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Alvin Ubell

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Alvin Ubell is an architectural designer, building inspector, business owner, author, and TV and radio personality based in Brooklyn, NY.[1] He is an advocate for do-it-yourself home improvements and repairs that enhance safety, comfort and energy savings.[2] He currently serves as vice president, senior inspector (partner) and founder of Accurate Building Inspectors.[3]

Background and Education

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Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1933 to Russian-Polish immigrants, Alvin Ubell was raised speaking Yiddish. He is the third son of four brothers: Earl Ubell (1926), Seymour Ubell (1931), and Robert Ubell (1938).[4][5]

Ubell graduated from Tilden High School in Brooklyn, NY.[6] He attended Purdue University as an undergraduate and studied architecture at the Pratt Institute.[1] He joined the U.S. Navy in 1953 during the Korean War as a 3rd Class Petty Officer serving two years as a radiological warfare technologist and damage controlman on the troop training vessel, the USS Randall APA 224.[7]

Career

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During his early career, Alvin Ubell worked as a construction manager and architectural designer. He also worked as a cabinetmaker, carpenter, stair builder and draftsman.[1][6]

In 1961, Ubell co-founded, with his wife Estelle Rita, Accurate Building Inspectors (ABI), a home and building inspection firm in Brooklyn NY.[8] In 1983, Ubell’s son, Lawrence joined the company.[8] In addition to providing inspection services within the Greater New York area,[9] Ubell has provided expert testimony before the courts on matters involving construction standards and regulatory codes.[10] He has also been interviewed by news organizations in matters of construction hazards and public safety.[11]

Television

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From 1975 through 1981, the ABC Television Network hired Ubell to be featured as “Al Ubell” the “Household Hints & Safety Reporter” on the TV series Good Morning America (GMA).[12][13] During the weekly morning segment, Ubell was allotted two minutes and thirty seconds to demonstrate various home improvements and do-it-yourself home repairs such as replacing a home door lock.[14] During the approximate 250 episodes in which he appeared, Ubell was often joined by a Good Morning America host or reporter such as Steve Bell, David Hartman, Sandy Hill, Joan Lunden and others.[12] At the end of each TV segment, Ubell signed off by saying either, “America, go forth and save energy” or “America, go forth and fix.”[15]

From 1982-1983, Ubell worked on ABC TV’s “Kids are People Too”.[16] Thereafter, Ubell appeared on the WABC-TV “Regis Philbin Show” from 1982–84 and then on the WCBS-TV “New York” show from 1983-1990. Subsequent TV appearances include the ABC-TV Home Show[13] from 1991-1992, CNN[17][18] and a recorded video for ABC Video Entertainment titled, “America Go Forth & Save Energy”.[13]

Radio

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In 1981, Alvin Ubell made his first radio appearance on WNYC FM when Marty Wayne invited him as a guest on the “Senior Edition” program.[1] When Leonard Lopate assumed the role of new host for the program in 1985, Ubell was invited again as a regular monthly guest. In 1997, Ubell was joined on-air by his second son, Lawrence Ubell. Writing in 2006 about the Ubells on WNYC radio, New York Times journalist Jennifer Bleyer explained,

The Ubells are father and son, a pair of short, sturdy men with piano-key smiles. As independent building inspectors who describe themselves as the “Gurus of How-To,” they appear once a month on Mr. Lopate’s afternoon program, doling out home-repair tips along with friendly banter in robust Brooklynese.[1]

During the live radio broadcast of The Leonard Lopate Show, Ubell and his son advised WNYC callers on home improvements, building regulations, and preventive home repairs.[19] The Ubells also challenged Lopate listeners with a word quiz derived from the building industry nomenclature.[20] Ubell’s final guest appearance on WNYC FM was September 14, 2018.[21]

Ubell also appeared on the ABC’s TalkRadio Network from 1984-1988.[13][22]

In December 2018, Ubell and his son Lawrence joined the Leonard Lopate At Large show at WBAI New York 99.5 FM.[23]

Spokesperson

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Ubell was a product spokesperson for several national companies including Black & Decker, Brooklyn Union Gas, Carrier Corp., Rust-Oleum Corporation, and Slant/Fin. He has appeared in ad campaigns such as the Oldsmobile AAA “Winter Driving Safety Tips” TV commercials.[13] In 1982-83, Ubell was hired by General Electric to “promote the company's new "Quick Fix" program aimed at guiding appliance-buyers in making their own repairs on GE and Hotpoint washers, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerator-freezers and ranges.“[24]

As a spokesperson, Ubell also wrote articles for Rust-Oleum and True Value.[25]

Publications

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Ubell has written and co-authored several books on home improvement and repair which have been translated from English into Polish and French.[26]

