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Technology drives innovation in the construction industry

Michael Pallerino — Fri, 17 Jan 2020 15:30:23 +0000

Construction technology is undoubtedly one of the most exciting pockets of innovation in today’s economy. Funding in US-based construction technology startups surged by 324 percent to nearly $3.1 billion in 2018, compared with $731 million in 2017, according to Crunchbase data. Investment spans hardware, software, AI, and other exciting technologies.
For too long, the construction industry was essentially neglected by the technology and VC worlds. However, we’re finally experiencing an injection of innovation that – if deployed and nurtured appropriately – could have a meaningful and lasting impact across safety, productivity, and connectivity.
It’s important to note that the majority of these new-age construction technologies are geared towards businesses—they sell a piece of technology, be it hardware or software, to a company in the construction space, and that technology is then used by some subset of workers at that company.
Many of these companies’ offerings help solve important problems in the industry—safety, productivity, communication, etc. But it is not entirely clear that top-down solution, vs. a bottom-up solution, will drive the most change.
A product or platform that is geared towards the worker, not management, will be most widely adopted and engaged with, and therefore have the most impact. It’s human nature to react adversely to something that you’re being forced to use, versus something you’ve discovered yourself and you feel provides the most utility.
Slack and Dropbox, while not construction technologies, are examples of exactly this. Slack is a messaging/team productivity platform and Dropbox is a file storing/sharing platform. Both Slack and Dropbox were built solely with the end-user in mind, and their initial go-to-market efforts were geared towards acquiring that end-user.
They were wonderful products that provided real utility, therefore they were able to establish a critical mass of users to a point where these users began demanding their companies purchase the products for their companies. They were obsessed with serving their end-user, which then enabled them to eventually become dominant players in the enterprise space.
The same dynamic may exist in the construction workforce. Sure, construction is a bit more regulated than other spaces, but that doesn’t necessarily preclude this type of growth strategy from succeeding.
So what types of problems could a ‘bottom-up’, end-user-first strategy solve?
Communication. Why isn’t there a Slack for the construction industry? Probably because the communication habits of construction workers are fundamentally different than those of the office worker. But, whoever takes the time to understand these habits, and builds a product that workers actually enjoy using, will be the one who captures this opportunity.
Jobs. The construction labor market is undeniably inefficient, largely due to the lack of effective tools at the market’s disposal. Generally, construction workers don’t use resumes, since written resumes are not an effective method of demonstrating a builder’s skillset. Workers who build things prefer to show their stuff via photos and videos because it’s a far more compelling medium for what they’re trying to communicate.
This is why these workers aren’t on LinkedIn, and why the traditional job boards have struggled to capture them as well. A common complaint among contractors/builders is that they can’t find enough skilled workers for their projects. There isn’t (yet) a deep platform to access skilled tradespeople, since nothing has been built for the worker.
Payments. Somehow the construction industry is still heavily reliant on paper. Digital payment platforms like Stripe have exploded to support industries like e-commerce, but no one has yet been able to definitively capture the construction space. Getting paid on time is a massive concern—and growth inhibitor—for sub-contractors and workers alike. Payment systems need to work differently for this industry, which is a solvable problem. It’s just not one that has yet been solved.
There’s a lot to be excited about in the construction technology space these days—it’s an industry that is ripe for innovation and disruption, and it feels like we’re in the early innings of this new age of innovation. The companies who will capture the biggest opportunities are the ones who build their products with the end-user—the worker—top of mind.
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Peter Maglathlin is the co-founder and CFO of Trade Hounds, which created an app and social network that connects construction and trade workers all over the United States, providing them an online forum to find job opportunities, share their work and life experiences.

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7 questions to squeeze your competitors’ research

Michael Pallerino — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 17:01:48 +0000

Launching a business is always a challenging and time-consuming process, particularly if you are trying to make a breakthrough in a highly competitive niche. Studies reveal that 90% of new companies fail, most of which fall apart within a year. Why it is so hard to create a successful organization?
The answer lies in the sheer complexity of the process as you need to take care of everything from business plans and customer service to sales and online marketing. Besides that, almost 20% of new companies fail because they get outcompeted.
If you don’t want to fall into the same trap, you have to analyze the market and learn all you can about the closest niche rivals. In this post, we will discuss seven questions you should ask to squeeze the most out of your competitor research. Let’s take a look:
1. What Can I Learn About Competitors Online?
We live in the digital era and the only natural thing is to begin your research on the Internet. It is also the easiest way to start the quest. You need to conduct a full online analysis of your competitors and figure out how they look like in the eyes of digital searchers.
After all, almost 90% of shoppers now begin product searches online. Internet research consists of several segments:
Google: Do you know that 93% of the entire traffic comes from a search engine? It’s the basic source of information and you should see who pops up first in engine searches.
Website: Check out their content and posts they use to win over the audience.
Social media: Almost every brand is active on social networks these days, which gives you the chance to learn about competitors’ style of work and their interactions with the fans.
– Business directories: Websites like Yelp can help you to analyze companies and see their online reviews.
2. What Are Their Products and Services?
The next thing you need to know is what your biggest niche rivals sell. What are their products and/or services? The goal is to analyze portfolios and learn what you are dealing with here.
Do they offer something fresh and exciting? Are you able to offer the same or even better products and services? What about the prices? All of these features will strongly impact your market position and influence the profitability of the business. Take these agencies for example:

They work more or less the same things, but each company has something special to offer because they all want to distinguish themselves from their rivals.
Besides that, we strongly encourage you to research competitors’ distribution network and determine where and how they sell products or services. Are they online retailers? Perhaps they combine both sales channels, online and offline? Can you buy their products in every store or in specialized shops only? The way you answer these questions will probably show you the path you need to take, too.
3. Can I Attend Their Events?
Successful companies tend to organize a lot of events where they can meet potential clients. There are all sorts of product launches, corporate celebrations, holiday events, seminars, round tables, and other events to consider here, so the question you need to ask is: Can I join the party?
If the answer is yes, you should definitely apply and attend events organized by your competitors.
This is quite a big deal because it gives you a first-hand opportunity to analyze rivals. You can hear their lectures, listen to their speeches, and see all those little things that make them better or worse than you and your organization.
4. Are They Doing Business Professionally?
Here is another very important question you should think about: Are my competitors doing a good job serving customers? This is a critical part of the research because it should give you a lot of insights about your rivals’ business procedures, lead nurturing, customer service, and so on.
How can you learn all this? Our suggestion is simple – do business with your competitors!
The easiest option is to subscribe to their email newsletter or add a few products to the shopping cart. It will reveal many details about your competitors and show you how they treat their prospects. You can take an extra step and purchase a few products because it will help you to learn more about their shipping and payment options as well as delivery dates.
Of course, we also recommend you to contact these companies via phone, email, and live chat to see how quickly and accurately they can answer users’ inquiries.
5. Can I Learn What Customers Think About Competitors?
No matter how comprehensive and well-planned your research might be, you can never learn as much as you’d like to without the help of real-life consumers. After all, they are the ones who cooperate with your competitors on a regular basis and you should ask them to describe your rivals.
Jake Gardner, a CMO at the assignment writing service, says the first option is to ask your own customers to tell you more about their experiences with other brands: “You can do it face-to-face, but don’t force people to spend a lot of time answering your inquiries.”
The second option is to conduct online surveys via email or on your website. You can use a tool such as Survey Monkey to create a short opinion poll and let your audience answer competitor-related questions online. It’s a simple and cost-free solution, so don’t hesitate to take advantage of digital surveys.
6. What Are Their Marketing Strategies?
It’s hard to imagine a profitable company without a super-successful marketing department, so you should definitely spend some time thinking about competitors’ marketing strategies. We suggest researching several aspects of their marketing activities:

Search engine optimization: What are they doing to rank higher in engine searches?
Advertising: How and where are they placing digital ads?
Content formats: Which content formats are they using most frequently?
Style: Are they trying to build a unique style of communication? Is it authoritative, friendly, entertaining, or educational?
Branding: What is their branding strategy?

7. Who Are They Trying to Hire?
The last question on our list is going to show you the professional strength of your niche rivals. Tools and equipment don’t make a business, so you better find out who are the people behind a given organization.
If you notice that some of your competitors are really doing their best to attract the most talented professionals, perhaps you should follow the same logic and hire the most promising industry figures. They could help you to refresh the organization and add new ideas to the business strategy.
Launching a business without thorough preparations and planning is never a good thing. As an entrepreneur, you need to learn everything about the targeted market and put a special emphasis on the closest rivals in your niche.
There are all sorts of details to discover here, but we wrote this article to discuss seven questions you should ask to squeeze the most out of your competitor research.
Have you already completed your competitor analysis? Which feature do you consider to be the most important in this process? Feel free to share your opinions in comments—our readers would love to see fresh ideas and suggestions from their peers.
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Scott Mathews is a content creator at UK-dissertation.com and a proud member of the community of professional essay writers. If you are looking for assignment help in Adelaide or academic writing service to assist you in crafting excellent papers, he is the man to contact.

