Sunroom Addition in Tampa!
"An All-Weather-Room is a great addition, even in Florida!" - Angi Brittain. These clear vinyl windows create screen rooms and open in a variety of ways: sta...
By: The Eva Claire Corporation
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Sunroom Addition in Tampa! - Video
BLOOMINGTON Keith Thompson is a self-admitted "sucker for historic properties."
So when Diane and Bud Sullivan approached him in 2008 about investing in the historic Asahel Gridley property at 301 E. Grove St., neither Thompson nor his wife, Diane, could resist. Gridley was a state senator credited with getting the Illinois Central Railroad to roll through Bloomington, was a friend of Abraham Lincoln and the city's first millionaire.
"It looked like something that might be OK," said Keith Thompson about the restoration project.
Granted, the 1860s Gridley mansion and the 1937 apartment buildings in front needed a lot of work, but Bud Sullivan was a contractor and Diane Sullivan, then president of the Old House Society, was passionate about restoration work, so the Thompsons were convinced it could work.
But two years went by and little work had been accomplished. The city began citing numerous code violations. By 2012, the property went into foreclosure, the Sullivans owed $807,558 on the property, according to legal documents. Their original loan from Thompson was $644,500. Diane Sullivan had already moved from the community and Bud Sullivan moved away later.
Thompson was the highest bidder at a foreclosure auction ($700,000) and the property, and all of its problems, were now his.
"It came down to an emotional decision rather than a financial one, stupid for a banker," said Thompson, a senior loan officer with Mortgage Services Inc. "I'm sure someone would have knocked it down."
But now, about $1 million later, the renovation is complete and Thompson can focus on finding tenants for the mansion apartments.
One of the eight apartments already is taken, by Thompson and his wife.
"I'm glad he took it on," said Laura Walden, coordinator of the Old House Society's Architectural Salvage Warehouse. "It was too overwhelming for anyone else. He's done a great job. Hopefully it will last forever."
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'Emotional' restoration of historic Gridley mansion nearly complete
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Siding Replacement Caldwell NJ, Find A Sider Fairfield NJ, Find A Siding Contractor East Rutherford - Video
The LogisticsFramework and Wireless Vehicle Bus Adapter Combine to Provide Smart, Cost-Effective Vehicle Telematics for the Oil and Gas and Waste-Hauling Industries
Qv21 Technologies, Inc. recently announced it has integrated The LogisticsFramework (TLF), its Android-based handheld logistics software solution, with Digi Internationals Wireless Vehicle Bus Adapter (WVA). WVA is a rugged and compact plug-in device providing easy access to telematics data via Wi-Fi. The WVA connects directly into the diagnostic port of semi-trucks, or heavy equipment. The joint solution is aimed at fleet owners and operators in the oil-and-gas and waste-hauling industries.
Vehicle data for critical telematics applications (remote vehicular data and load monitoring, driver logs, driver-performance analysis, and vehicle maintenance) has traditionally involved expensive, proprietary onboard computers, cumbersome wiring, and time-consuming and expensive installation. With Digis state-of-the-art WVA and Wi-Fi communications and Qv21s Android-based platform, fleet owners and operators will cut hardware and installation costs while improving data flow and increasing operational visibility and efficiency.
The integration of our in-cab Android platform with the data stream provided on a vehicle bus creates a complete vehicle telematics solution for DOT-compliant, hands-free, machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, said Huw Thomas, chief executive officer of Qv21 Technologies. Speed, odometer readings, engine use, and other vehicle-specific information are available in real time to dispatchers, fleet managers, and other participants, adding another level of efficiency and compliance throughout the supply chain.
The integrated offering enables regulatory-compliant electronic logging that leverages the vehicle data from Qv21 Technologies Electronic On Board Recording module. Tire pressure can also now be monitored remotely, adding a greater degree of safety throughout a truck fleet. Numerous other features can be added to provide intelligent vehicle and load-sensing data in real-time. The result is a new and smarter generation of commercial vehicle telematics systems with low cost and very simple installation..
