Prime Minister pledges his '100 per cent' support for Health Secretary
Tory MP Nadine Dorries says No 10 encouraged ministers to 'smear' Lansley Escalation comes after three unnamed Ministers call for Bill to be scrapped

By Simon Walters

Last updated at 11:40 AM on 12th February 2012

Rattled David Cameron has been forced to come out fighting to save his NHS reforms and prevent Health Secretary Andrew Lansley falling victim to a dirty tricks plot by Cabinet Ministers.

In an angry meeting at No?10, he thumped the table as he vowed to press ahead with the changes, saying: ‘We’ve not shed blood on these proposals not to go through with them.’

Last night he stepped up his offensive, reading the riot act to rebel Ministers, pledging his ‘100 per cent’ support for embattled Mr Lansley, and declaring he is ‘absolutely determined’ not to do a U-turn on the health shake-up. 

Coming out fighting: David Cameron, the Prime Minister, left, last night stepped up his offensive as he tries to save his controversial NHS reforms and the career of his Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, right

But Mr Cameron faced a fierce counter-attack by Tory MP and  ex-nurse Nadine Dorries, who supports the reforms and claims No?10 had encouraged Ministers to ‘smear’ Mr Lansley.

‘Lansley is toast. It is clear that Cameron wants to kill his own NHS Bill – and Andrew Lansley’s career with it,’ she writes in today’s Mail on Sunday.

She says that instead of pillorying Mr Lansley, No?10 should have advised him on how to explain his reforms to patients.

 

Counter-attack: Tory MP Nadine Dorries has laid into Mr Cameron, claiming No 10 had encouraged Ministers to 'smear' Mr Lansley

The escalation in the NHS row came after three unnamed Cabinet Ministers used a Tory website to call for the Bill to be scrapped.

Mr Cameron said yesterday: ‘Andrew Lansley has my 100 per cent support. He is a very strong Health Secretary and is staying  in his job.’

And in a warning shot to Mr Lansley’s Cabinet enemies, a Downing Street spokesman added: ‘The Prime Minister is quite clear – the collective responsibility of the Cabinet means that Mr Lansley has its full support.’

Mr Cameron called the rebel Ministers’ bluff by challenging them to repeat their private criticism of Mr Lansley to him.

The spokesman said: ‘No one has raised this issue with him either before or after these reports appeared.’

In a further sign of his concern, Mr Cameron referred to the way the NHS helped him and wife Samantha cope with their disabled son Ivan, who died in 2009, as proof of his personal faith in the health service.

He said: ‘The reforms are necessary; I am totally committed to the NHS; I and my family have personal experience  of it and I want it to remain free at the point of use.’

He plans to take personal charge of the NHS changes following a loss of confidence in Mr Lansley among voters and Ministers alike.

Mr Cameron will visit a hospital this week in a public display of his commitment to the NHS and plans a series of interviews spelling out why the changes are needed.

Ivan, Mr Cameron's late son: The PM referred to the way the NHS helped him and wife Samantha cope with the disabled son boy, who died in 2009, as proof of his personal faith in the health service

Ministers are increasingly alarmed at the way the NHS Bill, designed to slash bureaucracy and boost efficiency by switching power and money to GPs and patients, has come under attack from Labour, the Lib Dems – and now the Tory Cabinet.

Many Tory MPs think it is too late to save Mr Lansley. Claims that the legislation could be a repeat of the ill-fated Poll Tax that helped bring down Margaret Thatcher have set alarm bells ringing.

Tim Montgomerie, of grassroots website ConservativeHome, said three Cabinet Ministers had urged him to call for the reforms to be dropped – and Mr Lansley sacked.

Opponents? Chancellor George Osborne has publicly supported the reforms, but some MPs say he has privately expressed doubts. Michael Gove, the Education Secretary is also said to be worried about the plan

His statement led to intense speculation as to their identity.

Publicly, Chancellor George Osborne says he supports the  Bill – but some MPs say he has grave private doubts.

Education Secretary Michael Gove, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Paterson and Leader of the Commons Sir George Young are also said to be worried about the reform plan.

By NADINE DORRIES

Last updated at 11:40 AM on 12th February 2012

Last week a prominent political journalist wrote that a No?10 aide had said: ‘Lansley should be taken out and shot.’

Let’s get one thing straight: if you work in No?10 and you say something like that to a newspaper, you absolutely know it is going to be reported and you would only say it if you had been told to say it – or you wanted to lose your job.

No?10 aides aren’t known for their professional kamikaze tendencies so it has to be assumed that whoever said it was acting under orders.

'Machiavellian tendencies': Ms Dorries, right, says the order to smear Mr Lansley was 'most likely' given by Chancellor Osborne, left, as part of an orchestrated campaign against the Health Secretary

In my view, those orders are most likely to have been issued by George Osborne, who knocks the Machiavellian tendencies of Gordon Brown into the shadows.

Such a briefing sends a clear message to Ministers: it was code for the Prime Minister’s general direction of travel. It said: ‘Feel free to start smearing Lansley.’

David Cameron’s endorsement of Lansley in the Commons on Wednesday, when he told Ed  Miliband that Lansley’s chance of holding on to his job was ‘safer than yours’, was conspicuously tepid, bearing in mind Miliband’s dismal ratings. There is only one conclusion: Lansley is toast.

The same No?10 aide also mooted the possibility of former Labour Minister Alan Milburn being appointed to the Lords and put in charge of overseeing the NHS reforms. Again, it is my view that this was a carefully calculated, deliberate leak.

There was never a more vexatious piece of legislation than the NHS Bill, which Lansley has been immersed in for seven years.

His reforms run through every vein and artery of the NHS and are exactly the kind of changes a blue-sky-thinking Conservative Government should be implementing. These are reforms, I might add, that Cameron supported, before the Liberal Democrats mutilated the Bill with hundreds of amendments.

