A Montana judge ruled invalid a Helena 2008 fire ordinance that restricts exposed wood building materials, and requires fire-resistant roofs when more than 10% of a roof must be replaced. What next? More
Predictions made during any decade of the 20th century regarding the kitchen of the new millennium invariably involved a hefty dose of futuristic edginess, largely based on the idea that high-tech inventions would be the focal point of all our living spaces. Now that the new millennium has not only arrived but is solidly in place, it can truthfully be said that the 21st-century kitchen is much more complex than anyone had imagined in how it fulfills homeowners' needs. More
Hurricane Katrina reminded contractors that price increases -- sudden, unavoidable, and steep -- could easily be brought on by product shortages arising from a natural disaster. And with the price of vinyl, asphalt, and other materials associated with exterior remodeling projects rising, no specialty contractor anywhere escaped rising product costs in 2005. More
