Incompetent Tufflex Installer Costs Homeowner Thousands of Dollars in Damage

In the world of waterproofing a deck for the application of tile, there are a few things one should or should not do...
1.)-Do not Cheap out on the installation costs of your waterproofing.
2.) Do not Install unapproved or unevaluated coatings.
3.) Do check the applicators status and ensure their competency to correctly install waterproofing for tile.
4.) Do call Central Coast Waterproofing at 805-801-2380 for a proper and thorough job...

I was down in Santa Barbara at an expensive home up in the hills last week, having received a call from an owner who found our DeckExpert.com website.

They said to me that they had a guy a couple years ago, a Tufflex applicator, install waterproofing for their new tile deck. Now they are suffering from water intrusion into their garage ...the deck had been partly dismantled to inspect and would I be interested in giving a bid?

I was on my way...here's the pictures of the deck...with their nice tile torn off.
Turns out that the applicator is out of business, what a surprise, but he wanted to "help" and offered a local applicator/contractor that did Tufflex to redo the job. The Tufflex was installed over OSB (tsk tsk) and then metal lath was stapled down and the tufflex laid into the lath. Only the applicator must of been (Pick one or all)

1) Cheap, because he didn't put enough Tufflex down to properly bury the lath entirely. Or
2) Incompetent, because he didn't put enough Tufflex down to properly bury the lath entirely. Or
3) Stupid, because he didn't put enough Tufflex down to properly bury the lath entirely.

Whichever you pick, you'd be correct. Failure to bury the lath caused this huge problem that will cost the owner 8-12k in repair costs, not including the tile work. The water on the deck seeped by the grout of the tile, down to the waterproofing, where it had no place to go...so it sat on the Tufflex and exposed metal lath. While sitting, there was this marvelous little chemical reaction going on between the metal lath and the water...RUST action.

Eventually the water made it's way into the garage ceiling below, exposing finally the sins of it's installer.

Moral of the story, you can buy cheap waterproofing, but you can't buy great waterproofing cheap!

ELITE CRETE So Cal Offers Training Classes in May

May Training Class

We will gather again on May 8th & 9th, 2009 for our next Advanced Training Session. Put on your work clothes and boots for two days of hands on learning. We will be mixing product, learning new thin stamped overlay techniques, hand troweled finishes, spray-down finishes, custom colorizaiton and antiquing using our unmatched coloring systems. We're going to get out the REFLECTOR Enhancer and create some one of a kind artwork. Don't miss this chance to be a part of the action, get your training application in today. Once again our training will be hosted by Johnny Rodriguez at Elite Crete Systems So. Cal. in Simi Valley. The cost is $250 per attendee, we will make sure that you are fed and watered and have plenty of samples boards to take on your sales calls or display in your showroom. Attendance is limited so get your application in today. Call or Email to receive more information and a registration form. When: May 8th & 9th Where: 67 W. Easy St. # 132 Simi Valley Ca. 93065. Time: 8:00am-4:00pm Office: (805) 581-2497 email: johnny.rodriguez@elitecrete.com

New Issue of WATERPROOF! Magazine is out...

The Spring 2009 edition of Waterproof! Magazine, by Summit Publishing is now available in print and online.

Waterproofers and tradespeople would be wise to subsrcibe and get the latest news and information on subjects such as

OPTIONS IN SPRAY EQUIPMENT-an article that reviews various spray equipment options for waterproofing...

ABOVE GRADE WATERPROOFING-an article on coatings for parking garages, plaza decks and balconies...

and the feature article is about TUNNEL VISION...no not that tunnel vision, waterproofing a tunnel, miles and miles of tunnels!

an oh BTW, who in the trade knows about a pesky little bacteria that thrives on...iron? I had heard about this phenomenon, but hadn't paid much attention until I read this article...a very interesting read!

Visit Waterproof! Magazine's website by clicking here to read more. Tell them we sent ya!

HOA's; YOU CAN SAVE A LOT OF MONEY BY HIRING UNLICENSED/ UNINSURED CONTRACTORS! Then you too can be liable for a workers injuries!

I saw this article at Community Associations Network (CAN). If you are an HOA, and don't make sure your independent contractors are licensed and insured, you'll deserve the same fate as these folks got...

