New Lead Laws in Effect.

Well, in just three short weeks the EPA's new lead safe practice laws go into effect. I have never been more confused in my life. First of all I would like to preface this by stating that in no way am I promoting ignoring the seriousness of lead and its potential dangers. I have children and have taken precautions ever since they were born, not only in my home, but in my business as well.

However, this new set of regulations is somewhat backwards in its logic. The EPA and other groups in favor of the new laws say that this has been coming for years, and contractors should not be surprised! Then how is that everyone is? How is it that the first time I learned about it was only in January of this year? I am vigilant and open my mail. I ended up taking the course in March and was shocked about how shabby it was. For starters the material would logistically take 2-3 days to adequately teach and the instructor said as much. The manual looked like something like a high school project, there were tons of typo's and material which we had to omit. While most of the material was rudimentary, the different regulations and crossover between HUD/and the EPA was utterly confusing. Not to mention direct contradictions with OSHA and just common sense in general. After breezing through the material the instructor read 10 or so of the questions from the 20 question test, then administered it. The lowest grade was a 90, however, if I'll bet that if the participants were re-tested a week later a majority of them would fail. If this was 12 years in the making it sure looked like it was thrown together in a hurry.

Furthermore, of the estimated 240,000 contractors that need to certified only 14,000 have? Only 450 or so in Massachusetts!!! and I am one of them? How is it that the course costs close to $200 bucks, plus an additional $300 to register as a firm with the EPA, every year? If this is a serious problem the cost for a small business or sole proprietor is high, in some instances this would be a weeks pay. Also in order to be in compliance a contractor will have to purchase a HEPA vacuum (average $400), signs, caution tape, and disposable suits which are about $5 bucks a piece which must be taken off and disposed of every time you leave an established containment area, including lunch, or bathroom break! This could be an additional $25/day per employee. The EPA is touting a $35 per job additional cost, but the estimations that I am coming up with are in the hundreds if not thousands. There is certainly a aura of a huge money grab that surrounds this whole thing, especially since the Commonwealth has plans to take over authority of the program, which I can only imagine will mean more fees. Given the state of our industry this could not be a worse time for additional costs, despite their good intentions.

What bothers me most about this is the absolute ignorance by the EPA to consult with actual contractors in the field to get some sense of the viability of the practices they are teaching. They have also completely bypassed local level officials that could have the ability to enforce and create a game plan for addressing this problem. The EPA only has 13 inspectors for the 6 New England States. How are they possibly going to police this in an adequate fashion. That is a true disservice to our communities and children. It is also a disservice to me as a business owner who has done the right thing and paid the money and will be going the expense follow the practices. The government has ignored this issues for 40 years since the they banned the production of lead based paints, and now they are passing the buck

And finally here is the real kicker... After all the training, and money has been spent to follow these practices where does the bad of lead laden trash go? Out for the garbage man to pick up and take to the land fill.

DIY insulation. Cheap and Green

My wife an I purchased a starter home about 2-1/2 years ago. We believe that it is a sears home from the 1930's a cute little 3 bedroom bungalow with 1 bathroom. When we bought it most of what was done in the 1930's came with it- shallow well, old wiring, steam heat etc. What also came with it were the beautiful upgrades added in the 1970's- shag carpet, textured wall paper and faux wood paneling. No where along the way had insulation ever been thought of, unless you consider the Homasote (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homasote) that covered all the interior walls and ceilings insulation. Yep, thats right there was not a lick of insulation in this house. We gutted it, re-wired and re-plumbed and de-seventyized the place. Dealing with 2x4 walls and 2x6 ceiling rafters, we opted for open cell spray foam. It was amazing at how fast and efficient it was, and the difference was immediately recognizable. There was also a considerable reduction in outside noise as well. The whole insulation job was about $4,000 for our 1,600 square foot home, considerably more than traditional fiberglass batts or cellulose. However, our home maintains heat very well, and stays cool in the summer as well. Our walls r-value is only 15 and the roof only 27, but the performance seems to be holding its own. Our yearly heating bills are below what others are paying by relative comparison, and we certainly don't feel the need to micro-manage the heat, we also hardly ever have the need for air conditioning.

Green News In The Berkshires- Mass passes "Stretch Code"

A step in the right direction for Green Building? Perhaps?

This past week Massachusetts passed the "Stretch Code". This law basically allows municipalities to adopt more strict building codes in the area of energy efficiency. Currently, building codes require all new dwellings and extensive remodels to pass some sort of energy compliance. Typically this is called a REScheck, as defined by the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), and is essentially a calculation of wall square footage and its insulation value compared to the square footage of windows and their U-values. What this calculator spits out is a perceived efficiency of the building, actual performance was never measured. More recently, many have been switching to the Home Energy Rating System or (HERS). This is usually in conjunction with the Energy Star Program and LEED. HERS is more complex formula that also factors in an actual blower door test once the building is complete to test the homes air tightness. Currently a HERS rating of 100 is the standard. The new Stretch Code would require a new homes and remodels to obtain a HERS index of somewhere between 60-85 depending on certain circumstances.

While I am not in love with the HERS index as it requires the input of a homes R-value, with out taking into account the actual total wall performance, this is certainly a step in the right direction. What amazes me is the backlash from some of the bigger players in the building industry, such as the Home Builders Association. Did they not see this coming? This has been almost a decade in the works. Not to mention that the average home should be able to meet the new criteria with minor tweaking and a little forethought. Two years ago I would have agreed that building to this code would require additional expenses, but the market has adapted and a slew of products are now available to help achieve these new standards at minimal or no extra costs. In addition, when oil soared over a $100 a barrel, in the not to distant past, and you asked a perspective home buyer if they would rather have granite counter tops or save 40% on the heating bill, FOR EVER, what would have they said? The home we just finished achieved a HERS rating of 49!!! The wall and roof systems were easily comparable with conventional building costs. Some are complaining that the new codes are adding to the costs of doing business, during a recession no less. When would it be convenient? Well I guess its a time for the smart and ambitious.