Education vs. Regulation

June 5, 2018September 16, 2016 by Mark Eastman

How Learning Can Benefit Both You and Your Customer

Recently I was working on a small ceiling repair project. It was one of those simple projects that turned a bit more complicated. Due to city building codes and the lead based paint regulations this small $1600.00 project was going to end up doubling in price.

The project consisted of removing the balance of some water damaged plaster and lath, approximately 108 square feet. Lead based paint regulations require the removal and cleanup be done by a certified lead abatement contractor if the work exceeds 100 square feet. This isn’t about lead based paint regulations. That’s a topic for another day. The issue that I want to discuss is what this requirement caused. Due to the lead paint abatement, a building permit was needed. No problem. I pulled the permit, the demo was done by a certified lead paint abatement contractor. New sheetrock was installed, finished and painted. A new ceiling light fixture was hung. Everything was looking great and I called the inspector to come do the final inspection. This is where things get a little bumpy. The inspector asked about smoke alarms in the upstairs bedrooms. We check and find that there aren’t any. By code in this jurisdiction if a building permit is pulled for a remodel and there aren’t interconnected smoke alarms, they have to be installed. This meant we had to install a smoke alarm in each bedroom and a smoke and carbon monoxide alarm on each level. All of these alarms need to be hardwired together. Don’t get me wrong, this is a great idea. If they’re asleep in the upstairs bedroom and there is a fire in the basement, then all of the alarms will go off. The problem is…this is an old two story home with a basement. Have you ever tried to get electrical wire from one level to the next in an old house? If not, trust me it isn’t easy. All of this because we were a few square feet more than the minimum. Regulations can be a real problem and in this case expensive.

For a long time, I thought that licensing of contractors was just another way for the government to make more money, not to mention an additional cost that I had to pass on to my customer. More rules and regulations that allow some bureaucrat to stick their nose in someone else’s business. Like they really know what’s best for every customer. Regulating continues to expand and I don’t expect it to get any less any time soon. The problem is that not all contractors approach things the way that I do. There are a lot of “contractors” out there that don’t care about the customer or are just unaware and/or untrained. These are the guys that have made it necessary to have some level of protection for the customer. It would have been easy enough for me to have divided this project in to two separate projects and these rules wouldn’t have applied. This isn’t how I do things.

Okay now for the real point of this rant…I mean blog post.

I’m all for the protection of life and property. The question is, how is this best achieved? I think that education is as important as rules and regulations, maybe even more so. If both contractors and customers are better educated it could help decrease the need for regulations. Education allows for the understanding of the reasons. Just like the project above, understanding the benefits of the connected smoke alarms makes sense. It should be up to the customer if they think it is worth the cost.

One problem with regulations is that there are so many that it is difficult to keep up with them all, especially for those people not involved with it regularly. Not every situation can be regulated. I think when we over regulate in an effort to protect we make it so people no longer need to think for themselves, because someone else will.

Back to the interconnected smoke alarms of the project above. With some research by an electrician and working with the inspector we were able to find some 12-year battery powered alarms that are interconnected with a radio frequency rather than hardwired. This not only met the regulations, but also met the intent. It gave the customer the protection needed and kept the additional cost to the customer from getting out of hand.

By working together, the customer, electrician, inspector and myself came to a reasonable working solution. Not all builders would have put forth the effort to meet the required regulations while looking out for the customer.

Another class in the ‘school of hard knocks’ completed with a passing grade.

Flexibly Rigid

June 5, 2018September 9, 2016 by Mark Eastman

The Importance of an Action Plan with Some Margin

I am an organizer and planner by nature. I like having a clear direction. A system in place to expedite those wonderfully crafted plans. But you know what happens…’life happens’. Once you’ve begun executing those plans, something that you hadn’t included in that masterfully designed, already fully packed day comes along and just messes up the whole thing.

There are so many things that I want to get done. I struggle through the process of what to do first, what’s most important today, which thing should be at the top of the list.

Just because I’m a planner doesn’t mean that I can’t be flexible, because I can, sometimes maybe too much. It has always been pretty easy for me to make adjustments when something unexpected happens. The problem with this is, getting derailed by distractions makes it hard to stay on task. Then of course that plan, that wonderfully crafted plan, is all messed up. For years I have worked to be better at balancing the plan and flexibility.

