The Journal of Light Construction articles from November 2002

The Journal of Light Construction archives from November 2002

Markup by a different name? (Letters).
November 1, 2002... To the Editor: While I agree with Mr. Deal's perspective that consistency and honesty are the only fair way to work, I think he's pretty hard on the percentage bidders ("How to Charge for Overhead," 9/02). Percentage bidding is brutally...

Management fee works. (Letters).
November 1, 2002... To the Editor: I've been using a job pricing structure similar to Les Deal's for the past 14 years and have discovered a few glitches along the way. The system works well for labor-driven operations but won't work smoothly for construction...

Thieving hammer swingers. (Letters).
November 1, 2002... To the Editor: Obviously, Les Deal is cut from a much more morally upstanding and intelligent mold than the rest of us thieving and ignorant hammer swingers. While I felt sufficiently berated, I am hoping in future articles you can find...

Access to prices. (Letters).
November 1, 2002... To the Editor: Thank you for your article, "How to Charge for Overhead." Les Deal is right: The battle has changed. The Big Box is the reason. "They have access to prices." Joe Wavra via e-mail

A revolutionary idea. (Letters).
November 1, 2002... To the Editor: I have never responded to an article before, but the article "How to Charge for Overhead" in the September 2002 issue "hits the nail right on the head," so to speak. If there has ever been an idea that could revolutionize...

California "fix-it-law" aims to limit defect lawsuits; other states eye similar solutions, though effectiveness is unproven. (Notebook).
November 1, 2002... Residential builders in California hope that a recently enacted state law will bring some relief from frivolous and unnecessary construction-defect suits by homeowners. Senate Bill 800, signed by Governor Gray Davis in late September, defines...

Docs downplay treated-wood playground risk. (Notebook).
November 1, 2002... In deciding to remove CCA wood from the market in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the wood-treating industry has been careful to emphasize that the wood is not a health threat in existing structures. And as the...

OSHA is expected to launch a review of its excavation standards. (Offcuts).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... OSHA is expected to launch a review of its excavation standards, according to the Associated General Contractors newsletter News and Views. The review will be conducted under the Regulatory Flexibility Act, which requires federal agencies to...

Mold growth on new formulations of pressure-treated lumber. (Offcuts).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Mold growth on new formulations of pressure-treated lumber is causing concern among some lumber treaters, according to a report in the lumber industry newsletter Random Lengths. The report noted that while mold is unknown on CCA-treated...

The NRCA has received so many complaints from roofing contractors about the narrow nail-placement zones on laminated shingles. (Offcuts).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... The NRCA has received so many complaints from roofing contractors about the narrow nail-placement zones on laminated shingles, according to the August issue of Professional Roofing magazine, that it conducted a study of 27 laminated shingles...

The City of Chicago is suing a half-dozen national paint companies. (Offcuts).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... The City of Chicago is suing a half-dozen national paint companies for creating a public nuisance by manufacturing and selling lead-based paints, in a move patterned after a similar suit by the state of Rhode Island. Rhode Island's suit, the...

New York prepares to implement truss labeling law. (Notebook).
November 1, 2002... A recently passed New York State law provides that all commercial and industrial buildings using "truss type construction" must carry warning signs for the benefit of firefighters. The legislature's action is the latest chapter in a...

Canadian softwood prices fall. (Notebook).
November 1, 2002... When the Bush administration slapped stiff import duties on Canadian softwood lumber producers in the summer of 2001, the move was meant to counteract what the U.S. Department of Commerce claimed were illegal subsidies to Canadian producers and...

Solar power has been blamed for a devastating California wildfire. (Offcuts).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Solar power has been blamed for a devastating California wildfire. State fire officials believe that September's Croy wildfire, which burned more than 3,000 acres and 35 dwellings in the Santa Cruz Mountains, originated in the solar electrical...

Pennsylvania builders are campaigning to eliminate popular land conservancy programs. (Offcuts).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Pennsylvania builders are campaigning to eliminate popular land conservancy programs in the area, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. In a policy reversal, the state HBA is working to limit municipal power to buy open space, and to deny...

Home Depot will swallow up three large regional flooring contractors. (Offcuts).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Home Depot will swallow up three large regional flooring contractors in deals announced in September, according to press reports. The acquisitions will instantaneously make the Atlanta home-improvement retail giant the nation's largest turnkey...

Construction-related fatalities in Oklahoma increased sharply in 2001. (Offcuts).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Construction-related fatalities in Oklahoma increased sharply in 2001, according to a recent report by the state Labor Department. There were 33 deaths in the industry in 2001, up from 11 in 2000.