Heimen et al. v Worker's Compensation Appeals Board

HOA Should Be Sure Workers are Insured California homeowner associations (HOAs) and HOA management companies will want to pay attention to a recent ruling coming out of the state's Second Appellate District. The case, Heimen et al. v Worker's Compensation Appeals Board, involved the claim of a worker injured on association property for worker's compensation benefits. Read more by clicking here.

So the lessons are that any contractor who will be working on your property must have;
workers comp
licensed
liabilty policy naming HOA as add'l insured
Auto Insurance.

You can get extra protection by buying a add on workers comp policy for around $500-1000 per year. Then if someones coverage was lapsed and something happened, you would still be covered. Your choice, pay a little or pay a lot...

A "NEW" Manufacturer, NEVADA COATING SYSTEMS, Makes It's Online Debut

, Da
Browsing the web this weekend, I saw a WICR, a competitor had finally put up their website...looking through, I saw they were a "Nevada Coating Systems" applicator...so I clicked the link to see what was there.

Nevada Coating Systems is an entity using an address down in Rancho Mirage, so I googled the phone/address and found that it is linked to Dave Krubinksi, a former Mer-Ko salesman and current Roof Consultant Institute member.

NCS is advertising their coatings for decks, liners, pools and many other areas that don't really interest me as I'm not in that line of work...they appear to have a Polyurea system, a 2 component system that is in heated tanks and is sprayed on using a gun that mixes the 2 parts as it's sprayed.

Polyureas have their place in many applications and their fast drying/curing makes a tough competitor for some other coating sytems for various applications...I'm just not convinced of it's use on decks as a long term solution...but that's just my opinion.

Despite an impressive array of testing done, the 2 most important tests for deck coatings at least, appear to be missing-Class A and One Hour Fire Testing. There is no that I can find at ICC-ES in Div 7 Traffic Coatings and so I would say that in my opinion, this product would not be a suitable candidate for decking where residential codes must be met. Ask about E109 and E119 testing when inquiring...

The stuck in my craw thing about NCS is their "sample warranty" which is more of a service contract, and the way it's written might be a Sherman Act or Magnuson Moss issue...at least in my opinion from reading through the FTC's website. Click here to read some interesting info on warranties and service contracts at the FTC website. I dunno, it's just a really stacked in the installers/mfg's favor warranty...the odds are far better for you to put it all on black in Vegas...

Attached is a picture of their warranty with my notes on it. We are publishing this under the Fair Use doctrine and have the right to publish, criticize, comment on and satirize it if we want, all protected by the doctrine of Fair Use. So despite the terms of use at their website...it's aconstitionaly protected use.

As of now, with the way this warranty is written, it's a bad deal for consumers in my opinion. It ties you to the original applicator for 10 years, giving them residual income for resealing your decks every 3 years...you get no choice as a consumer to have who you want service the decking. Imagine buying a Ford and you got the best deal at one dealer, but don't really like their service dept., but your warranty said you have to use that dealer, and that dealer only... pretty crappy terms.

This warranty is similar to the old Mer-Ko "warranty", whose terms were changed as soon as new Mer-Ko management could.

My opinion is to search elsewhere for other coating options due to the warranty restrictions.

Concrete Network to Feature Project Managed by Bill Leys

Coming soon to Concrete Network's California pages will be a pictorial/short story on a major renovation project recently completed in Long Beach.
The job was a 14,000 square foot courtyard over a parking garage that needed extensive renovations and then waterproofed.

Watch for it in the next couple weeks, we'll post the link from here!

CSLB PRESS RELEASE-Contractors State License Board Asks Victims of Elaborate Home Repair Scheme to Come Forward

Wow oh wow, read this sordid tale of rip off artist's who scammed thousands of customers a year for the last 4 years...

Contractors State License Board Asks Victims of Elaborate Home Repair Scheme to Come Forward

Judge sets aside $1.3 million for restitution after settlement of unfair business practices lawsuit

SACRAMENTO — The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) wants California consumers to come forward if they have been defrauded by certain home service and repair companies in the past four years. A multi-million lawsuit filed in San Diego County by Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. has been settled and SRVS Charge Inc. (SRVS), the parent business, has been ordered to pay $3 million in penalties and restitution. This is the largest enforcement judgment in CSLB’s 80-year history.

Companies that were operated by SRVS engaged in a massive scheme to defraud thousands of California consumers out of millions of dollars by charging exorbitant fees for substandard electrical, plumbing and heating/air conditioning repair services that were not performed by qualified, legitimately licensed individuals.

