Dear Mr. President

Remember my Obama on Preservation post back in December? Well, it turns out those of you who responded shared some pretty inspirational stories.

Read the follow-up post by Judy Hayward, publisher of Traditional Building, here:

http://www.traditional-building.com/Previous-Issues-09/FebruaryForum09.html

Judy suggests that President Obama make the following list of projects and programs a priority:

• Reinvest in neighborhood schools


• Reinvest in infrastructure, public transit and pedestrian ammenities for communities


• Support education for traditional building craftsmanship


• Make the tax credits for historic preservation stronger and support states in their efforts to do so


• Reinvest in our national parks and government buildings

What do you think of Judy's list? Would you like to see any projects added?

How to Handle Storm Damage on Your Roof

Our advice to homeowners experiencing storm damage on their roofs: Call your roofer IMMEDIATELY if you suspect there might be a problem. You will want to get on a roofing contractor’s schedule of inspections as soon as possible. The quicker you get someone out to look at your roof, the sooner repairs can be scheduled and insurance claims can be made. The Durable Slate Company has more than twenty years of experience assisting customers with insurance claims and making sure they get the assistance they deserve.

The Durable Slate Company has 140 employees and can respond to emergency situations much faster than many smaller, local companies. During the September windstorm in 2008, we handled each and every estimate call that came in. Many other local companies stopped taking storm-related calls after a few days because they simply weren’t equipped to handle that volume of clients. The Durable Slate Company is experienced in handling extreme natural disasters (Hurricanes Ike, Katrina, Gustav, etc.) and knows how to best protect your home after extreme storms.

Important note:

A mistake homeowners made after the September windstorm- they waited until a few days after the damage had been done and it started raining. Leaks were pouring through their homes and they had to deal with interior damage on top of roof repairs because they didn’t call to get repairs done soon enough.

If you have serious damage, like a fallen tree or a gaping hole in your roof, make sure you let your roofing contractor know right away so that they can come out and install an emergency dry-in. An emergency dry-in will keep the interior of your home safe and dry and will not damage any of the components of your roof.

A Little Yankee Ingenuity

You might not know it now, but I have some very fond memories watching Bob Vila on This Old House with my Dad growing up. While my Dad didn’t always embody Vila’s calm, kind demeanor when doing projects around the house, he taught me the importance of “do it yourself” projects and how rewarding they could be. Check out Boston Magazine’s article on every historic homeowner’s favorite program:

http://www.bostonmagazine.com/articles/this_old_house/page1

An interesting point to make: the creators of This Old House basically came up with the concept “do it yourself” during the housing slump of the late 70’s and early 80’s on the premise that “viewers didn't need to buy new homes to be happy. All they needed was a little Yankee ingenuity.” How refreshing is that?

Maybe we’ll see a resurgence in this way of thinking as the economy and housing market continues to worsen. What do you think?

The Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress Names Durable Slate Foreman MVP

It’s not every day that field employees in the construction industry get recognized for their hard work. Unless, of course, it’s a historic election year and your name happens to be, “Joe the Plumber.”

That is why The Durable Slate Company is proud to announce that one of its top foremen, Chad Chambers, has been presented with a national MVP award, recognizing his expertise and dedication to the roofing industry.The award was presented last night, Feb. 4, at the International Roofing Expo in Las Vegas. Chambers is currently in Nevada with colleagues from The Durable Slate Company.

Chambers has been a roofer for the past nine years. He has been with The Durable Slate Company for about five of those years. On working for The Durable Slate Company Chambers said, “I consider what I do to be much more than just roofing. I love the fact that the projects my crews and I complete will last a lifetime. It makes us feel great about the work we do.”

Chambers said that receiving this award proves that positive thinking and hard work really does pay off. Chambers has always been inspired by his grandparents and their strong work ethic. “I think there’s a generation gap in work ethic, faith and values. I’ve always aimed to be at the same level as my grandfather. He’s lived through wars and depression and doesn’t take things for granted," he said.

The Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress sponsors the Roofing Industry’s Most Valuable Player Awards Program, which annually identifies and honors a maximum of ten outstanding roofing workers. These individuals serve as esteemed role models, and demonstrate higher work-related and personal goals to which others may aspire.Judged on his work ethic, workmanship, creative problem solving, contribution to employee retention, leadership qualities and safety record on the projects he runs, Chambers was selected, along with nine others in the roofing industry from across the nation as an MVP by the NRCA.

Chambers is the third Durable Slate employee to receive an MVP award.