Keep your patio and pool free from bugs, glare, debris and nosey passersby with our excellent outdoor Pool and Patio screening solutions, factory direct from Metro Screenworks. Our custom screen products and screen systems are the best on the market and are made in the U.S.A. with the highest quality window screen materials and parts. We at Metro Screenworks want you to have the custom screens that you want and need, and will work with you to make sure you get the exact product you need.

We have a large inventory of custom screens, screen systems, sliding screen doors, patio screen doors and more available both assembled and unassembled so you can get just what you need at a price that fits your budget.

Unsure of what you need for your screened in porch or patio? Get the best custom screening solutions for your screened enclosures and patio from the experts at Metro Screenworks. Give us a call at 1-800-413-2579 to discuss the best screen options for your needs.

Know what you need but not sure what size of custom screen you need? Read more about measuring for your custom screen or replacement window screen frame here!

For all other questions about your custom screens, check out our FAQ page or Contact us! Want more ideas for your porch screen system and custom screens? Read our blog!

Visit link:
Patio Screen Enclosure | Screened Patio Enclosures | Pool ...

Within a narrow angle of vision you can see: shadows of leaves; the dusty soil and stubborn flora of this wooded part of Spain; light bouncing off water; the shaved and polished pebbles of a curving concrete floor; dark steel posts and beam; a curving concrete slab above; above that, a cylindrical water tank in the graded earth colours of a creme caramel; sky; the head and red tap of an external shower; a silvery shower curtain; strings of bare lightbulbs; a white steel pod containing an outdoor toilet; and a big stainless steel cupboard whose angled mirrored surfaces cause it to melt into greenness. Due to a fall in the ground, the trees behind show their foliage rather than their trunks. An elusive honeycomb pattern is set up by the moir effect of the perforated steel wrapping of a freestanding sink unit.

This dense assemblage of stimulations widens out into a larger structure, a perfect 45-metre-wide concrete circle inscribed with multiplying effects of transparencies and reflections. Its like a wood, in that the substance (trees, building materials), without which you couldnt call it a wood (or building), keeps dissolving into shadows, light and depth, without going away altogether. This the use of materials, light and space to intensify experience is what architecture should do. A lot of the time it doesnt get the chance.

This fascinating structure is a holiday house, recently built in the wooded, mountainous district of Matarraa, in Aragon, just over the border from Catalonia. It is one of two so far completed in a development called Solo Houses, which is planned to include a total of 15 plus a hotel, each designed by a different architect. The project was invented by a Paris-based couple, Christian Bourdais, who formerly traded in antiques from south-east Asia, and Eva Albarran, a producer of cultural and artistic events. The idea is to build a collection of architecture as others might art, to make a history of what is architecture at this moment in time, to commission the best possible designs, to follow architects as far as they will go.

The overall project is a bit like Alain de Bottons Living Architecture programme of architect-designed holiday homes, except that Solos are all in the same 100-hectare location. It also resembles the Serpentine Galleries annual architecture pavilion, with the difference that these houses are permanent and habitable. Two of the architects recently favoured by the Serpentine, Smiljan Radi from Chile and Sou Fujimoto from Japan, are working for Solo, and Hans Ulrich Obrist, the Serpentines artistic director, is advising on a programme of artworks for the development. Indeed, this concept of the architectural collectible could be called obristism eclectic, well informed, international, knowing, with preferences for the idiosyncratic but about-to-be-recognised, for the intellectually alive and the mildly decadent.

Solo Houses choices are those of enthusiasts who know their field and know what they like. Bourdais says he wasnt looking for the fashionable architects that everyone knows, but people of his own fortysomething generation who would think the same way that he does. They were babies when we met, he says, but in the six-year gestation of the project they have ascended some gradations of fame, including the Serpentines recognition of Radi and Fujimoto. For the location Bourdais spent six months touring Europe, looking at amazing sites in which it was also permitted to build. He settled on Aragon because its planning policies are more favourable to building in the countryside thanCatalonias.

The first house was by the Chilean couple Mauricio Pezo and Sofia von Ellrichshausen, who featured memorably in the Royal Academys Sensing Spaces exhibition of 2014. It is a concrete tower that spreads at the top, a right-angled mushroom that counters the usual intuition that, confronted with amazing views and amazing climate, openness is all. Inside the stalk you get dungeon-like darkness, water pipes glinting in the shadows, light coming mostly from viewing panels into the blue water of a pool. When you get to the top you find a square patio house in the sky, with the pool in the sheltered centre and an outer layer of rooms looking out in all directions. From here, finally, you getthe view.

The second, circular house is by the Brussels practice Office Kersten Geers David Van Severen who, since they set up in 2002, have been building respect for their nuanced and subtly subversive work. They wanted, they say, to make their Solo House the least like a house as possible to make contact in a light way with the landscape, and to somehow disappear. This does not mean, for them, camouflage, nor making something woody that might have been assembled by goblins you cant miss that the building is there but trying to coincide with nature.

