s Organized Living specializes in storage and organization systems.

“We manufacture products for the home,” said Theresa Finnigin, the company’s Director of Marketing. “We understand how people live and the products they need.”

One of those products is freedomRail Garage, introduced to the market in 2006.

A rail-based adjustable system, it features

Feature Story: Grooming The Garage

basic shelving but also cabinets, work benches, and accessories like hooks, baskets and a mesh cage that stores all types of balls. There’s even an activity organizer, a steel grid mounted to the wall with hooks for hanging bags and sports equipment.

“What is so unique about our system is that there is a horizontal rail you mount onto the wall and there are vertical uprights that hang from that rail, and all the accessories hook onto those uprights,” explained Finnigin. “The only piece mounted to the wall is the horizontal rail. This allows the system to be completely adjustable.”

That easy adjustability sets freedomRail Garage apart from other organizational systems. Organized Living also uses 50 per cent more steel, making freedomRail Garage capable of supporting 150 pounds per linear foot.

Manufactured at the company’s

facility in Bloomington, Ind., shelves and accessories can be moved around without tools. Not only is the configuration fully adjustable, but so is the investment involved.

“You can just do an eight-foot section and really maximize storage or you can go floor to ceiling and really deck it out,” said Finnigin. “You can go bare bones and then start to add in accessories. If you have a budget you’re trying to target, you can get there with freedomRail because there are so many design options.”

The system is also easy to install.

“If you can draw a level line and mount the screws into it, you’re good to go. There’s a lot of engineering that has gone into it but it comes across as being very simple.

It’s easy for contractors to install,” added Finnigin. “It’s also easy to live with.

Things are up off the floor so it’s easy to clean out your garage. It makes for a simpler life.”

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Photo courtesy of Orgill Inc.

A Functional Space Founded in 1847 in Memphis, Tenn., Orgill Inc. is the world’s largest independent hardlines distributor. Orgill Canada, a wholly owned subsidiary, services retailers in every Canadian province and territory. The company distributes more than 75,000 products and services in total.

When it comes to the garage, Jeff Curler, the company’s Senior Vice-President of Purchasing, said the company excels at “everything that goes into your garage after it is constructed.”

That includes organizational products such as cabinets, work benches, racking, pegboard, hooks, insulating products, attic ladders and other items that streamline and improve the garage environment.

“The garage is now a very functional part of the home,” said Curler. “The products that we carry speak to efficiencies.”

Primarily targeted at the residential market, Orgill offers heating and cooling devices to keep the temperature and humidity in the garage at comfortable levels.

Their product line also reflects recent advances in home automation, including sophisticated garage door openers that offer accessories such as supplemental lighting, additional electrical outlets, a cooling fan, or a carbon monoxide detector.

“The trend is leaning toward garages that don’t appear to be garages,” said

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Curler. “It should blend into the architecture of the home. There are garage doors that look like carriage doors; the addition of windows and shutters make them look like an extension of the home.

Flooring is another big trend, whether it’s durable epoxy paint or decking or tile that snaps together.”

Orgill services Canada from two distribution centres: its London, Ont., location covers Eastern Canada, while a new centre in Post Falls, Idaho, covers the western market.

“We think we have a value proposition with regards to not only pricing, but also freight rates to dealers,” said Curler.

“We are the only independent wholesale provider that covers all provinces and territories. We have a sales force that represents the thousands of products that we make available.”

Curler said garages have huge potential for contractors.

“I think there’s a big opportunity for the contractor to gain business they’re not currently getting,” he said. “If you think of the average new home, it’s delivered to the consumer and everything inside is ready to go. Then you go out to the garage, and it’s just a bare bones space.

If someone would have come to me when I bought my new home and offered to install garage cabinets, finish the floor, put in an upgraded door opener, I would have jumped at it.”

Gone are the days when the garage was just a place to park the car and store accumulated junk. Today, the trend is toward organized, neat spaces that are a functioning extension of the home.

Automation is making its way into the garage as well -- it’s now possible to use your smartphone to open and close your garage door, all while you’re vacationing in another country.

Maybe one day in the not-so-distant future, the garbage will even roll itself to the curb.

