Everything Building Envelope

Energy Conservation and Reducing Building Carbon Emissions

Tue, 09 May 2023 13:40:14 GMT

About The Everything Building Envelope Podcast: Everything Building Envelope℠ is a dedicated podcast and video forum for understanding the building envelope. Our podcast series discusses current trends and issues that contractors, developers, and building owners have to deal with related to pre and post-construction. Our series touches on various topics related to water infiltration, litigation, and construction methods related to the building envelope.
https://www.everythingbuildingenvelope.com
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Dan: Welcome, everyone, to our “Everything Building Envelope Podcast.” I am Dan Johnson, senior consultant for GCI Consultants, and I will be your host today. I am really excited today to have as our guest, Todd Frederick, who is the owner and CEO of FreMarq Innovations, which is a highly performance curtain wall company located in Central Wisconsin, that was established in 2016. Prior to that, his company was FM Enterprises, which was established in 1996. I believe we have an interesting topic today, which is all about how FreMarq's technology helps with energy conservation, dollar savings, and reduces a building's overall carbon footprint. So, Todd, let's start off by having you tell our audience a little bit about yourself and your area of expertise, and then we can jump right into our podcast.
Todd: Great. Thank you, Dan. Well, I started in the curtain wall window industry in 1981, and I worked for a large window curtain wall manufacturer here in Central Wisconsin until '96, at which time I started my first company, FM Enterprises, which primarily we did a lot of storefront doors, custom fabrication, and gradually built into the curtain wall market. And that lasted until about 19-, or I'm sorry, 2010, at which time I decided I was gonna retire for a while, but that didn't last long. And in 2015, I decided it was time for someone to look at curtain wall framing systems, primarily to provide a high-performance thermal product. Up until that time, most people, architects, designers, would refer to the center of glass and really didn't take the account of the framing aspects into place. So, like I said, in 2015, I started to look at that. In 2016, I developed FreMarq Innovations, and that's what we do today is we look at framing. We provide highly thermal products to improve thermal performance of a building envelope and save money for building owners.
Dan: Okay. Well, that's quite a history, and I know as we talked a little bit earlier, you and I had worked together, you know, in our former lives also, and I'm glad that we're able to talk again. So, I know you had talked about this a little bit. Why is it important to have a high-performing building envelope?
Todd: Well, our research has found that buildings account for approximately 40% of all carbon emissions globally, which is a huge impact on our climate change. In addition, approximately $20 billion of energy leak out of commercial building windows each year, so both new and old windows, making this an economical issue for building owners. A high-performance envelope, which includes windows and curtain wall, will not only make a positive impact on our environment, but will also save money for building owners by reducing energy and maintenance costs, which I feel is a win-win for everybody.
Dan: Yes. I do agree with you 100%, but kind of the old adage out there, you know, money is everything. So, how has the industry responded so far to high-performance products?

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GCI Services

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 19:30:44 GMT

About The Everything Building Envelope Podcast: Everything Building Envelope℠ is a dedicated podcast and video forum for understanding the building envelope. Our podcast series discusses current trends and issues that contractors, developers and building owners have to deal with related to pre and post construction. Our series touches on various topics related to water infiltration, litigation and construction methods related to the building envelope.
https://www.everythingbuildingenvelope.com
*** Subscribe to the show and leave us a Review on ITunes!
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Alfonso: Welcome, everyone, to our “Everything Building Envelope” podcast. I am Alfonso Alzamora, Vice President and Principal with GCI Consultants, and I will be your host today. I am really excited today to have as our guest one of our partners and engineers that I work with here at GCI, Jason Bondurant. Jason, since you are a repeat guest, let's just jump right into today's podcast.
In this podcast, we will highlight our services and talk about the different types of projects that we are involved with, where we work, and whom we work with. For those who haven't worked with us in the past, GCI is a consulting and engineering firm that specializes in the exterior building envelope. The building envelope is the part of the building that separates the interior from the exterior. It includes the roofs, walls, windows, doors, and foundations. Our specialty services primarily include property condition assessments, forensic investigations, expert witness services for construction defects and first-party insurance claims, and quality assurance inspections and testing. So, Jason, let's dig into each of these services and discuss scenarios in which we help our clients.
Jason: Yes. And I'm glad that we have the opportunity to discuss our services today, that following the tragic collapse of the Champlain Tower South in Surfside and the subsequent passing of the condominium safety bill in Florida, there's been a greater interest from building owners in hiring engineering firms to evaluate their buildings. One of the main concerns that owners typically have is with the envelopes of their buildings. The types of assessments that GCI performs is different from the typical 40-year structural and electrical recertification process. Instead, we offer a more specialized assessment of the building envelope systems.
We focus on a variety of forensic procedures to evaluate the condition and performance of these various building envelope components. These evaluations are useful to building owners because they can provide them with an overview of the general condition of the building's walls, windows, roofing, and waterproofing systems, and they can be useful when planning for maintenance or repairs.
I recently did a building envelope condition assessment at a high-end home in South Florida that's located directly on the ocean, and it was relatively a new construction. And the owner was experiencing some problems with their building. They were starting to have some problems with water intrusion around windows, and they started to see some cracks in the exterior stucco, and because of that, they were concerned about the overall condition of the building envelope and the construction of the home. So, they hired GCI to come and do a condition assessment of the full building. And our assessment on this particular project included the roof, the walls, windows, balconies,

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What Are Storm Shelters and What are The Requirements for a Storm Shelter?

