BMC West files Chapter 11 to restructure

Looks like the difficult economic times is hitting home again in the North West.

BMC West has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy to restructure it's debt and try to survive this countries present recession. At least they've got some decent banks behind the restructure. Other than their original investors (private and public) it looks like Wells Fargo is going to throw some money behind the companies sagging finances to get them through the next few years. The 80 million dollar investment should go a long way to getting them through to the next decade.

Now some readers are going to remind me that BMC West is a "West Coast" company so I guess I should correct myself right away. They are west coast and the article I'm citing here actually speaks about their parent company, Building Materials Holding Corp...but I only know them as BMC West.

Here's the link: http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSBNG48356520090616

From the docs to a home???

It would appear that some people are making houses from shipping crates. I've seen some stories about this before but every picture I saw showed a pretty normal looking house (because they covered the containers with normal siding). However, this one is interesting as it's just six containers, welded together...strange really.

I have serious doubt about the viability of this as a building material. I'm thinking that it's just going to be a fad and someone's going to end up taking a loss trying to sell these houses.

(I wonder what it sounds like in a rain storm?)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/04/AR2009060404533.html

Will your next deck be on your roof?

There's a new, lightweight, rooftop decking material being made in Portland, OR that just may be the next BIG THING in outdoor living.

Because of the way it's engineered, it doesn't need to have any additional support structure. Check it out and let me know what you think...

http://www.pr.com/press-release/158087