Was Your Home Built Prior to 1978?
There is no more “business as usual” as it affects remodeling homes built before 1978. There is a new federal law that went into effect this April by the EPA that will undoubtedly change the way remodeling contractors do business. The EPA developed what is known as RRP, or Renovate, Repair and Paint Act. It applies to all homes built before 1978 that risk disturbing lead-based paint during repairs, remodeling or painting activities.
According to the EPA, about half of the homes built before 1978 have lead-based paint. The likelihood of finding lead-based paint increases with the age of the home. Two-thirds of homes built between 1940 and 1960 have lead-based paint. Nine out of ten homes built before 1940 have lead-based paint.
Statistically speaking:
Between 1960-1977: 25% chance
Between 1940-1959: 66% chance
Before 1940: 86% chance
The program includes three steps:
1. Pre-education requirements for the occupants of the home
2. Contractor training and certification
3. Contractor agreement to implement lead-safe work practices and follow these three simple procedures:
a. Contain the work area
b. Minimize dust
c. Clean-up thoroughly
Remodeling firms must now be certified, their employees must be trained in use of lead-safe work practices, and lead-safe work practices that minimize occupants’ exposure to lead hazards must be followed. Please be sure that anyone hired to work on your pre-1978 home be certified by the EPA and has fulfilled the mandatory training requirements.
MOSAIC Group [Architects and Remodelers] has been certified by the EPA and has a Certified Remodeler on staff that has completed the training. We are certified to test the paint in your home prior to starting any remodeling project, to determine if your home has lead-based paint and would fall under the RRP guidelines. Please do not let anyone remodel your home and disturb lead-based dust that has not been trained and certified. Lead is dangerous to both adults and children. Below are some lead facts from the EPA:
• Lead can affect children’s brains and developing nervous systems, causing reduced IQ, learning disabilities, and behavioral problems.
• Lead in dust is the most common way people are exposed to lead. People can also get lead in their bodies from lead in soil or paint chips. Lead dust is often invisible.
• Lead-based paint was used in more than 38 million homes until it was banned for residential use in 1978.
• Projects that disturb lead-based paint can create dust and endanger you and your family. Don’t let this happen to you.
Please contact Rick Goldstein at MOSAIC Group [Architects and Remodelers] if you have any questions related to the Renovate, Repair and Paint Act. rick@MosaicGroupAtlanta.com or (770) 670-6022
Friday, June 4, 2010
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
2009 - Look at Both Sides Now
Approaching the end of the year, any year, is always a wake-up call. I was perusing some investment statements this weekend (yes, I am not as afraid to open them now), and I was thinking about the returns as if it were July or August and realized that in fact there is but one month to go. So it is with so many aspects of personal and business life. All the same, I think I can safely say that the challenges presented by 2009 required such close attention that time slithered by unnoticed. And many of us are eager to see the tail end of this year.
But not so fast one might say. I begin to hear and read stories, granted not the headlines, that tell of the positive experiences some have had over the last year. Parents re-connecting with their kids because they have to cut back on the all-consuming "extracurricular" activities. Families spending more time together at the dinner table when the restaurant budget was pruned. Even some who have suffered job loss and worse speak of personal enlightenment and even a sense of liberation as they chart a new course.
I certainly do not mean to gloss over the enormous hardships experienced by so many, but there are nevertheless new gardens growing where the storms ravaged the land. Much too much is made of the stock market and too little of the human story itself. Last night at our monthly NARI meeting, there was a wonderful turnout (in horrible weather) of our remodeling colleagues, and to the last person upbeat and forward-looking and committed. And this from a group who has seen their industry devastated by the recession.
To quote last night's speaker quoting Goethe ... "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams." The alternative is not so appealing, is it? Our 2010 commitments here at MOSAIC will be part dreams, part a new realization that we really can't take much for granted. I not only wish all of you reading this a happy holiday season, but also the gift of insight and renewal.
But not so fast one might say. I begin to hear and read stories, granted not the headlines, that tell of the positive experiences some have had over the last year. Parents re-connecting with their kids because they have to cut back on the all-consuming "extracurricular" activities. Families spending more time together at the dinner table when the restaurant budget was pruned. Even some who have suffered job loss and worse speak of personal enlightenment and even a sense of liberation as they chart a new course.