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 19:07:47 GMT

About The Everything Building Envelope Podcast: Everything Building Envelope℠ is a dedicated podcast and video forum for understanding the building envelope. Our podcast series discusses current trends and issues that contractors, developers and building owners have to deal with related to pre and post construction. Our series touches on various topics related to water infiltration, litigation and construction methods related to the building envelope.
https://www.everythingbuildingenvelope.com
*** Subscribe to the show and leave us a Review on ITunes!
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Dan: Welcome everyone to our “Everything Building Envelope” podcast. I am Dan Johnson, the senior consultant for GCI Consultants, and I will be your host today. I'm excited to have as a guest, Jim Bell, the director of operations for the National Storm Shelter Association. Today, our topic is What Are Storm Shelters and What are The Requirements for a Storm Shelter? Let's start off by having you tell our audience a little bit about yourself, and then we'll jump into our podcast.
Jim: Good morning, Dan, and nice to be here. I started out with wind codes after riding out Hurricane Andrew in South Florida. I was on the fringe of it, the county north of Dade County, and it affected us a lot. And going down and looking at the damage that following weekend, it was…it amazed me, and it lit a fire in me. And I got involved with the codes there and it kind of expanded and went on to the tornado codes, and I joined the National Storm Shelter Association, which at the time was outta Texas Tech with Dr. Kiesling. And I've since gotten very involved with the national codes and all about shelters.
Dan: Okay. Jim, I know…you and I go back aways back to my storm shelter testing days. And so I know that you've just briefly been with NSSA. So, what is the NSSA and what does it serve the industry?
Jim: Yes. Thanks. The NSSA is an organization started in 2000. It was really started after a series of severe tornadoes in the Lubbock area, near Texas Tech. And there was a professor of wind sciences at Texas Tech, Dr. Ernst Kiesling, who started up this organization to talk about how we can prevent loss of life in tornado events. And he is considered the grandfather of the aboveground tornado shelter, and they did a lot of studies. The NSSA was the group that put together the ICC 500, which is the building code in the International Building Code, which covers the United States for shelters, and then partnered with ICC who then took the code as an ICC standard. And the ICC 500 is NSSA/ICC 500 in the code, which covers how you build a safe room.
Dan: I was just gonna say [inaudible 00:02:49] the NSSA is basically, it's like a trade association comprised of many different building officials and also shelter manufacturers, correct?
Jim: Correct. We have a membership of industry professionals, architects, engineers. We also have producer members who produce, you know, pre-manufactured shelters for the home, site build shelters, and then the officials who actually build the community-type large shelters in schools and other types of buildings. We also work with building officials and emergency managers. And then the associations like FEMA and NOAA, and NIST are some of the other people that are members of NSSA.
Dan: Okay. Yeah. I know that NSSA and ICC 500 goes from large structures down to residences. But for just kind single-family residents,

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World of Windows Part 2

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 15:56:28 GMT

About The Everything Building Envelope Podcast: Everything Building Envelope℠ is a dedicated podcast and video forum for understanding the building envelope. Our podcast series discusses current trends and issues that contractors, developers and building owners have to deal with related to pre and post construction. Our series touches on various topics related to water infiltration, litigation and construction methods related to the building envelope.
https://www.everythingbuildingenvelope.com
*** Subscribe to the show and leave us a Review on ITunes!
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Paul: Hello, everyone, welcome to “The Everything Building Envelope Podcast.” This is Paul Beers, CEO and Managing Member for GCI Consultants and I will be your host today. We're gonna do Part 2 of a podcast that we started last month with our Senior Consultant, Dan Johnson, and dig deeper into the topic of windows and doors and testing and whatnot. Dan joined our team of experts in April of this year, and he's been a really strong addition to our team. So welcome back, Dan.
Dan: Yeah, thank you, Paul.
Paul: Yeah, so we had a really interesting discussion, there was so much to talk about that we decided that it'd be good to have a Part 2 here. And I'm really excited about that. Just for those that may not have listened to Part 1, maybe you can give a little run-through of your background before we get into today's topic.
Dan: Yeah, definitely, I'd be happy to. I graduated with a BSc. degree in engineering technology with a quality control emphasis. And out of college, I went right into the building and construction industry as a test technician for a number of years testing windows and doors for air-water, structural performance, acoustic performance.
And then as I progressed in my career, I've built a couple of different laboratories for architectural testing and then one for Intertek Testing Services, continuing in the air, water, structural testing of windows, doors, curtain walls, mock-ups. And then also in the thermal testing for U-value and concepts and resistance factor testing. A little over 34 years of experience in both laboratory and field, quality control, and forensic testing and valuation services.
Paul: Cool. So let's talk a little bit about…so you've been with GCI now for what like about six months, I think, and coming up on six months. So what have you been doing since you joined GCI and what's your role at this point?
Dan: My role at GCI has been a new position has kind of been evolving. I've been assisting with not only the GCI podcast and blogs, but as I've become acquainted with GCI customers, I am the window expert for GCI Consultants. And what that entails is basically going on-site, reviewing claims that are potential litigation claims, and just confirming that the windows and doors have been installed correctly, tested correctly. And then assisting window manufacturers in the final result of litigation claims, depositions, court appearances, or testimonials, and that type of thing.
So the role is continually evolving. I'm also just, you know, with my testing background and becoming…I'm accredited for field testing, so I'm assisting with that transition. So I'm working with training our technicians and the other consultants.
Paul: So on the consulting side, who typically would be your client, or who would hire you for a GCI assignment?
Dan: Typically,

