Bill's Building Blog

D-Lead test kit trial by Bill Robinson

Save the Windows — a plea from Preservation Nation

Half a million renovators now certified under EPA's RRP Rule

From Bill Robinson and Train2Rebuild

NAHB — After a somewhat slow start because of a lack of certified trainers and training facilities, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has now certified more than 511,000 trained lead-safe renovators and 64,000 remodeling firms to date, putting them in compliance with the Lead: Renovation, Repair, and Painting rule enacted earlier this year, agency officials told NAHB during a meeting at the National Housing Center on Nov.  4.

The agency also reported that it has stepped up its campaign to inform consumers of the need to use certified remodelers when remodeling homes built before 1978.

Read the whole article at www.nbnnews.com

Free Building Class 11/13: Exterior Moisture Management for Your Home

From Bill Robinson at Train2Rebuild

Are you worried about moisture damage to your New Orleans home? You should be. 

Nationally there are somewhere between $5 billion and $9 billion in moisture damage claims each year. 

In New Orleans we are especially susceptible to moisture damage, not only from the rising tide but from the moisture in the air in the form of rain and humidity. 

As we repair, restore or renovate our homes we must keep the basics of moisture management in mind so our work is not only attractive but durable, energy efficient and healthy. 

This session will use the Four D’s to identify the basics of moisture management. 

• Deflection 

• Drainage 

• Drying 

• Durability 

Who:     Bill Robinson from Train2Rebuild (http://www.train2rebuild.com) 

What:     Free class for homeowners on moisture management

When:     Saturday, Nov. 13, 10 a.m. 

Where:     Old City Building Center, 341 N. Hennessey St., NOLA 

Cost:         FREE 

Contact:     504-782-5263 

Website:     http://www.ocbcnola.org 


Future Classes 

11/27/2010 and 12/4/2010 

Renovation, Remodeling and Painting Certification Class 

National Center for Healthy Homes Certification (NCHH) 

Instructor : Bill Robinson 

Cost: $250

Recovery School District in New Orleans wins Leadership Award from U.S. Green Building Council

The USGBC just announced its 2010 Leadership Awards for green building and the Recovery School District in New Orleans is in the mix. Here's the announcement:

The Recovery School District received an award for its steadfast commitment to rebuilding healthy, high-performing schools for New Orleans’ community. Five years after the devastating hurricanes that ravaged New Orleans and much of the Gulf Coast, the District made rebuilding sustainably a priority, committing to build all public schools to a minimum of LEED Silver and reducing energy use by 30 percent. When phase one of the master plan is completed in 2013, there will be 17 new and 13 renovated LEED schools. The first of those schools opened in August 2009, with double-digit increases in test scores just in the past school year.

Above: L.B. Landry School in Algiers with solar hot water and other sustainable features. Congratulations to the district.

Biden unveils plan to score homes for energy efficiency

From Bill Robinson at Train2Rebuild

Green House — USA TODAY: U.S. homeowners will be able to get low-cost energy audits that rank a home's efficiency on a scale of one to 10 and get federally insured loans for upgrades, under an Obama administration plan to be announced today.

With the new Home Energy Score, consumers will find out how their home compares with others and how much money they could save by adding insulation, sealing air leaks or doing other upgrades.Nine U.S. communities will test the score, similar to a miles-per-gallon label for cars, before it's rolled out nationally next summer.

Vice President Joe Biden, facing center, dicusses home weatherization at a private home in Manchester, N.H., on August 26, He's slated to announce Tuesday a new initiative to score homes for energy efficiency and offer low-cost audits and federally-insured homes for upgrades.

CAPTION

By Cheryl Senter, AP

"Together, these programs will grow the home retrofit industry and help middle-class families save money and energy," says Vice President Joe Biden, who plans to unveil the initiative at a meeting of his Middle Class Task Force.

This story is at content.usatoday.com

Coming Up — Green building training in Louisiana

From Bill Robinson at Train2Rebuild

Just FYI, I'll be part of the team putting on this CEU workshop Nov. 18 and Dec. 2. If you need CEU credits, and are in the area, register below:

Raised Floors with a Touch of Green

CEU Training for Builders and Code Officials

• Nov. 18, 2010
• Dec. 2, 2010 

BREAKING IN to new methods or markets is such a challenge. Consumers are more energy conscious. Building codes are more demanding. The learning curve is steep and the first-time do-overs are too costly, right?