I certainly do not mean to gloss over the enormous hardships experienced by so many, but there are nevertheless new gardens growing where the storms ravaged the land. Much too much is made of the stock market and too little of the human story itself. Last night at our monthly NARI meeting, there was a wonderful turnout (in horrible weather) of our remodeling colleagues, and to the last person upbeat and forward-looking and committed. And this from a group who has seen their industry devastated by the recession.
To quote last night's speaker quoting Goethe ... "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams." The alternative is not so appealing, is it? Our 2010 commitments here at MOSAIC will be part dreams, part a new realization that we really can't take much for granted. I not only wish all of you reading this a happy holiday season, but also the gift of insight and renewal.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
The 500 Year Event
The biblical rains of late September reminded us again how fragile our encampment on this planet can be. Great and modest houses were flooded, some a few inches and some many feet underwater. Trees are equal opportunity house crushers, and charlatans claiming to be legitimate companies prey as in every disaster on the anxious and desperate, well-to-do and not so well-to-do alike. And insurance companies do their thing -- some reasonably and fairly and some forgetting that their mission is not profit alone.
Where we fit in to this is to never forget our company vision in good times and bad, to be who we are, to be ethical and fair and to recognize those times when 10% or 15% off our bottom line on a project may be just what makes the difference between us or someone not as qualified doing a project for someone who has lost a lot and is under enormous stress. We do not fancy negotiations with insurance companies (some are very good to work with!) but we offer to step in and offer our perspective and perhaps assist in getting a more equitable settlement for our clients. We can help and try to, but we are always in after the clean-up companies and they are the ones who make a huge difference in the way they conduct themselves when their/our clients are most vulnerable. Mold scare tactics and exorbitant prices for placing dehumidifiers and fans on site are discouraging symptoms of the industry.
Rick and I talk occasionally about getting into the disaster response and clean-up industry as a diversification of our company. It would be a major undertaking, but perhaps at the end of the day, a fulfilling one. Yes, it could no doubt be profitable, but equally if not more important, it could be a challenge to uphold our values .
Where we fit in to this is to never forget our company vision in good times and bad, to be who we are, to be ethical and fair and to recognize those times when 10% or 15% off our bottom line on a project may be just what makes the difference between us or someone not as qualified doing a project for someone who has lost a lot and is under enormous stress. We do not fancy negotiations with insurance companies (some are very good to work with!) but we offer to step in and offer our perspective and perhaps assist in getting a more equitable settlement for our clients. We can help and try to, but we are always in after the clean-up companies and they are the ones who make a huge difference in the way they conduct themselves when their/our clients are most vulnerable. Mold scare tactics and exorbitant prices for placing dehumidifiers and fans on site are discouraging symptoms of the industry.
Rick and I talk occasionally about getting into the disaster response and clean-up industry as a diversification of our company. It would be a major undertaking, but perhaps at the end of the day, a fulfilling one. Yes, it could no doubt be profitable, but equally if not more important, it could be a challenge to uphold our values .
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
We are looking for opportunities of all kinds to embed ourselves in the communities where we work, to become part of the social fabric of the neighborhoods in which we ply our trade. This is by no means just an economic opportunism, although obviously we are in business to do business and we love to work close to home. It is also a chance to make the communities in which we who work at MOSAIC live better places to live. It creates opportunities to educate and support and sponsor and share.
We are located, within a radius of only 10 miles or less, near Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Buckhead, much of northern DeKalb County and several other thriving communities. We are a principal sponsor this month and next of Movies by Moonlight put on by Leadership Sandy Springs, and a sponsor for the upcoming Chastain Arts Festival. We belong to the Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce, we are working with the Dunwoody Nature Center, and we entered a car in the recent Soap Box Derby.
I don't list these involvements to pat MOSAIC on the back -- we know that we will find many other opportunities to get to know our communities and to give our time and attention to the causes and events important to each. Of course we want to be top-of-mind for our beautiful design and remodeling and trusted in all of these neighborhoods for our work as well as our service. And not insignificantly, we want to create value for our clients both by enhancing their homes and enriching their communities. That should be an easy win-win.
We are located, within a radius of only 10 miles or less, near Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Buckhead, much of northern DeKalb County and several other thriving communities. We are a principal sponsor this month and next of Movies by Moonlight put on by Leadership Sandy Springs, and a sponsor for the upcoming Chastain Arts Festival. We belong to the Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce, we are working with the Dunwoody Nature Center, and we entered a car in the recent Soap Box Derby.