It should have been a winner: Unfortunately, Mr Lansley's attention to detail made it almost impossible for him to speak about the reforms in terms people could understand, Ms Dorries says

The NHS reforms were being worked out long before we were in a coalition and the initial Bill was Conservative to its core, as far from a Liberal Democrat top-heavy view of the NHS as you could possibly get.

The irony is that, originally, it wasn’t that difficult to sell. Messages which articulated the fact that GPs became holders of budgets which empowered patients and put them in the driving seat were clear and simple to get over.

All patients needed to be told was that they would be able to sit in front of a GP and ask: ‘You hold the purse strings now, why can’t I have that drug?’

It should have been a winner with the public. Unfortunately, Lansley’s attention to detail made it almost impossible for him to speak about the reforms in terms people could understand.

He is a man of exceptional intelligence but speaks in the jargon of integrated care pathways, learning networks and triggers for intervention.

The reforms are highly complex and No?10 should have helped Lansley to explain them. Instead they have left him to his fate.

Then Nick Clegg’s chippy Lib Dems got their teeth into the Bill.

They have caused so much mischief, you could be forgiven for forgetting we are in a coalition.

They may have only 52 MPs, but they display the arrogance of a party that knows it holds the balance of power – even though they face annihilation at the next General Election. 

Machinations: Mr Cameron, center, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, background left, and Mr Lansley, on a visit to a patient ward at Frimley Park hospital in April last year

It is clear that Cameron wants  to kill his own NHS Bill – and Lansley’s career with it. Now that Downing Street has started to smear one of its own Secretaries of State, confidence in the Bill and Lansley – a dedicated and loyal public servant, whose only crime has been to apply his immense intelligence and Conservative principles with absolute dedication – will collapse.

A new Secretary of State will be appointed to carry the changes through to a natural conclusion. Many have already been put in place. Primary Health Care Trusts have all but gone; GPs have organised themselves into consortiums; hospitals have adapted.

What is left of Lansley’s reforms will be jettisoned. No doubt it will placate Clegg, but at the expense of a better health service.

I fear the malicious briefings will continue and Lansley will be replaced as soon as Cameron and Clegg can agree upon a replacement ready to please the Lib Dems.

Sadly, it merely goes to show just how far Cameron has removed himself from core Conservative principles.

 

Continued here:
NHS reforms: David Cameron lashes out at Cabinet back-stabbers in support of Andrew Lansley

Diane Prather

To make “Ham Chowder,” you’ll need:

• 2 cups diced potatoes

• 1 cup diced carrots

• 1 cup diced celery

• ¾ cup diced onion

• 8 slices bacon

• 2 cups cubed ham

• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup

• 3 to 4 cups milk

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Prepare vegetables, and put them in a large kettle or dutch oven with water to cook. While the vegetables are cooking, cook the bacon so that it can be crumbled.

Drain the bacon and let it cool slightly. When the vegetables are done, crumble the bacon and add it to the vegetables. Then add the ham, soup, and milk. Stir thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat thoroughly.

Clam chowder has been on my mind lately, and I don’t really have a great clam chowder recipe, so that’s what I recently requested from readers. In the meantime, I recently fixed a ham. I searched my files for a recipe to use up the leftover ham pieces. That’s when I found a ham chowder recipe.

The recipe calls for several ingredients, including vegetables, cubed ham and bacon. (I even thought about adding clams.) Anyway, I made the recipe, which makes a lot of servings, and it was quite tasty. I was wondering if the chowder might even have a more delicious taste if left in the refrigerator overnight.

However, as it turns out, there were no leftovers, not because my husband and I ate the entire pot of chowder, but because after putting the chowder in a big bowl, I accidentally hit it with my arm. Chowder ran down the cabinet doors, drenched my socks, and covered the floor in one gooey mess.

Pieces of potatoes and ham skipped across the floor to the other side of the kitchen. I hadn’t cleaned up such a mess in a long time.

But the chowder is good, and it’s a nice way to use leftover ham. So, if you’d like to make “Ham Chowder,” you’ll need these ingredients: 2 cups of diced potatoes; 1 cup diced carrots; 1 cup diced celery; ¾ cup diced onion; 2 cups cubed ham; 8 slices of bacon; 2 cans cream of mushroom soup; 3 to 4 cups milk; and salt and pepper, to taste.

Note: I didn’t think my husband and I would like as much celery, carrots, and onions as called for in the recipe so I cut these ingredients down to half. I used the two cups of diced potatoes, however.

In a large kettle or dutch oven, cook the potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion in water until done. I added enough water so that the vegetables were covered, brought the mixture to a boil, and reduced the heat, stirring occasionally. While the vegetables are cooking, fry the bacon until you can crumble it (but not too done). Cool the bacon. When the vegetables are done, crumble the bacon and add it to the vegetables.

Then add the ham, soup, milk, and salt and pepper. Stir well and simmer until thoroughly heated. Serve in bowls or mugs with a crisp green salad and crackers.

I’m still looking for a clam chowder recipe. If you have a favorite, call me at 824-8809 or write to me at P.O. Box 415, Craig, CO 81626.

Click here to have the print version of the Craig Daily Press delivered to your home.

Read more:
Over A Cup: ‘Ham Chowder’ a decent replacement for clam chowder

*Note: This was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Do you have a real estate story that you'd like to share? Sign up with the Yahoo! Contributor Network to start publishing your own finance articles.

In a competitive market, it's important to stand out from the crows if you want to sell your home quickly. One way to do this is with upgrades and renovations. Unfortunately, even small remodeling projects can get costly -- and you don't want to spend more money than you'd make on the sale.

