Turkey Spur overlook at Grandview State Park reopened Friday with help from the National Park Service (NPS) and Friends of New River Gorge National River (Friends), who raised over $20,000 in four months to renovate the property.

Significant improvements had been made to the overlook's boardwalk and steps in 2015, only to have them burned by a fire a few months later. The fire started as arson and quickly spread, burning 35 acres of the forest.

The fire wiped out much of the newly improved overlook, bringing staff back to the beginning.

Members of NPS and Friends hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the reopening and all the hard work they have achieved since the past damage.

Debbie Cooper, secretary of the Friends board, said they held several fundraisers to achieve their financial goal, as well as support from many donors and supporters.

"I'm from here, and I grew up here," Cooper said, "And we have so much here to offer in West Virginia and I am proud I get to be a part of this celebration."

Turkey Spur has held many memories for people over the years, from first dates to proposals to weddings, and according to Lizzie Watts, Superintendent of the New River Gorge National River, it has been a place to simply just go and reflect.

"Turkey Spur is such a spiritual place," said Watts. "Yes, it is a great place to go with a group of friends, but even just going alone provides you with so much fulfillment."

Watts said there was no better time to celebrate the reopening than on the Fourth of July weekend.

"Having national parks is a way to give a thank you back to Americans," Watts said, "This is their weekend."

Julena Campbell, spokesperson for the New River Gorge National River, said she is very excited the renovation happened much quicker than what she anticipated.

"We've had so much help from donors and everything else and it's just a great feeling to finally give back to the people here," Campbell said.

Campbell said she is not originally from this area, so seeing all of the love and support go into this made it really special for her.

"I was amazed at how many came together to make this happen," Campbell said. "It's truly great to be a part of."

So, although fire damage put plans at standstill for many, NPS and Friends are ready to give it back.

Email: jnelson@register-herald.com; follow on Twitter @jnelsonRH

See more here:
NPS and Friends reopens Turkey Spur overlook - Beckley Register-Herald

OUTDOOR SPACE The 180-acre lot is made up of open fields, pasture, forest and a pond, and is entered via a long gravel driveway. There is also a series of flower gardens around the house. A second timber-frame building was rebuilt on the property to serve as an attached three-car garage. There is a separate barn with room for two cars, a dog kennel and a workshop.

TAXES About $29,500 a year

CONTACT John Snyder, Snyder Donegan Real Estate Group, 802-280-5406; snyderdonegan.com

WHAT An 1815 house with five bedrooms and four full and two half bathrooms

HOW MUCH $2.2 million

SIZE 5,165 square feet

PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT $426

SETTING This house is near the center of Aiken, a small city with many live oak trees that is popular with equestrians for its polo fields, racetracks and fox hunts, as well as the 70 miles of trails in Hitchcock Woods, a 2,100-acre urban forest. The nearest big city is Augusta, Ga., about 20 miles to the west.

INDOORS The Greek Revival house, known as Crossways, is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was renovated in 2007, but retains many early details including distinctive trim, wainscoting and crown molding. There are seven wood-burning fireplaces. A front door with sidelights and a transom window opens into a central foyer with hardwood floors painted in a diamond pattern. The living room is to one side, and a den with grasscloth wallpaper is to the other. Both have 15-foot ceilings, French doors that open onto the porch, and oversized windows that extend nearly to the floor. A 33-foot-long dining room, large enough to seat two dozen people, is toward the back of the house, along with an eat-in kitchen that connects to a keeping room through French doors. The kitchen has an island, white marble and black granite counters, and Sub-Zero and Viking appliances. There is a separate butlers pantry with a sink, marble counters and an ice maker.

A curved staircase leads from the foyer to a second-floor landing, where French doors open onto a balcony. The master suite includes a large walk-in closet as well as an expanded bathroom with marble floors, a soaking tub and a separate shower. There are four additional bedrooms upstairs. There is also a separate two-bedroom apartment with a kitchen and bathroom above a detached two-car garage, as well as a 1,500-square-foot caretakers cottage.

OUTDOOR SPACE The house is reached by a gated driveway and sits on a 4.7-acre lot (the current owners bought several neighboring properties and demolished a number of smaller homes on them). There is a pool and extensive landscaping, including a fountain, brick walkways, walls and arches, live oak trees and boxwood gardens.

TAXES $5,350 a year

CONTACT Tom Bossard, Carolina Real Estate Company, 803-640-2845; carolinahorseproperties.com

WHAT A 1967 house with three bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms

HOW MUCH $2.2 million

SIZE About 5,000 square feet

PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT About $440

SETTING This house is in a rural area of rolling hills, farms and fields in Bucks County. It is less than two miles from Lake Nockamixon, and about three miles away from Kimberton Whole Foods, which has a cafe and grocery store with local and organic products. Doylestown and Frenchtown, N.J., are about 12 miles away and offer more restaurants and stores.

INDOORS The house was extensively renovated and expanded by its current owners, Laura Bohn, an interior designer, and Richard Fiore, a contractor. From the driveway, stone steps lead down to a blue Dutch door, which opens into a tiled foyer. To one side is a family room with a polished concrete floor, wood-burning fireplace and reclaimed mahogany wall paneling under a vaulted ceiling with exposed steel-tie rods. To the other side is the living room, which also has a concrete floor and fireplace, as well as large windows looking out over the landscape. A dining area open to the living room has built-in cabinetry and another fireplace elevated to eye level. An office area has built-in desks and a floor-to-ceiling installation of sculptural tree trunks.

The enormous kitchen has a floor of irregularly shaped bluestone, a large island with movable counter-height table, Corian and stainless-steel counters, Italian lacquered cabinets and premium appliances. A commercial refrigerator is tucked into a walk-in pantry. Adjacent to the kitchen is a screened porch with a spiral staircase that leads to a games room and a studio. The three bedrooms are in a separate wing, off a hallway with a wet bar and a laundry room. All have carpeted floors, vaulted ceilings, skylights and en-suite bathrooms. The master bedroom also opens onto a private deck.

