THE SHIELD September 2013
JERSEY SHORE BOARDWALK FIRE DISASTER HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR DEFENSIVE BUILDING MATERIALS
BUILDER SPOTLIGHT
CARBEN CONSTRUCTION LGC CONSTRUCTION AND MORE
ECO PARTNERS WITH
WORLD RESOURCE SOLUTIONS CENTER
MOLD AND THE SANDY REBUILD
RECOVERING COMMUNITIES NOW FACE A GROWING HEALTH AND LIABILITY ISSUE
THE SHIELD
A PUBLICATION OF THE RED SHIELD FOUNDATION
CONTENTS NEWS 3 JERSEY SHORE BOARDWALK FIRE 5 COLORADO FLOODS 13 ECO HD PILOT PROGRAM UPDATE 19 CALIFORNIA’S RIM FIRE 25 WORLD RESOURCE SOLUTIONS CENTER 31
SUPER STORMS BECOMING LIKELIER 39 SANDY REBUILD DEFENSIVE HOMES 45 1
September 2013
FEATURES 57 INNOVATION: A CASE STUDY 59 MOLD ISSUES IN SANDY REGION 67 BUILDER SPOTLIGHT 77 CARBEN CONSTRUCTION 79 LGC CONSTRUCTION 85 JOHN PAUL BUILDERS 91 OUTREACH 103 AQUAPONICS FACILITY 105 SHELTERS IN THE PHILIPPINES 113 www.ecob.net
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News: Jersey Shore Boardwalk Fire
JERSEY SHORE B
HURRICANE SANDY DEVASTATION CONT
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BOARDWALK FIRE
TINUES FOR BATTERED COASTAL TOWN
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News: Jersey Shore Boardwalk Fire
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News As residents of Jersey Shore, New Jersey looked forward to the one year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy and putting the worst of the destruction behind them, the super storm had one last violence in addition to the flood waters and damaging winds - fire. Corroded electrical wiring from the storm’s flooding along the city’s famous boardwalk sparked a major fire on September 12th that claimed over 50 businesses and required hundreds of firefighters to combat. Burning for days, the fire was another painful crisis suffered by a community that lost so much not 11 months ago. Many of the shops along the boardwalk had reopened as soon as June 1st, and business owners were stunned to be facing another major catastrophe. New Jersey Governer Chris Christie was soon on the scene, and has allocated Hurricane Sandy disaster funds to help restore the boardwalk. “After all the effort and time and resources that we put in to help the folks in Seaside Heights and Seaside Park to rebuild, to see this... is just unthinkable,” said Christie in a speech just after the fire began.
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News: Jersey Shore Boardwalk Fire
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News Adam Gordon, an attorney for The Fair Share Housing Center - an affordable-housing advocacy organization - said the fire was “tragic” but added: “For us, the big question is why there is such an immediate rush on this, when people who have been living their own tragedy for the past 11 months are not being given this same sense of urgency and attention?” Hundreds of home owners are still dealing with frustrating insurance and government mandates concerning the rebuild process, along with prevalent mold issues throughout the storm-affected region. The fire is another blow the the local economy, which has been struggling since the coastal region was inundated in floodwater during last years storm. “We are saddened by yet another blow to our friends in the Jersey Shore area,” said Eco Building Products President and CEO Steve www.ecob.net
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News: Jersey Shore Boardwalk Fire Conboy. “We will be pushing defensive building practices even harder in the region, as a way to help businesses and homeowners get back on their feet and prevent future disasters like this from taking place.” Eco is currently heading up defensive rebuilds in Jersey Shore, the Rockaways and Breezy Point to help educate residents and lead the rebuild process to give communities the best chance against future disasters. “It’s time for builders
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News to embrace advanced framing lumber and defensive building practices, said Conboy. Whether it’s fire, hurricanes, or floods, we have the technology for these types of disasters and are ready to make these buildings safer for occupants and first responders. For starters, we should be building on steel poles, not combustible wooden ones. We can build homes as waterproof as a boat, and as resilient as an engineered bridge against major storms - and protect them against fire as well.�
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News: Colorado Floods
COLORADO F
WATER, NOT FIRE, RIPS THROUGH THE STATE’S
LIVES AND CAUSING OVER $1 BILLION IN PRO 13
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FLOODS
S CENTRAL CITIES, TAKING
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News: Colorado Floods After battling some of the worst fires in the state’s history and a drought that strained water supplies and parched the landscape, Colorado is now suffering from the aftermath of torrential rains that flooded thousands of homes and claimed the lives of several people in Boulder, Denver, and surrounding communities. A massive storm system moved into the region on September 11th, and dropped more rain in a week than the state usually gets in an entire year - nearly 21 inches of water. Nearly 20,000 homes have been damaged in the resulting floods, with almost 2,000 completely destroyed. Property damages have been estimated well over $1 billion, and at least seven people are known to have died from the storms while tens of thousands were evacuated by local, state, and federal emergency personnel. Thankfully, the number of injured and killed fell far below expectations during the first days of the storm, where missing persons numbered in the hundreds. Over 1,900 square miles were flooded by 15
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News: Colorado Floods
