Season is Wrapping Up

It's starting to be chilly in the morning. We had tons of rain this year. It's ridiculous really. I have two open projects with outdoor epoxy and it's just not going to get done this year. Way too wet and now the temps are too low and it will be too wet. Fortunatley, the concrete repairs were made, so, the surface can be walked on and is majorly "repaired." If you're unaware, epoxy is best applied to a surface that has cured longer anywway. So, they are just waiting for a better application. Likely spring next year.

It's tough for me to get up and bundle up and go out in the cold and force myself to sweat. I either have to go be cold and work slow or I have to bundle up and sweat. It's only september, but we are going to start bundling up and pushing ourselves to sweat over here. Restoration and Repair Masonry moved shop back to Troy form Cohoes this year, still adjusting and getting our bearing. We were doing great out of Troy and then we moved to Cohoes and, ugh, well I am personally not happy with anything form the last two years. I have had a lot of positive feeback from my cleints, but I feel like my performance wasn't the best that I could deliver and it's been bothering me.

My plans are to get everything situated and squared away this year and optimistically we'll be able to keep everything together next year. We already have enough approved clients to book the first two omnths of next year or more and have enough prospective feedback and quotes out to likley book half the year next year.

A huge issue is that I am a Signatory Union Contractor. This means the cost of labor for me is through the roof and is foremost tough to compete in the residential market. Then we have the simple fact of the matter in which I myself am a tradesman and if I started putting other guys to work on my projects... that moves me into doing all the other work I do.... and no masonry for myself. I'm handling clients, consultations and correspondence, I'm coordinating with the cities and engineers and doing architecture, I'm doing accounting and drfatiing paperwork, signing and paying payroll and coordinating and planning projects and scheduling staffing... I mean, my tradeskill is what is valuable, right? My ability to perform with a quality result.

My personal plan is to have 15 years of hands on experience before moving back into an owner and management position. The importance of being personally qualified, knowledgeable and competant myself will allow me to run a masonry restoration and repair business with confidence and surety. There are also many situations in which may arise that being personally experienced and knowledgeable is useful. Well, that clock started 7 years ago, but it started 3 years ago, but I think we're going to start it again next year.

Being an "Owner/Operator" really covers all the bases of the operation and leaves me essentially performing all the duties of the owner, the superintendent, the project manager, the architect, the masn, the shop guy and the laborer or ason tender. MY emphasis is on my quality and my knowledge about the masonry that I am working with on the prooject. Concrete is concrete if you know everything there is to know about it and mortar is mortar in the same way, but as the most common binder. Whether is historic brick replabement and repointing with hot lime or stone pulled from a quarry to be laid with type s mortar or even dry laid, if there is something more for me to know about it, I will know it. The simple understanding of it is to "open the door to mix ratios and strengths", then "curing properties and processes", then "additives" while being mindful of project specific applicaitons.

I don't like to have an ego or an attitude or anything. This might be a lot of work I do or something. Who could say? :)

Peace love and God Bless,

Craig Lamach

BAC Local 2 Journeyman

Owner & Operator

Restoration & Repair Masonry, LLC