"Anyone who believes they may have been ripped off by these companies should contact CSLB as soon as possible," said CSLB Registrar Steve Sands. "We’re ready to help consumers who have been harmed with the process of getting some of their money back."

An extensive CSLB investigation found that SRVS and its affiliated companies had been cheating some 6,000 customers each year for overpriced and substandard home repair work since 1989.

To stop the companies’ illegal practices and provide restitution to those who were victimized, CSLB and the Attorney General reached a settlement with:

FIND OUT WHO BY CLICKING HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE PRESS RELEASE

Interesting Article by Reporter Chuck Yarborough

Here's an interesting read by on the job reporter Chuck Yarborough...

Chuck Yarborough works as a basement waterproofer: On the Job Training

by Chuck Yarborough/Plain Dealer Reporter

Water is good if you're a boat. Water is not good if you are a basement.

But for more than 30 years, watery basements have been good for Willoughby Hills-based Adelio's Contracting Co., formerly Adelio's Basement Waterproofing.

Sergio DiFranco's dad, Adelio (hence the name) started the company in 1976, 10 years after immigrating to the United States from Italy. According to Sergio, who now runs the business, and Adelio, Italian immigrants at the time had two options for employment: concrete or basement waterproofing.

Me, I'm the kinder, gentler (lazier) type; I'd have gone for something easier, like milking alligators in a monsoon.

I gotta tell y'all, of all the On the Job Training chores I've undertaken in the 2½ years since this gig started, basement waterproofing is the hardest, most physically demanding. That's probably because Adelio's does things the old-fashioned way. Which is to say, the right way.

READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE AND VIEW THE SLIDE SHOW BY CLICKING HERE

Visitor Traffic to Our Blog and Website's WAY UP

With Google analytics, I get real time reports on all sprts of stuff web site related...who visited, from where, how long etc.

So I can tell you we're really happy with the stats that show our sites visits are up 46% over last month here at our Blog page, and over 36% at Deckexpert.com.

Another interesting stat... over 53% of visitors are bookmarking us for future visits, meaning they found us interesting enough to come back...

With average visits exceeding 2 minutes, that means visitors are looking for and finding the information they need to make decisions on waterproof decking.

Thank you to all our visitors for coming by and please make sure to thank our sponsors by visiting their websites and purchasing materials-directly or indirectly...

A home builder is demolishing four different homes to fulfill its end of the bargain.

From 9 News In Colorado, comes this news about Shea Homes, who is demolishing 4 homes under warranty when the foundations/slabs began failing due to soil issues...

HIGHLANDS RANCH - A home builder is demolishing four different homes to fulfill its end of the bargain.

Shea Homes built the Highlands Ranch houses in the Firelight community in 2002, but shifting soil has compromised the integrity of the homes and their foundations cracked.

Fortunately for the homeowners, Shea Homes is honoring their 10-year structural warranties.

To fix the problem, they will demolish the current homes, build new foundations, and then put up new homes.

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE BY CLICKING HERE

Mer-Ko's Tim Harris Joins Spectra Company of Pomona CA

Got a email press release today from Spectra Company of Pomona; announcing the addition of Tim Harris to their staff as Chief Estimator and Project manager for the company.

Tim has been with Mer-Kote most recently and has also worked for Carlisle and BASF as well.

Good luck to Tim in his new endeavors!

Press Release-

We are very pleased to announce that Tim “Harrison” Harris, Sr. has joined Spectra Company as the Manager of our Waterproofing and Roofing Division. Tim has been in the construction industry for over 25 years, specializing in Waterproofing and Roofing. He has worked as a chief estimator and project manager for large construction projects. His expertise is in Waterproofing, Concrete Coatings, Skylights, Expansion Joints/Seismic Systems, and Roofing. If the name is familiar…..that is because Tim Harris, Jr. heads our scheduling and purchasing department.

Tim “Harrison” Harris, Sr. is at your service at:

HarrisT@spectracompany.com

909-289-7981 (cell)

BREAKING NEWS FROM AP-Pulte Homes agrees to buy Centex in $1.3B deal

Just out 25 minutes ago on the AP wires, here's news that Pulte Homes is buying up Centex...

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN and J.W. ELPHINSTONE, AP Business Writers Michelle Chapman And J.w. Elphinstone, Ap Business Writers – 25 mins ago

NEW YORK – Pulte Homes Inc. is buying Centex Corp. for $1.3 billion in stock in a deal that will create the nation's largest homebuilder — by far — and could spark further consolidation in an industry that is suffering the worst real estate recession in a generation.

