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.
Plaster and masonry are simply made for each other and belong together. This love story between stucco and masonry is not new and did not start in North America. Like Romeo and Juliet, these materials are well suited for each other. The intimate bond between the two started before any piece of paper or code was needed to sanctify their union.
I was raised in the construction industry and surrounded by men whose handshake was their bond. As a young buck, I looked up to these men. These men were raised through the Depression era and survived wars in Europe and Korea. They were tough, hard-working and they don’t take bull from no one.
The worst thing about a deep recession may be the inevitable stupid pricing that follows. By stupid prices, I mean bidding or pricing goods and services that are below a company’s cost. The second worst thing about a deep recession is below-cost pricing drives the entire market price down and it takes two to three times as long for them to return to a reasonable level.
Tough times can alter an industry. Is it possible that this recession may again alter our industry? Anyone familiar with the walls and ceilings industry may remember how the last deep recession in the late 1970s resulted in the craft unions losing the major share of their market. In 1975, the trade unions made up to 80 percent of all construction; today, the union share is about 13 percent.
The question is: Will you survive? And if you answer yes, what did you learn during this bleak period? Only a few years ago, most contractors can remember having all the work they wanted, possibly even turning away jobs or bidding them so high.
Bill Rogers wrote a story on customer service that struck me as “what-a-coincidence.” I recently had some work done on my home. We needed a stairway remodel and I may be a plasterer, but truly awful at finish woodworking. My wife and I got two bids, and like Bill experienced, they wanted money up front.
What is a feel good law? A law passed by our government that has great intentions, but does little to nothing in reality, except make the politicians and a few special interest groups feel good about themselves. The ban on smoking in bars is a good example. Do they really help the public? But they sure make the anti-smoking crusaders and some lawmakers feel good about themselves, and I am not a smoker.
Q: We are installing fire extinguisher cabinets in a rated smoke partition wall. Do we need special seals or other measures to keep in compliance with the smoke rating?