I don't list these involvements to pat MOSAIC on the back -- we know that we will find many other opportunities to get to know our communities and to give our time and attention to the causes and events important to each. Of course we want to be top-of-mind for our beautiful design and remodeling and trusted in all of these neighborhoods for our work as well as our service. And not insignificantly, we want to create value for our clients both by enhancing their homes and enriching their communities. That should be an easy win-win.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
True to Ourselves
As frustrating as the nature of our business can be -- oh the stories to tell -- we are reminded constantly that we cannot allow the unavoidable head-slapping moments to overshadow the wonderful connections we make with our clients, tradespeople and vendors. This week alone I have experienced three "examples" of what mutually respectful professional relationships yield -- give and you shall receive if put in a more conventional sense.
This morning Bill Hubbard, a fine cabinetmaker with whom we have worked for years, spent 4 hours with me at a project problem-solving cabinetry he did not even build. He expected to be there an hour perhaps, did not complain, and will probably bill us for an hour.
This week Bill McBrayer of Window Concepts, as he has done so many times in the past, offered to drop by two clients' homes to gather information about existing door units to assist in addressing concerns about products he did not even sell to us. Bill just instinctively operates this way. Yes, he sells great products. A lot of vendors do. Very few offer the level of caring and service that he does.
Last weekend, I met a prospective client at a completed Kitchen project to show our stuff. Our clients, the Underwoods, greeted us, gave our prospect a tour, and then spent 30 minutes cheerfully answering questions about their project and our company. They could not have been more thoughtful, and on a weekend at that. And as a bonus, they are discussing a follow-up project with us as well.
Why would we want to do business in any way that would sacrifice the gifts of relationships like these? Rhetorical question.
This morning Bill Hubbard, a fine cabinetmaker with whom we have worked for years, spent 4 hours with me at a project problem-solving cabinetry he did not even build. He expected to be there an hour perhaps, did not complain, and will probably bill us for an hour.
This week Bill McBrayer of Window Concepts, as he has done so many times in the past, offered to drop by two clients' homes to gather information about existing door units to assist in addressing concerns about products he did not even sell to us. Bill just instinctively operates this way. Yes, he sells great products. A lot of vendors do. Very few offer the level of caring and service that he does.
Last weekend, I met a prospective client at a completed Kitchen project to show our stuff. Our clients, the Underwoods, greeted us, gave our prospect a tour, and then spent 30 minutes cheerfully answering questions about their project and our company. They could not have been more thoughtful, and on a weekend at that. And as a bonus, they are discussing a follow-up project with us as well.
Why would we want to do business in any way that would sacrifice the gifts of relationships like these? Rhetorical question.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Service is Valued, Value is Worth Paying For
I've recently seen a spate of stories about "haggling" and even one profile of a professional haggler giving tips on how to get the best deal, replete with angles, strategies, and brow-beating. Well, in the spirit of full disclosure, I am a lifetime sales shopper, and I attribute that largely to my parents' frugal ways. You didn't ask for it, but here is my thumbnail take on the difference between shopping the sales and engaging in psychological warfare over a purchase.
A business may run a sale on its services or merchandise for many different reasons, and that business has calculated what the hoped for effect of a successful sale will be. It may even be that it plans to lower prices yet again on the same merchandise after an initial period of time. Or the sale may have simply been a marketing plan to bring more traffic to a store or website and the prices return to previous levels. Needless to say, this is far more likely to happen with larger companies that can absorb losses, than with small companies working on tight margins with less capital to spare.
So what is wrong with asking a salesperson if there is a better deal to be had? Nothing. I know I have done that on many occasions when I felt I could not afford a purchase or if I felt that I had other options. The difference for me is that I feel that vendors, and we are one, are entitled to a fair price enabling them to run a successful business. That means that vendors are able to treat their employees properly, provide effective warranty programs, improve their product lines, update their technology as needed, foster company education and certification programs, maintain proper licensing, and provide an excellent customer experience. A company that gives away its services or merchandise cannot do these things, and then we all eventually may lose. And lest anyone think that online businesses are immune from these requirements, shop again. In some ways, bad online purchasing experiences are even more frustrating and discouraging than conventional shopping. If I get to the haggling threshold, I will simply explore other options or defer the purchase. In many cases I will say just that to the salesperson - "Thanks for the time you have taken with me. I understand your position and I will come back when I am ready to buy."
