Tag Archives: Santa Barbara Waterproofing Consultant

SB 326 Balcony Inspections

Instagram Featured Video Stair Rebuild by One Structural/Balcony 1 Shows Multiple Construction Defects Being Installed in Real Time!

“Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am, stuck in the middle…”

A recent Insta video posted by One Structural/Balcony 1 reminded me of the lyrics from a 1972 song by Stealers Wheel… And after watching the video several times I wondered why I wasn’t having a stroke over the numerous defects in their work. The video purports to show their expertise in rebuilding a set of stairs and waterproofing them. (The video appears to have been removed from their profile located here https://www.instagram.com/onestructural?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)

In the video it showed a timeline of rebuilding a set of stairs. As I watched it play out I screenshot a few pics, see below.

Starting with the framing rebuild, we can see water/fungus damaged stair stringers that weren’t replaced, damaged sheathing on the wall that wasn’t replaced and new wood that looks like my 3 year old nephew installed.
Next set of defects we see is that although One Structural installed weep screed to the wall, they didn’t install weep screed down the stairs. Weep screed is required for ALL stucco terminations! The stucco is installed down to the deck to wall termination over the flashing. Stucco should terminate 2″ above the transition using weep screed.
Next set of defects we see are that One Structural has installed is that they are using FortiFlash Butyl on the stair treads. According to FortiFlash Butyl Instructions, any application to a horizontal surface  should not have any mechanical fasteners attached through it! Secondly we’re not aware of any manufacturer of deck waterproofing that specifies using FortiFlash under their system!
FortiFlash Butyl Instructions
With all the defects covered, these stairs await their eventual failure from improper construction. It may take a decade or more, but eventually defects always show up in our experience.

All in all, this video simply highlights the incompetence of the contractor to correctly rebuild and waterproof these stairs. The video also highlights why hiring William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC as your quality assurance inspector would have protected this poor association from incompetence and wasting their money.

1.) At the framing stage we would have brought the damaged framing and sheathing left in to the Associations attention.

2.) At the stucco installation stage we would have brought the lack of weep screed and improper termination to the Associations attention.

3.) At the stair waterproofing stage we would have brought the incorrect installation of the FortiFlash Butyl to the Associations attention.

Simply put, with a quality assurance inspector on your job, none of these defects would have slipped by. The work would be halted at the framing stage, the association would be able to demand corrections and at each step of the installation of the waterproofing the save thing would happen. Work would be halted, the association could demand corrections and with us as their advocate, they would have gotten the work done correctly.

We don’t like picking on others’ work, but when their work is just one defect after another, our duty to point this out overrules.

The lesson associations should take from this is quality assurance inspections can save headaches, heartaches and stop the built-in defects from continuing. Hiring the right contractor is paramount!

The best contractors aren’t afraid of having quality assurance inspections being done on their jobs, but the worst contractors are.

Give us a call (805-801-2380) or email us (LeysWaterproofingConsultants@gmail.com) to talk to us about quality assurance inspections for your HOA EEE repairs today!

Put William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC on your team today!
Deck Inspections, SB 326 Balcony Inspections, SB 721 Inspections

A Client Asked Us If We Are “Certified Deck Inspectors” Here’s Our Answer

Recently one of our clients who we have a proposal out with to perform their deck inspections under SB326 reached out with some follow-up questions. They wanted to know if we were going to use a boroscope camera and if we were “certified deck inspectors”. Our answer is no, we are not “certified”. Allow me to explain.

A quick search on Google showed us that there are several companies that advertise they are “certified deck inspectors”. Diving deeper, it seems all these unscrupulous inspection companies claiming they are certified inspectors are directly affiliated or owned by contractors. By claiming they are “certified inspectors” they seek to elevate their bonafides by saying they’re something that doesn’t exist in the SB326/SB721 inspection field. Continuing our search, the legitimate companies that we compete with make no such claim that they are certified. They make statements that they are architects or engineers, which is readily confirmed via the Board of Engineers and Board of Architects.

There are two non-profit national organizations that have deck inspection training courses and they then issue a certificate after the course is completed saying in essence that the person has successfully completed a training seminar. Inter-NACHI (International Association of Certified Home Inspectors) and NADRA (North America Deck & Railing Association) offer extensive courses for inspectors to take online. One other entity online purports to train people to be “certified” SB721/SB326 inspectors specifically related to California. None of these entities mentioned above can make an individual qualified to perform inspections under SB326 or SB721.

We explained to the client that the qualifications to do balcony inspections under SB326 is quite clear; an engineer (licensed as a civil, PE, or structural engineer) or a licensed architect are the only individuals qualified to do the inspection. We explained to our client that the companies advertising that they are “certified deck inspectors” are exaggerating at best and committing fraud ( in our opinion) at worst.

We further explained that these companies claiming to be “certified” only hold contractor’s licenses and that review of their personal and corporate held CSLB licenses showed that they have complaint disclosures against them by the contractor’s state license board.

