Tim Carter’s Builder Perspective Provides Insight to the Marketplace

Having a homebuilder in your corner who is a proponent of structural building components is never a bad thing, especially one that’s a syndicated columnist who reaches over two million readers across more than 60 newspapers, including publications like the Washington Post, Columbus Dispatch, and the Orange County Register.

Over a year ago, SBCA partnered with Ask the Builder expert Tim Carter to further our industry’s reach in educating the general public, homebuilders, general contractors, and framers about the advantages of framing with components. Tim’s publicity and credibility has been a remarkably productive way to promote components and expand the market for our industry’s off-site framing solutions. His perspective as a builder and enthusiasm about “the magic” of building with components truly shines through in his work. It has proven to be an effective way to reach more people throughout the supply chain (including the end user) that may not have great familiarity with component framing.

With over thirty years of hands-on experience in building and remodeling, Tim is an award-winning builder and was named one of the Big 50 Remodelers by Remodeling magazine in 1993. Over the years, Tim has developed a large following through his nationally syndicated newspaper column, popular YouTube channel, and weekly email newsletter that highlights DIY tips, tool reviews, project guides, and a wide variety of building and home improvements. 

During the construction of a single-family home in Bar Harbor, Maine, Tim documented the installation of the floor trusses, wall panels, and roof trusses to showcase the advantages of structural building components and the value they provide. He then communicated these benefits to his many followers.

A significant contribution to note from Tim’s partnership with SBCA are the highly viewed videos that he created to explain and demonstrate how components can expedite the framing process and out-perform traditional stick framing in every meaningful way. 

His video on attic truss design has over 8,000 YouTube views and over 100 likes. In this video, Tim explains how attic trusses can create more usable space and how they can be used to construct a regular staircase to the lower level. Some of his subscribers were “wowed” by the video and learned how beneficial attic trusses can be. “Everything discussed was new to me,” and “I’m fascinated by it all,” stated a loyal subscriber. “People who want open concept, why wouldn’t they want trusses? Makes sense once explained and the walk up attic staircase in place of the standard common pull down. WOW that is fresh and so clever and convenient.” 

Tim’s second video on floor trusses has reached almost 7,500 YouTube views since it was posted in late May of 2019 and has 157 likes. In the video Tim exclaims, “These things are the bomb! Think of all the advantages!!!” One viewer stated, “This should be used in every home. I don’t see any disadvantage.” Another viewer commented, “That is a great idea and many probably need to know it if they are building their own home.”

In Tim’s video on wall panels, he explains that “while manufactured wall panels made in a climate-controlled factory have been around since the 1940s, today’s panels are built using cutting-edge technology in an automated production facility.” Tim adds that, “they can be built much faster and more accurately than carpenters pounding nails at a jobsite.” This video led a viewer to comment, “What is the name of the manufacturer? I am looking for one to build my house.” Tim directed the viewer to SBCA’s Best Way to Frame website to locate a component manufacturer.

Tim’s last video in the series explains the simple value proposition of using attic trusses to create a “bonus room” in what is traditionally wood webs, insulation, and dead air. One viewer commented, “A perfectly timed video for me as I was wondering how to go about building a loft attic space over a large open span without beams.”

All of these videos are concise, and at the end of each Tim directs viewers to SBCA’s Best Way to Frame website. These videos are a great addition for marketing our industry and offer CMs an effective way to promote structural building components within their market. 

To learn more about SBCA’s partnership with Tim, check out the Ask the Builder landing page and access the videos in SBCA’s CM Toolbox. For more ideas about promoting components within your marketplace, be sure to read Tim’s articles that will be featured in future issues of SBC Magazine.