The transaction, which also includes $1.8 billion of debt, will combine Pulte's strength in active-adult and retirement housing with Centex's hefty market share of first-time homebuyers.

The acquisition also will give Pulte large tracts of land in Texas and the Carolinas, two of the most resilient real estate markets, and a presence in 29 states and Washington, D.C.

But Wall Street analysts are concerned about the risk of taking on so much land in other areas where home prices are still plummeting, including Sacramento and Riverside, Calif., and Cape Coral, Fla.

The new company, which will keep the Pulte name and headquarters in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., will have cash reserves totaling $3.4 billion and pay off $1 billion in debt by the end of the year.

"It allows us to not only survive, but thrive in any economic climate," said Richard Dugas Jr., Pulte's president and chief executive, who retain those titles over the combined enterprise.

Pulte and Centex contend that the deal will help them capitalize on what the executives see as the beginning of a recovery in the housing market.

READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE BY CLICKING HERE

Aussie Manufacturer Scycon, A James Hardy Company, Introduces Tile Board for wood framed decks

Aussie Manufacturer Sycon, a James Hardy subsidiary, introduces a waterprroofing membrane for exterior tiling over wood framed decks...read about here.

Scyon™ Secura™ exterior flooring-

What is it?

An external structural flooring substrate for ceramic tile finishes over timber or lightweight steel floor joists. Simple and fast to install, Scyon™ Secura™ exterior flooring helps give you peace of mind against moisture damage to balconies.

Where do you use it?

As an external substrate for tiled residential balconies and as an alternative to particleboard, plywood or compressed fibre cement.

What are the key benefits?

Security. Secura exterior flooring is sealed on all sides with an advanced polymer coating that helps protect the board from moisture-related problems. A topcoat on the surface of the board provides good adhesion.

For more info on Scycon Secura Tile Board, click here

Polycoat Products of Santa fe Springs CA Upgrades it's ICBO report to ICC-ES 2785

As of March 1, 2009, Polycoat Products was issued ICC-ESR # 2785, for a multiple line of their decking products. Receiving Class A, B and One Hour Fire Ratings, the new report will give Polycoat new ammunition in the battle for fire resistant coatings as required by California Fire Codes.

Click here to read the new ICC-ES report on Polycoat Products.

Our New Website-Take a Sneak Peek at What We're Developing...

Readers of our blog can take a look at our new website that is being developed now...there's no content to speak of, just the outline/design of the site...take a look and tell me what you like or don't like! Click below to go to our hidden online site...

http://www.waterproofdeckcoatingadvice.com/deckexpert/#

Gaco Western Shifts Manufacturing to Waukesha WI Plant

From Biz Times comes new about Gaco Western shifting it's manufacturing up to Wisconsin...

Gaco Western LLC, a Seattle, Wash. -based manufacturer of waterproofing chemicals and foam insulation, will shift all of its manufacturing operations to its new 60,000-square-foot facility in Waukesha by May.

The company moved into the new building in December. At the time, the company had 14 employees in Wisconsin. It now has 25 and is in the process of hiring about six more, said Irene Schwechler, vice president and general manager of the Waukesha plant.

A second shift is scheduled to begin in May.

"They're being hired for the second shift now because we need to train them," Schwechler said.

The company's Waukesha location will be more convenient and cost-effective for shipping than the West Coast site. Also, the labor costs and costs of living are cheaper in Wisconsin than in Seattle.

Before the company moved into its building on Chapman Drive, Gaco Western occupied a 20,000-square-foot facility at 521 Biddle St. in Waukesha. With about one-third of the space it has now, the cramped operations were chaotic, Schwechler said.

Read the rest of the story at Biz Times by clicking here.

Central Coast Chapter of ICC Presents a Half Day Seminar on STUCCO, DRYWALL & FIRE RESISTIVE ASSEMBLIES April 29th in Atascadero

Free for ICC Central Coast Chapter members, the rest of us will pay $35.00 to hear Michael Logue and Darren Coates present a half day seminar. While stucco and drywall are part of fire resistive assemblies, Deck Expert is gonna be asking hard questions about decking.

One deck coating system in particular....

I think I'll bring my laptop and ask if I can show my video footage....

Anyway, if you want to go, email Dave Muehlhausen at dmuehlhausen@atascadero.org and tell him to put you down to attend. You'll get a free continental breakfast and a copy of the Fire Resistive Design Manual.

