The Construction Life

What a great show we have today, talking about carbon fiber reinforced polymer and the countless residential and commercial applications in construction. Discussing basement cracking, bowing, leaks, settling and more and how this product can repair these and many other issues. We get right into the science behind the carbon and epoxy, the engineering, installing and training.

The process begins with images and or site visits of the issue, it’s never as simple as one stop solution, the objective is to research the true reason behind the failure and engineer a solution. These techniques for Steve began in the residential market but discussing the benefits of this product a lot of concrete trades were also getting a lot of commercial work and again applicable to their business.

The conversation shifts to Miami Surfside Condominium Collapse and all of the lives that were lost. How all the signs were there, there were issues with the structure and how the builder actually had previous infractions and was given a slap on the construction wrist and then right back to building and his next project was the Surfside project.

Structural Reinforcement Solutions looks at the causation of the crack, shift, issue, it’s not always what’s visible on the surface, they want to know the true reason behind the issue and then assess and repair the root cause and not simply the surface cause. I ask the question, where is the one area that has the most amount of questionable concrete projects and require the most repairs, Steve shares the city and why. We also discuss what exactly is carbon fiber and why is it so strong? We wrap up the show with the fact, there are over 230,000 bridges across America with structural deficiencies.

What an amazing show and thank you so much Steve, for sharing so much must needed information, educating us and our listeners or a solution that could be a part of a future project. Thank you. Find Structural RS at the following @structural.rs on IG and FaceBook www.structuralrs.com and contact Steve on his email at [email protected] for your next project, check out the YouTube channel and call him at 1 888-292-2592.

Find Manny @hardcorerenos [email protected] [email protected]

Don’t forget TCL M.A.P. Skills Competition Contest is still going on, submit your project that you did this year, send pics or video and a write up on your skills and passion to [email protected] for a chance to win $1,500.00 in cold hard Canadian Cash and the contest is open to every tradesperson from around the world since The Construction Life is listened to in 44 different countries and find it on one of the 11 podcast platforms online.

The Contest winner will be revealed September 6th 2021, Labour Day.

Thank you so much for listening to the most listened to construction podcast online, making it the number one construction podcast.

This is The Construction Life

www.theconstructionlife.com

Reach out to Joe and Trevor at the following info. www.venturesxcanada.ca find them on Social Media @venturesxoakville reach them at 289 644-2393 and email [email protected]

Brock opens the show with a great rendition of a track from Tennessee Ernie Ford and covered by Johnny Cash. What a great opener, thanks Brock. Brock is young and ambitious, 25 years old and left a well-paying 6-figure field service tech position with Tormont Cat to start a career in construction, just jumped right in and loving it, that was 5 months ago. What a great story to share, don’t want to miss this one. One last thing before we begin, Brock was kind enough to bring me some maple syrup and venison deer meat from Country Meat Cuts, https://countrymeatcuts.com thanks guys.

On with the show. Bought his first rental property at 20 years old, bought his second triplex at 23, the found a commercial and residential zoned property with 4 potential units and went through the whole re zoning process. Ambitious to say the least, good on you Brock. Brock just dove into being a tradesperson, he got started during Covid, he has only delt with high material prices, he’s taking the risk and he wants everyone to know, it’s not nearly as hard as everyone thinks it is.

Shout out to @southpawstoneworks Brock hired him and highly recommends him and his skillset. Another shout out to @heavydutyhomes and the trucks that represent their business and brand. One more shout out, Brock is a huge fan of Jesse @barbosacarpentry and his show has been getting a lot of downloads, please check it out, always worth listening to the shows more than once.

What an amazing show and thank you so much Brock, for sharing so much must needed information, educating us and our listeners on being young and very ambitious Thank you. Find Brock and Advanced Property Solutions or APS at the following @advancedpropertysolutions on IG and advancedps.ca on FaceBook www.advancedps.ca and contact Brock on his email at [email protected] for your next project.

Find Manny @hardcorerenos [email protected] [email protected]

Don’t forget TCL M.A.P. Skills Competition Contest is still going on, submit your project that you did this year, send pics or video and a write up on your skills and passion to [email protected] for a chance to win $1,500.00 in cold hard Canadian Cash and the contest is open to every tradesperson from around the world since The Construction Life is listened to in 44 different countries and find it on one of the 11 podcast platforms online.