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Road resurfacing simplified: Collecting critical data

Michael Pallerino — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 14:11:38 +0000

Traditionally, highway resurfacing projects have been a challenge, not only for the contractor, but the inconvenienced community through which the road passes. To collect the project data needed to perform the resurface, typically required lane closures and a team of surveyors collecting data points from along the side of the road with diverted traffic whizzing past. It was a slow, cumbersome, and dangerous process, that affected the daily commuter flow and affected the contractor’s project timeline.
But things are better. Designed to work at the speed of highway traffic, technology like resurfacing systems are intended to safely assist road resurfacing contractors without the need for road or lane closures. The systems are fully automated with GNSS and sonic tracker control. It is designed to deliver accurate thickness boundaries while maintaining projected yield. It eliminates the need for survey strings, averaging skis, and lasers.
In most situations, it’s inconvenient or impossible, to shut down a road and map its surface using traditional point-to-point surveying methods. But new ways to scan roads at highway speeds with no need for lane closures, crash trucks, escorts or any other typical road survey collection obstacles are helping.
Systems like the Topcon SmoothRide uses a Topcon RD-M1 (Realistic Dimension — Mapping One) Road Resurfacing Scanner that is attached to a vehicle, typically a pick-up truck. The downward facing laser scanner connects to a standard tow hitch or the front of any vehicle with standard tow hooks. With using standard tow hitches and hooks, the scanner is designed to be easy to remove and adapt to any vehicle, thus eliminating the need to have a dedicated vehicle to operate the RD-M1. The unit is designed to collect millions of points at scan rates of up to 100 times per second.
Cruising at normal highways speeds, the 3-D surface scanning can cover miles of road in a short time. The collected data is automatically timestamped and stored for the next step of data management and point cloud generation. The mounted scanner captures millions of data points that are collected safely from the cab of the truck or car. The system points out that the driver can begin a road-surface surveying session by simply clicking the start button on their laptop computer and go.
The RD-M1 employs Collect 2.0 graphical collection software, which features an interface status bar that indicates the optimum speed for collecting road information based on the project requirements. Capturing road details at proper speed helps enable SmoothRide to deliver the best possible results.
“I like that we can collect accurate topos while driving 50 miles per hour,” says Chris Smithson, project manager with Big Creek Construction, Lorena, Texas. “We used it recently on a 3.5-mile section of Ranch Road 2838 in Mexai, Texas, where we were able to give the State more accurate cross sections and dirt quantities on the two-lane road and shoulders project we worked on. It saved us time and money.”
A feature called Memos is designed to allow operators to create balloons with messages on the map. The collected data can also be made visible in the processing software—enabling specific site conditions to be noted for future reference.
A Manage Runs feature is designed to enable operation without necessitating an internet connection. The software display’s large buttons which are intended to make using a tablet or laptop with touch screen easier. Operators can copy data collections to a USB drive, delete them from the hard drive, and add or remove them from the manager.
The RD-M1 Collect 2.0 software has a Plan Route feature that allows for the import of kml files of predetermined routes, designed to help ensure that nothing is missed during the data collection run.
The detailed road surface scanning can be used to create and manage large point cloud information with it intuitive “Mobile Master Office” software. The data can then be seamlessly transferred into MAGNET Office software’s ‘Resurfacing’ module to bring out the full array of software features needed to meet smoothness and cross slope requirements, while adhering to any minimum or maximum thickness specified for the job.
The systems can assist contractors with variable depth milling and achieve uniform thickness in paving. The system is said to eliminate the time and costs of survey work and to benefit bid and spec jobs in advance by providing more accurate surface data.
“We use the 3D scanner part as a survey tool to safely collect the data we need and eliminate hours of cross-section measurements,” says John Dowalter, survey and machine control manager for Shelly and Sands, Zanesville, Ohio. “It is great for capturing bridge approaches that sometimes have a big skew leading up to the bridge surface. That feature helped tremendously on a recent resurfacing section of I-71 between Columbus and Cleveland, which has a number of bridges that could have occupied hours of time for my crew.”
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Jeff Winke is a business and construction writer based in Milwaukee. He can be reached through jeff_winke@yahoo.com.

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Designing for inclusive, equitable thermal comfort

Michael Pallerino — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 14:01:52 +0000

In the last several years, it has been well reported that there is an inequity in the way buildings are conditioned. Most recently, it became national news when a New York political candidate requested a warmer room during a debate, arguing that workplace temperatures are notoriously sexist. How can building designers address inequities in the way buildings are conditioned?
Thermal comfort, a person’s preferred conditions in an environment, is a subjective study. It is both psychological and physiological, and as such one of the most complex and important aspects of building design. There are six factors that contribute to thermal comfort:

Air Temperature — The temperature of the air surrounding the person.
Humidity — The ratio of the partial pressure (or density) of the water vapor in the air to the saturation pressure (or density) of water vapor at the same temperature and the same total pressure.
Mean Radiant temperature — The “perceived” temperature in an environment that is created by the average of the air temperature and radiant temperature of all facing surfaces.
Air speed — The rate of air movement at a point, without regard to direction.
Metabolic Rate — The rate of transformation of chemical energy into heat and mechanical work by metabolic activities within an organism. This is directly related to activity level in an environment.
Clothing insulation — The increased resistance to sensible heat transfer obtained from adding an individual garment over the body.

These six factors are explained in the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (AHSRAE) Standard 55, the current standard used for thermal comfort design in the United States. There are two approaches to determine which combination of factors to consider during the design process.
The first is the analytical approach, which assesses occupant responses to highly controlled environments so as to determine the optimal set points favorable to 80 percent or more of occupants. This method treats thermal comfort as constant state; all occupants are treated the same and disregards metabolic rate and clothing insulation. Climatic region is also disregarded.
The second is behavioral, or adaptive comfort. This model is contextual; it assesses all six factors of thermal comfort, as well as climatic region, seasons and individual occupant control of their environment.
Since the advent of mechanically cooled buildings, designers have typically taken the analytical approach to thermal comfort, only taking into consideration two of the six factors – air temperature and humidity – and applied them generally across different types of spaces and climatic regions. The result? Overly conditioned spaces and uncomfortable building occupants.
Conversely, when designers take into consideration the limitations of current standards and start looking at all behavioral or adaptive thermal comfort, new opportunities emerge. When air speed, radiant temperature, metabolic rate and clothing insulation are added into the equation, designers are no longer looking at specific set points on a thermostat, but rather a broad range of metrics that can provide thermal comfort satisfaction for a greater number of people. This strategy also works well with passive and natural systems, allowing the building to work within and not against its climatic region.
There are several ways to design for more equitable thermal comfort:
1. Provide areas with different thermal gradients. Office layouts are changing drastically, allowing individuals to be more mobile and to choose their own work environments.

Offer different spaces with various thermal zones so that individuals can choose to work in an environment that provides better thermal comfort satisfaction.

2. Relinquish control. Allow building occupants to have control over their surroundings.

○ Provide operable windows. With the use of automated controls, building operators can ensure that windows are closed at the end of the day or in less than ideal weather.
There are apps that allow users to provide feedback on the set points for the building, giving operations and maintenance personnel the information they need to better manage the building.
Individual comfort devices can be used to control one’s individual environment.

3. Evaluate the space. Where is the building or space located? Who will be occupying it? How will they be dressed? What will they be doing? It is important to understand the context of building.

Proper orientation, material use and design all contribute to the air flow, solar exposure and thermal comfort conditions.
The cultural environment of the space should be considered.
Design with the less predictable factors of thermal comfort in mind: metabolic rate and clothing insulation.

Maintaining thermal comfort is an important aspect of designing inclusive buildings or spaces. With an understanding of the six factors of thermal comfort and the climactic context, designers can shift design thinking towards individualized, more economical and comfortable heating and cooling solutions that benefit a greater number of people and more accurately reflect the modern workplace.
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Alissa Kingsley, RA, LEED AP, is an associate at Lord Aeck Sargent, a Katerra company, an award-winning architecture, planning, landscape architecture and interior design firm. For more information, visit www.lordaecksargent.com.

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Energy reduction helps retail complex save big

Michael Pallerino — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 17:28:55 +0000

Anchored by notable retailers Loblaws, Home Depot and LCBO, College Square is a retail complex spanning 389,244 square feet. The shopping destination has been serving a busy area near Algonquin College, in Ottawa, Ontario since 2003.
When property managers Leikin Management Inc. moved forward on an exterior lighting upgrade, they had four very clearly defined objectives. “Saving energy was the primary concern,” says Leikin’s Barbara Farber. “We also wanted to reduce maintenance costs, improve the aesthetic quality of the complex, and make the area even safer after dark.”
The property management firm teamed up with Concept Illumination to plan and execute the renovation, which was subsequently completed over two phases. First, wall packs along the rear of each block of buildings were replaced with the latest LED products.
With several of the then existing wall pack lights burned out and daylight hours shortening in the middle of the Ottawa winter, Concept Illumination understood the urgency of replacing the lighting as quickly as possible. Despite battling freezing rain and snow, the install of the wall packs was done within a day, minimizing disruption to tenants and ensuring that the complex remained a safe place to visit.
A couple of months later the pole lighting illuminating the parking lot was also switched to LED, providing a crisp light on the parking lot and storefront facades.
Forty-two metal halide pole mount fixtures, thirty-two metal halide floods and forty-one wall packs of various light sources were replaced with energy efficient LED luminaires around the building.
All of Leikin’s objectives were achieved with the lighting change.
Energy savings, the property manager’s main concern, are expected to be significant. The total energy savings are estimated to be 160,000 kWh annually. The project also qualified for incentives through Hydro Ottawa’s saveONenergy retrofit program. With Concept Illumination’s help, Leikin Management was able to apply for the program and succeeded in recovering around 20% of the overall project cost—an outcome with which Farber says Leikin is “very pleased”.
Tenant and customer safety has been elevated with the installation of the new, brighter and more uniform LED lighting, with visibility significantly increased for drivers and pedestrians alike.
The property managers will also benefit from reduced maintenance. The long life, durable LED products will not need replacing for tens of thousands of hours, reducing the resources required to address lighting failure.
Aesthetically, the whole complex has benefited from being “brightened up.” The storefront facades are now bathed in an even, attractive light, making signage more visible and generally making stores feel more welcoming. The contrast between the illumination of the buildings and parking lots and the surrounding areas can be seen clearly in photographs taken after the renovation.
“We were impressed with the knowledge and service provided by Concept Illumination,” Farber says. “They were very helpful in assisting us to secure incentives through the saveONenergy program.”