Timely, accurate data is central to understanding what is happening throughout the organization, whether its a carrier, exploration and production firm, or terminal operator. The Qv21-Digi solution provides a streamlined system for data to flow directly from the vehicle to the transportation company back office in true M2M fashion. This will enable transportation managers to capitalize on opportunities and prevent problems while mitigating risks and lowering costs across the crude-oil supply chain.
About Qv21 Technologies Qv21 Technologies, Inc. is the leader in Software as a Service (SaaS) logistics for the oil field services industry. Based in Austin, Texas, and with offices throughout the U.S. and overseas, Qv21 Technologies focuses on improving logistics efficiency in the oil and gas industry. Using the latest proven and readily available technologies, Qv21 makes its cutting-edge solutions easily accessible to companies of all sizes without large capital expense. For more information, visit http://www.Qv21.com.
About Digi International Digi International is the M2M solutions expert, combining products and services as end-to-end solutions to drive business efficiencies. Digi provides the industrys broadest range of wireless products, a cloud-computing platform tailored for devices, and development services to help customers get to market fast with wireless devices and applications. Digis entire solution set is tailored to allow any device to communicate with any application, anywhere in the world. For more information, visit http://www.digi.com.
SOURCE: Qv21 Technologies, Inc.
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Digi International And Qv21 Technologies To Deliver DOT-Compliant Telematics
Chris Nguyen
Wondering whos at your door when that bell goes off is either alarming for some or curious for others. The Ring acts as an internet camera door bell that displays on your smartphone and shows you whos at your door step when that bell goes off. The functionality is cool because now when you're busy or not, you don't have get up to answer the door, let alone talk to whoever it could be. Just answer the door from wherever you are or not. The smart doorbell has me wondering how fun its going to be now when people ring the door.
Ring is equipped with a wide-angle HD camera (720p) that can cover a 180-degree view and up to 30ft in distance. Its customizable in configuration so you can monitor exactly what to see. Connected through the Ring app, the doorbell operates by connecting to your home Wi-Fi; and as long as you have data connection youll be able to use the app as well. Its compatible any iOS or Android devices and can connect to an unlimited amount of devices at once. The mobile app was not available at the moment so we were left with advertising commercials that suggest how the user-interface looks.
Features include motion detection, night vision, a choice of using a built-in battery or existing doorbell wiring, speakers, microphone and cloud recording. Installation of the removable wall bracket should take minutes and require no professional help, Ring says. Functions such as motion sensor notifications can be triggered but can seem to become a nuisance depending on how sensitive the sensor is. A few different finishes are offered - nickel, brass, bronze, and polished brass. The door lock measures in at 4.98 x 2.43 x 0.87-inches and has you dish out $199.
The technical function serves a strong purpose in providing a positive visual of whos at the door. The installation is simplistic but has a soft plastic body frame that could easily be seen to rip off. Not condoning vandalism but the unit could use more of a sturdy material to beef it up. With Smart technology being integrated everywhere we can possibly find useful, will Ring be a device able to capture peoples attention?
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Ring Doorbell hands-on: See whos at the door through your smartphone
New Mobile App, The Dhobi, Brings Specialty Green Dry Cleaning Door to Door, Seven Days a Week, Free Pick-Up and Delivery
New Mobile App, The Dhobi makes it easy for Nassau County, New York residents to get clothes dry cleaned. From your smart phone, you can order the exact time of free pick-up and delivery of your garments to be professionally inspected, organically dry cleaned and pressed. Pick-up and delivery is seven days a week from 6:30 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Dry cleaning is always an afterthought. People have busy schedules and forget to drop off and pick-up their clothes. We, at The Dhobi, are making life easier with our new dry cleaning app, which offers free pick-up and delivery, at a time convenient for the customer, using only premium quality organic methods of dry cleaning, all at a great rate of $4.00 per garment, says The Dhobi founder and CEO, Vivek Anand.