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World of Windows Part 1

Tue, 25 Oct 2022 19:03:47 GMT

About The Everything Building Envelope Podcast: Everything Building Envelope℠ is a dedicated podcast and video forum for understanding the building envelope. Our podcast series discusses current trends and issues that contractors, developers and building owners have to deal with related to pre and post construction. Our series touches on various topics related to water infiltration, litigation and construction methods related to the building envelope.
https://www.everythingbuildingenvelope.com
*** Subscribe to the show and leave us a Review on ITunes!
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Paul: Hello, everyone. Welcome to the “Everything Building Envelope” podcast. This is Paul Beers, CEO and managing member for GCI Consultants, and I will be your host today. I thought it would be interesting to talk with our very own senior consultant, Dan Johnson about his experience in the world of windows. Dan joined our team of experts in April this year, and is a strong addition to our team. So, Dan, welcome.
Dan: Yeah, thank you, Paul.
Paul: So, Dan, why don't you tell our listeners a little bit about yourself, and then we'll go back and do a deeper dive?
Dan: Okay. Thank you, Paul. Yeah, and I'll be glad. As I mentioned, you know, thanks for allowing me to join GCI. And, kind of, my experiences. My college education is I was engineering and technology with a quality management emphasis. And then when I graduated college, of course, the typical, you need the experience, and so I got a job as a test technician with Twin City Testing Corporation.
My role there, I was their laboratory air, water, structural, and acoustical technician. We tested anything from doors, windows, to interior walls, exterior walls. And then also, I was responsible for doing the field testing for windows, and doors, and curtain walls for air infiltration and water penetration testing, and also, the acoustical testing in the field. I was there for a couple of years, and then when architectural testing wanted to expand into the Midwest of the United States, they contacted me to assist. And there, we built a lab. That was in 1990. And that lab, we did the full series of testing for air, water, structural for window and door manufacturers. We also tested on insulated glass and also safety glazing.
We were a small lab at the time. We had… I'll be honest, we had three employees. But as we grew, my responsibilities also grew along with that. So I was responsible for, initially, you know, for basically all of the field testing, which ranged from, you know, quality control testing, all the way through forensic evaluations. And then as we grew, we outgrew the space. And we moved into a larger space, which allowed us to expand into the thermal testing realm, which thermal testing is basically, you know, determining your U-values and your condensation existence factors based on the NFRC and AAMA test procedures. And so I assisted our company, and we built the thermal chamber. And at that time, it was Saint Paul, Minnesota.
And then also, run, did the installs, the evaluations. I became the person responsible charge for NFRC. And then also along with thermal testing, we expanded into more of the insulated glass testing, which we tested mostly for the Insulated Glass Certification Council, and then also for ALI and MAM [SP] for their certification programs.
We lasted there for about 15 years. During that time, we were purchased by Intertek Testing Services. And then we ran outta space once again,

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Hurricane Preparedness: Documenting Structural Conditions

Sun, 18 Sep 2022 13:09:43 GMT

In this episode, Chris Matthews, President and Principal for GCI Consultants, speaks with Vincent Decicco, owner of Full Frame Virtual Reality. They discuss hurricane preparedness, documentation of structure conditions prior to an event, and what people can do as policyholders to protect themselves and document their structures and their possessions.