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News the storm system, stranding many residents as 30 or more bridges were washed away, leading to over 3,000 separate rescue operations by ground and air crews. The carnage prompted a Federal Disaster Area categorization by President Barack Obama, as well as a visit from Vice President Joe Biden to examine what is being called a thousand year flood event. “This tragedy could not have come at a worse time for the people of Colorado, who are just recovering from a wave of destructive fires,” said Eco President and CEO Steve Conboy. “We know how to build defensively, and it’s time we educated homeowners and builders directly to help lessen the kind of rebuild mess that these regions will be going through in the coming months,” Eco Building Products is already heavily involved in the fire rebuild in Colorado, as well as the flood areas of New York and New Jersey. “We want to show these communities that the products and practices that protect against wildfires also can help their homes survive flood events,” said Conboy. “There is a better way way to build.” www.ecob.net
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News: Eco HD Pilot Update
UPDATE: ECO RED SHIELD™’S PIL
THE HOME 19
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LOT PROGRAM AT
DEPOT
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News: Eco HD Pilot Update
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News With the launch of the Eco Red Shield™ pilot last month in select stores around the Sandy Rebuild, The Home Depot has brought real visibility to the need for advanced framing lumber in rebuild regions like NY/NJ. The Home Depot, the largest home improvement retailer in the United States, is well-known for adopting innovative products early-on, giving the national building community access to the best tools and materials on the market. With The Home Depot being one of the largest consumers of framing lumber in North America, their quality specifications are widely recognized throughout the Industry, known as ‘home center grade.’ These specifications soon became the norm for all big box stores, ultimately raising the bar on what framing lumber should look and feel like. By making Eco Red ShieldTM available in select retail markets, The Home Depot continues to lead the nation by way of advanced framing lumber, embracing the latest in innovative products to bring the best value to their customers. Eco Building Products has also created the mobile sales pro, a training tool meant to help The Home Depot employees and floor personnel gain the latest industry knowledge to help www.ecob.net
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News: Eco HD Pilot Update
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News customers understand changing technologies within lumber protection. Eco’s red wood understandably draws many questions from homeowners, builders and architects unfamiliar with Eco’s line of defensive building products, and now The Home Depot sales team will be equipped to answer them all. “Working with The Home Depot and training their associates is the fulfillment of a long-standing vision here at Eco to reach as much of the building community as possible to help America begin building defensively,” says Steve Conboy, President and CEO of Eco Building Products. “With their knowledgeable staff and unparalleled market reach, we are confident that buyers will start asking the right questions, and start getting some real answers from the best in the business.” Eco Red Shield™ is now available in stock for the Sandy rebuild and for special order in California. “One store at a time, we are going to change the way America builds,” adds Conboy. For a full listing of participating stores, visit the store locator at ecob.net. www.ecob.net
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News: Rim Fire
CALIFORNIA’S
THE STATE’S FOURTH LARGEST THE
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S RIM FIRE
T WILDFIRE IN HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR DEFENSIVE BUILDING MATERIALS www.ecob.net
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News: Rim Fire Nearly 200,000 acres have burned in one of California’s worst wildfire events ever recorded. The Rim Fire, which started in the Sierra Nevada range near Yosemite National Park, began on September 17 and was soon burning more than 50,000 acres in a twentyfour-hour period, ripping through pristine forest and endangering thousands of homes and businesses. At the end of September, the fire was only 30 percent contained and over 111 structures had been destroyed. The state mobilized more than 4,000 firefighters to combat the flames, along with reconnaissance drones and several air tankers, but unfavorable weather conditions and difficult geography helped the fire grow to record-breaking proportions. Even with its regular and violent fire season, however, California has yet to adopt the latest advances in defensive building technologies into its building code, resulting in unknown numbers of property losses throughout the state every year through preventable fire damage. “At Eco, we are on a mission to keep people from rebuilding after these disasters with firewood,� says Eco 27
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News: Rim Fire
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News President and CEO Steve Conboy. “We want to give property owners the best line of defense against fire events, and help make homes and businesses safer for emergency personnel.” Increased ignition times, a reduced smoke index and greater structural integrity are some of the benefits of protection coated lumber, but few homeowners or contractors know just how cost effective these defensive building materials have become. “Builders are starting to wake up and find that the materials market has evolved,” adds Conboy. “When you get this kind of fire protection along with defense from mold, wood rot, and termites - all for a tiny fraction higher than unprotected lumber - it’s a game-changer for the industry.” Though future fire events like the Rim Fire are inevitable, the same tired approaches to defending buildings against them are not. The turn towards advanced defensive building materials is happening now. www.ecob.net
