We aren't big on government either, but we do believe that uniform regulations need to be in place to protect consumers. It's obvious that your grandfather and your uncle were handy. But, the building code and contractor licensing are in place to ensure that health and safety codes and building laws are carefully monitored before, during and after construction.

At the turn of the century folks did business with a handshake. And that's still the way business is done in many parts of the country. But, when you're dealing with strangers, there is a chance that you might be duped. That's why licensing laws have been enacted in many states.

Building permits help to protect consumers. There are products on the market that are sold over the counter that either don't meet modern health and safety standards or are not energy efficient or that, when improperly installed, can be a real danger.

To a lay person, a recessed light fixture is a recessed light fixture. But today the law requires such a fixture to have an integral heat thermocouple. This turns the light fixture off automatically when it overheats a superb fire-prevention feature.

We're glad your house has held together so well. But we don't agree that there are too many regulations. We hope your home is as safe as the ones we build with our contractors' license, using the building code and building permits.