EPA-RRP Rule Update

Effective July 15, 2011 the optional "Clearance Examination"  by the home owner is no longer in effect.  As of this date the Contractor will NOT be held to the "Clearance Examination".  Under HUD the rule remains in effect that in most cases a "Clearance Examination" is required.

Effective July 15, 2011 when doing renovation projects under the EPA-RRP rule on the exterior and there is another property within 10 feet of such renovation "Vertical Containment" is now required.  Under the old rule it was recommended, now it is "Required". If you have any questions or concerns about the rule changes you may email your question or concern to:     [email protected]

 

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Hammering Success
By: Sharon Waranius – Contributing Editor
If you hammer away at it long enough, eventually, you’ll get it done. That phrase no doubt originated over 3 million years ago when the first hammers were simply round stones. Can you imagine how long it would take to pound a 16 penny nail into a 2x4 with a rock!

The reinvention of the hammer was literally just a stone’s throw away. Through the ages, as each craftsman refined his talent and tools, hammers clawed their way through design and material construction, to eventually evolve into the world’s most diverse yet coveted tool.
Stone eventually laid way to better materials and wood, copper, alloys and hardened steel shaped the standards for the hammers of today.

Now there is a dizzying array of choices of hammers for every task. Whether its barrel making, shoe construction, horseshoeing, bricklaying, blacksmithing, carpentry, upholstery, culinary, or a kids little tyke tool bench, there’s a hammer for everyone and every need. 
One could say manufacturers have left no stone unturned in their quest for the best hammer.
We now have straight or severe curved claw hammers, polished head hammers, small head, large head, rounded head, flat head, dual head, single head, rubberized heads, wooden handles, fiberglass handles, long handles, short handled, metal handles, compact absorbing head and handles, wooden mallets, pneumatic and even gas powered hammers.

We’re literally hammered with hammers.

One aspect of hammers which has not changed however is the occurrences of hammer related injuries. Approximately 50,000 hammer injuries are treated every year. They range from bruised thumbs, broken bones, and metal chards in the eye. In 2007, there were over 35,000 reported hammer injuries compared to only 10,000 from axes or hatches and 3,500 caused by band saws.

Hammers, being the most used tool of all, would naturally result in additional mishaps, but it is the operator of any tool that ultimately controls its use, misuse and abuse.

Safety measures should always be taken when handling any tool. Hammers, in spite of their simplicity are no different. Eye wear, clothing restrictions, proper hair restraints, gloves, work surface stability, tool condition, adjacent workers, every aspect of safety needs to be considered when using tools, even one as common as a hammer.

Hammers however, can also be a thing of beauty, regardless of their conventional reputation. Finely finished Hickory, stamped metal, leather laced handles, low luster burnished, or high sheen polished heads; engraved names and even unisex sizes and colors all contribute to the allure of our oldest and most useful tool, the Hammer.

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Accurate Estimating is Crucial
By: Dave Gilbert – EZ Estimating
As inflation grows, so does the cost of doing business.  Contractor’s operating costs have never been so expensive; insurance continues to increase, fuel volatility effects daily fill-ups at the pumps, and the shortage of work in the market makes it hard to make a profit. So the need to be creative has made estimating or selling more of a challenge than just throwing fat numbers to the job.  It’s negotiating creative quotes from suppliers, hedging fuel prices based on long term projects and getting the most value from labor. 

For seasoned estimators having too much experience can work against you as well as work for you. Having product knowledge and experience to convey to a perspective customer is what separates you from the next contractor but the next estimator with less experience seems to miss the small expenses associated with true job costs, so the end result is the low bid prevails whether it’s a good number or not.

The days of pad and pen are gone. Automating the estimating procedure is becoming more and more imperative to growing your business. Streamlining operating expenses and job tracking is a big key to survival. Structure and organization grows a company at a sustainable rate and knowing where you’ve been is critical in future choices to where you want to be.  An old asphalt contractor once told me as I started into business: “It’s very important to have a great accountant and an even better bookkeeper”. I have found that statement to be as accurate as an advice I’ve ever heard.  I believe estimating software is essential to survival in today’s competitive market. Whatever your trade may be, there’s software out there that can help give you the competitive edge.