Study sheds new light on smoke detector. (Notebook).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... A series of field tests has provided Canadian researchers with some valuable information about how three common types of residential smoke alarms perform in real building fires. The Fire Risk Management Program of Canada's Institute for...

Are you ready to improve? (Business Tune Up).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Business owners usually call me in as a consultant because they know their companies need to be improved. They may be expanding and want assistance in restructuring; they may have just purchased a more sophisticated computer system and want...

Garage slab drainage. (Q & A).
November 1, 2002... Q. How should a garage slab be sloped for drainage toward the overhead door? At 1/4 inch per foot on a 24x26-foot foundation, the height difference from front to back would be more than 6 inches. Do I need to grade the sand and gravel sub-base...

Restyling a raised ranch. (By Design).
November 1, 2002... Before getting a license to practice medicine, a new doctor has to swear to uphold the Hippocratic oath to "do no harm" to any patient. If there were a similar oath for remodelers (the Palladian oath?), builders would have to swear not to leave...

Recovering administrative costs. (Strictly Business).(construction industry)
November 1, 2002... I became a contractor because I liked working with my hands, being outdoors, and making something that demonstrated accomplishment. Initially, I was too busy building custom homes to worry about expenses, budgets, and quarterly reports....

Ignore change order procedures at your own risk. (Legal Adviser).
November 1, 2002... The change order clause in many construction contracts calls for the architect or the customer to receive a certain number of days' notice in advance of proposed change orders and/or to preapprove contract changes in writing. If you run a...

Floating a mud bed for ceramic tile: a mortar base is the best choice for leveling an irregular subfloor.
November 1, 2002... Thirty years ago, when I started working with my father as a tile and stone installer, every floor that we installed was a mud job. Typically, it consisted of a layer of tarpaper followed by galvanized wire mesh nailed over the subfloor, and...

Finish carpentry, production style: prepping the job with tools and materials eliminates extra movement and speeds installation.
November 1, 2002... I'm a trim carpentry subcontractor in Sacramento, where my company specializes in large subdivisions. Many of our jobs involve trimming out more than 100 homes at a time. While carpenters who aren't familiar with this environment might expect...

Buying a compressor: getting enough air to your tools is more than a function of horsepower and amps.
November 1, 2002... At the end of the day, a compressor's value is won or lost on how much air it gets to your tools, whether you're sinking brads in trim or racing across an OSB subfloor. A lot of builders buy compressors based on engine power--horsepower (on a...

Trouble-free foundations for expansive soils: head off ugly and expensive foundation problems with caissons, counterforts, and cardboard void forms.
November 1, 2002... I'm a general contractor in the Front Range area of Colorado, where many building lots have expansive clay soils beneath the surface. Improperly designed or carelessly constructed foundations can fail disastrously in this environment. Isolated...

Coming to grips with job-site paperwork: a few clear, simple forms will keep everyone on the same page, without bogging down the work.
November 1, 2002... If you're a solo tradesperson or the boss of a small company with just one crew, you probably don't think much about paperwork. But as your company grows, adds employees, and takes on more work, you'll quickly find out how important paperwork...

Souping up a tow-behind, remodeler's style: convenience rolls onto every job this contractor takes on.
November 1, 2002... I used to work out of a long-bed cargo van. Initially, it seemed like the right way to go--plenty of sheltered cargo space, rear- and side-door access, and lockable storage to deter theft. Basically, I drove a fully loaded toolshed to work. A...

More problem-solving products. (Kitchen & Bath).
November 1, 2002... Staggering down the aisles of a kitchen and bath industry show or through the labyrinth of an indecisive client's mind can leave your head reeling and your energies depleted. We're practically drowning in an overabundance of choices. But...

Bridge over troubled waters. (Resources).(Book Review)
November 1, 2002... If you're just getting started in the building business and have the good sense to read Quenda Behler Story's Contractor's Plain-English Legal Guide (Craftsman Book Company, 2002; 800/829-8123, www.craftsmanbook.com; $49.50), you'll have...

Plumb crazy. (Products).
November 1, 2002... Gravity doesn't change much day to day, and unlike a level, a string can always reach far enough, no matter how tall the wall. The only drawback is dealing with a tangled ball of string, but with its retractable reel, the Plumb-Rite makes the...

Bucket chauffeur. (Products).
November 1, 2002... Installing flooring all day on your knees is tough enough without having to drag your bucket of thinset along like a dog on a leash. The five-caster Heavy-Duty Bucket Dolly glides alongside, dutifully holding your adhesive bucket at any angle,...

Snow mobility. (Products).
November 1, 2002... Working outside in all types of weather is part of a builder's reality. A bad fall on ice or snow can mean a minor injury, a broken bone, or the end of your carpentry career. Yaktrax's stretchy rubber restraints fit hundreds of ice-grabbing...

