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Art Valentz

Recent Posts

School Safety Report: Rooftop Support Systems

Posted by Art Valentz on August 2, 2017

When designing a school building, all safety and security measures must be taken into account in order to protect the lives and property of its occupants. In addition to limiting access to the campus through doors or gates, integrating security checkpoints into the flow of traffic and installing bollards where necessary, there are more recondite means of ensuring the integrity of the building and the safety of its users.

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Topics: Rooftop Support Engineering, Roofing Management, Roof Safety, Roof Architecture

4 Reasons to Stop Using Wood for Rooftop Pipe & Equipment Supports

Posted by Art Valentz on April 19, 2017

If you do business out of a building that is relatively old, it likely has wooden supports to hold up pipes and equipment on the roof. This approach to commercial and industrial rooftops deserves some fresh thinking, since better solutions are now available.

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Topics: Rooftop Support Engineering, Roofing Maintenance, Roof Architecture

A PACE Program Primer for Building Owners

Posted by Art Valentz on February 16, 2017

One of the biggest challenges for any business or property owner is obtaining the financing needed to improve their structure and in turn grow the business. While a thriving business may have cash flow or you might have the ability to borrow money through traditional financing, this isn’t always the case—especially for companies still in the growth stage. What if there was a way to borrow the cash you needed with the assurance that paying it back wouldn’t be a problem? Depending on the improvements you’re hoping to make, PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) could be an ideal solution.

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Topics: Roofing Management

Thinking about contesting an OSHA fine? Read this first!

Posted by Art Valentz on February 9, 2017

If you have never received an OSHA fine, you may not realize what a nerve-wracking problem it can be to face. If money is no object, you may decide to simply pay the fine and move on with your business. However, how many business owners can honestly say that money is no object? In many cases, it may make since to contest the fine and see about resolving the citation. We’ve gathered a bit of information about this process so you can decide if it is the right step for you to take.

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Topics: Roof Safety

Survey Says...Yes! You Should Hire A Roof Consultant

Posted by Art Valentz on December 1, 2016

 The roof is one of the most important structures of a building, keeping the elements out and ensuring that all systems are carefully protected so they can function as they’re supposed to. When it comes to roofs, you don’t want to mess around.

That’s where a roofing consultant comes in. Registered Roof Consultants are extremely useful when it comes to ensuring the correct installation of your commercial rooftop and closing the gap between architect and contractor. If you’re an architect, building owner, facilities manager, design engineer or maintenance professional, you may be wondering why hiring a roofing consultant is a good idea … or even whether you should become one yourself.

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Topics: Installation Tips, Roofing Management

Warning! 5 Signs Your Building Needs A New Roof

Posted by Art Valentz on November 10, 2016

A new commercial rooftop is an investment, one that doesn’t always come at the most opportune time for business owners and facility managers. It’s understandable that you might want to put it off – the question is, can you? Waiting too long is a big risk, one that may end up costing you even more in repairs and you will still need a new roof. How do you know when you are at the point that a new roof is a necessity instead of a luxury? There are some clear indicators that say it’s time.

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Topics: Roofing Management, Roofing Maintenance

6 Apps Every Contractor Needs In Their Toolbox

Posted by Art Valentz on October 19, 2016

Mobile apps help make life and everyday tasks more convenient - there's no question about that. But apps are also increasingly assisting on-the-go professionals. That's right, tasks that were once only able to be accomplished at the office computer can now often be carried out remotely from anywhere. Specifically, contractors are one group of professionals that have largely benefited from this technology. As contractors are often on-the-go or at job sites, it's been traditionally difficult for them to stay in touch with the office and update project progress. That's not the case anymore thanks to mobile technology and an ever-increasing amount of apps that are available for download.

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Topics: Roofing Maintenance

Autumn Is Here: Let’s Talk About Fall Protection

Posted by Art Valentz on October 5, 2016

So autumn has rolled in, bringing with it the cool mists and glowing leaves we associate with this time of year. Drizzling rains and some early frost bring with them dangers, though, which is why it’s a great time to discuss fall protection. No, not protection for this chilly season; we’re talking protection against falling from heights, the leading cause of deaths on construction jobs.

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Topics: Roof Safety

Are You Recycling Your Roofing Materials?

Posted by Art Valentz on September 14, 2016

Many of us remember the big building boom that occurred in the 1990’s and early 2000’s. What this boom means to us now is that today these roofs are reaching the end of their useful life and need to be replaced. With every roof replaced, more and more waste winds up in the landfill—or does it? There has actually been a push in recent years to recycle roofing materials. This comes as part of a larger green strategy that many firms are embracing. Recycling any material possible is certainly a good thing; after all, anything that can be kept out of the landfills and turned into something usable will help our earth stay greener and may even save money. 

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Topics: Roofing Management, Roofing Maintenance

Looking Back: Skylights and Your Commercial Rooftop

Posted by Art Valentz on August 17, 2016

In May of this year, Roofing Magazine published, and hosted on their site, an “On My Mind” piece from our director of Sales, Marion McKnight. The article was intended to help bring to light potential risks associated with skylights so that building owners, asset management professionals, and anyone else involved in the purchasing decision for such a product could make a more informed decision. Unfortunately, there were some who did not appreciate our commentary and felt it was an attack on the use of skylights in general. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Besides my involvement with PHP Systems/Design, I am also the owner of a skylight manufacturing company, VTech Skylights, so, naturally, I would not encourage something to be written that would discourage the use of skylights.

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Topics: Roofing Management, Roofing Maintenance, Roof Safety

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