00:00:05:16 - 00:00:29:18 Speaker 1 Hello friends. Welcome to the Your Project Shepherd podcast. I'm your host, Curtis Lawson, and we are here to teach that every successful construction project has four components demonstrated by the simple drawing of the house. The foundation is proper planning. The left wall is your team, the right walls, communication and the roof is proper execution. Have all four of these components in place and your project will succeed. 00:00:29:20 - 00:00:52:17 Speaker 1 We are here to help professionals and homeowners alike make the best decisions about designing, planning, and building custom homes. If you'd like more information about how Shepherd can help you with your project or business, visit us at your project shepherd.com. And now, here's today's episode. 00:00:52:19 - 00:01:19:13 Speaker 1 Hey everybody, welcome to the Your Project Shepherd podcast. I am Curtis Lawson and today I am joined by not one but two guests. I am joined by Kate Black with Kate Black Architecture studio. Kate is one of the few architects who are practicing on Galveston Island, here in southeast Texas. And she primarily deals with coastal homes, so I thought she'd be a great person to have on today to have a discussion about special considerations for building coastal homes. 00:01:19:13 - 00:01:20:21 Speaker 1 So thanks for joining us, Kate. 00:01:20:22 - 00:01:21:23 Speaker 2 Thank you for having me. 00:01:22:01 - 00:01:31:08 Speaker 1 So why don't you go and take just a minute and tell us about kind of what your history is and what you do and how how you came to be designing on the island. 00:01:31:08 - 00:01:57:09 Speaker 2 Sure. So I've been in Galveston for 13 years. In February, actually, like a week ago. There you go. My 30th anniversary here. I went to school at U of. I grew up in Houston, and I worked a little bit after grad school in Houston, but the majority of my career has been in Galveston. I started my own, practice or firm small business, six years ago. 00:01:57:10 - 00:02:19:12 Speaker 2 I also had my six year anniversary of that in January. So, six years ago. And, you know, it was sort of by chance that I ended up working so much in residential that wasn't I was like many graduate students where I thought, I don't know what I thought I was going to be designing and building, but structures that change the world. 00:02:19:13 - 00:02:50:16 Speaker 2 Right. Yeah. And when I moved to Galveston, it was kind of a compromise with my husband to be by the water and I still worked in Houston and I still commuted. And then eventually I was like, this is I cannot do this. I need to be just be in Galveston. I ended up working, for another local architect for a little while, and then I worked for a homebuilder and who's a we still, you know, collaborate lots together. 00:02:50:18 - 00:03:11:15 Speaker 2 And he had wanted to do a design build and like, have it be a proper design build where he had an architect in house. And so I worked for him for, I guess, five years, something like that. Jeff actually, and when, it was time, I just, I, I wanted to leave. I wanted to do my own thing. 00:03:11:15 - 00:03:26:13 Speaker 2 I like builders, nothing against builders, but I wanted. I wanted the separation. So I started my own business, and he just, you know, he just stopped having a design portion, and he just focused on being a builder from working with him for so long. I had thought when I started my own practice, I was like, well, I'm going to now. 00:03:26:13 - 00:03:44:19 Speaker 2 I'm going to do more commercial stuff. But I actually just really like residential. I love the scale of it. I love working with clients in that way. And there are it's so funny because residential is one of the least regulated single family residential. It's one of the least regulated. Oh yeah. And it's the most details per square foot. 00:03:44:21 - 00:03:45:12 Speaker 2 Yeah, right. 00:03:45:12 - 00:03:46:06 Speaker 3 It really is. 00:03:46:08 - 00:04:11:06 Speaker 2 Like it is. It's crazy that that's the case, but I'm sorry I'm going off. But anyways, I have just I've, I've embraced that. I've finally embraced it. I do small tenant bailouts and like historic buildings downtown, which is very fun. But 90% of my work is residential, and there are a lot of issues that we face and constraints that we face in Galveston. 00:04:11:08 - 00:04:31:20 Speaker 2 And as toner has mentioned, it's, you know, one of probably the most complicated sites in Texas to build on or design on. Yep. But because that's really where all of my residential work has been, I've done so that's where it started. And that's really the primary what I do, I don't even think about it. That's just that's just part of what it is. 00:04:31:20 - 00:04:55:02 Speaker 1 So I also have the infamous toner curse thing with us today from toner who matters. So toner not only does building performance design is and forensics, as we've talked about on the show numerous times, but he's also brilliant enough to own a house in Galveston. That's right. And not only a Galveston house, but a historic Galveston house. So he gets the double whammy of it's a coastal house and it's historic. 00:04:55:04 - 00:04:57:11 Speaker 1 And all the issues that go into both of those things. 00:04:57:12 - 00:05:03:04 Speaker 3 Most definitely. We've had an office down on the island for, about just about six years now, so. 00:05:03:04 - 00:05:05:11 Speaker 2 Oh, yeah, because you reach I remember you reaching out to me, right? 00:05:05:13 - 00:05:24:12 Speaker 3 That's right, that's right. And Galveston is a funny place. It's very, very small community. Everyone knows each other. So you normally just get a referral to somebody pretty early on? Yep. But also, we're all very busy, down there. There's a lot of work at Galveston. Is nothing if not an island of opportunity. 00:05:24:14 - 00:05:25:08 Speaker 2 Absolutely. 00:05:25:08 - 00:05:26:02 Speaker 3 Always has. 00:05:26:02 - 00:05:31:17 Speaker 1 Been. That sounds like a slogan for for the for the development board, for Galveston. Galveston, the Island of Opportunity. 00:05:31:19 - 00:05:35:05 Speaker 3 It's been an opportunity with this. But of course, you have. 00:05:35:05 - 00:05:36:04 Speaker 1 This copyright that. 00:05:36:05 - 00:05:39:04 Speaker 3 You have this wicked wave that eventually come in and wash all the. 00:05:39:04 - 00:05:45:04 Speaker 2 I know away, I know sliding Saturday. I should have been saying this. It's not good sales for my business. 00:05:45:08 - 00:05:58:13 Speaker 3 That's right. But I would, I would I knew that one of the struggles I had was architecturally finding someone or a group or a firm. I don't really like using the word firm, and I. 00:05:58:13 - 00:05:59:00 Speaker 2 Hate the word. 00:05:59:00 - 00:06:07:20 Speaker 3 Firm. What I do or anything. It reminds me of a Tom cruise movie. So I just it's it feels, too cold. 00:06:07:22 - 00:06:08:09 Speaker 2 Yes. 00:06:08:09 - 00:06:38:23 Speaker 3 I knew that specialization for Galveston is something that we provided, and we needed to provide it architecturally. I saw the lag in the building side, because they are reacting to what was presented to them. So for them to come through and modify an already designed structure to meet the criteria that we want, that was impractical, if not impossible, because we have a challenge with our owners on the island. 00:06:38:23 - 00:06:59:01 Speaker 3 They think, oh, it's just a second home. Oh, it's just a beach house. Oh, it's just the most difficult house you're going to abandon for more than three quarters of the year. And hope that it come out okay. Yeah. So it is a very difficult space. And that's why you specifically doubling down saying we just do island houses. 00:06:59:03 - 00:07:22:21 Speaker 3 That specialty is, is an absolute without it the interpretation or the is going to be not going to be there. And the opportunity for incorrect, design will be very, very high because you just don't know what you don't know and you don't want to experiment down here. So in the pre conversation prior to this, I was telling you like, you know, you could have picked any place else would've been easier. 00:07:22:21 - 00:07:35:04 Speaker 3 Right. Like anything else would have been easier. But I was just in Austin last week for projects. And I was telling everybody that, you know, Austin is really just kind of a suburb of Houston at this point. 00:07:35:06 - 00:07:36:08 Speaker 1 They hate that. 00:07:36:10 - 00:07:37:06 Speaker 2 Really like you. 00:07:37:11 - 00:08:01:03 Speaker 3 And I. And I say that to elicit that reaction. And I'm saying environmentally. All right. Yeah. What we are correcting in in Austin, I corrected ten years ago, 15 years ago in Houston. But what I started correcting in Houston five, ten years ago, I had already been correcting in Galveston. It is Galveston first, then Houston, then Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, everything. 00:08:01:03 - 00:08:11:16 Speaker 3 Because the climate migration I feel like comes through the port of Galveston. There's a tanker out there named Climate Migration and it's unloading and it's going up 45. Right. 00:08:11:18 - 00:08:32:02 Speaker 2 Well, you know, it's interesting, though, because a lot of people think of Galveston as I mean, I don't hopefully no one actually thinks we're a suburb, if anywhere, for our own island. But people think of Galveston as just an extension of Houston because it is so convenient. But it is not. No, no, it is fully different. The environment is completely different and. 00:08:32:04 - 00:08:32:18 Speaker 3 Cultures. 00:08:32:18 - 00:08:53:11 Speaker 2 Different cultures. I tell people I'm like, we are an island, literally an island that's connected by this one causeway. It's where a major interstate dead ends. Things are going to get weird, right? You have a major interstate that just is like. And now and now 45 is done and now you're on this island. Thanks for making it weird, but. 00:08:53:11 - 00:08:54:20 Speaker 3 It's a soft landing on a beach. 00:08:54:20 - 00:08:58:13 Speaker 2 It's a soft landing on a beach. It is a soft landing. It. 00:08:58:15 - 00:09:07:05 Speaker 3 I'm one of the very few pay to get on beaches. Yes. Right. Like, hey, you're finally here, but you got to pay for the last 15ft to get onto the beach. 00:09:07:05 - 00:09:09:02 Speaker 2 You don't have to pay to get onto the beach at. 00:09:09:02 - 00:09:10:19 Speaker 3 The end of 45 at. 00:09:10:21 - 00:09:13:02 Speaker 2 You mean the very end to park at Stewart. 00:09:13:03 - 00:09:17:00 Speaker 3 Park at Stewart Beach? You got to pay to get on. Yeah, you have to pay, right? I mean, you can park on the seawall. 00:09:17:01 - 00:09:18:01 Speaker 2 Are you going there? 00:09:18:05 - 00:09:21:23 Speaker 3 I don't go there. Locals don't go to the beach. Well, no, I go to. 00:09:22:01 - 00:09:24:10 Speaker 2 The beach, but I just don't. I don't pay to go to the beach. 00:09:24:10 - 00:09:28:04 Speaker 3 And I don't discuss which beach the locals go to. Yes, for us to know. 00:09:28:07 - 00:09:30:21 Speaker 1 So one of the things I wanted to talk about was, 00:09:30:23 - 00:09:32:06 Speaker 2 Not where you pay to get, you. 00:09:32:08 - 00:09:51:13 Speaker 1 Know, where you park at the beach. You're paying. But, you know, I think that in this mentality, we've talked about a lot in the past, people always have this thing when they go to build a house of, oh, yeah, I've got a buddy who's a contractor, I got a buddy who does house plans or whatever. Right. The same mentality kind of bleeds over to go into Galveston, like, oh, I got a buddy who's a realtor in the woodlands. 