Category Archives: Educational

Why does a contractor’s proposal matter?

Why does a contractor’s proposal matter?

There is is a world of difference between naive and cynical. Between the two extremes is experience. It’s amazing the things we do when we were young and naive. Am I right?

I did some crazy things when I was young. Looking back, it’s hard to believe I drove home from college in a clunker of a car – a 1972 Beetle. My youthful exuberance didn’t break even after my 1970 AMC Hornet died during my move. I did this by myself in the days before cell phones were commonplace. You were lucky enough to have call boxes on the highway.

Today, I’m in a panic if I don’t have my cell phone. What a difference twenty years makes.

Buying a car is like hiring a general contractor.

I think we’d all agree that only a naive person would buy a car on the internet based price alone. Continue reading

“The Conductor” by Christine Schmidt on Flickr

Does a project need a superintendent? Does an orchestra need a conductor?

“Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble.” Wikipedia 

You just bought tickets to see a symphony. You and your Plus One are in black tie, expecting the night of your life – a night to remember.

The curtain opens. Puzzled, you don’t notice a conductor. It shouldn’t matter. You look at each other and smile. The orchestra begins. How will it sound?

Just like a symphony, tradespeople and their teams need to be coordinated. If there isn’t onsite supervision and project management, where do they look to?

Does the floor go in first or the doors? Does it matter? You have drawings so everyone’s on the same page. You think. Continue reading

trick or treating for bids?

Trick or Treating – For Bids?

Remember the days of your childhood? You’ve planned your whole school year around October 31 – the night you’ll collect a year’s worth of candy. You’ve determined the best costume and maybe you and your friends have planned to dress up as a group.

All of the details of this cold, autumn night have been planned down to the size of your pillowcase – hoping it will be filled with your favorites.

Yet, you’ve put those hopes and dreams in a random group of people.

What’s the return of investment on your costume when your loot is dumped out on the carpet? There’s no greater disappointment to a child, after canvasing and collecting for hours, when all of his candy-filled dreams have ended, and all that represents his hard work are Twizzlers and Pixie Sticks.

Fast forward twenty years.

You’re a business owner. You’ve developed and planned your concept, ideas, and brand for years. You’re finally leasing a space, you’ve got drawings from an architect, and it’s time to put them out to bid.

Will you rely upon random door knocks?

“Trick or Treat!”

Of course, we advocate the design-build method, but should you choose design-bid-build as in this scenario, why not choose contractors you trust?

Continue reading

Villa Carmen 3 by Josep Enric on Flickr

Seven Reasons to Be Afraid of Your Office Space

Opening Scene:

Your awesome real estate broker has found the perfect building or suite for your company. So you go to lease or buy a building and it has a fantastic amount of office space.

Looks good to you, so no problem. Right?

Sign on the dotted line.

Boom.

So where’s the parade, band, and champagne?

We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but when people come to us later (if you didn’t get a survey before), that’s often our role. (We’re nice people, we promise.)

Here are some common issues:

1. You’re under-parked.
2. Your bathrooms are too small to meet ADA code and/or things don’t measure up. Continue reading

Is your building watertight? Creative Commons Attribution Seaglass by Ken on Flickr

Is Your Building Watertight?

 

There is more to a building’s waterproofing than its roof.

Now, the roof is important don’t get me wrong, but there are other areas that should be carefully monitored.

We’re talking about a force of nature whose erosion created The Grand Canyon. Water is not to be ignored. Remember, water always travels the path of least resistance.

Water is great for cooking, cleaning, and drinking. Who doesn’t love a cup of coffee? But you do not want it invading your building. Its damage isn’t limited to rusting steel rebar within concrete. The smallest amount of moisture can allow mold to grow. Yikes. Who wants to breathe that?

In Southern California we are spoiled with a Mediterranean climate and an average annual rainfall of just under 15 inches (Seattle is 37 inches). This weather dynamic gives us beautiful days and awesome sunsets but the lack of rainfall causes us to forget and possibly neglect these waterproofing issues.

Roof

Depending upon your roof type, there are many areas of concern. These areas can be caught during regular roof maintenance (see more detailed blog post here).

HVAC Condensate

Condensate from roof-top equipment is required to exit to an approved receptor through approved piping. In no way do you want any kind of water, condensate or otherwise, just dripping and pooling on your roof. Continue reading