September 2014

The Great Recession greatly affected the roofing industry's workers and their families. Between 2008 and 2010, more than 15 percent of roofing contracting jobs were lost. As the construction industry recovers and industry demands grow, companies need to offset the losses with new hires. However, hiring new, inexperienced workers has resulted in more injuries and insurance claims. Roofing contractors should evaluate these trends and adapt current procedures to curb injuries.

When using preservative-treated wood, selecting the appropriate fasteners can be complicated by the variety of available preservative treatments that can corrode metal fasteners. You should be aware of options available for using preservative-treated wood and NRCA's current recommendations for using fasteners with preservative-treated wood. NRCA believes corrosion-related concerns outweigh the benefits of such wood and nontreated, construction-grade wood is an acceptable substitute for treated wood.

Union Square, a southwest neighborhood in Baltimore, is home to historic houses, commerce buildings, art galleries and artist studios. On the west side, Union Square Park showcases Union Square Pavilion. In 2012, Union Square and its pavilion underwent a renovation. Ruff Roofers Inc., Baltimore, was selected to restore the iconic pavilion, overcoming material availability challenges. Ruff Roofers earned a 2014 Gold Circle Award in the Innovative Solutions: Reroofing category for its work.

Worker tracking software has been growing in popularity as an efficient way to manage off-site employees and increase productivity. The software allows business owners and managers to know where their employees are and how long they have been working. Worker-tracking software lets employers and employees communicate quickly so jobs can be completed on time or ahead of schedule, giving businesses the opportunity to become more cost-effective and profitable.

Because of a centuries-old common law doctrine, contractors and architects doing public work can be sued for alleged defective construction many years after work is completed and statutes of limitation and repose have expired. The doctrine, known as nellum tempus, means statutes of limitation do not run against the state and its agencies. It is important to be aware you may be liable for an indefinite period and to take this into account during a bidding process.