Denver, Colorado (PRWEB) April 29, 2014

Work just got a whole lot easier for painting contractors! Painters will never have to worry about risking measurement errors, running out of paint midway through a job, or sketching elevations ever again. Scope Technologies, the leading provider of remote aerial measurements, is pleased to announce the launch of PaintScope, a new tool that uses advanced takeoff technology to compile precise measurements of a home or buildings exterior surfaces into an easy-to-use report.

PaintScope was designed with busy painting contractors in mind, says Jerod Raisch, Founder of Scope Technologies. Contractors can have hours worth of measuring and drawing work completed for them by simply ordering a PaintScope report online. Painting companies will save time and money by minimizing manpower, driving time, fuel consumption, planning efforts, and wasted paint.

Each PaintScope report, compiled into an environmentally friendly five pages, includes satellite imagery of the structure; clean elevation drawings of the structure from every angle with color-coding to distinguish surface types; and complete, accurate measurements of all surfaces including:

-Fascia, window and corner trims -Railings -Outdoor ceilings -Soffits -Doors, garage doors and garage door trims -Surfaces of the same body colors -Any other surface that could potentially be painted

PaintScope reports can be branded with the painting contractors company logo and color-scheme so that contractors can share their measurement reports with customers or potential customers, demonstrating their professionalism and painting expertise.

Its the little details that make PaintScope such an incredible benefit to contractors, says Raisch. From the detailed elevation drawings to the branded reports that helps with sales, PaintScope is essential for helping painting professionals improve their business bottom line.

PaintScope reports come at competitive prices. Discounts for high volume orders are available. Speak to a Scope Technologies representative for custom pricing by calling 877-697-2673 or order a PaintScope report today at PaintScope.com.

About Scope Technologies Founded in 2011 to help companies expand their business, Scope Technologies uses advanced mobile and cloud technologies to provide tools that help streamline processes with the ultimate goal of improving businesses bottom line. The Denver-based companys visionary leadership, engineering and programming teams develop Scope Technologies state-of-the-art systems and programs for use in the cloud for optimal delivery and growth.

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Scope Technologies Launches Time-Saving Tool for Painting Contractors

April 29, 2014 - Lowes Home Centers has agreed to implement a comprehensive, corporate-wide compliance program at over 1,700 stores nationwide to ensure that contractors minimize lead dust from renovation activities, as required by Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule. Company will also pay $500,000 civil penalty, which is the largest ever for violations of RRP Rule. Settlement stems from violations, discovered by EPA inspectors, of RRP Rules recordkeeping and work practice standards at private homes. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Ariel Rios Building Washington, DC, 20460 USA Press release date: April 17, 2014

WASHINGTON Lowes Home Centers, one of the nations largest home improvement retailers, has agreed to implement a comprehensive, corporate-wide compliance program at its over 1,700 stores nationwide to ensure that the contractors it hires to perform work minimize lead dust from home renovation activities, as required by the federal Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule, the Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. The company will also pay a $500,000 civil penalty, which is the largest ever for violations of the RRP Rule.

The settlement stems from violations, discovered by EPA inspectors, of the RRP Rules recordkeeping and work practice standards at private homes that had been renovated by Lowes contractors. EPA enforces the RRP and other lead rules to protect children and others who are vulnerable to exposure to lead dust that can cause lead poisoning.

Todays settlement sends a clear message to all contractors and the firms they hire: Get lead certified and comply with the law to protect children from exposure to dangerous lead dust, said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPAs Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. Lowe's is taking responsibility for the actions of the firms it hires, and EPA expects other contractors to do the same.

Todays settlement requires Lowes to institute a robust, nationwide program at over 1,700 of its stores to ensure that the contractors it hires to perform renovation projects, like window and door installation, are properly certified and adhere to practices that help prevent lead contamination in customers homes, said Robert G. Dreher, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Departments Environment and Natural Resources Division. This action, the first of its kind to address lead safe work practices on a system-wide basis, will help prevent childrens exposure to lead in communities across the nation by raising home improvement contractors awareness of EPAs lead safety regulations and contributing to a culture of compliance.

EPA discovered the violations through a review of records from projects performed by renovators working under contract for the following Lowes stores: Alton, Ill.; Kent and Trotwood, Ohio; Bedford, N.H.; Southington, Conn.; South Burlington, Vt.; Rochester, N.Y.; Savannah and Lebanon, Tenn.; Boise, Idaho Falls, and Nampa, Idaho; and Muldoon, Ark.

