Submittals

The interesting part of my job is the architectual element. Many of the choices I make are determined by the design appearance of the buildings. Exactly how did the architect imagine this light would reflect off that surface? Did he really know that people's hands would be drawn to the green slate walls in the entry?

Several days ago a contractor stopped by the office asking for some details because of a structural crack in a retail facade. Apparently 7 years of nearly non-stop use had done in the aluminum doorframes holding the vast 10 foot glass doors. I cheerfully headed to my office to draw out the specs etc. for this contractor.

Included in the spec about there being no visible fasteners was this phrase. Use countersunk oval head philips drive screws. It went on to specify that they had to have a coating on the head no less than 2 mil of epoxy or were to be made of a material that would not cause galvanic action nor that had been processed or manufactured with contact with any iron or iron oxide.

I have concluded that it is easier to get to heaven than it is to build a building. The instructions on getting to heaven can easily fit in your hand. The instructions for this building fill 34 feet of shelves and 16 racks of blueprints. That does not count the vast number of books and drawings for each individual space within the building.

Maybe it is up to us to go to our creator and say, I don't understand everything, in fact it is a mystery, but I believe that when countersunk oval headed phillips drive screws with epoxy coating no more or less than 2 mil are what is right, that is what will be there for me to choose. Even when those screws will be hidden from everyones view.