Slightly belated, but here is the front page of our last newsletter. If you'd like to subscribe to it, please send us an email at: info@wallaceremodeling.com !
WallaceWorld
Remodeling news, company updates and stories of a San Francisco business. From the folks at Wallace Remodeling, Inc.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
A Brief History of Building Codes
As you might or might not know, our president, Kevin
Wallace, is a member of the San Francisco Building Inspection Commission’s Code
Advisory Committee. In the future, we will try
to bring you the juiciest bits being currently discussed. For now, as an
introduction, let’s start with a brief history of building code…
What is
generally accepted as the first building code was in the Code of Hammurabi, which
specified:
- 229. If a builder builds a house for someone, and does not construct it properly, and the house which he built falls in and kills its owner, then that builder shall be put to death.
- 230. If it kills the son of the owner, the son of that builder shall be put to death.
- 231. If it kills a slave of the owner, then he shall pay, slave for slave, to the owner of the house.
…and so on;
you get the idea.
The Bible
book of Deuteronomy, chapter 22 verse 8, states:
- "In case you build a new house, you must also make a parapet for your roof, that you may not place bloodguilt upon your house because someone falling might fall from it."
Archeological fragments of Greek
and Roman laws give the first evidence of buildings being required to be
inspected during construction. For example, the records of a building being
constructed by Socrates in 341 BC tell of the specific requirements:
·
"He shall set the joints against
each other, fitting, and before inserting the dowels he shall show the
architect all the stones to be fitting, and shall set them true and sound and
dowel them with iron dowels, two dowels to each stone..."
In 1189 AD, the Mayor of London,
Henry Fitz-Elwyne, issued an ordinance known as the "Assize of Buildings. This
ordinance was referred to as a "planning act", but contained much on
the construction of structures. After the plague and fire consumed much of the
city in 1664, Parliament enacted further building regulations reflecting the
growth in knowledge of building technology. To enforce these "codes”,
surveyors were appointed and empowered with the authority to invoke jail
sentences on violators. Perhaps this was the birthplace of the first building
inspector.
In early
America, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson encouraged the development of
building regulations to provide minimum standards that would ensure health and
safety. One of the
first American building codes, New York's Tenement Housing Act of 1867,
required fire escapes on every building and a window in every room. Later
guidelines required interior toilets and windows that face outside, not just a
hallway.
On a local note, San Francisco
got its first “real” Building Code in 1903. It has been steadily expanding ever
since! For your chance to hear the latest tidbits regarding the current topics
being discussed by the Code Advisory Committee, stay tuned!
Monday, May 7, 2012
Our May 2012 newsletter is finally out! To read it, please click on the link below:
http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=csx85ieab&v=001JbA8pPO1z-OQ5lC-dZUW_Fkq6nzXUYjL0xMtoPDSkgzhPJOiSKFPHHbdRjOk8i0Ynrf3uePGg1OUjI08A-14vIEw196azABuP2hLTB-J0q8FGp1JAGN-eNpyHiGmYV2as9qRdyN61ps%3D
If that doesn't work, here is the consolation prize: scan of the first page
Questions? Comments? We'd like to hear from you! Drop us a line at: info@wallaceremodeling.com !
http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=csx85ieab&v=001JbA8pPO1z-OQ5lC-dZUW_Fkq6nzXUYjL0xMtoPDSkgzhPJOiSKFPHHbdRjOk8i0Ynrf3uePGg1OUjI08A-14vIEw196azABuP2hLTB-J0q8FGp1JAGN-eNpyHiGmYV2as9qRdyN61ps%3D
If that doesn't work, here is the consolation prize: scan of the first page
Questions? Comments? We'd like to hear from you! Drop us a line at: info@wallaceremodeling.com !
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
So, the job you create (by buying American) might be your own! This video sums it up nicely:
http://cdnapi.kaltura.com/index.php/kwidget/wid/0_04vzdsr5/uiconf_id/5590821
http://cdnapi.kaltura.com/index.php/kwidget/wid/0_04vzdsr5/uiconf_id/5590821
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
So, for all of you who are, for whatever reason, still not on on our mailing list - here are jpgs of our September newsletter! For a version with "clickable" links, please go here . And, of course, if you want to join our mailing list, drop us a line ! Enjoy!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Another year of rewarding NARI membership
Still going strong after all these years! |
Kevin says that the SF Bay Area chapter should have been there, and 200 phone calls later, he got the ball rolling. The chapter is still going strong, like Wallace Remodeling. That's quite a feat in this economy. Neither of them has aged a bit of course...
Check out the SFBA NARI website for all kinds of useful info, like how to choose a contractor and a list of their yearly REMMIES award winners. Great ideas for your remodeling projects, not to mention the ones we have, too!
Monday, August 8, 2011
WRI loves being a small business
Small but powerful! |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)