A new program by the U.S. Green Building Council may multiply the number of LEED-certified retail outlets, restaurants and hotels by making it easier for developers to get their projects pre-certified.

Louisiana-Pacific Corp., one of the industry’s leading suppliers of oriented strand board and other building materials, announced net sales of $361.5 million for its first fiscal quarter of 2012, compared with $331.7 million during the same quarter a year ago. 

The fact that contractors and remodelers have been losing bids over pricing should come as no surprise. They’re under tremendous pressure for price concessions from homeowners, and if they want to stay in the game, contractors have to lower their prices somehow. But how they choose to cut costs through purchasing, and what goes into their decision-making process, is the subject of a newly released study by L.E.K. Consulting, a global management consulting firm.

Whether it’s a product designed to bring efficiency to the home, save time for the DIYer or allow a consumer a chance to feel good about buying a Made-in-the-USA product, show organizers have taken steps to give permanence to the show-floor activity.

The May 1 to 3 event at the Las Vegas Convention Center will see a few new twists.

For the first time at the show, a “Made in the USA Pavilion” will showcase domestic-made products.

There will be no shortage of new products at the 2012 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas. Here’s a sneak peak. 

During the Home Improvement Research Institute Spring Conference in Arlington, Va., a presentation from IHS Global Insight presented a relatively positive forecast for the home improvement products market. 

Both 2012 and 2013 should be better than 2011, according to the forecast.

The annual change of sales (in nominal dollars) for 2012 is forecast at 5.0% and 4.6% for 2013. In the Consumer market, the growth rates are 5.4% for 2012 and 4.6% for 2013.

Spending on renovations should experience “healthy growth” in 2012, according to the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. In their quarterly forecast, called the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA), the researchers pointed to stronger pending home sales and continuing low interest rates as contributors to an expected 5.9% rise in spending on home remodeling projects this year.  

Arlington, Va. -- During the Home Improvement Research Institute Spring Conference, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) forecast a 2.3% gain in 2012 existing home sales.

In a “Mortgage Market Outlook” presentation, Mike Fratantoni, VP of single-family research for the MBA pointed to the 2012 forecast of 4.391 million existing home sales, up 2.3% from 2010. The forecast for 2013 is for 4.646 million. 

A product linked to the Environmental Protection Agency’s lead paint rule has been approved for use on drywall and plaster.

The 3M LeadCheck Swabs, in compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (RRP), are now recognized by the EPA for use on drywall and plaster.

The swaps are designed to turn red in the presence of lead and were the first commercially available lead test kit recognized by the EPA for use on painted wood and metal. 

Lumberyard owners from around the country carried drafts of S 2148 — the Lead Exposure Reduction Amendment Act — throughout the halls of Congress March 5 to 7, lobbying legislators to pass a more reasonable version of the EPA’s Lead Renovation, Repair & Painting (LRRP) Rule. More than 110 dealers came to Washington, D.C., for the annual Legislative Conference of the National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA).

In 1999, Bob Taylor achieved a feat accomplished by no other home improvement executive in the annals of business journalism.

He was compared with “Bonanza” character Adam Cartwright and U.S. President George Herbert Walker Bush — in the same article.

We’ll explain later.

First things first: Do it Best Corp. CEO Bob Taylor is to be congratulated for his selection as the 2012 inductee of the Home Channel Hall of Fame.

For the first time in several years, all of the major end-use markets for wood products are expected to move in concert and increase this year. Housing, the largest market for many products, is expected to increase 10% this year when U.S. and Canadian starts are combined, according to APA -- The Engineered Wood Association.