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News: Eco Partners with WRSC
ECO TEAMS UP WITH
WORLD RESOURCE
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SOLUTIONS CENTER
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News: Eco Partners with WRSC Eco Building products has teamed up World Resources Solutions Center (WRSC), a New Jersey based building solutions organization. Eco President and CEO Steve Conboy and WRSC President and Managing Principal Greg Shiffner have developed strategic plans to rebuild the Jersey Shore using the best in defensive building products, starting with Eco Red Shield™ protected lumber. The unprecedented devastation along the east coast following Hurricane Sandy prompted Eco Building Products to set out in search of builders and contractors willing to think defensively for the extensive round of rebuilds and repairs in
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News the region. As a forward-thinking, green-minded construction consulting firm, WRSC was among the first to answer Eco’s call. “After seeing Eco’s line of defensive building products and their price/capability ratio, we knew we had to get on board,” said Shiffner. In addition to the utilization of ECOB’s line of defensive building products, WRSC has embraced ECOB’s Institute of Defensive Building Practices (IDBP) online training platform in an effort to provide focused training for their team of architects, engineers and builders. The training process as outlined by IDBP will provide a solid foundation for their organization helping to ensure that every house they rebuild
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News: Eco Partners with WRSC
makes use of the best technology and methods available in today’s supply chain. WRSC was developed to provide guidance, information, and solutions to best serve homeowners on their journey to quick, efficient, and cost-effective home rebuilding. WRSC committed itself to using the newest, safest, and most sustainable technologies available in the housing industry. The Center’s first regional focus was with the storm weary homeowners and businesses in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ. WRSC 35
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is bringing welcomed and long-awaited relief to the widespread emotional stress, confusion and trepidation to which many homeowners and businesses fell victim in the aftermath of Super storm Sandy last fall. “Even today, hundreds of shore property owners and businesses are still searching for answers and guidance in everything from building codes and insurance claims to finding which builders, architects, designers and financing terms will best suit their individual needs,� said Shiffner. “Our Center provides www.ecob.net
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News: Eco Partners with WRSC a ‘one-stop-shop’ to answer any questions or concerns about all facets of the rebuilding process in a direct and easily-understood manner.” With Eco’s newest coating facility opening in New Jersey, the WRSC will have easy access to the industry’s most advanced defensive building technologies near the heart of the rebuild effort. “Finally there is someone of like mind that can supply the products we have been waiting for in this rebuild,” added Shiffner. For Conboy, this partnership will help realize his company’s vision of helping homeowners on the east coast return to their properties as quickly as possible, guarded by the industry’s best products against future storm events. “I knew if we showed up in and around this rebuild with the most defensive products, we would find groups like World Resources Solutions Center wanting to redo it right,” said Conboy. “We are looking forward to helping the families and victims of this super storm, and changing the way America builds.” 37
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News: Rising Seas and Flooding
RISING SEAS MAKIN LARGE-SCALE FLOODING LIKELIER A NEW STUDY FINDS THAT PROBABILITIES FOR SANDY-LIKE FLOODS HAVE NEARLY DOUBLED SINCE 1950 39
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News: Rising Seas and Flooding
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September 2013
News October 29th marks the first anniversary of Hurricane Sandy making landfall in the U.S., in what was to become one of the most destructive weather events in the nation’s history. As global sea levels rise, however, flood damage from super storms like Sandy may becoming more common, and the east coast is struggling to prepare for a volatile future. A new study published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society has found that in the last 60 years, the probability of a weather event on par with Hurricane Sandy has more than doubled, meaning an increased risk of flood for cities like New York and others along the eastern seaboard. Sea level rises are mostly to blame for this increase in flood dangers, as oceans are currently rising over 3.2 millimeters per year - up from just 1.7 millimeters per year a century ago. The study claims that Sandy-level flooding can be expected on a nearly annual basis for many parts of New Jersey, Connecticut, and New York in the coming decades. This means that these regions will www.ecob.net
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News: Rising Seas and Flooding have to dramatically rethink their flood plans, affecting everything from building codes to insurance rates for hundreds of thousands of residents. “Coastal communities are facing a looming sea level rise crisis, one that will manifest itself as an increased frequency of Sandy-like inundation disasters in the coming decades along the Mid-Atlantic and elsewhere,� the study said. Among the solutions to keeping residents and properties safe, defensive building materials need to be higher on public officials’ priorities for helping coastal residents prepare for future storm events.
