Whether you are a seasoned professional or a newcomer to the industry, you have likely felt the recent shift in the market and the drastic change in homeowners’ needs. As more people are encouraged and mandated to work from home, there is a new set of challenges for architects, remodelers, specifiers, and builders.
This recent change begs the question: For careers that typically complete their work on-site and hands-on, how does one continue professional development while working from home?
Remote work has its challenges, but it can also provide opportunities for growth. Architects, remodelers, and builders can take advantage of being remote by continuing to earn education credits, expanding their industry knowledge, and mastering best practices to execute in their work. To maximize your time working from home, ensure that you are taking advantage of these opportunities:
Earn continuing education credits
A simple way to meet your professional and educational needs is by tuning in to webinars. Webinars offer architects, remodelers, specifiers, and builders succinct industry knowledge while providing the opportunity to earn certain continuing education credits.
The Window & Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA) hosts a number of free webinars that provide continuing education credits from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Door and Hardware Institute (DHI), or the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI). Industry professionals can take advantage of the following webinars:
- Understanding and Specifying with WDMA’s Architectural Door Standards: In this webinar, WDMA’s experts take a deep dive into architectural doors. Geared towards architects and specifiers, this webinar is designed to help professionals understand architectural wood door standards, including performance duty levels, aesthetics, construction, and their finishes.
- Understanding Window, Door & Skylight Certification: In this webinar, architects, builders and remodelers can learn about the benefits of product certification, fenestration standards, and energy requirements. At the completion of this webinar, professionals will be able to better understand how certified products can enhance their projects.
- A Specifiers Guide to Door Face Veneers: For architectural specifiers, selecting the veneer for architectural doors can pose a challenge. In this webinar, WDMA helps break down that process. In this guide, specifiers can learn veneer matching methods, cutting options, and color selection.
Master your understanding of industry standards
You can easily download and skim reading materials to ensure that you’re up to date with the standards that are defining your industry.
One key job site aspect that you can learn more about through WDMA is the importance of architectural door standards. Be sure to download the ANSI/WDMA Industry Standards for Interior Architectural Doors. As architectural doors are one of the most used yet overlooked products on the job site, it is important to learn:
- How to select the right duty level: This consideration determines how and where the door will be used to ensure proper durability.
- The proper veneer selection and finish: In order to create an aesthetically pleasing product, the right grade and finish needs to be considered.
- How to assure proper storage and handling: In order to guarantee that architectural doors maintain their integrity and beauty, the proper guidelines for their care must be abided by.
Learn best practices
Knowing those key industry standards is one thing, but taking your knowledge and putting it in action is another. These industry best practices should come as second nature to architects, builders, and remodelers. Utilize the library of available resources from WDMA to ensure that you return to the job site more knowledgeable and prepared than ever before.
The WDMA Hallmark Certification Program provides industry professionals with an expedited way to ensure that they are using products that are in accordance with performance standards and building code performance requirements.
With this program, industry professionals can learn about total product performance, the protocols the program references, and search for specific products to compare lines along with other performance ratings.
By Michael O’Brien, President and CEO of the Window & Door Manufacturers Association.
Webinar: Understanding Window, Door & Skylight Certification
Understand the benefits of window, door and skylight certification and how certified products can enhance your projects.
Webinar: Understanding Window, Door & Skylight Certification
The Understanding Window, Door & Skylight Certification webinar is designed to help architects and remodelers understand the benefits of window, door and skylight certification and how certified products can enhance their projects.
