Well here it is folks, the proof of how dangerous a cigarette can be. Extinguish your butt and discard it properly. In water. Watch the video. Then read the article and see how this building narrowly escaped burning to the ground.
Surveillance video provided to the New Jersey Herald shows an ashtray igniting on the deck of the Moose Lodge in Newton. https://uw-media.njherald.com/embed/video/10131151002?placement=snow-embed
Ashley Donohoe, Olivia Burke, Eoghan Culligan, Niccolai Schuster, Lorcán Miller, Eimear Walsh and sadly Aiofe Beary, who was badly injured but survived the initial fall, sadly passed away recently. Seven lives cut short. Six lives permanently altered.
Last weekend I was in Berkeley. I stayed right around the corner from 2020 kittredge Street where the balcony collapsed. I was looking for a place to park my vehicle and they have a parking area there. It didn’t even strike me at the time when I drove in and parked that this was holy ground.
I walked outside of the garage and was on the sidewalk… I looked at it and then I looked up. When the place was library gardens there were two decks, one of which fell. As I walked down that sidewalk where they lay I trembled.
The Berkeley deck collapse was entirely preventable…and must not happen ever again. I call upon every state in the nation to implement deck inspections. Lives are at stake.
Concrete stairs can often be slippery when wet. That can create liability issues for owners of apartment buildings.
The stairs on this apartment buildings were dingy, dark and dangerous. Uninviting, they needed some help.
After the old coating was taken off with grinders, they could be redone with an inviting look that provided safety with a slip resistant broom finish.
Polymer is used as a primer on the steps, and then a concrete broom ($14.00 at Home Depot) is used to create a texture.
As the above photo shows, the stairs appearance of dramatically different, clean, safe and it looks great.
Don’t let dangerous stairs be a hazard on your property, get them updated and safe for a reasonable cost.
The deck waterproofing industry needs to speak up!
From the California Building Standards Commission-
Notice is hereby given that the California Building Standards Commission (CBSC), Exterior Elevated Element (EEE) Subcommittee will solicit technical expertise on the items listed in the attached agenda and the link below. The public is invited to attend and provide their input or comments. For questions on this notice, please contact CBSC at (916) 263-0916.
http://www.bsc.ca.gov/calendar/othermtgs.aspx Website www.bsc.ca.gov
Continue reading Exterior Elevated Elements Working Group Agenda for 5/25/17 is Announced
URGENT! CONSUMERS ADVISED TO HAVE THEIR DECKS INSPECTED
DECK COLLAPSES INJURE THOUSANDS EVERY YEAR
Deck inspections are advised for every deck every 3 years. The rate of deck collapses is alarming and more must be done to prevent injuries and deaths.
Watch this short video on deck inspections and why they are so important-the first hand experiences from survivors of deck collapses are chilling. Please download the safety checklist and get an inspection done ASAP if you find anything questionable.
DeckExpert.com, as a member of the National Deck & Railing Association, encourages professional deck inspections. Download NADRA’s consumer checklist, designed to help owners of wood/composite decks to determine if they need a deck contractor or specialized inspection to determine if repairs or replacement of your deck is necessary. Don’t become the next victim and a become a statistic on a ever growing grim listing of deaths and injuries from deck collapses. Click the link to open and download the NADRA_Homeowner Checklist
DeckExpert.com supports the inspection bill for decks. The Berkeley tragedy, the lives lost and the survivors who are left with serious life long injuries, has brought us all to realize the need to implement an inspection & repair program on a statewide level. This “accident” was no accident.
The collapse at Berkeley was on a path to occur somewhere-the building industry in California and beyond will argue against my points, but this tragedy was years in the making. There are many reasons for this-from architecture schools that don’t teach it’s students the basics of waterproofing. For example, right here at Cal Poly SLO, many courses, not one on waterproofing. I’ve offered to give a lecture at Cal Poly; my offers have been meet with silence.
The architect who designed the balcony in Berkeley designed it poorly. Continue reading SB 721 Will Force the Inspections of Decks-Who Should Perform the Inspections?
DeckExpert.com – Your Source For Waterproof Deck Information & SB 326 SB 721 Balcony Inspections 