Employees

Remnant Trust Update

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Demolition underway on the interior.

We are moving ahead with work at The Remnant Trust project in Winona Lake.  Demolition is nearly complete and we have begun framing walls.  An existing stage, an existing fireplace mock-up and miscellaneous display walls had to be removed.  Most of the existing interior was finished in tongue & groove car siding.  Let’s just say the original installer believed that if a whole lot of nails were good, even more would be better.

The Remnant Trust Building. Picture from Scearce Rudisel Architects Website.

Because of the type of protection for artifacts required here, special effort is being made for security as well as for Fire Protection and HVAC controls.  The existing building previously housed the Billy Sunday Museum.  The previous use has presented some challenges, but fortunately the original building construction was recent and most of the construction and existing systems are in good shape.

There have been a few changes as we’ve gotten into the project, but as always, the plans prepared by Scearce Rudisel Architects have provided the necessary guidance.  Mary Ellen Rudisel Jordan is always a pragmatic Architect and she works well with us.  We both maintain the goal of achieving the best possible project for our mutual client.

EPA Certified Renovator

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Tuesday I attended (and passed! perfect score!) an 8 hour class at the St. Joseph County Health Department taught under the auspices of Environmental Management Institute to become an EPA Certified Renovator.  Believe it or not, I will be sent a new photo ID attesting to my knowledge in this area.  This is a new requirement the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has put into effect for contractors working on renovation and repair projects on Target Housing or A Child Occupied Facilities where lead paint may be present.

From the Lead Safety for Renovation, Repair and Painting Student Manual:

Target Housing is a home or residential unit built on or before December 31, 1977, except:

  • Housing designated for the elderly or persons with disabilities (unless any child who is less than 6 years of age resides or is expected to reside in such housing).
  • Any zero-bedroom dwelling (e.g. studio apartments, hospitals, hotels, dormitories, etc.).

A Child-Occupied Facilityis a pre-1978 building that meets all three of the criteria below:

  • Visited regularly by the same child, under 6 years of age.
  • The visits are on at least two different days within any week (Sunday through Saturday period), provided that each day’s visit lasts at least 3 hours.
  • Combined weekly visits last at least 6 hours, and the combined annual visits last at least 60 hours.

Child-occupied facilities may be located in a public or commercial building or in target housing.  These facilities include schools, child care facilities, and daycare centers.

I now know more about lead poisoning and lead paint than I want to know!  It’s going to take some time to figure out how or if we want to participate in this market and how that decision will affect our business.  In any case I have taken the first step for Easterday Construction Co., Inc. to participate in these projects safely and legally.  The next step to consider is applying to be a Certified Firm.

The regulation is currently in flux.  During the class we discussed several things that had already changed since the regulation initially went into effect on April 22, 2010.  If you want to read the latest on this regulation as well as learn how to protect yourself and your family, visit the lead section of the EPA website here.

Rebuilding Together Thank You

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We received a nice letter from Rebuilding Together today thanking us for our assistance to the Culver Lions Club.  One of the hardest workers in the Culver Lions Club is Leroy Bean and he is a former ECC employee.  Currently Will Pearson in our office is a member of the Lions and has helped them with recommendations and estimates for a home here in Culver.  We have loaned tools for the project and put them in touch with reputable sub-contractors for some of the work.  Over the years we have also served as a storage facility for excess materials that the Lions have accumulated for use on projects such as these.  We’re happy to be able to help them with this effort.  The work they are doing is admirable.  To steal the Culver Chamber of Commerce’s tag line, the Lions and the work they do in Culver are things that makes Culver “A Nice Place to Be”.

News Release from Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC)

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ABC Unveils Jobs Proposal for the Construction Industry

Contact: Gail Raiman, (703) 812-2073
Gerry Fritz, (703) 812-2062

March 2, 2010 Washington, D.C. – Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today unveiled its 2010 Job Creation Proposal, a wide-ranging package of recommendations that will help to stimulate the construction industry and put Americans back to work.

“We believe these measures are a much-needed first step to get this nation’s construction industry moving again,” said ABC President and CEO Kirk Pickerel. “With construction in this country nearly at a standstill and the industry unemployment rate at a staggering 24.7 percent – more than twice the national average – it is imperative for Congress to enact meaningful job creation legislation.”

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