The experience MOSAIC Group is committed to providing is not just a product experience -- in fact, we talk in our marketing and production meetings about the service experience probably 75% of the time as compared to the quality of the product. That is not because we neglect quality -- we have been doing this for 25 years and we are very good at producing the remodeling "product". It is the customer experience, effectively the SERVICE experience, that we are continuously working on. Yes, we also work on making that experience more efficient and cost-effective, but at the end of the day, service requires people-time and people-effort and it does cost more than just the construction itself. We always provide the fairest price we can at the outset to represent the experience we provide. And we don't mind a bit if you ask if we can do better because that gives us an opportunity to review your project with you to create more efficiencies or to make changes to meet your budget.
So, while we understand that the economic climate of the last 2 years has understandably led most of us to seek the best prices on the items and services we continue to use, we also must remind ourselves that we want the companies we trust and rely on to remain viable and able to provide what we need and want at the level of quality and service we expect. We have re-committed to our mission to provide an exceptional design/build and green remodeling experience, even as we have worked diligently over the last year to become more effective in our business practices.
This blog may be about semantics to some, but to others perhaps a reminder that what we truly value when we step into our favorite stores or call our most trusted service people is rarely just a thing or a product. It may be worth considering that a sustainable economy emerging out of this recession may be best built on doing business with each other based on fair pricing for value, and long-term value may cost a little more upfront. And a bad experience may cost us a lot more -- "pay me now or pay me later" was the well-known tagline for an auto parts commercial years ago. Haggling may get us a better deal in some cases, but the best businesses are treating us fairly all along. I for one prefer to be loyal to them.
A business may run a sale on its services or merchandise for many different reasons, and that business has calculated what the hoped for effect of a successful sale will be. It may even be that it plans to lower prices yet again on the same merchandise after an initial period of time. Or the sale may have simply been a marketing plan to bring more traffic to a store or website and the prices return to previous levels. Needless to say, this is far more likely to happen with larger companies that can absorb losses, than with small companies working on tight margins with less capital to spare.
So what is wrong with asking a salesperson if there is a better deal to be had? Nothing. I know I have done that on many occasions when I felt I could not afford a purchase or if I felt that I had other options. The difference for me is that I feel that vendors, and we are one, are entitled to a fair price enabling them to run a successful business. That means that vendors are able to treat their employees properly, provide effective warranty programs, improve their product lines, update their technology as needed, foster company education and certification programs, maintain proper licensing, and provide an excellent customer experience. A company that gives away its services or merchandise cannot do these things, and then we all eventually may lose. And lest anyone think that online businesses are immune from these requirements, shop again. In some ways, bad online purchasing experiences are even more frustrating and discouraging than conventional shopping. If I get to the haggling threshold, I will simply explore other options or defer the purchase. In many cases I will say just that to the salesperson - "Thanks for the time you have taken with me. I understand your position and I will come back when I am ready to buy."
The experience MOSAIC Group is committed to providing is not just a product experience -- in fact, we talk in our marketing and production meetings about the service experience probably 75% of the time as compared to the quality of the product. That is not because we neglect quality -- we have been doing this for 25 years and we are very good at producing the remodeling "product". It is the customer experience, effectively the SERVICE experience, that we are continuously working on. Yes, we also work on making that experience more efficient and cost-effective, but at the end of the day, service requires people-time and people-effort and it does cost more than just the construction itself. We always provide the fairest price we can at the outset to represent the experience we provide. And we don't mind a bit if you ask if we can do better because that gives us an opportunity to review your project with you to create more efficiencies or to make changes to meet your budget.
So, while we understand that the economic climate of the last 2 years has understandably led most of us to seek the best prices on the items and services we continue to use, we also must remind ourselves that we want the companies we trust and rely on to remain viable and able to provide what we need and want at the level of quality and service we expect. We have re-committed to our mission to provide an exceptional design/build and green remodeling experience, even as we have worked diligently over the last year to become more effective in our business practices.