00:09:51:16 - 00:10:06:15 Speaker 1 He's going to help me find a lot of Galveston. Yes. I've got a buddy who's a contractor in Houston. He's going to build my beach house, but, like, that's a terrible idea. You're going to a realtor who doesn't know anything about selecting a lot? Yep. In a difficult spot. 00:10:06:15 - 00:10:07:04 Speaker 2 Well, stop. 00:10:07:09 - 00:10:28:18 Speaker 1 You know, like stop. Yes. You're using somebody who doesn't know how to design a beach house, but, you know, anyway, it's kind of it. It goes back to our house diagram. Right. The first thing you have to do is build your team. Right. And so that team's got to be a, a realtor who's familiar with the area, an architect who's familiar with the area, building, performance, design. 00:10:28:20 - 00:10:29:16 Speaker 3 Engineering. 00:10:29:16 - 00:10:35:06 Speaker 1 The whole team has to be experienced in doing those coastal homes. Otherwise, you're setting yourself up for failure. 00:10:35:08 - 00:10:55:15 Speaker 2 When even honestly with the realtor, like you said, because especially when people are looking at, beach front lawns, I mean, they're just because the lot is a spec, just not mean you get to build on all of it by any stretch. You could have a lot that is 200ft long, and depending on where it is, there could be 25ft of buildable space, right? 00:10:55:16 - 00:10:59:01 Speaker 2 Period. There's a reason exceptions. There's no exceptions to that. 00:10:59:03 - 00:11:05:16 Speaker 1 And there's a reason that some of those properties have been on the market for ever. And no one's buying and they're so cheap. Oh, such a great deal. We should buy this. 00:11:05:19 - 00:11:20:23 Speaker 2 I know, and it's so having that and honestly not to, you know, not to speak poorly of any realtors either. But even in Galveston, you know, depending on what their knowledge is, if they don't necessarily specify those beach front ones, it's like. 00:11:21:00 - 00:11:39:11 Speaker 3 Oh yeah, the person who I bought my house with in the Eastern Historic District, I would not go to the west on the island. I wouldn't buy Mid Island right with him. Yeah, he's great, but he knows historic homes. He might not know, you know, the bungalows off of 40th Street, which are awesome, by the way. 00:11:39:11 - 00:11:49:02 Speaker 3 Right. Does not know. Cedar Park does not know, things down by a VA and most definitely doesn't know anything past what Hershey Beaches does. You know where that is, right? 00:11:49:08 - 00:12:18:11 Speaker 2 Right. Yeah. So it's, and definitely for builders too. And that even high end builders have, you know, when clients have a high end builder in Houston and they build beautiful, beautiful, beautiful work. And so I know they're not trying to use them because they think they're going to be less expensive because sometimes people the higher end really, accomplished builders in Galveston, the price per square foot to build in Galveston is more than in Houston. 00:12:18:12 - 00:12:47:18 Speaker 2 Pretty significantly. Right? For good reason. And it has nothing to do with what tile you're choosing, right? It's the structure, and the materials on the exterior and they'll want to use a builder that they're familiar with here. And I tell them I'm like, I just I really think you should speak to local builders and a builder worth their salt here would also either work with have somebody to work with on the island who's familiar with it. 00:12:47:18 - 00:12:55:04 Speaker 2 If they haven't already done that before. I mean, there will be research that goes into it, you know, because it is it's a fully differ. It's just a completely different environment. 00:12:55:04 - 00:13:13:03 Speaker 1 What is the trade base to I mean, the I think a lot of builders try to pull their trades down from Houston. And first of all, a lot of those guys that like, oh yeah, we'll come do it. And then they get into it. They're like, man, this drive sucks. Don't do this. And then trying to find trades on the island that you've never worked with before. 00:13:13:04 - 00:13:14:13 Speaker 1 Yeah. Can be a crapshoot. 00:13:14:17 - 00:13:15:10 Speaker 2 Yes. 00:13:15:12 - 00:13:28:20 Speaker 3 We tell people that using trades from Houston, do you move from an eight hour workday to a five hour workday because of the hour and a half ahead and the hour half of the end of the day? Yeah. Good thing is, all the trades in the island or island time. So you going to get five hours, other minutes. 00:13:28:22 - 00:13:30:23 Speaker 3 So it's very much the same. 00:13:31:01 - 00:13:32:02 Speaker 2 No, no no. 00:13:32:02 - 00:13:33:22 Speaker 1 No, that's a real thing. 00:13:34:00 - 00:13:47:13 Speaker 3 That is. Well, but you know, the thing about the especially in the summertime, our trades on the island, they will work later in many cases. I see them easily. I've been on jobs at 7:00 at night and they're still working. Yeah. 00:13:47:13 - 00:13:48:11 Speaker 1 It's cooler. 00:13:48:13 - 00:14:17:11 Speaker 3 It's cooler. The wind calms down a little bit towards towards the end of the evening, especially at low tide. It depends on. And Kate has an extra challenge that she's not just beach houses, she's beach houses, she's estuary houses, she's bay houses, she's canal houses. Those are all their own little idiosyncrasies. And then she has all the regulations, like all of the structural regulations, all of the windstorm regulations, of flood regulations. 00:14:17:11 - 00:14:21:08 Speaker 3 So you have to be just an awesome pro at keeping up with all that stuff. 00:14:21:10 - 00:14:44:11 Speaker 2 And a lot of what I mean, some of it was working for a builder, right, who was a good builder and kind of learning a lot of this from them. And then I sat on the planning commission for the city of Galveston for four years. And even through that, I learned part of me being on there was because I already knew, but then also learning even more about it from that. 00:14:44:12 - 00:15:09:17 Speaker 2 Our comprehensive planning and everything like that within the city of Galveston is useful information to have. I would say that that, you know, you mentioned like HOA is and some HOA is our design based, of course, but a lot of it is just looking at the setbacks and, you know, different regulations because the lots, the lots are all fairly similar, like the sizing of them. 00:15:09:17 - 00:15:28:12 Speaker 2 They're small like especially compared to Houston. They're small. And the guitar, that's something else that clients sometimes don't realize is that their square footage doesn't go as far right. They have an idea of a 3000 square foot house because it's a one story house. You make that three stories above ground. So four stories and you tie in an elevator with that. 00:15:28:14 - 00:15:29:11 Speaker 3 I had that much. 00:15:29:11 - 00:15:29:18 Speaker 2 Smaller. 00:15:29:18 - 00:15:47:03 Speaker 3 House with someone in Dallas who is wanting. They're looking for a lot on the island right now, and they're like, well, the houses down there are huge. I'm like, no, no, no, no, no. You think they're huge? You're tall and you can't back up to see them. So you're always looking from eight feet off the edge of the wall straight up. 00:15:47:05 - 00:15:57:12 Speaker 3 Yeah. They all look like they're humongous towers of architecture, and they're actually little postage stamps stacked on top of each other with a bunch of useless space on the first floor. Yeah. 00:15:57:14 - 00:15:58:15 Speaker 2 Yeah. To park. 00:15:58:17 - 00:16:04:12 Speaker 3 It's working. You feel like you got a lot of parking there, right? Yeah. I can put a ton of toys. Yes, I do these houses. Yeah. 00:16:04:12 - 00:16:18:06 Speaker 1 So one of the issues that I think people don't think about in relation to the lot is in Hoa's is access to the beach is one thing, and then blocking the view or the situation of the view. Right. Because people want a beach house for the view of the ocean. 00:16:18:06 - 00:16:18:16 Speaker 2 Right. 00:16:18:22 - 00:16:36:04 Speaker 1 And they don't take into account how other houses are going to block their view, but also if they are going to block other people to some HOA. And I'm not sure if this is the case in Galveston, but in some coastal towns you have to take into account how you're going to be affecting everybody else's access. Now, not in Galveston. 00:16:36:08 - 00:16:38:06 Speaker 2 So very. 00:16:38:08 - 00:16:39:10 Speaker 1 It's not seaside, Florida. 00:16:39:15 - 00:16:44:09 Speaker 2 No, no. It's Texas. No. That's like no, you could do what you want with your own property. 00:16:44:09 - 00:16:45:00 Speaker 3 Gotcha. 00:16:45:02 - 00:17:07:22 Speaker 2 I mean, to some degree, it's I would say the newer developments have kept that in mind, and they've staggered the lots better. Yeah. Right. So some of the newer developments have done that. And that's part of why people go up high though. And it's like they're like little cakes. Right. So the top floor is smaller. And so you're not that blocking people's views isn't going to be as much of an issue. 00:17:08:01 - 00:17:29:06 Speaker 2 But that is part of why people go higher so they can see, I mean, if you're on the if you're the beach front and you have that third floor, you just have an amazing view regardless. But if you're, you know, three, four, five rows back from the beach, if you're not first row and you get that third floor when I say and when I say third ground floor is ground right, first, second, third, third floor is a condition. 00:17:29:06 - 00:17:46:09 Speaker 2 Third floor, you're 55ft in the air. That third floor, even from you can get all the way back to 3 to 5. The big, you know, highway that runs through and you can see and you can see water on both sides. You can see the bay, you can see the beach. It's actually like a very beautiful view. And in 50 years you'll still have a lot. 00:17:46:09 - 00:17:47:03 Speaker 2 So yeah. 00:17:47:05 - 00:17:50:11 Speaker 1 Any height restrictions in any of the HOA is down there. 00:17:50:11 - 00:17:58:10 Speaker 2 Yes. Yeah. But it's I've yet to not be able to meet that. They're pretty high. Yeah. Yeah they're pretty high. Yeah. 00:17:58:11 - 00:18:05:11 Speaker 3 I mean in and even then I mean like the, the day of putting a widow's walk on top of structures, I think we're kind of past that. 00:18:05:11 - 00:18:05:18 Speaker 2 Yeah. 00:18:05:18 - 00:18:33:01 Speaker 3 The cupola I mean the cupola. Yeah. To put that thing is the that is the octagon nightmare. So just managing through that, I understand totally why people want those kind of architectural aspects. I do have a tremendous amount of performance issues related to them. The good thing is with the American heritage architecture, which is primarily I mean, like the last mod that you did, like, no one really wants it, right? 00:18:33:03 - 00:18:43:08 Speaker 2 You know, some people do want it, but ironically, the people who want to purchase lots in neighborhoods that don't allow it, so it's not a whole lot I can do about that. 00:18:43:09 - 00:18:43:20 Speaker 3 Got it. 00:18:43:21 - 00:19:03:04 Speaker 2 Some of that too, though, is that the communities that do allow mod like pirates, there's not very many lots to purchase in those areas. You know, it's the older neighborhoods that had less design restrictions and they're they're pretty full up. Yeah, they're bought up, you know. So we don't we don't have a whole lot of that. 00:19:03:04 - 00:19:03:19 Speaker 3 Does modern. 