Fortunately, it's possible to buy paint, home siding, light fixtures, and just about anything else a contractor ever needed at huge discounts by buying used. The stuff is usually good quality, and looks brand new in your house. So, if you're planning on remodeling before you sell, why not save a bit of money?

Habitat ReStore

Habitat for Humanity builds and restores homes for low-income and needy families. The charity builds homes all over the U.S. and ends up with plenty of left-over materials or salvaged pieces from old houses. Habitat for Humanity opened retail stores, the Habitat ReStore, across the nation to sell the extras. The store is a remodeler's dream. You can find everything from door frames to stained glass windows at huge discounts. And if you're upgrading or remodeling a historic home - the ReStore has you covered. You can find all sorts of upgrades - like claw foot tubs and ceiling medallions - that buyer's love to see in older homes.

Your Contractor

If you're working with a contractor, he may have extra supplies on hand or know where to buy them at a discount. Contractors often know of clearance sells and going out of business deals from local material suppliers. Since you're going to be selling the house and not living in it, it probably won't matter to you if the granite counter tops are a different shade than what you ideally would have wanted, and you can save a lot by not being picky.

Home Improvement Stores

Small upgrades - like new bathroom faucets or door knobs - can make a huge difference to potential buyers, and local home improvement stores often sell them on clearance for next to nothing. For examples, stores like Home Depot and Lowe's put over stock items on clearance several times a year.

To save even more - look for gallons of unsold paint. If the paint department mixed the wrong color of paint, or made a mistake in the shade, they'll sell the unsold gallons at a huge discount. If you have a room with stained or faded walls, pick up a gallon or two of this unwanted premixed paint. It may not be the color you'd choose for your own home, but you'll cover up those unsightly walls before the first open house.

Your Neighbor

Garage sales and classified ads are great places to find cheap home building materials. I once bought four doors for a rental property for $15 a piece at a garage sale. Check out the garage sale ads in your area and look for sells that mention building materials, recent home upgrades, or remodeling sales.

If you're going to hunt garage sales and local listings, have an idea in mind of what you want to buy. Consider upgrades that a buyer would care about like updated flooring, fresh exterior paint, or upgraded appliances and then seek out those items. These sellers often sell left over tiles, extra gallons of paint and their old appliances.

Read the original:
First Person: Pre-Sale Remodeling Doesn't Have to Be Expensive

HartmanBaldwin Design/Build was recognized for its contemporary kitchen remodel with a 2011 Gold Master Design Award from Qualified Remodeler magazine.

Claremont, CA, (PRWEB) February 10, 2012

HartmanBaldwin has been named a 2011 Master Design Awards winner by Qualified Remodeler magazine. The national and prestigious annual awards program, now in its 33rd year, recognizes outstanding achievement in residential remodeling projects in 22 categories. HartmanBaldwin won a Gold Master Design Award in the Room Remodel category.

The project chosen for the award was the Oshay Residence, which the panel of judges selected based on its aesthetic appeal, construction techniques, financial value, functionality of space and positive overall impression. The scope of the project included a comprehensive remodel of the home’s common areas: the kitchen, family room and game room. The focal point of the project, a double-sided stone fireplace, visually connects all adjacent spaces.

The home, originally built in 1994, now features a new floor plan that delineates spaces while still providing a cozy, inviting living area conducive to family and social gatherings. This next-generation take on the “great room” concept includes a kitchen that promotes an upscale artisan quality, a living room that strikes a balance between formality and function and a game room that features a billiard table in its center and an impressive corner wet bar.

The Gold Master Design Award is regarded as an accomplishment by HartmanBaldwin, as the firm appreciates industry recognition. “We are so proud to receive this award and share it with our clients,” Karla Rodriguez of HartmanBaldwin says. “Whenever we start a project, our focus is to achieve the client’s dream without compromising the quality of the remodel. We are so happy to have achieved that with the Oshay Residence project, and this award is proof of that.”

Profiles of the projects selected as winners of the 2011 Master Design Awards were published in the October 2011 issue of Qualified Remodeler and appear on the magazine’s website at QualifiedRemodeler.com. The projects will also serve as cover story focuses for the next 12 months. As the year draws to a close, HartmanBaldwin counts the Oshay Residence Project among its most esteemed accomplishments of 2011.

About HartmanBaldwin - HartmanBaldwin Design/Build has been remodeling and restoring homes for nearly 30 years. It has won over twenty-five local and national awards for design and building, including the Gold Nugget Grand Award, sponsored by the Pacific Coast Builders Conference and Builder Magazine; several Renaissance Design Competition Grand Awards, sponsored by the NAHB Remodelers Council and Remodeling Magazine; and numerous Architectural Commission Excellence in Design Awards.

About Quality Remodeler Founded in 1975, Qualified Remodeler magazine was the first magazine dedicated to serving the residential remodeling market. The magazine, which provides leading-edge information to help remodelers remain competitive in a changing economy, is published by Cygnus Business Media and serves an audience of more than 83,000 residential remodeling firms nationwide.

###

Karla J. Rodriguez
HartmanBaldwin Design/Build
909-670-1345
Email Information

See the article here:
HartmanBaldwin Design/Build Kitchen and Family Room Remodel Wins Master Design Award

Listing agents describe the home at 51 Ledgeways, in Wellesley Farms, as an “exquisite 1930s colonial.” It’s hard to find better words than these. This home is lovely on the outside: large and well-kept, with attractive creamy yellow siding, and black shutters. Those that like their privacy will appreciate that it is slightly hidden from the street, at the top of a hilly driveway and behind a pine tree woods on its lot at the corner of Edge Hill Road.