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News: Sandy Rebuild Homes
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DEFENSIVE HOMES GOING UP IN SANDY REBUILD REGION ECO AND WORLD RESOURCE SOLUTIONS CENTER PROVIDE ADVOCACY AND GUIDANCE FOR FRUSTRATED HOMEOWNERS www.ecob.net
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News: Sandy Rebuild Homes
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September 2013
News In July of 2012, Julie Kellner excitedly moved into her newly purchased home - a cozy, 1922 residence located on the Jersey Shore. She could not have predicted that in just a few short months, her home would be six feet underwater, and that she would begin a nightmare journey through legal, logistical, and financial obstacles. Hurricane Sandy hit the eastern seaboard in late October, bringing with it unprecedented flooding that displaced tens of thousands of homeowners and brought billions in damages. In places like the Jersey Shore, floodwaters inundated entire neighborhoods, forcing families into shelters and camps, often for months at a time. “I stayed in a hotel for the first 92 days,” said Kellner. “After that, they moved some of us to an abandoned military base that had been renovated for storm victims - it was like we were refugees!” Finding a place to live turned out to be the easiest part of Kellner’s ordeal, however, as she soon found herself in deeper waters. “I’m a girl all by myself, I didn’t know the first thing about the rebuild process,” said Kellner. “I didn’t know who to talk to, or where to start. I had no experience dealing with contractors, or demolition crews, or insurance companies - figuring all that www.ecob.net
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News: Sandy Rebuild Homes out alone was a nightmare.” Kellner tried to mediate the water damage and control her home’s growing mold issues, but after cleaning crews gutted her residence, the city told her the home was too old to be salvaged and would have be torn down completely. Luckily, that’s when she found the World Resource Solutions Center, founded by Greg Shiffner, whose sole purpose is to guide homeowners like herself through the rebuild effort. “Greg put in me contact with everyone I needed, and was there to help every step of the way,” said Kellner. “Their urgency matched my own, and it was such a relief to have such a competent team behind my case.” Shiffner and his company put Kellner in touch with Eco Building Products President and CEO Steve Conboy, who is supplying Eco Red Shield™ materials for the rebuild effort in the coming weeks. “We wanted to help Julie redo her house the right way, and show her community and the surrounding region what a defensive home looks like so that they can all be better prepared for the next major storm,” said Conboy. Eco and the World Resource Solutions Center have teamed up to help more homeowners like Julie find the 49
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News: Sandy Rebuild Homes
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News resources they need to get their rebuilds off the ground quickly and safely. “Our job is to make sure that contractors aren’t taking advantage of these storm victims with over-crowded schedules or unfair pricing,” added Conboy. “At Eco, we know how to build defensively, and our partnership with Greg and his firm is becoming stronger everyday.” Conboy is creating a radio broadcast show called “Hurricane Advocacy Radio” aimed at homeowners in the rebuild region, to provide resources to communities struggling to put the super storm behind them. Eco’s team is building two other defensive homes, one in the Rockaways and another in Breezy, to lead the way for future disaster rebuilds. “I would recommend these two companies to anyone in my circumstances,” said Kellner. “Knowing that my rebuild is being done defensively gives me peace of mind for the future, because one thing is for sure - Sandy wont’ be our last storm.”
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News: Sandy Rebuild Homes
THANK YOU LETT Steve,
It was an absolute pleasure being able to meet you and put a face t ready to go, was the most invigorating feeling. This this the first tim I have met with countless professionals, seen a million drawings, an urgency you and your team have taken in regards to my house. I wa for me as well. The fact that Eco has helped me financially by givin pressure off me. It isn’t easy fighting with insurance companies eve money. Having the pleasure to spend time with you later in the day truly give back more than I have ever witnessed from anyone in my weekend and thank you, again, for making such a significant impact - Julie Kellner 53
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TER FROM JULIE
to the emails on Wednesday. Seeing my house on the truck, cut and me I have actually felt like there was a light at the end of the tunnel. and have heard promise after promise, but nothing compares to the ant nothing more than to “be home� and I truly believe you want that ng me such an incredible break has also eased a great amount of ery single day just waiting to hear if there is a possibility of any more y and hear about your countless projects was beyond inspiring. You y entire life. Your spirit is contagious and genuine. Have a wonderful t on my life.
