In your specifications for your buildings do you see Vapor Retarders ASTM E-1745 Class A, B or C, 6mil, 10mil or 15mil? If so, do you know that they are looking for something besides regular poly? Vapor retarders have been around for a few years and are considerably more expensive than regular 6mil or 10mil poly sheeting. Many builders see that a 10mil is specified and still use regular 10mil poly. Vapor retarders provide less permeability and more durability prior to the slab being poured. Raven Industries explains the basics of Vapor retarders in the link below.
http://www.ravenind.com/RavenCorporate/films/pdf/VRSGuide.pdf
They also talk specifically about their products but it is good information to read.
Another great article to read is one by Bruce A Suprenant, PhD, PE, FACI. I found this online searching for good articles that would explain the vapor retarders and barriers better. He provides information and testing results. It seems that one of the more important things to be careful of is the small puncture holes that may happen on a jobsite. Like all water prevention products, you need to fix even the smallest of holes that happen. You can read his article by clicking on the below link.
http://www.concretesdc.org/FloorMoisture/Chapter_6_Vapor_Retarder-Barrier.pdf
The forum I have created here is merely a chance to skim the surface of vapor retarders. If you are the least bit confused by some of this don't feel bad, sometimes I am too. As with any building's specification book you need to make sure the products you use match the specifications.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Feedback
Feedback is important. I realize that is a brief statement but it IS something that you need to be successful. If you want nothing but good feedback and praise, ask your mother what she thinks. She will always be supportive and you may need that initially. To get the proper feedback on your job or life you need the feedback of individuals you respect. You do not necessarily have to like the person but you do need to respect their opinions. When in sales if you are not getting the business out of a potential customer ask the customer why. It could be a myriad of things. Have them pinpoint their exact reasoning as objectively as possible. Use that information to make yourself better in your field. This applies not just in sales but as employees or in constructing a building. You should not be insulted by their response. Use their information as a tool to do better in the future with them or with future customers. It is not meant to change who you are as a person but to let you learn how to deal with different types of people. You will not click with everyone nor should you expect to.
You can also get feedback from customers that you are doing well with. They will give you information on how you can do even better with them. If they already like you then you will get new ideas on what you can do better. People that like you want to see you be more successful.
As an employee, there is nothing better than an evaluation. It should be done on a consistent basis. How often have you been somewhere when you don't know how you stack up in the company in which you are employed? You can be fired for some reason that has never been addressed because of the lack of an evaluation. It happens, and has happened to me. I prefer for my employer to let me know how I am doing. Sometimes I fall short of goals or have some annoying habit that may need to be broken. That is not good in the company environment and feedback from the evaluation is the way to address it. If it is not done consistently or at all then ask your supervisor to let you know how you are doing and to tell you what you can do better.
If you have just finished a job, a building, etc., then ask the customer how you did. Find out the things that could have been done better and what was done well. It is important that they feel like they are a part of your process. If you think the job went poorly, they may think it went well. They may point out all of the things you did good or point out all of the flaws. Either way you are getting a source of feedback that will help you improve future business.
Feedback is not just for job related issues either. It is can also be used in your own personal life. Maybe you have a hobby that you enjoy. Find others that enjoy the same thing. Learn from them, you may even be able to help them in the process. Get their input and feedback on the things you have done well and not so well. I am sure that they will not see the exact same flaws that you see but will give new insight to what you have done. Your glaring mistakes that stand out so well to you may be a non issue to them.
The bottom line is that feedback from others is a good source of information for you to improve what you are doing and is important for your growth in your business or in your personal life.
You can also get feedback from customers that you are doing well with. They will give you information on how you can do even better with them. If they already like you then you will get new ideas on what you can do better. People that like you want to see you be more successful.
As an employee, there is nothing better than an evaluation. It should be done on a consistent basis. How often have you been somewhere when you don't know how you stack up in the company in which you are employed? You can be fired for some reason that has never been addressed because of the lack of an evaluation. It happens, and has happened to me. I prefer for my employer to let me know how I am doing. Sometimes I fall short of goals or have some annoying habit that may need to be broken. That is not good in the company environment and feedback from the evaluation is the way to address it. If it is not done consistently or at all then ask your supervisor to let you know how you are doing and to tell you what you can do better.
If you have just finished a job, a building, etc., then ask the customer how you did. Find out the things that could have been done better and what was done well. It is important that they feel like they are a part of your process. If you think the job went poorly, they may think it went well. They may point out all of the things you did good or point out all of the flaws. Either way you are getting a source of feedback that will help you improve future business.
Feedback is not just for job related issues either. It is can also be used in your own personal life. Maybe you have a hobby that you enjoy. Find others that enjoy the same thing. Learn from them, you may even be able to help them in the process. Get their input and feedback on the things you have done well and not so well. I am sure that they will not see the exact same flaws that you see but will give new insight to what you have done. Your glaring mistakes that stand out so well to you may be a non issue to them.
The bottom line is that feedback from others is a good source of information for you to improve what you are doing and is important for your growth in your business or in your personal life.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Msitakes
Okay. Mistakes is the actual title but you get the point. As discussed earlier in the previous post, mistakes happen. Sometimes it happens because you trust someone to recommend a product that you want to make sure that it works on a particular problem.
I had a situation where I thought a repair product would work that I was familiar with. I called the manufacturer of the product to double check and they said that I should really use another product, although slightly more expensive. The product I was thinking of could work but the newer less known product was a better recommendation. It did not seem to be a problem to me so I asked for a sample bag. Four days after I was supposed to get it, it arrived. I spent a good part of the morning explaining to the customer how it worked. Explained and demonstrated the right mixing procedures. Even helped to put some on as part of the demonstration. Bottom line is that it did not work as well as advertised. The product was not a bad product but it just really should not have been used in that application. I came back the next morning with the product I wanted to use to begin with that "could have" worked. The customer preferred the product and bought some for the job even though it was less expensive. (funny joke about sales there) I had not made the mistake but did correct the problem by being forthright and telling the customer that I would let him try the other product the next day after figuring out that the other product did not work as well.