But it’s on the inside that this home will bowl you over. Coldwell Banker agent Jane Collinson Reidy (with co-listing agent Margaret Kunz) is listing it at $1,795,000. It’s different from your typical colonial, she notes. Three distinct sections, warm colors, hardwood floors, and delightful, mostly original design surprises are around every corner. Major, expensive renovations (landscaping of the entire property, including installation of a new rear patio and waterfall; a gut-renovated kitchen with granite finishes and top-of-the-line appliances; central air installation completed throughout the entire house; attic insulation; a new boiler and hot water tank; and fresh interior and exterior painting throughout) have been completed within the past few years.

The amenities will make it easy to move in. A layout friendly to someone who works at home, relaxes at home, and likes to entertain in style will make it easy to stay.

The home’s three sections are apparent even from the outside. From left to right, they include the raised family room (over the two-car garage, recently redone with a Garage Tek floor), the kitchen, dining room and butler’s pantry and the library/home office and raised living room (underneath two additional upstairs bedrooms). Not visible from the front but behind the living room, at the rear of the home and with its own exit to the back patio and wooded corner lot, is a three-season porch. It’s uniquely designed with three walls of windows, painted white and deeply recessed enough to place a coffee cup or wine glass. The porch is easily large enough for a dining table for four to six and a few easy chairs. It, and the bluestone patio behind, is sheltered from the neighbors’ view by trees and a natural-wood fence.

The home has two primary entrances. Both are accessed via stone steps and bluestone walkways to the right off the driveway, which curves up a hill from the street. The first set of steps runs to the front door; the second enters the kitchen through a slate-floored mudroom.

Inside the formal front entrance, the foyer is painted a warm rusty red. Trim is cream, and floors are dark-stained oak. After a small vestibule is a hallway running straight to the back of the home. A back doorway under a keystone arch leads to the back patio. To the right off the front foyer is the 15-by-15-foot library, separated from the hallway by a pocket door. It’s carpeted in understated black-and-white checks, has wood-paneled walls and built-in shelves, a wood-burning fireplace and recessed lights. Perfect for a leather couch, conducting the family affairs, and (if you are so inclined) sipping whiskey. To the left is the 15-by-13-foot dining room, painted dark teal, with chair rails. A gorgeous wrought-iron chandelier is included in the home’s sale price. The space will easily fit a table for eight and sideboard.

The 14-by-23-foot kitchen is accessed through a butler’s pantry. The butler’s pantry features black, honed-granite countertops, glass-front shelving for glassware, a mini dishwasher and sink. Kitchen walls are warm peach; granite countertops and a tiered island are mottled peach-pink and black. The island has large, double stainless sinks, room for three barstools and a built-in microwave oven; opposite it is a five-burner Wolf gas stove. An oversized Sub-Zero fridge is hidden behind white wooden cabinets, and a full-size wine fridge is on the other end of the kitchen. Plenty of cabinet space above and below the countertops allows room for dishware and groceries.

The kitchen features a particularly lovely, fireplaced, 13-by-11-foot breakfast nook. It overlooks the back patio through a row of 16-paned windows. Two easy chairs, a rug and center table currently face the brick fireplace, with distressed wood surround. A half Palladian window looks out to the mudroom and side entrance beyond. Another, possibly original, 20-paned window is easily 20 square feet and also overlooks the back patio. It’s next to French doors leading out back.

There are two ways upstairs; one set of stairs leading up from the breakfast nook goes to a family room, while a second set leads up from the front foyer to a fireplaced living room at the first landing, and bedrooms at the second level. Not to be overlooked is the beautiful natural-and-white balustrade.

The route from the breakfast nook is similar: Halfway between the first and second floors, a 19- by 19-foot family room was added to the home about six years ago. The family room has light oak floors, pale teal walls, and five skylights. Additional windows overlook the driveway and gabled windows look out on the front yard. A few more stairs from the family room finish the trip upstairs, ending in the master bedroom.

The 14-by-17-foot master is one of four bedrooms, not counting a fifth basement-level bedroom (with an en suite bath) currently used as a home gym. The entire suite is carpeted wall-to-wall in cream and has a brown marble bath with jetted soaking tub and separate shower, and a changing nook with his-and-hers double closets.

Three more bedrooms range in size from 15 by 15 feet to 13 by 12 feet, and all access a large hall bath with a tub and shower. Additionally upstairs, next to the master bedroom, is a laundry closet with a sink.

 

DETAILS

 

Address:51 Ledgeways, Wellesley, 02481

BR/BA:four bedrooms, three full and one half bath

Living area:3,580 square feet (not counting partially finished basement)

Age:1930; many recent updates

Price:$1,795,000

Taxes:$19,860 (FY12)

Close by:Wellesley Farms neighborhood of winding, hilly, tree-lined roads off Cliff Road. About a mile from Wellesley Hills with shopping, Wellesley Hills commuter rail stop to Boston, restaurants, post office. Also one mile from Wellesley Farms commuter rail stop. Convenient to Routes 9 and 16 and about three miles from Route 95/128. Less than a mile to Carisbrooke Reservation — 12 acres of conservation land with walking/hiking trails. Close to Weston line.

School District:Sprague

Listing agent: Margaret Kunz and Jane Collinson Reidy. (w) 781-237-9090, ext. 525, or Jane’s cell: 617-543-9690. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. Also email: JReidy@nemoves.com.

Web: http://www.NewEnglandMoves.com

 

See more wonderful Wellesley homes at wickedlocal.com/wellesley

More here:
Wellesley Home of the Week: 51 Ledgeways

With new introductions in its corporate, windows, siding and Canadian groups, Ply Gem will exhibit a broad range of products and business building solutions for both the residential new construction and home remodeling markets in IBS booth W1101. The Designed Exterior by Ply Gem will be on display, including information from the recent “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” build in Joplin, Mo. “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” designers Paul DiMeo and Tracy Hutson will be in Ply Gem’s booth during IBS to discuss the Joplin build and sign autographs.