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Features: Innovation: A Case Study
INNOVATION
THE CELLULAR REVOLUTION IS A MODEL FOR 59
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N: A CASE STUDY
R CHANGE WITHIN THE LUMBER INDUSTRY www.ecob.net
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Features: Innovation: A Case Study Smart phones are everywhere these days, which sometimes makes it hard to remember that it was just over six years ago that Apple first introduced the iPhone, a revolutionary device that combined the best of of several products into one. In those short years, the tech world has experienced an explosion of features, hardware abilities, and innovative apps that have changed daily life and commerce forever. However, just ten years before the iPhone, only about 20 percent of the U.S. population even owned a cell phone. The technology was young, clumsy, and the demand had yet to be wakened in consumers. 15 years later, however, cell phone saturation would exceed 100 percent, with over 320 million active wireless subscriptions in an industry approaching $200 billion in revenue. In the years before cell phones, pagers
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Features: Innovation: A Case Study dominated the world of instant communication for decades, hardly changing in design or functionality. The exponential change of the last 50 years in wireless communications shows that when the right technologies are brought together at the right time, entire industries can be born overnight that radically alter the consumer landscape. In the construction industry, a similar revolution in scope and importance is quietly taking place, and is poised to dramatically overhaul the way the world builds. While lumber
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Features production has remained fairly consistent for the last century or so, lumber harvesting methods have changed substantially, and the result is younger, more moisture-rich lumber. Combined with an era of climate extremes, super storms and growing threats from fire, current lumber issues make it clear that the industry is long overdue for a technological leap forward. Eco Building Products believes that the revolution has already begun, and is pushing for change with its proprietary lumber protection coating technology called Eco Red Shield™. Eco Red Shield™ is changing the industry forever by providing dramatic
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Features: Innovation: A Case Study increases in structural integrity and resistance to weather events. Eco has been sounding the call for large-scale change, and some of the world’s best authorities on game-changing technologies are taking notice. Eco earned Gold at the internationally-renowned 2013 Edison Awards, competing alongside dozens of innovative companies. Eco was also recognized among the top three finalists at the CONNECT Most Innovative Product of the Year Awards, alongside top aerospace and medical science firms. Next to 3D printing technology and next-generation aircraft designs, a red 2x4 garnered attention and excitement from those who understood the potential of Eco Red Shield™ technology. So, is Eco Building Products a lumber company, or a technology company? In many ways, Eco’s vision better resembles the changes experienced in the cellular industry over the last few decades, with total market penetration occurring in just a few short years. When technology lines up with public demand and unprecedented weather events, entirely new industries are born overnight - and with products showing up on the shelves of America’s largest retailer, The Home Depot, the revolution is happening now. 65
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Features: Sandy Mold Problems
SANDY REBUILD FACING MAJOR MOLD PROBLEM ABANDONED AND STALLED PROJECTS HAVE DEVELOPED SEVERE MOLD ISSUES IN THE LAST YEAR 67
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Features: Sandy Mold Problems
Nearly a year after the floodwaters have receded from Hurricane Sandy, many regions affected by the storm surge and rainfall are still not out of danger, though the culprit now isn’t water - it’s mold. Inundated by the super storm last October, residents up and down the east coast immediately began to suffer from 69
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mold problems as drywall and structural lumber took on excess moisture. The first round of rebuilds necessitated long, arduous cleanup efforts that meant tearing out flooded drywall, prying up and replacing floorboards, and enclosing residences with heaters and fans to dry out inner wall spaces. Many properties, however, lacked the time, money or resources to rebuild right www.ecob.net
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Features: Sandy Mold Problems
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Features away, and sat for weeks, then months, and now nearly a year without proper mold remediation. Mold cultures are known to exude aflatoxins, ochratoxins, fumonisins, trichothecenes, citrinin, and patulin. Aflatoxins alone are among the most carcinogenic substances on the planet, while others are associated with a variety of adverse health effects. Having abandoned or stalled homes teeming with these mold cultures have many communities in the affected regions on edge. Congressman Michael Grimm wrote a letter to New York Mayor Bloomberg requesting abandoned homes to be classified as a public health threat to allow officials to override private property laws and cleanup the contaminated buildings. “Whatever the reason, residents are deeply troubled by the threat these neglected structures pose to the safety of the neighborhood, as they stand on their blocks essentially as massive mold incubators www.ecob.net
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Features: Sandy Mold Problems and dangerous lures for curious children, vermin, and those looking to engage in illicit behavior,” wrote Grimm. “While no one wants an individual’s property rights to be unduly violated, we have reached a point where the health and recovery of our constituents in these neighborhoods are being jeopardized by these still-neglected structures.” With protection coated lumber like Eco Red Shield™, these kinds of communal headaches could be avoided by preventing mold spores from taking hold in the structural lumber and sheeting of residential homes, making cleanup efforts far easier and less expensive. Insurance companies and local governments, soon to be on the hook for many mold-ridden properties across the eastern seaboard, need to do the research and support defensive building technologies to prevent future problems like these.