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Clean Energy and Affordable Clean Energy Systems

Thu, 21 Jul 2022 18:30:19 GMT

About The Everything Building Envelope Podcast: Everything Building Envelope℠ is a dedicated podcast and video forum for understanding the building envelope. Our podcast series discusses current trends and issues that contractors, developers and building owners have to deal with related to pre and post construction. Our series touches on various topics related to water infiltration, litigation and construction methods related to the building envelope.
https://www.everythingbuildingenvelope.com
*** Subscribe to the show and leave us a Review on ITunes!
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Dan: Welcome, everyone, to our “Everything Building Envelope” podcast. I am Dan Johnson, senior consultant for GCI Consultants, and I will be your host today. I am very excited to have as our guest, Ron Kamen, with EarthKind Energy Consulting. We have an interesting topic today, “Clean Energy and Affordable Clean Energy Systems.” So, Ron, let's start off by having you tell our audience a little bit about yourself, and then we'll jump right into the podcast.
Ron: Thanks so much, Dan. Thanks for having me on the show. “Everything Building Envelope” is an outstanding podcast, and I love the work you guys are doing. And thanks for adding in my piece of this, which isn't 100% building envelope, but it has an impact on the envelope in various ways, and then has a dramatic impact on the building performance in general for those who are interested in building performance. EarthKind Energy Consulting is my consulting company. I've been in clean energy for over four decades, actually. I started out with energy policy, and having clean energy policies that helped drive programs. I rolled out a number of different clean energy programs over the years that we can talk about.
But really for the two decades that I've been in business with my EarthKind Energy Consulting practice, which started out as starfire.net along the story. But for over two decades have been representing commercial building owners who wish to make clean energy transitions that reduce their cost, access, a number of government programs and utility programs that provide both cash and tax incentives, and then give an outstanding return on investment, and make their buildings more profitable, more efficient, healthier, and simultaneously have a positive environmental impact. So, looking forward to the conversation.
Dan: Whoa. That is a very thorough and an in-depth bio, and I'm looking forward to all the wealth of information that you'll be able to give myself and our viewers during our talk today. So, let's kind of jump right in. And one of the things that I've always had questions on, and through my research I've kind of somewhat done, seems other people have also, I know we're gonna talk about clean energy. What is the actual definition of clean energy, and how does that relate, or does it even relate to renewable energy?
Ron: Yeah. Great question. And depending upon who you talk to, you might get a different answer on that. But my answer on this is that clean energy starts first with energy efficiency. And as a guy named Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute I think coined the phrase, the cheapest energy is that energy that you don't use. So, becoming more efficient with energy always makes a tremendous amount of sense in clean energy category. The first category is efficiency and reducing your energy consumption. And you guys, of course, you know,

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International Property Maintenance Codes

Sat, 09 Jul 2022 17:40:33 GMT

Listen as, Dan Johnson, Senior Consultant for GCI Consultants speaks with Dottie Mazzarella, Vice President of Government Relations for the International Code Council. They discuss the international building code development and the International Property Maintenance Codes.

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Weather and Scientific Evidence Around Various Disasters

Mon, 29 Nov 2021 18:10:09 GMT

About The Everything Building Envelope Podcast: Everything Building Envelope℠ is a dedicated podcast and video forum for understanding the building envelope. Our podcast series discusses current trends and issues that contractors, developers and building owners have to deal with related to pre and post construction. Our series touches on various topics related to water infiltration, litigation and construction methods related to the building envelope.
https://www.everythingbuildingenvelope.com
*** Subscribe to the show and leave us a Review on ITunes!
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Paul: Hello, everyone. Welcome to the “Everything Building Envelope” podcast. This is Paul Beers, CEO and managing member for GCI Consultants, and I will be your host today. I'm really excited to have, as our guest, Howard Altschule. And Howard's the CEO and a certified consulting meteorologist from Forensic Weather Consultants, LLC. Howard, welcome.
Howard: Hey, thank you very much, Paul. I appreciate being on the podcast with you.
Paul: Yeah, it's gonna be great. So we've got a really interesting topic today, which is all about weather and scientific evidence around various disasters. I know hurricanes are obviously on everybody's mind, but there's other types of things I think we might talk about as well. But Howard, before we do that, why don't you tell everybody a little bit about yourself, and then we'll go into the topic.
Howard: Sure. As you mentioned, I'm a certified consulting meteorologist and the CEO and owner of Forensic Weather Consultants. Forensic Weather Consultants is one of the leading weather expert firms in the country where we provide weather data, weather records, meteorological analyses for a specific incident location, written reports that adhere to the federal rules of evidence, affidavits, deposition, testimony, and trial testimony. It's a lot to digest there, but pretty much we are the go-to people for weather records and finding out what the weather was in regards to some incident or accident insurance claim or lawsuit. We also do some side projects for private corporations or government agencies, but, you know, by and far, we're expert witnesses in the field of meteorology.
I received my Bachelor of Science degree from the State University of New York in Albany back in 1995. And I obtained and was granted my certified consulting meteorologist designation, which is the highest designation a consulting meteorologist can get, several years ago at an American Meteorological Society Conference. My company, Forensic Weather Consultants, we have, including myself, five full-time meteorologists, and we're all working on forensics all around the country. And with all the crazy weather, we've been very, very, very busy with many different types of cases, not only from building envelope issues, but to motor vehicle accidents, boat accidents, plane crashes, slip and falls, and everything in-between.
Paul: So, Howard, you've…I know the answer to this, but I don't know that all our listeners do, have you testified as an expert in court before?
Howard: Yes, I've testified in court. Let's see, I testified a few weeks ago in Western New York. And that was my, I believe, 96th trial. So testified live in trial 96 times with about 76 or 77 other deposition testimonies and other matters.
Paul: Wow, that's a big number.
Howard: Yeah, it is.