Cary, NC (PRWEB) February 08, 2012

Ply Gem®, a leading manufacturer of exterior building products, is showcasing its comprehensive offering of home exterior products and solutions in booth W1101 at the 2012 International Builders’ Show (IBS) from February 8-11 in Orlando, Fl. With new introductions in its corporate, windows, siding and Canadian groups, Ply Gem will exhibit a broad range of products and business building solutions for both the residential new construction and home remodeling markets.

The Designed Exterior by Ply Gem

New for 2012, Ply Gem has expanded The Designed Exterior by Ply Gem and developed new business building tools, specific to the remodeling and new construction markets. The Designed Exterior is a complete exterior home solution combining everything Ply Gem has to offer – including windows, siding, stone veneer, fence, rail, accessories and accents – and was introduced to help builders, contractors and their customers realize the possibilities in exterior home design.

The new tools – including field guides, product specifications and a free online visualizer available at http://www.plygem.com – illustrate how The Designed Exterior by Ply Gem concept can be implemented in exterior home renovations and new building.

The Designed Exterior by Ply Gem was recently seen on the series finale of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” through a seven home build for families affected by the tornado that tore through Joplin, Mo. in May 2011. Ply Gem provided virtually all of the exterior products for these seven homes, tailoring the designs to complement the personalities of each family. “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” designers Paul DiMeo and Tracy Hutson will be in Ply Gem’s booth during IBS from 10 a.m. - noon and 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. daily to discuss the Joplin build and sign autographs.

Windows

Expansions to the aluminum-clad Ply Gem® Windows Mira Premium Series are being introduced. These include custom sizes to help customers find the perfect window opening fit for new construction and remodeling projects, and a new bi-parting door, with a four-panel option for architectural and custom home designs.

Ideal for coastal regions, impact glass options have been expanded to the remodeling market through the new Ply Gem Windows Impact Replacement Series. The windows have a design pressure rating of +50/-57 and are compliant with the Texas Department of Insurance and approved by the Florida Building Commission.

New window design elements for 2012 include a 3 ½-inch flat casing exterior frame option for the Ply Gem Windows Pro Classic Series. Developed in response to high customer demand for a low-maintenance alternative to traditional wood trim, this option provides a historical colonial American exterior look, popular in the New England and mid-Atlantic regions. The casing expands the choices available through The Designed Exterior by Ply Gem, as a complementary design element for architectural home styles such as Georgian, Tuscan and French Country.

Siding, Fence & Rail

The Ply Gem siding group has a number of new product introductions at IBS to help builders and remodelers create the perfect exterior for their customers. Many of Ply Gem’s siding lines have expanded colors for 2012 including four new deep shades on NAPCO® by Ply Gem American Splendor and Variform® by Ply Gem Vortex Extreme Premium Vinyl Siding. NAPCO by Ply Gem, Variform by Ply Gem and Georgia-Pacific are also adding new colors to their shake and shingle and board and batten lines, including the dark hues.

With insulated siding now recognized by ENERGY STAR® and other programs as continuous insulation and a valid material to reduce thermal bridging, Ply Gem offers insulated siding systems to blanket home exteriors including: Variform by Ply Gem ClimaForce™ Insulated Siding and Mastic Home Exteriors® by Ply Gem Structure® Home Insulation System with recycled content.

Ply Gem Stone True Stack modular stone is an ideal introduction for those looking for a time saving solution. The modular pieces, in three different lengths, provide clean and simple installation for a rustic, dry-stack style

Beyond exterior cladding, Kroy® by Ply Gem fence and rail brand is introducing new, decorative and Woodland Select™ variegated caps to complement the look of their privacy, picket, ranch rail and vinyl & composite railing products.

Canada

The Canadian product portfolio of Ply Gem now includes a comprehensive offering of windows, entry doors, siding, manufactured stone, brick veneer, fence and rail.

Ply Gem previously offered windows, entry doors, fence and rail in Canada, and is expanding in 2012 to include vinyl siding, manufactured stone and brick veneer, and additional window lines. Products are available under the Ply Gem brand for windows, Variform by Ply Gem brand for siding, Richwood® Exterior Finishings by Ply Gem brand for accents and accessories, Ply Gem Stone brand for stone and brick veneer, and Kroy by Ply Gem brand for fence and rail.

One recent product introduction in Canada is the PrismaClad Colour program, which provides virtually limitless color options for window exteriors, including 30 signature colours, 17 woodgrain colours and 12 metallic colors for an additional fee. For a truly custom color, the DuraMatch color matching process allows the ability to match nearly any existing shade, making it an ideal solution for projects that do not involve the replacement of every window. The color solutions are available on all products within the Ply Gem Canada Elite Series Regency and Fusion product lines and will be on display in the booth.

To learn more about Ply Gem’s comprehensive offering for the home exterior, log onto http://www.plygem.com or visit Ply Gem in booth W1101 at the International Builders’ Show.

About Ply Gem

Ply Gem, headquartered in Cary, N.C., is a leading manufacturer of exterior building products in North America. Ply Gem produces a comprehensive product line of vinyl siding, designer accents and skirting, vinyl fencing and vinyl and composite railing, stone veneer and vinyl windows and doors used in both new construction and home repair and remodeling in the United States and Western Canada. Ply Gem siding brands include Mastic Home Exteriors®, Variform®, NAPCO®, Ply Gem® Stone, Kroy®, Cellwood®, Georgia Pacific, DuraBuilt®, Richwood®, Leaf Relief®, Gutter Warrior™ and Monticello® Columns. Ply Gem also manufactures vinyl and aluminum soffit and siding accessories, aluminum trim coil, wood windows, aluminum windows, vinyl and aluminum-clad windows and steel and fiberglass doors. Ply Gem windows and patio door brands include Ply Gem® Windows, Mastic® Replacement Windows, Ply Gem® Canada and Great Lakes® Window. The company’s brands are sold through short-line and two-step distributors, pro dealers, home improvement dealers and big box retailers. Ply Gem employs more than 4,300 people across North America. Visit http://www.plygem.com for more information.