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FREE ADVOCATE H REBUILDING YOUR HOME? EXCITED ABOUT NEW
COSTLY HOME LIFTS? WATER INTRUSION
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home now and lift later. Watch this video to learn more: h
IS YOUR HOME STRONG ENOUGH? WILL IT HANDLE A HOME LIFT? Sheeting t
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Builder Spotlight
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Builder Spotlight
BUILDER SPOTLIGHT www.ecob.net
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Builder Spotlight: Carben Construction
CARBEN CONSTRUCT ONE OF THE LEADERS IN THE HURRICANE SANDY REBUILD EFFORT EMBRACES DEFENSIVE BUILDING PRACTICES
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Builder Spotlight: Carben Construction
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Builder Spotlight Eco is constantly looking for forward-thinking, progressive building companies to help showcase their advanced technology and lead the building industry in building defensively. When Steve Conboy flew out to The Home Depot in Copeg to help launch the store’s Eco Red Shield pilot program, he met Rich Cardone, President of Carben Construction, and immediately knew he had found the kind of company Eco was after. “We’re all about getting our customers the best products available on the market, for the most competitive prices,” said Cardone. “After meeting Steve and hearing about his products, we had to start incorporating Eco Red Shield™ into our projects.” Located near Copeg, New York, Carben Construction has been heavily involved with repairs following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy of October last year. “We’ve used Eco Red Shield™ to help shore up the walls on a home that took an impact from a large tree, and were able to get the structural integrity we needed make the repairs and finish the job,” added Cardone. The firm also uses the protected lumber in basements that were flooded in the super storm, ensuring that no mold problems plague homeowners in the future. Cardone and his company plan to utilize Eco products for www.ecob.net
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Builder Spotlight: Carben Construction all of their outdoor needs, as well. “We have a terrible termite problem on Long Island, along with mildew and wood rot issues,” said Cardone. “I’ve used every product there is for protection, and only Eco Red Shield™ is a solution for all of these, along with added fire protection. To me, it’s unbeatable.” As a trusted, capable construction firm in the middle of the Sandy rebuild region, Carben Construction is a valuable affiliate for Eco’s mission to inform homeowners of the latest in defensive building practices and help change the industry from the bottom up. “We are looking forward to working with Rich and his crews on future products, and are proud to have them represent our products to their customers,” says Conboy.
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Builder Spotlight: Eco’s New Jersey Facility
LGC CONSTRUCTION AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT A NEW JERSEY BUILDING COMPANY GOES ALL IN WITH ECO RED SHIELD™ 85
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Builder Spotlight: Eco’s NJ Facility Among New Jersey builders, LGC Construction and Property Management is one of the most reliable in terms of providing the most defensive products at the best value for their customers. Since Hurricane Sandy left much of the coastal areas of New Jersey in tatters, LGC has been busy helping families get back on their feet and into their homes - now using the most advanced lumber protection on the market. Frank Mullin and partner George Buccher took over the company from Buccher’s father in 1979, and quickly made a name for themselves in the region as one of the premier construction and property management providers. After talking with a representative at The Home Depot earlier this year, Mullin got in touch with Steve Conboy, President and CEO of Eco Building products. “I brought Steve out to the job site, and could tell that he knew the business inside and out,” said Mullin. “His product helped us achieve faster, safer rebuilds for our clients, and better protected the structures against future storms - a big win for our community.” 87
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Builder Spotlight: Eco’s New Jersey Facility Buccher’s house was one of those severely affected by the super storm, with over four feet of water inundating the entire property. The firm’s first order of business was to restore Buccher and his family to their home. “The mold situation has been a major concern after the storm,” added Mullin. “For the people who waited to rebuild, the problem is horrendous. We are also finding mold that has been there for years, well above the existing flood lines.” On Barry Island, Mullin and his crews raised a damaged house to new flood standards, and then sheeted the whole house with Eco Red Shield™. “The additional costs are so minor, we are going to use this stuff on everything we do from here on out,” said Mullin. “It’s worth the extra protection.” LGC Construction and Property Management is also utilizing other Eco products, including Eco Disaster Break™ to aid in the cleanup efforts, neutralize mold growth, and restore integrity to damaged properties. “We are excited to have such a capable and committed firm using Eco Red Shield™ in the Sandy Rebuild,” said Conboy. “LGC has proven to be an earlyadopter of the industry’s best defensive building products, and their customers are going to get all the benefits.” 89
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Builder Spotlight: John Paul Builders
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Builder Spotlight
JOHN PAUL BUILDERS BUILDING DEFENSIVE MODULAR HOMES IN THE SANDY REBUILD REGION
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Builder Spotlight: John Paul Builders
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Builder Spotlight When the winds and rain from Hurricane Sandy finally receded in October of 2012, the devastation along coastal towns and cities was overwhelming. Thousands of families, unprepared for the super storm’s brutality, found their homes inundated under feet of flood water or badly damaged by high winds. In the ensuing months, insurance complications and frustrating federal regulations left countless families and homeowners feeling helpless. John Bishop, a former building inspector, was working with the state of New Jersey to help assess damaged properties and assist storm victims when he realized his building background would be put to better use by rebuilding the communities directly. Along with partner Paul Rueda, Bishop founded John Paul Builders to focus on creating custom modular homes for regions affected by Hurricane Sandy and restoring the communities torn apart by the storm. Bishop spent 12 years on the police force, building 22 homes for himself and others along the way in his spare time. During 9/11, Bishop contracted a brain stem infection that paralyzed the right side of his body, forcing into four months of rehab to relearn how to walk and talk, as well as early www.ecob.net