00:19:03:19 - 00:19:04:08 Speaker 2 Architecture. 00:19:04:11 - 00:19:25:14 Speaker 3 Not break my heart? Yeah. I'll bring up Austin again. One reason why we have so many forensic issues is contemporary architecture itself is not a very resilient, type of architecture. Soffits and fascias have a purpose, right? Cover porches have a purpose. So when you have these big cubist boxes there that are have no veil breaks and tons of moisture coming down the walls because of no shading or overhangs. 00:19:25:14 - 00:19:47:23 Speaker 3 They they fail in Austin. They, they melt like sticks of butter on the island. Yeah. So I've had more tear downs related to old 70s and 60s contemporary architecture than I would be. Give me a 60s. I'll take an English Tudor from 1960 on the island. That will work better than that contemporary from 1960. 00:19:48:00 - 00:20:08:20 Speaker 2 Well, some of and when you're when we're thinking of windstorm and we're thinking of rain and actually like, you know, the rain flowing off and not having I guess a flat roof for a windstorm would be good. Yeah, but it fails. And any of the good builders I know, no one says if it fails, it's when it fails, it doesn't matter. 00:20:08:20 - 00:20:30:11 Speaker 2 It's going to fail. That is. That's probably one of my biggest conversations that I have with people, because not so much, wanting the modern look but wanting to be able to put a waterproof check over condition space and just having to say, listen, guys, I just I can't do it. I'm not going to do it. There's some things where I used to be like, well, I guess a little bit here and there, and now I'm like, no, we're just not going to do it. 00:20:30:12 - 00:20:36:13 Speaker 2 Because it is a when absolutely it is when it's going to fail, period. You know. Yeah. 00:20:36:15 - 00:20:55:01 Speaker 1 What are some other, some other kind of non environmental, non building performance kind of planning issues. Are there issues or things like lots that haven't been developed yet actually getting utilities to them. Power, fresh water, natural gas all those sorts of things. Or is that not an issue in Galveston where that's been developed so much already? 00:20:55:04 - 00:21:22:14 Speaker 2 So much of it has been developed. And really the place from what my experience is, is, you know, any of the places where people are purchasing lots, it's where development is happening. I don't know anyone who has bought, like a big swath of land that they're now trying to develop themselves. And we're remote but not so remote that getting utilities and things like that would be an issue in a different point of time. 00:21:22:14 - 00:21:27:20 Speaker 2 I'm sure it was. But at this point, almost a full, you know, span of the island has been. 00:21:27:20 - 00:21:47:03 Speaker 3 And I was I would say we need to remember this is one of the oldest parts of development developed land in the state. Yeah. So we do have infrastructure that is extremely old. Yes. And we do see failings from that on a pretty regular basis. The farther you get away from the east and the island, the less and less it is. 00:21:47:05 - 00:22:02:10 Speaker 3 But also Galveston developed in these, you know, spits and spats it would give to have a big boom in them and have the really, really low time. And then we'd have a big boom, and we're kind of back in a boom right now with our cruise culture and all this other kind of stuff. But we do. 00:22:02:12 - 00:22:08:18 Speaker 3 We struggle with the similar, issues that other communities of the size and gulf since over 30,000 people. It not a. 00:22:08:18 - 00:22:09:07 Speaker 2 50. 00:22:09:08 - 00:22:11:00 Speaker 3 50. Sorry. Yeah. Jeez. 00:22:11:00 - 00:22:13:00 Speaker 2 47 800 or so. 00:22:13:02 - 00:22:17:17 Speaker 3 That's that's before people come on the island to visit us. Yes. Which is a. 00:22:17:18 - 00:22:18:23 Speaker 1 Mess. Residents. Right. 00:22:19:00 - 00:22:22:09 Speaker 2 That's actual residents. That's not even like the UT maintenance. 00:22:22:09 - 00:22:27:06 Speaker 3 I did not I don't stay on the island during Mardi Gras. You have to because you live there full time. And I. 00:22:27:06 - 00:22:27:19 Speaker 2 Love it. 00:22:27:19 - 00:22:28:17 Speaker 3 Oh no. 00:22:28:17 - 00:22:30:05 Speaker 2 Oh my God, Mardi Gras the best. 00:22:30:06 - 00:22:33:16 Speaker 3 Well, I also lived down almost on this I we live in the middle of it. 00:22:33:16 - 00:22:35:06 Speaker 2 So same I love. 00:22:35:06 - 00:22:38:13 Speaker 3 It. But you stay for motorcycle week. No, I do not do that. 00:22:38:13 - 00:22:40:05 Speaker 2 God, no. You know. 00:22:40:07 - 00:22:43:08 Speaker 1 Is it Mardi Gras there? I like the second biggest Mardi Gras outside of New Orleans. 00:22:43:08 - 00:22:47:21 Speaker 2 No, it's not actually. No, no, I just researched this. I was looking it up. It's not. It's like the fourth. 00:22:48:02 - 00:22:50:15 Speaker 3 Oh, no. That's what they used to always say. 00:22:50:20 - 00:22:51:20 Speaker 2 That's not true. 00:22:52:01 - 00:22:53:11 Speaker 1 What's two and three like? 00:22:53:11 - 00:23:03:15 Speaker 2 Biloxi apparently has a big one. And summer I can't I'm not going to quote another one because I know it. I don't know if I get it right, but no, we were like the fourth. I looked it because I was curious. This last round. 00:23:03:19 - 00:23:04:15 Speaker 3 It's still huge. 00:23:04:15 - 00:23:12:04 Speaker 2 It's it's it's a wonderful. And maybe the count isn't it. Just the last few years. It's really we have it's gotten good. 00:23:12:05 - 00:23:16:23 Speaker 3 Maybe we lost it all. Good Covid. Maybe we came back wrong. 00:23:17:01 - 00:23:37:04 Speaker 2 It's possible. But yeah, during things like, I mean, what Turner was saying during biker rally, I think it's an influx of like, 500,000 people on a weekend. Mardi Gras brings in about 300,000. What else we got? We got Dickens on the strand. That brings like 150, maybe a hundred, but it's one of my favorite. But it is. 00:23:37:04 - 00:23:45:13 Speaker 2 You have these things that, you know, Christmas is great, holidays are great. But I actually really like Dickens on the strand that starts it. And then Mardi Gras that caps it off. 00:23:45:15 - 00:24:07:12 Speaker 3 I love the new addition of all the Juneteenth celebration that is that has really come together well-organized now. So that's been long overdue. Long overdue. We have a lot of cool civic art projects that that occurred over that. So that's that is a very valuable part of the island that wasn't, established. Well, and then we have the new cruise ports, which are going to be huge. 00:24:07:17 - 00:24:22:20 Speaker 3 We have our first, you know, Disney boat, we have our first carnival boat, and Royal Caribbean all made for just Galveston. So, and now there's a battleship being restored right there on the water. I know, I know, so we get to go see it. I was having coffee on over there. On the water. I was like, what the. 00:24:23:02 - 00:24:25:18 Speaker 3 Why are those guns pointed towards my old battleship? 00:24:25:19 - 00:24:27:03 Speaker 2 It's a battleship. 00:24:27:05 - 00:24:35:22 Speaker 3 So it's it is a very. I've been real happy, probably New York. My kids are old and years, but I was so happy to raise my kids down there because it's a you very unique. 00:24:35:23 - 00:24:37:06 Speaker 2 We're getting a new ball high, too. 00:24:37:06 - 00:24:40:13 Speaker 3 That's right. Getting on new ball high school. Yeah. Awesome. 00:24:40:13 - 00:24:43:02 Speaker 1 And this is like a big commercial for Galveston I know. 00:24:43:04 - 00:24:45:13 Speaker 2 What's your tagline earlier? 00:24:45:15 - 00:24:46:09 Speaker 1 The island of. 00:24:46:09 - 00:24:46:23 Speaker 3 Opportunity. 00:24:46:23 - 00:24:48:04 Speaker 2 Island of opportunity. 00:24:48:04 - 00:24:48:18 Speaker 1 Yeah, man. 00:24:48:19 - 00:24:50:23 Speaker 3 Yeah. So speaking of. 00:24:50:23 - 00:24:55:05 Speaker 2 Which, but it's not that great. No one else needs to move down there. No. We're good, we're solid. 00:24:55:05 - 00:25:02:14 Speaker 3 My wife, she pretends like she's pushing the handle down on TNT when we cross the bridge, blowing it up. No one else can come on us. 00:25:02:18 - 00:25:04:03 Speaker 2 Just us, just us. 00:25:04:03 - 00:25:07:05 Speaker 3 So, speaking of that, who are who's your clientele? 00:25:07:06 - 00:25:27:07 Speaker 2 So most of my clientele. Well, okay, let me say this. It used to be it went through a big surge during Covid of a lot of Airbnb people who plan to use the house for themselves, but understood they weren't going to be there that often and wanted to rent it out. I don't those are not my clients anymore. 00:25:27:10 - 00:25:58:09 Speaker 2 I don't take them on because they for them, the investment is too high to actually build it and design it to what I want it to be. And I don't see that as a benefit for the island. Because I do actually care about these houses making it through a big storm. I care about them when they're in frame stage, making it through a small storm, because I have had houses fall down during framing that went with a builder that I didn't recommend. 00:25:58:11 - 00:26:27:18 Speaker 2 Yeah, went with a builder that I actually very much said do not use. And I and I watched all of that lumber go to waste and that hurts my heart. Right. That really does. So now most of my clients are either people who they want a second home, but they plan on using it quite a bit. And they do, this is their retirement home or doing people who already live there and doing, additions, renovations to their houses or building a new house, they're going to move things like that. 00:26:27:20 - 00:26:35:04 Speaker 2 And I really that's what I want, because I want a house that I designed to get used, and I want to know the people who are going to use it. Right. 00:26:35:08 - 00:27:02:16 Speaker 3 I feel like a lot of the clients that we've seen from Kate recently, especially those of that have existing structures, I feel like they're almost gifting the structure now. Hey little House, you've done us really well and we want to make you pretty now. Yeah, right. And those are so cool. Yeah, because we get to the not always we need to give you the most square footage, but we need to to give you all the things that you've not had for a long time. 00:27:02:16 - 00:27:21:06 Speaker 3 And we get to finally go into some of these existing structures, and we do these infrastructure points that have always been ignored. Right. I get to do envelope stuff and really all new electrical and all new plumbing and all new mechanicals and think through how is being utilized. And some of those are graduating to full time residences. 00:27:21:07 - 00:27:21:21 Speaker 2 Exactly. 00:27:22:03 - 00:27:40:06 Speaker 3 And those are really cool. You have that one really cool low slope kind of late 61. I'm so, so excited for that. We're we're pushing out the back. Yeah. Getting closer to the water than they ever have been before. Right. And doing all these bits and pieces. Although sometimes I feel like I disappoint because they're all excited about all these pretty things. 