It was March of 2001 when Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley introduced “an energy code for Chicago that promotes efficiency and protects the environment.” Part of the code set forth requirements for new roofing systems and repair and replacement of existing systems relating to insulation and reflectivity. The code in its original form virtually eliminated most of the most common low-slope roofing systems that were being specified and installed at that time.
The flashing element is the most vulnerable part of any roof system because it is the point at which the horizontal roof deck and vertical surface join. It is also the intersection of two different materials, such as is the case with parapet walls.
Think about the last time you attended an industry trade show, a training workshop or an association meeting and you got back to your shop all fired up to change things for the better. You rolled out a new program that seemed like a good idea but then you were stuck dealing with pushback and frustration from the staff or your customers - or both.
Today almost every contractor and subcontractor I come in contact with is in survival mode. Many have the cash to survive the lean times in their receivables - if they can collect them. If you have uncollected receivables, your choices are to write off the debt, sue your customer in court to collect, or use mediation or arbitration to reach a settlement.
Earlier this year the National Safety Council (NSC) declared that driving while talking on a cell phone puts drivers at four times greater risk for an accident and should be banned. The first time I ever heard of such a concept as cell-phone free driving was when I visited Hong Kong in 2001.
The International Building Code (IBC) requires that ventilation be provided in all buildings. Building ventilation can be provided through natural or mechanical means. Mechanical ventilation is typically required in under-floor areas, bathrooms and some attic spaces.
“Accidents will happen” are words that make me cringe. It’s a form of defeatism and I suspect that people who mutter those words are more accident-prone than most.
The mass media continues the assault our psyche with endless reports of “the worst economy since the Great Depression.” Each new report makes me want to work even harder to point to great opportunities existing for roofing contractors today.
Many of you reading this own your company, so you don’t have to worry about being laid off, except in the sense of being put out of work by going bankrupt in a miserable economy. The marketplace is everyone’s ultimate boss, at least for those of us who work in the private sector.
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