You may be on the other side of this coin and have the gift of doing. The ability to make a decision and move on it. You find it frustrating when the unexpected happens and you struggle to deal with it.

The important thing is to understand yourself. What character, personality and gifts you have so you can be prepared in your own way to handle the unexpected.

Recently I had a day that provides a good example of this. I had scheduled to finish the punch list of one project so that I could move the tool trailer from this project to the next. This next project involved another contractor so the plan was also coordinated with his schedule. Before I even got started doing any work, while backing up to hook up the trailer, I noticed a brake hose on my truck leaking. Of course this was a Friday so my mechanic wouldn’t be available to work on it tomorrow. I called him and he said that if I could get it to him now he could fix it today. So I consider my options…get the truck to the mechanic and not move the trailer or borrow a truck and go ahead with the punch list and move the trailer. I decided to take the truck to get fixed. As it worked out I had already scheduled the truck to go to the mechanic on Monday to have some other things done, so while the truck was at the mechanics he went ahead and did the work that was scheduled for Monday. This allowed me to do the work Monday that I had planned for Friday.

I think that there is a Master Planner at work and it is important for our plans to fit with His; to determine what our priorities are before that scheduling fiasco happens; to figure out who we are and what we want, so we are ready when the unexpected happens. This doesn’t mean that everything will go perfectly, but as we search for clarity and work through each schedule disruption we will get a little closer to being who we were designed to be.

How Do You Feel About Windows?

June 5, 2018September 2, 2016 by Mark Eastman

Considerations When Choosing Windows

Windows play a big part of how we feel about buildings. They serve a variety of purposes. Determining what needs and/or wants you are looking to satisfy, will affect your decisions about windows.

Window purposes to consider:

Letting in light – Without windows it is dark inside. Even with artificial electric light, the absence of natural light can be dark and depressing. Even when it’s cloudy outside the natural light will brighten and energizes us. We aren’t intended to be cave dwellers. We need natural light both physically and emotionally.

Letting in fresh air – Just like the light we need fresh air. In an effort to be more efficient with resources we have continued to make buildings more air tight. It is important to control this as much as we can. However, the tighter we make buildings the more stagnant the air inside becomes. If we can open some windows and let the air circulate when the weather allows…it’s like a ‘breath of fresh air’.

Keeping out bad weather – Not only are windows used to let things in (light and fresh air) they should also keep things out. This includes hot, cold, rain and pests. To achieve this, they need to be able to be opened and closed easily, have good seals, good glass and functional screens.

Architectural beauty – Windows can add a lot to the appearance of a building. Both from the inside and from the outside. There is a large variety of sizes, shapes, materials and designs to choose from. Location and configuration also has an impact on how the building looks.

Escape – Although this may not be one of the first reasons considered in choosing windows it is a critical one. Imagine getting trapped in a building with only walls, one door and no other way out. Having windows that allow for egress is a really good plan.

When I was a kid I used to have a reoccurring dream. In this dream there was a concrete block room, standing isolated in the country. It had no top, no doors and no windows. There was a ladder fastened to one of the walls that went up and over and down the other side. I would get inside this room and then a giant mallard duck would show up and circle around overhead (this might be a conversation I should have with a doctor while lying on a couch) …I digress. When I would try to get out the duck would dive down close to the top of the walls. I still remember how it felt, the feeling of being trapped in this room with no way out. I sure wish that there had been a nice Pella window in one of those walls, one with shades between the panes of glass. This would have made me feel better.

Our feelings will be included when making a decision, whether we realize it or not. This is not to say that feelings are the only thing, just a part of the process. Feelings are powerful and can have a lasting effect on us.

Don’t be afraid of your feelings, include them when considering your decisions.

