Dutchmen for a technical ground grid

Our fast-track, high-tech building project was nearly complete. The tenant's expensive computer equipment was rolling in, and the sophisticated equipment power system was being tested. Then the electrical contractor reported a problem. The technical ground grid did not test out as required. All the components were in place, but there was a widespread loss in the system. Investigation isolated the loss to the computer room raised floor system in nearly every room of the building. The grid of the raised floor system was an intended major component of the technical grounding system. Computer equipment would be grounded to the floor grid, and an electrical grounding conductor tied each room's floor grid to the technical ground rod system outside the building. Through further investigation, the contractor found that the perimeter of the raised floor system was in contact with drywall screws at the floor line, providing unplanned continuity between the raised floor system and the metal stud partition framing throughout the building. It seemed like a monumental problem, and the team had almost no time to correct it before the tenant's scheduled start-up date. An eleventh hour brainstorming session turned up a solution worth trying. Small pieces of thin plastic laminate were installed in one room to separate the raised floor perimeter frame from the drywall screws. The fix proved effective, so the plastic laminate "band-aids" were used throughout the building, and the tenant's start-up occurred on schedule.

Roof Drainage Design: Foresight or Afterthought?

If we could just get it a little further away or get it to go over there, everything would be okay.

A notable roof warranty exclusion

Manufacturers of single ply roofing membranes offer warranties that vary in duration and conditions of coverage. The warranties typically include a lengthy list of requirements and exclusions. One of the most notable exclusions, which appears in all caps and/or boldface type on some warranties, is a statement that excludes representations or promises made by a representative of the manufacturer which differ from the provisions of the published warranty.

The 'sales rep' exclusion highlights a common dilemma. The manufacturer's sales rep typically has to please several "masters". The rep has to please the architect and project owner in order to get the manufacturer's product or system specified. Then the rep has to please the roofing contractor, the first-line customer who will actually purchase and pay the manufacturer (or distributor) for the product. And, of course, the rep has to please the manufacturer with productive sales. In construction, full payment usually follows installation, so the manufacturer's rep may be involved in site visits, inspections, and warranty processing related to project completion. In order to get paid upon project completion, the rep has to pursue the satisfaction of all these parties - the roofing contractor, the architect, the owner, the manufacturer, and maybe even a few others. That may be a tall order under circumstances where the interests of those parties are not all aligned, and one outcome may be a promise that cannot be kept. The 'sales rep' exclusion suggests that manufacturers have had experience with reps making promises that are contrary to the terms of a published warranty, and the exclusion protects the manufacturers from that problem.

Considering again the question "Who is the customer?", I recall a conversation with a manufacturer's rep several years ago. We were concerned with the quality of work that was being done by a roofing contractor, and we thought the manufacturer's rep might be able to help persuade the roofing contractor to do a better job. The rep's response to our request was very enlightening: "I can't really help you out with that," he said. "The roofing contractor is my customer."

Whatever it takes

Roof Shingle Warranty: What's in it?

There may be a popular notion that a 30-year shingle is one that comes with a full 30-year warranty against leaks, so that if you (or, more likely, your building) experience a roof leak, say, 27 years from the date of installation, you can call the shingle manufacturer, and someone will re-roof your building at no cost to you. Wish it were so!

One widely known shingle manufacturer has produced a lengthy warranty that, based on my review, does not even include the word "leak". It warrants shingle "performance", but for that manufacturer, performance is apparently not related to the possibility of leaks.

Although there are numerous shingle manufacturer warranties and options available, the basic warranty, even for a "30-year" shingle, covers labor and materials to replace shingles that are proven to have significant manufacturing defects within a more limited period of time (like 2 to 10 years from manufacture or installation). After that the cost of labor is excluded, and the cost of shingle material is pro-rated based on the expected life of the shingle. Other exclusions are numerous. Tear off, disposal, replacement of flashing and other accessories are typically excluded, as are shingle replacement in cases where installation was not completed in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations or where ventilation is not adequate. Under some circumstances a reduced limited warranty may be available from at least one manufacturer for shingles installed over insulated roof sheathing or vented, insulated sheathing. Perhaps the most notable of all exclusions: the warranty does not cover damage to the inside of your house and your furniture and other belongings.

Other cautions: At least one manufacturer recommends open metal valleys and will not generally provide warranty coverage for shingles installed in closed (woven or close-cut) valleys. Shingle warranties are typically transferable once from the initial owner of a roof to a subsequent owner with proper notification and paperwork and, in some cases, payment of a warranty transfer fee, all within a period of time stipulated in the warranty. Warranties against wind blow-off are also qualified to exclude circumstances where weather or temperature conditions or roof orientation have not or do not allow for the self-sealing adhesive strips to seal; and that can take months or maybe longer. And limited warranties for algae resistance are available for some shingles - you may qualify for limited financial assistance to pay for algae removal.

Still not satisfied? With some shingles you can get a lifetime warranty - that is, the shingle is warranted for the life of the original purchaser. However, that too is pro-rated after an initial period of maximum coverage. And, when you depart, it may automatically convert to a 50-year warranty for your survivors. Wow! Does that give you peace of mind?

The normal disclaimer applies: Read the fine print in your shingle warranty to see how it applies to you and your circumstances.

Finally, don't forget that the spaces around and between the shingles are not usually covered by a shingle warranty.

This Change Order costs more than my whole house!

