The most dangerous time for a house is just before its 50th birthday.

"At 50 years, it's considered to be historic but, before that, it's not that new and it's not that old, so nobody cares about it," says Dave Seeburger.

In 2012, Seeburger quit his job in the oil and gas industry and started renovating old houses, mostly bungalows in the Heights. But when he saw a crumbling midcentury ranch house in Woodshire with some unusual architectural lines and a low pitched roof, he knew it was different. At 62 years old, the house had aged out of the danger zone, but its worn condition still made it a tear-down target.

"The home was just so unique and impressive for the area. Inside it was all fairly original, which I like because that means there's less of a chance that someone else went in and messed things up," says Seeburger, who is the president of real estate investment/development company P&G Homes. "We wanted to maintain everything that we could while making it livable."

Outside, Seeburger and Houston interior designer Jamie House added onto the front facade wall so that the edge of the roof didn't extend so far past the body of the house. The exterior brick has seen better days, so after repairing them as needed Seeburger painted the house white to keep everything consistent. The original front door was restored and painted a bold turquoise, with House adding a vintage Schlage starburst knob backplate she found on eBay. To play up the mod sensibilities, House scoured the Internet for '50s-style exterior globe lights, eventually hanging a trio from Austin's Hip Haven in the entry.

Inside, the floorplan offered challenges but lots of space - 3,300 square feet - to work with. The living area was divided by a wall and two different floor levels, so Seeburger opened it up as a single room to give the house more flow.

Rather than dictate the placement of furnishings, House removed the original pendant lights that were in the former dining room and installed them in the large master closet, which had previously been an office. Seeburger also added a pair of doors on each end of the kitchen - one in the former pantry to transform it into a combination storage space and mud room, and another facing the front of the house, where the newly extended exterior wall created a small courtyard.

For the flooring, House was inspired by the architecture school at Texas Tech, where she studied, which was built in the same time period and still had its original cork floors.

"Cork is a little different, but it's more in line with what might have been in the house originally, plus it's renewable and affordable," says House.

The kitchens and bathrooms were gutted then updated with contemporary fixtures, using clean lines to connect the look with the midcentury vibe.

Go here to read the rest:
Before and after: The revival of a midcentury home in Houston

Bonita Springs, Fla. (PRWEB) October 14, 2014

Best Home Services, a leading Southwest Florida HVAC, electrical, and plumbing service and repair company, is proud to announce an upcoming expansion to an all-new headquarters. The new 40,000 square foot building, located in Naples, Florida, is one of the largest in the industry and should be fully operational spring 2015.

Were very excited to move our Best Home Services team to an all-new, and much needed, facility, said Keegan Hodges, co-owner of Best Home Services. With substantially more space, an all-new training facility for our technicians, and much better parking, our new building will result in happier employees which translates to even better service for our customers.

Compared to Best Home Services current 8,000 square foot location, the new facility is five times larger and will house all-new divisions to provide even better customer service. Currently in the demolition stage, renovations to the new facility will take place until the grand opening in the spring of 2015. When complete, a 2,500 square foot in-house training facility will be included for all technician training and refreshes. A 4,000 square foot in-house parts supply house will contain hundreds of thousands of parts and supplies within Best Home Services own headquarters. With this, the company eliminates the need for any outside parts vendors which will ultimately speed up customer repair and replacement times. Additionally, an expanded parking area will also be included in the rebuild.

Our staff is more than just a workforce, theyre family and keeping their interest in mind was a top priority when hunting for a new building, said Hodges. As our business continues to grow, parking becomes a continual issue and we struggled to find a large enough facility that would accommodate our fleet and workforce properly. But soon, well have more than 100 spaces to ensure our family is taken care of so they can take care of the customer.

Since 1980, Best Home Services has been dedicated to providing Lee, Collier, and Charlotte county residents with exceptional heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical, and plumbing service and repair. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, service areas also include Fort Myers, Naples, Bonita Springs, Marco Island, Estero, as well as Cape Coral and will not change from the move. Currently owned by brothers Keegan and Chadd Hodges, the family owned and operated business employs more than 50 staff members with plans to double in size over the next three years.