The Contest winner will be revealed September 6th 2021, Labour Day.

Reach out to Joe and Trevor at the following info. www.venturesxcanada.ca find them on Social Media @venturesxoakville reach them at 289 644-2393 and email [email protected]

Started in the cladding business when he was 17, he’s now 37 and has learned a lot and of course has come across all the tradespeople that are negative when it comes to wanting to build better. Joe has always been about learning about new products, new techniques, push the industry forward and offer client’s better products and service. This will surprise our listeners, Joe found new employees through the local YMCA, yes that’s correct, up to 90% of the new employee’s wages are covered up to 3 weeks. Joe has the best way to describe certain wanna be tradespeople, the look on their faces when they arrive on site.

I love how open, honest and very clear Joe is when it comes to his business, his reputation, his brand, he never looks for confrontation and he’s always the first to say…”ok, we’ll just end this conversation now.” Thanks, Joe, for being a leader.

I actually slipped and said Tik Tok and not Tip Top, sorry about that Joe, follow Joe and Tip Top and I don’t care about Tik Tok BS. Thanks, Joe, for the correction. Big shout out to Desmond from @thesidingguy, amazing tips on the trade, the material and the tricks, a must follow. We discuss the whole game changing battery tool set up and how Joe is almost all batteries, but he understands the investment it is, constantly and making sure the crews do the walk around to collect any and all loose and missing batteries on the job site. Joe discusses @sagiper_na, great product and worth checking out, he has a big project coming up so please stay tuned to his IG for more posts on it.

The conversation returns to hiring and firing and how the pool of potential employees is very minimal, what can we all do to change that? Joe does a huge shout out to BDR the man himself @best.damn.roofer we all know who he is and what he stands for, the truth and reality to begin with. Joe shares his thoughts on there are certain applications where certain materials must be used but as with most things in construction the budget will always tell you what and which material will get used and the homeowner and or GC and or site super will tell always tells you otherwise, because they don’t care, it frustrates Joe. We wrap up the show with a few lessons on reading a measuring tape, a must listen.

What an amazing show and thank you Joe so much for sharing so much, educating us and our listeners and plenty of laughs. Thank you. Find Joe at the following @tiptopexteriors on IG and FaceBook www.tiptopext.ca and contact him on his email at [email protected] for your next project.

Find Manny @hardcorerenos [email protected] [email protected]

Don’t forget TCL M.A.P. Skills Competition Contest is still going on, submit your project that you did this year, send pics or video and a write up on your skills and passion to [email protected] for a chance to win $1,500.00 in cold hard Canadian Cash and the contest is open to every tradesperson from around the world since The Construction Life is listened to in 44 different countries and find it on one of the 11 podcast platforms online.

The Contest winner will be revealed September 6th 2021, Labour Day.

Thank you so much for listening to the most listened to construction podcast online, making it the number one construction podcast.

This is The Construction Life

www.theconstructionlife.com

Jason of The Keystone Contractor is on the show finally, been chatting on IG for years and it’s a great pleasure to have him on the show. Huge shout out to his lovely wife, Laura for baking these amazing goodies for me, OMG, so good, thank you so much.

From high school to the military to anything and everything during his 20’s. A self-taught tradesperson where he will try to educate himself as best and as most as he can and do a great a job and onto the next thing. Jason has built a solid window and door install company and he knows his worth, on the days and time off he tackles bathroom and kitchen renos by selection.

Jason has seen it all, everyone is so unhappy doing the job, everyone is so quick to leave one employer for another over a couple of bucks, everyone is in it for themselves, he doesn’t’ understand it. An injury to his arm changed things for him, not that it prevented Jason from working, surgery was on Wednesday and he was back on site on Monday, the injury was the kick in his ass that he needed to make new moves, and he did. Jason brings up a solid point, the first 3-4K you earn in a month goes towards running your business, after that, you can start earning. Jason brings up a great book and I have read it a few times, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/81948.The_E_Myth_Revisited worth a read everyone. Jason does a shout out to one of his window suppliers, https://www.panes.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=local&utm_content=Mississauga

Jason considers himself the Aspirin of Construction, he understands what it takes to make the scope move forward. Jason is a no bullshit tradesperson and he expresses as much with all his clients, suppliers and subs, he doesn’t smoke, drink and has a 0 tolerance cell phone and social media usage on site policy. Jason’s biggest motto is, Adapt, Improvise and Overcome and it has served him very well.

