NationalBuildingExpert, Author at National Building Expert

Corona Virus

CORONAVIRUS NOTICE: THE NATIONAL BUILDING EXPERT GIVES IMPORTANT PREVENTION TIPS

Nation Building Expert Dr. Lance Luke shares important tips when entering public or private building facilities. It is important to be aware of surroundings while visiting offices, shopping centers and other places of business and recreation.

Be aware when touching railing, door handles and door knobs, light switches, shopping cart handles, countertops, chair handles, tables etc. Viral contamination occurs quickly. To prevent catching a virus, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends hand washing after using the restroom and before eating or preparing food. Dr. Luke recommends using a hand sanitizer or disinfecting wipes as often as possible. The CDC reports that there is high flu activity currently happening across the country. As of January 2020, the CDC estimates that so far this flu season there have been at least 13 million flu related illnesses, and 120,000 hospitalizations.

There are flu vaccines, but as of this writing, there is no vaccine available to protect against human coronavirus infection. Please follow these simple prevention tips to keep safe.

1. Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
2. Do not touch your eyes, nose of mouth with unwashed hands.
3. Avoid contact with people who are sick with a virus.
4. Clean and disinfect surfaces that could be contaminated.

Why Is A Pressure Regulator Needed?

You may see a strange looking pipe setup with a thing that looks sort of like a bell around your building. That contraption is called a PRV or Pressure Regulator Valve.

It may also be called a pressure reduction valve, water reducing valve or pressure reducing valve.

The water pressure coming from the street into a building is generally very high and needs to be reduced lower. High water pressure is not a good thing as it can cause premature leaks in plumbing pipes and plumbing fixtures such as sinks and shower faucets. Gaskets and seals can get work down faster with high water pressure. A pressure regulator helps prevent problems that causes high water pressure.

Is a Backflow Preventer Really Needed?

A backflow preventer of (BFP) is an important device for the water system of your building. It prevents the domestic water entering your building from flowing back into the municipal system and contaminating the municipal system. It causes the fresh water to flow in one direction into the building. The main job of this device is to prevent drinking water from being contaminated due to a backflow.

When water enters your building from the main municipal water supply line, it should only flow in one direction. At times, due to pressure changes, the water can actually flow backwards and seep back into the main water supply line.

Examples of a backflow are:

when there is a water main break.
When a fire hydrant is opened for use.

Because pressure is lost of very low during these events, water is no longer pressured so that it is being pushed into your building. When this happens, water will flow backwards into the municipal water system.

Just think of the device as a one way fresh water gate keeper. Many older buildings may not have a backflow preventer. The plumbing code requires this BFP deviice on all new buildings, and for older buildings undergoing a large plumbing project such as domestic water line of drain line replacement.

Building Codes

Building codes are minimum standards and are used as a baseline standard. In my opinion, buildings should follow a higher standard for safety. Just because the question, “Is it built according to code?” is answered with a “Yes,” does not mean it is entirely appropriate. Keep this bit of advice in mind. Safety goes beyond a building code.

I must admit that many buildings I have inspected are in violation of the building code in one form or another. However, the code specifies that a building is unsafe if any building has any conditions that affect the health and safety of people; such as, if a condition poses a fire hazard then the building is considered unsafe. The corollary is that if your building is in any way not up to code then your building is not safe.

Concerning condominium buildings and community association properties, the governing law mandates that the Association Board properly maintains and upkeeps the property. Each state in the U.S. has condo reserve laws that require Home Owners Associations of properties to collect money for the reserve fund to fix building components when needed. If any of the components in the building is noted as safety items that need attention; then there should already be in place the financing to address these safety issues.

Fire Safety

A significant issue of concern is an updated fire alarm system. The alarm system must be working properly and tested periodically on a maintenance schedule. A properly functioning fire suppression system inspection includes inspecting fire sprinklers, fire hoses and standpipes. Inspect elevators and ensure that they have a current operating certificate. Walk through all fire exits and connecting stairwells and find the fire doors and firewalls to ensure that they are properly mapped out and posted.

Older buildings may not have the proper fire stops at the floor and ceiling penetrations where piping and conduits go through each floor and ceiling of the building. A firestop is built into a building frame to block a concealed hollow space through which a fire might pass from one part of the building to another. Fire stops, fire doors and all stairways must be in good working order and never blocked by foreign items that should be stored appropriately elsewhere.

Old Plumbing is a Hazard

Old piping corrodes the drain lines and causes sewage backups and a lot of problems. Piping problems in older high-rise buildings are known to cause flooding from the subject unit throughout many floors down.

The dirty water contaminates everything from drywall to carpets, furniture, and personal possessions. In older buildings, the water causes additional damage to ceilings and walls made of asbestos-containing material found in drywall and “popcorn” ceilings.

When drywall gets wet there is the possibility of mold growth. The one water leak problem becomes compounded into invasive environmental issues unless addressed immediately.

Electrical Safety

The electrical system of a building should be inspected every five years. During an inspection, the inspector open all circuit breaker boxes and notice any overloading of power and test for any voltage drops. A licensed and certified electrician must do the assessment. He will be able to professionally inspect for any other conditions that may pose a fire safety issue. All electrical outlets close to water sources must be ground-fault protected. Don’t worry; your electrician will know what I mean. It’s simply protection from the ‘hot’ wires carrying the electricity.

It is especially prudent to have an electrician conduct a review if you have specific brands of circuit breaker boxes such as Federal Pacific, Electric Stab-Lok and Zinsco, because these brands have a history of failure.

Here’s another thing the electrician should do: check out if the branch wiring (branch wiring is the wiring connected to 15 and 20-ampere circuit breakers standard in most households) is aluminum. If there is any indication that the branch wiring is made of aluminum, and your electrician will know, then all devices (outlets and switches) should be inspected to see if any connections are loose.

Loose connections may cause arcing. GFCI or Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters and AFCI or Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters should be installed at the required locations.

An electric arc is a current often intense, brief, and luminous, in which electrons jump across a gap. Unwanted arcs in electrical circuits can cause fires.

Gutter Garden

First you have a new roof and new gutters. Then over time, the small granules on the asphalt roofing shingles start to wear and come loose. During time of wind and rain, the loose granules end up collecting in the gutter.

Birds and wind contribute to seeds and other plant materials growing in the gutter. Soon you have a gutter garden. Maybe if you grow herbs, it may help. The gutter is filled with debris and water does not drain properly. The gutter starts crowded and leaks. But at least your gutter garden herbs are doing fine.

Word of advice – inspect your gutters every quarter and make sure it is free of debris and in good condition.

Missing Roof Shingles

This photo shows a roof with old asphalt shingles. On the left side, some shingles blew off the roof and were not replaced. On the right, shingles also blew off, but instead of installing new shingles, a handyman decided to repair with roofing paper.

Roofing paper is supposed to be installed under the shingles and not used instead of shingles. Maybe the shingles are on order. Maybe not. It’s not a surprise that this roof leaks.

Outlet in Window

On a high rise condo inspection, I discovered an electrical outlet fixed onto a wooden jalousie slat of a jalousie window. This window was in a bedroom facing the outside balcony walkway to the front door entry. The jalousie window actually worked, causing the outlet to move whenever the window was opened or closed. On the inside of the bedroom, the wires were exposed at the outlet.

It appears that the wall was full of windows, so there was nowhere to mount the outlet except on the window. I have never seen a moveable electrical outlet, so this was a first. I guess if the outlet got too hot, you could open the window and let it cool down.