The government complaint alleged that Lowes failed to provide documentation showing that specific contractors had been certified by EPA, had been properly trained, had used lead-safe work practices, or had correctly used EPA-approved lead test kits at renovation sites. Additionally, EPAs investigation found that Lowes had also failed to ensure that work areas had been properly contained and cleaned during renovations at three homes. EPAs investigation was prompted by tips and complaints submitted by the public.

In addition to the civil penalty, Lowes must implement a comprehensive compliance program to ensure that the contractors it hires to perform work for its customers comply with the RRP Rule during renovations of any child-occupied facilities, such as day-care centers and pre-schools, and any housing that was built before 1978. For these projects, Lowes must contract with only EPA-certified renovators, ensure they maintain certification, and ensure they use lead safe work practices checklists during renovations. In addition, Lowes must suspend anyone that is not operating in compliance with the rule, investigate all reports of potential noncompliance, and ensure that any violations are corrected.

The RRP Rule, which implements the federal Toxic Substances Control Act, is intended to ensure that owners and occupants of housing built before 1978, as well as any child-occupied facilities, receive information on lead-based paint hazards before renovations begin, that individuals performing such renovations are properly trained and certified by EPA, and follow specific work practices to reduce the potential for lead-based paint exposure. Home improvement companies such as Lowes that contract with renovators to perform renovation work for their customers must ensure that those contractors comply with all of the requirements of the RRP Rule.

Lead-based paint was banned in 1978 but still remains in many homes and apartments across the country. Lead dust hazards can occur when lead paint deteriorates or is disrupted during home renovation and remodeling activities. Lead exposure can cause a range of health problems, from behavioral disorders and learning disabilities to seizures and death, putting young children at the greatest risk because their nervous systems are still developing.

Read the rest here:
Corporate-wide Settlement with Lowe's Protects Public from Lead Pollution During Home Renovations

by Chris Willis, KGW Staff

kgw.com

Posted on April 28, 2014 at 6:38 PM

Updated yesterday at 8:22 PM

PORTLAND-- The State of Oregon is cracking down on unlicensed contractors.

This is the time of year when home-improvement projects get started and state investigators say there are more unlicensed contractors ripping people off than they can keep up with.

If you hire an unlicensed contractor to do some work on your home and something goes wrong, often you are simply out of luck, with no recourse. Scammers, thieves and shady contractors are going door to door looking for easy money.

So how big of a problem are unlicensed contractors?

Oh its a huge problem, we run across it every day, said Tim Lenihan, an investigator with the Oregon Construction Contractors Board.

Lenihan said these scammers have been at it for weeks.

Read this article:
Home remodel season brings contractor scams

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Apr 17, 2014 5:00pm

WASHINGTON Home improvement giant Lowes Companies Inc. has agreed to pay $500,000 after federal investigators found its home renovation contractors in nine states had violated safety standards for lead paint. The retail chain was also unable to provide documentation proving some contractors employed by the company were certified to work with the toxic substance, the Environmental Protection Agency and Justice Department said today.

The investigation by the EPA stemmed from tips and complaints from homeowners who had used Lowes renovation contractors. In reviews of company records the government found contractors had not used EPA-approved lead-test kits on projects, or lacked proper training to work with the hazardous element known to cause developmental problems in children and kidney and cardiovascular illness in adults.

The EPA also found contractors had failed to properly clean and contain work areas in three homes, although the agency emphasized they had not found any direct cases of bodily harm in the course of their investigation. The punishment sought against Lowes was more cautionary, they said. Officials also stated the violations were not company-wide, but isolated to certain brick-and-mortar stores discovered in their investigation.

This is not to send an alarm signal that people who have had work repairs done should be alarmed about this, Acting Assistant Attorney General Robert Dreher said in a conference call with reporters today.

EPA Assistant Administrator Cynthia Giles said it sent a clear message to companies to comply with the toxic materials standard.

Lowes is taking responsibility for the actions of the firms it hires, and EPA expects other contractors to do the same, she said.

The officials pointed homeowners to the EPA website for fact sheets on protective measures and red flags to watch out for when working with lead-based materials.

Lowes says they have always sought to comply with the EPAs Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule standards since they were enacted in 2008, and have resolved all issues alleged by the EPA.

Lowes hires thousands of independent, third-party contractors and the EPA identified only a few who failed to meet certain record keeping or work practice requirements regarding lead-based paint, a Lowes spokesperson told ABC News. There have never been any reports of lead-based paint health issues associated with any projects completed by Lowes contractors.

See the article here:
Lowe's Settles EPA Lead Paint Violations By Its Contractors