The restoration industry has lost one of its trailblazers. Hubert T. Carpenter, known to his friends as Butch, passed away on April 11 2016 in his home in Lincoln (Sacramento), Calif., with his wife Michelle and daughters Nicole and Jaclyn by his side.

Butch was a pioneering restorer and early adopter of methodology and technologies who became known as restorative drying specialists. In the mid 1980’s, he was the third contractor in North America to invest in a trailer mounted desiccant dehumidifier at a time when the industry hadn’t yet discovered the LGR. Butch was one of those guys who always wanted to be first in the marketplace to differentiate his company, Ideal Restoration which served the San Francisco bay area.

The water damage restoration and drying specialist of the 21st Century owe a lot to the trailblazers of the 1980’s and 90’s. Butch and others of his generation paved the path for those who work and prosper in that industry sector today.

For the full write up on Butch by Pete Consigli CR, WLS, visit www.restorationindustry.org

RIA Prerequisite Week

RIA is offering the prerequisite courses for the Certified Restore (CR) and Water Loss Specialist (WLS) certifications. The courses will be held June 27-July 1, 2016 at the Aramco/Interlink Supply locations in Denver, Colo.

The Contents Science and Theory course, a prerequisite for the CR certification is excellent training for those who want to learn more about this specialized area of restoration and is applicable to anything the restoration professional may encounter dealing with the science of how to restore personal property damaged due to fire, smoke, flood or disaster.

The Building Science and Project and Risk Management courses are a prerequisite for both the CR and WLS. The Building Science course will focus on the effects of water on: drywall, insulation, concrete, wood, masonry and steel framing, while the Project and Risk Management course will focus on understanding the fundamental principles of project management and how to apply them to restoration and damage repair projects.

Considered the premiere certifications within the damage repair industry, the RIA offers advanced certifications for committed restorers looking to take their career to a higher level of professionalism. If you are a restorer looking to achieve the Certified Restorer (CR) or Water Loss Specialist (WLS) advance certifications you must attend each of these courses. 

For more information about the advance certification programs, visit www.restorationindustry.org.

Are You Prepared for ANSI S500 Changes?

The 4th edition of the ANSI-S500 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Water Damage Restoration has been published and was released at the end of 2015. It offers enhancements to several procedures, making them easier to follow and understand, as well as improvements to technical sections. Many of the updates focus on more closely following actual steps that are taken during a real restoration project. Make sure you’re up-to-date on these changes by attending a full day workshop on the critical changes. Workshops are in Atlanta on June 7, Mississauga, Ontario on June 16, and Las Vegas on June 24.

Focus on Forensics Restoration Conference Returns

The Restoration Industry Association will once again host the well-received Forensic Restoration Technical Conference. The conference will be Oct. 11-13 at the Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel in St. Louis, MO.

Last year’s inaugural conference sold out in a few weeks, so RIA has expanded the number of registrations available this year. In addition, the organizers are introducing a number of new elements to the 2016 conference including expanded classroom and hands-on training. The first two days of the conference will feature in-depth classroom learning on topics such as pathology, infectious disease remediation, project procedures and waste disposal. The final day of the conference focuses exclusively on hands-on training where participants will be required to work in personal protective equipment for a portion of the training.
There are a limited number of registrations available for the hands-on component.