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Finding the right financing

Michael Pallerino — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 17:16:25 +0000

In a world where the options of working with a capital funding firm are many, it is important to make sure that your company is vetting appropriate partners for your business needs. In order to do this, it’s imperative that you are aware of what to look for not only in terms of your own needs but also what your potential partners can offer your business. Are they able to fulfill your capital financing needs to the fullest extent, or will working with them cause you to look for financing elsewhere in the long term?
First and foremost, capital brokerage firms or correspondents need to understand the direction the developer or sponsor is looking to go with their business. If both parties are aware of the end goal, they will be better equipped with tactics and strategies on how to get there. Growth and expansion plans also play an important role when communicating plans with a possible capital partner. The more specific the plans are, the more apt your capital partner may be in helping to fulfill the needs of your company. The firm you choose to work with needs to understand your current capital stack and future needs.
Both the capital brokers and the firm need to understand the industry in which they are planning to work in. Just because capital is available does not mean the wrong partnership needs to be formed, thus the importance of choosing the right partnership—alignment of culture is imperative.
Depending on the asset class, different expectations need to be set along with timeframes to exit and alternative options being given to the client should their needs change. Capital brokerage firms like Land Advisors Capital need to be able to assist in financial modeling and understanding the best way to lower the clients effective weighted cost of capital through financial engineering, potential off-balance sheet structuring and methods currently being used with many of the publics to increase return on equity.
Sometimes companies may opt to work with multiple capital firms, but more times than not it would become more beneficial to work with a single firm that is able to handle all aspects of a business’ needs. Any intermediary needs to have multiple capital sources throughout the capital stack, traditional debt, equity, and mezzanine financing available can be facilitated through one singular capital partner, should you find one that best suites your business needs.
Cultural alignment is important in a world of many capital sources chasing deals. Certain companies operate on their own and are not accustomed to institutional style capital sources, others prefer institutional options for growth and positioning. Deciding which style would suite your business and its needs the best is crucial to your financing needs.
Land Advisors Capital has relationships within all tiers of the capital stack even going as high as 90% LTV and equity partners that understand that their relationship is more than capital but an advisor and strategic partner for future growth. It is important for the advisors to build relationships with the clients in order to continue to partner with them, not only during periods of growth but well before the growth period in order to become more strategic with their plans.
Some investors have placed debt in longer dated land plays, equity in multifamily projects, Masterplan Re-capitalization, Joint Ventures, partner buyouts, rolling lot options, equity placements in homebuilder operations, and even acted as an advisor and facilitator to homebuilders in M&A activity. By being well-versed in different aspects of the industry, this type of capital partner can become more versatile especially as your business grows and ventures into new territories where your needs may grow or change completely, depending on the stage of your business.
Any partner someone chooses to work with needs to have the flexibility of going from $2,000,000 all the way to north of $100,000,000, in different forms from multiple sources of equity placement and debt. Being able to raise these funds is the nuts and bolts of the whole deal, essentially.
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Waseem Hamadeh brings more than 13 years’ experience in real estate brokerage, investment and finance to Land Advisors Organization. His background includes experience as a senior short sale analyst at Bank of America Corporation, managing a portfolio of 400 properties across the continental U.S.; and has been involved in over $1 billion dollars in land transactions within the last 60 months at Land Advisors.

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Understanding health coverage instability

Michael Pallerino — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 17:12:27 +0000

Construction companies that either don’t provide healthcare to their employees, or do and their employees don’t participate on the employer sponsored plan, can pay nearly double in workers’ compensation costs.
The reason, employees who don’t have access to healthcare, in desperation, frequently turn to the employer’s workers compensation plan as a means of paying for healthcare. Unfortunately, we see this trend often referred to as “Monday morning claims syndrome.”
To further exacerbate this problem, many in the provider community, help fuel shifting a potential healthcare need being paid for by the workers’ comp plan, by guiding employees to agree that their medical need might have been work related. You see if it happened at work, then the employee’s off the hook, no-copays, no-deductible and the provider attaches to the employers workers comp plan.
When the workers comp plan is used not only on the medical costs but also time out of work the result is the employers Experiential Rate (EMOD) rate increases and the employers insurance premiums on the workers compensation plan increase exponentially.
I’ve seen in many instances, workers comp premiums with companies not offering their employees meaningful excess to medical care, go from $100 per employee per month to $300 per employee per month when an employers’ sponsored healthcare plans participation erodes due to rising cost and sky-high deductibles. When employees have nowhere to turn, the workers compensation plan becomes their defacto healthcare solution.
For many construction companies, the rising cost of providing traditional health insurance plans is the real issue. Not only are the monthly plan costs rising at an unsustainable rate, but the cost for an employee to use the plan is completely out of reach. Let’s take an example of an employer sponsored plan where the employer is contributing 50% of a $500 per month rate (for a single employee)—the monthly cost to an employee is $250/month. While that may seem within reach for some, the reality is that the average American worker earns about $15 per hour.
That means to pay the monthly premium, an employee would spend over 10% of their income (before taxes) on purchasing the plan. Now here’s where it gets even worse, that plan carries a $5,000 deductible, so before the employee receives any meaningful benefit he or she must come up with a significant out-of-pocket before there is any benefits. In this strategy, the employer sponsored plan is both expensive to buy and expensive to use, an increasingly number of employees just opt out—the math just doesn’t work.
How to construction companies can deliver healthcare
New patient-focused plans built around primary care are delivering meaningful access to healthcare for employees, at a fraction of the cost of traditional insurance.
Right now, employers of all sizes are leveraging the structure of ERISA and a new breed of innovative self-funded healthcare plans that best fits their employee populations and gaining control of their healthcare plan. While self-funding is not a new idea, it has been come more accessible than ever to small and medium size employers delivering lower-costs and a significant hiring and retention advantage—and of course lowering keeping those E-MOD scores low.
In a recent national survey, 40% of Americans hadn’t seen a doctor in the last 12 months due to the cost, and another 32% skipped a necessary prescription due to the price.
As you craft your plan make sure your including these critical components to ensure success.

Deliver initial access to care 24/7 to employees digitally. This can be via phone, though an app, text or even video. Easy and low-cost, the goal is to remove the barriers of time, money and transportation to care. Make sure the provider can communicate in your employees’ native language as this can also be a barrier to those who need care.
Work with a solution that addresses your 10%. These are the folks who need a proactive approach to chronic and acute disease like diabetes, high-blood pressure, asthma and the like. By anticipating need of these people that need a little extra help, you can avoid high-cost care in the hospital.
Engage in a healthcare plan based on $0 cost for primary care, breaks through the barriers of accessing healthcare for an employee around time, money and transportation. Plans that deliver Adding low-cost high value services like $0 copay for chiropractic care is another meaningful benefit that keeps employees out of sights of potential opioid abuse and invasive surgery.

By shifting to a self-funded strategy, employers report a savings typically around 20% to 30% and are delivering access to basic healthcare benefits to their employees with little or no out-of-pocket costs. But for employers who provide nothing, or employer whose low wage employees cannot afford the product they provide, self-funded plans can offer minimum services to those lower wage workers that provide them access to the medical care they will use, reduce workers’ compensation costs, increase productivity and help drive recruiting and retention.
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Paul Johnson is co-founder and CEO of Redirect Health. He helps oversee operations and identifies new opportunities that support the company’s efforts to offer employers affordable, high-quality healthcare.

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Your straightforward guide to selecting construction software

Michael Pallerino — Fri, 19 Jul 2019 17:22:12 +0000

With constant juggling of numerous tasks—budgeting, progress reporting, overseeing employees, billing, and more—managing a construction business is a huge challenge for contractors. Thankfully, there are numerous software solutions available to support managers and streamline several construction processes.
With numerous software applications available on the market, however, it can be overwhelming for first-time contractors who are new to automation. Getting construction software requires not only the initial purchase cost but also employee training as well as software maintenance costs. Because of this significant investment, business owners need to have a firm grasp on what features of construction software they need.
So how do you choose the right one for your business? To guide you in your decision, here is a four-point criteria for selecting construction software.
1. Price vs. Value — Pricing will always be an issue when making purchases. Thanks to new technological innovations, especially cloud-based software solutions, the price of construction software has gone down and become more affordable. But before you buy the cheapest one you can find, you have several factors that you need to consider.
Take a look at the inefficiencies in your workflow. What functions will the construction software fulfill? How will it make your business processes efficient? How many full-time equivalent (FTE) units will it save you? How does it impact your cash flow? By answering these questions, you will be able to identify the features that you need to look for in construction software.
It is only at this point where you consider the cost. Should you spend more money to get a particular software feature? Or should you find another way to handle the business pain point? There is no right or wrong answer as this depends entirely on your business needs.
2. User-friendliness — The usability of a piece of construction software is another factor that you need to consider. The construction industry is one of the least digitized industries. There’s a huge likelihood that not a lot of employees are tech savvy.
The first feature to look for in a software is ease of installation. The software should be compatible with your operating system and the installation process should not be complicated. In addition, look for software that is easy to navigate. Too often users get irritated if it requires a lot of clicks just to perform one action. The more intuitive the interface is, the easier for your less tech-savvy employees to use the software. Finally, the software should be easy to update. Bugs and other software issues can happen. Updating needs to be simple to ensure your company enjoys the full benefits of the software.
3. Accessibility — In an industry where a majority of employees work on the field, the accessibility of construction software is a huge issue, especially if it is one that you plan to use for a long time. You need construction software that can be easily accessed by those who need it even if they are located far from the main office.
In addition, the software of your choice should be accessible across multiple devices. Your workers on the field might use mobile phones and tablets while your teams in the office use laptops and desktops for work. Choosing software that can be installed and accessed in a wide range of devices is crucial to ensure the smoothness of operations and prevent miscommunication and delays.
4. Integrations — You are already using several software solutions for each specific part of your business. But since all of these business processes are interconnected, your choice of construction software will be more effective if it can integrate with other software or technology.
For example, if you are already using dedicated accounting software to manage your finances, a billing and collection software that can access your accounting data seamlessly will save you a lot of time and effort.
Looking at the available construction software solutions on the market today, choosing what your business can benefit from can be overwhelming. Be careful and strategic with your choice. Create a checklist of the aspects of your business that needs a boost and choose construction software based on these parameters.
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Patrick Hogan is the CEO of Handle, where they build software that helps contractors, subcontractors, and material suppliers secure their lien rights and get paid faster by automating the collection process for unpaid construction invoices.

The post Your straightforward guide to selecting construction software first appeared on CCR-Mag.com.

A diamond in the swamp

Michael Pallerino — Fri, 19 Jul 2019 17:15:45 +0000

Owned by Peachtree Hotel Group, Hotel Indigo is a boutique hotel located in the heart of Gainesville, Florida, home to the University of Florida. Each space in the 140-room hotel is complete with artistic designs to reflect the surrounding area, including murals with gators, horses, community elements, musical notes and guitars to pay homage to local legend Tom Petty.

