City of Houston Approves New Flood Plain Rule
The Houston City Council has approved a rule that will require homes and business in the City of Houston located within the 100-year floodplain to be built two feet above the 500-year floodplain to mitigate flooding to structures. This mirrors the requirement passed...
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DEALING WITH DIFFICULT CONTRACTORS
By: Gary J. Caruso, P.E. R.S. Criterium-Caruso Engineers. Dealing with a contractor requires some understanding of what they do and who they are as persons. To understand your contractor, you have to understand that contracting is a very difficult, risky and...
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Finding a Contractor After the Flood
After the Disaster Finding a contractor after a disaster can be difficult and stressful, especially on short notice or under the conditions of a disaster. Construction work is something that most people have a difficult time dealing with, even when they have had time...
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Cleaning up After the Flood – NABIE
The following article was reposted with permission from the National Academy of Building Inspection Engineers. After flood waters recede and you have access to your home or building, it is time to start the cleanup process. The following questions and answers are...
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Beware of Post Disaster Reconstruction Scams
Professional Engineering Inspections can assist you with your post disaster reconstruction process and help to avoid scams. The first steps are going to be documenting the damage and having your insurance adjuster out provide an assessment of what they will cover....
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Accessing to Disaster Assistance and Resources
FEMA Assistance Information To apply for FEMA assistance please visit www.DisasterAssistance.gov. People without internet access may sign up by calling 800-621-3362. Individuals have speech disabilities or hearing loss and use TTY should call 800-462-7585 directly;...
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How Deep Should Your Root Barriers Go?
When consulting on foundation maintenance and repair on expansive clay soil we often recommend the use of root barriers and a watering system where trees are nearby. Root barriers or root walls are amazingly effective when trees are determined to be using moisture...
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Post Repair Foundation Elevations
When a client calls about foundation performance issues and the office asks if they have any historical elevation data the first question we typically get is, “What are elevations?” The term “elevations” is used to describe a series of measurements made at the...
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Structural Configuration and Floor Slopes
Doing inspections for the last 30 years, with most of my work on wood framed residential structures, I commonly find floor slopes at the second floor of a structure which indicate some sagging of the structure has occurred. Often such sagging results in floor slopes...
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Expose Nails-New Construction
Expose nails and nail holes through the roof are common occurrences in new construction. Can you see the nail in the picture? Often these nails are not visible except when walking the roof. If the roof is safe to access and conditions are safe Professional...
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