Change orders on large projects can carry shocking price tags. A little detail change can be multiplied by thousands of lineal feet or occur hundreds or thousands of times. When I was first working as an architectural drafter in a large architecture and engineering firm (A-E firm), a senior project manager in the firm told me to pay attention to the detail conditions that go for miles, because changes in those details during construction can cost a lot. We were working on highrise office buildings at the time, so a change in a window detail could literally go for miles, considering the perimeter length per floor and the number of floors. It really hit home when I saw a change order that cost more than my whole house. On a large project that can also happen with an additional coat of paint.

Soliciting Bids for Architectural Services?

Soliciting bids for architectural services carries a lot of risk. The main risk is that the party soliciting the bids may not understand the services and may not establish the scope of work sufficiently to be able to realize desirable results from all the architects who may decide to submit bids. If lowest price governs the selection, then the result may be reduced services - less than what is needed for your project. As the client, you may not have the input that you need to have in the design process. During construction, you may not have the attention (construction administration services) that you need from the architect to reasonably determine a contractor's progress and compliance with construction document requirements. In the end, you may not have a completed project that meets your needs. Consider the school above that resulted from soliciting bids for architectural services.

A qualification-based selection process is likely to produce better services, a better experience for the client, and better results.

The new Associates

Mike's Abridged Edition

Michaelsen (who likes to call himself Mike and who is now retired) occasionally tells stories about his work as a project manager for a prominent Pacific Northwest A-E firm. In one story he was the architect's field rep on a California project that included an office for an executive. As the project completion deadline approached, everyone worked feverishly to finish the office before the arrival of the executive, who was just coming to check out the project but not yet occupy it. As the woodwork was being completed and the finish was drying, Mike noticed the empty bookshelves and thought it would look better if the shelves were filled with books. They didn't have any books to speak of at the construction site, so Mike measured the lengths of the shelves, went to a nearby used book store and purchased enough books to fill all the shelves. When he returned to the nearly complete office, he found that many of the books were too tall to fit on the shelves. But the contractor still had a table saw on site, so they used the table saw to cut down the books so that they fit perfectly.

The Long View (Take 2)

If you like the little story about angling the wall to allow the furniture into the bedroom, you may also appreciate this one, which has more to do with a piano than it has to do with architecture, but the two are related. We decided to sell our old piano, and a college student replied to our ad soon after we posted it. He said he would come and pick it up that afternoon. When I asked if he had a truck, it was apparent that he had not moved a piano before, because he thought he could carry it in his car. I suggested a rental truck with straps and blankets and a piano dolly. He arrived in a rental truck without any straps or blankets, and he had a small hand truck instead of a piano dolly. He also had a friend who was supposed to help with the heavy lifting. We had to employ the Egyptian pyramid building method to move the piano to the truck, using sections of PVC pipe as rollers, moving them from behind the piano to the path in front of the piano as we advanced toward the rental truck. Getting it up the ramp was a bigger challenge, but we managed it. I gave up a blanket and some rope to secure the piano for its ride to his apartment, and we heaved a sigh of relief as the truck left, thinking we had seen the end of the story. However, the phone rang the next morning, and the piano's new owner wondered if we had any advice for getting it into his apartment. It was stuck in the entry hall, where it could not be maneuvered around the corner into his apartment. He had also parked it on its end, and he had to climb over it to get into and out of his apartment.

The Long View

One of the first projects I worked on was a 2-bedroom addition to a neighbor's house in the mid 1960's. It was pretty simple: a short hallway, two bedrooms, and two closets. The layout was efficient. The neighbor and his father-in-law built the foundation and most of the framing quickly, but when they started laying out the interior partitions, the father-in-law asked me to consider a change in the plan. "I would like to angle this wall with the door to the bedroom," he said. "That way, we can get the furniture into the room." When I looked then at the plan as I had drawn it, I realized that the change was necessary. As designed, the hallway was large enough to accommodate the furniture in one position, but not large enough to maneuver it 90 degrees into the bedroom. It's usually a good idea to plan ahead at least to the next step, even if you are not considering a long term effect on global climate.

Lines and Dots

We had all pulled together and burned the midnight oil to make the State submission deadline for a new school project. Now, it was time to move forward with the construction documents to get them ready for bidding. We were looking at coordination issues, and we noticed that the sprinkler head layout on fire protection drawings did not really fit with the architectural reflected ceiling plan. It was not a matter of a missing head here and there. Instead, the sprinkler layout seemed to be for a different building. We called the fire protection engineer to alert him to the coordination issues. "I know," he said of the fire protection plans. "Those are just lines and dots."

Really Small Plumbing Drawings

In the late 1970's I was working as a job captain on construction documents for a large regional mall. We drew the plans at 1/16" = 1'-0", which was an appropriate scale for showing large plan areas. We drew enlarged architectural plans for areas like toilet rooms that needed more detail.

Romeo, the plumbing engineer, who worked on a different floor in the same AE firm, decided to stick with one scale for his drawings in order to save time and avoid going over his department's budgeted hours.

Soon after construction started on the mall, I received a call from the plumbing subcontractor. "You're a better man than I am if you can read these drawings," he said. Romeo had drawn everything, including single-user toilet rooms, at 1/16" = 1'-0". Those rooms were quite small, so he had drawn waste and vent and hot and cold water lines in the same place, literally on top of each other. Romeo knew how the plumbing lines were supposed to relate to one another, but anyone else reading his drawing - without a video record of his drafting - would be hard pressed to decipher the drawing.