1 hour

Segmented pavers have been successfully used for roads, courtyards and paths for hundreds of years. Durability of materials being one of the key reasons for their lasting popularity. These days modern pavers offer up a wide variety of newer performance capabilities and finishes. In this course, we’ll take a look at the unique technologies of segmental concrete paver systems, the types, finishes and their design considerations.

 1 hour

Building owners value daylighting and views, but face security and safety challenges with large amounts of glazing. Polycarbonate sheet products offer a variety of glazing solutions that resist security threats while providing transparency, strength, and durability. This course introduces the grades and characteristics of polycarbonate sheet products, and discusses how they meet the requirements for protection against forced entry, ballistics, and blasts.

 1.0 hour

Insulation is one the most critical factors in any high performance building project. This course provides a discussion on both open-cell and closed-cell spray polyurethane foam (SPF). Basic characteristics, installation practices, insulation performance characteristics and how SPF contributes to an overall systems approach to energy efficiency, including how it can contribute to LEED® credits, will be addressed in detail.

 1 hour

 1 hour

This course provides an overview of integral blind assemblies and discusses their benefits over conventional blinds, components and framing options, performance characteristics and testing standards, and common applications.

 1.0 hour

(Canadian version) Paints provide a decorative and protective barrier on the surfaces and substrates they are applied to. Paint performance is influenced by the quality of the ingredients, and by specifying the correct product and finish for the application. This program discusses types of paint, paint finishes, surface preparation, and primers.

 1 hour

The triple bottom line approach to sustainability requires thinking of the world as an interconnected system of economic, environmental, and social well-being. Choices can be made to select home furnishings made from durable, recycled, recyclable, rapidly renewable, and/or reclaimed materials from companies who work to improve the lives and livelihoods of others. This course looks at recycled copper, sustainably made concrete, FSC®-certified bamboo, and reclaimed wood used in bath fixtures and furniture handmade by skilled artisans.

 This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click here to view the details.

 1 hour

Learn how High Pressure Decorative Laminate (HPDL) is made while touring Wilsonart's manufacturing plant in Temple, TX or Fletcher, NC. This 60-minute tour will teach participants the impact Lean Manufacturing principles have on process improvement, waste management, energy consumption, and employee health. The safety measures engineered into the processes that create a safe work environment will be reviewed. Lastly, the integrated systems that create efficient operations contributing to the sustainable value of HPDL will be revealed.

 1 hour

Provides an overview of the types and performance characteristics of cover board materials used in commercial roofing assemblies, along with a discussion of the forces that threaten roof-system durability.

 1.0 hour

Provides an overview of the evolution of intumescent coatings. The program focuses on intumescent acrylic latex paint coatings and the performance and aesthetic advantages they have over traditional coatings. It includes discussions on codes and standards, applicable substrates, adhesion, and application, curing, and cleanup.

 1 hour

Experience the concepts that inspired Color Trends 2017 and the Color of the Year.

 1 hour

Provides an overview of the performance characteristics and installation options for 20 mm (2 cm) thick porcelain tiles that are designed and made specifically for outdoor applications.

 This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click here to view the details.

 1 hour

Noise is now, and always has been, a huge issue for owners and residents of condominiums, apartments and co-ops and recently there has been a dramatic increase in litigation concerning acoustical privacy in multifamily projects. This course looks at how sound is transmitted and perceived, and how it relates to proper building design for acoustically treated spaces in multifamily dwellings. It also will describe a wide range of underlayment products that reduce impact sound transmission in various conditions.

 1 hour

Provides an overview of conventional methods of framing curves in wood and steel, as well as new methods of framing using flexible track systems. Discusses options for wall coverings and trims for curved surfaces.

 1 hour

Au fil de l’histoire, le désir des gens de communiquer, de raconter des histoires et d’exprimer leur identité culturelle nous donne la clé du besoin que ces gens ont eu, très tôt, d’utiliser et donc de fabriquer des pigments. La création de la couleur était alors un art, et elle l’est demeurée. L’histoire de la couleur est constellée de découvertes, de richesse, de pouvoir, de religion, de commerce et de science. Offre une vue d’ensemble de l’origine et de l’évolution des pigments de couleur par un regard sur des civilisations et des époques du passé.

 1 hour

Porcelain tile is a form of ceramic tile that is made from a porcelain clay, quartz, and feldspar. This course highlights the advantages of using a 20mm (2cm) thick porcelain paving system in hardscape designs. Thick 20mm (2cm) porcelain tiles are specifically made for outdoor use and utilize a blend of design, versatility, performance, simplicity of installation, and eco-sustainability.

 1 hour

While the bathroom was once a strictly utilitarian space, a growing trend among luxury consumers is to create a custom, spa-like retreat right in the home. Surveys find that luxury consumers value functional and design excellence, uniqueness that reflects a creative side, and exceptional quality and value. This course examines the shower products available that help to create a personalized, multi-sensory experience with beautifully designed pieces that meet water efficiency standards.

 1 hour

Provides an overview of color basics, including terminology, color perception, the psychology of color, how light affects color, and current styles and color trends.

 1 hour

Gypsum board is the common finish material of choice for a wide variety of building types and styles. As such, it has a notable impact on the interior appearance of a space depending on the degree of finish applied to it. Further, because of its prevalence in buildings, finished gypsum board can have a significant impact on the indoor environmental quality of the spaces inhabited by people, both during construction and subsequent occupancy.

 1 hour

Provides an overview of high-performance coatings for industrial applications, including a discussion of various types of industrial coating products, surface preparation techniques, primer selection, and specification issues.

 1 hour

Surface preparation is one of the most critical steps to achieve long-lasting, aesthetically pleasing flooring. This course explores the importance of surface preparation, including meeting industry standards, and outlines numerous moisture and flatness issues and remediation techniques to ensure a durable, long-life flooring installation for a variety of flooring materials.

 1 hour

Provides an overview of the types of membranes used to waterproof ceramic and stone tile installations and compares them in terms of performance and durability, ease of installation, control of variables, and function.

 This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click here to view the details.

 1.0 hour

Surface design and color impacts people in one way or another. Why do some surroundings induce a sense of calm, happiness, or inspiration while others offer nothing but distraction, discomfort, chaos, doom, and gloom? Interior surfaces are the point of contact between users and their environment, as well as an important connection between the visual world and physical world. This course will examine the integral role that surface color and design plays in interior spaces. Key requirements in the selection and specification process will also be discussed.

 1 hour

There are a wide variety of grout types available in the market today. This course provides an overview, including composition, cost, performance characteristics and related ANSI standards of different grout types. This course also provides an in-depth discussion about the relatively new category of pre-mixed grouts, specifically pre-mixed urethane grout. The course will conclude with a discussion on how to choose the best grout for your projects’ specific requirements.

 1.0 hour

Excessive sound can negatively impact the health and well-being of occupants. This has resulted in a growing trend to improve the acoustical performance of building assemblies. Due to this, there have been significant changes in the 2015 National Building Code of Canada (NBC) moving from sound transmission class (STC) to apparent sound transmission class (ASTC) ratings that reflect assemblies that provide increased levels of acoustical performance. The course will explore how laboratory acoustical testing is performed, the principles of sound control, the different methods of sound transmission within buildings (airborne, impact, and flanking), and how to meet the 2015 NBC requirements for ASTC ratings.

 1 hour

A presentation that explains the importance of specifying the surface that best suits the activity and conditions of play. By correctly specifying the best surface for the conditions the risk of injuries is greatly minimized.