The Importance of Good Communication

June 5, 2018August 26, 2016 by Mark Eastman

It Should Be Focused On Helping the Customer Realize THEIR Dream

Over the last few days I have been reminded of how important good communication is. There are two separate instances that have come to my attention that confirm this. One situation is of an individual who had been given a price for a project and then after they were already started doing their part (pouring the concrete) found out the price for the building was more than expected. The second was someone who had a project done with no agreement in writing. Once the project was almost completed there were some quality issues. This left them (both the customer and the contractor) in a place where they felt cheated. The contractor billed for work done and wasn’t getting paid. The customer felt that the work is below standard and couldn’t get the contractor to come back and fix it. As is usually the case there are several extenuating circumstances in both of these situations and both sides had legitimate viewpoints. Both projects could have had less problems if there had been clearer communication in the beginning.

How to Get Your Puzzle Pieces to Fit

June 5, 2018August 19, 2016 by Mark Eastman

Easing the stress of being too busy

This morning as I was posting in my journal I started thinking about all of the things that I didn’t get done yesterday. Then I began to think about how many times I have posted this same thing over and over. It sure seems that I spend way too much time feeling overwhelmed and behind. I really want to get more done! Then I thought about all of the times that I’ve had this same conversation with other people. “How is your day going? Man I am so far behind I don’t think I will ever get caught up. I sure wish there were more hours in the day.” I have heard these or similar comments more times than I can count. Our lives can feel like a 20,000-piece jigsaw puzzle was dumped out in front of us with no picture of what it is supposed to look like when it’s done.

So how can we get all of these pieces to fit…or can we? This is the big question. It would be nice to know what the finished puzzle is supposed to look like. This puzzle can be tough and frustrating. I think it is especially difficult for those of us who are ‘recovering perfectionists’. We want all of the pieces to fit just right. To know ahead of time exactly where each piece is supposed to go. This particular puzzle, called life, doesn’t work like that.

Here are some reasons we struggle with our puzzle and some ideas to help us get our pieces to fit.

We pick up too many pieces by over scheduling. There are so many pieces that we want to put in the puzzle. Some more important than others. We start out by picking up all of the pieces we can. More pieces than we could possibly put in the puzzle today and then what do we do…try to pick up a few more. I know for me, if I don’t start the day with more pieces than I will be able to use, I naturally slow down. I put in less pieces than I would otherwise. What I have to remember is that every day I am going to have pieces left over and that’s okay. The key is to be intentional. Start with the corner pieces. Put in the most important pieces first.

The puzzle isn’t going together as fast as we want. Sometimes (most times) things just take longer than we think. We think, hey it won’t take more than an hour or two to put all of these pieces in. Then after working on this for a while, we realize we were trying to force pieces to fit in the wrong place. So we take a deep breath and start again. This time putting them where they belong. Maybe we didn’t allow enough time to do it. We thought we could put in a piece every minute to only find out that it took longer than that. Oh, and don’t even get me started on interruptions and distractions. It can really slow things down when somebody throws their pieces in the middle of ours. We need to do as much planning and preparation as we can before we start, but remember to not over plan. Spread the pieces out, find the edge pieces and get started.

With so many pieces in front of us we lose our focus. After we have put all of the edge pieces in place we are feeling pretty good. Then we look at all of the pieces that are left and aren’t sure where to start. We look at these pieces and then at those…which ones should we do first? This is when we just need to pick a piece. It doesn’t matter which one. Just pick one. Then start looking for one that looks like it will connect to it. If it doesn’t then try the next one and the next one. Keep going one piece at a time until you find a piece that fits. Then do it again and again. Before you realize it you look up and there are a bunch of pieces hooked together and a picture beginning to take shape. We need to remember that we can only put one piece in at a time. Concentrate on that one. If it doesn’t fit, then pick up a different piece and focus on it.

Life is a puzzle. What really makes this puzzle fun and exciting is that while we are putting our puzzle together other people are putting theirs together and their puzzle is connected to ours.

What struggles have you had or tricks have you found while working on your puzzle?

To Hire or Not to Hire, That Is the Question?

June 5, 2018August 12, 2016 by Mark Eastman

Over the last several years ‘Do It Yourself’ has become a popular theme for TV programs as well as marketing for building product suppliers. As a builder, one of my pet peeves is the DIY shows and marketing. There are even whole TV channels dedicated to this. My problem with it is, that in 30-60 minutes’ whole rooms are transformed. This can be misleading, not to mention down right impossible. Don’t get me wrong, the satisfaction that comes from doing a repair, changing a light switch or faucet, installing a window, building a deck or even remodeling a complete room can be extremely rewarding. The thing is, you better know what you are getting into before you start.