NOW - for just a few months - you can benefit from a builder's experience with :

• raised floor construction
• green building techniques
• energy efficiency building codes                           

$30 - REGISTER NOW

Each class limited to 30

Workshops at Going Up Going Green can be customized for designers, engineers, architects, realtors and others.

Contact Pat about a date and your program interest at (225) 578-2910 or pskinner@agcenter.lsu.edu.

Let’s learn what you can from these homes before they’re closed up this spring and sold to three lucky families.

Register with Southern Forest Products Association
FAX: 504-443-6612 or  vbarabino@sfpa.org

Homes made available by
Wooden Creations Homes, Inc.

Q&A: Does the EPA RRP Rule apply if an old space has never been painted?

From Bill Robinson and Train2Build

Question: Does the Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule apply where no paint at all is present, such as in a 100-year-old unfinished basement?

Answer: No.The RRP Rule applies to activities that result in the disturbance of painted surfaces.Where there is no paint to disturb, the RRP Rule does not apply.

See more about EPA RRP

Photo Source: Young House Love

A shout-out today on Daily 5 Remodel

Have you seen Daily 5 Remodel, the new offering led by Leah Thayer, a former senior editor at Remodeling Magazine?

d5R, as it's known, is a daily blast of news and features custom made for remodeling contractors and others in the industry. Here's the shout-out I got today:

He Trains, They Build

"I've taught thousands of remodeling professionals and teach at least one RRP class a week, but the most fun I've ever had has been since Kathy (my wife) and I moved to New Orleans two years ago to be part of the rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina. Kathy and I live in a house facing the 1,300-acre New Orleans City Park with oak trees that were here when Columbus landed."

Bill Robinson, Train to Rebuild, New Orleans, Louisiana

Q&A: Can EPA RRP records be kept only on my computer?

Question: Under the RRP Rule, can the required records and documentation be stored electronically rather than as paper copies?

Answer: Yes. The renovation firm is responsible for retaining and making available to EPA all records necessary to demonstrate compliance with the RRP Rule for a period of 3 years following completion of the renovation. The RRP Rule does not specify the format in which records must be kept.

Search for more RRP Q&A

Tomorrow — Free lead-based paint webinar from EPA

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is holding a series of webinars focusing on its new Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) lead-based paint rule.

The webinar Thursday, Oct. 28, focuses on how the rule applies to participants in the deconstruction and historic preservation industries. The webinar starts at 3 p.m. Eastern time and is designed to run for 90 minutes, including a question-and-answer period.

 

Those interested in finding out more about the Oct. 28 EPA webinar or registering for it can visit https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/558759305.

 

According to the EPA, the webinar offers information on several topics, including:

• An overview of the RRP rule;
• New changes to the RRP rule;
• Compliance with the RRP rule; and
• Enforcement of the RRP Rule in Region 5.

The Oct. 28 webinar also addresses how the rule affects those in the deconstruction and architectural salvage sectors and is designed “to facilitate more informative information-sharing during the Q&A [portion],” according to the EPA.

via www.cdrecycler.com

Product Review: D-Lead for EPA RRP jobs

Here at Train2Rebuild, we finally received the sample D-Lead test kits from Esca Tech Inc. the new boys in town for testing lead in homes built before 1978.

Previously, we had LeadCheck but it is not approved by EPA for testing on drywall and plaster.

D-Lead does have the EPA approval for testing on drywall, plaster and ferrous metal. And since D-Lead does not rely on a red color change, it will work on red, pink and black paint. As you may know, LeadCheck is not approved to test for lead on those colors.

My goal here is to use both D-Lead and LeadCheck to test for lead in the same area of an old, painted wooden door.

As you can see above, the D-Lead test kit comes with several components:

• Solution bottle 1
• Solution bottle 2
• D-Wipe towels
• Sample catch trays
• Scoring tool
• Cleaning rod
• Razor blade
• Waste disposal bag

Plus, you get an instruction manual — which is mildly confusing — in English and Spanish.

The first instruction is to read all of the instructions. What a concept. And I reccomend you do read those instructions, paying special attention to the safety guidelines.

After reading all the instructions, I used the D-lead test on an exterior porch door in a home built in the 1940s. It is easy enough:

• Take a sample with the sampling tool
• Place in Test Bottle 1
• Shake for 10 seconds
• Add 5 drops from Solution Bottle 2
• Give it  a shake for 10 more seconds.

