LB
Author Archive 20 Posts

Lia Blackwell

Ann Arbor, MI
Lia Blackwell is a Michigan-based marketing strategist and writer who helps brands find their voice without relying on corporate buzzwords. She graduated from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and spent a decade leading brand strategy teams for mid-market consumer goods companies. Now freelancing from Ann Arbor, Lia writes about digital marketing, consumer psychology, and sustainable branding. Her columns regularly deconstruct famous ad campaigns and offer small business owners practical, budget-conscious tactics. Lia’s outlook is shaped by a love of storytelling and a deep skepticism of vanity metrics. When she’s off the clock, you can find her paddleboarding on the Huron River or hunting for mid-century furniture at estate sales.

Construction By Lia Blackwell

Waste diversion plans for demolition and renovation projects

A waste diversion plan explains how demolition and renovation materials will be reduced, separated, reused, recycled, documented, and hauled. It turns good…
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Construction By Lia Blackwell

Fall protection basics for roofing, steel, and maintenance crews

Fall protection means using planning, guardrails, covers, restraint, arrest systems, training, and supervision to reduce fall exposure during roofing, steel work, and…
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Construction By Lia Blackwell

How retaining walls, drainage, and grading affect a home site

Retaining walls, drainage, and grading shape how water and soil pressure behave around a home. When they are planned together, they can…
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Construction By Lia Blackwell

How to build a critical asset list for reliability planning

A critical asset list ranks equipment by consequence, not by how visible or expensive it looks. It helps maintenance teams decide which…
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Construction By Lia Blackwell

What causes recurring paint failures inside buildings

Recurring interior paint failure usually means the surface, moisture condition, product compatibility, or building environment was not corrected before repainting. Recoating alone…
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Construction By Lia Blackwell

Building shutdown and startup checklists for holidays and breaks

A shutdown and startup checklist helps a facility reduce avoidable damage, safety risk, comfort complaints, and emergency callouts during holidays or extended…
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Construction By Lia Blackwell

Waterproofing balconies, terraces, and podium decks correctly

Balcony, terrace, and podium waterproofing works when the membrane, slope, drainage, transitions, and protection layers are designed as one assembly. Failures often…
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Construction By Lia Blackwell

How QR codes and asset tags improve maintenance response time

QR codes and asset tags improve maintenance response when they connect field equipment to accurate records, work history, safety notes, and spare-parts…
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Construction By Lia Blackwell

Building shells vs full fit-outs: budgeting the difference

A shell budget usually covers the base building elements needed to make a property structurally and legally occupiable, while a full fit-out…
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Construction By Lia Blackwell

How to choose between packaged units, split systems, and VRF

The right HVAC platform depends on space layout, roof access, zoning needs, maintenance capacity, refrigerant strategy, and tenant disruption tolerance. Packaged units,…
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