Reasons for hiring a professional – You need to consider what your skill level is and what the parameters of the project are before tearing into it. Depending on the specific project there is a lot to be aware of. Even something simple like painting a wall can be more complicated than many people realize. Once you start getting into things that are structural, for example, cutting an opening in a wall or building a deck. You sure need to understand what is involved. Not knowing how to do something like this can lead to big problems or maybe somebody getting hurt. It can be hard for those of us that are micro managers to give up the control.

It comes down to priorities. Of all of the things I can choose to spend my time and money on what’s going to be the most important? With over 35 years of construction experience I have determined that getting the right help is a good plan. I just can’t do everything myself…as much as I would like to.

Benefits of hiring that professional – Time is a precious commodity. If you are like me, I can’t ever seem to be able to get everything done that I want to. So when I find someone that I can trust, who I have determined has the desire and skills to do the thing that I need done, doesn’t it make sense to pay them to do it? This allows me to be able to do something else that I am better suited for or maybe would just prefer doing.

Then there is the whole ability thing. Having grown up on a farm I learned how to do a lot of different things. I learned how to be pretty self-sufficient. I am proud of this heritage and I think this is a good quality. The thing is, I was taught this from an early age, over several years and through trial and error. I didn’t just watch a 30-minute TV program or go online to learn it. I am sure that I could make a car given enough time and money, but doesn’t it make more sense to buy one made by professionals.

Reasons for not hiring a professional – The key here is defining ‘professional’. If you’re considering hiring someone then you need to do some research and make sure that you get the right person. There are a lot of people out there that seem to be qualified and aren’t. If you hire someone that isn’t then the outcome might not be much better than if you did it yourself.

Maybe you have the time and desire to learn something new. This is a great reason for doing the project yourself. Just be careful to not get in too far over your head. Be clear on what it’s going to take to do this.

You could save money by not paying somebody else. Just be aware that there most likely will be more time spent in researching, planning, buying, exchanging, returning, redoing and cleaning than actually constructing.

Doing physical work is good exercise. Some people go to the gym or have equipment at home. Some people walk, ride bikes or run. Depending on what your normal routine is doing a home project can be a great way to exercise.

A third option – If you really want to do your own home project, but need some help with knowing how, what, when and where. You might consider finding an experienced professional to guide you through the process. Finding the right person for this can be as tricky as anything. Just realize the value of knowledge and the benefit that it can have.

Once you have determined that you have the ability (knowledge, time, money and physical strength) to do your project, then by all means go for it. There is nothing much more rewarding than stepping back and being able to see something that you have built.

5 Ways Builders Should Treat Customers

June 5, 2018August 5, 2016 by Mark Eastman

It’s Not Just a Job…It’s Someone’s Dream

Over the years as I have discussed building projects with people, a lot of people. There are those who have had the experience of building a new home, doing a remodel or even a small repair project. The number of times that I have heard them say, ‘it was the worst experience of my life’, breaks my heart. The experience of repairing, remodeling or building new should be counted among their best experiences, not their worst. In many cases they only get the opportunity to experience a project, especially a large one, once. This makes it even more critical that we do what we can to make this as enjoyable and painless as possible.

A building project is like having a child. For me the designing, developing and building something is an amazing experience. It is more than just the mechanical act of pouring some concrete, nailing two boards together, putting a window in a hole or slapping on some paint. The collaboration between the parties involved should be fun and exciting. A part of me is poured into each and every project. Once it is done, I step back and look at it. Something that wasn’t before and is now…it is a part of me and I am a part of it. I’m continually moved when I see projects that I was involved in over the years. Approaching construction in this perspective is key to the conception, gestation and birth of each new project.

The builder carries the majority of the responsibility. Those of us in the building industry go through the process over and over again. We can get used to the daily routine of construction. We forget that the customer doesn’t do this daily like we do. This is something that can be scary and overwhelming to the person wanting to have some repairs done, add on a room or build a new home. As builders we need to remember to approach each new customer with an open mind and a desire to help them build their dream.