Each Hotel Indigo around the globe is distinctively designed to make sure no two are alike. Gainesville’s very own Paynes Prairie, a National Natural Landmark, can be seen and felt throughout many elements of the hotel. During site excavation, the team found huge limestone rocks buried under the surface. These were later incorporated back into the design to preserve the naturally occurring landscape and placed throughout the adjoining Celebration Pointe’s Tech Park.
The six-floor hotel, built by Hoar Construction, is a centerpiece at Celebration Pointe, a mixed-use development with outlet retail, restaurants, commercial office buildings, entertainment venues and a park that spans across 31,000 square-feet of land. The InfoTech office building (which is a three- level single use office building) and Celebration Pointe Bridge were among the first builds that spearheaded the mixed-use project. The purpose of the multi-modal bridge was to create a primary access point between east and west Gainesville, providing a connection between Celebration Pointe and Butler Plaza, another main shopping center in town.
The land for the project was vacant for many years before a team was brought on to serve as a general contractor. When meeting with the owners it was made clear that they had two goals in mind: keep the project as efficient and cost effective as possible. Contractors must keep the goals of owners in mind at all times to build a trusting relationship and more importantly, complete the project. When working on an ongoing development, communication is a priority to keep costs low and production high.
The Hotel Indigo location is an ideal destination for both local residents, visiting guests and business travelers alike. As guests step into the hotel, the spacious lobby, inviting restaurant and top of the line bar area provides guests with an enjoyable, relaxing atmosphere. This continues onto the outdoor patio area complete with a fire-pit to further unwind from the day’s events. Hotel Indigo, with its amenities and access to pregame activities at the nearby City Walk, is a great addition to the city during college football season. Once guests arrive, there’s really no reason to leave.
The design of Hotel Indigo was fairly unique to the area. The podium level comprised of a concrete slab and composite floor deck on a structural steel frame. Levels two through six were constructed using a prefabricated metal framing system. This design allowed for an efficient build that saved time and contributed to a safer construction site as fabrication was completed offsite and delivered to the project. Anytime a team is fabricating materials, like metal framing systems on a construction site, it increases the risk of accidents and unsafe work conditions.
By using the prefabricated metal framing system, it allowed the structure to be erected onsite faster, as it is assembled much like that of an Erector Set. In addition, it alleviates the reshoring required for a traditional concrete frame, which allows the mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection trades to follow closely behind the erection crew. This system used building information modeling (BIM) and lean technologies to coordinate, manufacture and construct structural components.
Building Hotel Indigo in a college town, offered new job opportunities for the community and also allowed the construction team to strengthen their relationships within the trade market. It is advantageous, both locally and professionally, to hire local trade partners. It contributes to the local job market, as well as, contributes to cost savings for the owner.
Hotel Indigo was the icing on top of the Celebration Pointe project. It broke ground in August 2017 and was turned over in October of the following year, completing Phase I of the Celebration Pointe development. It’s truly a gem in the city, affably referred to as Gator Nation.
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John Goodner, an Auburn alum, is the Director of Operations for Hoar Construction with their Florida Division. Throughout his 13 year tenure at Hoar, he has managed the project completion of numerous projects, in various sectors, largely within the attraction, hospitality, and retail markets. Goodner also serves on the board for the Boys & Girls Club of Central Florida. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

The post A diamond in the swamp first appeared on CCR-Mag.com.

Is there a ‘new retail’ approach coming?

Michael Pallerino — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 18:37:23 +0000

The old adage says, “There is a recession when your neighbor loses his job, but it is a full-blown economic depression when you lose yours.” Much the same can be said about the “retail apocalypse” that many have predicted. For those who adapt and innovate, the changing retail market will be a correction. But for those who don’t, the changing retail market will indeed be an apocalypse.
A look at the state of retail real estate explains. Those in the industry know that the United States has an over-abundance of retail real estate. Estimates are that the U.S. has approximately 24 square feet per capita of retail real estate, while Australia has approximately 11 and the United Kingdom has approximately five.
Today, e-commerce represents about 14 percent of all retail sales. To add to the this, changing demographics have made traditional retail space less desirable as younger Americans are more interested in enjoying “experiences” than material goods. And to top it all off, many retailers have crushing debt loads from being taken private. All these factors have resulted in established businesses such as Payless and Gymboree declaring bankruptcy and fueling the argument that there’s a retail apocalypse gathering steam. But the reality is much more nuanced.
For example, Dollar General is scheduled to open 975 new stores this year alone. Nordstrom’s, a traditional anchor-tenant mall retailer, has experienced significant growth and appears poised to survive retail’s recent challenges through its physical stores combined with an “omni-channel” approach. The Irvine Spectrum Center is unveiling a $200,000,000 renovation and re-investment in retail.
And of course, Amazon—the king of e-commerce with 40 percent of all online retail sales—bought a bricks and mortar retailer (Whole Foods) and is opening distribution centers nationwide. The answer is that physical retail is not dead, it is just going through a transformation into a new phase. This transformation is driven by changing demographics but constrained by the limits of the internet and the demographics themselves.
To put it another way, no one has yet figured out how to get a haircut over the internet. And unless virtual reality headsets become much more sophisticated much sooner, no one has figured out how to enjoy an evening at a restaurant over the Internet. It is these experiences that the Internet cannot deliver, and this limitation is driving many retailers and property owners to change their approach.
The Irvine Company has made no secret that it is positioning Irvine Spectrum to be an “experiential” mall. Many retailers have found success with smaller stores that are “experiential” in approach that deliver the brand’s look and feel directly to the consumer. And many consumers enjoy the convenience of returning on-line purchases at a retail store where the consumer can interact with a human being and can receive immediate credit.
And a retail space can deliver the retailer’s “social consciousness,” now a key decision making factor to many consumers, much more effectively than a website can. Obviously the environment has changed, but how does one adapt to the changing environment? The story of the $6 dollar haircut answers the question.
The story goes like this: there was a barber in a small town who had a sign that advertised $10 haircuts. His business was booming until a competitor opened across with street and started advertising $6 haircuts. The barber’s business started suffering and he didn’t know what to do until he hit upon a genius idea. The next morning he put up a sign that said “We fix $6 haircuts” and his business returned. This story summarizes the current state of retail because bricks and mortar retailers understand that it is impossible to compete with online retailers on price, but there are other ways to compete and succeed with online retailers. And these other ways to succeed present opportunities for those who serve the bricks and mortar retailers.
First, retailers have come to learn that Omni-channelling, i.e., selling both online and in physical stores, works well. Some products, including many luxury items, don’t sell well online but sell well in physical locations because part of the product’s appeal is the experience one gets from buying the luxury item in the store. Some products have to be inspected quickly and easily before making a buying decision and these products have to be “show-roomed” in stores so that consumers can physically touch the product before its purchased.
Moreover, the loss of some retailers presents “we fix $6 haircut” opportunities as landowners realize the retail space can easily be converted to restaurants, offices, workout centers, and in some cases, residential units closely attached to malls or other locations where shopping and entertainment are close by. And just like the retailers who have learned to pivot quickly and effectively to the new reality, those in the construction industry must do so as well.
First, the physical nature of retail real estate has changed. Instead of being warehouses themselves containing huge amounts of inventory, retail real estate is now smaller (less space for inventory), more “experiential,” more socially-conscious and “Omni-channel.” Many successful projects have become destinations because of their mixed-uses of residential, office and retail, and also because their owners have recognized that appearances matter more in this social media world where “checking in” at a physical location is how many communicate with friends.
And because of a recent Supreme Court decision, online retailers have lost a tax advantage they had over physical retailers—so expect the push for more online retailers opening physical space to increase. And of course, those large physical spaces no longer being used for retail can often become the distribution centers that online retailers need to deliver “online sales” more quickly to their consumer’s homes.
Bad retail is dead, but those retailers that are flexible and adaptable will survive. Likewise, those providers who are flexible and adaptable to their customer’s needs will also survive and will learn to thrive “fixing $6 haircuts.”
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Manny Farach, a member of the McGlinchey Stafford law firm, is board certified by The Florida Bar in the areas of Real Estate Law, Business Litigation, and Appellate Law (one of only 15 members of The Florida Bar who are simultaneously certified in three areas of practice) and focuses his practice in these areas. With more than three decades of both transactional and litigation experience, Farach combines legal knowledge with a practical understanding of the business community.

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Why big, efficient convention centers are in demand