According to the instructions the results should appear in 3-10 minutes.

Here is the test bottle after 10 minutes: 

What do you think? If no lead is present, the solution will remain clear. If the level of lead is under the limit that requires RRP practices, the solution will be lighter in color than the color strip on the bottle. If the solution's color matches or exceeds the color strip, lead is definitely present. I found this color a little ambiguous. Is it less than the color strip? Or equal to it?

And here is a comparison with LeadCheck, used on the place where I carved out my sample for D-lead:

This is quite clear: the red means lead.

So you gotta ask yourself, which do you prefer? LeadCheck is easy and quick but does not work on drywall and plaster. And it does not work on red, pink and black paint.

D-Lead takes a little longer and the color change leaves a little to your color sensitivity. However, it does work on drywall, plaster and ferrous metals, as well as all colors of paint.

Plus, it is still not clear how available D-Lead will be in the coming weeks.

The good thing is there is competition in the lead testing market and that can only be good for certified renovators.

In the coming days, I will try this out on other surfaces and I'll show it to my next RRP class to get their opinion and get back with you on how it all shakes out. Stay tuned!

Dispatch from Bill Robinson at Train2Rebuild

Jury finds asbestos air monitoring company and employees guilty of Clean Air Act and fraud violations

Asbestos Air Monitor Conspired With Asbestos Removal Companies to Falsify Lab Results, Hiding Incomplete Asbestos Removal in Homes, Schools and Other Buildings

WASHINGTON – A federal jury in Utica, N.Y. has found Certified Environmental Services Inc. (CES); two of its managers, Nicole Copeland and Elisa Dunn; and one of its employees, Sandy Allen, guilty of conspiring to aid and abet Clean Air Act violations, commit mail fraud, and defraud the United States, the Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. The defendants were also convicted of substantive Clean Air Act violations and mail fraud counts. CES and Elisa Dunn were also convicted of making false statements to federal law enforcement.

Due to the false lab reports, people that lived or worked in these buildings were exposed to asbestos, putting them at risk of developing cancer or other asbestos-related diseases.

As alleged in the indictment, CES (an asbestos air monitoring company and accredited laboratory), and several of its senior employees, together with Aapex Environmental and Paragon Environmental (asbestos removal companies, having already pled guilty) conspired over the course of nearly a decade to falsify lab results used to prove that asbestos removal was done properly.

In numerous instances, asbestos removal companies represented that homes, schools and other buildings were free of asbestos contamination when asbestos debris remained behind.

Owners of local homes and buildings were unaware that asbestos had been left behind from sloppy abatement work because air quality reports were falsified by CES and its supervisors and employees. Due to the false lab reports, people that lived or worked in these buildings were exposed to asbestos, putting them at risk of developing cancer or other asbestos-related diseases. EPA investigators have notified affected building owners of the asbestos problem so proper clean up can be conducted.

See the rest of the story at: www.justice.gov; Photo Source

Dispatched from Bill Robinson and Train2Rebuild.

EPA's RRP Rule — From the historic restoration contractor's perspective

I, for one, am in favor of increased protection from lead paint, so our company intends to fully comply with the rules.

— Mark Landry, Historic Restoration Contractor

Most people have probably heard by now about the new rules put into place by the EPA concerning lead paint and renovations. The goal of the rules is to increase awareness of the danger of lead paint and decrease the risk of harm to occupants of old homes where lead paint is present. The rules apply to projects that involve renovation or painting of houses built prior to 1978 (when lead paint was banned). 

As a historic restoration contracting company here in Massachusetts, almost all of the buildings that we work on contain lead paint so we need to pay close attention to the requirements.

The rules, known as the RRP (Repair, Renovate, and Paint) guidelines have four main components.  The first is notification. Contractors must notify their clients to the dangers of lead paint. This is done by giving them a copy of the EPA's Renovate Right booklet.

The second component is certification: any company working on buildings that contain lead paint must be certified. The EPA logo on our home page shows that we have completed this step. In addition, workers must receive training and be individually certified to carry out renovations involving lead paint. Our carpenters have received this training (as have I).

Read the whole article at: www.landmarkservices.com

Dispatched from Train2Rebuild and Bill's Building Blog

D-Lead record keeping form for EPA RRP projects

In every EPA RRP-compliant project, part of the process involves keeping excellent records of what you tested and the results. This is called "protecting your assets."

