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.”
A bizarre incident occurred near my community last winter that holds lessons for everyone in the business world. A suburban commuter train filled with hundreds of passengers during the morning rush was delayed for almost two hours while local police searched for a man aboard with a gun.
There’s hardly an EIFS job these days that doesn’t use foam shapes in some way. In fact, a lot of other non-EIFS claddings incorporate foam shapes as accents, such as shapes over stucco, block and concrete. Most foam shapes are made of EIFS, while others use non-EIFS materials to create hybrid EIFS-like shapes.
Willem Kymmell is an architect and associate professor in Construction Management at California State University. He was quoted 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 client’s expectations.”
Once upon a time, architects created a set of plans with a pencil and paper. The process created an intimate attachment and knowledge to the building he was designing. Inevitably, he would make a mistake and things did not quite line up.
Glazed framing systems have undergone tremendous improvements over the metal framed, single-paned energy pigs of yesteryear. The introduction of dual glazed insulating units, low-emissivity coatings, and thermally improved framing systems have resulted in huge energy-saving performance. A single glazed, non-thermally-broken aluminum framing system has a U-value of around 1.0.
Everyone involved in the design and construction business is currently feeling the effects of the economy. Some projects that were started before the downturn occurred are now slowing, and others have been put on hold indefinitely. Owners and developers who have managed to hold on to their financing for projects are finding an abundance of qualified firms willing to slash their fees in order to secure a project. This makes for a very chaotic time in our marketplace. However, the one niche that has seemed to remain somewhat stable is green design and construction.
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