Michael Pallerino — Mon, 20 May 2019 15:50:33 +0000

Municipal leaders throughout the country are focusing lots of attention on convention centers. That’s because convention-related business contributes millions to city coffers. Two years ago, communities in the United States with convention centers shared in $845 billion in revenue generated by the meetings industry along with $104 billion in tax receipts.
New data shows a continual and significant upward trend since that time.
As municipal leaders focus on what it takes to bring major revenue-producing events to their communities, the first requirement is almost always a large, conveniently located convention center. The second requirement is often a new hotel.
Convention centers that were adequate in the past may no longer be attractive, efficient or adequate. As a result, city leaders are aggressively making plans to expand facilities to attract larger conventions. Others are planning renovations and upgrades or total replacements.
Since 1969, the convention center needs of the city of Wichita, Kansas, were served by its Century II Performing Arts and Convention Center. However, a decline in the number of conventions in the city is attributed to the size and age of Century II. A city-sponsored study estimated that a new convention center could result in millions of dollars in additional revenue for city coffers.
Officials in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, are also exploring the possibility of building a new convention center after a recent feasibility study estimated that a center could have an economic impact of nearly $200 million over 10 years. Like most other cities facing budget constraints, Eau Claire is considering various funding options to build and sustain a convention center.
In Sugar Land, Texas, city leaders are narrowing their search for a private-sector partner to collaborate on a convention center/hotel project. The city will select a private developer to build and operate a 50,000-square-foot convention center and a 350-room hotel. Sugar Land wants both to be located in the city’s arts and entertainment district.
Many new convention center projects are linked to construction of an accompanying hotel. Although not set to open until 2020, the Luminary Hotel in Fort Myers, Florida, is already booked for its first convention. The hotel is part of a public-private partnership with the city in which the developer will lease the property for 99 years, paying rent to the city based on hotel revenues.
Larimer County, Colorado, will seek private-sector partners to construct new facilities at the county’s events complex. The county would like to have a 200-room privately built hotel and a trade show building. County officials are willing to fund the county-built exhibition hall.
The city of Richmond, Texas, has asked for legislative authority to use sales, hotel and mixed-drink tax revenue to fund a new convention center and hotel. Three-dozen other Texas cities have already been approved to use these revenues as community development tools. No details are yet available but the legislation would require that the city sign an agreement with a developer for construction of the hotel and convention center by Sept. 21, 2021.
A $50-$60 million downtown convention center is planned for Greenville, South Carolina. Plans are for the city and Greenville County each to contribute $26 million to the project and then seek private-sector investors. City and county officials have also requested $5 million from the state legislature.
Officials in Grand Rapids, Michigan, are considering a $140 million, 26-story, 400-room convention-style hotel that will likely be publicly owned and privately operated. Three hotels are already connected to the city’s convention center and adding a fourth that includes 40,000 square feet of meeting space will allow the city to attract larger conventions.
The Indiana General Assembly is considering legislation to provide funding from special taxing districts for a $120 million expansion of the Indiana Convention Center at Pan Am Plaza. The project would include a 50,000-square-foot ballroom, a 38-story tower and 1,400 more rooms. If approved, the project would provide a 300,000-square-foot expansion with a covered walkway that connects to the convention center.
City leaders in Austin, Texas, are currently considering options related to the city’s convention center. A team of professors from The University of Texas was hired to provide a feasibility study on the economic impact of an expanded convention center. The report also provided various options for consideration.
This type of activity is common throughout the country. A trend is definitely moving through the nation. Companies of all types and sizes will benefit from the demand for services that is being created.
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Mary Scott Nabers is president and CEO of Strategic Partnerships Inc., a business development company specializing in government contracting and procurement consulting throughout the U.S. Her recently released book, “Inside the Infrastructure Revolution: A Roadmap for Building America,” is a handbook for contractors, investors and the public at large seeking to explore how public-private partnerships or joint ventures can help finance their infrastructure projects.

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What’s hampering in-building wireless users

Michael Pallerino — Mon, 20 May 2019 15:44:21 +0000

We live in a connected world where the ability to use our smartphones to access the internet and to send and receive text messages and calls is no longer a luxury but an indispensable necessity. This is particularly true when entering a building, where an estimated 80% of all wireless connections are made.
Some compare the expectancy of adequate indoor wireless signal strength or “four bars” to be like a utility service that provides water, electricity, heating, and cooling. However, indoor venue operators are often challenged to provide the signal needed to support wireless users. This demand to provide nearly ubiquitous indoor wireless connectivity is driving a solution spend on indoor antenna systems that is expected to reach $19B by 2025*.
The need for indoor signal and capacity extends across a broad swath of in-building wireless users. For example, a hotel operator faces losing guests if wireless dead zones exist in their rooms or meeting areas. A commercial office building developer will be challenged to fill their office space without an excellent wireless signal to support their prospective tenants’ business needs.
Also, the Internet of Things (IoT) and its applications are dependent on the in-building wireless signal. Building automation, inventory tracking, and security systems rely on ubiquitous coverage.
Protecting Public Safety
Not to be left out is the requirement of excellent indoor wireless signal for our firemen, police and first responders who rely on radio communications to provide public safety service to in-building occupants. Many municipalities now require that landlords demonstrate that first responder radios will work in their buildings. In some cases, certificates of occupancy will be delayed until in-building antenna systems are installed that enable radio communication per municipal ordinances.
There are several significant challenges to providing in-building wireless signal and capacity. These challenges include the architectural characteristics of the building, cost of the solution and the complexity of procuring the technology needed to solve the problem. Many newer buildings utilize building materials such as coated glass that shield the interior of the building from an outside signal.
Some buildings have very dense interior wall structures that limit the distribution of signal throughout the facility. Others may have underground offices or parking. The characteristics of the building design and the proximity of the building to nearby cell sites and towers impact in-building coverage.
Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS)
The cost of purchasing and deploying in-building wireless networks can be significant. Indoor distributed antenna systems (DAS) that support multiple wireless carriers can easily approach $1.50 to $3.00 per square foot or more. Contributors to cost include the electronic components that support various frequencies and technologies, labor associated with installing lengthy runs of coax and fiber cable, and the professional services fees for engineering and project management required for a successful deployment.
In some cases, the wireless carrier (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile) may provide funding for the project. However, increasingly the enterprise is left to self-fund the deployment or partner with third-party operators to offset the system costs.
With the demand for in-building systems has come the development of an increasing number of technologies and equipment options designed to provide indoor wireless signal and capacity. Systems known as DAS (distributed antenna systems) using coax cable and passive components were very commonly deployed in the early years of the in-building wireless industry. Complex fiber and hybrid coax/fiber DAS system architectures are now utilized in larger venues where adequate signal and network capacity are required.
Adding to the mix are new technologies featuring converged network capabilities that support not only cellular users but also a host of applications like building automation and security systems. Digital technologies are now available that allow for cloud-based control of the network and reduction of the size of space and power needed to support the network.
Steps for Addressing In-building Wireless Needs
So how does a landlord or facility manager navigate the complexities associated with purchasing and deploying an in-building antenna system that meets their objectives? The utilization of consultants and third parties have become an accepted option for venue owners. Typically, the consultant will begin with an in-depth assessment and diagnosis of the wireless needs of the client. This includes an evaluation of who needs coverage, for what purpose, and where it is needed. Radio frequency benchmarking studies may be conducted to understand the wireless environment inside and around the building.
The wireless carriers may be contacted to discuss their requirements for approving systems. Systems that support public safety radio communications often require specialized knowledge related to code compliance and testing. Also, an essential element of this step is understanding not only today’s requirements but also the future needs of all stakeholders. This early stage assessment process can significantly reduce the cost of the systems by avoiding overbuilding the network and taking steps now to prepare for system expansion and upgrades.
Once the assessment is complete, the consultant can begin to prepare the scope of work documents and RFP’s that become the basis for obtaining bids for the project. This task can yield significant cost savings by right-sizing the project and establishing standards that help avoid costly change orders. Besides clearly defining the requirements of the installation, the scope of work will assist in enabling the venue operator to compare pricing and capabilities of the installation contractor.
The scope of work should also include a detailed post-installation testing methodology to validate that the system is performing as ordered. The consultant can make contractor recommendations and manage the contractor selection process.
Due to the complexity of the project the venue operator may also need project management support during the installation. An in-building wireless specialist can be retained to ensure that the system being deployed meets the specifications of the contract. A project plan with calendar is typically established at the onset of construction. Follow up activity during this phase includes regularly scheduled site visits, conference calls and progress reporting via email.
Wireless device users and their associated applications will continue to drive demand for robust in-building wireless coverage and capacity. Deployment of the appropriate indoor antenna systems can be an expensive and complicated activity, but resources abound to address deployment of these networks. From equipment and technologies to consultants, the venue operators have a pathway to meeting their in-building wireless needs.

* ABIresearch

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IBW Advisors founder Mike Altman has 18 years of experience facilitating the turn-key deployment of cellular and public safety distributed antenna systems (DAS). The projects he has been involved with have provided enhanced in-building wireless coverage and capacity to venues ranging from executive residences to NFL and MLB stadiums, hospitals, corporate offices and college campuses. Mike created IBW Advisors to help building owners navigate the challenges associated with designing, procuring and implementing these systems. More info at ibwadvisors.com.

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10 trends driving master-planned Texas communities

Michael Pallerino — Mon, 20 May 2019 15:37:31 +0000

How are large-scale community designs reshaping our future? It’s a question Heth Kendrick, a leader in the Dallas office of LandDesign, set out to tackle. The community designer and landscape architect recently identified 10 trends driving and transforming master-planned communities around Texas. Here’s a look at where they stand:
1. “Social infrastructure”
Multifamily developments are incorporating innovative design ideas like beer gardens and other community gathering spaces — the social fabric demanded by today’s demographic of buyers. “Developers need differentiators between target buyers in the 35-and-younger crowd versus the 55-and-better population. Each desires similar gathering opportunities, but with very different social settings,” says Kendrick.
2. Dog parks as social hubs
“Just 10 years ago, dog parks were the cutting-edge amenity,” Kendrick recalls. “But now if your community doesn’t have a dog park integrated with the social fabric, you just won’t attract residents.” The American Pet Products Association estimates that 68% of all U.S. households own a pet and 60% of U.S. households own a dog. LandDesign is creating elaborate, amenitized pet playgrounds including outdoor lounge areas for “Bark and Brew” and “Yappy Hour” pet owner destinations.
3. Greener and leaner
“In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, developers are now asking design teams how to build a more efficiently and with less material while maintaining a high level of design,” says Kendrick. “As DFW continues to grow, savvy multifamily developers are planning for a sustainable future and inventive ways to accommodate that growth.”
4. Densification — and NIMBY pushback
In towns surrounding the metroplex, many residents are hesitant to embrace new multifamily development and the densification that comes with them. To address property pushback from municipalities outside of urban areas such as Dallas and Austin, LandDesign counsels clients to study how greater density affects transportation, stormwater, utilities and other practical impacts. “Even more important,” says Kendrick, “we’ll work to educate surrounding communities on the benefits growth can bring them.”
5. Varied mobility options.
When it comes to transportation, LandDesign is studying how communities will adapt with autonomous vehicles (AVs), electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, drop-off points for Uber and Lyft, electric scooters — and other “last mile” solutions — in the next several years. “Just like the dog park 10 years ago, if your community lacks Uber drop-off points now, you’re behind the curve,” says Kendrick.
6. More and better pools
“In Texas, we have far more design freedom than many other U.S. regions because our pool codes are more relaxed,” says Kendrick. “This allows for more innovation in the design of pools and consideration for how a pool can be used throughout the year. Texas is fortunate to have a nine-month pool season and we are designing spaces to allow for outdoor living throughout the year!”
7. Tech, tech, tech
Also changing the residential experience are new high-technology elements. Developers are ditching old fob/key systems and replacing them with smartphone apartment access. Real estate teams are beginning to use tablets into the tour process, so prospective residents can have a tour catered specifically toward their interest or even take self-guided tours at their own leisurely pace. Outdoors, LandDesign sees opportunities for residents to use smartphones to control fireplaces, water features, televisions and sound systems.
8. Nature takes over
Kendrick adds that LandDesign’s community designers incorporate unique and highly sustainable ideas “that help solve the world’s big problems, one neighborhood at a time,” he explains. “For example, we’re placing honey bees on the rooftops of one multifamily community, where the property managers harvest the honey and offer it as gifts to potential residents.” Along one DFW urban streetscape, LandDesign incorporates a raingarden to capture, treat and release stormwater, with educational signage for residents and visitors. “Everything starts with sustainability in mind,” he says. “From the native plant material that attracts pollinators to regionally sourced hardscape materials, the environment is a starting point in all design opportunities.”
9. Less parking, more homes
Conversations about transportation are changing radically, adds Kendrick. “We’re included in developer discussions about backfilling communities with future development as fewer parking garages and surface parking lots are needed,“ he says. “We are growing less dependent on personal vehicles, and we can increase density by retrofitting parking lots and parking garages to add more residential units or open space.”
10. Growing edge cities
Last, Kendrick see more “edge cities” like Plano, Frisco and Arlington becoming mature cities unto themselves. Those places are shifting from suburban places into new, surban communities blurring the line with true urban markets.

