A surge in apartment construction gave home builders more work in November. And permits, a gauge of future construction, rose largely because of a jump in apartment permits.

Some analysts say the gains, though coming off extremely low levels, suggest the depressed housing industry may have reached a turning point.

Economists now say 2011 will be the first year since the Great Recession began in 2007 that home construction will have helped the economy grow. Before this year, the industry endured two of the worst years ever.

" Homebuilding is through the worst and is now steadily improving," said Paul Diggle, a property economist at Capital Economics.

Builders broke ground on a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 685,000 homes last month, a 9.3 percent jump from October, the government said Tuesday. It's the highest level since April 2010. Still, the rate is far below the 1.2 million homes that economists say would be built each year in a healthy housing market. read more.....mprnews.com

The National Wood Flooring Association has released a new international standard for factory finished solid wood flooring.

The new standards, which were finalized in March, provide detailed configuration guidelines and machining tolerances for manufacturing solid factory finished wood flooring.

The guidelines provide specific criteria for width, match position, tongue thickness, groove width, end match, thickness, over and underwood levels, bevels, moisture content, grading, gloss level, finish adhesion, board length, color match, square footage, crooks, finish warranties, packaging, and board identification

The standards were developed through the collaboration of numerous NWFA member companies, many of whom are competitors in the industry, in a effort to provide universally recognized guidelines for the benefit of the entire wood flooring industry.

Recently, Herwynen Saw Mill, Ltd. ( Superior Flooring ) of Rockwood, Ontario, Canada became the first company to become certified under the program.www.floordaily.com

Gibson Guitar has been granted more time to prepare for its federal court hearing concerning imported wood confiscated by federal agents at its plants.

The hearing that was to have taken place today has been rescheduled for Jan. 30, according to the Associated Press.

Gibson is seeking the court to overturn an earlier ruling that prevents the company from reclaiming its wood until after the government has completed its investigation. The federal government alleges that the wood was imported in violation of the Lacey Act.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ( F & WS) seems intent on making Gibson Guitar the high- profile example of its efforts to enforce the Lacey Act as amended in 2008 in encompass illegally sourced wood.

Last Wednesday, agents of the Department of Justice ( DOJ), armed with automatic weapons and search warrants obtained by the F & WS, raided Gibson's factories in Nashville and Memphis. The agents seized ebony and rosewood lumber, dozens of guitars and electronic files from the Nashville plant.

In its search warrant filing, the F &WS alleged that Gibson was the final destination of some 1,250 pieces of what is deems illegally imported Indian ebony seized by U.S. custom officials at a Dallas airport on June 22, according to The Commercial Appeal. The F&WS further alleges that Gibson violated the Lacey Act because India bans the exports of non-processed wood that is more than 6mm thick; the wood confiscated in Dallas reportedly was 10mm thick.  

Charges have yet to be filed in conjunction with either raid. Gibson Guitar has issued public statements proclaiming its innocence. read more www.woodworkingnet.com

News that the town of Paragominas in Brazil  is being hailed as a new 'Green City', after once being one the most deforested regions of the Amazon, has been welcomed by Forestry Research Associates (FRA).

Just three years ago the forest surrounding the city was ravaged by deforestation and the air lay heavy with smoke and fumes from the fires that raged in order to clear land for cattle grazing. FRA, a research and analysis consultancy specializing in forestry investment and sustainability matters, claims that the regions is a model of what sustainability can do for the Amazon region.

FRA says that things really changed in the city after the people living there become convinced, thanks to efforts from the government,that the forests were more valuable while they were standing, than when they were turned into wood products.

The government of the country helped to create this sense of value after launching embargoes against the counties that performed the worst with regard to deforestation. " this left the people of Paragominas very little choice but to find a way to make sure their forestry management practices made sense over the long term through sustainability," explained FRA's  analysis partner, Peter Collins.

Mayor Adnan Demachki go behind the changes, explaining to the San Francisco Chronicle: " Our city was on the government's 'black list. There was no way out other than the new path we had chosen."

The secret to the changes is the use of less land while increasing production. Sustainable forestry management methods are central to this, added FRA, which promotes such methods including the planting of non-native species that can offer an alternative to using wood from native trees for the production of coal, pulpwood and other timber products.

Mr. Collins concluded,"we hope that the methods used by those in Paragominas continue to spread across the Amazon regions, safeguarding the future of the forestry industry and the forests for generation to come."