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The State of Stucco

Thu, 16 Sep 2021 16:16:06 GMT

In this episode, Bret Taylor, Professional Engineer, and Sr. Consultant for GCI Consultants talks Robert Koning Director of Contractors Institute, Stucco Institute, Building Officials Institute, and he's also the developer of the Sealed Cladding System. They'll discuss the state of stucco, the history of the Stucco industry, and the future that lies ahead for stucco.

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FIU Wall of Wind Research Facility: Environmental Effects on Buildings

Thu, 19 Aug 2021 09:00:02 GMT

In this episode, Chris Matthews, President and Principal for GCI Consultants talks with staff members from FIU , starting with, Ioannis Zisis from FIU who is an Associate Professor, Dept. of Civil & Environ. Engineering. They'll discuss the Wall of Wind and research on curtain walls, and simulation of damage from water-ingress.

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Navigating Hurricane Season Property Damage

Tue, 15 Jun 2021 11:44:08 GMT

In this episode, Paul Beers, CEO and Managing Member for GCI Consultants talks with Karen Schiffmiller, President of FAPIA, the Florida Association of Public Insurance Adjusters, the largest public adjusting association in the country. They'll break down the claims review process for hurricane property damage and how FAPIA helps their policyholders.

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Dealing With Your Insurance Company After a Loss

Wed, 26 May 2021 14:02:23 GMT

n this episode, Paul Beers, CEO and Managing Member for GCI Consultants, talks with Chip Merlin, Founder and President of Merlin Law Group, about teh representation and advocacy of insurance policyholders who are in disputes with their insurance carriers. They'll break down teh claims review process and help you understand when you need to hire an attorney.

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Building an Entrepreneurial Company Culture Through Technology

Fri, 23 Apr 2021 09:08:23 GMT

In this episode, Chris Matthews, President and Principal for GCI Consultants, talks with Henry Lopez, managing partner at Levante Business Group, about how GCI has built a company culture through the values of entrepreneurship. Listen in as the two experts discuss how technology has played a part in building a sustainable company culture in the current climate of the building envelope industry.

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Comparing Building Envelope Industry Perspectives and Trends – Skyline Windows

Tue, 30 Mar 2021 08:12:40 GMT

Listen to Chris Matthews, President and Principal for GCI Consultants, talk with Adrian Lowenstein, National Business Development Manager for Skyline Windows, about the Building Envelope industry's hot topics. Listen in as the two experts discuss energy code requirements, sustainability trends, and technology trends that they see in the Northeast where Skyline Windows is based versus the Southeast where GCI Consultants does a lot of work.

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Tremco Products and Applications for Building Envelopes

Sat, 07 Nov 2020 12:34:28 GMT

Listen to Chris Matthews, GCI Consultants CEO & Founder talk with JD Snyder, Senior Technical Representative of Tremco Sealants, about the COVID-19, common waterproofing building envelope issues, and technology in the field. Listen in as the two experts discuss the in and outs of the current state of the Building Envelope landscape

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Catastrophe Insurance Claims

Thu, 03 Sep 2020 11:48:37 GMT

Listen to Paul Beers, GCI Consultants CEO & Founder talk with Tara Stone, president of Stone Claims Group, about catastrophe insurance claims, wind storms, and hurricanes amidst this year's current hurricane season. The two experts discuss the in and outs of the insurance claim process and how building envelope experts work together with insurance adjusters to identify damage.