OUTDOOR SPACE The house sits on a 13.23-acre lot of grass, trees and gardens, with its own pond. There is a pebbled terrace accessible from the kitchen and dining area at the back of the house and an attached three-car garage.

TAXES $11,219

CONTACT Charlotte Morrison, Kurfiss Sothebys International Realty, 215-896-4167; kurfiss.com

Read this article:
$2.2 Million Homes in Vermont, South Carolina and Pennsylvania - New York Times

By Donna Thompson donna@timestelegram.com

ILION Plans to pave John Street in the village of Ilion were put on hold Wednesday due to the upcoming property demolitions that are scheduled.

Department of Public Works Superintendent Jack Sterling told the village board John Street was on the list of streets to be paved this summer using Consolidated Highway Improvement Program funds, but he questioned whether the work should move ahead given three of the houses scheduled for demolition under the Federal Emergency Management Agency buyout program are on that street.

"Theyll have track hoes and trucks in there," said Sterling, adding if the village paves the street this month, as planned, the street would likely be torn up during the demolition work and the street would have to be repaved. He said he had asked if those houses could be demolished first to allow the paving work to be done this season, but he was given no guarantee this could happen.

Trustee Kalman Socolof noted if there are asbestos problems involved, the work could be delayed.

Mayor Terry Leonard said he had asked Jessica Breiten, of the Herkimer-Oneida Counties Comprehensive Planning Program, about demolishing these properties first.

"There was no guarantee theyd be at the top of the list," he said.

If the paving is delayed too long, it wont be done this season, said Sterling.

The board directed him to patch John Street and select another street to pave using the CHIPs funds. John Street will be on the list for next year.

Breitens recommendation to shorten the streets where demolition of houses is to take place was also discussed. Sterling and Village Administrator James Kramas argued against the move. Shortening the streets would complicate snow removal, they said, and they noted the amount of money the village receives in CHIPs funds is based on the miles of streets. The board agreed.

A smoke test conducted as part of the inflow and infiltration study on the village sanitary sewer system showed some issues on Morgan Street and Columbia Parkway, according to Sterling. Engineers from Barton & Loguidice told him they were optimistic about the villages chances to receive funding for a sanitary sewer project. They plan to bring data to the board at a future date.

Sterling also reported the sidewalk program the village is offering is going well and the Benedict Avenue project was nearly complete.

He said there seems to be a lot of interest in the sidewalk replacement program in all areas of the village. The plan called for sidewalks to be replaced on and near the streets to be repaved under the CHIPs program. The sidewalk program is for residents who request it and are willing to pay for the work. DPW is also keeping a list of residents outside the designated CHIPs area in case the department can get to them, according to Sterling.

The village board voted at an earlier meeting to replace the water and sewer mains on Benedict Avenue on an emergency basis. Repairs to water and sewer pipes had been made numerous times and a recent water main break damaged the street. The board voted to take out a bond anticipation note to pay for the project after receiving a quote of $273,000 from CNY Construction. Because it was handled as an emergency, the village did not have to go through the usual steps for the project, according to village officials.

Breiten, along with Mark Carabetta, senior project manager, and engineer James Murac, both of Milone & MacBroom, met with the board prior to the start of the regular meeting to discuss plans to improve drainage in the Columbia Parkway area.

Marina

Harbor Master Don Sterling reported the marina would be offering a veterans discount if requested. Trustee Bridget McKinley asked that he post signs to let visitors know the discount is available.

The board voted to approve a negative declaration for the Consolidated Funding Application for a capital project at the marina. The village board is seeking funds for a project that would include paving the driveway and parking area in a way that would prevent runoff from flowing into the canal and river. The village also hopes to deal with underground fuel storage tanks.

Read the original:
Paving of Ilion street delayed - The Times Telegram

A Terre Haute man was injured when he was thrown from his vehicle after it rolled over a retaining wall Sunday evening.

Danny Corbett, 73, was taken to an area hospital for non-life threatening injuries, police chief John Plasse said.

The incident occurred about 7 p.m. at Sycamore Manor assisted living complex. Corbett told police he had stopped his vehicle and got out to pick up something he had dropped. Corbett said he thought he had put the vehicle in park, but it began to roll forward so he tried to get back inside to stop it.

He was halfway inside the vehicle as it drove off the ledge and crashed below, throwing him to the ground. The retaining wall is about 6 feet high.

The vehicle continued for several feet before rolling to a stop.

See the original post:
Terre Haute man injured when car rolls off retaining wall - Terre Haute Tribune Star

A 15 foot section of wall is missing at Watertown's Thompson Park. The sight leaves strollers in the park stunned.

"Just shocking. I haven't seen anything like it in all the years I've walked up here," said Tim Shaugnessy, passerby.

The city engineer says this was discovered last weekend.

There's little doubt what happened. A drain pipe ran through the lower part of the wall. If it was broken, Mother Nature did the rest.

"All these heavy rains may have been undermining that wall and washing out the soil through it. The fact that it went was probably just a matter of time, really," said Justin Wood, city engineer.

Any fix looks expensive, but the first steps include careful measurements of the damage and coming up with options, such as...

"Placement of embankment fill to build it back up or building it back up with a retaining wall and then looking at the aesthetics, of course, with the Olmsted design," said Wood.

The famed Olmsted Company designed the park around 1900.

With so much of this stonework throughout the park, all of it about a century old, will this collapse lead to a closer look at it?

"I think that's fair to say. There's an enormous amount of stonework up there that needs to be maintained. And so that's something we need to continue to look at," said Wood.

And continue to hope for kinder treatment from Mother Nature.