###

Ashley Eisner
Gibbs & Soell
(212) 697-2600
Email Information

Go here to see the original:
Ply Gem to Exceed Demands of Builders and Remodelers at 2012 International Builders’ Show with New Home Exterior ...

Q: As a fairly skilled DIY'er and fairly new homeowner (18 months), I appreciate the experience that you bring to your column. I hope you can help us with a product recommendation.

Our 2 1/2-story 1925 Pittsburgh house has Insulbrick siding on the first floor. On three sides, the siding is in good to excellent condition (some parts also being newer), and its appearance is good enough that our next-door neighbor, who has lived there for 50 years, did not realize it was not real brick. However, on the rear of the house, which gets the afternoon sun, the siding is in worse shape. I have patched it in places with scraps of Insulbrick salvaged from a Dumpster and sealed the joints with asphalt roofing compound (the kind that comes in a caulking-type tube), but it is not perfect and will not last forever. I really like the character the brick appearance gives to the house.

Can you recommend an affordable brick-effect siding? Ideally, we would hope to find one available in a Craftsman-compatible style of dark red brick with dark pointing. — Pittsburgh

A: Insulbrick is an asphalt-based fiberboard with a granular facing that mimics real bricks. It comes in large panels that are normally nailed to a wood sheathing. The problem with it is that, because of its asphalt base, it is an exterior vapor barrier, which can lead to condensation on its back and structural decay of the wood material behind it. Removal of this siding has often revealed carpenter ant infestation because of the moisture accumulating behind it. Mortgage companies have often refused to lend money for houses covered with this material because of these problems.

The deterioration of the siding on the sunny side of your house is caused by the heat of the afternoon sun. Hopefully, it does not mean there is a problem behind it.

You may be able to find a suitable replacement at http://www.fauxpanels.com.

PAINTING INTERIOR BASEMENT

Q: I am improving the appearance of my interior basement after repairing and replacing the drainage pipes from the roof downspouts on the exterior. My house is about 60 years old, and the basement walls and floor were painted by previous owners. I want to repaint both the walls and the floor. The walls and floor are both staying dry, with no seepage.

I am planning on scraping and wire-brushing the walls, which have some loose paint and loose mortar. Is there any special treatment that I can apply before I paint? What type of paint would you recommend?

The floor has some loose, flaky paint that I will also scrape and wire-brush. Some parts are nothing but dry, dusty old paint. I have no idea what to do with this condition. Other parts still have intact paint but need to be repainted with the rest of the floor. Again, is there any special pretreatment, and what paint would you recommend? — Pittsburgh

A: Painting concrete block or cinder-block foundations is never a good idea. Regular paint is likely to peel if there is any moisture behind it, and applying a waterproof paint can result in the buildup of water within the cores of the blocks, with disastrous consequences in the living spaces above and in the attic.

The fact there is loose paint and mortar on the walls is an indication that there is, or has been, a moisture problem. Therefore, it is preferable that you use non-waterproofing paint that can peel if the problem persists. You'll have to paint it again, but you'll be avoiding a far worse scenario.

As for the floor, prepare it thoroughly, as should be done for all painting jobs, and use a concrete deck paint. Moisture coming through the concrete is likely to repeat what you are faced with now.

Poor installation may explain drafty windows

Q: I live in a fairly new home. About five years ago, I replaced all of my windows. I installed new Marvin windows that are wood on the inside only. The problem is that there is a noticeable air leak from all of the windows. The company that installed the windows put in an extra strip of rubber at the base of the bottom window. This did help some, but there is moisture on the inside of the windows (sometimes up to 2 inches all around the windows) every day in cold weather. Once I even saw ice on the inside of one window.

When I complained to the installers, I was told that all windows leak air and there was nothing else they could do. On really cold days, just standing by the windows you can feel a breeze, not to mention on a windy day. The leaks are mainly at the bottom of the window and where the upper and lower windows meet. Is there anything I can do to correct this?

Also, I can feel air coming through my electrical outlets. I have already put in the foam pads, but I still have air coming in. Is there anything I can do to fix this? — Cold in Vermont

A: It sounds as if the window installers did not do a good job, as Marvin windows, when properly installed, are very tight and energy-efficient. I speak from experience, having a number of them in our house.

The strip installed at the bottom of the windows is making it impossible to have a tight seal where the two sashes meet. You should call the Marvin dealership (assuming it is not the installer) and ask one of its representatives to check your window installation. I have found Marvin's service to be excellent.

As for your electrical outlets, it sounds as if the builder of the house did not do a good job, either. During construction, a careful builder should foam all holes through which electric wires and plumbing pipes are fed. That goes for studs, plates and any other place where these holes go through framing and sheathing.

At this point, the best you can do is to remove the covers and, if there is some space around the electrical boxes, caulk them. This may help.

MIXING VALVES

Q: Thank you for your response. I hope you don't mind if I ask a follow-up question! Isn't the water supply valve on the shower a "mixing valve," as opposed to a two-handle faucet from the "old days"?

Where does the mixing valve you refer to go? Is it something that is installed on the plumbing pipes? — via email

A: With two-handled faucets, water is fed to each faucet and comes out mixed through the spout. Single-lever faucets have an internal cartridge that is connected to the single handle and controls the distribution of hot and cold water to the showerhead by internally mixing them.

Follow-up on noisy ducts

I recently answered the following question: "My ranch home with a basement is 2 years old. During the heating season only, as the ducts heat up and cool down I have excessive duct banging. It occurs only in a 6-foot section of the ductwork."