D-Lead — one of the two testing kids approved by EPA for RRP jobs (along with LeadCheck), and the only one authorized for testing for lead on plaster, stucco, sheetrock/drywall — has provided a record keeping form. 

The two pages of the form are below (click to enlarge), or you can download the two-page form in PDF from D-Lead.

More D-Lead downloads:

D-Lead® Paint Test Kit Product Literature

D-Lead® Paint Test Kit Instruction Manual (English)

D-Lead® Paint Test Kit Instruction Manual (Spanish)

Buy your EPA RRP lead supplies all in one place

The cost for the supplies needed to comply with EPA's RRP Rule are not all that expensive. We're talking lead testing swabs for about 5 bucks, plastic sheeting, painter's tape, nitrile gloves, a respirator, protective coveralls, and things like that. 

Your biggest expense will likely be a HEPA vacuum for cleaning up.

What could be more expensive than the stuff itself is the staff time needed to gather it all together. And that's why various retailers have done the work for you.

Protective Products has a special section populated with items needed for RRP-compliant jobs.

See the RRP products here and below:

.	SKU #	Qty.	Description	Unit Price
	NHV-02		HEPA Lead Vacuum 2 Gallon	$324.90
	NHV-10		HEPA Lead Vacuum 10 Gallon	$489.90
	NHV-CB6		Collection Bags (6pk) for NHV-02 & NHV-10	$12.90
	NHV-DFB		Dacron Filter Bag for NHV-02 & NHV-10	$16.90
	NHV-MIF6		Micro Impaction Filters (6pk) for NHV-02 & NHV-10	$16.90
	NHV-HF		HEPA Filter for NHV-02 & NHV-10	$159.90
	NHV-RBB		11" Rotary Beater Brush Carpet Tool w/Wand	$49.90
	PC-5-1X		Non-Woven PP Coveralls with boots and hood 5 per package 1X	$10.90
	PC-5-3X		Non-Woven PP Coveralls with boots and hood 5 per package 3X	$11.90
	PC-5-5X		Non-Woven PP Coveralls with boots and hood 5 per package 5X	$12.90
	R-N100-5		N100 Respirators 5 per package	$29.90
	NG-50-M		Nitrile Gloves 50 pair M	$10.90
	NG-50-L		Nitrile Gloves 50 pair L	$10.90
	NG-50-1X		Nitrile Gloves 50 pair 1X	$10.90
	WS-2-W		Coroplast Lead Work Area Warning Signs (2) White 12" x 18"	$18.90
	WS-2-Y		Coroplast Lead Work Area Warning Signs (2) Yellow 12" x 18"	$18.90
	BT-4-180		Blue Masking Tape 4" x 180'	$14.90
	YT-4-90		Yellow Cloth Tape 4" x 90' x 9 mil	$9.90
	LBT-300		Lead Hazard Barrier Tape 3" x 300' x 1.8 mil	$6.90
	LW-90		Lead Safe TSP Wipes 90 wipes - 8" x 12"	$29.90
	LCS-8		LeadCheck® Swabs - 8 Pack	$24.90
	DL-PTK24		D-Lead Paint Test Kit	$58.90
	LSV-BR1		Lead-Safe Training Video	$68.90
	P6-11-50		Poly-Film 11' x 50' / 6 mil*	$31.90
*Not shown on this page – go to the Poly-Film page for more sizes. 11’ width allows compliance with EPA and HUD Lead-Safe RRP rules.

 

Q&A: Must my firm be EPA RRP certified if the subcontractors are certified?

Question: As a general contractor, we subcontract the entire renovation job to other companies rather than using our own employees. Under the Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule, does my firm need to have a certified renovator at the site?

Answer: Not necessarily. All firms performing renovations, including general contractors, must ensure that all individuals performing renovation activities on behalf of the firm are either certified renovators or have been trained by a certified renovator.

A firm acting as a general contractor may satisfy this requirement by hiring another certified firm that also takes responsibility for ensuring that all individuals performing the renovation activities are either certified renovators or have been trained by a certified renovator.

With respect to assigning a certified renovator who is responsible for any OJT and regularly directing other workers, a firm acting as a general contractor my satisfy this requirement by hiring another certified firm that in turn assigns a certified renovator to the job. However, this does not discharge the general contractor's liability to ensure compliance with the RRP Rule.