See the original post here:
Wet Weather Blamed For Wall Collapse At Thompson Park - WWNY TV 7

PAUL MITCHELL

Last updated07:32, July 5 2017

MURRAY WILSON/FAIRFAX NZ

Jillian Sinclair is looking for a new home after a pool of water was discovered under her rental property. From left, Kaleb Beaven, 10, Jillian Sinclair, holding Hayden McKinley, 1, and Ethan Beaven, 9.

The rapid growth of mould so prolific thattwo dehumidifiers couldn't keep it at bay tipped off a Palmerston North woman something was wrong with her home.

It would take anotherfew weeks, when contractors came to installunderfloor insulation, to find out what the problem was a 10-centimetre deep pondof stagnant water, pooledunder the house.

Jillian Sinclair, a single mother of three special needs children, said she had been having issues with cold and damp in the rental house, on Russell St, since she moved in a few years ago.

SUPPLIED

The backyard of the property after heavy rain in 2015.

A pair of dehumidifiers had kept anymould issues at bay, until May, when not even they could keep up with it.

READ MORE: *The cause of the billion dollar price tag for NZ's next big health epidemic: Leaky buildings and hidden mould *Students make great tenants, property insiders say *Manawatu Tenants Union demands more state housing and affordable rents *Tenancy Truths: Dampness, cockroaches and rats drive family from uninhabitable HNZ property *[VID] Tenant abandoned property leaving huge piles of rubbish

When the contractors arrived, "they couldn't even start the installation because there was a lake under there", she said.

SUPPLIED

Mould growing on the walls of the house.

Professionals, which manages the property, wasn'taware of the issue until contractors found the pool,property manager Bev Fletcher said.

It hadmoved quickly to deal with the problem, clearing the house of mould, pumping out the pond and improving drainage.

By the end of June,a sump and pump system had been installed to stop any future poolingand the situation would be monitored during the next heavy rain. Once it was dry enough, the underfloor insulation would go in, she said.

Palmerston North City Council eco-design adviser NelsonLebo, who inspected the house, said it satbelow street leveland on a slight slope.

He believed the pool, which he thought to be about 10cm deep, formed during a heavy bout of rain in April.

"Standing water under a house is a red flag.

"It contributes to a large level of moisture inside the houseand makes it much more likely to have mould, which leads to bad health effects on the tenants."

Despite the efforts to fix the problem, Sinclair was concerned about the health of her children andfuture damp and mould problems, and is looking for a new home.

Professionals hasagreed to waive her notice period, so she can move as soon as she findsa new home.

Sinclair has also taken her concerns about the home's dampness problems to the Tenancy Tribunal.

Lebo said rising damp and mould was a big problem in Palmerston North.

The city was wet, flat and many neighbourhoods, like the area around Russell St where Sinclair lived, had poor drainage.

Even under normal conditions, when the soil felt dry, 40 litres of moisture a day could get into an unprotected home, causing issues with mould and rotting.

Lebosaid landlords could reduce the risk with a"ground moisture barrier" alayer of polyurethane down over the soil under their houses.

"In the short term, it's good for thetenants' health, and in the long term, it's good forthe landlords and reduces theirmaintenancecosts."

-Stuff

See the original post here:
Pool of water found under house forcing tenants to flee - Stuff.co.nz

Details 03 Jul 2017 by Keti Sidamonidze and Ludovig Girod, EXPERTO CONSULTING in OP-ED

The FINANCIAL -- Stereotypes are lazy thoughts: we do not need to listen or observe as we feel we know all about that topic already; except we do not we just have a head full of prejudices.

And yet, there are some notions that are never disputed. For instance, the fact that swimming is a life skill that opens the doors to not only a healthy lifestyle but to a lot of fun stuff as well! Now that we have established that, we can dive into the swimming pools topic and unveil the players on the Georgian market and beyond. After all, the long-awaited summer heat wave has finally hit Tbilisi and we do need to cool our thoughts down somehow.

But before we do start presenting the players, let us state that prior to splashing out money on a private backyard or indoor swimming pool, you need to be reminded that just like anything else, swimming pools come in all diverse types, designs, sizes, shapes and are used for various purposes. Budget, available space size, local rules and availability of materials will all factor in to what type of pool you will eventually decide to install on your property.

Experto has approached practically all swimming pool providers in Georgia but we will only focus on three main players on the local market. Our first respondent, Mr. Vakhtang Meskhi is the Director of AQUALINE, established back in 2006. Our main activities are the design and construction of swimming pools, saunas and SPA zones, as well as the installation of water treatment technologies stated Mr. Meskhi. Since the establishment, they have implemented many projects in both private and public sectors: Gained experience, our professional staff and the utilization of high quality products of leading swimming pool producers worldwide are the determinant factors of elevated level of trust our customers reward us with.

AQUALINE closely observes the latest global trends in the construction of basins and water treatment technologies. We try to make those innovative technologies available to the Georgian consumers in the shortest possible time. 97% of the products we offer to our customers is imported about 72% from the European countries and 28% from Turkey., revealed Vakhtang to Experto. AQUALINE represents many world leading brands in Georgia; besides, they have exclusive representation rights for: PROCOPI (France), PAHLEN (Sweden), MAYTRONICS (Israel), EMEC (Italy), CDECK (Portugal), DINOTEC (Germany), DAB (Italy), HASERV (Estonia), GEMAS (Turkey), SENTIOTEC (Austria), ECOSOFT (Germany/Ukraine). AQUALINE also offers the aftercare service to their consumers.

When asked about the size of the swimming pools market in Georgia, Mr. Meskhi told Experto that unfortunately, we do not have any overall market stats, but if we look at our own numbers, there is a notable growth trend for sure. What concerns us the most is the shortage of qualified staff for the post-sale market. Taking care of a swimming pool requires very specific knowledge. That is one of the reasons why AQUALINE decided to actively cooperate with professional technical institutions and training centers: besides this, we also regularly train and retrain our staff and take care of their professional development. He further elaborated that we constantly work with our consumers as well and explain to them the benefits of innovative technologies. For instance, if previously all our customers used service personnel for disinfection of their swimming pools, now over 37% of them use the automatic dosing system that controls water quality, dosage of chemicals and ensures water disinfection.

