Federal and State Guidance as Regards Essential Services Workers During Covid 19 Crisis and Stay at Home Orders

As Illustrated Below both New York State and Federal Guidelines for essential services include Building maintenance Services and Construction Services.

New York State Guidelines. (link Below)

https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-issues-guidance-essential-services-under-new-york-state-pause-executive-order

Federal Guidelines Link Below

https://www.cisa.gov/publication/guidance-essential-critical-infrastructure-workforce

MEMORANDUM ON IDENTIFICATION OF ESSENTIAL CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE WORKERS DURING COVID-19 RESPONSE

FROM:            Christopher C. Krebs

Director

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

The attached list identifies workers who conduct a range of operations and services that are essential to continued critical infrastructure viability, including staffing operations centers, maintaining and repairing critical infrastructure, operating call centers, working construction, and performing management functions, among others. The industries they support represent, but are not necessarily limited to, medical and healthcare, telecommunications, information technology systems, defense, food and agriculture, transportation and logistics, energy, water and wastewater, law enforcement, and public works.

Third Floor Corporation/Doctor Structure statement

The links above provide clear Federal and New York State guidelines defining which industries are classified as “Essential, Critical.”
Construction and many construction trades are explicitly mentioned. Third Floor Corporation and Doctor Structure Incorporated are open and operating, though at the same time we are striving to minimize the potential for viral contamination to ourselves, clients and other operating stakeholders.

Though we are not on the front lines in the way of medical personnel, grocery and other food supply workers, pharmacists, emergency first responders and so many others, we have taken the stance to retain the integrity of our organizational functioning to see that our clients’ homes are functioning safely and properly and to be available as needed with tools, vehicles, labor power and equipment. We are committed to finishing up projects during which families’ homes are exposed to the elements or are in any way left unsecured.

We are not accepting any interior construction work in occupied homes and our crew has been instructed not to enter occupied dwellings to use the bathroom or for any other non-emergency reason. We are dividing crews so as to minimize unnecessary interpersonal contact. Client meetings and architectural conferences have gone virtual. Any of our staff who are symptomatic are instructed to stay at home until they are fully recovered and we are adopting a flexible stance toward workers and trade contractors who have family obligations related to the present crisis.

Good health and safe passage to all.

Benjamin Fiering
President, Owner and Master Builder Third Floor Corporation
Chief consultant Doctor Structure Incorporated

Handrail details for a classic period Deck House #DeckHouse

The photographs below give a glimpse of handrail details for a classic period Deck House worked out by the Third Floor Corporation carpentry crew over the course of a series of restorations and reconstructions of these archetypal mid-century houses and their signature raised decks. The overall design is by Benjamin Fiering.

The lead carpenter on the Pepper Pond Deck House restoration featured is Eli Weiner. Materials choices, colors and aspects of the design featured in these photographs were in developed in concert with artist and homeowner Barbara Eyler.

In this project the tapered stanchions (verticals) are of white oak. These were made onsite using a taper jig as part of prototyping this project. Similar stanchions of Mahogany are available by order from Deck/Acorn Company in Acton MA.

The infill baluster panels are made of cold steel flat bar and 1/2″ rod. They are shop primed grey and then oiled with Penetrol.

The cap rails are made of reclaimed Mahogany decking from other projects.

The lower horizontal rails are white oak.

All photography on this page by Ben Fiering, reproduction by permission only.

Center Beam Replacement 19th Century Post and Beam House, Harrison NY

Below are some progress photos depicting substructure reinforcement and temporary bearing beams for our project replacing a center truss girder on an early 19th century post and beam house in Harrison: NY.

IMG_1674
Cracked main girder in post and beam ceiling in 18th or early early Nineteeth century farmhouse Harrison NY

The house has been heavily modified over the years and it appears that in a circa 1980s renovation a load bearing central truss was cut out leaving only a single undersized beam to bear floor wall and roof loads on an approximately 30′ x 17′.  The old hardwood beam cracked under the load and is being replaced by a new solid white oak beam with a pair of steel angles inserted from the top for reinforcement.

I will publish details of this as the work proceeds.

Temporary beams in place
Temporary load bearing beams support floor before removal of cracked center girder. It is my supposition that the rod seen in the first photo attached to a structural truss. Sloppy renovators in the 1980’s modified the roof line and  seem to have cut out the upper section of the truss and rod leaving this beam alone to carry much of the second floor of the house.

Photo group below shows shoring and reinforcement in the basement and crawl space areas in preparation for jacking the floor level above.

Harrison Truss Rod

All Photography by Benjamin Fiering. Reproduction by permission only.
A Third Floor Project #Thirdfloor