  • Al Ubell's Energy-Saving Guide For Homeowners. Written by Alvin Ubell and George Merlis. (1980 & 2002)
  • Save Energy, Save Money. Written by Alvin Ubell and George Merlis. (2001)
  • Recipes For Home Repair. Written by Alvin Ubell and Sam Bittman. (1974 & 1976)

From 1980-2005, Ubell was “Household Hints & Safety Editor”, and contributing author for Family Circle magazine writing articles on safe housekeeping and home repairs.[27]

Membership

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Ubell was a member of American Institute of Architects (AIA)[13] and was a 1976 charter member of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) and chair person of the Ethics Committee at a time when home inspectors were not required to have licenses or permits, only insurance.[13][8]

Awards

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  • Achievement & Ethics, Institute of Jewish Humanities.(June 2000).
  • American Hardware Manufacturers Association (August 1986).
  • U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (Feb. 1982).[28]

Personal life

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Alvin Ubell has three children from his marriage with Estelle Rita Ubell: Charles Ubell, Lawrence Ubell, and Anna Ubell Garcia.[29]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Bleyer, Jennifer (2006-09-03). "The Linoleum Guys". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  2. ^ Yenckel, James T. (1980-10-24). "ENERGY: Ah . . . A Weekend To Insulate". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  3. ^ "Lawrence Ubell and Alvin Ubell - Newsroom Author Details". www.homeinspector.org. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  4. ^ Bernstein, Adam (2007-05-31). "Earl Ubell, 80; Reporter on Science and Health". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  5. ^ Lavietes, Stuart (2007-05-31). "Earl Ubell, Who Enlightened Public on Science, Dies at 80". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  6. ^ a b Posner, Edna. (May 14, 1971). Mirror Focus. Daily Mirror.
  7. ^ "USS RANDALL (APA-224) Crew Roster". 2023-05-03. Archived from the original on 2023-05-03. Retrieved 2023-08-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. ^ a b c "News: ABI's 50th Anniversary, Accurate Building Inspectors ® | 1-800-640-8285 |". accuratebuilding.com. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  9. ^ Radcliffe, Virginia (1971-11-21). "These Diagnosticians Check On the Health of a House". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  10. ^ "The Unbalanced Power of Expert Witnesses | The Leonard Lopate Show". WQXR. 2015-11-20. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  11. ^ "Experts point to likely wood rot in California balcony collapse". Reuters. 2015-06-18. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  12. ^ a b Jr, Edward Bliss (2010-06-01). Now the News: The Story of Broadcast Journalism. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-52193-2.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g "Curriculum Vitae for Alvin Ubell - Accurate Building Inspectors ® | 1-800-640-8285 |". www.accuratebuilding.com. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  14. ^ ABC Network - Good Morning America - WLS- TV (Mostly Complete Broadcast, 8/17/1979) 📺, retrieved 2023-08-02
  15. ^ KRGV TV 5 Good Morning America from March 1980, retrieved 2023-08-02
  16. ^ "May 11, 1981. ;AL". Getty Images. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  17. ^ "CNN.com - Transcripts". www.cnn.com. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  18. ^ "CNN.com - Transcripts". www.cnn.com. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  19. ^ "Al and Larry Ubell, Gurus of How-To | The Leonard Lopate Show". WNYC. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  20. ^ "The Gurus of How-To | The Leonard Lopate Show". WNYC. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  21. ^ "The Ubells on Autumn Home Repairs | Midday on WNYC". WNYC. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  22. ^ Advertisement for ABC TalkRadio. (April 15, 1985). https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1985/BC-1985-04-15.pdf. Broadcasting Magazine, page 16. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  23. ^ Home repair experts Alvin and Lawrence Ubell answer your how-to questions. (12/18/18), retrieved 2023-08-02
  24. ^ Yenckel, James T. (1982-04-02). "COPING: Mr. Fix-It's Quick Fix". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  25. ^ Ubell, Alvin. (March 24, 1988). The "Guru of How-To" solves common household mysteries. http://www.digifind-it.com/watertown/DATA/TownTimes/1988/03-24-1988%20Home%20Improv%20Gd.pdf. The Town Times, page 9. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  26. ^ "Alvin Ubell - Search Results". worldcat.org. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  27. ^ "Consumer Guides: Family Circle Articles - Accurate Building Inspectors ® | 1-800-640-8285 |". accuratebuilding.com. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  28. ^ Consumer Product Safety Commission Certificate (February 9, 1982) http://accuratebuilding.com/about_us/Alvin_Ubell_Consumer_Product_Safety_Commision_Award_feb9_1982.pdf. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  29. ^ Ubell, Alvin; Merlis, George (2001). Save Energy, Save Money: Simple Steps to Stash Your Energy Use and Costs. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-02-864279-6.
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