According to Mr. Meskhis assumptions, it will soon be trendy in Georgia as well to install pools that more and more resemble natural reservoirs and/or ponds: we already have some customers that refuse to use standard blue colored coverings and select white, sand, gray and/or green coverings. It is not only the case of colors. The director has noticed that while previously the price was the only determinant factor, now consumers are more conscious and self-aware of health-related aspects as well and care increasingly about getting the pools that comply with international safety standards: of course, the standard requirements of our business customers (hotels, spa centers, commercial pools, etc.) are higher compared to those of individuals. We find it much easier to convince our business customers to implement novel technologies as their safety requirements are stricter and they have a higher footfall, thus higher responsibility towards their respective end-users concluded Mr. Meskhi.

Our next respondent CMG Group has been operating on the Georgian market for the past five years. They offer a wide range of fiber glass products as well as a variety of composite materials needed for fiber glass production to Georgian consumers. CMG Group also produces boats, water bicycles, pools, manufacturing units and other products using fiber glass, which is an unprecedented case on the Georgian market.

Since 2015, they have been offering the Georgian brands of polyether CMG and FIBER PRO 1, produced by CMGs own formula in one of the European factories in Germany. Mr. Gela Gelashvili, Director of CMG Group revealed to Experto that we hope our products will end up being exported to Azerbaijan and Armenia in the nearest future. We have just started considering the matter. He further elaborated that this year we plan to manufacture fiberglass profiles, floors and fiber prefabricated bridges. The lack of needed investments is holding us back, even though we have the capabilities to upscale the production. CMG imports products/materials mainly from Germany, China, Turkey, and USA. At this point, their export activities are in the exploratory phase only. The Director of CMG Group also had trouble assessing the size of the swimming pool market in Georgia: besides, fiberglass pools are a novelty for Georgia. We launched the product this year only. So, it is hard for me to assess the precise demand levels for this type of pool. But the interest is definitely there. Before fiberglass swimming pools, CMG was producing tanks for fish farms, but because of lack of demand they switched to swimming pools. We are confident in the quality of our goods and stress that products made in Georgia can be good and competitive compared to the European products, with price being even more appealing concluded the CMG representative.

Our third respondent is NOKI, the winner of Golden Brand 2016. Georgias leading swimming pool designer and constructor is actively involved in establishing standards on the market, offering the highest quality services to about 1000 customers already. According to Mr. Zurab Glonti, Director of NOKI, for the past several years, they have successfully built dozens of swimming pools and managed to nurture strong customer trust thanks to their well-mannered, professional, experienced and responsible staff that deliver projects on time and within the pre-agreed budget using quality materials.

NOKI has been operating on the Georgian market for about 15 years already: we serve anyone that is interested in modern swimming pools, European standard materials and qualified service. Everything related to swimming pools falls within our competence, told the director to Experto. NOKI is the official representative of the renowned Czech Vagner Pool in Georgia. Besides this, the company cooperates closely with Berndorf Baderbau, Europes premier stainless-steel pool manufacturer; BWT, Europes leading water technology company; IPC Group, offering pool and veranda roofing systems; Maper Glas, engineering a large pool of overhead roofing systems and facades; and Speck, specialized in swimming pool pump products. Our suppliers are such famous brands as Kripsol; FIP; Saci Pumps; Pentair; Chemoform Group; Zodiac and many others, further elaborated Mr. Glonti.

NOKI takes pride in helping customers select the design of a swimming pool that is best tailored to the personal needs of each customer; They get involved in all aspects related to swimming pools: design and construction, as well as carrying out hydro-isolation and pavement activities; installation of water filtering and heating systems; installation of water attractions, supplying of all possible accessories; selection and installation of pool roofing or cover construction; supplying of chemicals that control water quality; They are one of the few players on the market that provide warranty service as well.

The second week of July Experto will be hosting the representative of a prominent and well-established French producer of swimming pools with a trusted reference brand for more than 50 years. The Export Director of Desjoyaux, Mr. Alexandre Muela will be visiting Tbilisi for the first time to explore the opportunities Georgia has to offer. Desjoyaux is a pioneer and inventor of a unique concept: the in-ground pool within everyones reach: In 1994, Desjoyaux pioneered the principle of swimming pools for all by marketing a standard model, suitable for water fun for the whole family. The private family pool has become the brands core activity, ranging basic kits ready to install to a fully equipped luxury pool, explained the Export Director. Apparently, the concept is inspired by outboard engines and the exclusive Desjoyaux system has a completely pipe-less design. This eliminates the need for long and costly buried pipe-laying work and reduces the risk of leaks: innovation makes life of our customers simpler. Our pipe-less filtration, a patented structure with no technical compartment, shoulders less risk of leaks. We offer a structure designed to be simple and safe to assemble a unique concept that leaves room for pleasure, and nothing but pleasure, elaborated enthusiastically the representative of the French company.

According to Mr. Muela, the Desjoyaux swimming pool had become popular very quickly. It continues to be successful today, thanks to its simplicity, craftsman's production values applied on an industrial scale, and the endless possibilities that it offers in terms of shapes, options, equipment, etc. Today Desjoyaux is the world's leading manufacturer of concrete in-ground swimming pools, supplying pools on all 5 continents. Over 210,000 families have already chosen Desjoyaux to design their space for holidays at home with the help of over 450 dealers in 80 countries.

