"No matter how close a friend you are, you must kill that person. When it is over, you can shake hands and be a friend again," said Kutilda Woods, mother of golf maverick Tiger. No doubt in my mind that Tiger's competitive spirit came from his mother. All of us who heard her say these words on "60 Minutes" knew she did not mean to "kill" literally. She is a play-to-win kind of woman and she instilled this attitude in Tiger.
We'll go two different directions this time around. First, we're discussing an older home and a repair project I did recently and an exciting plaster finish that I'm sure you'll be interested in knowing more about.
Above grade waterproofing is completed at exterior building components to prevent moisture infiltration from entering the structure. Although above grade components are not exposed to hydrostatic pressure that is present in below grade conditions, detrimental weather effects, such as UV rays and precipitation (rain, snow, ice, dew, etc.), contribute to degradation over time.
They're expensive, hard to design and tricky to install. A debate rages over whether they work. And they don't seem very American-although that might be changing.
Believe me when I say I enjoy reader feedback. Occasionally, readers call to say specifically what they liked or didn't like in the current issue. Great. Less frequently, I receive something in writing that I can publish.
This month, we'll begin a series that takes an in-depth look into all aspects of sheathing materials used in modern-day construction. In particular, we'll focus on the environmental concerns, thus complementing the "Déjà Vu x 2" series recently concluded, which examined alternatives for formaldehyde-based binders and substitutes for wood fiber in composite wood panel products.
In last month's article, I dealt with the white-collar segment of construction industry theft represented by embezzlement. Now, let's turn our attention to the more common problems associated with the theft of tools, equipment and materials, which can be thought of as construction's "blue collar" crime wave.
Nordstrom department store managers encourage their sales staff to remember their customers' names and clothing sizes to make the customer feel important and above all, keep them coming back.
As I write this article in late March, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, Ben Bernanke, presides over his first meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee, the group that sets interest rates. The committee has just announced that they are continuing the gradual interest rate-raising campaign.
As the first and often most lasting impression, the exterior of a building is its signature. Knowing this, standard design practices emphasize a building's appearance and tend to view materials based solely on aesthetic appeal. Current practices also imitate existing designs in response to a cost-driven market and place nearly identical buildings in varying climates throughout the nation.
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