Protecting your construction…and your health

Posted by & filed under construction problems, Construction Protection Systems.

Los Angeles Biomedical InstituteHealthcare…

 

It keeps popping up in the news and with good reason; Obamacare seems to be waning in popularity, as per a recent article courtesy of National Review Online. Reince Priebus writes, “Obamacare has a growing number of congressional Democrats, its architects, running scared. The law is now having a real-world impact on people’s lives.” Clearly, Obamacare is affecting every American, not just monetarily, but health wise as well.

 

Wherever you may stand in terms of Obamacare, one thing is certain: in these rather…unpredictable economic times, healthcare – especially non-profit scientific research – is crucial to our survival. If we can’t afford proper healthcare (many of us can’t), then we must utilize innovative ways to stay healthy. Thankfully, there are places like the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

 

As a non-profit scientific research organization, their mission statement is as follows: “Creating innovative solutions for healthcare through biomedical discovery, fostering researchers of tomorrow and promoting wellness.” Innovative can mean a number of things, but in this case, it refers to “practical, inexpensive solutions to real-world health problems.”

 

In a country (and world) where proper healthcare is a luxury and not a guarantee, practical and inexpensive health solutions will save lives. Since the 1960s, the center has been changing us for the better, battling disease and educating doctors worldwide. Many of the preventative measures we have for diseases can be traced back to research done by the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute.

 

Currently, the center is developing exercise-based rehab strategies for COPD, a low-cost noninvasive treatment that may reduce chronic pain associated with sickle cell anemia, new paradigms for vaccines and the use of antimicrobial peptides to kill pathogens. This research will undoubtedly change our lives as we spiral forward into an uncertain future.

 

Construction Protection Systems is proud to have assisted in the construction of one of the research facilities. The Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute is something to be cherished and protected. Because of their research, life is a little easier and health exponentially better!

 

–Rick

 

*Image courtesy of ximagination

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Say thank you to America’s veterans

Posted by & filed under Construction Protection.

Congressional Budget OfficeThe veteran population in America is increasing. They fought for this country and defended our freedom. They, rightfully, deserve the government’s support. Unfortunately, like so many other things in this country, such support is often hampered by bipartisan squabbles. The welfare of veterans should never be a victim of party lines, but of late, that seems to be the case.

 

In the article, “Congress must save Veterans Affairs clinics,” Sen. Mary Landrieu and Rep. Charles Boustany write, “The American people expect Congress to demonstrate that it can govern effectively in a bipartisan manner. A new medical access problem for military veterans offers an excellent opportunity for House and Senate leadership to prove its ability in this area.”

 

Recently, the Congressional Budget Office has ended an important program of Congress authorizing leases for community-based outpatient clinics through the Department of Veterans Affairs. These clinics operate throughout the country and serve the veteran community. This budget cut endangers many VA-approved clinics and may force some to close their doors, leaving countless veterans in the unreliable dark. Isn’t the government responsible for the welfare of its veterans?

 

Sen. Landrieu and Rep. Boustany hope that Congress acts now and takes initiative on behalf of veterans and provide healthcare access. These community-based outpatient clinics are of vital importance. The recent budget cut is certainly wrong. We should look to the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington D.C. as the right way to treat our veterans.

 

Just minutes from the White House, the Armed Forces Retirement Home is “considered a city within a city,” having healthcare necessities (doctors; physical, occupational and recreational therapists) and providing outstanding social, recreational and occupational activities for every interest. They even have a nine hole golf course and a six lane bowling alley!

 

Construction Protection Systems is proud to have assisted in the construction and maintenance of Washington D.C.’s Armed Forces Retirement Home. We want to say thank you to all the veterans who heroically served this great country, including my partner and co-owner, a Vietnam veteran.

 

–Rick

 

Source: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/06/congress-must-save-veterans-affairs-clinics-93519.html

 

*Image courtesy of Nikolai Grigoriev

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The Artistic Side of the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles

Posted by & filed under Construction Protection Systems, Uncategorized.

benefits of art therapyAlthough becoming sick or injured is never a good thing, the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles takes unusual strides to ensure that their patients have creative ways to help them get through their recovery. The hospital’s artist program allows patients to focus on painting, music, dance and other artistic endeavors. While medicine and doctors help with the physical side of things, this program helps to relieve anxiety, stress and other negative aspects that come along with having an illness.