Already being present in the region for 20 years in countries such as Azerbaijan and Russia, it has become relevant for us to already zoom in on Georgia just as we focused in Kosovo, Moldova, and Iraq years ago. Considering the developments in the Horeca sector and the planned/ongoing projects in Georgia, we would want seize the opportunity to find a local partner and develop our network in order to cater to the future demand on swimming pools in the country, explained candidly Mr. Alexandre Muela. He further revealed that we are currently building the first Aquapark in West Bank, working on a project of 100 pools in Bagdad Iraq.

It seems, the private swimming pools market is booming as more and more people want to be able to enjoy their holiday at home. As I am finishing the final lines of the article and before I do get a swimming pool in my backyard, I will head to the nearest outdoor swimming pool right away. Do join me but only under one very stringent condition do not forget to put on plenty of sunscreen to protect your exposed skin!

View original post here:
Experto Splashes Through The Swimming Pool Industry - The FINANCIAL

The South Australian Water Corporation will install rooftop solar PV and battery storage systems to offset increasing electricity prices.

In a request for tender launched last week, SA Water says it is seeking to build a grid-connected solar system of over 100 kW.

In addition, the tender calls for a 50 kWh battery storage system and smart controls.

SA Water manages more than 27,000 km of water mains, including 9,266 km in the Adelaide metropolitan area.

The corporation says installing solar and storage systems will manage periods of high electricity prices and guarantee sustainable water supply.

The proposed system shall be behind the meter, and designed to minimise electricity costs via the ability to dispatch stored energy as required, the tender request states.

SA Water is investing in rooftop solar PV and battery storage. Image: Pixabay

The system should have the ability to smooth grid supplied energy and also to use stored energy on site or export back to the grid.

Provision of system integration with remotely operated control and energy monitoring interfaces are to be included as part of the system design.

SA Water Corporation is just one of many water and waste management utilities around the country shifting to renewables.

In the Victorian city of Portland, a water and sewerage treatment plant will soon be powered by wind, with plans for an 800 kW wind turbine revealed in May.

And in March, also in regional Victoria, North East Water launched a tender to install 43 kW of solar panels and 40 kW of battery storage at its Yackandandah facility.

Meanwhile, the REC Peak Energy solar panels installed on many rooftops are so tough they can also be used in floating solar farms.

In Queensland, the City of Gold Coast is proposing to install a series of floating solar PV arrays on its network of wastewater ponds to offset energy costs.

In addition to preserving land, floating solar panel arrays help reduce the growth of algae in dams and minimise evaporation rates.

Tenders for SA Waters solar system close 2pm on Thursday, July 20, 2017.

See the original post:
Solar PV to combat high electricity costs - Energy Matters

Knowledge about air duct cleaning is in its early stages, so a blanket recommendation cannot be offered as to whether you should have your air ducts in your home cleaned. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urges you to read this document in it entirety as it provides important information on the subject.

Duct cleaning has never been shown to actually prevent health problems. Neither do studies conclusively demonstrate that particle (e.g., dust) levels in homes increase because of dirty air ducts. This is because much of the dirt in air ducts adheres to duct surfaces and does not necessarily enter the living space. It is important to keep in mind that dirty air ducts are only one of many possible sources of particles that are present in homes. Pollutants that enter the home both from outdoors and indoor activities such as cooking, cleaning, smoking, or just moving around can cause greater exposure to contaminants than dirty air ducts. Moreover, there is no evidence that a light amount of household dust or other particulate matter in air ducts poses any risk to your health.

If any of the conditions identified above exists, it usually suggests one or more underlying causes. Prior to any cleaning, retrofitting, or replacing of your ducts, the cause or causes must be corrected or else the problem will likely recur.

Some research suggests that cleaning heating and cooling system components (e.g., cooling coils, fans and heat exchangers) may improve the efficiency of your system, resulting in a longer operating life, as well as some energy and maintenance cost savings. However, little evidence exists that cleaning only the ducts will improve the efficiency of the system.

You may consider having your air ducts cleaned simply because it seems logical that air ducts will get dirty over time and should be occasionally cleaned. Provided that the cleaning is done properly, no evidence suggests that such cleaning would be detrimental. EPA does not recommend that the air ducts be cleaned routinely, but only as needed. EPA does, however, recommend that if you have a fuel burning furnace, stove or fireplace, they be inspected for proper functioning and serviced before each heating season to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning.

If you do decide to have your air ducts cleaned, take the same consumer precautions you normally would in assessing the service provider's competence and reliability.

Air duct cleaning service providers may tell you that they need to apply chemical biocide to the inside of your ducts as a means to kill bacteria (germs) and fungi (mold) and prevent future biological growth. They may also propose the application of a "sealant" to prevent dust and dirt particles from being released into the air or to seal air leaks. You should fully understand the pros and cons of permitting application of chemical biocides or sealants. While the targeted use of chemical biocides and sealants may be appropriate under specific circumstances, research has not demonstrated their effectiveness in duct cleaning or their potential adverse health effects. No chemical biocides are currently registered by EPA for use in internally-insulated air duct systems (see Should chemical biocides be applied to the inside of air ducts?).

Whether or not you decide to have the air ducts in your home cleaned, preventing water and dirt from entering the system is the most effective way to prevent contamination (see How to Prevent Duct Contamination).

Most people are now aware that indoor air pollution is an issue of growing concern and increased visibility. Many companies are marketing products and services intended to improve the quality of your indoor air. You have probably seen an advertisement, received a coupon in the mail, or been approached directly by a company offering to clean your air ducts as a means of improving your home's indoor air quality. These services typically but not always range in cost from $450 to $1,000 per heating and cooling system, depending on: the services offered

Duct cleaning generally refers to the cleaning of various heating and cooling system components of forced air systems, including the supply and return air ducts and registers, grilles and diffusers, heat exchangers heating and cooling coils, condensate drain pans (drip pans), fan motor and fan housing, and the air handling unit housing (See diagram).

