As the building industry works to meet increasingly strenuous energy codes, façade systems are evolving to deliver better thermal performance, reduce operational carbon and improve occupant comfort. Triple-pane and even quad-pane insulating glass units, commonly found in European facades, are now seeing increased adoption in the North American market prompting glass fabricators, manufacturers, installers and glazing contractors to adapt to this trend.
The construction industry continues to face economic uncertainty, driven by high interest rates, tighter lending conditions, and cautious capital investment.
I implore my friends and colleagues in this industry to keep school safety at the top of your lists. We are in an industry that can actively and effectively address this topic.
North America will need more flat glass to meet the ever-growing needs of its architectural sector in the years to come, as the demand for it in both the United States, Canada and other regions is steadily growing.
“Smart” has become one of the most overused—and increasingly vague—terms in the glass and glazing world. From smart phones to smart homes to smart glass, the label has been applied so broadly that its meaning often gets lost in translation. But if we look beyond the buzzword, there’s real opportunity in what modern, forward-looking glass technologies can deliver.
Well, this is probably one of the toughest blogs I’ve had to write in a while. This past week, our industry lost two incredible men, both of whom were close friends of mine. First, it was Tim Moore who passed away. Tim was a technical powerhouse and a great and loyal person. He had an intense thirst for knowledge to the point that he’d read technical manuals for fun. He was always there for you, no matter the request.
A new episode of the "From the Fabricator" podcast is now available for your holiday listening/watching pleasure. I opened with Mark Seeton of Vitro. It was a great time for me; he answered a few glass geek questions for me, including what the game-changing product in our space from his organization was and the most significant industry change over the span of his career. Plus, he legit stunned me on the “fun” question, too. And his input on the forecast was very insightful/helpful. Then I caught up with Danielle Whatley of Texstar Glazing.
We were all over the place this week on the economic front. The latest Construction Stress Index showed that delays and cancellations have lessened from the start of the year, so that is good. The bad is they are lessening from historic highs, and that index, even with a recent nice run, is still not where any of us want it and still off 26% from year over year. Ouch. This current trendline gives some hope, but the continued instability and visibility in the market is not easing, and until some of that gets settled, we’re still fighting a rocky battle.