It’s probably an appropriate time to weigh in on the on-going residential sprinkler situation.First, however, full disclosure. The Gypsum Association-my employer-currently has no formal position on whether sprinkler systems should or should not be installed in residential dwellings.
In Part 1 of this column (Walls & Ceilings, December 2009), I quoted Willem Kymmell, an architect and associate professor in Construction Management at California State University, as saying, “Despite many recent developments in project delivery methods, owners are often still dissatisfied with the results of the construction industry; projects still take too long and come in over budget, while the quality frequently is not up to the clients expectations.”
Las Vegas is much more than gambling and partying: It is a place where major business is conducted and usually plenty of construction activity is happening. Considering that the city can handle conventions on a global scale (and you can visit Paris, New York, the Sahara Desert and more), Las Vegas has the biggest hotels, the biggest shows with the biggest stars.
The origin of the EIFS with drainage goes back to the 1990s. The idea of adding drainage came about due to a rash of water intrusion problems on houses in the southeast. Water had gotten behind the EIFS and ruined the supporting wood structure, causing a flurry of lawsuits and repairs, and sparking the interest of building code officials.
Oh, I don’t really mean you, of course. I don’t expect anyone to fess up to being an overbearing SOB. But it’s a good bet you know plenty of other people who fit the description, right? And, just maybe, if you’re really willing to take a long, serious look at yourself … well, let’s just focus on all those other people for now.
This column first ran in October 2005. Since then, there have been several updates to the codes mentioned in the original, so we are taking the opportunity to rerun this piece with updated code references.
A new energy code is now in effect in
California. It is commonly referred to as Title 24. The intent of Title 24 is
to start constructing buildings that will save significantly on the use of
energy and the requirements will keep getting tougher in the future. What does
this have to do with contractors not in California?
A lot.
Almost every day I’m asked, “What’s the market going to look like next quarter” or “Do you think the housing market will improve in 2010?” People ask me because I’m in touch with manufacturers and distributors throughout the country on a regular basis.
When I first began to learn how to plaster, if someone would have told me then that it would one day become necessary for me to learn to speak Italian, I would have chuckled and turned away.
President Obama signed an executive order titled “Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance” (I’m calling it LEEEP because I can’t take FLEEEP seriously) October 5, 2009 “… to establish an integrated strategy towards sustainability in the Federal Government and to make reduction of greenhouse gas emissions a priority for Federal agencies.”
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