Advertising Space Opens Up For Distributors of Waterproof Decking, Below Grade and Flooring

Are you a distributor of decking and flooring products for concrete, decks and waterproofing?

I am happy to announce the opening of 3 spaces to distributors of waterproofing materials. We will have these 3 spaces available on our BLOG and our website, over 200 pages in all where your ad will appear, and only 2 other competitors will ever be next to your ad.

At our website www.deckexpert.com, we will feature the ads right below our manufacturer's ads in the same format, one row with only 3 logo's appearing!

Get in now, Waterproofdeckcoatingadvice.com 2.0 is being planned and designed for a launch later this year, with all new features, a new look and our new site will be easier than ever to navigate through and find information.

According to our stat machine, over 40,000 visits were recorded in 2008. Almost 50% of our visitors added us to their Favorites files.

Call Bill Leys at 805-801-2380 today!

Hey Deck Expert-My installer wants to put "crickets" in the corners of my deck. I have a hard time sleeping now, won't crickets keep me awake?

Dear Reader,

Thanks for your question about crickets.
To help ease your mind about being able to sleep, the crickets your installer wants to put in are the silent type of crickets that don't chirp all night long, so you'll get plenty of rest.

So what are these "crickets" that our reader is inquiring about? Quite simply, in the parlance of the deck coating world, a "cricket" is a method used to provide reverse slope, or move water in a different direction than where it wants to go.

Water seeks it's own level, so when a deck is pitched 2% from the wall out to the edge,
the water will run out to the edge and run off. That works fine in the case of an open railing system. But often times, a stucco or wood sided solid wall will be built at the edge. As seen above in the picture, water is trapped in a corner, mere inches away from the scupper (not visible in pic). By building slope into the corner across from the outside edge to the scupper, water would move off to the scupper instead of being trapped in a low spot.

Ponding water on a deck is not a good thing, ponded water can over time damage the waterproofing membrane and causes dirt stains and is unsightly.

Installing crickets in corners and in between drains or scuppers helps eliminate ponding water.

So in this case reader, get your self some crickets in those corners and get a good night's rest too!

From Huffington Post Comes News about an EPA Settlemement over Mercury in Cement

From the Huffington Post comes this news about Cement Plants and mercury emissions. Many deck coating manufacturer's use cement based products as their material of choice for decking, sloping, waterproofing etc.

How will the changes effect cement prices, and deck coating material prices? Isn't our health and welfare paramount over manufacturing concerns?

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Federal regulators have settled a lawsuit with environmental activists and nine states over standards for mercury emissions from cement plants, the plaintiffs announced Friday.

Earthjustice, an environmental law firm based in Washington, sued the Environmental Protection Agency in 2007 on behalf of activist groups. The firm said existing federal regulations that exempted older cement kilns failed to impose adequate mercury pollution controls.

Nine states, including New York and Michigan, also joined the suit, contending the agency had not based its standards on the latest pollution control technology.

About 150 kilns around the nation generate nearly 23,000 pounds of airborne mercury a year, according to Earthjustice. Mercury, a toxic metal that can damage the brain and nervous system, is generated from the raw materials and some fuels used in cement-making.

The agency had issued mercury regulations for cement plants three years ago, but they applied only to kilns built after Dec. 2, 2005. Most operating kilns, however, were built earlier and were exempt.

CLICK ON OUR HEADLINE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

From Los Angeles Based Commercial Real Estate Inspector Bob Pace Comes His Article "Don't Overlook the Exterior of a Building"

I found an interesting read at this website (click our headline to read all of it) from a commercial building inspector, he basically affirms my statements about decks, leaks, drains/scuppers and railings...

Exterior doors vary from the usual metal frame and glass entry doors to metal roll up doors for loading and unloading and metal pedestrian fire escape/exit doors. In my experience, exterior door thresholds, that portion on the flooring that you step across when you walk through a door, are the main source of water intrusion at doors.

A problem with thresholds usually occurs when they are level with the exterior. This is often a source of moisture intrusion. The industry standard is that the threshold is to be above the exterior level by at least 1.5 inches. This is to allow for a proper moisture barrier. Rarely is this the case.

Exterior decks can be of many types. Tile, stone, waterproof material, concrete and metal are the most common for a commercial building. My biggest issue with decks is the waterproofing, especially if it is over occupied space. I look very closely at the transitions such as connections to the building and railings with special attention to the door thresholds. These areas usually require regular maintenance such as resealing the waterproof decking surface every 3 to 5 years depending on the material and foot traffic. In a very heavy traffic area this may need to be done more often.

Another area I pay particular attention to is the drainage. This can be an issue with enclosed decks with surface drains. Enclosed decks are the decks with solid walls for railings. The only place water can get out is through surface drains. If any leaves or debris get on these drains this can create a dam in a very short time during a heavy rain. These drains can clog up very easily and the deck can quickly become a tub. I really try to make sure the interested parties understand how important it is to keep these drains free flowing and to maintain them. I speak here from hard won experience.

In my experience, railings around decks generally have two main areas of concern. One is the height. Some of the very old deck rails dont feel safe specifically, any railing type or style that is less than 36 inches tall. The other is spacing. The City of Los Angeles recommends that the spacing between rails be no wider than 4 inches. The other possible issues are rusted, damaged or loose railings.

See their website at http://www.commercialrealestateinspectors.com

Versatile, a Manufacturer Has Interesting Video Training Series Online

VERSATILE has an impressive number of training videos on line at it's website; click our headline to go to their library of videos page. We put one on here for you to see, hope they don't mind we're promoting their stuff by putting this up...

San Diego's TV 10 Turns Up Contractor Involved In Fraud

San Diego's TV 10 turns up this fraud involving a contractor who has already been accused of fraud...


Lauren Reynolds
10News I-Team Reporter
SAN DIEGO -- The 10News I-Team confronts Janice Culp outside her business on Sports Arena Boulevard."Hi, Janice Culp, I'm Lauren Reynolds from Channel 10 News, I need to talk to you about running Sunco. Are you afraid to talk to us?"Culp ignores our questions and ducks back into Sunco Construction, the company employees say she runs along with her husband Keith Marbury and brother Dale Culp.

Watch the I Team video by clicking here

Read the rest at TV 10's I Team Investigations page by clicking on our headline...