Caveat emptor reigns supreme when purchasing a previously flooded home or building. For months after SANDY hit our area, I was inundated with calls for help! My US Coast Guard shipyard and construction base experience, engineering training, and assistance with the development of the 2000 FEMA Coastal Construction Manual was valuable in helping my clients sort through […]
Peter Schkeeper is one of the very few named a Fellow Member of the National Society of Professional Engineers “in recognition of exemplary service to the engineering profession, the community and the Society”. Peter has also been awarded the title of Fellow of the National Academy of Building Inspection Engineers “for extraordinary accomplishment and leadership […]
Often I hear someone tell me they are building to “code” as if that is doing something very good. Well it is not. While code is ok, there are better and best practices that can provide superior results. In New Jersey building code requirements are stipulated in the NJ Uniform Construction Code (UCC) (N.J.A.C. 5:23). […]
Wind driven rain can create leaks. Locating the source of water entry from wind driven rain can be very difficult. Sometimes water testing is needed to duplicate the leak and/or invasive evaluation to learn what failed or what was not properly installed. While a roof and building exterior may last many years without water leaks, […]
Home Lookup Tool and Publications Now Available FEMA publishes preliminary flood map information at their website for our region. See it here. Go to the View Flood Hazard Info section and then for a specific home or building you can click on “What is my BFE? Address lookup tool.” Sometimes that data uses the street […]
Ensuring Sandy victims get fair treatment In evaluating structural disaster, I have seen where insurance companies were presented with an adverse engineering report only to embrace a subsequent report supportive of denying full or any insurance coverage. Many times I have seen reports that were not prepared by a New Jersey Licensed Professional Engineer. An Asbury […]
Protecting your investment, your family and your home. Obtaining a roof covering warranty is extremely important when having a new roof covering installed. It can be a complicated process. It does cost more for a better warranty. No assumptions can be made during the process of learning about the warranty you are to receive. It is […]
Saw this video and am compelled to share it. We all drive over bridges, occupy or visit tall buildings, live near dams. “John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight” three minute infrastructure video is fun and compelling. Watch it here. Infrastructure is vital and we must start maintaining it at the least or who knows where the next […]
How does your property handle it? Roof water runoff control is one of the most important things a home or building owner can do to reduce potential basement water entry and soil settlement at the foundation. Observe what happens during very heavy rains. The kind of rain that only lasts a few minutes typically causing […]