This blog may be about semantics to some, but to others perhaps a reminder that what we truly value when we step into our favorite stores or call our most trusted service people is rarely just a thing or a product. It may be worth considering that a sustainable economy emerging out of this recession may be best built on doing business with each other based on fair pricing for value, and long-term value may cost a little more upfront. And a bad experience may cost us a lot more -- "pay me now or pay me later" was the well-known tagline for an auto parts commercial years ago. Haggling may get us a better deal in some cases, but the best businesses are treating us fairly all along. I for one prefer to be loyal to them.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Green Gutcheck
Having just left my group study session for a NARI Green Professional exam slated for July 18, I find my thoughts once again drifting into "what does green mean?" territory. Our group -- there are about ten of us -- has had some provocative side discussions which have touched often on ethics, philosophy, values, and culture rather than products, efficiencies, safety, and health. Of course all of these, and more, are inextricably linked, and we have truly discovered that there is so much we do not know about how our craft and its products interact with both the environment and our bodies. It is fair to say that it is overwhelming, and very exciting to be tackling this as a discipline and not just the next hot topic!
What few really understand is that this "movement" is not brand new, but is decades old. Many pioneers and end-users have preceded us, and what we are experiencing now is what Malcolm Gladwell calls the Tipping Point. In my opinion this is the reluctant tipping point, driven not just by pure environmental motivations but also by sheer cost - to the pocketbook and to our health and comfort. Still works for me, and I find now every day all the little things I am NOT doing that are so simple and meaningful in terms of saving resources and breaking the cycle of "I grew up doing this, so ...".
Today we discussed the phenomenon of the last 50 years in which houses have been designed and constructed ever tighter and more insulated and climate-controlled, and yet at the same time we have filled these houses with more and more products which are manufactured with materials that off gas toxic emissions and particles that are increasingly trapped in the interior environment. Progress at odds with itself -- and I do not suggest by thinking aloud on this that anyone should panic. At the same time, there is at it turns out some pretty nasty stuff that floats around for years, and we probably universally don't want to be breathing it or ingesting it, and for darn sure do not want our kids exposed to more than necessary.
So, there is a learning curve, kind of a "read the ingredients on the yogurt container" mentality that we all may want to consider, because there are a lot of products out there and more every day that DO NOT threaten our health and are becoming more affordable and accessible. And there are a lot of practices we can all adopt that have outsized positive impact on our energy usage and environmental health. You hear about them every day now, and maybe, like me, you haven't taken them for much more than the magazine cover hollering that there are another 8 ways to get yourself six-pack abs. Well, I humbly submit that we all have a lot to learn -- I certainly do -- and we owe it to ourselves. I am excited that our company is committed to learning and in turn educating and assisting our clients in making choices through the full cycle of remodeling that are sensible, affordable, healthy, and durable. The good news is we have a lot of company headed in the same direction and a lot of interest in these services.
What few really understand is that this "movement" is not brand new, but is decades old. Many pioneers and end-users have preceded us, and what we are experiencing now is what Malcolm Gladwell calls the Tipping Point. In my opinion this is the reluctant tipping point, driven not just by pure environmental motivations but also by sheer cost - to the pocketbook and to our health and comfort. Still works for me, and I find now every day all the little things I am NOT doing that are so simple and meaningful in terms of saving resources and breaking the cycle of "I grew up doing this, so ...".
Today we discussed the phenomenon of the last 50 years in which houses have been designed and constructed ever tighter and more insulated and climate-controlled, and yet at the same time we have filled these houses with more and more products which are manufactured with materials that off gas toxic emissions and particles that are increasingly trapped in the interior environment. Progress at odds with itself -- and I do not suggest by thinking aloud on this that anyone should panic. At the same time, there is at it turns out some pretty nasty stuff that floats around for years, and we probably universally don't want to be breathing it or ingesting it, and for darn sure do not want our kids exposed to more than necessary.
So, there is a learning curve, kind of a "read the ingredients on the yogurt container" mentality that we all may want to consider, because there are a lot of products out there and more every day that DO NOT threaten our health and are becoming more affordable and accessible. And there are a lot of practices we can all adopt that have outsized positive impact on our energy usage and environmental health. You hear about them every day now, and maybe, like me, you haven't taken them for much more than the magazine cover hollering that there are another 8 ways to get yourself six-pack abs. Well, I humbly submit that we all have a lot to learn -- I certainly do -- and we owe it to ourselves. I am excited that our company is committed to learning and in turn educating and assisting our clients in making choices through the full cycle of remodeling that are sensible, affordable, healthy, and durable. The good news is we have a lot of company headed in the same direction and a lot of interest in these services.
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