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Inside a successful tenant improvement project

Michael Pallerino — Fri, 19 Apr 2019 22:54:27 +0000

So you’re considering tenant improvements. Before you jump right in, ask yourself the following questions: What are you trying to accomplish? What’s your ultimate goal? Is it just to make things a little nicer for employees or guests? Or is it a total renovation and update? Does your plan meet the needs of the company? Does it enhance the flow of what you’re trying to accomplish in your facility?
Before answering, take a minute to think big picture, focusing on the overall project rather than a single aspect. Reflect upon the wish list you’ve likely compiled over the last six months to a year. You may be surprised at what can be accomplished if the project is managed well with the right partners.
For example, if a flooring replacement is the driving force of the change, it may be a good time to also consider:

Painting
Redoing baseboards
Installing new cabinetry
Modifying the size or layout of the office
Adding outlets to eliminate cords taped across the floor

Take a walk around your office, writing down everything you would like to change or modify. Then take a look at the potential budget. It may very well be that the budget doesn’t allow for you to tackle everything at once. But perhaps your wish list can be executed in organized phases. However, ultimately, it is often better to do everything in one fell swoop rather than piecemeal.
Be open to new ideas
Don’t get hung up on predetermined opinions. Before getting started, seek new ideas and advice from the professionals that know their products. Spend some time looking over what other organizations have done, both within and outside of your industry. What do you like about it? What about it inspires you?
This simple process often opens minds and creates a level of excitement around the project, especially when it comes to out-of-the-box ideas. You are not bound by what’s been done before in the organization. So open your mind to the possibilities readily available.
You may not be able to accomplish everything the way you want due to your building’s core and shell restrictions. But there’s good news. Today, there is an incredible range of solutions for transforming existing spaces—from flexible pods in large, open spaces to specialized, technology-enabled boardrooms.
Address Key Considerations
Color choices
Color schemes are vital, so carefully evaluate your options and seek professional advice when it comes to selecting shades for carpet, paint and other treatments. Offbeat designs and bright colors for floors and walls can seem like a good idea in the moment, but be aware that it is easy to go overboard. The last thing you want is to be sick of the look six months later and consider redoing the project.
A humorous and expensive example involves an individual who was an avid sports fan and decided to paint his offices in the colors of a local professional team. The end result was a visual onslaught that made the employees’ heads spin. In four months, he realized his mistake and ended up repainting everything—a costly mistake for a rash, while spirited, decision.
Lighting
Lighting breathes life into any environment. It’s a fundamental aspect of aesthetics, productivity, safety and vision health. From a purely aesthetic standpoint, poor lighting can make the most beautiful furniture, flooring or paint job look dull and dingy. Often, adjusting the lighting, including natural light, is the simple answer to brightening up a space and giving it new life.
If cost is a concern, relamping is the best solution. It can give you the freedom to add new fixtures and styles, if the budget allows. Either way, don’t forget to integrate aspects like directional lighting and color temperature into your overall improvements plan. These are minor changes that are vital to the essence of your space.
Engineering & code
Have a set of plans prepared to best help explain your vision to the contractor. It will also speed up the pre-construction phase, including the city plan check and engineering reviews. Therefore, plan to get professional advice if your project is going to include more than just new flooring and painting. Anything else will require plans and city involvement. Don’t let this hinder you from proceeding with larger projects, but keep in mind the process and the extended timeframes involved.
Project management
An occupied spaces specialist is the driver that keeps a project’s momentum moving forward. That being said, a strong onsite team is crucial, beginning with the project manager or PM. This individual wears many important hats. They are your main contact, your mediator and your guiding force. Therefore, it is crucial to have someone who is knowledgeable in this business to guarantee a smooth project.
Along with the execution of the project, a PM will also know techniques to save you two crucial things: time and money. For example, a PM could share and provide the solution of using a lift system to elevate furniture off a carpeted surface by only about three-fourths of an inch in order to easily accommodate recarpeting. This approach can result in a savings of up to two-thirds of the original cost.
Schedule, timing & budget
You will naturally have expectations for the project’s timeline, but reflect and ask questions in order to ensure these expectations are realistic in relation to the scope. It’s probably not possible to paint a 25,000-square-foot office building in three days—unless you’re willing to bring in a crew of 20 painters. Realistic scheduling and logistics are key in allowing a project to run smoothly and within budget.
Timing is everything. When the lease is up for renewal, some landlords may open up access to funds set aside for space upgrades. A knowledgeable improvements project partner can be strategic in reviewing the lease and negotiating terms when reupping. Another benefit can be the identification of maintenance obligations that the landlord has not been meeting, even including major systems like HVAC.
Lastly, and possibly most importantly, don’t be afraid to talk frankly about budget. A value-oriented solutions provider should focus on generating optimum results within your available resources. Combined with an integrated view of the project, a provider with that perspective can guide you toward achieving every area of your wish list with the right products to reach the overall goal as efficiently and cost effectively as possible.
Realize your vision
Implementing a successful tenant improvement project has the potential to bring new life into existing spaces. A combination of collaboration and best practices can deliver on aesthetic and functional goals while also meeting schedules and living within budget parameters.
Bottom line. Keep an open mind. Engage with a trusted, value-oriented services partner that will help you realize your vision and at a lower cost than expected. The end result will be a more innovative, interesting and motivating environment that leaves a refreshed and positive impact on employees and visitors.
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Dave Teper has over 20 years of experience in the flooring industry, including 10 years as a hands-on business owner running a floor covering installation company and crew. As General Manager of Tangram’s Flooring division, his key responsibilities include overseeing job estimates, purchasing, field management, installation, take-offs, vendor relations and contract approvals. Dave’s background also includes expertise in business analysis, as well as operations and financial management, with a priority on identifying, hiring and managing highly motivated and customer-focused professionals.

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Business expansion in 2019 through private labeling

Michael Pallerino — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 14:27:06 +0000

For companies involved in the construction, design or facilities management industries, the nature of business transactions often tends to be of fixed duration. However, with facilities management, there’s an ongoing nature to the business arrangement. When transactions are singular or short-lived, it’s challenging for any business to sustain itself because it requires going out to find new clients or customers on a regular basis rather than retaining the ones they have already.
Extending business transactions as a supplier
Companies that deal with the creation and management of facilities should look at ways to adjust their business relationships, so they are repeatable or ongoing arrangements. This provides far more opportunities to conduct new business or arrange the regular sale of products that are useful to corporate occupants of the property.
Reorienting in this manner makes the financial cashflow forecasts more predictable because of ongoing supply contract agreements for necessary chemicals and other materials used to maintain a property and its grounds to a high standard.
These types of arrangements are especially useful in industries that suffer through a peak and trough business cycle, where new developments only come along periodically with stark fallow periods. With regular sales of secondary products supplied through a long-term arrangement, this provides a much-needed buffer against a volatile cashflow statement.
Private labeling – What is it?
There’s a fair amount of confusion over what private labeling is and is not. So, let’s clarify that right now.
Every business has their areas of expertise, which they’ve built up over many years. If asked to start producing a product fundamentally different to what they have offered previously, the staff hit a major roadblock. They don’t know what to do or where to get started because the entire team probably lacks any working experience in another industry. This is even truer as products become more specialized. Equally, you have compliance and scientific standards to adhere to in the agricultural and health-care industries for example.
With private labeling, the idea is that a dedicated producer of excellent products in a certain category offers to provide a private label version for a customer. The product may be sold as is or adjusted to suit the customer making the order. The customer’s logo, brand, and other identifying information are printed on the label; as far as anyone else is concerned, the product came directly from the brand on the product label. Using private labeling, a company can expand its product range much faster.
Private labeling – Why does it make sense?
For companies wanting to sell additional product lines that do not have the funding, facilities or expertise in-house to do so presently, private labeling the product saves time. The product is made by an expert manufacturer that already produces a range of different products within the category, allowing the business to pick only the products most suitable for their customer base.
It isn’t necessary to invest in research labs, production facilities or a talented team to launch a new line of products at considerable expense and financial risk. This is already available through a private label arrangement, making it possible for businesses to expand into new product lines without significant capital investment. It also dramatically shortcuts the time that’s required to go from an initial producer of a product to providing a superior version; this typically requires experience, which takes years or decades to acquire.
One example of private labeling
Facility managers may be dealing with a problem of extensive runoff water when it rains (or snow in the wintertime). Lawn care around a business property is a full-time management issue, but when rainwater comes down faster than the lawn can accept it, you get runoff water around the property.
Whether running a warehouse operation or an office complex, excess water is a dangerous thing. It can cause accidents and ultimately damage the foundations of building structures if not directed towards adequate drainage.
AmegA Sciences USA offers their Liquidium soil treatment product as a solution. It is available under a private label arrangement to be sold, for instance, to a property management company. What the product does is adjust the soil’s porosity. It also loosens hardened soil so that rainwater can seep through to the soil below and not flood the surrounding area. In gardens, the product is non-toxic, so vegetables and ornamental fruits are unaffected by the treatment protocol and keep growing.
Companies wanting to expand their product line or move away from seasonal business deals need to look at private label opportunities. Private labeling makes it possible for businesses to continue to meet expansion goals even while under financial constraints when investing in research and manufacturing facilities makes little sense.
Return on invested capital metrics improves for businesses when they can expand without requiring excessive new capital or having to borrow to achieve the desired outcome. For businesses looking to grow in 2019, embracing the concept of private labeling perhaps opens doors that were previously closed to them.
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For more information, please contact Emily Roberts at contact emilyroberts@gmail.com.