If not properly installed, maintained and operated, these components may become contaminated with particles of dust, pollen or other debris. If moisture is present, the potential for microbiological growth (e.g., mold) is increased and spores from such growth may be released into the home's living space. Some of these contaminants may cause allergic reactions or other symptoms in people if they are exposed to them. If you decide to have your heating and cooling system cleaned, it is important to make sure the service provider agrees to clean all components of the system and is qualified to do so. Failure to clean a component of a contaminated system can result in re-contamination of the entire system, thus negating any potential benefits. Methods of duct cleaning vary, although standards have been established by industry associations concerned with air duct cleaning. Typically, a service provider will use specialized tools to dislodge dirt and other debris in ducts, then vacuum them out with a high-powered vacuum cleaner.

In addition, the service provider may propose applying chemical biocides, designed to kill microbiological contaminants, to the inside of the duct work and to other system components. Some service providers may also suggest applying chemical treatments (sealants or other encapsulants) to encapsulate or cover the inside surfaces of the air ducts and equipment housings because they believe it will control mold growth or prevent the release of dirt particles or fibers from ducts. These practices have yet to be fully researched and you should be fully informed before deciding to permit the use of biocides or chemical treatments in your air ducts. They should only be applied, if at all, after the system has been properly cleaned of all visible dust or debris.

Note: Use of sealants to encapsulate the inside surfaces of ducts is a different practice than sealing duct air leaks. Sealing duct air leaks can help save energy on heating and cooling bills. For more information, see EPA's Energy Star website.

Knowledge about the potential benefits and possible problems of air duct cleaning is limited. Since conditions in every home are different, it is impossible to generalize about whether or not air duct cleaning in your home would be beneficial.

If no one in your household suffers from allergies or unexplained symptoms or illnesses and if, after a visual inspection of the inside of the ducts, you see no indication that your air ducts are contaminated with large deposits of dust or mold (no musty odor or visible mold growth), having your air ducts cleaned is probably unnecessary. It is normal for the return registers to get dusty as dust-laden air is pulled through the grate. This does not indicate that your air ducts are contaminated with heavy deposits of dust or debris; the registers can be easily vacuumed or removed and cleaned.

On the other hand, if family members are experiencing unusual or unexplained symptoms or illnesses that you think might be related to your home environment, you should discuss the situation with your doctor. EPA has published the following publicationsfor guidance on identifying possible indoor air quality problems and ways to prevent or fix them.

You may consider having your air ducts cleaned simply because it seems logical that air ducts will get dirty over time and should occasionally be cleaned. While the debate about the value of periodic duct cleaning continues, no evidence suggests that such cleaning would be detrimental, provided that it is done properly.

On the other hand, if a service provider fails to follow proper duct cleaning procedures, duct cleaning can cause indoor air problems. For example, an inadequate vacuum collection system can release more dust, dirt and other contaminants than if you had left the ducts alone. A careless or inadequately trained service provider can damage your ducts or heating and cooling system, possibly increasing your heating and air conditioning costs or forcing you to undertake difficult and costly repairs or replacements.

There is substantial visible mold growth inside hard surface (e.g., sheet metal) ducts or on other components of your heating and cooling system. There are several important points to understand concerning mold detection in heating and cooling systems:

Ducts are infested with vermin, e.g. (rodents or insects)

Ducts are clogged with excessive amounts of dust and debris and/or particles are actually released into the home from your supply registers.

Duct cleaning has never been shown to actually prevent health problems. Neither do studies conclusively demonstrate that particle (e.g., dust) levels in homes increase because of dirty air ducts or go down after cleaning. This is because much of the dirt that may accumulate inside air ducts adheres to duct surfaces and does not necessarily enter the living space. It is important to keep in mind that dirty air ducts are only one of many possible sources of particles that are present in homes. Pollutants that enter the home both from outdoors and indoor activities such as cooking, cleaning, smoking, or just moving around can cause greater exposure to contaminants than dirty air ducts. Moreover, there is no evidence that a light amount of household dust or other particulate matter in air ducts poses any risk to health.

EPA does not recommend that air ducts be cleaned except on an as-needed basis because of the continuing uncertainty about the benefits of duct cleaning under most circumstances. EPA does, however, recommend that if you have a fuel burning furnace, stove, or fireplace, they be inspected for proper functioning and serviced before each heating season to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning. Some research also suggests that cleaning dirty cooling coils, fans and heat exchangers can improve the efficiency of heating and cooling systems. However, little evidence exists to indicate that simply cleaning the duct system will increase your system's efficiency.

If you think duct cleaning might be a good idea for your home, but you are not sure, talk to a professional. The company that services your heating and cooling system may be a good source of advice. You may also want to contact professional duct cleaning service providers and ask them about the services they provide. Remember, they are trying to sell you a service, so ask questions and insist on complete and knowledgeable answers.

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To find companies that provide duct cleaning services, check your Yellow Pages under "duct cleaning" or contact the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) at the address and phone number in the information section located at the end of this guidance. Do not assume that all duct cleaning service providers are equally knowledgeable and responsible. Talk to at least three different service providers and get written estimates before deciding whether to have your ducts cleaned. When the service providers come to your home, ask them to show you the contamination that would justify having your ducts cleaned.

Do not hire duct cleaners who make sweeping claims about the health benefits of duct cleaning such claims are unsubstantiated. Do not hire duct cleaners who recommend duct cleaning as a routine part of your heating and cooling system maintenance. You should also be wary of duct cleaners who claim to be certified by EPA. Note: EPA neither establishes duct cleaning standards nor certifies, endorses, or approves duct cleaning companies.

Check references to be sure other customers were satisfied and did not experience any problems with their heating and cooling system after cleaning.

Contact your county or city office of consumer affairs or local Better Business Bureau to determine if complaints have been lodged against any of the companies you are considering.

