Live Construction Training—And A Skills Challenge at the 2023 Builders' Show

This year (2023) at the International Builder’s Show, the PTC demonstration area is getting bigger
Jan. 23, 2023
2 min read

Not only are we going to show you how to nail stuff together, but we’re also going to explain why and invite you to compete in a skills challenge.

Animation stage informs the WHAT and WHY of high-performance construction

First up, we have what we are calling the ProTradeCraft Animation stage, where the editor, Dan Morrison (that’s me, by the way), will go over the what and why of what you’ll see in the demonstration area.o

I’ll cover kickout flashings, rainscreen walls, and exterior insulation, and we’ll even have a session on career-building excerpted from the Career Toolbox podcast featuring Fernando Pages Ruiz.

Demonstration stage dives into HOW

Over in the demo zone, we will do what I talked about. We’ll demonstrate how to bend simple and complicated shapes on a Tapco Brake; we will install exterior insulation, which is required by code now in many parts of the US; we will install a unique cladding that looks like stone and installs with a finish nailer, and then we will install an exterior door that comes with built-in LED lights.

Skills Competition is your chance to shine on an international stage

When the demos are done, we will open up the floor to the ProTradeCraft Jobsite Skills Competition, where carpenters can compete in five events.

First, you’ll have to walk the plates to the end and lay them out on the way back.

Next, go to the Brake station and bend a kickout flashing — the most overlooked flashing in the world.

From there, you’ll seal a rim joist assembly using styrofoam and Great Stuff Pro before nailing some of those rocks to a section of wall.

Do you have a Payday Dance? Bring it.

The final event in the ProTradeCraft Jobsite Skills challenges is the TIKTOK Friday Paycheck Dance! Bust through the door and show your best “Friday night and I just got paid” dance to see if we can blow up Tik Tok.

I’ve said this before, but I’m gonna say it again:

Bribing the judges probably will not work, but it is worth a try because you can win valuable t-shirts, badges, bragging rights, and Tik Tok Jobsite-dance dominance.

About the Author

Dan Morrison

Dan Morrison is a founding editor of ProTradeCraft.com, where he is also the editor-in-chief. Fun fact: Dan is also a founding editor of Green Building Advisor and executive editor of Fine Homebuilding.

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