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How you can create environmentally conscious playground designs

Michael Pallerino — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 14:16:19 +0000

There has been a sizable shift among consumers and businesses over the past few years as the desire for green products and measures has increased dramatically. No longer are the masses satisfied with purchasing products and using services without looking deeper into how and where the materials are sourced, what sort of energy efficient and green measures are being used in production, and even how the item is marketed.
What this means for small, medium, and large sized business owners is that they need to be aware of this need for green measures and not only start to adopt them, but educate their clients and customers on what steps they are taking.
Landscape contractors are not immune to this trend to go green and environmentally-conscious. Where it used to be that they may be asked to include an off-the-shelf playground into their design, today homeowners are demanding more and want to keep their garden as environmentally-friendly and natural as possible. That includes the materials being used for the playground, as well as the actual design and footprint.
In order to stay competitive, contractors need to not only be aware of this trend, but be ready to jump on board and offer a number of suggestions to the homeowner. To help get you started, here are some tips and steps that may be worth taking.
Begin with the material being used
A great place to start with the design process is in thinking long and hard about the material you’ll be using for the play structure. While plastic and steel playgrounds are common, they aren’t exactly giving off that natural vibe. Wooden playground equipment may seem a bit old-school, but in reality, it is the most natural playground equipment out there.
These wooden playgrounds tend to be available in natural looking stains that flow with nature and look as though they would actually exist. Compare that to the brightly colored plastic structures that are common in large parks, and one can be seen as an “eyesore” whereas the other blends into its surroundings.
For those homeowners who have put a lot of time, money, and effort into a beautiful garden design, typically the last thing they want is to place some over-sized, brightly colored structure right in the middle of their haven.
Contractors are wise to shop around and find a company that uses high-quality chemical-free timber from sustainable sources, which is exactly what PlayEquip offers. Its timber playgrounds have been used for individual gardens as well as parks, schools, and commercial properties. The natural timber playground equipment used is not only great to look at, but is built to last and is extremely durable.
Give thought to the actual design
Using sustainable and environmentally-conscious materials isn’t typically enough, even though it’s a great starting point. The design itself will also go a long way in helping to make sure the playground feels natural and organic.
Because you don’t find a lot of straight lines and angles naturally occurring in nature, you can take that same approach with the playground. Incorporate interest through curves and natural looking formations. It’s also a good idea to find ways that you can add greenery to the design with bordering plants, trees or bushes.
Don’t worry too much about whether the ground beneath you seems too tough to overhaul to make a suitable area. Design the playground to your liking, and then make the most of the tools that can help you overcome problems you might have, such as the ground being too tough.
There are tools like an auger post hole digger that can help you dig holes into wood and grass and the toughest of surfaces like rocks and concrete. If you want to plant trees to make the surrounding area feel more natural or add fences to the surrounding area, you can use the same tool!
Choose an Environmentally Friendly Surface Material
Another aspect of the design is the surface material. While some homeowners will be content to place the play equipment on the existing grass, others want to create more of a dedicated play space. Surface material can help to create this play area as it will act as the border, if you will. There are all kinds of different materials homeowners can choose from, but again some will be more environmentally conscious.
One material that has been growing in popularity as of late is rubber floor tiles made from recycled plastic. They are environmentally friendly, plus they provide an excellent grip when kids are running around. They also tend to be a little softer should a child fall. This can be important for those with younger children. You can even find rubber mulch, again made from recycled plastic. Just be sure you look for plastic that is non-toxic, organic, made from recycled materials, and safe for kids and pets.
Engineered wood fibre is another eco-friendly option that can be used. It provides a more natural look than plastic, yet still offers a bit of cushioning should the kids take a tumble.
Creating a playground design that checks off all the eco-friendly boxes
These are just a few of the tips and steps contractors can use when creating a playground design for clients who want to take an eco-friendly approach. Often these tips can create a more natural and organic looking design, which will help to create that sense of a serene outdoor getaway.
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For more information, please contact Emily Roberts at contact emilyroberts@gmail.com.

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Communication key with subcontractors

Michael Pallerino — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 17:30:56 +0000

Subcontractors are a vital part of most construction jobs, big or small. A study by NAHB showed that constructing a single-family home uses 22 subcontractors on average. If the job is more complex, that number just goes up. Often, subcontractors will have their own subcontractors (sub-tiers), adding more complexity to the equation.
Managing subcontractors is a difficult job, one that can spiral out of control and leave the jobsite in chaos. But your project needs these experts, and employing their skills has benefits in both the quality of work and labor costs. They can get the job done faster and better than workers who aren’t trained in their specialty.
Even better, a well-managed and happy subcontractor can become a trusted partner for years to come, helping general contractors achieve great results for their clients and see overall business growth. Clear, proactive communication is vital to developing these relationships, and it must start from the beginning.
Hire Quality Partners
If you want to create a long-lasting partnership with a subcontractor and want to spend less time managing them, be sure you’re hiring the best talent you can. Do the work to pre-qualify the subcontractor to ensure that they have what it takes to do the job, including labor, schedule, cost and safety.
Does this subcontractor have enough manpower to get the job done on time? In today’s construction labor market, this can be especially difficult for a subcontractor, so check this requirement out thoroughly.
Does the subcontractor have good cashflow and reserves? This is important because it can sometimes take up to 60 days to get paid after submitting a pay application.
Are they bonded and insured? This will ensure that you’re not on the hook if they default.
How is their safety record? Do they have a low EMR rate? Do they follow good safety practices? Unsafe workers on your job site can endanger everyone.
How is their customer service? They may interact with your clients while on the job. If so, will they represent you well?
Making sure every subcontractor you hire is a professional that you can trust sets you up for a smooth relationship built on trust and mutual understanding.
Make Communication Easy
Clear and open lines of communication will make your work with subcontractors easier and more productive. Lay your processes and reporting requirements out from the beginning, preferably in their subcontractor agreements, and be transparent about every step.
Daily reporting and coordination are vital when working with subcontractors. It’s important to hold regular meetings, follow through and check in. Otherwise, workflow schedules can come off the rails, meaning lost time and productivity. General contractors and subs must be in constant communication to address any issues that might hinder the work.
The easier you make communication and reporting, the more likely your subcontractors are to follow through. And the easier you make the process on yourself, the more likely you are to stay informed about the job.
A quality workflow and reporting app can make this process quick and painless, and an app’s mobile capability will put the info you need at your fingertips, even if you’re in the field. If you’ve been a slow adopter of technology for your construction business, now is the time to find a mobile solution and put it to work for you.
The field of construction technology is booming, with solutions to fit most needs and budgets. Technology can simplify your job and increase productivity, keeping your jobs on schedule and using available resources to the best possible effect.
If you make working with you easy in every aspect, the best subcontractors are more likely to partner with you again.
Make Sure They’re Paid
Be sure to pay all subcontractors in a timely fashion. From an office standpoint, aim for cutting payment time from 60 days to 30 days, or ideally within one or two weeks of submission of pay applications.
Anything you can do to streamline the subcontractor pay process is time and money well spent. In this aspect, too, I recommend that you take advantage of available technology to help pay happen faster.
Your subcontractors need good cashflow to keep working and get your job done well and quickly. And, they’ll remember which general contractors are fast – and slow – to pay, and that information will factor into their decision of whether to work with you again.
Keeping Great Partners
The more you invest in improving and streamlining your interactions with subcontractors, the better your relationships with them will be. When you can bring the best specialists in your market to a job, you will continually exceed your clients’ expectations, making your work sought-after for years to come.
Excel sheets and paper reports aren’t the best way to communicate with your subcontractors anymore. Leverage mobile technology for this task, and you’ll see happier subcontractors, more efficient jobs, and better productivity overall.
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Stan Singh is Director of Product Management at Raken where he works closely with superintendents and foremen in the field to help alleviate their pain points associated with job site documentation through the use of technology. Based in San Diego, Raken provides innovative mobile technology to streamline field workflows for construction workers. Raken’s “digital toolbox” connects the field to the office with daily reports, time cards, task management, project insights, photo management, and more.

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Casting retail in the best light — The importance of color quality

Michael Pallerino — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 17:24:37 +0000

Ben Graham is the fourth generation of his family to lead Graham’s Style Store—a high-end fashion boutique in Dubuque, Iowa. Founded in 1936, the store has expanded from a menswear store to become a men’s and women’s fashion destination for the Midwest.
Graham’s specializes in finely crafted clothing with rich colors and luxurious fabrics. When it came time to update the store, he knew he needed lighting solutions of comparable quality to his merchandise. He wanted his wares to be seen in the best light.
In brick-and-mortar retail, quality lighting is critical to motivating shoppers to buy. Put simply, when merchandise looks good, people buy it.
If that’s the effect of good lighting, what actually is “good” lighting for retail? Good lighting provides basic illumination, direction and wayfinding, sets the mood for the store, puts the spotlight on merchandise and makes it look its best.
When it comes to making merch look good, a light source’s color quality is key.