00:27:40:06 - 00:27:44:21 Speaker 3 I'm like, well, but I actually see the things that, you know, were there. So let's let's go through it. 00:27:44:22 - 00:28:06:18 Speaker 2 Well, and that's I say, now whenever I get an additional renovation, I let them know, like toner is like a must, not a maybe, for new construction. I still really push them towards him, but if they decide that it's not where they're going to go, I'm not just going to completely walk, but I just won't do an addition renovation without bringing in his knowledge. 00:28:06:18 - 00:28:29:20 Speaker 2 Because especially for the homes like the little 60s ones where people are going to retire, they're like, guys, I mold mildew. This is here, this is so this is this could be very bad for your health. You know, if this is going to be your full time residence and this is where you want to retire and live, I just can't in good consciousness say this is going to work out for you if you don't use someone. 00:28:30:00 - 00:28:50:18 Speaker 2 Because on my own home, which don't, Turner gave me flack for for not bringing him in. But to my defense, I was like pregnant in the middle of doing this. But I haven't, like a 1910 cottage and we did in addition to it, before my second child was born, right before my second child was born. Didn't complete it till after my second child was born. 00:28:50:18 - 00:29:10:05 Speaker 2 Right. And, it was a very small detail that got missed. Yeah. That made a really bad mistake in my home. And luckily it wasn't in a huge part, but in a little hallway. I had mold coming down the like from the ceiling, through the walls and from the attic. 00:29:10:06 - 00:29:10:19 Speaker 3 Yeah. 00:29:10:21 - 00:29:30:13 Speaker 2 And I, I think I'm good, you know, I think I'm good. I think I'm a good architect. I think I'm knowledgeable about this stuff. I was, you know, I was pregnant. I was in the middle of doing a bunch, but I fully missed a very obvious ventilation issue that I think a lot of people would have missed, though, is the problem. 00:29:30:18 - 00:29:53:08 Speaker 2 It's obvious once toner says it, but prior to him saying it, it might not be that obvious. And you know, I had kids around with small children and that freaked me out, right? I immediately got it right, made remedied. And, you know, he put me in touch with people I needed to use. But I think about, you know, people who are who are older, you know, and are planning on retiring. 00:29:53:10 - 00:30:04:02 Speaker 2 And the last thing I want for them is to be inhaling mold. You know, just having that be like a part of what's happening in their new hot new home. 00:30:04:04 - 00:30:08:15 Speaker 1 I think people think, oh, you know, beach houses always smell musty. It's okay. 00:30:08:17 - 00:30:10:14 Speaker 2 You know? Okay. My friend is not. 00:30:10:15 - 00:30:11:02 Speaker 3 Supposed. 00:30:11:02 - 00:30:33:09 Speaker 2 To smell musty, you know, like, that is not. And you're right. Especially because, I think it's some of the 70s, 80s, even like early 90s, homes where they enclosed the ground floor for part of it. Oh my gosh. Because you can only have a certain amount of enclosure on that ground floor, right? 209ft² for a lot of the zones. 00:30:33:09 - 00:30:43:09 Speaker 2 And that's not even necessarily a conditioned. That's just means it's not, like fully open walls. Right. And then after construction, they go back. 00:30:43:09 - 00:30:46:08 Speaker 1 People do lots of stuff after that final inspection. 00:30:46:08 - 00:31:04:05 Speaker 2 Outside apartment and Galveston, Galveston starting to crack down on that, though. It really is. And I think because there's a reason, there is a reason for those rules. Right. And, you know, that goes into the safety of the structure, etc., etc. but people in close those what then that then affects the rest of their house a lot of times. 00:31:04:05 - 00:31:08:07 Speaker 2 Right. Because it's opening up into the rest of the home. Yeah. And it's just a real. 00:31:08:13 - 00:31:22:09 Speaker 3 It is super difficult to fix afterwards. And that whole I mean, it's when I have one elevator shaft that bridges from the ground floor all the way up to the third floor. And that elevator shaft wall is a breakaway wall. Can you define what a breakaway wall for one is? 00:31:22:14 - 00:31:41:17 Speaker 2 Yeah. So a breakaway wall is when it's not actually connected to the structure like so if massive if if you're in a V zone which is like velocity, if the velocity of the rain of the sorry. If the velocity of a wave from a big storm comes through, that wall will break away from the structure versus pulling on the structure. 00:31:41:17 - 00:31:53:07 Speaker 2 So it is not. I mean, it's basically like tacked in there versus being fully structurally connected to the pilings, to the foundation like foundation, actual slab. The way I think about it, it is a sacrificial wall. 00:31:53:09 - 00:32:14:16 Speaker 3 It is. So, yeah. Which is I'm glad we're saying that because it is it it is calling it a lick and stick wall at the most. Yeah. And that is delicious wall assembly in an area under a house on the ground floor where it's tunnel, it's bridge effect. The velocity of the air increases due to the constrained pressure from the ground and the floor above. 00:32:14:21 - 00:32:40:23 Speaker 3 So as the velocity increases and increases the wind load and the humidity percentage, and then additionally, because we're on the island on the island, it's a salt laden humidity. Yes. Which is different because as it starts to collect in the materials, it turns into a desiccant dehumidifier. So as the wood and the sheetrock and the sailor's material, even the concrete starts to resolve that salt, it starts attracting its own moisture. 00:32:41:03 - 00:33:03:21 Speaker 3 When we don't have winter and moisture, it's like the worst effect ever. So yeah, all that comes in and it wants to get to lower pressure. It wants to get dry and it wants to get cool. And that's right above it. So it's like a Roman candle of heat and moisture and nastiest straight upstairs. And then it just explodes out into the house. 00:33:03:23 - 00:33:20:15 Speaker 3 And at the elevator shaft on the first floor is so prevalent because going up and down those four storeys technically is difficult. So we're working to I know how to resolve that, but architecturally it doesn't look good. 00:33:20:17 - 00:33:24:13 Speaker 2 Yeah, I don't, but this is where I don't stand for toner. I'm not putting a left on the house. 00:33:24:13 - 00:33:29:01 Speaker 3 So it's so and I want like an elevator shaft on the outside in the in. But if. 00:33:29:01 - 00:33:29:16 Speaker 2 I'm sorry. 00:33:29:16 - 00:33:41:06 Speaker 3 If we don't start getting into it. Right. Like, how do we make this work better. So I am working. I'm trying to go to the city and get an exclusive for the elevator shaft walls. 00:33:41:09 - 00:33:43:14 Speaker 2 Right. Which is something I still need to, like, look into. 00:33:43:16 - 00:33:47:10 Speaker 3 Yeah, we need to, because this is a lighthouse safety standard. 00:33:47:11 - 00:33:48:06 Speaker 2 Right. 00:33:48:07 - 00:34:01:15 Speaker 3 And so and we've done this in other coastal communities where they give us technically, I think it's 12ft of 12 linear feet of walls, which is technically about an elevator shaft. 00:34:01:15 - 00:34:03:20 Speaker 2 Yeah. Because in order to have just like 35ft². 00:34:03:20 - 00:34:13:20 Speaker 3 Yeah. So all I need is that and they don't count the door. So all I need is I'm to ask them. I'm going to ask for 15. Let's try to get a little bit of wiggle room. All right. So. 00:34:13:22 - 00:34:35:01 Speaker 2 And it's so I know an elevator. I mean, people sometimes clients are like, oh, my God, I don't need an elevator. And it sounds like this real like or bougie indulgent thing, like what happens when you sprain your ankle running and then you have your first floor is minimum 15ft in the air. You walk up the stairs, you know, hobble up. 00:34:35:03 - 00:34:53:16 Speaker 2 Okay. Yeah. You know, what about with groceries. And so even when it is a price constraint, which I very much understand, but if a client is pretty set on not doing an elevator, I say, okay, well we're doing a shaft. Yep. We're still having the shaft. We're going to have it engineered for that. It'll be in the concrete below. 00:34:53:16 - 00:35:06:09 Speaker 2 You'll have your pair will be able to cut out, you know, in the floor if you need to add it in because it just you can't not be prepared for that. It's unfortunate. But if you're going to live on the island and you're going to live on one of these raised homes, you got to be prepared for that. 00:35:06:10 - 00:35:17:00 Speaker 1 They're not that expensive, though. I mean, I got a boat for a base elevator in the 30 to 50 range. When you're spending a good amount of money, building a house is not that high a percentage of your budget. 00:35:17:00 - 00:35:27:10 Speaker 2 It's not that high. I think it's for younger people. It's a very hard like pill to swallow, though, you know, for when I say younger, I mean like 40s. Well, for the young folks. 00:35:27:11 - 00:35:28:05 Speaker 1 We're young. 00:35:28:07 - 00:35:28:21 Speaker 2 In, 00:35:28:23 - 00:35:30:21 Speaker 3 They're going to have guests, right? It's not just them. 00:35:30:22 - 00:35:50:13 Speaker 2 It's not just them. And that's what I tell them, too. I'm like, what about when your grandmother visit, you know, like this is people who haven't lived in that yet. And I mean, my house, I'm in a very high part of the island, you know, I'm in like a raised cottage, but it's only 2.5ft above ground. But I walk these houses all the time, right? 00:35:50:13 - 00:36:00:23 Speaker 2 And. Oh, my God, when I like. I was pregnant with my first, kid. It's all about pregnancy. When I was pregnant with my first kid that I was, I had a house on sportsman. And it was. 00:36:00:23 - 00:36:01:16 Speaker 3 You did? 00:36:01:16 - 00:36:13:05 Speaker 2 Yes. It was a tiny little. It was. It was a tiny little house. It was because they were replacing a it's you know, Galveston used to just it was like bait camps, right. It was not especially sportsman. Yeah. Especially sports fish. 00:36:13:05 - 00:36:14:09 Speaker 3 Camp in that. Oh yeah. 00:36:14:11 - 00:36:30:19 Speaker 2 So it's a little bit camp and they lost it and Ike and they were finally replacing it. And it was maybe a 1000ft². I think it was a little bit less 20ft. It was 20ft in there to the finish floor. 20ft are actually that might have been to the bottom of that stringer. So like 22ft. 00:36:30:19 - 00:36:32:04 Speaker 3 You were prego going up and down. 00:36:32:04 - 00:36:51:14 Speaker 2 Oh my God I was so pregnant. It was like it was like the end of my pregnancy. And it was a straight run. I mean, there's a landing, but it's just a, you know, straight run, single landing. And I was like, okay, all right. And it was being completed and it was the winter. So, so windy. Walking up that. 00:36:51:14 - 00:36:57:23 Speaker 3 You lived on what? I believe there are three of the most difficult streets in the entire state of Texas. 00:36:57:23 - 00:36:59:23 Speaker 2 Oh, sportsman. Sportsman 100%. 00:36:59:23 - 00:37:13:04 Speaker 3 Teichmann. Yep. And Christmas tree. I gosh, yes, Christmas tree. Point drive. Let's just make sure we get as many names on the tree. Christmas tree Point Drive is of course, some of the most beautiful real estate on the island. 