I suggested that an HVAC contractor be called out to investigate the constriction or lack of support that might be causing the banging. Since then, I have run the question by an expert duct fabricator and installer, who gave me another possible reason for the banging.

He suggested the banging could be caused by an imbalance between the supply and return. The reader didn't mention whether the banging was on the supply duct or the return duct. If it is on the return duct, it may be that the duct is undersized and, when the fan comes on, it causes the duct to "collapse," causing the banging. When the fan stops, the duct returns to its normal size. It's worth checking.

I learn something every day, which makes my work so interesting.

Merits of fiberglass vs. cellulose insulation

Q: This is in reference to your recent home repair column concerning insulation for an attic floor after fire damage repair.

While blown cellulose is very good for the majority of residential insulation above ceilings in attics, I personally do not think this is a good application. With a flooring to be installed above the insulation, there will not be any easy way to refresh the insulation due to settlement. I personally think 8-inch-thick fiberglass batt insulation would be a better choice in this application.

Settlement of the blown cellulose insulation occurs due to a number of reasons, most commonly natural settlement and vibration. Natural settlement occurs when the weight of the insulation, over time, pushes out some of the trapped air between the cellulose particles, thereby compacting the insulation. Usually this is relatively minor.

Vibration, however, can create major settlement and greatly reduce the insulation value. Vibration in a house can come from any number of external sources. I hope you find this information useful. — Palatine, Ill.

A: Although cellulose will settle over time, it has a higher R-factor per inch than fiberglass, and it also is an air barrier -- a very important factor in the efficiency of any insulation. It is made of recycled newsprint, whereas the manufacture of fiberglass insulation requires a considerable amount of energy.

The R-factor of fiberglass insulation is calculated in what is known as a hot box, i.e., in a completely sealed box exposed to heat on one side and cold on the other. This is not a realistic R-factor for attic conditions or any condition where the fiberglass insulation is not in a completely sealed space, as fiberglass is a filter and air will flow through it, degrading its insulating value. Even if the cellulose settles a bit, it still retains most of its R-factor because it does not let air through.

WINDOW PROBLEM

Q: I hope you can help us solve a window problem. We have double-hung, double-paned Andersen windows that were installed when the house was built in 1995. The windows are made of wood with vinyl cladding on the outside. Some are single windows, and some are an assembly with two windows side by side. The windows that are in pairs are showing moisture damage on the interior wood of the sash. This appears on the lower right-hand corner of the bottom sash. Some of these windows face east; some face west. There is no moisture on the glass, between the two pieces of glass or on the windowsill inside or out. Oddly, the single windows have no damage.

I have contacted Andersen, and they were no help. (The warranty has expired.) I contacted a company that deals in Andersen windows and, no surprise, they suggested replacing the windows. I contacted a company that repairs windows, and they said it could be a caulking problem around the frame. I don't see how that could cause water to get inside the sash.

Do you have any idea what is causing this problem and how we can stop it? — Inverness, Ill.

A: What is so unusual about your problem is that only the right corner of the bottom rail of all ganged windows is affected -- an unusual coincidence. If the damage were between the two ganged windows, moisture could be penetrating around the mullion.

Looking at the photo you sent and reading your description (no condensation on the glass, etc.), the only thing that comes to mind is the possibility I encountered once on several Andersen Perma-Shield windows (vinyl coating on the exterior). There was a tiny crack at the joint of the Perma-Shield covering the stile and the rail that admitted rain, eventually causing rotting of the wood core over many years.

At the time, Andersen sent a repair person, who injected an epoxy in all the joints between the stiles and the lower rails. As unusual as this hypothesis is, consider having an Andersen specialist check the affected windows.

Second sump pump may help wet basement

Q: Years ago, my son broke up the basement floor to install drainage pipes that led to a sump pump, which he also installed before replacing the concrete. Where the drainage pipes and sump pump are, I no longer have a water problem. He didn't go through the entire basement, unfortunately. A small room where I have my washer and dryer still has a water problem. It happens after a hard rain if the water table is high.

The water seems to come up through the floor. The floor next to the exterior wall doesn't get as wet. The vinyl tiles next to the exterior wall are still in place, while the tiles nearer the center of the room are either completely gone or loose.

I would like to eliminate this problem. I'm hoping that installing just a sump pump (without the drainage pipes) where the floor holds moisture would solve the problem. I would appreciate your thoughts and suggestions. -- Burlington, Vt.

A: Ask your son if he remembers whether there is a stone bed of at least 4 inches under the slab. If there is, you may have two choices. Another sump pump can be installed in an inconspicuous place where discharge can be safely made. If your son installed a solid sump into which the drain pipes discharge their content, another choice is to replace that sump with the type I recommend, set on and surrounded by several inches of stones. This would capture any water building up under the slab.

Interesting comment from a reader

"I was reading your column in the Greensburg (Pa.) Tribune-Review regarding the black and pink mold a reader has on their plumbing and in the toilets, etc. It was signed 'Irwin.' I'm wondering if the reader who posed the question is from Irwin, Pa.? If so, I know exactly why they are getting this, and vinegar (or anything else, for that matter) will not help. It has to do with the water treatment facility in our area and how they treat our water supply.

"I get the funky pink in my bathtubs and showers and the black in the toilets. I also get the funky pink mold (which is harmless to humans) in my swimming pool. I took my water for testing a few years back and asked about the pink funk and was told that it was not me or anything I was doing and that it was a common occurrence in Westmoreland County. (Greensburg and Irwin are near each other in Westmoreland County.) I was told that we should be blaming the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County (the water company).

"He told me that I could clean, disinfect or replace all of my plumbing and toilets and I still would eventually see the mold return. He said the only thing I could do was clean it when I saw it and accept the fact that it will come back.