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Deck Waterproofing

Fri, 21 Aug 2020 14:17:22 GMT

About The Everything Building Envelope Podcast: Everything Building Envelope℠ is a dedicated podcast and video forum for understanding the building envelope. Our podcast series discusses current trends and issues that contractors, developers and building owners have to deal with related to pre and post construction. Our series touches on various topics related to water infiltration, litigation and construction methods related to the building envelope.
https://www.everythingbuildingenvelope.com
*** Subscribe to the show and leave us a Review on ITunes!
Alfonso: Welcome everyone to our Everything Building Envelope podcast. I am Alfonso Alzamora, Vice President and Principal with GCI Consultants and I will be your host today. I am really excited today to have as our guest, one of our engineers that I work with here at GCI Consultants and the guest, Jason Bondurant. We have got a really interesting topic to share with you today, which is all about pool decks and plaza decks waterproofing. So Jason, since you are a repeat guest, let's just jump right into talking about plaza decks and pool decks waterproofing. So why don't you tell us a little bit about the typical components that we find in these types of systems?
Jason: So when we talk about plaza deck waterproofing system, typically what we're referring to is a waterproofing membrane that's installed on the structural deck, typically a concrete deck, and typically these types of systems are installed over occupied space where it's essentially functioning as a roof or occasionally we'll see them installed over parking garages or other types of spaces.
And usually, these types of membranes will be covered by some type of overburden. So, it'll be concealed in the finished assembly. You won't actually see the waterproofing membrane. These areas are somewhat different than roofing systems in that they're also intended for vehicular or pedestrian traffic or used as greenscape or planter areas. And because of that, these types of systems are exposed to some of the harshest conditions. And one of the things that really makes these systems challenging is that they do require a high level of coordination between the waterproofing and the adjacent envelope systems.
So the typical components kind of from top to bottom would be at the top you'd have some type of wearing surface which could be bricks, it could be pavers, precast flab or exposed aggregate. And then beneath that, you'll have some type of fill where it may be a topping slab, it may be sand, or it may be a mortar setting bed. And then beneath that, you would have some type of drainage layer. Typically, these days we would see a prefabricated drainage mat, but it could also be a layer of gravel or some kind of drainage medium that'll allow the water to flow easily. And then beneath that, we would have the waterproofing membrane and the protection, of course, which is on the structural deck.
Alfonso: Right. And I'm sure you agree that, you know, as with any waterproofing system that drainage is a critical part of the assembly. So why don't you tell us a little bit more about the drainage layer?
Jason: Yeah. So the drainage, like you said, with any waterproofing or roofing system, it's the most critical aspect. And for these types of protective membrane waterproofing systems, there are some unique aspects to the drainage that we don't have to be concerned about with a typical roofing system. So, with these protected membrane systems, they need to be designed so that you have the expectation that water is going to get all the way down to the waterproof membrane level, which is beneath the overburden. So, the deck needs to have a bi-level drainage system that'll allow water to enter the drain from the waterproof level wh...

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Wall Systems

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 15:44:49 GMT

Today’s podcast will focus our conversation with David Hansen on his extensive knowledge of products and wall systems, especially exterior glazing systems and how they are intended to function, how to get them installed correctly, and how to keep them functioning right. David is gonna talk to you about some of the things he’s learned in his 30 years in the industry, problems, and recommendations he can offer to you.

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Due Diligence of the Exterior Building Envelope

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 13:57:34 GMT

Jason Bondurant deals with forensic investigations, problems with existing buildings. The main purpose of Due Diligence of the Building Envelope is to assess the condition of the building envelope at a property, to identify any deficiencies which might require repair or replacement. The building envelope refers to the exterior skin of the building, the exterior wall systems which might be brick or stucco glazing systems like storefronts, curtain walls, sliding glass doors, waterproofing systems on balconies or plaza decks, and the roofing systems on the roof of the building.

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Is Your Building Prepared For Hurricane Season

Mon, 01 Jun 2020 20:51:16 GMT

As hurricane season unfolds, we’re preparing for the possibility of tornadoes and thunderstorms that can cause storm damage to commercial properties and homes. Learn more about preparing your building for hurricane season from two industry experts; Jesmany Jomarron, the founding Partner at FPJL Trial Attorneys; and Paul Beers, a leading expert witness on hurricane damage and protection.

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Systems Processes and Working Remotely

Tue, 19 May 2020 14:24:50 GMT

One of the best things any company can do is set up technology systems and processes that help prepare them to work under any circumstances. GCI was prepared for the current crisis and hasn’t had to make many (if any at all) adjustments to work remotely. We continue to deliver a rapid response to our clients now, and in the future beyond the current crisis. Here’s a look at some of the technologies and strategies we’ve been using with great success for the past decade.

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COVID-19 Protocols for Building Envelope Inspections

Tue, 12 May 2020 11:18:38 GMT

The new normal for the construction industry is being defined right now. Keeping people safe is the name of the game. What has changed is that we’re implementing new COVID-19 safety protocols and training for all GCI personnel - this includes our inspectors who come onsite at your property. What hasn’t changed is our dedication to providing our expert opinions and experience to assess and interpret the damage to your property.