00:37:13:04 - 00:37:13:23 Speaker 2 Yes. 00:37:14:01 - 00:37:20:12 Speaker 3 Very, very complicated structures were built there. Yes. Oh, and since the late 70s, on and off. 00:37:20:13 - 00:37:25:03 Speaker 2 So that's where like, that was the beauty. Oh, you got to get to Christmas like, oh you have a house on Christmas. 00:37:25:03 - 00:37:29:23 Speaker 3 Tree, which is such a goofy island street name. Like, why do you on the island, you have a Christmas tree. 00:37:30:01 - 00:37:37:15 Speaker 2 There's a curtain. You're right next to it. It was a very interesting naming of streets. It's like. And now we go, you know. 00:37:37:17 - 00:37:46:18 Speaker 3 Yeah, I think if there's, I think there's 28 houses on Christmas Tree, Maine. I've been to 17 of them for massive forensic. 00:37:46:18 - 00:37:47:16 Speaker 2 Wow. 00:37:47:17 - 00:37:48:21 Speaker 3 Right. Just kind of. 00:37:49:03 - 00:38:14:11 Speaker 2 But that's so that that's a good part of that is that we kind of said this with it used to just be like bait camps. Fish camps. I mean, when people don't understand why it's more difficult now or they don't. And I if I try to explain why I would like them to talk to toner like this isn't this isn't the same as your grandfather's house that was here, you know, at all. 00:38:14:17 - 00:38:22:14 Speaker 2 And we did have, you know, and they're like, well, if you have like Victorian homes, I'm like, we do. And those things are. 00:38:22:16 - 00:38:23:15 Speaker 3 Not awesome either. 00:38:23:15 - 00:38:42:02 Speaker 2 Yeah, there's a lot of work that goes into it. Do you want all that work? Just trying to keep the mold out, you know? And if you look at, I'm sorry, I'm going like two different places here. Okay. So it used to be all the West End was these tiny little just little house, just tiny little houses, you know, and even when the Mitchells. 00:38:42:02 - 00:38:49:06 Speaker 2 Because the Mitchell family is who, developed pirates, which was kind of the first like higher end it was. 00:38:49:06 - 00:38:50:17 Speaker 3 Yeah. 00:38:50:19 - 00:39:12:01 Speaker 2 Community. I am not a Galveston in history. I'm not a Galveston historian or an architectural historian. So I just have to preface that before I say this. But this is my general knowledge. So, you know, the Mitchell House in Pirates Beach, the first house in Pirates Beach is still there. It's from the 60s. I did I actually worked on some renovation work for that house, when I first lived on the island with a previous employer. 00:39:12:06 - 00:39:33:00 Speaker 2 It's small, even that is still small. It's a really cool mid-century piece of architecture. It is so small compared to what people want now. People aren't just trying to. Some of them. It's because they want to have it be an Airbnb. And so they're trying to fit max amount of people in there, you know, and then some of it is because it is going to be their full time residence and they want a beach house. 00:39:33:00 - 00:39:57:12 Speaker 2 They see that as a possibility because more things have been developed and there's utilities and there's all that there. And so all of that is there. And they want this to be where they retire and they want something nicer. They don't just want it to be the fish camp. So understanding that our environment though, when you get bigger, combined with the regulations for energy that have changed since those houses were initially. 00:39:57:12 - 00:40:14:11 Speaker 2 But I mean, it's huge, right? It's so different. The other thing I was going to say is when people do mention like, well, Galveston has been, you know, you have all of these historic buildings, blah, blah, blah. And like the mansions on Broadway, I'm like, well, those are now run by nonprofits, and they're in a constant state. 00:40:14:11 - 00:40:14:21 Speaker 3 Of repair. 00:40:15:00 - 00:40:18:05 Speaker 2 Of repair and care, and they all smell musty. Yep. 00:40:18:07 - 00:40:31:22 Speaker 3 It is. I like to explain to people that owning a house on the island is your technically ownership rack. You don't own a house. It is a wooden structure stuck on the beach, and you're either going to constantly repair it or the ocean will reclaim. 00:40:31:22 - 00:40:33:02 Speaker 2 It will reclaim? 00:40:33:02 - 00:40:58:21 Speaker 3 Yes. And I have a drawer in my house. I have tools under the home, and I have a tool drawer because I'm constantly having to adjust things and change things. And, it is a way. But if you live all the way over in Point West, you need to also have a tool drawer in there, because, you know, the I'll give a great example, the touchpad keys that go deadbolts you better stock up on nine volt batteries. 00:40:58:21 - 00:41:20:18 Speaker 3 Yeah, because you will be changing those things out every 45 days. Yep. And then as our envelopes have become so tight, including full glass doors, we're going to have full glass doors on the beach. Absolutely. There's no way someone's going to look out the back and have a wooden door there. So a full glass door is actually tighter than a solid wood door because it meets the NFC standards. 00:41:20:18 - 00:41:43:22 Speaker 3 Wooden doors are not tested. That standard for glass doors are. So all of the air in moisture that is being negated focuses at the lock set, and it rusts apart so fast, so I have one on my southern door, and I have eight of those lock sets in boxes in my kitchen cabinets, and I change them out twice a year. 00:41:44:00 - 00:41:45:22 Speaker 3 Yeah, because they just fall apart. 00:41:46:00 - 00:41:55:05 Speaker 2 I mean, I'm two blocks off of the beach. I'm like Earth three blocks. I get off the seawall breaker. Now I'm behind this spot. It is not. 00:41:55:05 - 00:41:56:06 Speaker 3 But you're all behind this. 00:41:56:06 - 00:42:13:07 Speaker 2 But it's not not to tell people where I live. But yes, it's not bragging. It felt like a good. I felt like a good choice. Ten years ago. Anyways, when we did the addition renovation, I put, like one of the, you know, code locks, whatever. And it's so it's on a north. It's on the north. What's the back of the house? 00:42:13:07 - 00:42:17:10 Speaker 2 Because I face south and yeah, I don't know how long it lasted. I think maybe four months. 00:42:17:11 - 00:42:18:23 Speaker 1 I mean, those have issues in Houston. 00:42:18:23 - 00:42:19:13 Speaker 2 Exactly. 00:42:19:14 - 00:42:20:12 Speaker 1 Going back, I know I. 00:42:20:12 - 00:42:21:22 Speaker 2 Can't imagine oh. 00:42:22:00 - 00:42:22:19 Speaker 1 Short ass. 00:42:22:22 - 00:42:30:02 Speaker 3 Down there. Every time I go to the back door, I'm like, I don't know if I gonna even get into my own house. I know, I know, and it just rusts apart. 00:42:30:02 - 00:42:47:23 Speaker 2 When people want. People always want fans. They have this vision. There's a vision and this minds the vision. And I understand that vision. I get that vision. You do not get to have a fan on your deck when you are front row on the beach. No stone. Like toner said, the earth will reclaim it from you. 00:42:48:00 - 00:42:49:02 Speaker 3 Yeah, I. 00:42:49:04 - 00:42:50:09 Speaker 1 I give you back to the sea. 00:42:50:10 - 00:42:51:17 Speaker 2 I give you back to the day. 00:42:51:20 - 00:43:01:04 Speaker 3 Every every coach. Light that you think that's hanging, coach light that you're not going to have to get up there and change out that rusty that rusty chain every single. 00:43:01:04 - 00:43:01:19 Speaker 2 Oh are just. 00:43:01:19 - 00:43:03:12 Speaker 1 Anything but it's outdoor rated toner. 00:43:03:12 - 00:43:16:08 Speaker 2 It's hard to read it saturated. Just anything hanging too. Like actually from a string. I'm like, let's put some stability in that. Let's get that a little bit more rigid. We have wind. We have lots of wind. Yes. 00:43:16:09 - 00:43:18:15 Speaker 1 Pendulum swinging and banging against the house. 00:43:18:15 - 00:43:25:09 Speaker 2 And it's standard. I don't mean this isn't standard in Houston, but standard down there is like out swing doors for your exterior doors. 00:43:25:09 - 00:43:31:11 Speaker 3 Which is crazy that that gets missed all the time. I don't all of the time. 00:43:31:15 - 00:43:32:02 Speaker 2 Now. 00:43:32:04 - 00:43:34:17 Speaker 3 You guys, and you're saying why we want to swing to the outside, right? Yeah. 00:43:34:17 - 00:43:36:23 Speaker 1 So when wind blows it, blow it in the house. 00:43:36:23 - 00:43:44:13 Speaker 3 But it is it is ridiculous how many times I walk into structures forensically. And that is not the case. 00:43:44:13 - 00:43:45:18 Speaker 2 Yeah. 00:43:45:20 - 00:43:53:06 Speaker 3 Yeah. It's been like that since, I mean, my, my 1891 home has out swing doors. 00:43:53:06 - 00:43:54:08 Speaker 2 Mine doesn't. 00:43:54:10 - 00:43:54:19 Speaker 3 Really. 00:43:54:22 - 00:43:59:02 Speaker 2 Yeah, well but who knows. I mean things have been changed. Yeah. So it could have. 00:43:59:02 - 00:44:00:22 Speaker 3 It's annoying. Like. Yeah, of. 00:44:00:22 - 00:44:01:20 Speaker 2 Course it's annoying. 00:44:01:21 - 00:44:05:03 Speaker 3 Like when I open the front door for someone, it's like, hello? 00:44:05:05 - 00:44:06:00 Speaker 2 Yeah, I know, right. 00:44:06:00 - 00:44:07:03 Speaker 3 At your face. 00:44:07:05 - 00:44:27:00 Speaker 2 I mean, I mean, it's a, you know, most people expect obviously to, like, open the door into your home, but they need to be out swing for obvious reasons. Right. For us, it's obvious, but, yeah, you want the wind to be blowing it shut, not into the home. Because as soon as that wind comes in, you get the uplift, roof comes off, etc. all of that stuff in a great storm. 00:44:27:00 - 00:44:32:22 Speaker 3 And then you have your clients that believe they're going to open their doors and windows when it's awesome out. 00:44:33:00 - 00:44:33:21 Speaker 2 Yeah. 00:44:33:23 - 00:44:34:09 Speaker 3 No one. 00:44:34:11 - 00:44:35:03 Speaker 2 No one's doing. 00:44:35:03 - 00:44:42:07 Speaker 3 It, no one's doing it. And if they do, first thing that happens is every cold surface on your marble and countertop condensed. 00:44:42:07 - 00:44:43:22 Speaker 2 Yeah. Water immediately. 00:44:43:22 - 00:45:02:07 Speaker 3 Immediately. And then I go into Neath. I can tell when people do this a lot because they're stainless steel sinks drip under the sink. Oh in the cabinet. Yeah. So and you can see and I look up and I can see the condensation marks on the underside of a stainless steel sink. And I'm like, do you guys leave your doors open all the time. 00:45:02:09 - 00:45:15:02 Speaker 3 Well yeah. But how do you know that was like because you have rust under your stainless steel sink and there's no stainless steel. We've had this. You and I have this conversation all the time that there's no I mean, what's surgical grade? You know, what does that what. 00:45:15:02 - 00:45:15:18 Speaker 1 Does that mean? 00:45:15:20 - 00:45:18:13 Speaker 3 Like that's nothing. So. Yeah. 00:45:18:15 - 00:45:21:22 Speaker 1 Did the surgeons do surgery outside on the on the deck of the house? 00:45:21:22 - 00:45:23:05 Speaker 2 Yes. Yeah. 00:45:23:07 - 00:45:24:21 Speaker 3 So it's it's. 00:45:24:23 - 00:45:39:06 Speaker 2 Hard to understand the salt air if you're not in it. I mean, people, because in Houston you also think like, oh, it's salt. It's. No, it is a whole new level. I mean, when you're so close to the salt air, it. 00:45:39:08 - 00:45:59:03 Speaker 3 It's it's debilitating. They believe in, like, in a garage. They think, okay, well, I'm going to put my car in a garage and that'll keep it clean. No, it makes it worse because the air that gets into the garage, which none of these assemblies can manage, you know, 31 mile an hour air. It's just going to stir in there and it's going to settle in is so heavy and so dank. 00:45:59:09 - 00:46:12:18 Speaker 3 That's why you literally see garage door openers with buckets, plastic buckets put around them because they're trying to not replace your garage door opener every year. Yeah, right. And that's I mean I've replaced mine 30 times. 