See you there!

UK manufacturer Stirling Lloyd Polychem Chosen To Supply Waterproofing for Manchester, UK Garage parking Deck Waterproofing Project

Decseal Triumphs At Exchange Quay

Posted by: Roxanna Anderson http://www.stirlinglloyd.com From: Stirling Lloyd Polychem Date: 4/2/2009

Stirling Lloyd's Decseal System has been used for waterproofing and surfacing the top deck of the car park at Exchange Quay near Manchester.

Exchange Quay is a new complex of commercial space in Salford Quays, two miles from Manchester city centre that incorporates the very highest concepts in architectural design. The development comprises seven office buildings, green areas and multiple water features. The Metro building within the development also came with a two-storey car park and it was essential that the systems chosen to protect this asset were not only effective and durable but also complimented the high-end design. Of the systems available, Decseal from UK manufacturer Stirling Lloyd Polychem was chosen for waterproofing & surfacing the top deck of the car park. Based on advanced methyl methacrylate (MMA) resins the system not only offered the durability and skid-resistance desired by the client, but this high performance was available in a wide range of colours, giving the customer full control over the aesthetics. For this project the client wanted a green finish and some 3,000m of Decseal, pigmented chrome green, was applied by Stirling Lloyd Construction, a specialist contractor authorised to apply the Decseal system. Once the concrete deck had been prepared the Stirling Lloyd Construction team set about applying the system. Firstly Decseal Primer was applied, which sealed the substrate and enhanced the bond of the subsequent membrane. The fully reinforced waterproofing membrane was then applied, with a reinforcement scrim sandwiched between two layers of waterproofing. The membrane is liquid spray applied, which helped ensure a rapid application and a seamless finish, even around the complex details that needed to be treated. After the membrane had cured, in less than an hour, the final wearing course was applied. This provides the systems skid-resistance and aesthetic appearance. Any system can only achieve its full performance potential if it is applied correctly. To back up the application teams experience and training, stringent on-site QC procedures including tensile adhesion tests, thickness checks and scuff tests were carried out to ensure this potential was realised. To delineate the individual parking bays, Stirling Lloyds Safetrack LM line marking system was used. Safetrack LM is also MMA based and is highly durable, wear resistant and fully bonds with Decseal. Despite tight programme schedules, Stirling Lloyd Construction completed the works on schedule and the owners of the development, HBG Properties, can be confident they have a car park that is aesthetically pleasing, is effectively protected against water penetration and will retain its anti-skid properties for many years.

Source:	Stirling Lloyd Polychem

From the NY TIMES-Former California Homeowners Lash Out at Builder

By JENNIFER STEINHAUER

Published: April 2, 2009

LOS ANGELES — A major home builder that helped fuel the country’s building boom is now under attack for what some homeowners and builders say was its role in the bust that followed.

Enlarge This Image

Monica Almeida/The New York Times

A protest was held Thursday in Los Angeles during KB Home’s annual shareholders’ meeting.

Several former homeowners spoke here on Thursday about their disenchantment with the builder, KB Home, at its annual shareholders’ meeting. The speakers said the company had pushed them into high-risk, high-interest loans for homes they could not afford and eventually lost to foreclosure.

During the meeting, a few dozen construction workers, many of whom had their work dry up when the home-building market imploded in Southern California, protested across the street.

“I tried to communicate to the board members to try to do better for people in the future,” one of the former homeowners who addressed the board, Santiago Ramos, said after the meeting.


READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE BY CLICKING HERE

The Onion's Video Spoof of Wildfire Season

While humorous, this spoof from the Onion on the wildfire problem in California does serve as a serious message...fire's aren't funny.

So have a little laugh and get your home the best building products you can that are fire resistant!

Call Bill Leys for the best fire resistant decking available, Dex-O-Tex, Desert Brand, Pli-dek and Mer-Kote....805-801-2380

AIA 2009 Convention Coming Up April 30th

Moscone Center in San Francisco will be the hub of all activity for the American Architect Institute's 2009 Convention and Show.

Many manufacturer's will be there, to date I've seen AVM, Duradeck, Dex-O-Tex, Excellent Coatings and Parex LaHabra/Mer-Ko as exhibitors for decking/exterior products, I've also seen Tremco and Kemiko listed...

Probably sold out for manufacturer's, but you can register to go-click here to go 's 2009 Convention website for the rates and dates