Photo courtesy of Orgill Inc.

Feature Story: Grooming The Garage

CONTRACTOR ADVANTAGE SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017

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Supplier Spotlight Photo courtesy of Steel-Craft Door Products Ltd.

Steel-Craft Door Products Ltd. Steel-Craft Door Products Ltd. has been manufacturing residential, commercial and industrial doors since 1963.

Our 325,000-square-foot manufacturing facility builds high-quality residential and commercial garage doors made 100% in-house and are designed specifically for the Canadian climate. Steel-Craft doors are durable and highly efficient with a high Rvalue, made from recyclable-product steel, and are assembled with patented methods. We believe we have the No. 1 garage and overhead doors in the world, and we love it when customers ask for our products by name. www.steel-craft.ca

Supplier Spotlight

CONTRACTOR ADVANTAGE SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017

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TOP-NOTCH CEILINGS

Whether it’s a smooth new gypsum surface or the addition of decorative tiles, options abound for contractors to give homeowners ceilings that improve their comfort and lives.

Written by Lawrence Cummer

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Feature Story: Top-Notch Ceilings

The room’s “fifth wall” plays a bigger role than even some contractors give it credit for, especially with trends towards multi-family dwellings, basement home theatre and rec rooms, and tighter building envelopes.

“The ceiling retrofit market is on its own a huge industry,” says Jigar Desai, Canadian Retail Sales Manager for Armstrong Ceilings. “The hardest part of the (product) category is educating the consumer and contractors. Until now ceiling tiles were viewed as a luxury that people put into their basements to have access to plumbing.”

Changes in home building have sparked an evolution in the ceiling industry, he suggests. Ironically, one of the biggest impacts is from flooring. “Floors used to typically be tiles in the kitchen, carpet in the living room and a dining room with a wooden floor. Now everything has a hard surface, and with all those hard surfaces you need to have a way to control sound.”

Of course, ceilings, especially modern ones, play a major role in sound control.

The Sound of Silence Typical homeowners don’t realize how important controlling sound is until they move into a new house, Desai notes.

“Then they realize there’s a lot of echo.”

While the homeowner throwing down a rug or adding furniture can help deaden some of the noise created by sound bouncing off the room’s hard surfaces, it’s not always enough.

To understand room acoustics, one must look at two important, but different, factors: isolation and absorption.

Isolation is the ability to prevent noise from traveling from one room to the next. Absorption represents the ability to reduce the noise that occurs as sound is reflected off surfaces.

In ceiling or wall products, these factors are represented by three standard measurements: NRC, CAC and STC (or ASTC).

Photo courtesy of Armstrong Ceilings

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Noise Reduction Coefficient NRC (noise reduction coefficient) is the overall sound absorption of the material when used in an enclosed space.

NRC is rounded to the nearest 0.05.

As a rule of thumb, NRCs of less than 0.50 are poor, while those greater than 0.80 are very good. A ceiling material with an NRC of 0.60 is good, and will absorb 60% of the sound.

Ceiling Attenuation Class CAC (ceiling attenuation class) is the ability for a ceiling, in particular, to act

as a barrier for sound transmission.

The higher the CAC, the better the ceiling prevents sound from travelling between rooms. CAC of 25 is considered low, while 35 is high. A CAC of 30 will block 30% of the sound.

Sound Transmission Class STC (sound transmission class) is relatedly a measure of the ceiling, walls or floor’s ability to block sound. Panels or boards with higher ratings block more noise. An STC rating of +/-10 makes sounds half or twice as loud, respectively.

Increasingly, building codes are looking not at materials’ STC, but the systems overall ASTC (apparent sound transmission class). This stricter measurement can typically be 5 to 8 points less than STC. As STC tells builders and engineers what a material should block, ASTC represents what it does block in the field.

Issues of acoustical performance is an increased focus in both residential and commercial ceiling installs, says Grant Hilton, product manager for ceilings at Canadian Gypsum Company (CGC) Inc.

