To establish the Trade Custom for hundreds of activities.Hi, Thanks for taking an interest in our book on amazon.com. I am the Coordinating Author, however there were 14 other people that contributed to the production of this book.
Working in the Insurance Construction Forensic field, primarily for Defense of Builders, we became aware that the large dollar sums being awarded against contractors were mainly because the Plaintiff's were able to prove negligence. Negligence being an implied legal duty that was breached. The builders duty is a 'Standard of Care' that includes: Uniform Building Code, Approved Drawings & Specifications, Contract Documents, Manufacturers Recommendations, and Trade Custom. All of these five standards are tangible except for Trade Custom. This is the area that the Plaintiff Attorneys have had the greatest leverage.
In this text we have researched the 'Standard' as set by a variety of agencies, associations, and institutes to cover most of the common trades. The Building Code and the Building Official really only inspect for Life-Safety issues. They don't care how your window is painted or how the cabinet drawer was joined.
Builders, unless they have been through the Defect Litigation process, often do not know many of these standards. This is, in our opinion, the single best resource toward a solid defense and prevention against Construction Defect Litigation, an important part of a risk management strategy.
If you are a Builder, or an Owner of a new home and you don't know the answers to the following questions then you should really consider purchasing the book.
Does the paint on a wood framed window need to be on the glazing?
How high should your wood framed wall be above the adjacent grade of soil or concrete paving on the exterior perimeter?
How long after a wood door is installed must it be painted or it breaks the warranty?
Why does the UBC require two layers of building paper over plywood shear panel when wrapping for a plaster wall?
How close can the nails be to the edge when nailing plywood?
What causes nail pops?
Why does plaster crack?
When is a building floor out of acceptable tolerance?
All of these questions are answered in the book plus many more. Good Building.