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What Every Building Owner Needs To Know About Doors & Windows

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 13:30:23 GMT

About The Everything Building Envelope Podcast: Everything Building Envelope℠ is a dedicated podcast and video forum for understanding the building envelope. Our podcast series discusses current trends and issues that contractors, developers and building owners have to deal with related to pre and post construction. Our series touches on various topics related to water infiltration, litigation and construction methods related to the building envelope.
https://www.everythingbuildingenvelope.com
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Derek: Welcome to the “Everything Building Envelope” podcast. I'm Derek Segal, and I'm a building envelope consultant with GCI Consultants. And I will be your host today. We've got a very special guest today, Paul Del Vecchio, who's the owner of PJDCCI Construction Consultants, based out of Boca Raton, Florida, who is joining us. And today, we we're talking about fenestration. Welcome, Paul.
Paul: Thank you, Derek.
Derek: Paul, can you start off by telling us a little bit about yourself and also, I'd like you to maybe just give us a brief description of what we're talking about today being fenestration so all of our guests can understand what the topic applies to.
Paul: Okay. I have been a contractor in Florida since 1979. And I've worked in Florida in the construction industry since 1970. I sold my construction company about 12 years ago or so, and ended up providing consulting services as I do today. A lot of the consulting services I provide have to do with building envelope and, more specifically, windows and doors, the world of fenestration, if you will.
Derek: Thank you for that. So wow. So you started your career here in 1970, which, obviously, I guess, things were quite a bit different back then, regarding building codes and the construction industry, so I'm sure you've seen quite a bit of changes over the last 40-plus years.
Paul: Absolutely.
Derek: Yeah, I mean, things are changing on a rapid pace here. So, maybe just to start out, let's talk a little bit about, because I think you were pretty active, as you said, in the construction industry licensing board, what is that board? What is it responsible for and how is it structured? And what did you folks do while being a part of that licensing board?
Paul: Well, the Construction Industry Licensing Board is a division or element of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation of Florida. That's the entity that, basically, as the title would infer, regulates our specific businesses, among them construction as well as architecture, engineering, and building inspectors and building officials. On the CILB, which is an acronym for the Construction Industry Licensing Board, there are 18 members. The vast majority of them are contractors of various disciplines, two of them are building officials, and two are consumer people who have no connection to the construction industry at all. And the CILB is tasked with regulating construction in the state of Florida. So we have a statute, like all disciplines do, and it's Florida State Statute 489. And it really dictates the requirements of a contractor, since it's considered a professional license in the state of Florida.
Derek: Got it. So you folks sat on this board, and you managed, if you will, the construction industry, or the licensees in the state of Florida, actually of which I'm one. I'm a state licensed roofing contractor, so I'm very familiar with the board. I got licensed in 1992 after Hurricane Andrew. What type of disciplinary cases would you folks hear and how many involved fenestration, windows and doors, openings, building envelope issues? Do you have any type of percentage or…?

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Is Your Expert Really An Expert?

Fri, 20 Mar 2020 13:15:21 GMT

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Field Chat – Text Messaging for Construction Projects

Tue, 04 Feb 2020 00:42:45 GMT

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Drainage vs. Barrier Wall Systems

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 03:57:52 GMT

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Facade Investigations

Fri, 06 Dec 2019 21:56:14 GMT

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Litigation Consulting and Expert Witness Services

Mon, 11 Nov 2019 00:09:53 GMT

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Hurricane Information and Recovery Procedures

Wed, 16 Oct 2019 03:31:43 GMT

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Building Inspections, Cleaning and Restoration

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 04:30:49 GMT

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Water Leakage Investigations

Fri, 16 Aug 2019 18:59:54 GMT

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Infrared Testing in the Construction Industry and Beyond

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 22:15:23 GMT

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Meteorological Data, Storms, Wind, Rain, Intensity, Accuracy & Computer Models

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 23:42:49 GMT

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Wind Damage to Windows, Investigation & Claims

Wed, 20 Feb 2019 22:51:36 GMT

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Windstorm Insurance Claims, Coverage, Experts & Litigation

Fri, 01 Feb 2019 18:12:41 GMT

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Roofing and the Wet Suit Waterproofing Membrane System

Wed, 26 Dec 2018 19:28:49 GMT

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FAPIA, Hurricanes & Insurance Claims

Tue, 04 Sep 2018 04:23:20 GMT

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Strategic Projects Division and Testing Methods

Thu, 03 May 2018 03:04:42 GMT

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Construction Industry Legal Services

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 18:01:52 GMT

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Roof Systems, Hurricane Preparation & Recovery

Fri, 02 Mar 2018 20:47:04 GMT

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Construction Project Management

Tue, 02 Jan 2018 17:54:57 GMT

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Building Envelope Architects

Tue, 19 Dec 2017 03:58:16 GMT

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Kryton Smart Concrete Technology

Fri, 01 Dec 2017 04:51:04 GMT

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Energy Efficient Fiberglass Windows & Doors

Fri, 17 Nov 2017 06:41:33 GMT

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Glazing Systems, Leaks, Restoration and Repairs

Wed, 01 Nov 2017 19:33:21 GMT

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Radio Frequency Shielding

Sun, 15 Oct 2017 03:40:25 GMT

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Hurricane Windows, Fact or Fiction

Mon, 02 Oct 2017 03:52:40 GMT

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Hurricane Irma Recovery Tips

Fri, 15 Sep 2017 15:20:31 GMT

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GSKy Plant Systems and Green Walls

Fri, 01 Sep 2017 20:17:02 GMT

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Stucco Around Wood Frame Window Openings

Tue, 15 Aug 2017 22:07:16 GMT

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Smart Glass Windows, Costs, ROI and Benefits

Tue, 01 Aug 2017 14:28:41 GMT

Check out our article about dynamic glass. About The Everything Building Envelope Podcast: Everything Building Envelope℠ is a dedicated podcast and video forum for understanding the building envelope. Our podcast series discusses current trends and issues that contractors, developers and building owners have to deal with related to pre and post construction. Our series touches on various topics related ...