Photo courtesy of Armstrong Ceilings

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Feature Story: Top-Notch Ceilings

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Photo courtesy of Canadian Gypsum Company Inc. Photo courtesy of Armstrong Ceilings

“We advocate a balanced acoustics approach,” he suggests. “Where you’re combining your NRC and CAC levels to accommodate the needs of the area."

“A lot of areas are multifunctional spaces. So, you’ll want to have areas of privacy, and you’ll want to manage the [absorption] in that space, but you’ll also want to control what gets over that wall.”

Hilton points to his company’s Mars acoustic ceiling tiles, which provide not only a wide array of designs but a wide range of acoustical performance.

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Educating homeowners on sound issues is key, suggests Desai. Many homeowners are ready to dish out big bucks on a top-brand big-screen TV and sophisticated sound system, but overlook the importance of investing into a space that performs acoustically well.

So Long Popcorn Many homeowners may want home theatre rooms with excellent acoustics, but not everyone wants popcorn—at least not on their ceiling. For many the time

has certainly come to replace this dated ceiling look, but it’s a task has been costly and cumbersome in the past.

“What we’ve seen is that in 7 out of 10 houses that are 15 to 20 years old there is spot from a past leak in the popcorn ceiling in their living room,” Desai says.

“To cover and clean that is time, money and mess for the homeowner. Even if they scrapped it, it could be $3,000 for a 15’ x 20’ room, plus they’d have to have their vents cleaned.”

Feature Story: Top-Notch Ceilings

Desai says his company offers a simple solution with its WoodHaven laminate ceiling planks. Using a furring strip, the planks can be installed directly atop the old ceiling creating a good-as-new ceiling with a wood aesthetic. Previously available only in white, the company has recently launched WoodHaven featuring bamboo, rustic pine, light ash, maple and more. According to Desai, the homeowner loses ½” or less off the room height when applying it atop the existing ceiling.

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Photo courtesy of Armstrong Ceilings

Ceilings can play another important role in today’s open-concept room designs, Desai says. “Before, you’d have a kitchen then a wall, then another room. In 80% of new homes now it’s an island. Homeowners need something to break up their vision.”

He recommends installing a focal piece above the island, 5” lower than the ceiling with a product like Armstrong’s Metallaire metal ceiling tiles. With today’s typical 9’ or 10’ ceilings, the householder doesn’t lose a lot of space, but it creates a very modern look, he suggests.

Open concept isn’t the only design trend to consider. Hilton notes that homeowners are seeking a more contemporary style through “smooth, clean, monolithic and minimalistic” ceilings. The effect is achieved through the use of larger planklike panels, which he says CGC has grown its offerings in various categories to include.

Keep it Clean As DIY-savvy homeowners become more acutely aware of environmental issues both inside and outside the home, contractors should be prepared for them to continue to play a bigger role in material choice.

“Homeowners are becoming more concerned with what’s in the product, whether it’s a piece of drywall or a ceiling tile” Hilton says. “And as the consumer education grows, you see all these governing bodies emerge.”

It’s an issue that hits both the commercial and residential markets, and one that

Feature Story: Top-Notch Ceilings

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has manufacturers making a concerted effort around indoor air quality and environmental transparency.

“We ensure low-VOC in our cast-made products, to have basically zero VOC,” Hilton says. “You start there, and the next concern is around providing product transparency; things like Green Guard gold certification, PARs (product attribute reports), EPDs (environmental product declarations), to provide real transparency

on the manufacturing side.”

In the end, though, the question of the right ceiling product tends to come down to purpose. A rec room or home theatre is going to have different acoustical, functional and design needs compared with a laundry, or compared to a guestroom. Fortunately, there is no shortage of options on the market.

“Know the room’s function and then check off the boxes around how it needs

to be designed, what you need to incorporate from carpets to wall panels to ceiling panels. Have a strong understanding of the space's intended use,” Hilton says.

“The offerings are out there to build it.

Review those higher CAC and NRC ceiling products and find the ones tailored to meeting the room conditions you need to achieve.”

Photos courtesy of Canadian Gypsum Company Inc.