Long lesson on this one but one learned in a day for this product and this is just one of the examples that happen through the course of time.
I had a situation where I thought a repair product would work that I was familiar with. I called the manufacturer of the product to double check and they said that I should really use another product, although slightly more expensive. The product I was thinking of could work but the newer less known product was a better recommendation. It did not seem to be a problem to me so I asked for a sample bag. Four days after I was supposed to get it, it arrived. I spent a good part of the morning explaining to the customer how it worked. Explained and demonstrated the right mixing procedures. Even helped to put some on as part of the demonstration. Bottom line is that it did not work as well as advertised. The product was not a bad product but it just really should not have been used in that application. I came back the next morning with the product I wanted to use to begin with that "could have" worked. The customer preferred the product and bought some for the job even though it was less expensive. (funny joke about sales there) I had not made the mistake but did correct the problem by being forthright and telling the customer that I would let him try the other product the next day after figuring out that the other product did not work as well.
Long lesson on this one but one learned in a day for this product and this is just one of the examples that happen through the course of time.
Selling
I read an article today from Bill Lee's newsletter that I get in my email. It is a great newsletter. It is brief and to the point about selling in general in the construction field but can be applied in other fields as well. His article that I got today is "Selling Ain't Easy". It had many interesting points about why someone would go into the sales field as a profession. My opinion about sales professionals is that you have to manage the most difficult person in the world to manage, yourself. You can sign up for Bill Lee's newsletters by going to http://www.billleeonline.com/ . There will be a prompt that will let you sign up for it.
From what I have seen and heard out and about doing my selling there are some nice jobs coming up but not in the quantity that was coming out a few short years ago. Prices keep going up and China seems to be needing more and more material for their big boom going on. You can find out more information from the company I work for monthly newsletter which is http://www.newsouthsupply.com/Newsletter/Nov07News.htm . It also has a nice article about good and bad management.
The second hardest thing to do in sales, and maybe in life, is to say "I screwed up." or add any applicable verb needed to get your point across. I found that when I make a mistake such as not ordering something as asked or forgetting some appointment that the best approach is the honest assertion that I messed up. It seems like people will forgive you and give you a second chance. You may even lose an order because of it but because of your honesty they will come back because they will trust you for the truth in your mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes and since we are all familiar with our own mistakes then we are more likely to forgive and forget when someone else makes them. The only precaution is not to make too many mistakes. When that happens you end up being an incompetent buffoon that no one can trust to do the job adequately.
From what I have seen and heard out and about doing my selling there are some nice jobs coming up but not in the quantity that was coming out a few short years ago. Prices keep going up and China seems to be needing more and more material for their big boom going on. You can find out more information from the company I work for monthly newsletter which is http://www.newsouthsupply.com/Newsletter/Nov07News.htm . It also has a nice article about good and bad management.
The second hardest thing to do in sales, and maybe in life, is to say "I screwed up." or add any applicable verb needed to get your point across. I found that when I make a mistake such as not ordering something as asked or forgetting some appointment that the best approach is the honest assertion that I messed up. It seems like people will forgive you and give you a second chance. You may even lose an order because of it but because of your honesty they will come back because they will trust you for the truth in your mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes and since we are all familiar with our own mistakes then we are more likely to forgive and forget when someone else makes them. The only precaution is not to make too many mistakes. When that happens you end up being an incompetent buffoon that no one can trust to do the job adequately.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
canoe picture
Here is the canoe that I made as I mentioned in one ofthe earlier posts. It is me in the water near Bowens Island and no the life preserver did not come out of my boat.
deep fried turkey
Today is the day I deep fry a turkey for us at work, all three of us. This day was no exception besides the fact we were down one person. So it was the two of us that enjoyed most of an 11 pound turkey. Deep frying is not the most economical way of cooking the bird but it suits the need when there is no oven around to use, plus it is so much quicker. Turkey ,when eaten in the quantity that we ate, just makes you plain drowsy afterwards. Nap time would be nice but I still need to be here at work and wait for someone to come in or the phone to ring. Thanksgiving is the word of the week and it gives you the time to be with loved ones and the chance to be thankful for them during this time. I have much to be thankful for.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Boat building
I forgot to mention in my first entry that I like to build small boats. I have built two. When I can find a picture of my first one I will post it. I have built a 7' dinghy. As I tell everyone, the 7' dinghy looks every bit of 5' long when I am in it. I am tall, 6'5" to be exact and it looks tiny with me in it, but it floats. I also have built a 14' long flat bottom canoe. I have used that the most. It is a bright yellow canoe so anyone can see me from anywhere close by. I am working on building a 15'6" Jon boat made out of cypress planks and coating it with fiberglass. I have been working on that one for more than a year. It will be done eventually.
Starting the blog
Today is November 19th, 2007 and I have created a blog, like many before me, that just has my thoughts and experiences. I am in the construction industry and sell construction materials for concrete and masonry construction and waterproofing products. I enjoy my job. I will probably just mention, in my blog, about my experiences in sales and construction related successes and problems. I really don't know how it will go so I will just start.
My mother has a blog and it is fun to read. She enjoys it and it has motivated me to start mine. I am sure that I will learn a thing or two about this process as time goes on. I am really unsure how to continue right now but will add more later.
My mother has a blog and it is fun to read. She enjoys it and it has motivated me to start mine. I am sure that I will learn a thing or two about this process as time goes on. I am really unsure how to continue right now but will add more later.
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