What an amazing show and thank you Jason so much for sharing so much, educating us and our listeners. Thank you. Find Jason at the following The Keystone Contractor @thekeystonecontractor on IG and FaceBook www.thekeystonecontractor.com and contact him on his email at [email protected] for your next project.

Find Manny @hardcorerenos [email protected] [email protected]

Don’t forget TCL M.A.P. Skills Competition Contest is still going on, submit your project that you did this year, send pics or video and a write up on your skills and passion to [email protected] for a chance to win $1,500.00 in cold hard Canadian Cash and the contest is open to every tradesperson from around the world since The Construction Life is listened to in 44 different countries and find it on one of the 11 podcast platforms online.

The Contest winner will be revealed September 6th 2021, Labour Day.

Thank you so much for listening to the most listened to construction podcast online, making it the number one construction podcast.

This is The Construction Life

www.theconstructionlife.com

We open the show with a massive Beastie Boys track, thanks Bram. Bram got started in construction because he owned a frat house and his friend/partner was moving out and Bram was getting married and they needed to fix the place and sell in. Picked up a hammer and that was about 15/16 years ago. Before construction and before tending bar Bram was a licensed auto mechanic. Then life kick in hard for Bram, back issues, left being a mechanic, went back to school for IT, at the start of his new career path plenty of work, by the time he graduated, no work, got a job as a bartender, worked his way up to management and then got laid off, restricting was the official description and then came construction.

The big talk about bad clients and who’s fault is it really when you end up with a bad client and how to avoid bad clients, we have a lot to say about bad clients. Bad client’s and bad situations is what got Bram to plan for his business and he began to give himself a salary, a proper and legit wage and all the deductions that come with that salary. Building is easy for tradespeople, building a business is the hard part, tackle the hard part every single day and you have many fewer problems with your business. The estimating and presenting bids gets detailed as Bram and Manny run the listeners through lessons learned and how best to set up the paperwork for potential clients. Bram introduces us to COPE – Cost Of Project Execution where you basically breakdown the entire project for your business and for your potential client. Bram also mentions https://grasshopper.com/# the best and easiest way to set up a separate business line that gives you so much more, check it out. Then the topic is Cash Jobs comes up and how recently Manny is being asked by subtrades and clients to do cash as part of the job, we discuss it. Shout out to https://www.facebook.com/remodelyourmarketing/ this group has helped Bram a lot, please check it out. Bram discusses all the of construction software programs out there and how they never worked for him but he tried https://www.uniteddesign.com/cs_compare.html and it’s helped his business, he loves it, check it out.

What an amazing show and thank you Bram so much for sharing so much, educating us and our listeners. Thank you. Find Bram at the following Bram Weitzman Renovations @bwrenos on IG and FaceBook www.bwrenos.com and contact him on his email at [email protected] for your next project.

Find Manny @hardcorerenos [email protected] [email protected]

Don’t forget TCL M.A.P. Skills Competition Contest is still going on, submit your project that you did this year, send pics or video and a write up on your skills and passion to [email protected] for a chance to win $1,500.00 in cold hard Canadian Cash and the contest is open to every tradesperson from around the world since The Construction Life is listened to in 44 different countries and find it on one of the 11 podcast platforms online. The Contest winner will be revealed September 6th 2021, Labour Day.

Thank you so much for listening to the most listened to construction podcast online, making it the number one construction podcast.

This is The Construction Life

www.theconstructionlife.com

We open the show with a few shout outs to @marescarpentry @galeforcemasonry @oliverlumber Ian reached out, needed to have a couple of custom planter boxes made out of Ipe, I reached out to Gary Mares, picked up the lumber from Oliver Lumber and things are being built, the power and positivity of Social Media. Thanks guys and looking forward to seeing them.

A fan mail and question, Darrel Kwan from @dk_tile asks us how to handle the next job when the current job is running late or being added to possibly delaying the start of the next project. Great question.

We are back at @venturexoakville recording the show in their amazing boardroom. What a great facility, please check them out guys.