To learn more about Best Home Services, visit http://www.getbest.com or call 239-284-1474

About Best Home Services

Best Home Services is a Southwest Florida HVAC, electrical, and plumbing company servicing Fort Myers, Naples, Bonita Springs, Marco Island, Estero, Cape Coral and Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties. The company provides 24/7 service and repairs and is family owned and operated. Best Home Services provide services such as air conditioning and heating, indoor air quality, unit repairs and replacements, duct cleaning, sealing and replacements as well as general service and maintenance agreements. Each repair is covered by a 1 year parts & labor warranty with lifetime guarantees available and A/C replacement parts are offered with a 10 year warranty.

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Best Home Services Breaks Ground on All-New Headquarters

ADT Woodmont CT | Call 1-877-310-5363 to Order ADT Home Security Services Woodmont CT Deals
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By: HomeSecurityADT10

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ADT Woodmont CT | Call 1-877-310-5363 to Order ADT Home Security Services Woodmont CT Deals - Video

Amaryllo announces supporting remote access to WebRTC smart home security cameras from Firefox browsers anywhere, anytime.

Multiple real-time live videos are simultaneously displayed on a Firefox browser to allow consumers to view their Amaryllo network cameras remotely. No additional plug-in is needed as WebRTC is already built-in Firefox browser. A brief video demo is available at Amaryllos YouTube channel here. Amaryllo plans to launch a new service next month allowing its customers to access their home security cameras from Firefox browsers. Company also welcomes other WebRTC companies to join venture to expand accessibilities its home security cameras.

Being able to view through a camera from a browser remotely is an important function to consumers, but having multiple cameras available on a browser is an exciting feature to people as many of the customers not only have one but multiple security cameras installed in their home, garage, office, etc. We are glad to be the first company to offer web browsing functions to support our network home security cameras powered by Google WebRTC technologies, said Jacob Hanks, sales manager at Amaryllo.

Amaryllo will demonstrate Google WebRTC home security video cameras and web browsing support to its home security cameras at Marriott Renaissance Harbor View Hotel during Hong Kong Electronics Fair from Sunday October 12 to Wednesday October 15. To reserve a private product demonstration or to receive product details, please contact Amaryllo at sales.ai@amaryllo.eu. For product information, please visit our website at http://www.amaryllo.eu.

About Amaryllo International B.V. Amaryllo International B.V. (Amaryllo) is a worldwide leading smart home security product company. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands with facilities in Asia. Amaryllo develops Google WebRTC home security products and is a licensee of Apple MFi, Skype Developer, Windows Developer, Google Play Developer, AAC+, UPnP, Bluetooth SIG, etc.

540 Singel, 1017 AZ, Amsterdam, the Netherlands T: +31 208941387 F: +31 208941333 sales.ai@amaryllo.eu http://www.amaryllo.eu

Link:
Google WebRTC Home Security Cameras Now Accessible from Browsers

HAGERSTOWN, MD. (PRWEB) October 14, 2014

Larry & Sons, Inc., a family-owned plumbing, heating, cooling, and drain company serving the tri-state region of Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia since 1960, was recently awarded 1st Place Plumbing Service by Hagerstown Magazine. Decided upon by the readers themselves, the magazines annual HotList chronicles the best area restaurants, food, drink, entertainment, retail, businesses, and professional scenes. The plumbing accolade recognizes full service home repair companies and 2014 marks a repeat victory for Larry & Sons who earned the same award in 2013.

We at Larry & Sons are very proud be on Hagerstown Magazines HotList for a second year in a row for the services we provide, said Eric Corbett, Owner at Larry & Sons, Inc. Given that the HotList is voted on by the customers we serve, this award truly reflects our dedication to providing outstanding service and repair.

