MAY 2009 is a Record Breaker for Visitors to Deckexpert.com

From 54 countries, 44 of the 50 states, over 5400 visitors came to our deckexpert.com site last month! Over 500 visitors came to our Blog last month too.

Our followers are up on Twitter, subscribers who get our Blogs through a feed are up...

everything is going up!

Thanks to you, our readers. Support our sponsors!

Defects in Fire Resistant Construction Cause Hotel/Casino to Close

Fire resistant construction...so important that this Casino made a decision to close the building rather than risk exposure to liability.

By Dana M. Nichols

Record Staff Writer

June 26, 2009 6:00 AM

JACKSON - Newly discovered construction defects are putting a stop to the music at Jackson Rancheria Casino.

Casino management announced Thursday that it is had closed 45 of the casino's 67 hotel rooms, a restaurant and a conference center. A ballroom in the same building will close after a July 9 performance by Robin Trower.

"deficiencies in the construction mean some walls in the hotel don't meet fire resistance standards"

This week's announcement is the latest construction-defect trouble for the casino. The Jackson Rancheria Band of Mi-Wuk Indians has been waging a legal battle since 2007 with a number of contractors on the project. The tribe's lawsuit alleges a long list of construction defects that allowed water to penetrate various buildings and mold to grow inside the structure.

READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE BY CLICKING HERE

Nevada Builders/Developer's Lobby vs. Trial Lawyers-Construction Defects Law is Challenged

It's like the wild wild west out in Nevada, with the trial lawyers lobby vs the builders and developers lobby over "Chapter 40" the construction defects law that lets the prevailing party collect attorney's fees.

By J. Patrick Coolican (contact), David McGrath Schwartz (contact)

Sun, Jun 21, 2009 (2 a.m.)

The construction industry had just captured a huge victory, pushing legislation through the state Senate that would limit the ability of homeowners to win settlements against developers for construction defects.

Builders needed only a victory in the Assembly to save themselves millions in settlements and legal fees.

Their lobbyists, gathered in the hallway of the state’s 1970s-era concrete slab of a Legislative Building on April 16, were ecstatic over the 19-1 Senate vote.

James Wadhams, a lobbyist for the Southern Nevada Homebuilders, turned to his cohorts, according to two people present, and readied them for the not-always-pleasant task of dealing with Assembly Democrats, who he knew would drive a hard bargain.

“I’m gonna savor this victory awhile, but now we put our hand in the garbage disposal.”

•••

Sitting 450 miles from Las Vegas, cut off from average Nevadans, Carson City is special interest heaven.

While the public watches from afar the every-other-year 120-day legislative session, special interest lobbyists — for gaming, energy and development companies, trial lawyers and labor unions — make the rules and fight among themselves over the booty. They fly the Southwest shuttle Monday mornings and return to Las Vegas on Fridays. They spend their days shuffling between legislative offices and committee hearings, and their evenings in Carson City’s restaurants and bars, swapping gossip and toasting or ridiculing the legislators they are paid well to lobby.

No issue this session better exemplified how they do their work in the state capital than construction defect legislation, which pitted two powerful interest groups — construction companies and trial lawyers — in a battle they knew would determine the economic fate of both groups for years to come.

On one side was the Coalition for Fairness in Construction, big homebuilder and contracting companies and small subcontractors, who knew they had a sympathetic ear among conservative Democrats in the Senate.

On the other was the Nevada Justice Association, a fancy name for trial lawyers. Many Assembly Democrats, particularly in leadership, are their close allies.

Read the rest of this article by clicking here to go the Las Vegas Sun website.

PCBC Show at San Francisco Is "Pretty Busy"

Deck Expert stopped in to walk around yesterday at PCBC; there is activity and while the show is much smaller (one hall, as oppsed to 2+ in past years) there were plenty of builders walking around.

Several of our sponsors were displaying there products and busily scanning badges for product literature to be mailed out to prospects and future followup.

Partners Jan Bagnall & Jeff Zember
of Pli-Dek were at their 10th
PCBC show.

Mer-Ko Parex displayed as well with a large corner that brought in traffic.

From a Vendor With a Booth at PCBC " There are lots of people here today"

One of my advertisers and I were conversing a little while ago while he is on the floor displaying at PCBC, which opened today at Moscone Center in San Francisco.

He told me that he is quite pleased with the traffic on the show floor today...

Maybe there is some new life coming back into the "mostly dead" body of new construction. (With credit to Billy Crystal from his role in Princess Bride).

Anyway, head on over to see what is happening and meet your peers on the floor.

I'll be there tomorrow, wearing a T shirt with the DeckExpert.com logo...stop me and say hello!

CENTRAL COAST WATERPROOFING Teams With All Seasons Restoration to Apply Desert Crete at Carpenteria HOA

Central Coast Waterproofing has signed a contract with All-Seasons Restoration of Oxnard to provide and install Desert Crete decking to decks at an HOA in Carpenteria.

"ASR recognizes the superior durability and quality that Desert Crete offers; and appreciates that Central Coast Waterproofing is a team player and a superior contractor,

dedicated to proper installation, support and warranties of the product." said Bill Leys, owner of Central Coast Waterproofing.

The HOA in Carpenteria is an older complex with deteriorating decks that recognized they needed to be repaired and waterproofed with a high quality product. Located off the 101, the second floor entry decks are apx 100 square feet each, and are the only entry into the second floors. The fast drying Desert Crete materials allow resident access at the end of each day, and save money by not forcing residents relocations while the work progresses.

For your HOA decking needs, consider Desert Crete, the superior alternative to other decking systems. Call Bill Leys for your free estimate at 805-801-2380.