Things that the builder should do:

Communicate – Let the customer know what to expect. Remember that they don’t do this day in and day out like you do.
Listen – This is the most important part of communicating. You need to hear what the customer is saying. This is more than just their words.
Be on time – Show up when you say you will. Respect their time.
Be responsive – Return communications in a reasonable amount of time. They just want to know that you hear them and care.
Be accountable – If you or someone on your team make a mistake, own up to it. Don’t blame someone else.

Remember the Golden Rule and treat your customer the way you would like to be treated, not the way you have been treated.

A Life Changing Wakeup Call

July 28, 2016 by Mark Eastman

A Board up Side the Head, Now That’ll Get Your Attention

In December of 2012, I got just such a wakeup call. I was literally hit in the head with a board. It was a pretty big board too (a 14’ long 2×12 plank). We were installing wafer board boxing to the second floor wall of an addition. I was standing on the plank approximately 8’ above the ground when it broke. Luckily I don’t remember any of the ordeal from the time I was measuring until I woke up in the hospital three days later. Based on what I was told by the guys that were there as I fell, I hit my head on one of the ladders, then on the concrete slab and then the board hit me in the head. It sure is good that I have a hard head. Seriously I was really fortunate that I came away from this accident with only a concussion.

Here are four positives that came out of it.

Change of focus – I have always been a workaholic ever since I was young. I love working and the sense of accomplishment that comes from getting things done. However, there are some tradeoffs when our work takes precedence over everything else. This accident forced me to slow down for a little bit. While recovering I had some time (like I had a choice) to look around and see things other than my work. It reminded me that there is more to life than just work and I need to remember that.

An appreciation of life – As I reflected on the accident I realized how valuable this life we have been given is. It is so easy to get in the daily routine and grind of life. If you are like me, it is easy to overfill our lives. We have a fixed amount of time and we schedule way more than we can do. Regardless of what we fill our schedule up with, even important things, like working in the church or other worthy causes. Even God rested from his work. When he created our world he rested on the seventh day. If this is His plan, then we should try to do the same.

Greater awareness – While slowed down and contemplating my situation I became aware of how blessed I am to have the family and friends that I do. I know that not everyone’s situation is the same. I am more blessed than many. The comfort and support I received made my recovery both possible and more likely. I know that we can’t choose our family, but we can choose our friends. A good church is a great place to find great friends. Regardless of your situation you can choose to make it better.

Delegating and planning – One thing that became evident pretty quickly was how production slowed, practically stopped, while I was unable to work. This is a common place that many small businesses find themselves. Many small trades businesses only have a few people working. Maybe only one. They started out with some tools and a pickup. There is nothing wrong with this plan until something happens and you can’t go to work. It is hard enough to keep a business operating day to day without something like this happening. I have always been a fan of systems and planning. This pushed me to review my business model and consider some changes. It became clear that I couldn’t do it all on my own. I needed to take some intentional actions and do better at sharing the load.

It is a daily struggle to keep life in balance. Do not let one thing have too much attention. I try to remember this every day, because I don’t want smacked again.

Three Ways Heat Moves

June 5, 2018July 26, 2016 by Mark Eastman

If You’re Not Careful Your Money Will Go With It

With the temperature on the thermometer hovering near the 100-degree mark over the last few weeks, I’ve been thinking about the need for keeping the outside temperature out and the inside temperature in. This is more relevant if you live in a home that is 40 years old or older. A home built before the mid-seventies it more likely to be effected by the outside temperatures. Not enough insulation, single pane windows and air infiltration are all issues that may need some attention.

Understanding how heat moves in and out of your home can help you determine what projects to consider and which ones should be first. A basic misunderstanding is that heat flows upward. Although hot air rises because it is less dense than cool air, heat is unaffected by gravity and flows in all directions. For example, if you apply a heat source to the center of a metal block, the bottom will get just as hot as the top and sides. This heat spreads in all directions and at the same rate. When the air in an attic or fireplace gets hot it rises the air begins to rise. This creates a draft or natural up flow. This is why vented ridges on roofs work so well.

Heat moves through your home in three different ways. Each of them needs to be considered and each will require different methods or products to minimize this heat transfer.

