Many building codes now mandate intake and exhaust ventilation for attics. It’s easy to see why. A properly ventilated attic can save energy, eliminate excess moisture, prevent mold, and prevent ice damming in winter. And, by minimizing heat buildup in the attic, proper ventilation can even prolong the life of the roof system.

When I took my first trip to California in 1982, the state’s sunny skies, palm trees and ocean views entranced me. With the Mamas and the Papas’ “California Dreaming” playing in my head, I understood why people were moving there in droves.

Frank Farmer, president of American Metal Roofs, detailed his process for obtaining leads and converting them into sales in his METALCON presentation, “Building a Profitable Metal Roof Company While Others Struggle.”

I am no learned professor or expert or guru of any kind. But I can read. The several issues with the banking crisis and recession and stock market correction(s) are not really all that troubling to me.

Who wouldn’t love to discover hidden treasure? Wouldn’t it be great to stumble across a priceless painting at a garage sale or find a rare historical document in your attic?

Chuck Howard, P.E., president of Metal Roof Consultants, was in the metal roof contracting business for almost 30 years, and he now serves as a consultant to contractors, architects, engineers, and building owners. He gave a presentation about metal retrofit roofing at METALCON titled “Do it Right the First Time.”

Received a memo a month or so back warning about this, then an event of this past week brought this issue into focus.

We are living in a time where Web sites and blogging is the way to communicate. How many stories do we read each day telling us that a certain company has upgraded its Web site or started a blog?

“When it comes to metal roofs, details are where your money is made or lost,” said Vaughn Bacon, manager of Technical Services for MBCI NCI Building Systems, during his METALCON seminar titled “Metal Roofing: The Devil Is in the Details.”

It’s been fascinating watching the world turn green, i.e. “environmentally sensitive.” Because BNP Media has published Environmental Design + Construction magazine since 1997, we’ve been able to watch the recent “green rush” from a position of insight.