Ask the Experts

Chris R Netherton

Restoration industry consultant, Trainer and Technical Author.

Born in 1944, Chris Netherton, former British Trampoline Champion, began his working career at the Royal Aircraft Establishment Farnborough serving a five-year apprenticeship as an instrument maker.

This engineering and drawing office education could probably be considered one of the most prestigious apprenticeships at the time. These precision skills were later applied to projects which included work on Concord and the Harrier Jump Jet.

The engineering experience was put to good use in his first business venture repairing tools for a rental company working. Within 6 months the entrepreneurial spirit resulted in Chris buying out the company. Over the following ten years, Chris married and had four children. The family home was a converted Hop Kiln used in the brewing industry which had lain empty for thirty years having been abandoned during the Second World War.

This extensive, four year conversion project involved an extraordinary range of building techniques which Chris learned while labouring under an expert builder whom he had employed. It was this project which really started his interest in building restoration which continues to this day.

The rental company, in its present incarnation of supplying the restoration industry, continues to be a successful and thriving business.

In 1988 Chris founded the National Flood School which is now widely accepted as a leading authority in the restoration industry.

Industry landmarks:

• Conducted first IICRC Water Damage Restoration School, 1988.
• Started new Restoration Business as a division of the Rental Business.
• UK Distributor for Dri-Eaz products with fastest growing sales, 1989
• Winner of Product of the Year award at Hirex, 1989
• Acquired Bristol Dehumidifier manufacturing Company from British Electric Traction Company, 1990
• Qualified as Senior Tech with the British Damage Management Association, 2001
• Built first Flood House in Europe to teach IICRC Applied Structural Drying School, 2001
• Added Applied Structural Drying Instructor Grade, 2001
• Added Fire and Smoke Restoration Instructor Grade, 2001
• Joined the Board of IICRC representing the National Carpet Cleaning Association, 2002
• Appointed Financial Director of NCCA, 2002
• Added Carpet Cleaning Instructor Grade, 2002
• Served as the International Representative in the writing of the IICRC Mould Standard and Guide S520, 2003
• Appointed as Technical Author by British Standards Institute to write the Publicly Available Specification for Water Damage Restoration PAS64, 2004

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Adam Jankowski

Having studied Civil Engineering for his degree, Adam decided engineering was not for him. After college Adam started working life in the logistics industry working for the Littlewoods Group. Looking for a career which fitted his passion for volleyball and new family commitments (married at 21, father at 23) he found work in the Telecoms and IT industries. Working for nearly 10 years for well known companies like GEC and Olivetti amongst one or two others, Adam’s job description shifted over this period from sales, to sales and marketing, to account and project management and finally IT and business consultancy. His experiences were also greatly enhanced by a period of service of 8 years as a school governor serving on several committees including the Finance committee and chair of the Site and Buildings committee.

Always keen to start his own business, Adam was finally tempted out of the IT industry in 1992 to become Finance Director of a small venture capital construction company started by an acquaintance. Unfortunately, that did not work out as his financial advice fell on deaf ears and he had no option but to leave them to their own devices.

Although he had the unpleasant experience of having lost a substantial amount of money in this venture he had by now been bitten by the “self-employment bug” and began looking for new opportunities.

In 1993 Adam became the owner and director of a small carpet cleaning business called Valetek Limited (with the support of his good lady wife, Alicja). Now thoroughly enjoy being in this industry and with the benefit of some skills acquired in his previous careers, Adam has become involved in the wider aspects of it. Adam now sits on the board of directors of the National Carpet Cleaners Association and the UK Council of the IICRC, he is an instructor in the industry and undertakes consultancy and carpet inspection work. With over 10 years experience and a commitment to training and development of his own personal knowledge and his company's, Adam is quite an expert.

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Jim Holland REA, CMR, CR, WLS

Jim has been actively engaged in the cleaning and restoration industry for over 30 years. He is a CAL EPA Registered Environmental Assessor and OSHA authorized instructor, as well as an ASCR Certified Restorer and a Water Loss Specialist. He is also an Air Quality Association (IAQA) Certified Mould Remediator.

Jim is a Director of the Indoor Environmental Institute and a Technical Advisor to IAQA. In addition, presently he serves as a member of the IICRC S500 Water Damage Standard Edit Committee; and Technical Advisor Committee Chairman of the IICRC Health & Safety Committee and Applied Microbial Remediation Technician Committee. Jim is also a past member of the Water Loss Institute Advisory Committee.

As an internationally recognized instructor, consultant and author, Jim has conducted training programs for the University of Tulsa, Mid-Atlantic Environmental Hygiene Resource Center and currently operates the West Coast Training Center in America. Jim has been awarded the IAQA 2001 Trainer of the Year.

Jim has written a number of articles for the restoration industry and has won the ASCR Golden Quill Award for best contribution of the year to Cleaning and Restoration magazine. Jim also serves on the Advisory Board of Indoor Environmental Connections.

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Ralph Burkinshaw BSc, MA, FRICS, PGCHE

Mr.Ralph Burkinshaw qualified as a chartered building surveyor more than twenty years ago, and is now a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

Experience in surveying has included designing and supervising refurbishment of older building stock, as well as designing and building extensions to modern buildings.

Ralph is trade qualified too - in bricklaying - and achieved a silver trowel award from the Brick Development Association.

Co-author of the industry standard text 'Diagnosing Damp' in 2003 has been followed by lectures delivered to the chartered surveying and damage management industry. Mr Burkinshaw lectured on the building surveying courses at South Bank University for thirteen years. He has passed recognized courses in Water Damage Restoration and Applied Structural Drying at the National Flood School. Academic qualifications include a B.Sc honours degree in Estate Management and a Masters degree in Building Rehabilitation. Ralph has carried out quite extensive research into the use of moisture measuring equipment, and has published technical papers in several professional journals.

Recent investigations have centred on establishing the cause of underlying damp problems - when a building has refused to dry after a flood. Mr Burkinshaw is currently writing a practical text on a range of remedies to control and stop damp, as well as testing out moisture measuring equipment for a leading industry supplier.

Ralph now divides his time between undertaking construction contracts hands-on, researching and writing on dampness issues, carrying out practical testing of surveying equipment, and taking on commissions to survey property in all parts of the UK for a wide range of clients.

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