"I do not have a moisture issue in my home and do not have mold anywhere else. Neither do my neighbors or my family who live in different areas all over the county. If the person who wrote in is from Irwin, Pa., please let them know they are not alone but are basically going to be cleaning this junk forever (or at least until the treatment facility does something about the way it treats the water).

"Hope this helps someone."

Yes, the reader in question is from Irwin, Pa. Thank you for a most enlightening explanation. I hope that person will see this.

More Home and Garden headlines

See the article here:
First Aid for the Ailing House: Faux brick siding

Vinyl siding has received a bad rap from some environmentalists for three reasons – lack of understanding of the product, consumer carelessness and the product’s success.

Vinyl is not a foreign substance. Most people believe it is a byproduct of oil refinement, but it is made from natural ingredients. All vinyl production starts with two simple and abundant building blocks –chlorine from common salt and ethylene from natural gas.

According to Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) software, vinyl siding out performs brick, stucco and wood on how it affects the environment based on a combination of environmental criteria, which includes:

Acidification Air pollutants Ecological toxicity Eutrophication Fossil fuel depletion Global warming Habitat alteration Human health Indoor air Ozone depletion Smog Water intake

Vinyl siding requires less water and energy to produce than fiber cement. Unlike wood siding, it does not require any trees to be cut down. It requires less than half the fuel to transport from the place of manufacture to the place of installation than all other exterior claddings available because of its light weight. Vinyl siding production is also responsible for the emission of significantly lower levels of toxic chemicals, including mercury and silver, than other cladding options. Vinyl siding is completely lead free.

All vinyl products are 100 percent recyclable. Because vinyl products are meticulously engineered for incredible durability, it has become an integral part of our lives. Its success has not come without criticism, as vinyl does not break down once placed in landfills. If vinyl products were properly handled and recycled, we could enjoy all of the benefits it provides.

__________________________

This article originally appeared on Angie’s List.

See original here:
A Green Siding Choice: Vinyl Siding

10 February 2012 Last updated at 12:30 ET

Rangers owner Craig Whyte has been told to pay a disputed bill of £86,127 to a roofing firm after a sheriff described his evidence as "wholly unreliable".

One Stop Roofing Supplies claimed Mr Whyte's company Tixway UK had breached an agreement to pay for goods bought by another company, ­Snowcast UK.

Mr Whyte, 40, disputed this and said he was a creditor of Snowcast.

In a written ruling, Sheriff Nigel Ross stated: "I reject the evidence of Mr Whyte as wholly unreliable."

The case centred on the business relationship between Mr Whyte, Chris Keating, who owned Snowcast UK before it folded, and One Stop Roofing Supplies, which is run by Robert Jenkins.

During evidence in December, Mr Whyte told the court he was introduced to Mr Jenkins in April 2008 through friend and businessman Mr Keating.

The court was told Mr Whyte helped Mr Keating's own business by lending money when it was required.

It was said that Mr Keating regularly bought supplies from the roofing firm.

Mr Whyte told the court the only orders made by him, and that he was invoiced for by One Stop Roofing, were for the repairs he was carrying out at Castle Grant in Grantown on Spey.

He said he did not agree for invoices for Mr Keating's business to be sent to him or paid by him.

The court also heard that Mr Whyte became the director of Tixway after serving a seven-year disqualification from being a company director.

Asked why he was banned, Mr Whyte said he could not remember as it was some time ago. He also said he did not want to say in open court and get it wrong.

In his ruling on the case, Sheriff Ross stated: "I accept the evidence led by the pursuer (One Stop Roofing) as credible and reliable, and supported by the available documentation.

"I reject the evidence of Mr Whyte as wholly unreliable.

"It is not possible to ascertain whether he is not telling the truth or is simply unable to recollect the true position, and has convinced himself that this arrangement is something that he would not have entered into.

"Either way, his evidence is contradicted by virtually every other piece of evidence."

'Legal liability'

Sheriff Ross found that Mr Whyte's firm Tixway had "offered its own credit rating to allow cover for the supply of large volumes of materials to Snowcast".

He said this was "subject to a high degree of control by the defender over Snowcast and an understanding between the defender (Tixway) and Snowcast that Snowcast would make payment for those materials".

Sheriff Ross concluded: "As a matter of legal liability, however, the defender remains the principal obligant.

"There is no dispute as to the sum outstanding, nor that it was properly incurred, and I accept the total brought out by the pursuer's figures."

A hearing will be fixed for a later date for both parties to discuss expenses arising from the case.

Read the rest here:
Whyte court evidence 'unreliable'

(RTTNews.com) - Beacon Roofing Supply, Inc. (BECN) said its first-quarter profit increased to $19.12 million or $0.41 per share from last year's $10.05 million or $0.22 per share.

Net income for the latest quarter included a benefit of $1.0 million, $0.02 per share, from a reduction in a liability for contingent consideration that was established last year for the acquisition of Enercon Products.

On average, 13 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to report earnings of $0.29 per share. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.

Net sales were up to $489.85 million from $404.79 million a year ago. Analysts estimated revenues of $475.87 million.

Paul Isabella, the Company's President & Chief Executive Officer, stated, "...Most of our geographic regions exceeded our expectations by achieving double-digit sales percentage increases and significant operating income growth. Once again our company-wide residential and non-residential product sales both showed double-digit percentage increases for the quarter, while our complementary product sales were down slightly. Our roofing businesses continued to benefit from higher volume, including sales from increased residential re-roofing activities in all of our geographic regions, and from industry-wide price increases that mostly occurred during the second half of last year.

Our gross margin and operating margin continued to improve....

We are encouraged by our strong start to fiscal 2012 and expect to continue our steady growth."

For comments and feedback: contact editorial@rttnews.com

http://www.rttnews.com

Originally posted here:
Beacon Roofing Supply Q1 Profit Grows - Quick Facts