First is conduction, which would apply to the metal block example above or the handle of a cast iron skillet on your stove. This is how most of the heat moves through the walls, ceiling and floors in your home. The temperature difference on either side of a wall determines how fast and which direction the heat will flow through it. The higher the R-value of insulation in that wall the slower the heat transfer.
Convection transfer is similar to conduction, but occurs in fluids and gases. When it is windy outside, cold air increases the loss of heat from the wall more than if the air was still. This is the “wind chill” factor you hear weather forecasters talk about. Convection ovens use this form of heat transfer to cook by moving hot air. This is why they cook faster than conventional ovens.
The last type of heat transfer is radiation, which is probably the most difficult to understand. Radiation does not need a transfer material to move heat. This is how the sun warms the earth though millions of miles of empty space or how the top of a steak gets seared in the broiler. Radiant heat transfer is generally more of an issue in the summer, but shouldn’t be ignored during the winter. Radiant heat is not blocked by standard insulation, but rather by reflectivity. An example of this would be the way dark colors of roofing, siding, etc. absorb heat and light colors reflect it.For example, if your home has a particularly cold wall on the northwest, there is likely both conductive and convective heat loss to blame. Adequate wall insulation and high quality windows and doors in the wall would be the best place to begin. Also wind breaks, i.e. evergreen trees or privacy fences, can help. There are several small ways to make improvements, including new weather stripping, filling voids in foundations with spray foam, sealing around electrical and plumbing openings, etc.NOW would be a good time to give some consideration to these issues. Investing in these kinds of home improvements can help keep you warmer in the winter, cooler in the summer, as well as provide an economic payback with lower utility bills. Do what you can to keep the money in your home and minimize transferring it with the heat.

Can Communicating Too Much, Be Too Much?

July 18, 2016 by Mark Eastman

For those of you who know me or know somebody that knows me. You know that I talk a little…okay…maybe I talk a lot.

When I was in grade school my Mom went to a parent/teacher conference. The teacher asked my Mom if I was required to be quit at home. My mother said no and asked why. The teacher replied that she thought that maybe I wasn’t allowed to talk at home and that was why I talked so much at school. I have realized over the years that this is a part of who I am. That doesn’t mean that I’m not continually working to rein in my talking. I also realize that this a part of how God made me and realize the benefits as well.

Being able to communicate well is key to good relationships. Communication is not just what we say, write, draw or even an expression or gesture we use. Communication is also what we hear or see. Our receiving may be the most critical part of good communication. Quite often we forget that we need to listen to what our customers want or to hear the different idea that a team member has. We need to remember that communication is a two way process. I think this may be why God gave us two ears, two eyes and only one mouth. He knew that the receiving part was going to be twice as hard as the giving part. If we don’t communicate well how can we expect to have fulfilling and productive relationships?

We all perceive things differently. Different things mean different things to different people. Several years ago we were in the early stages of building a new home. I was in a partnership at the time and each of us had different roles in the company. Quite often when putting figures together early in the process it is difficult to know specifics. We had included a 50’ allowance for running the electrical entrance from the pole to the house. As we were laying out for the house location on the property the customer pointed out that it was going to be 150’ from the electric pole to the house. He asked if that WAS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM. My partner responded. NO, IT WASN’T GOING TO BE A PROBLEM. The construction continued and everything was fine…until the final billing. When we gave the customer the final bill with the additional cost for the extra 100’ he was angry. As we worked through this, it was pretty clear what had happened. When the customer asked the question what he really asked was. IS IT GOING TO COST MORE? When my partner responded what he was really saying is PHYSICALLY IT CAN BE DONE. Being clear when we communicate is hard, but important.

If we say something once then saying it 10 times is better. Saying things enough without saying them too many times is a difficult balance. I would prefer to over communicate rather than not communicate enough. This certainly makes the process take longer, but can minimize if not eliminate misunderstandings later. This is the main reason that I have developed the system and documents that I use in my business. It comes from years of trials and errors. Is it perfect? No. It is, however, closer to where I want to be than I was 30 years ago. Is this system right for every business or every customer? No. Some people just want that much detail. Either way, if there is going to be a misunderstanding I don’t want it to be because of something that I didn’t communicate.