Founded in 1960, Larry & Sons has been a family owned operation since the beginning. Started by Larry T. and John C. Corbett and originally named Corbett Brothers Plumbing and Heating, the company as it is known today took shape in the 1980s when Larry became the sole owner. Despite the name change to Larry & Sons, the service remained, with the same absolute dedication to providing the tri-state area with quality residential and commercial plumbing, heating, cooling, and drain services.

Today, Larry & Sons is regularly recognized by the Hagerstown and tri-state community as the authority for premium home services. From multiple HotList awards, the multi-service company has impressed its customers with certified technicians who offer installation, repair and maintenance services of heating, air conditioning, geothermal, drainage, and indoor air quality systems. Capable of even total bathroom or kitchen remodeling as well as comprehensive maintenance, no job is too big or too small for Larry & Sons.

First published in 2004, Hagerstown Magazine is dedicated to providing the local community with a relevant, fresh perspective on what its like to live and do business in the Washington County & Beyond. Each year, the publication issues its HotList, a ranking of area establishments voted upon by the community itself. Close to 30,000 votes created the complete HotList 2014.

About Larry & Sons Inc.

Larry & Sons, Inc. is a family-owned plumbing, heating, cooling, and drain company based in Hagerstown, Maryland. Since 1960, the company has been operating in the tri-state region of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Larry & Sons offer water heater repair and installation, sewer and drain services, water treatment systems, comprehensive maintenance, and one day bath solutions. To learn more about the company, visit http://www.larryandsons.com or call 301-733-5428.

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Larry & Sons Wins 1st Place Plumbing Service Award

BROOKLINE -- The Baptist Church in this small West River town of 457 people is nearly 180 years old -- and it's showing its age.

"Over the years, rain has gotten in at the base of the steeple," said Stanley Noga, chairman of the Historic Brookline Church Preservation Committee. "There's no flashing on the south side and rain has dripped down on a massive beam and it has rotted the interior of the beam such that is has slipped down and back."

And that's just one of the seven problems identified by Jan Lewandoski, a historic preservationist who is an expert at evaluating and rehabilitating old churches. Lewandoski also identified problems with the church's steeple and its balustrade, rafters in the attic, mold in the basement, a sloping floor due to sunken supports in the church vestibule, a leaking roof, and a pair of chimneys and the brick walls that need repainting.

"But its condition is better than most Lewandoski has looked at," said Noga, adding he was a little surprised by the restoration cost estimate -- $125,000 to $200,000.

"If we're looking to thank anyone in light of the relatively small amount of money for restoration, it would be the Ladies Benevolent Society and the Historic Brookline Church Initiative," said Noga. "They did a wonderful job according to Jan.

But Noga admitted the estimate presented by Lewandoski doesn't include some essentials, such as a heating and cooling system and new windows, which could add quite a bit to the renovation costs.

"There are 11 windows in the brick portion of the church. We are having a discussion over how many, when and should we do it now," he said. And at $800 to $1,600 each, it's a decision that won't be easy to make.

A question for the new committee is if the work can be done in stages, said Noga, and if so, what should be done first. To repair the steeple and the roof comes in around $20,000, or so, he said.

David Allbee, a life-long resident of Brookline, told the Reformer in February that even though the tradition of the church was strong up through the beginning of the 20th century, by the 1930s, the town was no longer able to support a ministry there. Even though there were attempts to resurrect a ministry in the church, he said, none of them were successful.

In 1945, the building was turned over to the Ladies Benevolent Group, which operated the Historic Brookline Church Preservation Initiative. Every year the group organized fundraisers. Most notably, the group raffled off a quilt each year. Over the years, the quilt raffle has brought in between $1,200 to $2,200.

Read more:
Brookline church committee assesses renovation costs

MEMPHIS, TN (localmemphis.com) - When the weather is crisp, leaves are falling, and football is on TV, it can be easy to ignore those fall chores.

But if you want to stay cozy and avoid costly problems this winter, you better get to work.

In today's Angie's List report, the three projects every homeowner should cross off their checklist.

Gutter cleaning is not glamorous, but it's one of the most important jobs on any fall to-do list.