With over 40 years of dry cleaning experience, The Dhobi understands the need for extended dry cleaning services and offers a low price specialty menu for designer items Dhobi Approved green dry cleaners span Nassau County. From Great Neck to Rockville Centre and Syosset to Massapequa, The Dhobi helps busy people get clean and save green in three simple steps on a smart phone; enter the address for pick-up and delivery, place an order and add payment information, all while on the bus to work or waiting for a latte.
Dont get taken to the cleaner, download The Dhobi.
For more information or to place an order visit: http://www.thedhobi.com
Free Downloads are available at the Apple App Store and on Google Play or place an order via their website.
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New Mobile App, The Dhobi, Brings Specialty Green Dry Cleaning Door to Door, Seven Days a Week, Free Pick-Up and ...
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Newswise RICHLAND, Wash. How much energy was used to heat the water for your morning shower is probably the least of your groggy, uncaffeinated thoughts.
However, some homeowners are discovering they have even less need to think about early-morning energy use thanks to an increasingly popular alternative to conventional electric water heaters - the heat pump water heater. Results from a new field study are challenging an earlier understanding that heat pump water heaters are efficient no matter how theyre installed. It turns out using ducting for air intake and exhaust impacts both the appliances and an entire homes energy use.
Heat pump water heaters can use up to 63 percent less energy than traditional electric water heaters, said the studys lead researcher, Sarah Widder, of the Department of Energys Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. When water heating makes up about 18 percent of U.S. residential energy use, heat pump water heaters offer a real opportunity for energy savings.
Until now, many have thought those savings would be offset by an increased use in heating systems. Thats because heat pump water heaters work by transferring heat from the air into water, which can lower indoor temperatures. This can reduce energy use during the hot summer months, but lead us to heat our homes more in the winter. But PNNLs field tests showed that, depending on how heat pump water heaters are connected to exterior ducting, they can reduce a homes overall power use. The results also showed heat pump water heaters may not affect a homes heating and cooling systems as much as previously thought.
New water heater in town Due to their high efficiency, heat pump water heaters can be much less expensive to operate than electric resistance water heaters, the large, tall cylinders that warm water in 41 percent of U.S. homes. Heat pump water heaters are increasingly being installed in lieu of their conventional electric cousins. Heat pump water heaters make up about 1 percent of new water heater sales nationwide. The total number of units sold increased from 34,000 in 2012 to 43,000 in 2013, according to ENERGY STAR.
Before PNNLs field study, the only data on the impact heat pump water heaters have on whole-home energy use was from an idealized computer model that didnt draw on real-world data. To take a deeper look at total energy consumption, Widder and her colleagues installed heat pump water heaters in the PNNL Lab Homes, two especially equipped manufactured homes used to evaluate energy-efficient technologies.
A heat pump water heater was installed in one of the homes without any ducting whatsoever. Another, identical water heater was installed in the second home with one of two configurations: ducting that only vented the appliances exhaust, or full ducting that both collected outside air and later exhausted used air back outside. Both homes used the same electric resistance heating, cooling and ventilation system.
Sensors placed in each of the Lab Homes measured energy use, indoor and outdoor temperatures, humidity and more. Computers controlling both homes periodically ran hot water and turned on lights to simulate actual occupancy identically in both homes. The PNNL team ran the experiment through the summer and winter of 2013.
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Hot Showers, Lower Power Bills with Heat Pump Water Heaters
Preparing for an earthquake is kind of like locking the doors of your house, according to quake preparedness buff Matthew Springer.
Your chances of getting burglarized are miniscule, but you lock your doors anyway. Likewise, the probability of a major earthquake happening on any given day are small, but being ready is still a matter of common sense, Springer said.
Springer is an associate professor of medicine in the cardiology department at UC-San Francisco, but he has a passion for earthquake preparedness. He blogs and gives frequent talks on the topic, most recently on Monday to a group of more than 40 people at the St. Helena firehouse.
Some experts focus on preparing for the big one, like the 7.9-scale quake that hit San Francisco in 1906. But Springer said quakes with an intensity of between 6 and 7 like Loma Prieta in 1989 or Northridge in 1994 are bad enough to cause widespread damage, injuries and deaths, but small enough to still happen semi-regularly. The Aug. 24 quake in South Napa measured 6.0.
