Design Build Doug

Review: Construction Instruction App

Posted on April 15, 2013     Leave a Comment

About a year ago, I had the pleasure of hearing Mark Laliberte, a building science guru, speak at a seminar here in Austin, TX. Tons of good info(mainly about what not to do) was shared. One of the cooling tidbits I walked away with was a free app called Construction Instruction. Mark has teamed up with some of the biggest names(mainly vendors) in the business to offer a very detailed and extremely visual dummy guide to building science. This includes numerous animated cross sections of wall systems, flashing methods, and best practices. 

My favorite part is that app can be shown to workers in the field via a tablet(like i-Pad). Talk about making it easy to transmit great information(as well as break language barriers). Big thanks to Mark and his team for putting this new resource at arms reach to builders all over the world. Oh, the beauty of technology and the internet..!! Two big thumbs up!! Check out Construction
Instruction at this link, and if you like it, please spread the word!!

Doug Cameron is a Healthy, High-Performance Builder & Remodeler with EcoSafe Spaces, LLC in Austin, TX.

Product Review:Sansin Enviro Stain- Glacier Clear

Posted on April 12, 2013     Leave a Comment

I love working with non-toxic stains, but I also love the way oil based products set up and coagulate so evenly. The Sansin Enviro Stain: Glacier Clear (for interiors) is both, because it is a non-toxic water/plant oil based hybrid. 

• Another great feature of this product, is the fact that it does not Amber in UV light like traditional oil based finishes (something architects seem to love)!! 
• In terms of application, this product is sprayable, another big plus. 
• We picked it up locally at Treehouse, and give it a big thumbs up!! See the video below for more details:

Wunderlist: Project Management Tool

Posted on November 1, 2012     Leave a Comment

My beautiful wife, a manager for a cloud computing company here in Austin, recently turned me on to Wunderlist. What’s that you ask? Wunderlist is a state of the art smart phone App that is capable of syncing to your computer and/or tablet via the cloud.

As a project manager in the construction industry, I used to have sticky notes all over my office, while emailing myself tasks and reminders multiple times per day…just to keep up. No more! Now I put all of my TO DO’s in one spot, and they are organized within various lists that I have personally created. I keep six running list at once. The specific features are far superior to any other To Do App I have come across, and are too numerous to name, so I won’t. Instead, you should see for yourself. Getting started is easy, and the  user interface is excellent

I have suggested Wunderlist to my entire project team, for the exact same reason that I use it…to stay organized! Everyone is different and I realize Apps seem to come and go all the time, but in this fast paced world of today, this particular App has become a vital tool in my Project Management arsenal (which is why I wanted to share). Take it for a test spin and see what you think (it’s free). Happy Management!!

-Doug Cameron
Doug Cameron is a Healthy, High-Performance Builder & Remodeler with EcoSafe Spaces, LLC in Austin, TX.