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Builder Spotlight: John Paul Builders retirement from the force. Drawing on his 30+ years of building experience, Bishop instead became a building inspector, which led to his role in the flood regions after Hurricane Sandy and the formation of John Paul Builders. Bishop immediately went to work seeking out foundations and non-profits to help alleviate the financial and emotional burden for victims of the super storm, and quickly came across World Resource Solutions Center, founded by Greg Shiffner. Through Shiffner’s organization, Bishop learned about Eco Red Shield™ and it’s potential for defensive rebuilds. “My first reaction was, ‘This has got to be expensive,’” said Bishop. He soon contacted Steve Conboy, President and CEO of Eco Building Products, to talk through the chemistry and affordability of the product. “When I learned about all of 95
September 2013
Builder Spotlight
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Builder Spotlight: John Paul Builders
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Builder Spotlight the protections provided by Eco Red Shield™ at only $1.50 more per square foot, it was a no-brainer,” added Bishop. Bishop and his company are using Eco Red Shield™ in all of their modular homes to help defend them against future disasters, as well as Eco Disaster Break to help fire proof existing foundations. “From a building inspector’s standpoint, these products are a dream come true,” said Bishop. “We’ve talked to several insurance companies who have all said the same thing.” In New Jersey alone, over 250,000 homes were flooded in Hurricane Sandy, and many will need to be completely demolished and rebuilt because of the affects of excessive water damage to structural components. “If these homes had Eco Red Shield™ technology, this would be a much different picture,” added Bishop. “There is easily 10 years of rebuilding in Sandy regions.” Currently, Bishop’s company has four modular homes and one addition in the pipeline to be built exclusively with Eco Red Shield™ lumber, along with a 90-unit condo project the firm is bidding for - and Bishop expects many more such projects. “The fire retardant property of Eco Red Shield™ is a real breakthrough, and once homeowners and builders get www.ecob.net
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Builder Spotlight: John Paul Builders wind of this product, it’s going to be a real game-changer,” said Bishop. “As a retired police officer, an extra 15 minutes to escape a fire is crucial to saving lives and likely the property itself.” Bishop’s partner, Paul Rueda, grew up across the street and has decades of experience in modular building. After Hurricane Sandy, Rueda left his successful plumbing company to help create John Paul Builders. Bishop’s 23-year old son Matt, an Afghanistan veteran, also works for the company. Matt was earned a Purple Heart in his tour, as well as the Silver Star for preventing the assassination of several highranking generals during a tour in Japan. “I see him as the future of this company,” said Bishop. “With Eco Red Shield™ and our other partners in the Sandy Rebuild, I think that future is going to be bright.”
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September 2013
Builder Spotlight
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STAY UPDATED WITH THE LATEST IDEAS ON HOW TO CREATE A BETTER WORLD ECOB.NET
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November 2012
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Outreach
OUTREACH 103
September 2013
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Outreach: Solutions Farm
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September 2013
Outreach
GROWING GREEN WITH RED ECO RED SHIELD™ CHOSEN FOR INNOVATIVE AQUAPONICS FACILITY IN SAN DIEGO www.ecob.net
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Outreach: Solutions Farm As the world looks to solve an impending food crisis, aquaponics is slowly gathering support as a sustainable method of food production for the future. Combining aquaculture, or the farming of aquatic animals like fish and prawns, with hydroponics, or the cultivation of plants in a water-based environment, aquaponics provides both fresh, organic vegetables along with farmed sea life for a truly diverse plate. Aquaponics takes advantage of the exchanges between the plant and animal environments, creating a symbiotic relationship that helps both flourish sustainably. In that aquaponics systems are densely organized and can even be stacked vertically, they represent an ideal method for food production in modern, urban settings. Combined with greenhouses, aquaponics can farm both vegetables and fish year-round. In Vista, California, a project called 107
September 2013
Outreach
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Outreach: Solutions Farm Solutions Farms is taking shape to provide cutting-edge aquaponics facilities and rehabilitating more than 25,000 square feet of greenhouse space. Project leaders have chosen Eco Red Shield as the lumber of choice for the facility because of its environmentally-friendly composition, mold and rot resistance, and industry-class fire rating. “We are thrilled to be a part of this project,� says Eco
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Outreach President and CEO Steve Conboy. “Not only does this venue give us an opportunity to show off some of the green aspects of our product, but the vision of Solutions Farm closely aligns with Eco’s vision of empowering those in need.” Solutions Farm is a project of North County Solutions for Change, a local non-profit founded by social entrepreneurs Chris and Tammy Megison in 1999. The Farm will employ homeless
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Outreach residents, allowing them access to quality food as well as profits from the Farm’s sales to local businesses and markets. A major focus of the Farm will be to provide job training, general education, and entrepreneurship for the benefit of Solutions’ families and the community. With a projected annual yield of 86,000 pounds of leafy greens and 13,000 pounds of fish, the Farm will have an impressive amount of resources to help spur on the organization’s outreach efforts and will undoubtedly enrich surrounding communities with fresh, local produce and healthy seafood. Other partners of the project include Eleven Western Builders, Allen Brothers Construction, Smart Engineering, Brickman Landscape, and Dimensional Technologies. Phase 1 is now complete, with over 3,500 square feet of growing space and the first harvest expected later this year.
