If you think this editorial is about CSI Miami, count yourself lucky. The construction forensic expert is someone who investigates construction defects.

I just wish I could look this good when I reach 70. For me, the magazine and this 70th year anniversary issue have a special meaning. I grew up in the industry and remember the magazine around the house when I was only in grade school.

We have all met someone that makes us think differently. How about someone that makes you look at the world you live in differently? I think these tougher economic times should make us open our eyes and maybe, just maybe, we will appreciate what we have.

I receive letters to the editor on a regular basis, some complimentary, some not. In the first half of this year, EIFS and stucco were attacked by self-serving groups, and fortunately the industry responded with its own “letter to the editor.”

What happens if the level of finish for drywall is specified below what is expected on a drywall job?

Are you like me? You go on a vacation and are accused of not leaving work behind. I don’t mean fretting about your business, and if all the little details have been handled. I mean spending too much time looking at construction details. Take heart, you are not alone, not by a long shot and I have proof. The following are the writings I have done on vacation.

Q: I was recently questioned about the metal studs I am using and if they are code-compliant. I was informed that if they are not, I– the subcontractor–could be held liable. This has me quite worried considering all the construction defect litigation today.

Our nation’s trade unions have been under attack and losing ground in the construction industry for decades.

Deflection, drainage, drying and durability are important factors in determining a building’s sustainability.

The code does have a tolerance for the brown (basecoat) coat of Portland cement plaster (stucco).