Naughty boys in the inspection industry include:
One unscrupulous contractor has a long list of lawsuits (over 100!) against his company by unsatisfied clients, complaint disclosure on his license for multiple violations of contracting laws, including taking a deposit over $1,000, while another “inspector” has a complaint disclosure showing they hired non-licensed sub-contractors and failed to complete the job for the contract price, while yet another inspector/contractor was forced to disassociate from a licensed contractor for conspiring to defraud the CSLB!

Our client appreciated the information and has hired us to do their SB326 inspection for them as they didn’t appreciate one  particular braggart puffing themselves up while denigrating William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC.

Our client also appreciated our written guarantee that a structural engineer will personally perform the inspection, that we have no conflicts of interest and that we are humble and no-spin (their words) when it comes to approaching our solemn duty in performing inspections.

Reach out today for a conversation on how we can help you with our expertise, professionalism and integrity for your SB326 inspection needs. No nonsense, no inflated claims, just honest ethical practices to serve our industry and save lives.

Bill Leys on a balcony repair project in Alameda CA.
Deck Inspections

A Video Message In Time To Help Keep Your Thanksgiving Safe!

Watch this quick video about using fire pits, turkey fryers and grills on combustible decks… To ruin the plot line, do not use turkey, fryers, fire pits or grills on any decks.

Please be safe this Thanksgiving holiday and don’t grill, use a fire pit or fry the turkey on your deck!

Deck Inspections, SB 326 Balcony Inspections, SB 721 Inspections

You Gotta Read the Fine Print! HOA’s Need to be Careful of Companies Advertising “Free” or “20% Off” Type Offers on Balcony Inspections

Many companies are offering deals that have hidden motives behind them. Before buying, you need to know what it’s really going to end up costing your HOA.

William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC was recently contacted by a member of an HOA in Ventura County where that member had learned that his association’s Board of Directors were considering passing a special assessment in the range of 2 million dollars for repairs to balconies and stairs.

Information we got from the owner was that a large nationwide HOA reconstruction firm told the HOA that they had 13 emergency repairs and 300+ non emergency repairs to do and the budget was apx 2 million dollars for this work.

The resident also learned that this nationwide HOA reconstruction firm had waived the $41,000+/- Stage 1 inspection fee provided they were given the repair work. We believe that to be highly unethical and so does that owner. We provided a letter of opinion that the association could self finance the non emergency repairs over a period of several years, taking on a couple buildings at a time to make repairs.

We’re also seeing  companies now advertising “free inspections” and “20% off” specials. With all of these offers, there is always fine print, and fine print never benefits the consumer. If you’re going to buy into these offers, make sure your legal counsel is protecting your interests by reviewing their contract before you sign.

One thing these companies have in common is that they are larger firms with a lot of overhead and with the slowdown of inspection requests coming in they need to churn business. Due to the other services that we offer, we are staying busy with work that they don’t offer such as construction monitoring and building envelope inspections.

At William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC, we provide upfront honest bids on SB326 inspections. We strictly follow SB 326 requirements by guaranteeing that an engineer is physically present at the inspection and inspecting the structural elements. We have competitive prices that are straightforward without fine print in our contract. We have a waterproofing expert who writes the waterproofing report which is then appended to the engineers sealed and signed report.

Our strict ethical standards demand that we only inspect and report for the benefit of our clients, not ourselves. We believe that inspectors should not be bidding on repairs.

Reach out today for a discussion on how we can assist you with your balcony inspection requirements. Call us at 805-801-2380

Download our free inspection certificate and ask every inspection company you are considering hiring to sign it. This will rapidly separate the legitimate inspection companies to the top when the contractors who also inspect don’t want to sign it.

Inspection Certificate-1Download
SB 326 Balcony Inspections

High Compliments From an HOA Client

It is always nice to get unsolicited compliments from our clients and the one that we received yesterday from Joseph in Los Angeles is very appreciated.

We try very hard to bring the best in service and stay on top of current trends in the industry to make sure our clients get the very best advice that we can give.

If your HOA needs help in balcony inspections, roof consulting or building envelope water intrusion issues, let me help you. Reach out today for a free discussion on what William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC can bring to the table in value for your community.

From an HOA client in Los Angeles, we sincerely appreciate the compliments!
SB 326 Balcony Inspections

In Somber Remembrance of The Tenth Anniversary of the Berkeley Balcony Tragedy

A chilling tragedy at Library Gardens in Berkeley occurred ten years ago today, June 16th, 2015 when a deck collapsed with thirteen people on it, killing seven people and leaving six people permanently injured. This is why we inspect.

Take a moment to remember the victims of Berkeley who lost their lives that terrible night on June 16th 2015 – Ashley Donohoe, Olivia Burke, Eoghan Culligan, Niccolai “Nick” Schuster, Lorcán Miller, Eimear Walsh and Aoife Beary and the survivors, who remain permanently injured, Clodagh Cogley, Seán Fahey, Conor Flynn, Jack Halpin, Niall Murray and Hannah Waters.