00:46:12:21 - 00:46:24:19 Speaker 2 There's just there's nothing if you I mean the amount of this is just it's not all about children in my life, but the amount of strollers. Oh that I've gone through, like bob strollers that are stainless steel. 00:46:24:20 - 00:46:26:08 Speaker 3 We can talk about bikes and. 00:46:26:08 - 00:46:32:03 Speaker 2 Oh, yeah, and bikes, I mean everything it's, you know, and they're kept. I keep them indoors. 00:46:32:05 - 00:46:48:06 Speaker 3 I went to a steal a 1982 steel track so that I can actually use a blade and scrape and file off the rust. So that's actually that quality of steel. Yeah. There's no paint left on it. It looks horrible, but it's at least it's not completely. 00:46:48:06 - 00:46:49:02 Speaker 2 But it's not completely. Yeah, I. 00:46:49:02 - 00:46:57:09 Speaker 3 Can fix it. I can actually fix it. Yeah. So so your clients are now how often do you get someone from. That's not a Houstonian? 00:46:57:11 - 00:46:58:01 Speaker 2 A lot. 00:46:58:06 - 00:46:58:19 Speaker 3 Really? 00:46:58:19 - 00:46:59:19 Speaker 2 Yeah. 00:46:59:21 - 00:47:02:10 Speaker 3 How do they know about the island? Like, what's the deal? 00:47:02:12 - 00:47:04:21 Speaker 2 What do you mean? No, they know about, like, do they? 00:47:04:23 - 00:47:20:13 Speaker 3 Because, like, when I go to Dallas and I'm from Dallas and I have a twin brother, and I remember when I told them that we've got our first place in the. And he's like, the water. So brown there, I'm like, oh, really? So how's the beach in Dallas? Right. It's nice. Brown water is a whole lot better than you're nothing. 00:47:20:14 - 00:47:20:22 Speaker 3 Well, also. 00:47:20:22 - 00:47:39:13 Speaker 2 People don't understand it. And this is not for everyone to know. But but actually when you get past the seawall, it's blue. It's. There's a reason it's called the Blue Water Highway because you're past like the places of the jetties and the way the winds are moving, it's actually always it might be like gray. It's not brown though. 00:47:39:13 - 00:47:47:17 Speaker 2 No. So, yeah, these people building these homes down there, I mean, they're getting their little slice. No, but I get people from. Did you just ask me where I get people from, or did you ask. 00:47:47:17 - 00:47:50:05 Speaker 3 I asked you where your clients came from. 00:47:50:05 - 00:47:55:14 Speaker 2 But it's a lot of Houstonians. But it's actually I do get a decent amount from Dallas. Okay. And around there. 00:47:55:14 - 00:48:03:23 Speaker 3 Yeah, I guess we do. We have one from Dallas right now. Yeah. Yeah. Who actually happens to live on the same street as my twin brother. Like they bumped into each other. 00:48:04:01 - 00:48:06:19 Speaker 2 Yeah. Well, they're actually from Houston. Well, that's my client, right? 00:48:06:20 - 00:48:08:06 Speaker 3 His dad is on this. Yes. 00:48:08:06 - 00:48:09:00 Speaker 2 Yes. Yeah, yeah. 00:48:09:00 - 00:48:27:09 Speaker 3 That's right. Small world right there. Yes. But what about the deep island? Like when we're talking about the master plan communities all the way at the end where they have architectural boards to those architectural boards, are they seeing the challenges that you see or are they still kind of pedestrian? And I know you're not I'm not talking about any particular neighborhoods. 00:48:27:10 - 00:48:30:05 Speaker 3 I'm trying to get you in trouble. Yeah, but I feel like. 00:48:30:07 - 00:48:30:15 Speaker 2 About my. 00:48:30:15 - 00:48:36:07 Speaker 3 Tongue, I feel like the neighborhoods could do more to support the proper type of build. 00:48:36:12 - 00:48:59:04 Speaker 2 They're really, some of it, it I mean, it it it's just the architectural boards. I'm thinking of one in particular, but they don't have an architect on there. They don't have anyone with architecture background. It's like an HOA, but it is an architectural review board. And then they have an HOA separately. And it's it's one of the communities that is kind of booming the most right now. 00:48:59:06 - 00:49:20:13 Speaker 2 And they're focusing on the design elements, but not necessarily the quality of the build. But I don't know that it's for them like you would need to you would actually oops. You would actually need to have someone with more experience. I mean, what I think other another community does is they actually have an architect who reviews plans and looks at all of this. 00:49:20:13 - 00:49:36:07 Speaker 2 And to me, I'm like, if you're gonna do it, do it. You know, do it, right? I know it. Like I was very briefly a town architect for a community. And then I stepped out. It was it was a nutty community. I was like, oh, no, this is a you can't possibly pay me enough to do this. 00:49:36:11 - 00:49:55:09 Speaker 2 So I get that it can be quite an arduous job, but I think it is really important. I mean, you can't just just because someone has lived in a home does not mean that they should be expected to fully understand plans and construction details and all of that. 00:49:55:09 - 00:49:59:10 Speaker 1 It's usually like the retired guy who doesn't have anything else to do. He's like, oh, I'll do that for you. 00:49:59:12 - 00:50:01:00 Speaker 2 Absolutely. 00:50:01:01 - 00:50:01:18 Speaker 3 Yeah. 00:50:01:19 - 00:50:03:07 Speaker 2 That's exactly what it is. 00:50:03:07 - 00:50:15:04 Speaker 1 But the best communities will charge a a, I say the best communities, many good communities will will charge a architectural review fee, and then they'll outsource that to an architect or a firm to do it for them. 00:50:15:04 - 00:50:20:15 Speaker 2 Except this one that I speak of charges, all of those fees, but I don't know where they go. I don't. 00:50:20:15 - 00:50:21:06 Speaker 3 Know either. 00:50:21:10 - 00:50:24:06 Speaker 2 Because it's a volunteer board. I mean, goes to the community. 00:50:24:08 - 00:50:36:03 Speaker 3 Yeah. They don't have any. They don't have any teeth either when it comes to changing things. They they serve, but they didn't create the standards. So they're almost a servant to the standards which needed to be modified. It's just a. 00:50:36:05 - 00:51:02:00 Speaker 2 Yeah, it can be a really that can be really tricky because sometimes common sense gets lost in it. Right? Because it's really just understanding it from this point of like, well, the guidelines say you're like, this is true. The guidelines do say that. And this is another interpretation of them that serves this better. Right. It's like you can take that out and now you know you have a worse product. 00:51:02:00 - 00:51:09:06 Speaker 2 So what's better right. What do we want to do. Yeah I mean to not set I just can't say to get myself in trouble. 00:51:09:07 - 00:51:22:22 Speaker 1 So let's good to get back to, to type building performance. What what are your what are your biggest forensic issues that you come across specifically speaking about new construction on the island. What what do you encounter the most? Owner. 00:51:22:22 - 00:51:40:09 Speaker 3 Sure. So we've had, there is nothing in the code that manages water vapor. Nothing currently for any house in the state of Texas. And that is my chief dynamic that I'm trying to manage through because we design for resiliency, not sustainability, not energy efficiency. If we have a resilient home, we have an energy efficient home. We have a sustainable home. 00:51:40:09 - 00:52:05:11 Speaker 3 That's a byproduct. So but that wall assembly is challenging on the island because of windstorm. So there's parts and pieces that I want to apply. Change the windstorm code or application of the code. The good thing is in the state of Texas, if we have an engineer signs off on it, we're pretty good to go. So then we get to the next stage, which is I had to meet with these engineers and tell them their business, which is always fun, right? 00:52:05:11 - 00:52:30:21 Speaker 3 To sit down and go, hey, you do understand that you affect the performance of the zone beyond structural capabilities? And we've been working on this. We there was a time, probably four years ago that internally we said, we're just going to stop doing new construction on the island because we couldn't get any traction with the right architect, the right engineer, with the city, with the builders. 00:52:30:23 - 00:52:58:15 Speaker 3 Nothing. And in island style, it all kind of came together organically, right? You can't force this island to do anything. Nature will prevail. And I think perfect nature prevailed here and got us into. We have a good little team going now of cognizant folks. And a lot of that has to do with Kate because the well, the architect is, is the Sherpa, right. 00:52:58:15 - 00:53:22:19 Speaker 3 Like she is she's educating. It's a little Dalai Lama. It's a little I carry your stuff for you and I take you up this mountain. And we were. We were almost negated at that level. So when Kate came on and then we had some builders who, who have come back around and some of them were like, hey, I would do anything you tell me to do, but I just, I don't want to lose jobs over it. 00:53:22:20 - 00:53:25:10 Speaker 3 Right, right. And that was the economics of the situation. 00:53:25:10 - 00:53:26:01 Speaker 2 Yeah. 00:53:26:03 - 00:53:48:15 Speaker 3 And so that's there now. So I can modify these envelopes and it's amazing. I was in a structure walking it. And we did all of our envelope build the exact way I want to do it. And this white f250 which you know, that means it's a, it's a builder. Because pulling up. Right. And he gets out and he's and and I drive a very particular vehicle. 00:53:48:15 - 00:54:01:12 Speaker 3 So he kind of knew that it was it was me. He's like, I heard about you and I don't know how you get this past the city. I'm like, what do you mean get it past the city? I walk over to the green tag. It's like we're past the city. I was like, what? What part of Pass the City? 00:54:01:17 - 00:54:30:17 Speaker 3 He's like, they want to prove this. Like, well, they approved. Approved it like three times at this point. And he's like, what doesn't get through wisdom like it does get through windstorm. He goes, my engineer won't do it is like, yeah, because you're engineer sucks. I've met him. He's not cool. That's why you're here, right? I was like, so we once we're past that and I can manage this, this air vapor bulk moisture pressure differential and thermal differential in one plane. 00:54:30:19 - 00:54:50:16 Speaker 3 Cognizant Lee with the fewest amount of steps possible because it is the island, right? I love our folks down there, but it's still island time. So we're moving through this so the easier I can make it for everyone, the more likely it will succeed. Now we have those parts and pieces in place and we actually have other alternatives. 00:54:50:16 - 00:55:10:20 Speaker 3 Now we have ICF finally fixed like that was just a wreck because the way it was distributed and sold and applied and it was like a homebrew like, remember there's a guy on a villa who made ICF House. It's like three years that he was right next to Park. And we didn't know that house. And there was an ICF church. 