The Red Cross likes you to prepare for 1906. I want you to prepare for 1989, Springer said.
Springer said that despite a dubious Triangle of Life chain email thats been criticized by experts, the best thing to do during an earthquake is get under something sturdy, like a dining room table.
People used to be taught to stand in a doorway, but that strategy actually originated in the days of adobe structures, when wooden door frames were the sturdiest part of a building. In modern structures, doorways arent any safer than the rest of the house, Springer said.
Running out of a building is a bad idea, and has led to many people being hurt or killed by falling bricks, masonry and glass, Springer said.
The question of whether to turn off the natural gas right after an earthquake is a controversial one, Springer said. Once the gas is turned off, PG&E advises homeowners not to turn it back on until the pipes have been inspected, which could take weeks to schedule after a major disaster.
Springer said his advice is to sniff for natural gas right after an earthquake, and only turn the gas off if you smell it. Keep an appropriate wrench near the valve.
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UCSF professor shares quake preparedness tips
Many schools planned to close Wednesday as frigidly cold weather tightened its grip on the region.
Public, private and charter schools across Lake and Porter counties and Chicago's south suburbs announced the closures Tuesday night. Check http://www.nwi.com/weather/closings for a full listing.
The cold came as crews continued to clean up following several inches of snow Monday night and a six-car pileup injured two people Tuesday on I-65 at the Jasper County/White County line.
The National Weather Service issued a wind chill warning for Cook County and Lake, Porter, Newton and Jasper counties from midnight Tuesday to noon Thursday. LaPorte County was under a wind chill warning from 11 p.m. Tuesday to 3 p.m. Wednesday.
Wind chills are expected to dip to 30 to 35 degrees below zero early Wednesday and rise to just 25 to 30 below zero during the day, forecasters said. Wednesday's high temperature was expected to hover around zero.
Lake-effect snow was expected Tuesday night into Wednesday in LaPorte County, with up to 6 inches possible in the northeastern part of the county. Strong winds in other parts of the region could cause snow to drift and reduce visibility, forecasters said.
On Wednesday night, wind chills were expected to drop back to 30 to 35 below zero with a low temperature between zero and minus 10.
The weather service warned any exposed skin in such harsh conditions could be prone to frostbite in a matter of minutes. Pets should be brought inside, they said.
The impending cold prompted local officials to open several warming centers.
The North Township trustee's offices at 5947 Hohman Ave. and 2835 165th St. will be open to those seeking warmth from 6 p.m. Tuesday to 7 a.m. Thursday.
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Brutal cold settles in across the region
TUPELO, Miss. (AP) - The second phase of a $6 million expansion and renovation project is set to begin at the Elvis Presley Birthplace, and officials will be visiting the Legislature on Thursday to talk about their favorite subject.
It also happens to be the 80th birthday of The King.
Some of us will be in Jackson, while some of us will be in Tupelo helping celebrate, said Dick Guyton, the executive director of the birthplace and museum.
Guyton said the trip to Jackson is to serve lunch to legislators and ask for funding for the birthplace. Three years ago, they successfully lobbied to get more than $2 million for the first phase of the project, which was met with a 20 percent match by the city.
Guyton hopes theyll be generous this year, too.
Were looking for $1 million to finish phase two, he said.
Phase two will add two Elvis statues to an overlook with a memorial wall and pavilion, a separate picnic pavilion, a winding walkway from the amphitheater to the overlook and steps from the parking lot that connect to the walkway.
Phase three, which will cost about another $1 million, will rework the landscaping and walkways around the lake on the property.
Well be upgrading the lake, cleaning it up, adding a water feature or two and make it a more enjoyable place to sit, walk and relax, he said. But thats down the road.
Thursdays luncheon at the Capitol will have peanut butter and banana sandwiches, and lawmakers will be serenaded by an Elvis tribute artist, of course.
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Elvis Birthplace looks toward second phase of expansion