On with the show about wellness and the home, how important is this topic? Over to you Linda. She is Well AP Certified - https://www.wellcertified.com 65% of your time is spent in your home, 90% of your time is indoors, imagine how much healthier your home and life should be? Linda is simply asking that you present options to your clients, present wellness options and Jim goes even further and suggests line items offering “healthy” options for product selections. There is a builder right now building wellness homes, Andrew Guido with Erth Homes https://erth.com/about/ Linda discusses Circadian Lighting and the positive effects on the mind, body and soul. Wellness isn’t about trends, sorry HGTV, it’s about the science of how to build your home, how your home is supposed to make you feel. You have two nervous systems, your parasympathetic and your sympathetic nervous systems, one is your fight and flight and the other boots your serotonin. Check out the Chive Plant Store location https://chive.ca find out how plants can change your home for the better. Zinco is another great supplier of green roof products, https://zinco-greenroof.com check them out @zinco_canada

Linda discusses ageless design, we never really want what our parents had and these days we have to think about new ways to build with smarter homes, taking AI Smart home Tech to new levels to benefit the homeowner for decades. Consider purchasing a VOC air monitoring device, and use that device on your next client meeting and see what gets revealed. Wellness in your home will actually impact your family’s health more than a Doctor can. Think about that for a moment. Consider adding a new line item to your estimate, the Heathier Options for your clients and their home. Be a Changemaker, embrace building for the ageless, the wellness because one day you will be building for your own ageless and wellness home.

What an amazing show and thank you Linda so much for sharing so much, educating us and our listeners on building healthier. Thank you. Find Linda at the following @livablebydesign @livablecanada [email protected] www.livablecanada.com Livable Environment Conference coming October 26-29 2021 please check it out, don’t want to miss that show.

Find Jim Caruk @jimcaruk and @carukhallconstruction and Manny @hardcorerenos

Don’t forget TCL M.A.P. is coming June 2021 stay tuned to find out more.

This is The Construction Life

www.theconstructionlife.com

What an amazing show we have today, Gabe is an Architect Technologist and Engineer and Building Consultant all rolled into one person. It all began with his Father who a Building Consultant from Italy but never certified as an Architect. Find Gabe at GPF Design Services Inc. [email protected] 416 656-0134

This show is all about the structural planning and design of most residential structures, here in Ontario, building this way is Part 9 of the Ontario Building Code and Gabe dives deep into this. Manny asks the big big big question, do engineers over engineer? And wait till you hear what Gabe has to say about that. Building has changed dramatically with most residential structures being big boxes with no internal, lateral supporting walls, always a challenge for every engineer.

Math, this show is all about the math. Stay in school kids if you want to be an engineer. What a great show for the math, the techniques, the understanding behind the building.

The guys get talking a lot about engineer lumber and steel and more. Gabe says something that is very important, there is a difference between a “framer” and a “carpenter”, understand his reasoning. Gabe discusses old school vs new schoolwork and techniques from surveying to so many other construction details, from moment steel frames to support lateral walls, all glass walls and more.

Gabe discusses, ICF, and modular building and he even did a modular addition on his own place back in 2006. Gabe enlightens us with concrete slab structures and discuss on grade and saw cutting. The group discusses thermobridging, cantilevering, commercial details into residential builds. Gabe shares how triangular structure works with load transfer over openings, fascinating to hear this section.

What an amazing show and thank you Gabe so much for sharing so much, educating us and our listeners. Thank you.

Find Jim Caruk @jimcaruk and @carukhallconstruction and Manny @hardcorerenos

Want a TCL sticker, contact Manny at [email protected] or [email protected] or DM Manny @hardcorerenos He will mail you a sticker free of charge anywhere in the world.

Don’t forget TCL M.A.P. is coming .

This is The Construction Life

www.theconstructionlife.com

Jim and Manny and no guests and no wine as we sneak this show in before the long weekend, Canadian Victoria Day and the US Memorial Weekend.

Shout outs!!!

Zoe reached out to us, her boyfriend/tradesman Jeremy is a huge fan and loves listening to the show, find him @jeremydoiron

Jamal, AKA to his friends as J loves the show and wanted to say hello, find him @agdrywallandtaping

Taylor, another fan and loves listening to the shows on his long drives to and from work. Started his career at 18, he’s 30 now and loves that he can relate to us, our guests and what we all go through in The Construction Life. Oh, and he has a few stories about a certain “approved” program.