00:55:10:20 - 00:55:13:15 Speaker 3 They finally tore down. They did finally towards that town. 00:55:13:15 - 00:55:15:00 Speaker 2 Yes. Sad. 00:55:15:02 - 00:55:35:21 Speaker 3 That was sad for that whole congregation. They lost a ton, but that lot sold for anyways. Yeah. So small town conversation. Once I have that envelope under under control, then everything else can respond to it. And before we did this, the AC guy thought he was the king. He thought he made it rain down there. 00:55:35:21 - 00:55:36:19 Speaker 2 But he because he literally. 00:55:37:00 - 00:55:37:17 Speaker 3 He literally had. 00:55:37:17 - 00:55:38:19 Speaker 1 The AC guy can make. 00:55:38:21 - 00:55:42:03 Speaker 2 Such a bad joke. I'm sorry to all of the good AC chants out there. 00:55:42:05 - 00:55:42:16 Speaker 1 Yeah, I. 00:55:42:17 - 00:55:43:07 Speaker 2 Mean that. 00:55:43:10 - 00:56:09:11 Speaker 3 But AC is so reactionary. It is not a proactive tool. So we were trying to to overburden this. The, the next thing that we had to do on new construction is, show that these parts and pieces are not as costly as we would think they would be. And that comes to, efficiency of scale. Right? 00:56:09:12 - 00:56:32:13 Speaker 3 Right. This time next year, I could compare the cost of those applications to what it was two years ago, and it's going to be dramatically less. Yeah. Because that green M kind of goes away, that newness. And then the more we work with this, the more you can implement in the to cognizant design. Right. And that's really where our our savings are when everything is known at the beginning. 00:56:32:13 - 00:56:54:11 Speaker 3 It's all in front of you now. Right. You get to build that puzzle. And we don't have to try to put a piece in later on. Right. And that was really the biggest missing piece. And I mean, I would say there's eight active architects residentially on Galveston Island, maybe two under. Understand this. 00:56:54:11 - 00:56:57:03 Speaker 2 Are there eight active residential? 00:56:57:06 - 00:57:10:11 Speaker 3 Yeah, but some of them only do like 1 or 2. And I'm counting Tiki in that. Oh, okay. And I'm counting Bayou Vista. Okay, okay. Stuff like that. Right. So more than just the island, I know you're you don't go to Bayou Visa. I understand, Katy, so I. 00:57:10:11 - 00:57:10:22 Speaker 2 Have to say. 00:57:10:22 - 00:57:12:10 Speaker 1 Oh, you just. 00:57:12:12 - 00:57:13:00 Speaker 3 The other side of. 00:57:13:00 - 00:57:23:15 Speaker 2 The bridge. I work in Tiki, but it's true. I would rather drive 35 minutes to point west than go over the causeway. And only 20 minutes to Tiki. I don't know why I do a lot of work in Tiki though I do. 00:57:23:15 - 00:57:26:06 Speaker 3 I go somatic I it is, you know. 00:57:26:08 - 00:57:37:18 Speaker 2 I have like multiple new additions renovations that you'll be hearing from soon and Tiki and it's like, all right guys, I think you're going to have to measure them all in one day. Belts. You just want to go there once. 00:57:37:20 - 00:57:38:04 Speaker 3 What is. 00:57:38:07 - 00:57:39:22 Speaker 1 So, so far. 00:57:40:00 - 00:57:42:09 Speaker 2 So far we have just crossed the causeway. 00:57:42:10 - 00:57:44:20 Speaker 3 Sorry. It's it's, it's no. 00:57:44:21 - 00:57:45:21 Speaker 2 Kitchen anxiety to. 00:57:45:21 - 00:57:46:19 Speaker 3 Go. I mean, it does. 00:57:46:21 - 00:57:47:16 Speaker 2 It's a lot. 00:57:47:16 - 00:57:51:01 Speaker 3 For you right now. I'll try to point west twice in a day and not think anything of it. 00:57:51:01 - 00:57:53:00 Speaker 2 I don't think it's out now because it's lovely. 00:57:53:00 - 00:57:58:09 Speaker 3 Yes. And. And I'm passing 40 other projects on the way there, you know. So I can always stop in and. 00:57:58:09 - 00:58:02:11 Speaker 2 Say okay, that's. Yes, that's exactly right. It feels productive. 00:58:02:11 - 00:58:05:12 Speaker 3 We get to wear flip flops to work if there's no builder. 00:58:05:14 - 00:58:08:15 Speaker 2 Well, and if there's like if it's not muddy. 00:58:08:16 - 00:58:13:08 Speaker 3 Yes. I mean, I wear flip flops and then I have actual boat shoes in the. 00:58:13:10 - 00:58:13:23 Speaker 2 In my car. 00:58:14:00 - 00:58:14:06 Speaker 3 Put those. 00:58:14:09 - 00:58:15:02 Speaker 2 Yeah I. 00:58:15:02 - 00:58:19:05 Speaker 3 Know. Yeah. So and then we have Bolivar as a whole. Other considerations. 00:58:19:05 - 00:58:20:10 Speaker 2 Have work on Bolivar now. 00:58:20:10 - 00:58:23:16 Speaker 3 Too, which is a totally different world. 00:58:23:18 - 00:58:25:02 Speaker 2 If they're ever going to call you down here. 00:58:25:05 - 00:58:33:20 Speaker 3 I don't know either that in in Bolivar predominantly Beaumont builders, which is crazy, right? That's Beaumont Island. 00:58:33:20 - 00:58:34:15 Speaker 2 Yeah. It's not. 00:58:34:18 - 00:58:35:03 Speaker 3 Technically. 00:58:35:08 - 00:58:36:03 Speaker 2 A peninsula, but. 00:58:36:03 - 00:58:45:00 Speaker 3 Yeah, but Beaumont's Galveston is Bolivar, and Bolivar is is awesome in its own right. We do a ton of forensics. 00:58:45:02 - 00:58:46:06 Speaker 2 I'm sure. Yeah. 00:58:46:06 - 00:58:54:04 Speaker 3 We actually get paid by some of the big str, companies because they know by complaint that they. 00:58:54:04 - 00:58:55:12 Speaker 2 Know that there's issue. 00:58:55:12 - 00:58:56:09 Speaker 3 Issues in. 00:58:56:11 - 00:58:57:18 Speaker 2 Are being short term rental. 00:58:57:18 - 00:58:58:11 Speaker 3 Yes. 00:58:58:13 - 00:58:58:15 Speaker 1 Yeah. 00:58:58:17 - 00:59:14:16 Speaker 3 Which, by the way, we do a whole conversation on building for stars and the constraints and the issues and the challenges that come from that. And we're seeing a big bunch of changes in our neighborhoods on the island regarding stars. So, I mean I could. 00:59:14:16 - 00:59:15:06 Speaker 2 Go off on that. 00:59:15:06 - 00:59:21:02 Speaker 3 I won't if you have not looked up what Fredericksburg did to their star market. It is absolutely glorious. 00:59:21:06 - 00:59:22:03 Speaker 2 Oh I will look into. 00:59:22:03 - 00:59:32:02 Speaker 3 That to look it up. Yeah. It's excellent. It is totally is the first regulation that has reset for locals the way that we need to be. We should be doing it. 00:59:32:03 - 00:59:43:13 Speaker 2 But because Texas has a real hard time regulating. Yeah, they do anything. And so Galveston has had a real hard time regulars. It's a I'm not going to go off. It's a whole other I get real. Yeah. Anyways. 00:59:43:15 - 00:59:43:23 Speaker 3 And that. 00:59:43:23 - 00:59:44:22 Speaker 2 New construction. 00:59:44:22 - 01:00:04:02 Speaker 3 Yes. Yeah. New construction on. So yeah. So we can manage the envelope, put the AC in second place where it needs to be. Right. And then explain to the owners how to operate this home. Yeah. Manage the home. It's going to be occupied. It's going to be unoccupied. It's going to have different age groups. It's going to be rented not rented. 01:00:04:04 - 01:00:23:03 Speaker 3 And then all the activities that come from it and we're, we're here to have fun. Right? We're not going down there just to sleep. We're fishing, we're surfing. We're just hanging out on the beach. We're drinking, we're Mardi Gras, and we're motorcycling. Whatever. There's always something else going on in these houses, right? So you have all the specialties the get to bring into play. 01:00:23:03 - 01:00:26:08 Speaker 3 Do you all do the boathouse you design the boat houses and everything too. 01:00:26:08 - 01:00:26:21 Speaker 2 Yes. 01:00:26:21 - 01:00:27:16 Speaker 3 Okay. 01:00:27:18 - 01:00:29:15 Speaker 2 Yeah. But those usually aren't conditioned space. 01:00:29:15 - 01:00:35:19 Speaker 3 No they're not, but you still have to know pylons and just to make things extra. Yeah. You got to build on what I do. 01:00:35:21 - 01:00:41:03 Speaker 2 I just toss that in. Let's toss that in and then toss it over the structural engineer like have fun with it. 01:00:41:05 - 01:01:09:20 Speaker 1 So think to try to pull this back. We've like meandering all over the place. No you know I think building in Houston or anywhere else you know the details are important right. But the details become so much more important when you're being blasted with 30 mile an hour or more wind constantly. Right? So, you know, up here on the, on the mainland, if, if some of our flashing around penetrations isn't great, it's probably going to be okay most of the time. 01:01:09:22 - 01:01:27:12 Speaker 1 But down there, if that stuff's not flash properly, not waterproof properly, and it's getting blasted all day long, it's not going to be okay. Right? So I think, in fact, Tony and I were both consulting on a project recently where they use some great products that vai vai vai zip the house, they tape the seams, did everything. 01:01:27:12 - 01:01:45:13 Speaker 1 They put the siding on. But then after the siding zone, guess what? They came back and cut holes in it and pop their pop their, vents through for their for the fans. Yeah. Problem. And and what what happens, you know, six months or three months later, what happened to those bat fans are driven. They the bat fans all stopped working. 01:01:45:13 - 01:02:04:19 Speaker 1 They got mold there. They got rust and, bat fans and the and the kitchen, that hood, the rain showed rusted out within three months of the people moving in the house. Wow. Because it's all this big, exposed, Wynwood wall. The house get blasted all day long and well, and that's all the stuff's toast. 01:02:04:19 - 01:02:30:01 Speaker 2 It's hard because it feels like these are like, people hear this and think it's one off. It's not, but it's not one off, you know? And I see, new homes. And I will drive by them like ones on the West End. And, like, I can see the flashing, right? I mean, I can see, like, on some of the exterior stuff that's going on and drip edges and all of that and things that have not been done properly. 01:02:30:01 - 01:02:38:15 Speaker 2 And that's not even a moisture thing. I mean, it is a moisture thing, but just from the exterior, I see all the seams starting to, you know, 01:02:38:17 - 01:02:39:03 Speaker 3 Bust. 01:02:39:03 - 01:03:07:09 Speaker 2 Bust. Thank you. Open up. Right. I see where air gaps are starting to form. And we're talking about a house that's like six months old. Maybe just finished construction sometimes. Right. And it's all just starting to separate. Everything is starting to separate, and. And you don't you don't necessarily like Tony. Tony mentioned with with new builds trying to work with to educate homeowners, but sometimes homeowners. 