 

At the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, self-expression is extremely important. The patient’s needs always come first, as exemplified by their artists program. In fact, local artists and performers are engaged to work with the children. Certified expressive art therapists are even enlisted to promote the educational aspects of each patient’s artistic interests.

 

The first and largest pediatric hospital in Southern California, CHLA is one of only 12 hospitals in the nation – and the only one in California – ranked in all 10 pediatric specialties by the U.S. News & World Report.

 

The team at Construction Protection Systems is proud to have been part of the construction process of the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and to have played a small role in the great work that they do. If you would like to learn about how 1-2-3 Door Shield® can benefit your construction or renovation project, contact us today!

 

–Rick

 

*Image courtesy of Andrey Kiselev

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In between are the doors of perception

Posted by & filed under construction problems, Construction Protection Systems.

Memory is often unreliable…we can point the finger at doors. Yes, doors.

 

Have you ever walked through a door and forgot why you were entering the room in the first place? So you wander around, in a momentary daze, trying to solve a mystery – a sleuth almost. What is it about doors that make us forgetful, as if we’re waking up out of a deep sleep? A study courtesy of Gabriel Radvansky, a University of Notre Dame Psychology Professor, offers up a solution.

 

Doors are not only physical boundaries; they’re also mental boundaries. Of his study, Radvansky said, “Entering or exiting through a doorway serves as an ‘event boundary’ in the mind, which separates episodes of activity and files them away.”

 

In other words, the mind is a kind of filing cabinet or flash drive, constantly sorting our lives. Due to the plethora of information, the mind uses doorways as a way to separate it all. You enter through a doorway and suddenly there is a new drawer in your mental filing cabinet. This leads to forgetfulness, a memory lapse. Jumping from drawer to drawer is tougher than it sounds.

 

In order to prove his thesis, Radvansky conducted three experiments, asking participants to perform memory tasks while entering and exiting a door. In the first experiment, subjects utilized a virtual environment, walking through rooms and placing objects on tables. The second experiment asked that customers move in or out of rooms concealing objects in boxes. The third experiment asked that subjects walk through various doorways. All experiments showed that the act of passing through a doorway could debilitate memory for some time, suggesting that doorways are boundary events to help the mind sort our lives.

 

Finally, we have an explanation why so many people forget to protect their doors during construction. Don’t let “boundary events” add to the complexity of the construction process. Plan now to contact Rick at Construction Protection Systems and learn how 1-2-3 Door Shield® can save you time and money. After all, if we are going to experience memory lapses walking through doors, at least the doors should be undamaged.

 

Now if only we had a Door Shield for our minds!

 

–Rick

 

Source: http://news.nd.edu/news/27476-walking-through-doorways-causes-forgetting-new-research-shows/

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Facebook’s Prineville Data Center: Helping you Like, Comment, Share

Posted by & filed under Construction Protection Systems.

Mark ZuckerbergFacebook is a superpower, affecting the globe on a daily basis. If Facebook were to disappear, most people would not know what to do; too many people depend on it to get through the day. There are over 1 billion worldwide members! As of 2011, the earth’s population was 6.974 billion. One seventh of the world’s population is on Facebook. Can you believe that? Just imagine all those status updates!

 

Due to the large amount of users and data, Facebook always aims to improve its infrastructure. It is going through what many analysts call an “infrastructure boom”, a massive operation to improve server capacity, improve web services and setting a precedent for building energy-efficient data centers that use less power and money.

 

Currently, Facebook has two data centers in the United States, one in Prineville, Oregon and the other in Forest City, North Carolina. This summer, they will be building a third just outside of Des Moines, Iowa. All three data centers cover different geographical regions in the country. Prineville helps the infrastructure out west, Forest City handles the east and the third will help pump Facebook blood throughout the Midwest.

 

Each data center utilizes the region’s strength as well as unique technology to conserve energy, such as new types of cooling systems, solar panel fields and water spray systems. These data centers are remarkable examples of energy-efficient engineering, construction and ambition. From top to bottom, Facebook is steamrolling into the future, and we are going along for the ride!