See more at ZipWall

RRP and Lead —'It takes as little as a grain of salt to poison a kid' — Kansas City Star

From the Kansas City Star:

Eight-month-old Oskar Ryan-Garrard did not eat paint chips. He didn’t swallow or suck on lead-laden toys either. He simply moved about his early 1900s Westport home and like any baby put his fingers and feet in his mouth. Then an optional blood draw showed a dangerously high level of lead.

A risk assessor found lead-leaden dust on the windowsills of Oskar’s home and on the floor and porch where he plays. Oskar’s dad is a house painter, and lead was on his work clothes, too.

“It takes as little as a grain of salt to poison a kid,” said Shannon Steinbauer of the Kansas Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Prevention Program in Topeka.

And that grain of salt can find its way into any home: paint, residue from a parent’s occupation or hobby, everyday products.

See the whole story www.kansascity.com

Preservationists' New Cry - Save the Windows! - NYTimes.com

There's no need to tear off the shutters and throw out the sash in the name of energy efficiency, say groups that are seeking to preserve the historic look of buildings.

With federal tax credits for installing energy-efficient windows set to end this year, vinyl replacement window installers are anticipating a rush of orders in the next few months. But the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance wants property owners there to reconsider abandoning their old wood-framed windows.

The group recently included historic windows statewide on its annual "Seven to Save" list, which typically features buildings or landmarks it considers threatened. Windows made the list because while they are among the most visible and defining features of historic buildings, property owners often are quick to replace them because of the growing emphasis on going "green" and energy efficiency, said Maggie Stier, the alliance's field service representative.

"We're not trying to save every window, but we want to make sure as many people as possible have the information to make good decisions," she said.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation hasn't included windows on its annual list of endangered sites, but it has promoted weatherization tips on its website. At least two other preservation groups, in Alabama and Philadelphia, have included windows on their lists, though John Gallery, director of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia said he hasn't seen a great rush to replace windows.

Read the whole story at: www.nytimes.com

Lead poisoning kills 400 children in Nigeria

KANO, Nigeria — Lead poisoning has killed more than 400 children under the age of five as a result of contamination from illegal gold extraction in northern Nigeria, an international aid agency said on Tuesday.

The children died over the last six months in several villages in Zamfara state, where lead-rich run-off from illegal gold mining has entered the soil and water supply, said Medecines Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders - MSF).

"Based on the record of fatalities from lead poisoning, more than 400 children have died in the last six months," said El-Shafii Muhammad Ahmad, MSF project director in Zamfara.

"But we in MSF believe the figure is much more than that," he told AFP by telephone.

Preliminary findings by UN experts on the contamination in Zamfara state, which were released on Tuesday, said that "growing amounts of children are dying from lead poisoning."

Elisabeth Byrs, a spokeswoman for the UN office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told AFP in Geneva that more than 3,000 children lived in seven affected villages in an area of high-intensity wildcat gold mining.

Byrs said many parents were afraid to come forward when their children fell ill, or mistook symptoms including convulsions with malaria.

Read the whole story www.google.com

Is lead-safe remodeling worth it? Four perspectives

From Popular Mechanics, the new EPA RRP Rule from four perspectives: contractor, regulator, consumer advocate and homeowner:

As of April 22, 2010, federal law requires that all U.S. contractors be certified to work with lead-based paint in homes, child-care facilities and schools built before 1978. Details of the new RRP (Renovation, Repair and Painting) rule appear in a brochure, “Renovate Right,” which contractors must give homeowners before work begins. The law requires certified renovators to be on-site to ensure that employees follow specific practices to prevent lead contamination. These include posting warning signs, taping up heavy plastic to contain the work area, minimizing dust by wet sanding, then cleaning with a HEPA vacuum and a wet mop. Certification takes 8 hours of training by an EPA- or state-accredited provider and costs from $200 to $400 per trainee. Not every employee of a remodeling firm needs to be certified, but the firm itself pays a $300 fee to obtain EPA certification. Contractors failing to comply could get hit with a civil penalty of up to $37,500 per incident, per day.