“We redesigned Graham’s and gallery-quality lighting was at the top of my list. After upgrading, our selling floors now pop with color! Subtle pinstripes, patters and textures come alive, as if to say, ‘Try me! Buy me! Take me home!’” — Ben Graham, president of Graham’s Style Store

What is color quality?
Color quality is typically expressed in measurements called CRI or TM-30. The Color Rendering Index (CRI) is a 0-100 point scale that measures how accurate colors appear under a light source, as compared to the sun. One hundred is a perfect score. LEDs with a score more than 90 are considered “high CRI” and deliver high-quality light. TM-30 is a newer color scale that measures color rendering and saturation across 99 colors, rather than CRI’s eight colors. CRI is still the lighting industry standard, although TM-30 is starting to edge it out. Both are valid measures.
Here’s a good way to visualize what color quality means: Think about sun light versus the lights in many public restrooms. Natural light tends to be very flattering. You see yourself outside and you look great. That’s good color quality. In contrast, you step into the restroom and the person in the mirror looks ill. That’s poor color quality.
Color is a top factor in buying decisions. According to research from the Seoul International Color Expo, 93 percent of customers list visual factors as their top consideration when shopping. Additionally, 85 percent of shoppers say color accounts for more than half of the factors they consider when purchasing a product.
With quality lighting, you are essentially bringing the sun into the store. Under good lighting, rich colors make products shine. Textures come to life. Patterns are eye-catching. A light with poor color rendering makes products appear dull and unappealing. This influences customers to purchase additional items as LED lighting better facilitates color matching.
Another benefit of high color quality is better overall light. High color quality delivers better contrast. This yields better visual perception and color differentiation, not only enriching colors and fabrics, but as a wayfinding tool. Drive shoppers around the store to the higher-priced items by showcasing them.
Why LEDs deliver better quality light
LEDs aren’t like other light sources. Before LEDs, light sources relied on heating filaments or exciting gases inside glass bulbs to create light. LEDs are illuminated by the movement of electrons in a semiconductor material. This crucial difference allows for more lighting options and better quality light for retailers with LED lighting.
Light falls on a spectrum and conventional light sources emit light at fixed points along the spectrum. Since LEDs are made from electronics, they can be optimized to showcase the product colors on display.
There’s no magic number that will work for all retail situations, which is the beauty of the flexibility of LEDs. It depends completely on the brand aesthetic, the products on display and the mood the store needs. LEDs can be optimized for every situation.
In a jewelry store, a neutral white light with high CRI will render flesh tones very well—so when someone tries on a ring, it’ll look fantastic on their hand. In a coffee shop, warm lighting will highlight the pastries and create a homey environment.
Let’s go back to Graham’s Style Store. The brand is built around its history. The store features dark wood shelving and display units. A place like this needs warm-toned light (2700K – 3000K) to complement the historic feel so that was the solution we designed for them.
As a counterpoint, picture a retailer like Apple. Its sleek minimalism evoking modern technology. Displays of white and silver products, surrounded by white walls. The lights are a punchy cool white.
Graham’s and Apple couldn’t be more different in terms of brand style, but both are leveraging quality light to look their best and appeal to customers.
LEDs are the retail lighting of the future and they are the lights that can best help you create the attractive and compelling environment in your stores that stirs customers’ desires and galvanizes purchases.
LEDs are also a potent weapon in the competition between bricks-and-mortar stores and online retailers: online, a customer will have a photo or two of the product to see, but color subtleties and textile textures are easily lost when viewed on screens. On the other hand, when customers see the actual products under the right light in person, they can appreciate nuanced differences in color shades. With quality LEDs, colors really pop.
LEDs have made enormous advancements over the past few years to the point that they are now the very finest in retail lighting. No other light sources can beat LEDs when it comes to rendering eye-popping color in a store. Thanks to LEDs, retailers can ensure their products are seen in the best light.
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Bill Plageman is the VP of marketing and product management at Amerlux, an award-winning design-and-manufacture LED lighting company. Amerlux has been on the forefront of lighting technology since the 1980s and has designed some of the finest retail lighting solutions ever developed.)

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The benefits of damp-proofing a building

Michael Pallerino — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 21:59:12 +0000

When you are in the construction phase of a building, you need to make sure that you are thinking about the future of the building. One of the popular things to do in construction right now is damp-proofing which not only affects the appearance of a building but also maintains it for the future. Here, we’re going to talk you through some of the benefits of damp-proofing a building. Keep reading to find out more Property Care and Preservation tips.
The value
One of the main reasons to damp-proof a building is the fact that the value can be increased. Any potential buyers will be more likely to buy a home that has had damp-proofing done as they will be more confident about how long it will last. It is really important that any measures that can increase the value of a building are considered in the construction phase.
Health issues
Damp can be very problematic when it is inside a home or a building that is used by people with any sort of health issues. When damp is present, the respiratory system can be affected, and this is not ideal. During the construction phase, it is advised that damp-proofing products like those from W.R. Meadows are applied to the building. This company have a line of products which are environmentally friendly and meet the necessary VOC regulations; so you can be sure that they’ll be suitable.
The structure
During any construction product, ensuring the structure of the building is vital. The problem with damp is that it can seriously affect the structure of a home and if you are the company behind a building that has not been damp-proofed, then you may come across some problems in the future. To protect the structure of the building, consider adding some damp-proofing to the current building that you are working on.
The smell
The smell of damp is not something which anyone wants to have to deal with in their home or office. The smell can be very off-putting and if measures are not put in place to deal with this problem in the future, it can be very problematic. Damp-proofing can help to reduce the smell of damp by removing the possibility of damp forming at all.
The appearance
The final benefit of damp proofing a building in construction is that the appearance of the building will be a lot better. This is because it is much easier to decorate when there is no damp present. Both home owners and those who own the building will appreciate the improved appearance of their property thanks to the damp proofing which was used.
Final verdict
There are many benefits to damp-proofing a building during the construction phase. Think about how the value of the building can be improved as well as the structure of the building. It is very important that this is considered by construction companies who are working on new projects. Damp-proofing is very beneficial and it is something that buyers are looking for in order to be able to protect their investment in the future.
For more information, please contact Emily Roberts at contact emilyroberts@gmail.com.

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Choosing right surface preparation machines & tools

Michael Pallerino — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 15:51:43 +0000

Surface preparation is critical in the restoration of a floor and mistakes at this stage can have catastrophic consequences for the finished result. The key is knowing how to choose the right surface preparation equipment.
Elias Garcia Martinez’s painting of Jesus has hung in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church in Borja, Spain for over 100 years. While professional conservators limit their touch ups to missing or damaged spots, the lady who tried to restore this painting made the mistake of cleaning the entire canvas before painting over it.
The artwork is now destroyed. Don’t let this be the case with your surface preparation job. Use the most appropriate equipment to make sure your work is of the highest possible standard.
Everything has its place
The amateur conservator should have kept the bleach in the bathroom and the paint on the canvas. Likewise, surface preparation contractors must choose equipment that is most suited to the job in hand.
For example, your choice of floor stripper should depend on the type of goods that you most commonly remove. Removing hard goods such as hardwood floor and ceramic tiles requires a stripper with a high torque at the expense of high speed. On the other hand, contractors that often remove soft goods such as carpet and linoleum can get away with faster strippers that have less torque.
A similar consideration applies to surface grinders, which fall into one of two categories— rotary and planetary—depending on the configuration of discs on their bases. Rotary grinders are gear driven, which gives them a high horse power and weight and makes them suitable for aggressive jobs. Planetary grinders are belt driven and lighter than rotary grinders. They are useful for less aggressive jobs such as smoothing out concrete or preparing a floor for an epoxy coating.
Regardless of the application, surface preparation work produces silica dust, which can cause breathing problems if inhaled. Contractors must protect themselves and others by purchasing machines that comes with or can be fitted to a dust collector like these ones.
See the bigger picture
Be sure to look beyond the surface, to the surrounding site. A large site is often best tackled with a ride-on machine. However, if the site is above ground, check the pounds per square inch of the machine. If the floor will not handle the weight, opt for a walk-behind machine, which will be much lighter.
If you’re going to use a walk-behind or propane-powered ride-on machine, check the power supply on-site. If an extension cable is needed, use a twelve gauge cable to get the best performance from the machine. It’s also essential to get the correct length of cable to avoid voltage dropping at the machine, as this can lead to overheating and tripping. If you’re struggling, contact a reliable supplier for advice on cable length.
A consideration often overlooked when choosing a surface preparation machine is the coating that will be laid down after the preparation. For instance, say you are replacing ceramic tiles with new tiles—we recommend stripping away the old tiling and using polycrystalline diamond (PCD) on the bottom of a grinder, to ensure all remains of thinset are removed, which is crucial for a high standard of finish. However, PCDs can leave visible scratches on the surface so is not recommended if a thinset is to be laid back down.
Less is more
A workman is only as good as his tools and a stripper is only as good as its blade. Short blades, such as National Flooring Equipment’s one-inch model, make strippers more productive. This is especially important where the bond between the coating and the concrete is extremely strong, such as with vinyl composition tile (VCT) and adhesive re-scrape.
Short blades are so effective because they exert more pressure per square inch than a longer blade. With a longer blade, the machine must be pushed more slowly because more surface is being displaced and the blade gets blunt much more quickly due to excessive pressure on the blade’s edge.
National Flooring Equipment offers strippers with a dual lift feature. This means that, using controls at your fingertips, you can alter the pitch and angle of the blade in two places, without manually adjusting the front end of the machine. Getting the pitch and angle of the blade correct is essential for productive surface preparation that results in a high-quality finish.
The full package
Choosing the right machinery is critical for surface preparation contractors. However, to stay one step ahead of your competitors, you must complement your handiwork with outstanding customer service.
National Flooring Equipment’s regional sales managers, each with many years of experience in surface preparation, provide continued customer support after a sale and tailored machine training. The company excels at introducing innovative technologies that help it stay ahead of industry changes.
While Elias Garcia Martinez’s painting of Jesus has risen to fame since its disastrous restoration, its magnificence has entirely vanished. Make sure you use the right equipment so that your work is of a high standard, unlike that of the amateur conservator.
To find out more about the machines that National Flooring Equipment has on offer, visit the company’s website https://www.nationalequipment.com/.
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Scott Coffey is the regional sales manager at surface preparation expert at the National Flooring Equipment.

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