Walls & Ceilings 'If Walls Could Talk'

In an effort to curtail spam messages and reduce the risks of scams, a policy change known as “10DLC” has been released by all major carriers like AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. It requires their customers to register their local numbers, or 10-digit code, with The Campaign Registry. Registration is mandatory and, when registering, businesses are vetted and agree to compliance requirements. If th...

In this episode of If Walls Could Talk, W&C Group Publisher Jill Bloom is joined by Trent Cotney of Adams & Reese. What do all contractors need to know when bidding work? If you’re a contractor that moving to a new type of service, there are requirements that you need to know. Another issue is it’s important to attain all the paperwork regarding bids. If you are about to bid on a project,...

In this second part of W&C’s interview with Nick Harmon, the Fresco Harmony founder discusses with John Wyatt about the origins of his successful and very interesting podcast specifically for drywallers.

So much in the world is changing in business, especially in the realm of technology/software. Among those changes, Google Analytics is merging to GA4. “In the world of marketing, what are the types of channels we’re going to market on? How are we going to see ROI? That type of analysis is changing,” said Anderson. “We’re going from Google Analytics and the data points we understand to this new exp...

In this episode of “If Walls Could Talk,” W&C’s Editor John Wyatt is joined by Michael B. Chaney, president of James River Exteriors, of Richmond, Va. The company was featured in the magazine’s January 2015 issue. And once again joining us is Stephen Sears, executive director of EIMA.

For this episode of “If Walls Could Talk,” Jill Bloom is joined by Trent Cotney of Adams & Reese. For this chat, the topic is on skilled labor shortage—and as it concerns utilizes teens on jobsites. What does everyone need to understand in regard to this issue? “Over the last few weeks, I’ve taken calls from a lot of people [concerned about labor]. Over the years, the percentage on the residen...

Tom Harris discusses moisture control layers and misconceptions and unrealistic expectations around spray foam insulation. In the “Spray Foam Reality” series, Harris discusses a number of repeated issues.

Hurricane season is officially here and if each of the past two years have been any indication, it’s just a matter of time before contractors will be counted on to help the response to extreme weather events. W&C Legal Insights expert Trent Cotney breaks down what contractors should be doing now to make this storm season a successful one in this brief episode. In this latest Legal Insights epi...

Wall and ceiling contractors may not see the need to use a credit application when proposals and contracts can suffice, but they can actually speed up business if used properly. In this video, Thea Dudley, the CEO of Pocket Protectors known as the “Credit Overlord,” discusses the positive impact credit applications can have when used by subcontractors.

W&C's Editor John Wyatt speaks with Fresco Harmony’s Nick Harmon, the owner and founder of the company. Originally, Harmon worked around the West as an apprentice before he discovered drywall. In this podcast, he outlines the course of his life that led him to where he is now. In this first part of a podcast series, Harmond outlines his career and what BUILD'23 meant for the company.

In this episode, Anna Anderson, CEO of Art Unlimited, digs into the latest search result reports and how contractors can endure what is looking to be a slow start to the busy season.

Thea Dudley speaks with Jill Bloom regarding how subcontractors paid $97 billion more than expected for labor and materials in 2022, which has an impact on their profits. In this episode of “If Walls Could Talk,” W&C’s Bloom speaks with Dudley of Pocket Protectors, also known as the “Credit Overlord,” to talk about how recent economy increases have affected subcontractors’ cash flows. The bigg...

Tom Harris joins W&C again for this podcast of “If Walls Could Talk.” Tom Harris is owner of Tom Harris PUR Consulting. Today’s theme is on the Inflation Reduction Act – Stimulus or Deterrent? According to Harris, the phone is ringing and the questions are coming in, but it’s still too early to tell if it’ll turn into energy efficient work. “The early adopters to saving energy have already con...