Feature Story: Top-Notch Ceilings

CONTRACTOR ADVANTAGE SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017

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SEPTEMBER/ /DECEMBER NOVEMBER OCTOBER 2017 2016 CONTRACTOR CONTRACTORADVANTAGE ADVANTAGE

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Latest & Greatest Products Available at Local Castle Building Centres

Makita DRS780Z – 18Vx2 LXT 7 ¼” Circular Saw Makita, a pioneer in brushless motor technology and battery innovation, combines both in the 18Vx2 LXT® (36V) Lithium-Ion Brushless Rear Handle 7-1/4” Circular Saw (DRS780Z, tool only, batteries and charger sold separately).

It's powered by two 18V LXT® Lithium-Ion batteries for maximum performance, and has an electronically-controlled BL™ Brushless motor that matches torque and RPM to the application. Makita 18Vx2 means freedom from the cord, even for demanding applications like cutting sheet and dimensional lumber that traditionally called for a corded saw.

Best of all, users can remain in one battery platform, using the same fast-charging 18V batteries with the DRS780Z as they use across the expansive Makita 18V LXT® cordless tool series.

capacity at 90 degrees that will cut 3X lumber in a single pass, and an electric brake for maximum productivity. The saw has a die-cast magnesium base and blade guard with die-cast aluminum blade cover and motor housing, which combines durability with less weight (only 12.4 lbs. with batteries, sold separately).

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The DRS780Z has a long list of features for efficient cutting without the cord. Users of leading corded saws will appreciate the blade-left rear-handle design. The electronically-controlled brushless motor delivers a full 5,100 RPM for efficient cutting.

In internal testing, the DRS780Z made up to 558 cross-cuts per charge in 2x4 SPF lumber using two fully-charged 5.0Ah batteries. Added features include a large 2-9/16” cutting

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Milwuakee® The PackOut Modular Storage System Product Features • New-to-world attachment system allows boxes, organizers, totes of multiple sizes/configurations to easily stack and lock together • Initial system will consist of 8 products 3 tool boxes, 2 organizers, 3 storage totes • Base of the system is the PACKOUT Rolling Tool Box, which features 9" all-terrain wheels and can support box loads up to 250 lbs.

• IP65 rated protection • Impact resistant

Available: September 2017 www.milwaukeetool.ca

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Product Platform

Introducing Shiplap

Shiplap creates a three dimensional effect that is both elegant and modern. With its straight lines and square grooves, it provides relief to bare walls while still keeping a bright and warm feel.

The options are limitless. Whether you are applying Shiplap to walls or ceilings, you can create the look and feel you desire for your home!

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Smart Soundproofing for Better Living!

SOUNDSMART acoustic panels are uniquely designed to reduce noise in wall and ceiling assemblies. Superb efficiency and top-notch performance at an affordable price make SoundSmart the intelligent choice for architects, contractors and consumers.

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• Delivers maximum sound deadening through its superior sound absorption qualities.

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• Certified UL and tested by NRC. CCMC (pending). Superior acoustical performance, up to STC 71, depending on assembly.

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Introducing Interior Acrylic Wrap Colour All Weather Windows is proud to introduce interior acrylic wrap colour options for the Apex 9100 and Apex Alloy 9950 series. The acrylic wrap, previously provided solely as an exterior option, offers bold, durable colour by using a high-performance film that is permanently bonded to the PVC window frame, allowing for different finishes to be applied to the interior and the exterior.

Two new interior finishes are available for both series – stainable fir lends the beauty of wood grain without the maintenance, while black provides a dramatic modern look. When using the interior acrylic wrap, Apex 9100 is available in three exterior colours, while the Apex Alloy 9950 boasts nearly 50 shades of exterior aluminum cladding.

Please visit allweatherwindows.com or contact your sales entrepreneur for more information.

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A Complete Home Protection System That Outperforms Expectations Your first upgrade should be comfort Insulating and air sealing new or existing homes is the easiest way to avoid the air leaks and moisture intrusion that can lead to structural issues such as mold and decay. Blanketing homes in a continuous layer of insulation and air sealing gaps and cracks around the home creates an air-tight, moisture resistant structure that provides long term: • Home comfort

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TruDefinition® DURATION® SHINGLES with SureNail® Technology It’s easy to see why TruDefinition® Duration® shingles are easy to sell. Not only do they have magnificent curb appeal, they have outstanding performance characteristics thanks to SureNail® Technology. These shingles have exceptional wind resistance that delivers a wind warranty of 209 km/hr* with only 4 nails. Plus, the highly visible woven engineered reinforcing fabric in the nailing line makes it easy for you to show homeowners why this shingle is different. And, more importantly, it makes it easy for your crews to install.