 

Construction Protection Systems played a small part in the construction of the data center in Prineville. We are proud to have played a role in Facebook’s growth as it brings the world closer together in an energy-efficient way. If you have any questions about our products or services, including our patented 1-2-3 Door Shield®, please contact us!

 

–Rick

 

*Image courtesy of Guillaume Paumier, via Wikipedia

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The George W. Bush Presidential Library and Construction Protection Systems

Posted by & filed under construction problems.

Former President George W. BushThursday this week will mark the ceremonial opening of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. President Obama, along with the living ex-presidents, will head to Dallas to partake in the festivities.

 

Presidential libraries are priceless parts of America’s collective memory and are to be cherished, no matter where you stand on political issues or whether you are a Bush supporter or not. They are a way for our citizens to experience a president’s life as well as the most important moments of his presidency and their place in the history of our country.

 

The George W. Bush Presidential Library is the 13th presidential library. According to the official website, The George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum “serves as a resource for the study of the life and career of George W. Bush, while also promoting a better understanding of the Presidency, American history, and important issues of public policy. The library and museum accomplishes its mission by preserving and providing access to Presidential records and other donated collections, hosting public programs, creating educational initiatives, preserving artifacts, and producing innovative museum exhibits.” It is a noble mission statement, not to mention illuminating. While the library will educate the public on the inner workings of the government and country, it will also help us to reassess George W. Bush’s legacy.

 

Presidential libraries are patron-friendly and very interactive. It is as if you are falling into a living and breathing textbook, a presidential term shooting back into fiery relevance. We should always experience history in that manner, as a raucous roller coaster ride. The George W. Bush Library will be no exception. Will you be booking a trip to Dallas?

 

Of course, we may be demonstrating some bias, as Construction Protection Systems played a small part in the construction of this landmark project. We are proud to take part in the creation of American history. If you have any questions about our products or services, including our patented 1-2-3 Door Shield®, please contact us!

 

–Rick

 

*Image courtesy of http://www.defenselink.mil/photos/newsphoto.aspx?newsphotoid=4269

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Hey Batter, Batter: The Los Angeles Dodgers and the 1-2-3 Door Shield®?

Posted by & filed under construction problems.

The crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd and the smell of hot dogs…

 

Los Angeles DodgersYes, baseball season is upon us! Major League Baseball Opening Day was March 31. One of the most popular teams in all of American professional sports is set to have a great year. The storied Los Angeles Dodgers of the National League West division have won 6 World Series titles and 21 National League pennants. While we at Construction Protection Systems LLC support the home town Rockies, like all baseball fans in America we are excited to see Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw. Will they make it 7 World Series titles this year?

 

In 2012, a group that included LA Laker-great Magic Johnson purchased the team. Money began to pour into the franchise, and this past winter the Dodgers undertook the renovation of Dodger Stadium to be ready in time for opening day 2013. There have been $100 million worth of renovations done to the stadium, including updated restrooms, high-definition video boards, wider concourses, new entry plazas and children play areas. Not only that, there will soon be cell-phone support and Wi-Fi! It would be an understatement to say that the stadium is state of the art, and we are proud to have been a part of of the renovation process.

 

You may be wondering, what do the Dodgers and Construction Protection Systems, LLC have in common? Construction Protection Systems, LLC is proud that 1-2-3 Door Shield® was used to protect the high traffic doors during the renovation. To think that we are now a part of a storied franchise that includes Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella and Sandy Koufax!

 

Baseball and spring. It is like Mom and apple pie. You can add the 1-2-3 Door Shield® to the list.

 

–Rick

 

*Image courtesy of King of Hearts at en.wikipedia

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A New Colorado Housing Boom On the Horizon

Posted by & filed under construction problems.

Colorado’s supercharged upswing

In a reversal from the last few years, the housing market in several of Colorado’s resort counties is booming like never before. Propelled forward by a particularly good month at the end of 2012, Colorado is seeing rising prices and a steady influx of new home buyers. In fact, December of 2012 was the best month for the Colorado housing market in 5 years.