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Outreach: EcOasis
RECOGNITION FOR CHANGE GOES GLOBAL HUMANITARIAN SHELTERS IN THE PHILIPPINES
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September 2013
Outreach
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Outreach: EcOasis The Philippines is an archipelago consisting of 7,107 islands situated right along the typhoon belt in the western periphery of the pacific. As a consequence, it is distressed by an average of 15-20 cyclones per year, bringing about torrential rains, eventual flooding in the Metro and deadly landslides in the provinces. The recent cyclone Maring (international codename TRAMI) triggered heavy southwest monsoon rains causing massive floods over the national capital region, upsetting 1.6 million individuals and displacing more than 132,000 households. Infrastructure and crops damage reached $2.3B and an estimated 600,000 people still remain at temporary shelters or seeking refuge with relatives. The past four decades of political turmoil has also brought about a diaspora of the provincial provinces as underemployment in agriculture, low demand and insufficient wages drove many to urban areas. This ongoing migration metropolis is creating tremendous shelter and employment shortages. The percentage of Filipinos living below the poverty line has remained almost unchanged in the past six years. According to the latest shortage in socialized, economic and low-cost housing, more than 4.9 million Filipinos remain homeless, and 115
September 2013
Outreach
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Outreach: EcOasis
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Outreach Outreach if nothing is changed, that backlog could balloon to 10 million in 2020 to 12.5 million by 2030. EcOasis was formed to address the housing issues and formulate a vision to provide decent and robust housing for lowincome earners. Armani Alvarez, the founder and President of EcOasis, foresaw the need for affordable structures resistant to the worst of weather conditions, impervious to termites, fire resistant, and eco-friendly. Alvarez soon discovered Eco Building Products and got in touch with Eco President and CEO Steve Conboy. In the works is a five-story, 40 unit condominium-tenements designed buildings built with Eco Red Shield protection coated lumber. The orders are sent in precut, self-assembly kits to keep transportation and construction costs to a minimum. Each housing unit will be made available to qualified low-income earners and funding will be coursed through the government’s housing agency. These structures are meant to provide adequate housing to the more than 75% of the Filipino population currently living in sub-standard shelters. Driven by humanitarian concern, Eco and EcOasis hope to further collaborate on future projects not only in the Philippines but also across the Asia Pacific region. www.ecob.net
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Outreach: EcOasis PREFABRICATED HOUSING AS AN ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION Prefabricated homes, often termed as prefab homes, are manufactured off-site and in advance. Packaged as kits, they are easily shipped and assembled without the need for specialized equipment, tools and professional crew. Prefabricated houses require less labor/man hours to complete and are exceptionally cost-effective. The market for prefabricated homes in the Philippines is fast gaining exposure and acceptance. Major issues plagued the low-cost housing segment such as outstanding mortgage defaults and a sustainable and workable financing scheme, but as the real estate region begins to recoup from the Asian financial crisis, it has been forecasted that the demand for pre-engineered, pre-cut homes is picking up pace. Working with EcOasis, Eco Building Products aims to institute its presence as the premier global manufacturer and supplier of prefabricated structured units in the country, address the mounting housing predicament, and help provide a cost-effective and timely solution. Eco is looking to establish relationships with 119
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Outreach
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Outreach Outreach government departments and ministries, local and international charitable institutions and foundations, diplomatic missions, and major private sector companies in the first quarter to foster alliances in the sale and distribution of Eco Building Products’ homes and products. Eco will also focus on imparting awareness to environmental consciousness and preservation through innovative wood production methods and techniques, as well as revolutionizing the low-cost home construction industry. Eco also offers immediate shelters to families, which can be instantaneously erected on site to provide refuge. Eco Building Products and EcOasis are working to increase home ownership across the Philippines and eradicate sub-standard living conditions. “We believe an alliance with Eco for the Philippines will provide affordable homes to millions of Filipinos,” says Alvarez. “We plead for your support to build a better habitation for the marginalized Filipinos. The housing future is not something we enter; it is something we create.” www.ecob.net
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