Interview potential service providers to ensure:

Ask the service provider whether they hold any relevant state licenses. As of 1996, the following states require air duct cleaners to hold special licenses: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Texas. Other states may require them as well.

If the service provider charges by the hour, request an estimate of the number of hours or days the job will take, and find out whether there will be interruptions in the work. Make sure the duct cleaner you choose will provide a written agreement outlining the total cost and scope of the job before work begins.

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If you choose to have your ducts cleaned, the service provider should:

Open access ports or doors to allow the entire system to be cleaned and inspected.

Inspect the system before cleaning to be sure that there are no asbestos-containing materials (e.g., insulation, register boots, etc.) in the heating and cooling system. Asbestos-containing materials require specialized procedures and should not be disturbed or removed except by specially trained and equipped contractors.

Use vacuum equipment that exhausts particles outside of the home or use only high-efficiency particle air (HEPA) vacuuming equipment if the vacuum exhausts inside the home.

Protect carpet and household furnishings during cleaning.

Use well-controlled brushing of duct surfaces in conjunction with contact vacuum cleaning to dislodge dust and other particles.

Use only soft-bristled brushes for fiberglass duct board and sheet metal ducts internally lined with fiberglass. (Although flex duct can also be cleaned using soft-bristled brushes, it can be more economical to simply replace accessible flex duct.)

Take care to protect the duct work, including sealing and re-insulating any access holes the service provider may have made or used so they are airtight.

Follow NADCA's standards for air duct cleaning and NAIMA's recommended practice for ducts containing fiber glass lining or constructed of fiber glass duct board.

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A thorough visual inspection is the best way to verify the cleanliness of your heating and cooling system. Some service providers use remote photography to document conditions inside ducts. All portions of the system should be visibly clean; you should not be able to detect any debris with the naked eye. Show the Post-Cleaning Consumer Checklist to the service provider before the work begins. After completing the job, ask the service provider to show you each component of your system to verify that the job was performed satisfactorily.

If you answer "No" to any of the questions on the checklist, this may indicate a problem with the job. Ask your service provider to correct any deficiencies until you can answer "yes" to all the questions on the checklist.

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Whether or not you decide to have the air ducts in your home cleaned, committing to a good preventive maintenance program is essential to minimize duct contamination.

To prevent dirt from entering the system:

Use the highest efficiency air filter recommended by the manufacturer of your heating and cooling system.

Change filters regularly.

If your filters become clogged, change them more frequently.

Be sure you do not have any missing filters and that air cannot bypass filters through gaps around the filter holder.

When having your heating and cooling system maintained or checked for other reasons, be sure to ask the service provider to clean cooling coils and drain pans.

During construction or renovation work that produces dust in your home, seal off supply and return registers and do not operate the heating and cooling system until after cleaning up the dust.

Remove dust and vacuum your home regularly. (Use a high efficiency vacuum (HEPA) cleaner or the highest efficiency filter bags your vacuum cleaner can take. Vacuuming can increase the amount of dust in the air during and after vacuuming as well as in your ducts).

If your heating system includes in-duct humidification equipment, be sure to operate and maintain the humidifier strictly as recommended by the manufacturer.

Whether of not you decide to have the air ducts in your home cleaned, committing to a good preventive maintenance program is essential to minimize duct contamination.

To prevent ducts from becoming wet:

Moisture should not be present in ducts. Controlling moisture is the most effective way to prevent biological growth in air ducts.

Moisture can enter the duct system through leaks or if the system has been improperly installed or serviced. Research suggests that condensation (which occurs when a surface temperature is lower than the dew point temperature of the surrounding air) on or near cooling coils of air conditioning units is a major factor in moisture contamination of the system. The presence of condensation or high relative humidity is an important indicator of the potential for mold growth on any type of duct. Controlling moisture can often be difficult, but here are some steps you can take:

Promptly and properly repair any leaks or water damage.

Pay particular attention to cooling coils, which are designed to remove water from the air and can be a major source of moisture contamination of the system that can lead to mold growth. Make sure the condensate pan drains properly. The presence of substantial standing water and/or debris indicates a problem requiring immediate attention. Check any insulation near cooling coils for wet spots.

Make sure ducts are properly sealed and insulated in all non-air-conditioned spaces (e.g., attics and crawl spaces). This will help to prevent moisture due to condensation from entering the system and is important to make the system work as intended. To prevent water condensation, the heating and cooling system must be properly insulated.

If you are replacing your air conditioning system, make sure that the unit is the proper size for your needs and that all ducts are sealed at the joints. A unit that is too big will cycle on and off frequently, resulting in poor moisture removal, particularly in areas with high humidity. Also make sure that your new system is designed to manage condensation effectively.

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The bottom line is: no one knows. There are examples of ducts that have become badly contaminated with a variety of materials that may pose risks to your health. The duct system can serve as a means to distribute these contaminants throughout a home. In these cases, duct cleaning may make sense. However, a light amount of household dust in your air ducts is normal. Duct cleaning is not considered to be a necessary part of yearly maintenance of your heating and cooling system, which consists of regular cleaning of drain pans and heating and cooling coils, regular filter changes and yearly inspections of heating equipment. Research continues in an effort to evaluate the potential benefits of air duct cleaning.

Educate yourself about duct cleaning by contacting some or all of the sources of information listed at the end of this publication and asking questions of potential service providers.

You may be familiar with air ducts that are constructed of sheet metal. However, many modern residential air duct systems are constructed of fiber glass duct board or sheet metal ducts that are lined on the inside with fiber glass duct liner. Since the early 1970's, a significant increase in the use of flexible duct, which generally is internally lined with plastic or some other type of material, has occurred.