"Your gutters should not be ignored because leaves will gather there which will lead to mold as well as bugs, even ice damming in the winter. And if you're like some people, you might actually get a garden growing in your gutters which can be pretty embarrassing. So, taking care of them can lead to better health of your home, especially your roof," Angie Hicks of Angie's List said.

Whether you do it yourself or hire a pro, do not neglect the downspouts when cleaning.

"You also want to make sure that all of your gutters are actually nailed in properly and look at your gutter boards and make sure that they are sealed," handyman Elden Foltz said.

Once your gutters are clear, turn your attention to sealing drafts around windows and doors. Walk through your home with a lit candle or stick of incense to see where cold air is seeping in.

"If you don't seal the windows what's going to happen is a lot of energy is going to be dispensed out and you're going to lose money," Foltz said.

When sealing a window, make sure the area is free from dust and old paint or caulk.

Read the original:
Angie's List: Fall Home Preps

Elections are considered a celebration of democracy. However, the upcoming elections in Maharashtra seem to be a festival reserved only for our netas. After the inception of the state, the political ethos in Maharashtra has degraded consistently but in the 2014 elections, it has hit rock bottom. This assembly election is centered around wholesale political defections, criminals gaining in stature, and the naked display of wealth. And the media, which is supposed to keep an eye on this, is allegedly indulging in paid news. The Congress, NCP want to retain power by hook or by crook and theShiv Sena, MNS and BJP have sniffed their best possible chance as well. In the lust for power, conscience has gone out of the window.

Bowing down to the 'rising sun' is a commonly seen mindset. Unsurprisingly, defectors are hovering around theBJP who have in turn welcomed these defectors with open arms. Among the 256 seats contested by BJP, 59 candidates have been imported from various parties. One-third of these imported candidates belonged to the NCP. Of course, the Congress, Shiv Sena andMNS are not an exception to defections, but their numbers are not as big. If BJP emerges as the single largest party, one-third of their candidates will be those not loyal to the partys ideology. In 1990, the Congress gave tickets to criminals like Pappu Kalani and Hitendra Thakur. At that time, Sharad Pawar overlooked their shady character and focused only on elective merit. TheBJP and other opposition parties had rightly gone hammer and tongs against this. But 24 years later, theBJP has followed the footsteps of Pawar by incorporating people like Vijaykumar Gavit and Babanrao Pachpute. More than 70% of these imported candidates are crorepatis.

But why pillory the BJP alone? Shiv Sena has given candidatures to Uday Samant, Deepak Kesarkar, Prakash Surve, Ravindra Phatak, and Anil Babar. All of them have been welcomed from theNCP-Congress. Then,Prithviraj Pawar, a BJP leader, is fighting on behalf of the Shiv Sena. The only reason why defectors have not thronged the Congress, NCP and MNS is that their chances of winning are negligible.

Criminalisation of politics dates back to the early 90s. Theagitations of Anna Hazare and GRKhairnar had given voice to the distressed electorate. Sharad Pawar was capsized. But all parties have conveniently forgotten this history. The Association for Democratic Reforms scrutinized 2336 candidates and 798 of them have criminal backgrounds, which is 34%. Among them, 23% have serious charges like murder, attempt to murder, abduction, communal instigation and so on leveled against them. BJP and Shiv Sena lead the race here as well. BJP has gone a step further by giving a candidature to Anil Gote, who was imprisoned in the Telgi scam. Chhota Rajans brother, Deepak Nikalje, is a candidate from the Republican party of India (RPI), BJPs ally. The most shocking aspect of this is that these tainted leaders share the stage with Prime MinisterNarendraModi with pride. Then there are Suresh Jain and Gulab Devkarfighting the elections from jail. Imprisoned because of their involvement in Jalgaons Gharkul scam, they have shamelessly been given tickets by the Shiv Sena and NCP respectively. Udhhav Thackeray has also given deported Suhas Kande a chance. TheCongress-NCP have mastered the art of criminalisation and it should come as a surprise if all their candidates are clean. MNS is not an exception either. Raj Thackerays party has openly espoused violence in the past. Deplorably, these people will make laws for us after they become MLAs.

