I grew up in an older home and my father Ed Levitch MHRIP was an Architect and remodeling contractor in and around Berkeley California and the surrounding cities since 1958. Growing up I learned so many things from him, he taught me the value of family, respect and everything I know today about remodeling homes safely.
I remember a time at Levco Builders when I received a call from a man who shared a personal story about lead poisoning. He thanked me for advocating for the rule. I assured him of my commitment to safety. I was an early supporter of the EPA’s RRP rule, and I’m still a strong advocate today for ensuring people are safe in their homes.
What is a Healthy Home?
We all believe our homes are healthy places but all too often the opposite is true. As a remodeling contractor too, I deal with it every day. From the materials we use to how they are installed and the environment we create within the envelope of your home is unbelievably important. The CDC describes a healthy home as “One that is designed, built, and maintained to support our health” I couldn’t agree more. The other pivotal moment in my quest to promote healthy homes was a document written by the then Surgeon General, Steven Galson in 2009 who articulated the need for a healthy housing stock. This blog is dedicated to all things related to healthy homes with an emphasis on lead, lead detection as well as protection of humans and pets.
Anatomy of a Roof
When we talk about roofs it is important to identify the type of roof correctly. Here are the six basic types it is important to grasp that these are architectural styles, so not all steep roofs are Mansard. Many homes have slight variations on these themes and some...
Smoke Detectors & CO Detectors
The new 2009 IRC mandates wired together smoke detectors and Carbon Monoxide detectors be placed at the entry of each bedroom and outside the bedrooms in a common hall. This means that if one detector alarms then all of them alarm. When remodeling, there is a mandate...
Refrigerator Failure
At Levco we normally repair other peoples problems and rarely have time or give much thought to care for our own problems. Here is a situation that happened to me recently that probably happens often to others. My wife noticed that the refrigerator side seemed a bit...
Time to Replace Your Roof?
Rules regarding roof replacement changed recently in Boise Idaho. We used to be allowed 3 roofs now it is 2. In other words adding a second layer of roofing is OK but it it fails then you need to strip the entire roof and start over. Levco recommends replacing the...
Hot Water Circulation Pumps
The concept of water conservation is not a new one, and industry has sprouted recently that addresses this in many ways. One is with hot water recirculation pumps to conserve water that is usually wasted while waiting for the hot to arrive say to your shower. Industry...
Building Code Updates
As of January 1st 2011 Boise City along with all of the other jurisdictions that adopt building codes, followed the states lead and adopted parts of the 2009 IRC international Residential Building Code. The last code was the 2006 IRC which was implemented in the same...
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