Flash forward. (Products).
November 1, 2002... Carrying a pocketknife should be required of everyone on the job site. The Flash shines brightly in a world of humdrum locking blades. It's not a switchblade, but its spring-assisted blade opens much faster than a standard lock blade, and the...

Flat wire. (Products).
November 1, 2002... Duct-taping speaker wires to the walls may have worked in college, but it's not the best option for the home theater in your customer's suburban split-level. DeWire is a complete line of flat, copper, conductor speaker wires that can easily be...

End of the line. (Products).
November 1, 2002... The days of driving in a nail to pull a diagonal chalk line or to keep the hook from popping off the edge of the material are over. The End-Mate's bigger teeth and swiveling action really hold on better, no nails required. The gnarly teeth are...

Remote-mounted ventilation. (Products).
November 1, 2002... Reduced noise and easier servicing make remote-mounted ventilation fans a good idea. The Whisper Line series is available in four sizes, from 120 to 440 cfm, and has an insulated, galvanized housing to reduce noise and resist corrosion. The...

Cheap air bottle. (Products).
November 1, 2002... A new federal regulation prohibits suppliers from filling 20- to 40-pound propane bottles not equipped with an OPD (overfill prevention device). Plus, you may have to pay a disposal fee to get rid of your obsolete bottle. Instead, for $20, you...

Silky-smooth skin. (Products).
November 1, 2002... Hard-working hands frequently require some special attention, especially in cold weather. When an Oregon pharmacist noticed the condition of her father's cracked hands and feet, she set about making a fragrance-free, water-based skin cream to...

See-through railing. (Products).
November 1, 2002... Why build a deck that overlooks a great view, then clutter that view with a busy railing? A Sheerview railing system has a metal-reinforced PVC top and bottom rail, framing a sturdy, tempered-glass panel. The 42-inch-high, UV-stabilized panels...

Wrench head. (Products).
November 1, 2002... Sometimes in tight situations, nuts and bolts just seem to turn against you. In such times, a Pivot Head Ratchet Wrench can get you in and out with grace. The unique flexing box-end of this new combination wrench has a 72-tooth ratcheting...

Including the kitchen sink. (Products).
November 1, 2002... Stainless-steel kitchen sinks are tough to get excited about, but the Blanco Module could be an exception. Its integral section of stainless-steel countertop and four-inch backsplash eliminates the typical sink cutout, especially significant...

Tape measure sidecar. (Products).
November 1, 2002... A tape measure has a way of finding the deepest, darkest recess of your tool pouch, then resisting easy retrieval. But getting a grip on your tape measure could be as easy as clipping a nylon Sidebuddy to your belt. The Sidebuddy can hold tapes...

High-class glass. (Products).
November 1, 2002... Handcrafted, textured glass could be the special touch that your clients can't live without or the factor that distinguishes your craftsmanship from the rest. Translucent, three-dimensional UltraGlas is available in 12 colors and can be ordered...

Mt. rushdoor. (Products).
November 1, 2002... Garage doors are high-visibility items, and a cheap stamped-steel door really doesn't do anything but detract from an otherwise good-looking home. The Presidential carriage door series offers all the convenience of a modern overhead door in a...

Easy roller. (Products).
November 1, 2002... The last time I was at the airport, I wondered why nobody had made a toolbox in the style of those heavy-duty carry-ons that airline employees have, but only a few days later this wheeled chest came to my attention. The Metal Pro Chest has an...

Fireplace problem solver. (Products).
November 1, 2002... Poor indoor air quality and fireplaces that won't draft are common with today's tight houses. The Replenum, a combination draft inducer, to keep exhaust gases moving up the chimney, and heat-recovery ventilator, to provide filtered and heated...

Cabinetmaking with Festool. (Toolbox).
November 1, 2002... Over the years, I've built a lot of cabinets on site. Admittedly, some would have been better and many would have been cheaper had we subbed them to a cabinet shop. But sometimes it's preferable to do the work yourself. Shops aren't always...

Laserjamb Q-Pro. (Toolbox).
November 1, 2002... Rotating lasers fall into three categories: manual leveling, "self-leveling," and "automatic self-leveling" instruments. Manual and self-leveling tools have spirit vials and must be leveled by hand--at least to some degree. But automatic...

Pro Pac tool bag. (Toolbox).(an evaluation of the Veto Pro Pac XL tool box bag)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2002... If I'm in a hardware store, chances are I'll check out the toolboxes. I keep hoping someone will come out with a box that'll solve my chief gripes: Dents, distortion, and flimsy latches make closing metal boxes a pain. Drop-in trays always seem...