Laura out of Omaha NE wanted to share some info about lumber pricing and a graph she sent us where you can clearly see the spike in 2020 and 2021, the spike of greed. Trust me Laura, I keep asking Jim to speak up, he’s settling into his latenight DJ voice and can at times be soft spoken.

Thank you everyone for reaching out, really kind of you and the amazing feedback.

We are giving away 4 @bosshammerco and we want our listeners to let us know what we should ask for a chance to win of these stunning hammers. Let us know.

On with the show.

The guys open the show with a bit of info about the 1918 Spanish Flu, the roaring 20’s followed by the great depression of 1929 to 1939 and how what’s going on right now is on track to repeat itself but quite possibly on a much faster and feverish pace. All of this will affect current and future budgets.

The guys dive deep into presenting those material line items, having the conversation front and center, and explain in detail why materials are that much, every client knows this, they read the news, they watch the news, this isn’t a surprise so as contractors don’t be afraid to speak up about it. Budgets, cost of material, costs of labour, construction numbers must be right at the beginning of everything from now on. An interesting question is presented, do we think designers have better or stronger relationships with suppliers than contractors? Jim and Manny discuss the new numbers in today’s budgets, home automation, upgrade to 400amp service, gas and water consumption, car chargers and more. Jim shares a great tip for filling up a pool, must listen. Jim shares his actual budget and how his 200+ line items work and work really well for both parties involved.

M.A.P is coming and things like Jim’s budget and how he handles his paperwork will all be shared in the program along with a lot of other great and extremely valuable information to add to anyone’s construction business. That is what the Mentorship Alliance Program is all about. Stay tune for more info as we launch the program in June 2021.

Find Jim Caruk @jimcaruk and @carukhallconstruction and Manny @hardcorerenos

Want a TCL sticker, contact Manny at [email protected] or [email protected] or DM Manny @hardcorerenos He will mail you a sticker free of charge anywhere in the world.

Don’t forget TCL M.A.P. is coming June 2021 stay tuned to find out more.

This is The Construction Life

www.theconstructionlife.com

The show opens with a little tease about a BBQ and “non alcoholic” beverages on the table at the make shift concrete studio in the DGR shop and what is and was the concrete industry all about, Jorge has some great insight into this question and how it all connects to track building and sub division work and scope.

With a crew of 15 from as young as 22 and as old as 63 and everyone has something to say about that age bracket. All 4 guests share why they love concrete so much and in the end, it’s in their blood, that’s the right answer. The group discusses the paper vs building ratio being at 60/40 and why. When discussing building a better concrete business, it was always about better communication, so paramount to designate who and what they handle and why and that goes across the company.

Huge shout out to Rexdale Building Supply RBS the go to concrete supplier for DGR, they live and die by the concrete arriving on site. Material costs come up, have we reached a tipping point? Substituting steel rebar for fiberglass rebar and the costs and benefits behind that. Understanding that ICF is the future and any concrete crew that isn’t educating themselves about it and making the shift will get left behind especially during these turbulent construction times, clients are asking for ways to build better and cheaper.

We discuss the on-site science vs the technical terms of concrete such as MPA, Megapascals equals concrete strength, the metric measurement for PSI. The topic of certification comes up heavy and the DGR crew get very vocal, just because you can buy a hammer it doesn’t mean you can swing it. That leads to a great point about there has never been a roofing inspection as part of the building process here in Canada. We get into the crew and teams you build over the years and where does one create a “boot camp” for the new guys? How about your own place? From there we discuss blind concrete work such as architectural concrete and exposed aggregate. Lastly, we have the biggest 12 questions of construction, 4 guests, 48 very interesting answers.

What a great show about the concrete business and the solid tradespeople behind the forms.

Thank you, DGR, Jorge, Robert, Ryan and Marco for an amazing chat about concrete, construction, more concrete, relationships, millennials and hard work. Reach out to DGR at www.dgrconcreteforming.com [email protected] @dgrconcreteforming

Find Jim Caruk @jimcaruk and @carukhallconstruction and Manny @hardcorerenos

Want a TCL sticker, contact Manny at [email protected] or [email protected] or DM Manny @hardcorerenos He will mail you a sticker free of charge anywhere in the world.

Don’t TCL M.A.P. is coming

This is The Construction Life

www.theconstructionlife.com