The use of insulated duct material has increased due:

Internal insulation provides better acoustical (noise) control. Flexible duct is very low cost. These products are engineered specifically for use in ducts or as ducts themselves, and are tested in accordance with standards established by Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Many insulated duct systems have operated for years without supporting significant mold growth. Keeping them reasonably clean and dry is generally adequate. However, there is substantial debate about whether porous insulation materials (e.g., fiber glass) are more prone to microbial contamination than bare sheet metal ducts. If enough dirt and moisture are permitted to enter the duct system, there may be no significant difference in the rate or extent of microbial growth in internally lined or bare sheet metal ducts. However, treatment of mold contamination on bare sheet metal is much easier. Cleaning and treatment with an EPA-registered biocide are possible. Once fiberglass duct liner is contaminated with mold, cleaning is not sufficient to prevent re-growth and there are no EPA-registered biocides for the treatment of porous duct materials. EPA, NADCA and NAIMA all recommend the replacement of wet or moldy fiber glass duct material.

Experts do agree that moisture should not be present in ducts and if moisture and dirt are present, the potential exists for biological contaminants to grow and be distributed throughout the home. Controlling moisture is the most effective way to prevent biological growth in all types of air ducts.

Correct any water leaks or standing water.

Remove standing water under cooling coils of air handling units by making sure that drain pans slope toward the drain.

If humidifiers are used, they must be properly maintained.

Air handling units should be constructed so that maintenance personnel have easy, direct access to heat exchange components and drain pans for proper cleaning and maintenance.

Fiber glass, or any other insulation material that is wet or visibly moldy (or if an unacceptable odor is present) should be removed and replaced by a qualified heating and cooling system contractor.

Steam cleaning and other methods involving moisture should not be used on any kind of duct work.

Air duct cleaning service providers may tell you that they need to apply a chemical biocide to the inside of your ducts to kill bacteria (germs) and fungi (mold), and prevent future biological growth. Some duct cleaning service providers may propose to introduce ozone to kill biological contaminants. Ozone is a highly reactive gas that is regulated in the outside air as a lung irritant. However, there remains considerable controversy over the necessity and wisdom of introducing chemical biocides or ozone into the duct work.

Among the possible problems with biocide and ozone application in air ducts:

Chemical biocides are regulated by EPA under Federal pesticide law. A product must be registered by EPA for a specific use before it can be legally used for that purpose. The specific use(s) must appear on the pesticide (e.g., biocide) label, along with other important information. It is a violation of federal law to use a pesticide product in any manner inconsistent with the label directions.

A small number of products are currently registered by EPA specifically for use on the inside of bare sheet metal air ducts. A number of products are also registered for use as sanitizers on hard surfaces, which could include the interior of bare sheet metal ducts. While many such products may be used legally inside of unlined ducts if all label directions are followed, some of the directions on the label may be inappropriate for use in ducts. For example, if the directions indicate "rinse with water", the added moisture could stimulate mold growth.

All of the products discussed above are registered solely for the purpose of sanitizing the smooth surfaces of unlined (bare) sheet metal ducts. No products are currently registered as biocides for use on fiber glass duct board or fiber glass lined ducts, so it is important to determine if sections of your system contain these materials before permitting the application of any biocide.

Before allowing a service provider to use a chemical biocide in your duct work, the service provider should:

Demonstrate visible evidence of microbial growth in your duct work. Some service providers may attempt to convince you that your air ducts are contaminated by demonstrating that the microorganisms found in your home grow on a settling plate (i.e., petri dish). This is inappropriate. Some microorganisms are always present in the air, and some growth on a settling plate is normal. As noted earlier, only an expert can positively identify a substance as biological growth and lab analysis may be required for final confirmation. Other testing methods are not reliable.

Explain why biological growth cannot be removed by physical means, such as brushing, and further growth prevented by controlling moisture.

If you decide to permit the use of a biocide, the service provider should:

Show you the biocide label, which will describe its range of approved uses.

Apply the biocide only to un-insulated areas of the duct system after proper cleaning, if necessary to reduce the chances for re-growth of mold.

Always use the product strictly according to its label instructions.

While some low toxicity products may be legally applied while occupants of the home are present, you may wish to consider leaving the premises while the biocide is being applied as an added precaution.

Manufacturers of products marketed to coat and encapsulate duct surfaces claim that these sealants prevent dust and dirt particles inside air ducts from being released into the air. As with biocides, a sealant is often applied by spraying it into the operating duct system. Laboratory tests indicate that materials introduced in this manner tend not to completely coat the duct surface. Application of sealants may also affect the acoustical (noise) and fire retarding characteristics of fiber glass lined or constructed ducts and may invalidate the manufacturer's warranty.

Questions about the safety, effectiveness and overall desirability of sealants remain. For example, little is known about the potential toxicity of these products under typical use conditions or in the event they catch fire.

In addition, sealants have yet to be evaluated for their resistance to deterioration over time which could add particles to the duct air.

Most organizations concerned with duct cleaning, including EPA, NADCA, NAIMA and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA) do not currently recommend the routine use of sealants to encapsulate contaminants in any type of duct. Instances when the use of sealants to encapsulate the duct surfaces may be appropriate include the repair of damaged fiber glass insulation or when combating fire damage within ducts. Sealants should never be used on wet duct liner, to cover actively growing mold, or to cover debris in the ducts, and should only be applied after cleaning according to NADCA or other appropriate guidelines or standards.

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Office of Radiation and Indoor Air Indoor Environments Division (6609J) 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20460

The following EPA publications are available on this web site, some can be ordered from NSCEP. (see also: Publications and Resources)

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1120 Route 73, Suite 200 Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054 Phone: (855) GO-NADCA (856) 380-6810 E-mail: info@nadca.com Website: NADCAExit

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Should You Have the Air Ducts in Your Home Cleaned ...

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This press release was orginally distributed by ReleaseWire

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Direct Air Conditioning Includes Air Duct Cleaning in Their List of Services Apart from AC Service in Coral Gables ... - Digital Journal (press...