Chinese Drywall – A brief history and product information Installed during the U.S. building boom of the mid- to late-2000s, defective drywall manufactured in China (Chinese Drywall) has prompted homeowners in dozens of U.S. states to evacuate their homes, mostly because of the noxious odors emanating from the drywall. Drywall is made of gypsum plaster, …
Atlas Chalet Asphalt Shingles – A brief history Since 1982, the Atlas Roofing Company has produced variety of asphalt shingles. Like most of the other roofing manufacturers (GAR, CertainTeed, IKO and Owens Corning), they make typical builder grade 3-tab shingles, more durable architectural shingles, and designer shingles. In the early to mid-90s, however, Atlas manufactured a …
LP Inner Seal Siding – A brief history Louisiana-Pacific Inner Seal siding, commonly referred to as “LP”, exploded onto the market in the early 1990’s. Forming from a Georgia Pacific spin-off in 1972, the Louisiana Pacific brand introduced itself into the market, expanding primarily through acquisitions; firmly establishing itself when the company bought the Fiberboard …
Knob-and-Tube Wiring. A Brief History Knob-and-Tube Wiring systems was an early standardized method of electrical wiring in buildings. Its common use was in North America from about 1880 to the early 1940s. It consists of single-insulated copper conductors that run within wall or ceiling cavities, passing through joist and stud drill-holes via protective porcelain insulating …
The History of Zonolite Insulation Zonolite in an attic The history of Zonolite Insulation began when E.N. Alley launched his vermiculite mining business in Libby, Montana. Alley created the Zonolite brand as a commercial name for the mineral, and more than 40 years later, in 1963, his business was acquired by W.R. Grace and Company, …
A brief history of Zinsco/Sylvania Electrical Panels Zinsco Panel Sylvania Panel The Zinsco brand was established in 1943 when the son of the Zinsmeyer Company took over his father’s electrical business. Zinsco panels went on to be a very popular brand of electrical panels for several decades, often labeled with the name “Magnatrip” on the …
FPE Stab-Lok Panel FPE Stab-Lok Panel If your home was built between 1950 and 1990, it may be equipped with a Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) circuit breaker panel with Stab-Lok circuit breakers. If so, your panel runs a significant risk of breaker malfunction and fire. Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) sold millions of panels between this …
Polybutylene Piping What is Polybutylene Pipe? Polybutylene is a form of plastic resin that was used extensively in the manufacture of water supply piping from 1978 until 1995. Due to the low cost of the material and its ease of installation, this piping system was viewed as “the pipe of the future” and was used …
Viking Windows 3000 Series – A Class action lawsuit review In 2007, a California state court certified proceedings regarding a class in a suit involving alleged leaking windows manufactured by a subsidiary of the popular manufacturer Pella Windows; Viking Windows 3000 Series. The plaintiffs’ counsel believed the Viking window defects affected around 100,000 homeowners in homes …
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What is Galvanized Piping? In this article, we are going to discuss defects commonly associated galvanized piping. In specific, internal galvanized pipe corrosion and how it affects the plumbing system. We will also discuss galvanized pipe remedies. First, however, lets understand the product and discuss the basic history of Galvanized plumbing systems. Galvanized piping is …