This should never have happened, yet it did. Poor construction practices and in my opinion outright negligence caused this accident..

In somber remembrance of the victims of the Berkeley balcony tragedy, we want to remind everyone that this is accident is why we inspect. This can never happen again, this is why SB326 and SB721 are now in effect. As professional inspectors, we take our duty to save lives and property very seriously.

Please get your decks inspected, the life you save could be your own.

Deck Inspections

Cayucos HOA Contracts With William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC For SB326 Balcony Inspection

We are pleased to announce that we have been selected by a 40 unit HOA in Cayucos on the Central Coast of California to inspect their balconies stairs and landings to bring them into compliance with SB326.

This Association sits near the ocean and enjoys great views down the coast. While residents enjoy the views from their decks, we want to be sure they can do so safely. With over 40 SB326 inspections under our belt and the fact that we’ve been inspecting decks since 2007, the Association found our experience to be just what they were looking for.

If your Associations decks need to be inspected under SB 326, reach out for a free quote today. We visit your property, we determine how many EEEs need to be inspected and we determine the best method of access to the EEEs. Then we can give you a fixed quote for your Stage 1 inspection.

Find out why managers trust us to be their authoritative source for balcony inspections and get started now! Call us direct at 805-801-2380 or use the contact us box on the left side of the page.

SB 326 Balcony Inspections

Halloween is Coming, Watch Out for Contractors Masquerading as “Deck Inspectors”…

Watch out for monsters that are disguised as “Deck Inspectors” but are really contractors out to steal your HOAs money.

It’s almost Halloween and soon children will be out ringing doorbells for candy by saying trick or treat… And we’ll smile and admire their costumes and fill their bags with some treats and send them on their way.

HOAs are at risk every day of the year however from “trick or treaters” that are disguised as deck inspectors but are really contractors looking to empty your bank account. We’ve seen an uptick in complaints from several HOA managers and HOAs that the deck inspector they retained is now giving them a contract to repair the decks and it seems very high in price and has clauses in it that are onerous and very one sided.

How can you weed out these characters from your bid list and protect your HOAs from being fleeced? While nothing is guaranteed, there are ways to stop these hoodlums in their tracks. To start with, ask your bidders if they have any ownership or other interest in a construction or waterproofing company (we don’t). Ask that they sign a no conflicts of interest guarantee ( we do) and if they do have an ownership or other interest in a contracting company, decline to accept their bid.

Bidding on work after doing an inspection is a gross conflict of interest in our opinion and managers agree with us. Tell your CLAC representative that SB326 needs to be amended to eliminate the loopholes in the current bill. Tell them to ban inspectors from providing bids.

If we find work is needed at your Association, we assist you with writing scopes of work, qualifying 3 contractors to bid and ensure that you are receiving apples to apples bids.

We are open and upfront, if your deck inspector sends to be cagey or avoids answering your questions, you may be getting set up by a contractor.

Have questions? Send us an email with the contact box to the left and we’ll get started on giving you a free EEE evaluation and proposal for your deck inspections. Don’t wait, the deadline is fast approaching.

SB 326 Balcony Inspections

Santa Barbara County HOA Selects William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC For SB 326 Deck Inspections

We’re pleased to have been selected by an HOA in Santa Barbara County to perform their SB 326 balcony inspections.

The 32 unit association has walkways, stairs and exclusive use decks that need to be inspected, and after a competitive bidding process, selected us as the best qualified firm to perform the inspection.

William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC guarantees that we have no conflicts of interest in owning any waterproofing or construction firm and that an award winning structural engineer inspects the EEEs and as waterproofing experts, our inspection of flashings, waterproofing and related items gives Associations confidence knowing that they have retained a well qualified firm.

We invite you to experience the expertise that we offer as deck inspectors. Call us or email us using the contact us box today to get started.

SB 326 Balcony Inspections

Camarillo HOA Selects William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC For Their SB 326 Balcony and Stair Inspection

We are pleased to announce that we have been selected to perform the SB326 balcony inspection for a large community in Camarillo. With 48 decks and 90+ stairs and landings, the Board of Directors vetted three firm’s qualifications before choosing us as the best qualified inspection firm for the job.

Cantilevered decks like this need to be inspected under SB326
Although the stairs are concrete, these stairs are supported by wood and therefore must be inspected.

“We are pleased to be selected as the best qualified inspection company in Ventura County.” Our reputation as an ethical firm, with guarantees that our structural engineer is performing the inspection of the structural elements and not just robosigning a report assures our clients that they are getting the best value for their money.” said Bill Leys, president of William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC.

We invite your Association to put the expertise of William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC team of waterproofing experts and structural engineers to work on your balcony inspection project. Contact us today using the contact form on the right or call Bill Leys directly at 805-801-2380.