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Choose TruDefinition® Duration® Shingles from a recognized brand leader in the building industry for over 70 years, Owens Corning.

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COVER UP AN UGLY CEILING WITH WOOD-LOOK PLANKS

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over existing 15/16-in grid using Easy Up ® clips. WoodHaven planks can also be installed over drywall, plaster or popcorn ceilings using furring strips or the Easy Up® system. See the full installation details and finish options at ceilings.com/woodhaven Position planks; slide and secure clips

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Steel-Craft's Elite Series Steel-Craft’s Elite Series of superior garage doors are the perfect blend of form and function. Available in a rich walnut wood grain or a distinctive matte charcoal colour, the Elite Series adds sophistication to any home.

Elite doors are based on our RanchCraft, CarriageCraft and Flush styles and offer a superior R-value of 16.04,

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keeping warmth in and winter out. Made of top-quality, high-grade Canadian steel panels and Steel-Craft’s proudly overengineered parts, Elite doors are fade-resistant and won’t corrode. Double-finned steel/nylon weather stripping, mechanical interlocking joints and an Arctic-grade botto weather seal help ensure the door is energy-efficient.

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THERE’S A WEISER SMART LOCK MADE FOR YOUR LIFESTYLE From the push button simplicity of Canada’s best-selling Powerbolt, to Premis, our newest Apple Homekit connected lock, there is a secure Weiser Smart Lock to meet your family’s needs for style and technology.

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Tech Talk Photo courtesy of IKO Canada

Getting Social with Your Budget Written by Amber MacArthur

If you’re wondering why no one is liking or sharing your posts, you’re not alone. Over the past few years we’ve watched businesses of all kinds experience a drop in engagement on Facebook, Instagram, and beyond. In the marketing world, you’ll read headlines such as “RIP Organic Reach” and “Get Ready to Pay to Play.” This is all because platform algorithms

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are getting more sophisticated, determining which posts your community sees (this radio silence is not necessarily because your content isn’t great, but that’s worth revisiting as well). In today’s digital marketing climate, every business needs to have a social media strategy in place and a budget dedicated to promotion. Here are three steps to get started.

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1. Determine Your Social Media Marketing Budget According to the CMO Survey, in 2016, social media spending was at approximately 11 percent of a company’s total marketing budget. In other words, if you’re spending $100,000 a year on social media marketing, set aside $11,000 for advertising.

If your total social media marketing budget is $10,000, set aside $1,100 for advertising. Yes, even with just a little less than $100 a month, you can better build your business online.

For starters, sign up for two helpful services. Buffer is an excellent tool to schedule your posts and monitor traffic.

For US $10 a month, you can sign up for the Awesome plan that will allow you to manage your calendar of content.

Another tool you should consider is Canva (For Work), which is US $12.95 a month. This means you can design beautiful social media images with handy templates for all your digital accounts. Moreover, you get access to more than 300,000

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free images that will make your posts shine. You can also add team members to your account and get priority support if you run into an issue.

2. Spend Your Budget in the Facebook Ecosystem If there is one place where you should spend your time and money, it’s the Facebook ecosystem (which includes Instagram).

For your community, this is the best opportunity to build your brand and measure your digital success. Both of these platforms allow you to specifically target an audience in terms of gender, age, and location. Most importantly, you can include a call-to-action, whether it’s a “Contact Us” button, a “Shop Now” button or a “Sign Up” Button. If you’re spending just a little more than $25 a month on Buffer and Canva, use the remaining amount to boost posts and buy ads. After one year of spending, you will likely see results that will encourage

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you to dedicate more budget to this cause. In the process, you should also consider experimenting with Facebook Messenger chat bots to better your customer service. These bots can answer simply questions in terms of what time a store location opens or how to get in touch with store (all this happens instantly without having a paid person on hand).