Contractor’s Perspective: “Even though it costs money, I actually think it’s a good idea,” electrical contractor and master plumber Pat Porzio says. “But of the 40 people in our training class, I was one of few who thought that.” Porzio estimates the law will add $500 to $1500 in labor costs, depending on the job’s size. The EPA estimates that the cost for containment, cleaning and verification will range up to $170 per job.

See all four perspectives at www.popularmechanics.com

Katrina and Haiti: The destruction was manmade, not natural

As we all know, 90 percent of the damage in New Orleans after Category 3 Hurricane Katrina missed the city was caused by a manmade failure of the national levee system.

So please, let stop using what is known as "Katrina shorthand." It was not a natural disaster. It was a manmade disaster, or in the words of John Goodman's character in the HBO series Treme: "A federal f----up of epic proportions."

The same can be said about Haiti, as explained in the video below from the TED conference. The destruction from the earthquake was an engineering disaster.

In both cases, unless we rebuild differently, we are setting ourselves up for the next disaster. In my case, I'm here in New Orleans as one of the most vocal proponents for proper window installation, proper restoration of old wood windows, effective water-resistive exterior cladding, and the right kind of insulation for this hot and humid climate.

Assuming the Army Corps of Engineers gets the levees right this time (as so many other advanced countries have managed to do), and the city never floods again, what a shame it would be if the rebuilt houses failed from mold, rot and pests.

With climate change, our world will see more and more disasters, natural or otherwise. As they happen (and obviously an earthquake is not caused by climate change), let's rebuild right so the affected houses will last decades if not centuries to come.

Secret Video — Is this an EPA RRP lead violation?

Here's a YouTube video of what may be a violation of the EPA's new RRP rule. The rule on controlling the spread of lead-tainted dust is now being enforced with fines up to $37,500.

Watch this shaky video, then read the comments from the poster of the video and let me know your thoughts.

Here's the text accompanying the YouTube video:

83 Park Street Rockland Maine October 11 2010
Project started within the last week.
No EPA or HUD Lead Safe Practices Slowing these guys down.
Section 8 Housing Children under 6,
There are strollers and childrens toys in the backyard covered in Lead Dust, 
No steps were taken to contain the chips or dust that extends out onto the public sidewalk that is a favorite place to walk with strollers and toddlers..

No attemps of any sort of cleanup at the end of the day.

Once the Tenants start testing positive for lead poisoning this should get interesting..

Your thoughts?

Why I'm so passionate about training (and the feeling I never want to experience again)

It was back in the late 1980s when I decided that being gone from home for months at a time was incompatible with raising my three young daughters.

And so I gave up my lucrative (more than $100,000 a year back then) and adreneline-producing career as a deep-sea, oil-rig diver and got a job with a building contractor in Santa Barbara.

One day, when concrete for a basement had just been placed, the contractor wanted us to get done for the day and he sent me out on the concrete with knee boards and a steel trowel long before the mix was dry enough.

And that's how I came to be on my knees in the middle of a wet concrete floor with this thought: "I don't know what the f--- I'm doing."

I did not like the feeling I had. At all. I felt humiliated and belittled and just overall bad.  REALLY BAD.

I wasn't used to that. I knew you could feel powerful at work. On my knees on that wet concrete, I recalled the job in the Gulf (of Mexico) when every single 170-foot dive I did was a home run. Every dive was so spectacularly successful that the Exxon company man started calling me Super Bill.

I recalled another time on a Swedish oil rig support boat anchored  next to a North Sea oil platform when a storm was coming in and our anchor cable was stuck on one of the rigs legs and we couldn't get loose. The cable had to be cut for us to get away from the rig, which I knew was dangerous. But nobody else was doing anything and we had to run out the storm. I had the torch fired up and was just about to start the cut when the cable went slack and we were able to get out of there. The rush was unbelievable.

So here I was in the middle of a basement slab in Santa Barbara and I said, man, it doesn't have to be like this. How do you find out how to do this right? And that's when I realized there weren't many places to go learn how to do construction right.

That's what first got me going in the direction of training. My thought was that people working on jobs shouldn't have to feel the way I felt on that slab.

I thought: "Someone can do something about it and that someone will be me."

I don't ever want to forget how I felt that day and I don't want any other worker to feel that way.

If you have any training needs, let's talk it over. Send me an email or call me at (805) 797-4127 and I will throw in some diving stories as well.

