Hey there AlexG,
I've been meaning to write to say good luck with your rebuilding. I was in NOLA for the 1st time a couple months ago, and I was completely unprepared for what I saw. A small group of us took a few hours to go through the 9th ward, St. Bernard Parish and several other neighborhoods with names I can't recall. To me it looked like what I imagine things would look like after a nuclear attack. Nothing but empty shells of houses and boarded up strip malls mile after mile. The local guy that was driving us around broke into tears several times. I asked a waitress at my hotel how she was doing and she spent 15 minutes (other tables be damned) describing how mentally screwed up everybody still was.
I try to tell the people back home what I saw, but honestly I don't think you can comprehend it unless you see it.
I have enjoyed reading about your rebuild, and your 1st person knowledge of the current building industry practices.
Good luck!