 

Although one of the contributors to this rise may have been the uncertainty about changes to the tax code in 2013, the house market has shown no signs of slowly down a quarter of the way into the year. Although the market at a whole is not where it was in 2007, experts say that things are looking positive in a big way.  In addition, a large market has opened up for new housing projects. Any time sales are good, developers are not far behind. An improving housing market goes hand-in-hand with construction projects, for both family homes and businesses.

 

In the article, “Colorado resorts’ housing market rebounds,” Jason Blevins of The Denver Post writes, “Realtors say the rebound was supercharged in the last few months of the year, with December sales ranking as one of the strongest since the boom times of 2007.” While we are not at the boom times, the area market does seem to be on a supercharged upswing of sorts.

 

Telluride, a ski resort, experienced a momentous December. Longtime broker T.D. Smith said, “There is definitely a recognition by people that they can buy in this market and they are not going to get hurt. People are tired of being tired. They are ready to move on and teach their children and grandchildren how to ski and fly-fish and be a part of the mountain environment.” Families want to move on with their lives, go onto the next chapter. They are sick of the uncertainty. Who can blame them? There is nothing more disheartening than a lack of construction in one’s life, physically and emotionally. We all long for progression and mobility. Thankfully, the market is improving. Let the construction begin!

 

What this means for 1-2-3 Door Shield®

An improving market means that housing construction projects should steadily rise throughout the rest of 2013 and beyond. With no much construction on the horizon, there has never been a better time to invest in re-usable construction protection systems.

 

One aspect that many do not consider is the protection of doors in the construction process, particularly in the final stages. Doors are vulnerable in every step of the construction process. By construction’s end, if not properly taken care of, they may show signs of wear and tear. This is no way to end a lengthy and costly building process. It is not a good feeling having a lengthy construction process tainted because of a banged-up door.

 

At Construction Protection Systems LLC, we have a variety of re-usable door shields that are perfect for any project. If you are in the Colorado area and are eager to begin this new era of housing development, contact our team for more information. We can provide you with the high level of protection that you demand for your construction projects.

 

For more information on the Colorado real estate market, you can find Blevins’ article here.

 

–Rick

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Surface Protection – The Stealth Profit Center

Posted by & filed under construction problems.

123 door shield - stealth profit centerOver the past several years we have talked with hundreds and hundreds of construction professionals about surface protection. Many of these professionals recognize the need for surface protection during construction but it is such a small part of the overall project cost that it gets ignored or, in some cases, pulled from the budget as change orders start to squeeze the final budget. However, when surface protection is left out of a project there are a number of important areas that can be affected: schedules can be pushed back as damaged finishes are replaced or repaired and budgets can be affected because there is a real cost to the replace or repair finished surfaces damaged during construction. In addition, there is a “hassle-factor” as areas of the project already completed must re-worked. And finally, the carefully crafted image of a construction firm can be marred as stakeholders question a firm’s commitment to quality standards.

 

Here we want to look at just one of the factors affected: the budget. We were approached by Company A concerning a major project they were building. The team had recently completed a very similar project and was concerned with one specific problem – door protection. In the recently completed project they chose not to protect the doors and jambs during construction. When they looked at the overall project after completion they discovered that they had spent $500,000 to repair and replace damaged doors and frames. They asked if we could help them eliminate this unbudgeted expense on the new project.

 

We suggested two products that could help them – The Protector Series Door Shield® and jamb protectors. The cost to properly protect the large quantity of doors in the project was about $60,000.00 on a project with an overall budget in excess of $500 million. Using Door Shields and jamb protectors to protect doors from damage during construction had a specific identifiable cost which eliminated what our client expected to be an unbudgeted expense of $500,000, a savings of $440,000 when compared to the previous, comparable project.

 

Like many contractors, our client generates profit equal to about 1.5% of the total budget. That $440,000 savings resulting from their decision to protect their doors during construction was the same as if they had been awarded a contract to build a new $30 million project. Surface protection, many times an afterthought in construction, can have a major impact on profitability.  The cost to protect doors, jambs, finished floor surfaces and the like is really low-cost insurance that can improve overall bottom line profit.

 

–Rick

 

*Image courtesy of Charles Rondeau

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