Got something to say? Check out the JLC Forums

I must say, I'm proud of the vibrancy of the peer-to-peer JLC Forums (that's Journal of Light Construction), and the part I play in them. I'm the moderator of the Exterior Details forum. Anyone can view the questions and answers, but only contractors can participate.

See some of the topics trending this week:

	Stain on Siding-Under Windows lijupaul	Today 09:51 AM by mjtent	1	108
	Finishing and maintaining Brazilian hardwood deck Danadsokc	Today 06:05 AM by mjtent	7	213
	Exterior door under covered porch justinae	Today 05:42 AM by mjtent	4	186
	Counterflashing, gravel stop detail for connection of old roof to new cdservices	Today 12:02 AM by NW Architect	5	158
	interior foam/vapor barrier (EPS) presents exterior foam + siding challenge fletchaustin	Yesterday 09:02 AM by fletchaustin	0	48
	Mitered corners with cedar siding ( 1 2 3) Billmeister	10-04-2010 03:27 PM by Billmeister	32	572
	Decision Time- Exterior Deck Choices

 

NEW Train2Rebuild DVD
On-the-Job Training: RRP Lead-Safe Practices

Need hope for the future? Check out these apprentices for the traditional home rebuilding program

It's become an unfortunate habit for some of us to rail against today's moment, to spread fear and depression. I won't have any of that. My days are filled with hope. As evidence, check out this wonderful group of young people who are enrolled in the traditional crafts training program offered by The Prince's Foundation and the Preservation Resource Center. If you want hope, you have to look for it. Look here.

2010 Apprentices

Timothy Adams – Timothy has a Master’s in Architecture from Tulane and has been working at Trappolin Architects prior to joining the program. He hopes that the knowledge he gains as a brick masonry apprentice will help to make him a better designer and builder. He believes that by preserving our historic structures, we enable future generations to understand what worked well in the past and set a foundation of living knowledge to build upon.

Mary Beth Alhart – Mary Beth comes to us from Rochester, NY. She is a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology and has been working as a jewelry maker and artist. Through the Prince’s Rebuilding Communities Program, she believes she has found her calling as an artist able to assist in the rebirth of New Orleans. She joins the program as an iron work apprentice.

Michael Andrepont – After four years in the Air Force, Michael began building stages for Tulane’s theater department and performing with four different bands in New Orleans. He is inspired by Louisiana’s historic architecture and hopes to gain skills to properly renovate buildings in our city.

Wilbert Brass – Wilbert believes everyone should play a part in helping their cities grow to make way for future generations. He hopes to learn much more about his craft, mill-work, so that he may continue to grow in his career.

Kirk Brown – A life-long resident of New Orleans, Kirk joined the program so that he can become a Master Plasterer and pass his knowledge down to future generations.

Mallory Glueck – As an architecture student at Delgado, Mallory sees this opportunity as a chance to bridge the gap between what she’s learning in school and real world application. Mallory’s father owned a sheetrock company while she was growing up, giving her years of first-hand experience on construction sites. She sees New Orleans as a city with a rich cultural heritage that needs to be preserved for future generations.

Steve Grunewald – Steve came to our program from Rebuilding Together. As a volunteer, he came to New Orleans 2 ½ years ago and was hooked: he worked in the mill shop and as a construction manager with RT, gaining an appreciation for historic details in houses. As a millwork apprentice, Steve is looking forward to fabricating windows, doors and cabinets and milling flooring.

Vincent Mark – Vincent studied at Wayne State University and Wayne County Community College before joining the Louisiana Carpenter’s Union. After completing the Prince’s Rebuilding Communities Program, he hopes to one day start his own business.

Zina Mitchell – Zina has always wanted to be in the construction industry. She feels that preserving our building traditions is important because it helps us learn for the future. She has 13 grandchildren and hopes to be able to teach them more about the history of New Orleans through its architecture and culture.

 

Stevelend Nelson – Stevelend has experience working with wood, metals and stones. He recognizes the integrity of the craftsmanship in historic structures and believes that studying this is important in order to ensure that our buildings can withstand the test of time. 

Elliot Pellebon – Elliot grew up in Holy Cross, blocks away from many of the work-built sites included in the Prince’s Rebuilding Communities Program. He is inspired by his father, who worked hard to rebuild their family home after Katrina and is eager to part of the rebuilding effort in New Orleans.

Henry Pittman – Henry is entering the program as a masonry apprentice. He hopes to learn more about both his city and his craft. He loves working as a brick mason and looks forward to giving back to his city with knowledge gained in the program.