Another NGO has found that 47% of the candidates across the state are crorepatis and that 10 of them have made more than 100 crores. TheNCPthat had 76% crorepatislast time, has 83% crorepatis now. TheBJPs rise is also staggering -- from 54% to 81% crorepati candidates. Congress number of 66% has gone up to 81%. The Shiv Sena is not behind either, they had 45% crorepatis in 2009 and today the number is 71%. After looking at these figures, it would hardly come as a surprise if cars stacked with cash are found during the campaign. More than Rs 15 crorehas been confiscated and a complaint has been filled against Ajit Pawar as well. Majority of the candidates perceive this as an investment, which will pay huge dividends in the next five years.

The campaign has ended now. From Shivaji to Afzal Khan, and from roaring tiger to a mouse; everyone has been invoked in this election. But the issues that dominated headlines in the last five years have vanished from the agenda of political parties. The irrigation scam, farmers' suicides, the states derailing economy, unemployment and womens security - none of these issues have been relentlessly pursued by the political parties. The campaign has come down to passing slander remarks about others and stylish oratory skills. And as I mentioned earlier, very few media houses have admonished our politicians for being responsible for the degradation of the political discourse. Most of them are busy making money.

Maharashtra, a state that is known for its philosophers, stooping down to this level is a gloomy development. The results will be out on October 19. All the surveys predict unprecedented success for theBJP. It will be a historical result if theBJP comes out with an absolute majority, something that has never happened since the inception of the state. If this happens, one will have to credit Modi for it. However, the moot question is: whoever forms the government in Maharashtra, are they going to dedicate themselves to cleaning up this gutter?

Views expressed are the author's own

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Maharashtra Elections 2014: Who will clean up this gutter?

Bermuda grass could answer long-term drought doubt

By John Hollenhorst

October 13th, 2014 @ 5:50pm

SALT LAKE CITY The man in charge of keeping the campus green at the University of Utah is calling for the state to lift its ban on a so-called "noxious weed."

He thinks it could be part of the answer to long-term worries about drought.

Senior Crew Lead for the University of Utah, Lorenzo Lopez, said Bermuda grass uses dramatically less water and thrives in many areas where other grasses dont.

"This could be a great opportunity for Bermuda grass. I think it's one of the answers. It's not the complete answer," said Lopez.

But Lopez is not allowed to do it.

Lorenzo Lopez's lawn crews can't even experiment with Bermuda grass. The state long ago declared it an enemy in the war on weeds.

Rich Riding, Noxious Weed Program Manager with the Utah Department of Agriculture said the plant is a threat.

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Bermuda grass could answer long-term drought doubt

Crews at the University of Utah are using bluegrass seeds to cover a brown patch, but it's not the kind of grass the university's chief lawn keeper would prefer. He said Bermuda grass would be better because it uses less water, but that the state considers it a "noxious weed."

John Hollenhorst, Deseret News

Enlarge photo

SALT LAKE CITY The man in charge of keeping the campus green at the University of Utah is calling for the state to lift its ban on a so-called "noxious weed."

Lorenzo Lopez said he believes it could be part of the answer to long-term worries about drought.

Bermuda grass uses dramatically less water and thrives in many areas where other grasses dont, said Lopez, senior crew lead for the University of Utah.

"This could be a great opportunity for Bermuda grass, he said. I think it's one of the answers. It's not the complete answer.

But Lopez is not allowed to do it. His lawn crews can't even experiment with Bermuda grass. The state long ago declared it an enemy in the war on weeds.

"This weed is one that we've looked at, and we've decided that it really poses a threat to the state, said Rich Riding, noxious weed program manager with the Utah Department of Agriculture.

Riding said Bermuda grass is way too aggressive, choking out nearby lawns and farm crops.

Read more here:
'Noxious weed' could be answer to long-term drought, lawn expert says