Forestry Research Associated is a research and advisory consultancy that focuses on forestry management, sustainability issues and forestry investment around the globe.releasewire.org

Realtors have once again rated many exterior improvements as among the most valuable home investment projects as part of the " 2011 -12 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Reports."

" This year's 'Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report' shows the value of putting your home's best facade forward, so to speak," said National Association of Realtors President Moe Veissi.

"Inexpensive exterior replacement projects are not only crucial to a home's regular upkeep, but are also expected to recoup close to 70% of costs. Specific exterior projects such as siding, window and door replacements are part of regular home maintenance, so many homeowners are already undertaking them. These projects also do not require expensive materials and they have the added bonus of instantly adding curb appeal."

HouseLogic.com, NAR's consumer website, included dozens of remodeling projects, from kitchens and baths to siding replacements, which indicate the recouped value of the project based on a national average.

This is the 14th consecutive year that the report, which is produced by Remodeling magazine publisher Hanley Wood LLC, was completed in cooperation with NAR.

According to the "Cost vs. Value," seven of the top 10   most cost-effective projects nationally in terms of value recouped are exterior replacement projects. Realtors judged an upscale fiber-cement siding replacement as the project expected to return the most money, with an estimated 78% of costs recouped upon resale.

Three interior remodeling projects are also considered worthwhile investments. A midrange attic bedroom is expected to return 72.5% of costs, is fourth overall, ranking two places higher than last year. Nationally, the average cost for the project is just under $20,000 and is the least expensive way to give an existing kitchen a complete facelift.

A wood deck addition, landing at number seven overall, is expected to recoup 70.1% costs. Improvement projects that are expected to return the least are a sunroom addition and a home office remodel, both estimated to recoup less than 46% of costs. floordaily.com

Forest products company Tembec is exiting the hardwood flooring business as it shutters a 108-year operation in Huntsville, Ont., and sells another facility in Toronto to a private company for $13 million.

The Montreal -based company said 63 workers, including 52 unionized employees, will be affected when Huntsville business, which opened in 1903, ceases operations in January.

The Toronto plant, along with its Muskoka and Vintage flooring brands, will be sold within the next few weeks. It employs 79 workers, including 58 unionized employees.

Opened in 1989, Vintage Flooring relocated its manufacturing via an acquisition to its current 6,300 square-meter facility in western Toronto.

Tembec (TSX:TMB) said it will record a one-time charge of $2 million in its December quarterly results.

"The sale of the hardwood flooring division is consistent with our strategy to focus on the company's core businesses," stated president and CEO James Lopez.  read more at http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business.

Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes rose two points to 21 on the National Association of Home Builder / Well Fargo Housing Market Index ( HMI ) for December. This marks the third consecutive month in which builder confidence has improved, and brings the index to its highest point since May 2010. read more...... www.homechannelnews.com

Tarkett said it will implement a price increase of 3-8% across its residential and commercial brands beginning Feb.1.

" The persistent escalation in prices of raw materials has outpaced internal efficiency improvements that typically help offset cost volatility, " said Jeff Buttitta, CEO of Tarkett North America.

" Though cost-saving efforts remain a constant, these sustained increases necessitate price adjustments". floordaily.com

Construction & Architecture 2012 is dedicated to exhibition for constructors, builders, architects, building developers, interior designers, retailers, distributors and wholesales.

The annually Construction & Architecture Exhibition will showcase the newest in technologies, development and services from the leaders in construction works and finishing of buildings. The exhibits feature every step of the construction of a building, from the foundation to the windows and doors.

Over 16195 global visitors will attend. The Construction & Architecture 2012 Exhibition will held at the SIBERIA International Exhibition Business Centre in Krasnoyarsk, Russia from January 24-27, 2012.

CFI Laminate & Hardwood Installation Training & Certification Naperville, IL Jan.6-7,2012

Remodeling Expo Pittsburgh, PA Jan.6-8, 2012

Home & Remodeling Show Chantilly, VA Jan. 20-22, 2012

CFI Laminate & Hardwood Installation Training & Certification Portland, Oregon Jan. 18-19,2012

Surfaces 2012 Las Vegas Jan. 24- 26  2012 Las Vegas.

NAHB International Builders Show Orlando, Florida Feb. 8-11 2012.

The Global Softwood Log & Lumber Conference Vancouver, BC May 9, 2012