Buying on Facebook” to “Ads Manager” to “How to Buy Instagram Ads.” There are dozens of course options, many of which touch on the latest trends such as how to use Instagram Stories. If you don’t have time to run through a course, assign this responsibility to someone on your marketing team so you don’t miss out on the future of digital engagement.

3. Leverage Free Advertising Courses Online

Speaking of the future, up-and-coming buyers include the Millennials and Generation Z. A new study from Yes Lifecycle Marketing finds that more than 74 percent of Millennials are influenced to purchase based on something they see on social media (for Generation Z, people born between 1995 to mid-2000s, that number jumps to 80 percent). If you want to be seen, heard, and recognized online, it's time to start paying to play on social media.

When you start to dive into this world of paid social, you will undoubtedly get overwhelmed with all of the advertising options. Thankfully, for free, Facebook has a comprehensive learning site called Facebook Blueprint. Here you can take quick and easy online courses (again, at no cost!). Their Beginner category is the best place to kick things off. This is where you can enroll in everything from “Reach and Frequency

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Design Talk Photo courtesy of CanSave Photo courtesy of IKO Canada

Bathroom Trends for Today Written by Teresa Christine Managing Editor

For most people, one of the key rooms in their home is one that they spend the first and last minutes of their day in; their bathroom. In today’s housing climate, more consumers are looking at their homes in new ways; reevaluating their investment and often refocusing on a longer-term commitment. This means that an increasing number are choosing to renovate their bathroom space so that it will continue to deliver function, form and value for many years down the road. Master baths are becoming a special retreat for homeowners where more and more personalization and spa-like amenities are appearing – chandeliers, vessel sinks, dramatic tile selections and wall-mounted fixtures.

If you're in the market of building new, retrofitting or simply making some decor changes, take note of the trends that are currently making a splash in bathroom design.

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Tub Talk Perhaps the most substantial trend in master baths is the replacement of the huge soaker tub that usually occupied a large corner space. Newly popular is the free standing tub, often the focal point of the room. Depending on the space, these can be versatile and fit any design theme. The tubs can be elaborate or simple, modern or classic, sit directly on the floor, on a pedestal or claw feet. Depending on which style you opt for, this type of tub undeniably adds a touch of charm or luxury to the bathroom and enhances the overall feel and value of the room.

Aware of this trend, some builders have opted to include these as a standard feature or upgrade option to their master suite designs and many manufacturers like offer freestanding baths at numerous price points. The trend continues to see

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Photo courtesy of AM Photography

predominantly white porcelain tubs, however, they can have sides of varying colours and are even available in copper or stainless steel. The faucets are either floor-mounted (pedestal), wall-mounted (including rain shower) or attached to the side or end of the tub, often including a spray in addition to the faucets.

Mood Lighting When it comes to the bathroom lighting trend, the options are endless and are often connected to what type of style and mood you want the space to have. If you’re creating a spalike sanctuary, your lighting choices will differ from someone opting for a more traditional or retro retreat. Here are a few trends that are lighting up bathrooms nationwide.

Vanity Lighting

Task lighting around the vanity is an important component of a well-lit bathroom. Rather than a single light fixture above the mirror, more and more bathrooms are seeing two wall-mounted lights on either side of the vanity.

Ambient & Accent Lighting

All bathrooms need general lighting, which can be provided by various types of fixtures or pot lights. Recessed light fixtures can illuminate the shower, while custom-designed sconces bounce light off the ceiling. Accent or decorative lighting can be used to highlight interesting features in the bathroom.

In many cases, designers are suggesting chandeliers to accent the freestanding tub.

Layered Lighting

Incorporating several types of lighting features will enhance the design and depth of your bathroom. Often, bathrooms can include vanity lighting, under cabinet lighting, recessed light fixtures and accent lighting all designed to brighten specific bathroom features and enhance the space according to style.