01:03:07:11 - 01:03:23:13 Speaker 2 I haven't had to say that often. But recently with a client that you are that we're sharing, they're like, well, isn't this what is this what my engineer does? And they think we have like an MEP. Oh my. Oh no no no no no, you don't have that. And even if you did it's still not the same. 01:03:23:13 - 01:03:46:03 Speaker 2 Still not relevant. Yeah, but they think there is somebody else already handling that. And I'm like no there's not. It's a trade. And you're just kind of trusting that your builder has chosen a trade. A trade that is going to do this correctly and that they are coordinating with all of the other trade. You know, it's like, no, it's not already done. 01:03:46:05 - 01:04:07:14 Speaker 2 Yeah, it's not already done. And I do appreciate that Tony is also, with new construction. I mean, some of the some of these things do add a decent amount of cost that can be limiting for people. And, at some point he came and he spoke with me and he's like, listen, we'll figure stuff out. Even if it even if they can't do. 01:04:07:14 - 01:04:08:00 Speaker 3 All of. 01:04:08:00 - 01:04:14:23 Speaker 2 It, all of it, you know, like I want them to do all of it, obviously. But if they can't do all of it, yeah, we can at least do some of it. 01:04:14:23 - 01:04:19:22 Speaker 1 A lot of the stuff though, is like zero or a little cost items that just get flat. Yeah. This like. 01:04:19:22 - 01:04:20:10 Speaker 2 Yes. 01:04:20:12 - 01:04:40:17 Speaker 1 Like I said, you know that that's a that's a great example. I think so many builders will put their siding or, you know, and use the brick stone, whatever stucco. And then somebody else come along after the fact and punch a hole in it to run it, to run a doctor or a hose bib or whatever. But you know that that vent needs to go through first. 01:04:40:17 - 01:04:58:14 Speaker 1 It needs to get flashed and then the siding goes on. And if that had been done, that wouldn't have been an issue. And then kind of another zero cost or very little cost item to go along with that. If they had used, insulated duct from that penetration to their baths fan. Yeah. It, it wouldn't have sweated. 01:04:58:14 - 01:05:09:06 Speaker 1 You know, you got this cold conditioned air inside the house meeting the warm, humid air. Oh, and there were no, no Backdraft dampers, either. So you've got warm, moist sea air. Backdraft thing. 01:05:09:08 - 01:05:29:05 Speaker 2 Down the and somewhere down the pipe. Some of that's using a builder who knows. Right. Which I would say I think that more builders on the island are I mean, I don't know how many actually are becoming more open to. I don't know, I don't know, it's. 01:05:29:05 - 01:05:31:04 Speaker 3 It's still super, super low. 01:05:31:04 - 01:05:59:21 Speaker 2 But I think it's I think it is there is going to be the curve because it's like the, because the curve has been made for understanding how to build better for windstorm. So I think the curve will be made for this as well. Yeah. Right. Like part of I don't know if this was before we started talking on air or, while we've been talking, but having a local builder who has been building there for a long time, one of the benefits of that is understanding the best way to sequence building for windstorm. 01:05:59:21 - 01:06:23:02 Speaker 2 It's not just that what's actually goes up is any different, it's how you sequenced it, right? It's that, you know, to have multiple engineering inspections for your straps so that you strap in your sheet, you strap in your sheet before you're 55ft in the air going, I think we're going to do all of this at one time during hurricane season, and we're just going to see how this shakes out. 01:06:23:02 - 01:06:29:22 Speaker 2 And that's one of the ones that fully collapsed was because they waited. They had a three story structure in there. It was painful, very painful. 01:06:30:03 - 01:06:33:04 Speaker 3 It collapsed at the worst time in the framing market. 01:06:33:06 - 01:06:34:22 Speaker 2 Oh yeah, I know. 01:06:34:22 - 01:06:36:20 Speaker 3 So it went up affordable. It fell. 01:06:36:22 - 01:06:49:09 Speaker 2 Yeah. And he's not working. Not he's not working on that or I don't know if it's done. I think it's done. That's done. Now he's work. He worked on that out at the end of it. What. It was built because it had been built so poorly and and it was raining inside. 01:06:49:10 - 01:06:50:12 Speaker 3 Yes. 01:06:50:14 - 01:07:03:18 Speaker 2 So anyways but yeah I mean I so I do think that as these houses become more complex, what people want them is more complex, then the pendulum will swing the same way for windstorm. Right. Understanding what to. 01:07:03:18 - 01:07:23:08 Speaker 1 Do. We had a really weird problem on the same house. It took all to figure it out, but in the in the in the master shower, which was on an exterior wall, again, the same wall that had all the all the penetrations we're talking about, it's getting blasted by wind. There's no protection anywhere around. It is just open to the prevailing prevailing wind. 01:07:23:09 - 01:07:24:12 Speaker 3 Higher beach, canal house. 01:07:24:13 - 01:07:46:19 Speaker 1 Okay, so it's getting blasted by wind on this wall where the master shower is. And, cracks were opening up all through the tile floor to ceiling in the master shower. And we looked at it and we were like, what is causing these cracks? And obviously it's moving, right? Right. And so I said, hey, do you have any photos of this from before the tile went up and so the homeowner was like, yeah, I think I do. 01:07:46:19 - 01:08:08:15 Speaker 1 So they flip through the their phone and find the pictures and all of their tile backer board joints were in a straight line for the ceiling. If you read the tile backer board instructions, it says to stagger the joints just like you would with your sheathing on the exterior. There's a couple of reasons for that. One is it actually gives some shear strength when when the staggered. 01:08:08:17 - 01:08:29:01 Speaker 1 Right. So when you do that, a little movement, you don't give you floor to ceiling cracks. So you know, we ended up having to take all the tile off the shower, replace all the backer board, reinstall the tile. But it was it was easy. Once you understood, you know why it was happening. But it's the other bathrooms in the house. 01:08:29:03 - 01:08:35:17 Speaker 1 The backer borders installed the same way, but they weren't having a problem because they were not on the wall. That was getting blasted by the wind all day. 01:08:35:17 - 01:08:48:02 Speaker 3 And the primary shower had a very delicate tile with the finish on. It was extremely thin. So had it been a thicker ceramic tile with a different type of finish, we might not have noticed it for quite some time. 01:08:48:02 - 01:08:48:14 Speaker 1 Yeah, maybe not. 01:08:48:14 - 01:09:10:14 Speaker 3 Right this one. Also, the white crack in the dark field. Like I see it like you come in the door. Saw it. Yeah. So it was a really unique situation. And the tighter we make it, the more difficult these things are. Or more important it is to follow the plan 100%. So, like, for instance, where they added those, vents, you know, that's a four inch circle. 01:09:10:14 - 01:09:27:06 Speaker 3 You need to cut a six inch square off the siding so that you can tape and then set it and you have a stop block. And he's like, well, that stop lock would be ugly. I'm like, it's not ugly inside the house. This is super ugly in here. So, same reason why we don't just pop a coach light directly onto the siding. 01:09:27:06 - 01:09:46:05 Speaker 3 We do a block behind it. Absolutely. We can. We can flash it. I could put a head flashing on top if I wanted to or whatever. So, a lot of simplicity. Not a whole lot of room for error or room for mistakes. Because the error rate is so high on the island, because Mother Nature is trying to take back the structure on a constant basis. 01:09:46:06 - 01:09:51:07 Speaker 3 But that's okay. We offset it with good times, right? Good times and good friends and activities and stuff like that. 01:09:51:07 - 01:10:09:20 Speaker 1 I think the bottom line is kind of back to the like, one of the very original points we made is just building a good team, but it's also, paying attention to all the instructions that have been given. It's like you can build the good team, but if. Well, I of course, if you build a good team, technically everybody should listen, right? 01:10:09:20 - 01:10:16:16 Speaker 1 But, that builder has to follow the instructions put out by the architect and by the building performance consult. 01:10:16:16 - 01:10:18:15 Speaker 2 And make sure that they're following. 01:10:18:15 - 01:10:18:23 Speaker 3 Yes. 01:10:18:23 - 01:10:19:21 Speaker 1 Right. 01:10:19:23 - 01:10:31:00 Speaker 2 Double check on their trades, because at the end of the day, it it is up to the trades to do that. And so if you don't have a builder who's willing, who's on site checking. 01:10:31:02 - 01:10:35:07 Speaker 1 A building, who's willing to get on a ladder and go 50ft in the air. 01:10:35:10 - 01:10:38:06 Speaker 3 Where one thing like 30 mile an hour wind. 01:10:38:08 - 01:10:38:16 Speaker 2 Around. 01:10:38:18 - 01:10:39:11 Speaker 1 Exactly. 01:10:39:11 - 01:10:42:00 Speaker 3 Right and flip flops to do that. 01:10:42:00 - 01:10:43:01 Speaker 2 Super pregnant. 01:10:43:01 - 01:10:43:23 Speaker 3 Super prego. 01:10:44:00 - 01:10:45:16 Speaker 1 While smoking was. 01:10:45:18 - 01:10:47:19 Speaker 3 Later. 01:10:47:21 - 01:10:48:17 Speaker 2 And a margarita. 01:10:48:17 - 01:11:03:02 Speaker 3 That's just let's just not die on the job site on the island. Yes, it would be good to go because God forbid, how many diseases have we had on this island on top of it? And then we have CDC store stuff there that God, oh my God. Some of the most infectious diseases are like a block and a half. 01:11:03:03 - 01:11:03:09 Speaker 3 Where are. 01:11:03:09 - 01:11:07:18 Speaker 2 You? You are like ruining my business, right? God, take it out. Josh. 01:11:07:20 - 01:11:08:06 Speaker 1 Yeah, he's. 01:11:08:11 - 01:11:09:03 Speaker 2 Down a notch. 01:11:09:03 - 01:11:11:12 Speaker 1 He's preventing a huge influx of people to the island. Yes! 01:11:11:13 - 01:11:16:10 Speaker 2 Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's not. And I would like to say it's not island time. It's quality of life. 01:11:16:15 - 01:11:17:11 Speaker 3 It it is. 01:11:17:11 - 01:11:18:10 Speaker 2 Quality of life. 01:11:18:10 - 01:11:19:02 Speaker 3 It is something. 01:11:19:02 - 01:11:20:12 Speaker 2 Say that you said yes. 01:11:20:17 - 01:11:25:06 Speaker 1 All right. So I think we're about out of time. So thank you for joining us today. 01:11:25:07 - 01:11:29:04 Speaker 3 Thank you. How is everyone going to find you if they want to hear you and do all this stuff? 01:11:29:06 - 01:11:49:08 Speaker 2 My website Cape Black architect.com. If you go there, you can see my portfolio, learn a little bit more about me, and, there's a contact form you can fill out. I'd be happy, you know, if anyone has any questions, what it is to live and build on the island, I'm happy to answer that. And I also have Instagram that I don't use very often, but there's lots of pretty photos on it. 01:11:49:08 - 01:11:51:06 Speaker 2 I just haven't had any ones recently. 01:11:51:08 - 01:11:59:13 Speaker 3 None of the beach photos on my Instagram or from Kate's projects. So they're all from forensic projects that I do. So if you see beach, it's not Kate, it's not me. 01:11:59:13 - 01:12:02:06 Speaker 2 Yeah, I'm doing my best. Yes, I'm trying. 01:12:02:08 - 01:12:12:17 Speaker 1 All right. Well, thanks, toner. Thank you for for being here again. And, thank you all for listening and watching today. And we'll see you next time. Take care. 01:12:12:19 - 01:12:36:23 Speaker 1 If you found this helpful, enjoy listening. Please support us by liking and subscribing here on your podcast platform. And also join us on our YouTube channel. We want to continue to bring you high quality content and expert guests, and your support truly helps us to continue this journey. If you have any questions for me or my guests or any feedback for us, you can email us at podcast at your project shepherd.com. 01:12:37:01 - 01:12:37:18 Speaker 1 Thanks again.