Blog
‘Building Elements & Interiors’ Category
Lighting – Let the Sun In!
We have heard so much about sun light not being good for us that we have missed the impact of natural light, in particular narrow spectrum blue light, and what it can do for our health and even well-being. We have also become energy efficient with lower artificial lighting levels inside that could adversely affect […]
Signs and Things – Types
In a previous article I provided an overview of the component pieces that go into signs. So the next question is, what components go into what kinds of signs? There are many sign types, each with their own requirements and exceptions. In order to understand some of the requirements the Components article should also be […]
Signs and Things – Components
One of the most forgotten elements is signage. Basically it can be divided into three groups – permanent room signs, way-finding, and informational signs, but there are other types as well. Permanent room signs also have requirements for installation location with criteria for clear floor space in front. Height requirements have now been changed with […]
Elevators
You have an older two-story commercial building and the question is whether you are required to install an elevator. The answer to this, of course, is it depends. If your building has less than 3,000 SF per floor or is a 2-story building, generally an elevator is not required. But this is based upon what […]
Cabinetry and Sales & Service Counters
Whether you have a reception counter in an office, a reservation counter at a restaurant, or a sales counter in a store, it does need to be accessible. Since many of these items do not require a building permit, the business owner is responsible and often times relies upon the cabinetry fabricator to make it […]
Carpets and Area Rugs
You want your lobby, waiting room, or seating area to have a more residential or intimate feel to the space. So you place a lovely area rug on top of the wall-to-wall carpet or hard surfaced floor. No problem, right? Well, yes there is. The issue is, that even though the size is much larger […]
Walk-Off Mats
It’s raining out and as business owners, what is one of the first things we do? The walk-off mats come out of the wood-work and get placed right at the store, restaurant, or office lobby entries. It is part of our linen service so what could be wrong with that? And since the floor gets […]