What should contractors know about this technology? Chat GPT is a language processing tool and it’s incredibly intuitive. There are a variety of apps that use this technology. You can ask questions; you can ask it to do things. From these questions, you’ll get a response. And what is the future of this? Will it provide more good than not? It’s certainly a technology that needs to be monitored.

For this episode of “If Walls Could Talk,” W&C Group Publisher Jill Bloom speaks with the Northwest Wall & Ceiling Bureau’s Executive Director Terry Kastner. From May 4-6, the NWCB will be holding its Annual Wall and Ceiling Conference and Trade Show in Huntington Beach, Calif. Walls & Ceilings is a proud media partner for this event. One of the highlights is a panel of professionals t...

Jill Bloom moderates this “If Walls Could Talk” podcast with Thea Dudley for W&C. In this episode, Dudley discusses pre-liens. What is a pre-lien? Most people consider a pre lien notice to be any notice or letter that a construction party (contractor, supplier, design professional, etc.) must give before filing a mechanics lien. In other words, a pre lien notice is a preliminary notice.

Cyber security is a major issue today. Scammers use digital means of targeting both small and large companies in a manner that might resemble something familiar. But watch out! In this episode of “If Walls Could Talk,” W&C Group Publisher Jill Bloom is joined by Thea Dudley, CEO Of Pocket Protectors LLC. There is nothing more important than cyber security. When it comes to all our industries,...

Walls & Ceilings recently spoke with regular contributor Tom Harris, of Tom Harris PUR Consulting LLC to speak about this year’s first quarter events as it pertains to the insulation industry. In this podcast of “If Walls Could Talk,” Harris tells W&C about his impressions and experiences from some of these events. The construction industry kicks off the year by hosting most of its tradesh...

The labor shortage problem has been an issue for some time. But in these last few years, it seems the concern of having qualified workers has compounded and is really a rallying cry for most contractors. In this latest episode of “If Walls Could Talk,” W&C’s John Wyatt speaks with FL Crane & Sons’ Ty Crane on the severity of this issue and what can be done to combat it. In this podcast, Cr...

In this latest episode of “If Walls Could Talk,” Trent Cotney speaks on the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and how it has affected a lot more than just Ohio. We met with Cotney, partner at Adams & Reese, to discuss the effects the train derailment has had not only on the construction industry, but also on you as a resident of the United States. Cotney expects there to be an investig...

In this episode of “If Walls Could Talk,” Jill Bloom speaks with W&C’s legal expert Trent Cotney regarding material volatility, which hasn’t disappeared from the hardships for contractors. In fact, contractors should anticipate material increases—in particular storage costs. It’s causing a glut in inventory. And storage prices have gone up. According to Cotney, the industry has a lot of issues...

Jill Bloom speaks with Legal Expert Trent Cotney on the process of OSHA issuing U or T visas in this episode of “If Walls Can Talk.” These are visas for people that may have a certain history of objectionable activity, such as hate crimes or human trafficking. What OSHA is doing is that it has someone that is illegal that is working for a contractor and if one assists them, then one can get you on...

Contractors should have March 2 marked on their calendars since it’s the deadline for injury and illness reporting with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Known as Form 300A, contractors with more than 20 employees must file the summary with the government or face penalties. “Stay current with the rules and make sure that you’re tracking the deadlines on osha.gov in terms of electr...

The ICAA’s Executive Director Michael Kwart joins Walls & Ceilings for this latest installement of “If Walls Could Talk.” For years now, Kwart has assisted W&C in narrowing down a list of top insulation contractors for this annual feature (February issue). In this podcast, he outlines the attributes of what it means to be among the list of 25 contractors as a premier insulation contractor....

HILTI released 30 new products at the World of Concrete trade show last month, and there are even more to come. W&C met with Matt Jackson, Senior Director of Electric Tools and Accessories at HILTI, to discuss the new products. One product Jackson is especially proud of is the new 22-volt battery, which works with any type of job. “We were able to deliver all the performance that you need on 2...