Ishmael Raoof – Ishmael is interested in all types of architecture and believes that it is very important to preserve original details in historic homes. As a rough carpentry apprentice, he looks forward to increasing his skills and learning more about other crafts. 

Christine Simpkin – Christine considers herself a very ‘hands-on’ person and hopes to become very familiar with historic building processes. She is also very excited to learn about the different styles of architecture found throughout New Orleans.

Chad Simpson – After graduating from Pratt in 2006 with a degree in Fine Art, Chad worked in Rochester, NY making jewelry and furniture. He came to the Gulf Coast this summer to help with the cleanup effort after the oil spill and felt inspired by the beauty produced by local artists and craftsman. He joins the program as a mill-work apprentice.

Sidney Trepagnier – Sidney joined the Prince’s Rebuilding Communities Program as an iron-work apprentice. He enjoys working with his hands and sees this program as an opportunity to do something different and find success in life.

EPA RRP lead-safe class with The Prince's Foundation apprentices

This week I had the pleasure of teaching the RRP certification class to a group of apprentices who are learning traditional building crafts thanks to Prince Charles and The Prince's Foundation For the Built Environment.

As you can see, these young folks are having fun in the class, as young folks are wont to do. This program is being co-sponsored by the highly esteemed Preservation Resource Center in New Orleans.

You know, I could have fun doing this every day of the week. If you have any young or young-at-heart people who need RRP certification, please let me know.

NEW Train2Rebuild DVD
On-the-Job Training: RRP Lead-Safe Practices

D-Lead test kits now available in some Home Depot stores

We've all been waiting for D-Lead test kits to become available and now it's happening. The kits are important for EPA RRP work because they are recognized by EPA as a method for determining the absence or presence of lead in drywall and plaster.

The first test kit to be approved by EPA, LeadCheck, was not recognized by EPA for testing for drywall and plaster (though that will reportedly happen soon) and was pretty much limited to painted wood and ferrous metal surfaces.

NEW Train2Rebuild DVD
On-the-Job Training: RRP Lead-Safe Practices

But while D-Lead was formally recognized by EPA about a month ago (which will save Certified Renovators the trouble of having a third-party test for lead in drywall and plaster), the test kits were not widely available. That is changing.

Here is an update I got today from George Laidlaw, sales coordinator for ESCA Tech, the Milwaukee company that makes D-Lead:

The initial shipments of 6 test kits have been delivered to the Home Depot and are being distributed to individual stores at this time.  Some stores have the kits available at this time and we expect the remainder of the stores to have stock in the next few days.

The first 24 test kits will ship to ESCA Tech, Inc. distributors the week of October 4.  Many of our distributors are taking preorders for the 24 test kits at this time.  A complete list of ESCA Tech distributors can be found at our website http://www.esca-tech.com/lptk/Distributors.php

Both kits are now in regular production and moving ahead we do not anticipate any backorders at this time.

See D-Lead test kit literature in PDF

 

___________________________________________________________

—— NEW DVD ——

BILL ROBINSON TRAINS 
YOUR CREW IN RRP 
LEAD-SAFE PRACTICES $79.00  

 

 

MORE INFO 

 

 

 

 

9 states administer their own RRP program

Here's a little-known fact: the EPA can authorize individual states to administer their own RRP program, and indeed 9 state have thus been authorized.

Those states are:

Wisconsin (Lead Safe Wisconsin)

Iowa (Iowa Dept. of Public Health)

North Carolina (Public Health in North Carolina)

Mississippi (Dept. of Environmental Quality)

Kansas (Kansas Healthy Homes)

Rhode Island (Dept. of Health)

Utah (Utah Dept. of Environmental Quality)

Oregon (Lead Poisoning Prevention Program)

Massachusetts (Labor and Workforce Development)

Want your state to get its own program? Contact your state's lawmakers and let them know. Here is the PDF application form for that.

 

EPA RRP Quiz: Test your LeadCheck savvy

As you know, LeadCheck swabs were the first swabs approved by the EPA for Certified Renovators to use in determining the presence or absence of lead on painted wood surfaces for RRP applications.

Another type of test, D-Lead, has been approved by the EPA but is not yet available.

So here's a quiz to check your LeadCheck savvy.

 

Make your best guess, then watch the short video below for the answer: