DECK EXPERT SAYS ADIOS, we are signing off...

For the year anyway...

did you really think I was going away away? No, the Deck Expert is going on an adventure!

I'm calling it Deck Experts Big Adventure!

I'll be with my wife in Kenya and Tanzania on safari for 10 days, "shooting" the Big 5, Lion, Rhino, Elephant, Cheetah and Buffalo with our camera's! After safari, we'll then go to enjoying the incredible beaches of Zanzibar for 6 days, celebrating Christmas in a foreign land and enjoying an exotic destination that even the very word Zanzibar gets ones appetite whetted for such adventure and beauty.

If you care to, follow along on our adventure by clicking here to go to our website hosted by our tour company, GAP Adventures. They have an amazing assortment of tours, trips, adventures etc, for every taste and budget.

I'm hoping to avoid the use of any computers for 3 weeks...so if I post anything between now and January 3rd, you'll no my addiction to Blog is overwhelming! Even in "3rd world" nations, Internet cafes abound with Hi speed connections...so much for getting away from it all.

Wishing you and yours a Safe and Happy Holiday Season!

ELITE CRETE OPENS SIMI VALLEY DISTRIBUTOR

New Location In Southern California Simi Valley Facility Quick Links Register Now Last Month's Newsletter More About Us Our Sponsors 2009 Training Schedule January 10th & 11th Feb 21st & 22nd March 21st & 22nd Classes are held Sat and Sunday from 9 am to 3pm. Breakfast, lunches will be served with drinks and snacks. Free sample boards from class will be cut up for class attendees to take home with them on Sunday. Price is $250 per person In order to better service our Northern LA contractors, Elite Crete Los Angeles is excited to announce the addition of a new distribution and training facility in Simi Valley. This site will be managed by Johnny Rodriguez 805-558-5565. Feel free to call Johnny for any technical or product support you may need. As always, I am also still available to answer questions or to pick up product from in Long Beach. Sincerely, Michael Wagner 310 612-2502 Johnny Rodriquez 805 558-5565 If you are like most right now and things are slow, now is the time to position yourself and your business for the new year. Give us just two days of your time and we will train you to install all of our beautiful, yet profitable decorative concrete systems. This is a very detailed and hands on course, so be sure to bring work clothes. This training is a must if you are already in the decorative concrete industry or are wanting to get into this high profit, recession proof and demanded business... Training will cover the following: Thin Stamped Overlays Skim Coats and Base Coats Concrete Surface Repair Splatter Texture & Knockdown Finishes Acid Stain Applications Custom Dye Finishes Seamless MICRO-FINISH Flooring Custom Saw Cutting and Grouting Hand Carved Stone & Tile Finishes Finish Protective Sealer Coats And so much more... To Register is Simple! Email us at wagner@elitecretela.com or call us at 310 612-2502 today to register you and your guests. Click to download Registration Form There will be experienced training instructors from Elite Crete Systems demonstrating all of the products and applications and will stick around to answer any questions you might have. This photo is just a sample of what you will learn. This job is a MICRO-FINISH interior floor with CHEM-STONE Reactive Stain and E100-PT1 clear. Don't leave money on the table with your customers when they ask you about decorative concrete, garage floor coatings and acid staining. This project was 4.700 square feet and took 3 people one week to complete. The job sold for $3.85 a sq. ft. for a total of more than $18,000. Material cost for this project was less than $3,000. You do the math...

Save 50% on each additional class attendee's registration fee you bring with you Offer Expires: Day of the Class

SWRI-Sealant Waterproofing Restoration Institute Offers Sealant Webinar

The Sealant, Waterproofing & Restoration Institute and the Adhesive and Sealant Council are proud to announce a joint educational webinar.

December 9, 2008, 10 – 11:30 a.m. Eastern “Fundamentals of Joint Sealants in Building and Construction Applications” Moderated by Dave Kimball, Sealant, Waterproofing & Restoration Institute

Click Here for Online Registration Only $200 a session $200 per person accepting AIA/CES credit

LOCATION: At your desk or in a conference room to an entire group! Access the “Fundamentals of Joint Sealants in Building and Construction Applications” from a single telephone line. A separate registration form must be submitted and a separate registration fee must be paid for each person wanting to receive AIA/CES credit. Each registered attendee will receive one set of handout materials and presentation supplied by the speaker. TIME: 10 - 11:30 a.m. Eastern 9 - 10:30 a.m. Central 8 - 9:30 a.m. Mountain 7 - 8:30 a.m. Pacific Program highlights include: • Sealant definitions, applications chemistries and types • Sealant joint design considerations • Important steps in successful sealant installation • Troubleshooting common problems with potential solutions AIA/CES Credit: Receive 1.5 credit hours for attending this webinar!! CLICK HERE to register now! Go ahead. Forward this to someone you know!

Click Here for Online Registration | Online Information | SWR Institute Home

Contact | Please reply to erin@robstan.com or call SWR Institute at 816.472.7974. © 2008 Sealant, Waterproofing & Restoration Institute

ENDURO PRODUCTS Becomes Sponsor of Waterproofdeckcoatingadvice.com

We are happy to announce that ENDURO PRODUCTS has become a sponsor of our website and Blog as of today, December 3rd, 2008.

"We are happy to have Enduro Products as a sponsor of our sites." said Bill Leys, "Enduro is committed to providing quality products and supports our goals of education, quality and ethics for the deck coating industry.

Chris Proulx, owner of Enduro Products, invites you to visit their website, review their product lines of decking and waterproofing, including the ICC evaluated Enduro-Kote (ICC-Es #2245) walking deck system, Enduro-Flex Kote and Enduro-Lastic.

You can go to the Enduro Products website by clicking on our headlines or on the link above.

Look for Enduro Products logo ad to appear soon on our website and here at our Blog.

Welcome aboard Enduro Products, thanks for sponsoring our website!

Documents Filed Today Indicate Failed Settlement Negoitiations in Life Paint vs. Paul Koury/Pacific Pebbles Lawsuit

Filed today at PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records was Document 70 -"Joint Stipulation To Extend Deadline to File Discovery Motions". The document reveals that the two parties engaged in settlement negotiations from on or about October 7, 2008, through mid-November (last week?) when discussions faltered and the parties were unable to resolve the matter.

In the meantime, discovery and depositions were delayed and so this Stipulation, agreed to by both parties, will extend the deadline to file discovery motions by 2 weeks, from December 1st to December 15th, 2008.

From what it sounds like in reading this document, maybe Koury engaged in settlement discussions, as it reads "as a good faith sign of encouraging settlement discussions, the parties agreed to delay Life Paint's response to this Joint Stipulation until further determination of settlement discussions between the parties." I would take that as a sign of Koury extending that agreement to delay as the ball was in Life Paint's court to file their response...

From everything I see and hear, the case is looking pretty strong for Life Paint, so they probably don't feel as much pressure to settle this case as Koury would.

Job of the Week...Pool Deck Rehab in Huntington Beach

TheDeckExpert's professional crews took on this job at an Apartment Complex run by Avalon down in Huntington Beach over the last few weeks; it's a big concrete pool deck with an old failing coating on top.

This job had Life Deck or Westcoat products specified for recoating the deck-guess what product we used?

First, we shot blasted off the old surface down to the substrate.
Because of extreme damage to the concrete from exposure to chlorine and other chemicals, the shot blasting took off the top layer of concrete with it, leaving aggregate exposed.
This was repaired with a bond coat of Life Deck AL1, followed by a smoothing coat of AL2.

Because there were so many cracks on the deck, chopped mat fiberglass was used to cover and hide them.

After treating the deck with fiberglass and a topping coat, we applied a knockdown troweled texture and then applied 2 coats of pigmented sealer to the deck.

The result is a beautiful new deck that with proper care and maintenance, will provide years of life and improve the property's appearance.

Call me, Bill Leys, for your next pool deck restoration project! 805-801-2380. Anywhere in CA, NV, AZ, anytime...

B.I.S. at Long Beach is kind of a BUST

I swung by the BIS Show at Long Beach on Friday afternoon;

After getting my free pass for exhibits only, I walked down the stairs into the exhibit Hall.

It looked like there were more sales people staffing booths than folks walking the show...

The big boys of the building world were persona non grata at this show; why would they be here, they aren't building much these days. Most of the show attendees seemed to be smaller contractors who are building custom/semi-custom homes..

One acquaintance at a Booth said with a roll of their eyes, "Slowest show I've ever seen"

Our sponsors were in attendance at Mer-Ko, we meet All Deck as well and said hello.

After finishing our walk through, I headed up the stirs for the long ride home to SLO...

maybe next year will be better...

Bay Area Law Firm Berding Weil Offers Their 18th Annual Community Association Law Seminar November 21st!

Our goal is education...HOA members and Board of Directors in the Bay Area would do well to take the time to attend...Berding & Weil's Law Seminar will help you and your Association...go, sign up now!

OUR 18^th ANNUAL COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION LAW SEMINAR

The Game Has Changed . . . And So Have the Rules!

November 21, 2008 - At the San Ramon Marriott

What you need to know to successfully manage a common interest development today.

• New Legislation (If we have any!)
• New Cases (fiduciary duty, enforcement, dangerous common areas)
• New CC&Rs (working with new docs: avoiding blunders)
• Law Redux (how recent laws work "on the street")
• Repairing Bad Buildings (bank loans, claims)

Seminar Registration Fee: $30 (per person)

Certified managers will receive 1 CACM credit for attending this legal seminar.

San Ramon Marriott
2600 Bishop Drive
San Ramon, CA 94583
Directions

Registration: 8:30am

Program: 9:15am - 12:00pm

Cocktail Reception following program.

HOW TO REGISTER

Attendees may REGISTER ONLINE, by Phone, or by completing the BERDING | WEIL 2008 COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION SEMINAR REGISTRATION FORM and mailing or faxing the completed form to:

Berding & Weil LLP
3240 Stone Valley Road West
Alamo
CA 94507
Phone: (925) 838-2090
Fax: (925) 820-5592

Registrations received without full payment will not be processed. We accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express.

Checks should be made payable to Berding & Weil LLP.

If you have questions directly related to the seminar registration, please contact Roxanne Jolicoeur at (925) 838-2090.

SEMINAR REGISTRATION

November Marks Anniversary of My First Office in SLO Burning Down

November 11th, 2002, I'm enjoying a couple of Corona's in Mexico "Dos mas, por favor" I say to the bartender...

Meanwhile, back in San Luis Obispo, the fire department is at the office building we had our office located at.

Railroad Square, a historic building in the Railroad District, is burning down, as a result of a homeless person who found an unlocked door, got in, then light a fire to warm up.

Man oh man, I forget how many offices and companies burned up that day, but I didn't know anything until I got back home and caught my voice mail messages, with 2 messages saying Welcome back, your office burned down while you were away...thankfully, although the computer was melted and damaged, I managed to recover the hardrive and was able to get the data recovered from it...whew. Many were not so lucky...they lost a lot of data! Hint, offsite Internet data storage...

What a mess...anyway, Fire Saftey Month is every month, and this fire is another example of what sprinklers could have done if they were in...

Happy Anniversary I guess...

Downturn in Construction Hits Builders Like TOLL BROTHERS Hard

Luxury homebuilder Toll Brothers Inc. said Tuesday its revenue dropped 41 percent in its fiscal fourth quarter as demand and home shopper traffic in October fell to "record lows."

Chief Executive Robert Toll said the preliminary signs of stability in the market he discussed in early September were reversed by the financial crisis. Fears of job losses, a large decline in consumer spending, plummeting stock markets "all contributed to drive our cancellations up" 30 percent.

Toll said preliminary home-building revenue declined to $691 million in the three months ended Oct. 31 from $1.17 billion, while backlog dropped 54 percent to $1.33 billion from $2.85 billion.

Net signed contracts for the quarter also slid 27 percent to $266.7 million from $365.3 million.

Toll Brothers plans to release full results for the quarter on Dec. 4.

CLICK THE HEADLINE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Life Paint Files Reply to Opposition To Motion Document 63 in Federal Court Today for Hearing November 17th.

Filed in Federal Court today were further arguments by Life Paint vs. Paul Koury in opposition to the trademark dispute that is the centerpiece of the litigation between the parties.

Attorney John Horwitz makes strong arguments about the trademark and most interestingly, Paul Koury's assertions about the 3 agreements made between the parties over the course of several years.

Indeed Attorney Horwitz seems as increduluous as I am was when I was reading Koury's defense...Horwitz notes on one page "It is unclear why Koury makes suh significant efforts to make the distinction that the subject Agreements were simply "memorializations" of the agreements reached through negotiation rather than actual contracts as it would seems that a written contract, by definition, is nothing more than a memorialization of a negotiated agreement."

Some of the arguments Koury makes in his filings with the court make me feel like I'm reading a bad script of Seinfeld...guess who's Kramer in this version of the show?

Hmm, does that make Atty Horwitz the "Johhny Cochran" character? and who would be George?
Well back to the subject, the court date is still currently set for next Monday the 17th at 10 am in Santa Ana. The battle will be about the trademark issue and who should have the rights to that...I'm sure it will be very busy with spectators lining up to watch the show,I'm planning on covering this event live and blogging in between.

New Quartery issue of WATERPROOF Magazine is out!

Opened my mailbox today to find the new quarterly issue of Waterproof Magazine...Summit Publishing is doing a great job with this industry oriented magazine.

Although it sounds ultra boring, waterproofing is the first thing to be sued over, and this magazine has some good articles on current standards, new products and articles on problems encountered in the field.

This months article of interest, expansive clay soils and the problems it presnts in waterproofing block walls. The pictures are worth the subscription price alone! I've not seen clay soil blow a wall over like these pictures show...

Send 'em $20 bucks for a one year subscription or $35 for 2 years worth of magazines to Summit Publishing 884 East 700 North Mapelton Utah 84664 or you can even pay by PayPal by going to www.Paypal.com and paying subscribe@waterproofmag.com.

Tell them we sent ya!

More Documents from pacer for Your Reading Pleasure

Here's more juicy tidbits from the Life Paint vs. Paul Koury/Pacific Pebbles case...

The picture shows bogus materials bootlegged with a Life Deck logo on the left, the real deal is on the right.

Building Industry Show November 13th and 14th!

Don't forget to mark your calendars for the annual Builders Show at the Long Beach Convention Center!
Since 1988, the BIS Show brings manufacturer's and builders together.

It'll be interesting to go and hear what is happening in the new construction world; it's been a little slow, but homes are being built and bought, so there is some activity going on...

Register online and get a free pass using promo code A3M85

Picture of the Week-A Reminder That October is Fire Safety Month, and so is every month of the Year!

I don't know what started this fire, but the owners are lucky.
The siding on the house is burned up, there is plastic melted on the deck and the building has probably sustained 10l worth of damages...easily.

Please please be careful!

San Diego Chapter of ICC Presents 2007 CBC Chapter 7 Fire Resistance Rated Construction Seminar

Here's a very relevant seminar put on by San Diego's ICC chapter; the seminar will address fundamental concepts of fire performance and types of construction as it relates to acceptable materials limiting the impact of fire.

Upon completion, participants will be better understand the definitions ie: Fire Wall, Fire Barrier, Horizontal Assembly etc.

Handbook and lunch included, recommended for Building Officials,. Plan Check Engineers, Plan Examiners, Architects and Designers...and deck coating manufacturer's, applicators and interested parties.

$120.00 for non ICC members...register at ICC San Diego by clicking our headline.

Date-Friday November 7, 2008 8-4 pm.

Fun Facts About Our Website and Visitors...

I like looking at my stat engine and the various other tools that as web master I get access to for my website and Blog. While a lot of stuff is mind numbing stuff the techies eat up, I just like to see who came by and what they looked at...and if we could help 'em out.

I see a lot of folks who come by on web searches, the favorite search engine by far is Google, and the top search words are "deck coatings", followed by "deck coating" The word "waterproofing", in conjunction with other search words like plywood, deck or decking is very popular as well.

I'm gratified to see that over 53% of our visitors mark us in their bookmarks, indicating that we are hitting a good number of the visitors we want, visitors who find our information relevant!

Links from other web pages are always a big help in bringing visitors, the Forum Pages at JLC send me the most, at over 500 visitors from their site alone! www.deckindustry.org sends us a bunch of visitors too, follwed by Residential Contractor, www.condoissues.blogspot.com and a host of others...

Thank you to all of you who follow our bog, read our website, patronize our Google ads and our website sponsors; keep on reading!

CSLB Press Release - 10/17/2008 Homeless Shelter Project Lures Phony Contractors into Woodland Sting Operation

WOODLAND — Twelve people were arrested for contracting without a license after they showed up to bid on projects Wednesday at what they thought was a proposed homeless shelter. It was, in fact, a joint undercover operation conducted by the Contractors State License Board, the Yolo Unlicensed Rapid Apprehension Team (YoURAT), Woodland Police Department, Department of Industrial Relations (DIR), Department of Insurance (DOI), and the Employment Development Department (EDD).

The suspects were selected from complaint files and illegal advertisements. They bid on projects at the commercial site in Woodland for landscaping, painting, flooring and drywall jobs. The twelve face misdemeanor charges of contracting without a license. DIR’s Division of Labor Standards Enforcement issued civil fines against six of the employers. Another contractor was fined by EDD for paying employees under the table.

"Unlicensed operators are part of a multi-billion dollar underground economy that takes jobs away from legitimate contractors, and tax dollars," said CSLB Registrar Steve Sands. "They seldom offer insurance for their workers and offer no guarantees for the property owners who use them. Property owners have little recourse if something goes wrong with an unlicensed operator."

The CSLB urges consumers to follow these tips when hiring a contractor:

• Be especially hesitant when approached by someone offering home improvement services door-to-door.
• Verify the contractor's license by checking online at www.cslb.ca.gov, or via CSLB’s automated phone service at 1-800-321-CSLB (2752).
• Don't pay more than 10% down or $1,000, whichever is less.
• Don't pay cash, and don't let the payments get ahead of the work.
• Check references; get three bids and a written contract.
• Contact the CSLB if you have a complaint against a contractor.

The Contractors State License Board operates under the umbrella of the California Department of Consumer Affairs. The CSLB licenses and regulates California's 316,000 contractors, and investigates more than 20,000 complaints against contractors annually. In fiscal year 2006-07, the CSLB helped consumers get almost $45 million in ordered restitution.

Sting Operation Details

12 arrests for contracting without a license
8 Citations from Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) totaling $9,500
2 Criminal filings for violation of Labor Code 3700.5 (Workers Compensation)
1 Administrative citation

RCI So Cal Presents-2008 Building Code Update! Waterproofers take notice!

Attention all trades people in waterproofing/deck coatings! You better attend this class! This is an important update to what the new codes say, what your responsible for and what designers and manufacturer's are responsible for...

Tell 'em you found out about this class here!

See you in San Francisco...Click our Headline to go to RCI So Cal and Register!

So Cal Chapter of RCI, Inc.

Monday, November 17, 2008 2008 Calif. Building Code Update San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf Roofing, Waterproofing and the Building Envelope SPEAKERS: Waterproofing Code Update: Chris Nelson of DNG Group. Roofing Code Update: John D. Shepherd, RRC, of Shepherd Consulting Services Building Envelope Code Update: Don DeGroot, IBA Consultants West, LLC The new California building code, which became effective statewide on January 1, 2008, is based on the 2006 International Building Code and not the 1997 Uniform Building Code that we have all become accustomed to using for the last 10 years. The new IBC and CBC have many specific changes that effect roofing, waterproofing and building envelope professionals. Most significantly, the old Codes generally required that the construction (builder) prevent water intrusion to the interior. The new Codes have been changed to make them more stringent and specific. Language has been added in the Codes that requires both "design and construction" to meet the intent of the codes, not just construction. As a result, the new codes shift more liability on the design professional, requiring them to properly design the building envelope systems. In regards to water intrusion and water damage, new codes include vapor barriers and vapor migration within an assembly. This seminar will include a side-by-side comparison between the old code and new code as related to roofing, waterproofing, exterior walls and building envelope systems. Liberty Lewis, PE, is a Project Manager with PIE and will be presenting Ventilation of Low Slope Roof Assemblies. Steven Mack, PE, is a Project Manager with PIE and will be presenting on Adhered Stone Veneer. RCI Continuing Educational Hours (CEHs) from RCI 5 AIA Learning Units (LUs) from the American Institute of Architects 5 Registration and Location Registration Time: 12:30 pm Program: 1 pm to 7 pm An afternoon break and a light dinner will be provided Registration Fees: RCI / AIA / CREIA Member: $100 Non-Member: $125 Parking: $17 plus tax Location: The Holiday Inn Fisherman's Wharf 1300 Columbus Ave., San Francisco, CA 94133 Hotel Reservations: (800) 942-7348 To register, go to www.RCISoCalChapter.org Questions call: 866/914-4RCI

ELITE CRETE LA Offers Training Classes for Epoxy Flooring

Advanced Coatings and Acid Staining Class October 25th and 26th 2700 Rose Ave Unit D Signal Hill, CA 90755 310 612-2502 Reflector Color Chart New Color Reflector and Spartic All Demonstrations to be focused on this weekend Oct 2008 This weekend's training will put Special Attention on the Interior Epoxy Flooring Residential, Commercial & Industrial Epoxy Coating Systems: This training we will be covering the E100-PT Series Epoxy Coating in great detail. We will cover every thing from the shot blasting and diamond grinding to the application proceedures to clean up. We will also teach the ever popular full broadcast of decorative quartz and full flake systems. These are great applications to offer in the colder orwinter months as the westher doesn't allow exterior work. With Elite Crete Systems E100-PT and the new one day Spartic - All optionyou can do every thing from the simple garage floor all the way up to a large industrial floors and offer a color for every job and clear uv resistant epoxy for a top coat. E100 Color chart SPARTIC-ALL RM SPARTIC-ALL RM is an extremely high solids, clear protective coating based on the popular polyaspartic ester technology. No protective coating is stronger or resistant to wear. This product will eliminate a lot of costly down time on the job because it dries so quickly and recoat time in 2 to 3 hours. The job can be opened to foot or vehicular traffic the next day. Released just a few months ago, SPARTIC-ALL RM is already being specified by by architects for high end commercial and retail flooring projects where extreme durability is required yet downtime must be minimal. Attend training and see where the future of clear coatings is heading... REFLECTOR Enhancer No product release in the history of Elite Crete Systems has received more compliments that REFLECTOR Enhancer has. Engineered from proprietary oxychloride crystal powders, REFLECTOR Enhancer is designed for creating completely unique and wild color variations, metallic type finishes and iridescence hues in a multitude of clear sealers and coatings. Architects and designers are already giddy over the possibilities that REFLECTOR Enhancer has to offer. Let us teach you and your company to be one of the first in California to use REFLECTOR Enhancer and watch your profits soar. Thank you for taking the time to read the newsletter. If you have any questions on any of the Elite Crete Systems products please feel free to give us a call or send us an email and we will get back to you as soon as possible. We look forward to seeing you at a training in the near future. Sincerely, EliteCrete Los Angeles (310)612-2502. wagner@elitecretesocal.com www.elitecrete.com

Paying It Forward For CAI LA -Casino Night is Coming! Sign Up Now!

COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS INSTITUTE Greater Los Angeles Chapter

Dear Bill,

...REMINDER... We still have some tickets available, so SIGN UP TODAY! Come to Casino Night at the COTTON CLUB We're re-creating the speakeasy nightclub atmosphere, complete with jazz entertainment for you, on Saturday, November 1... and you'll need a key to enter... BUY YOUR TICKETS TODAY AND CALL THE CHAPTER OFFICE TO RECEIVE YOUR EXCLUSIVE ENTRY KEY ... We are selling out fast! IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT EVENT!! 9TH ANNUAL CAI-GLAC CASINO NIGHT

BUY YOUR TICKETS! November 1 6:00 p.m. Sportsmen's Lodge Studio City $105 per person $30 Texas Hold 'Em Pre-event Buy-in Enter the TEXAS HOLD 'EM TOURNAMENT... TOURNAMENT WINNER WILL ENJOY A 2-NIGHT, 3-DAY WEEKEND GETAWAY AT ONE OF 26 POSSIBLE LOCATIONS.

Click for more information & ticket purchase details.

Public Service Announcement-RCI SoCal Chapter Brings Title 24/Cool Roof Seminar to Long Beach October 20th!

So Cal Chapter of RCI, Inc.

Monday, October 20, 2008 Leed and Title 24: Roofing Issues Long Beach, CA California Title 24 Cool Roof: The focus of this class will be on new requirements involving the inclusion of roofing for residential and certain institutional entities and the new requirements for sloped roofing, shingles, tiles and metal panels. Both of these areas where previously excluded from Title 24 Cool Roof requirements. The last topic for Title 24 Cool Roofs, will be the 3 year progress updates on how the reflectivity of Cool Roofs has played out in the field and how it will impact any revised requirements. These portions of class will be presented by John A. Goveia, President of Pacific Building Consultants, Inc. and Philip D. Dregger PE RRC FRCI, President of Technical Roof Services, Inc. LEED: This session will provide a brief overview of the LEED program and process. Then lead into a more in-depth look at how roofing and waterproofing are involved in the LEED process. This portion will be presented by Peter Barsuk, Gensler. RCI Continuing Educational Hours (CEHs) from RCI 5 AIA Learning Units (LUs) from the American Institute of Architects 5 Registration and Location Registration Time: 1:30 pm Program: 2 pm to 7:30 pm Registration Fees: RCI / AIA / CREIA Member: $100 Non-Member: $125 Registration fee includes course handouts, beverages at registration and a light dinner. Parking: FREE Location: The Grand Event Center 4101 East Willow Street, Long Beach, CA 90815 (562) 426-0555 To register, go to www.RCISoCalChapter.org Questions call: 866/914-4RCI

REMINDER-OCTOBER IS FIRE SAFETY MONTH!

Earlier this week I was in So Cal, watching fires seemingly burst out of no where in the San Fernando Valley-the Porter Ranch area in particular. A business acquaintance was telling me yesterday how the fires reached his yard before being turned away. His only loss, a wheelbarrow.

For many others, they lost a lot more...homes, possessions, the memories those homes held inside...

Click our headline to go to the non-profit Home Safety Council's website to find out how you can help protect your property, and more importantly you and your family's lives, in the event of a house or wild fire.

For us here at Deck Expert Central, we recommend that you check your decks and adjacent areas for leaves, dead plants, flammable items such as lighter fluid (never ever ever store gasoline on your deck!)

Deck coatings (most anyway) are designed with fire resistance in mind; indeed the only types of coatings I'll use are Class A and One Hour Fire Rated Assemblies. My favorites to use are Desert Crete, Dex-O-Tex, Pli-Dek and Mer-Kote. See ICC's website for fire rated decking systems,

So many times I go onto decks and find large piles of dried leaves on them; an ember blowing over the hill from a fire nearby would easily ignite such a pile, and the leaves give the flames time to find other flammable items to burn. Clear out gutters of leaves/debris too!

The few minutes spent doing this and other fire clearance prevention measures may help save your home next!

Decks/Homes at Atascadero Habitat for Humanity Project Moves Forward

Working in conjunction with many other trades who are trying to finish their skilled trade projects-insulation/drywall, elctrical...I am working to dry in the decks for the painters to be able to finish painting the trim and siding...

The posts and railings are in and I have finished applying the base coat/fiberglass coat of the DESERT CRETE decking system from Hill Brothers.

Just in time too, as we got an early October rain storm last week...

Next week I'll be back to texture and seal the decks for their final finish. The volunteers will be coming in to do the landscaping and other work so that families can be moved in hopefully by Christmas.

Lowry's Opens 6th Location in Phoenix

HA Lowry's a wholesale distributor of waterproofing, sealants and deck coatings in California, has expanded this year out to Phoenix AZ, to support the growing market in the area.

Contractors and tradesmen can find them at

Sales Office and Warehouse
3230 E. Roeser Rd., Suite #3
Phoenix, AZ 85040
Tel: 602 268 7901
Fax: 602 268 7909

Lowry's carries it's own private labeled brands, as well as nationally known brands such as Carlisle, Neoguard, Dow Corning, Vulkem, Sika, CIM, WR Grace,
Polytuff, Tremco and many others.

Lowry's other locations are in California; in Anaheim, Arleta, Sacramento, Hayward and San Diego.

Click on our headline to go to Lowry's website...