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Tremco waterproofing, coatings, glazing and air vapor barrier segments

Sat, 15 Jul 2017 06:04:38 GMT

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Construction, the Building Envelope and Mechanical System Design

Sun, 02 Jul 2017 18:34:04 GMT

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Waterproofing Structures, Products, Feedback and Scenarios

Thu, 15 Jun 2017 17:54:45 GMT

Check out GCI’s Article on waterproofing. About The Everything Building Envelope Podcast: Everything Building Envelope℠ is a dedicated podcast and video forum for understanding the building envelope. Our podcast series discusses current trends and issues that contractors, developers and building owners have to deal with related to pre and post construction. Our series touches on various topics related to ...

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Hurricane Investigations, Construction & Consumer Recommendations

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 16:00:50 GMT

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The Next Generation of Construction Professionals

Mon, 15 May 2017 18:30:22 GMT

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Advantages & Limitations of PRMA, IRMA Design Configurations for Roof Covering Systems

Mon, 01 May 2017 16:53:20 GMT

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Effective Allocation and Management of Performance Risk in Building Envelope Design & Construction – 2

Fri, 14 Apr 2017 16:13:11 GMT

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Effective Allocation and Management of Performance Risk in Building Envelope Design & Construction

Sat, 01 Apr 2017 21:41:48 GMT

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The Construction Industry, our Current Economy and some Predictions

Wed, 15 Mar 2017 13:33:23 GMT

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Construction Changes, Building Codes and Mitigating Costs in Development

Wed, 01 Mar 2017 17:44:47 GMT

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Waterproofing, Window and Door Flashings

Wed, 15 Feb 2017 18:59:42 GMT

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Laminated Glass and it’s Applications

Tue, 31 Jan 2017 21:52:42 GMT

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Building Conception to Completion from an Architect's Eye

Tue, 17 Jan 2017 03:27:50 GMT

GCI’s Blog Article on 40-Year Building Recertifications Building Conception to Completion from an Architect’s Eye Our Guest: James LaGreca with DSS Condo. DSS Condo is actually a sub-division of DSS which stands for Development Service Solutions. In this podcast, Paul talks with Jim about his professional experience as an Architect with DSS and some of the most interesting projects he ...

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Landmark Restorations – Frank Thomas and David Westbrook

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 19:54:27 GMT

Episode Notes Paul Beers: Hello everyone. Welcome to another episode of Everything Building Envelope podcast. We’ve got a really interesting topic today with Frank Thomas and David Westbrook of Landmark Restorations Ltd. in Atlanta. Welcome guys. Thanks for coming on today. Frank Thomas: Thank you, Paul. David Westbrook: Thanks for having us. Paul Beers: So, we met a couple ...

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Pre-Glazed, Unitized, Impact-Resistant Windows & Doors – Ray Crawford

Thu, 15 Dec 2016 19:30:49 GMT

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Industrial and Custom Structural Skylights - Paul Simony

Thu, 01 Dec 2016 16:20:54 GMT

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Jon Kimberlain – Silicone Sealants for Weatherproofing and Glazing

Tue, 15 Nov 2016 16:43:13 GMT

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Omar Sheikh – The AEC Industry and Bluebeam Revu

Mon, 31 Oct 2016 20:00:21 GMT

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Tim Salerno – Prefabricated Exterior Wall Panels

Fri, 30 Sep 2016 19:06:15 GMT

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The Architects Newspaper

Thu, 15 Sep 2016 02:06:38 GMT

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Paul Beers: Field Water Infiltration Testing

Mon, 29 Aug 2016 17:52:35 GMT

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Paul Beers discusses Building Envelope Hotspots

Mon, 01 Aug 2016 19:49:10 GMT

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Architectural Glass and Emerging Trends in the Industry

Wed, 29 Jun 2016 21:42:07 GMT

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Paul Beers – Hurricane Glazing Systems Can Do So Much More

Wed, 01 Jun 2016 03:05:29 GMT

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Paul Beers & Peter Craig – 30min Waterproofing Discussion

Fri, 29 Apr 2016 15:06:55 GMT

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Waterproofing Exterior Walls

Tue, 29 Mar 2016 02:57:43 GMT

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