Photo courtesy of CanSave

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Photo courtesy of Spectrum Brands Canada

More than just a Floor Gone are the days when homeowners had very little options when it came to bathroom flooring. The market is full of a wide range of products for every bathroom style and best of all you don’t have to sacrifice form over function. Most offer both durability and water resistant properties and range from practical to elaborate. Here are a few trends that are leading the way.

The other design trend causing some heat is fire features.

If you've got the budget, you will not regret implementing this into your bathroom renovation. Ventless fire features make it easy and more cost effective to add warmth to your new bathroom. Not only will a fireplace add a sense of indulgence to your master suite, it will also help increase your home's resale value too.

Patterned Tiles

Tile Tales

Patterned tile with a multitude of motifs seem to be on every designer’s wish list this year. Intricate and three-dimensional patterns are making a comeback as with modern geometric shapes. Homeowners looking to make a statement with fun patterns are in luck as these too are making their way back into bathrooms.

The story of tile selection usually starts with ceramic. Durable and easy to clean, this tile is a practical flooring choice for the bathroom. They come in a wide range of sizes, shapes and styles; some of which actually mimic the look of natural stone.

For aging homeowners or those with young ones, textured designs can also help prevent slippage.

Change the page to porcelain tiles; these are fired at higher temperatures than ceramic making them more durable and less porous. Today's homeowners are opting for larger floor tiles —12x12 or 18x18 inches — to reduce the often-annoying grout lines. Finally, stone tile flooring lends a sophisticated look to a bathroom and is usually made from travertine, limestone, marble, granite or slate. This type of tile is certainly the most costly, but usually lasts a lifetime.

Warm Haven

Perhaps the hottest trend in bathroom design is heated floors.

Tile floors can be hard and cold, but radiant floor heating systems provide a solution. These systems can be installed under tile — as well as hardwood and other popular flooring surfaces. They create a warm surface to step on after a hot shower or bath and add a level of understated luxury.

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Doors for Days Move over, shower curtain; French Doors are this year’s sleek design go-to. Much more chic than the curtain and it still serves the same purpose. They prevent water spillage but also create a majour decor statement in an otherwise simple space.

Tune In Media and Music are the newest modes of bathroom entertainment. Whether it's for relaxation or practicality, bringing electronics into the bathroom is becoming more commonplace. Televisions, wireless speakers, bluetooth devices and docking stations are being incorporated into walls, bathroom mirrors, showerheads and vanities.

Mood Room If bathroom walls could talk, they would say that this year’s trend is dark and moody. Even a small bathroom can rock

a dark wall, especially if you decide to paint the cabinets to match. Contrast with natural textures and you’ve created a space that will never go out of style. Molding and trim also make an Impact on the room. From baseboards to crown molding, these details add width, depth and height to even the smallest, most simple space.

Bath on a Budget For homeowners on a smaller-scale budget, there are many cost friendly trends. Simply adding some greenery, aromatherapy or crisp linens can heighten and refresh the look and feel of your bathroom space.

With all these features available at your fingertips, bathrooms can now have cutting-edge functionality and comfort.

Whether you’re looking for spa-worthy products and features or timeless trimmings, the style of your bath can be created to suit all your bathing needs.

Photo courtesy of Moen Canada

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METRIE EVERY ROOM TELLS A STORY ™

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VOTING BEGINS OCTOBER 9TH

Welcome to the Metrie™ Every Room Tells A Story—2017 Builder/Designer Challenge! This is your opportunity to show the industry your world-class design skills by creating and building a room featuring Metrie’s Then & Now Finishing Collections™ and claim your chance to win.

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SHARE YOUR STORY AS IT UNFOLDS

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NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Purchasing does not improve your chances of winning. The Every Room Tells A Story – 2017 Builder/Designer Challenge is open to legal residents of the 50 United States (excluding ND), D.C., and Canada, who for US residents are age 18 or older at time of entry, and for Canadian residents are above the age of majority in the province or territory in which they reside at the time of entry who are currently employed as a professional builders, interior designer, architect, installer, or a remodeler. Void outside the U.S., and Canada, in Puerto Rico, and wherever else prohibited by law. Sweepstakes begins at 12:00:01 AM ET on 1/10/17 and ends at 11:59:59 PM ET on 9/30/17.

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