They use the machine-age materials glass, steel and concrete of Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, together with more louche fabric: curtains and screens that filter the light, touches of marble, stainless steel that warps reflections like a fairground mirror. They draw on a modernist fascination with the sensual and illusory that was often ignored by official histories but was practised, for example, in houses, interiors and exhibition pavilions by Mies and the textile designer Lilly Reich in the late 1920s and early 30s. Geers and Van Severen also exploit a modernist love of blurring inside and out: the elements of the house are divided into three enclosures about the perimeter of the circle, a thin sliver containing a kitchen/dining/living space and two more containing beds and bathrooms. You have to go outside to get from one to another.

The circle casts such a spell that you are mostly happy to pad about inside it, savouring the solitude

It then turns out that the outer walls are actually sliding screens that can be shunted out of the way, to expose like a falling beach towel the naked interiors. Beds, baths and kitchen stand open to the horizon. The screens create, along with the shimmers and reflections, a zone of instability and transience that is given definition by the precision of the circle. Further contrast is provided above the roofline, where are placed blunt necessary objects such as solar panels, water tanks and heating and filtration devices, shaped into cylinders, cubes and cones. The two cylinders have been given the colours of earth and sky by the artist Pieter Vermeersch, but otherwise these objects are as solid and factual as the lower level is evanescent. In keeping with the pervasive desire to play with expectations, their placing inverts the architectural hierarchy that traditionally puts the celestial anddreamy above the basicandchthonic.

You are free to wander outside the building into the woods, but somehow the circle casts such a spell that you are mostly happy to pad about inside it, savouring the solitude, mesmerised by the repetitions, correspondences and infinite variety of this horizontal, hedonic hamster wheel. The experiences of intimacy and vastness, of being alone in what is a sparsely populated landscape, are felt with more force inside the circle.

Holiday colonies built in lightly touched nature are not, of course, always good news, but so far the Solo Houses add to their surroundings rather than detract from them. They are there but they dont dominate. There are pitfalls too, in the obristist notion of building-as-collectible, as it tends to favour the statement over the liveable. This trap is also avoided, as for all its richness of materials and ideas the architecture knows when to stand back to allow you, as Geers puts it, just to make your life. The whole thing is rarefied and indulgent, of course, and its not going to solve any housing crises, but at the task it has set itself of creating architecture that is as good as it can be it succeeds.

Read more here:
The Spanish holiday home as an architectural collectible - The Guardian

Florida Home-Improvement Associates Quality Windows, Doors, Kitchens, Insulation, Exterior Paints, and Solar Products for Your Florida Home

Our management team has been in the Industry for over 40 years and Florida Home Improvement Associates (FHIA) has been one of the leaders in providing quality products needed to make your home beautiful, safe and energy efficient. Serving the entire state of Florida, FHIA provides high impact windows, impact doors, energy saving attic insulations and exterior paints for the home, and we have a large collection of solar products needed to keep your energy bills low each month. With Offices Located up and down the coast of Florida, including Jacksonville, Orlando, Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, FHIA is here to supply quality products at the price you deserve. Give us a call now and get a free estimate.Read more

Impact windows and doors from FHIA are energy efficient, protect your home from dangerous storms, and keep you and your family safe from intruders. For more benefits on FHIA Windows and Doors.See More

Kitchen cabinet refacing and new countertops from FHIA help you create your dream kitchen without the large cost of remodeling. With hundreds of styles available, make your dream kitchen a reality.See More

From energy saving attic insulation, texture coat paints for your home and solar products like solar attic fans, solar water heaters and solar window film, FHIA has everything you need to create a green home!See More

See the original post here:
Florida Home-Improvement Associates - FHA Products

Home remodeling contractor Alexandria and Arlington, Virginia

Alexandria, Virginia (PRWEB) August 30, 2017

Elite Contractor Services, a top-rated home remodeling contractor servicing Northern Virginia cities as diverse as Alexandria, Arlington, and Fairfax, is proud to announce ambitious website upgrades. As busy Northern Virginia residents search for the best home contractors in the area, the new content upgrades extend the leadership of Elite Contractor Services as a good option for any home remodeling project.

"We realize that our customers turn first to online resources such as Angie's List, Google, and Houzz but they quickly end up on our website," explained Ana Blanco, marketing manager for Elite Contractor Services. "Our new content upgrades help us not only with information on home remodeling, in general, but with specific city information such as for Alexandria, Arlington, and Fairfax in Virginia."

Interested persons can visit a sample upgraded page such as the page focusing on home remodeling at http://elitecontractorservices.com/home-remodeling/. Similarly, the company is launching localized informational pages such as a page on home remodeling services in Alexandria, Virginia, at http://elitecontractorservices.com/services-areas/alexandria-va/.

THE VALUE OF A LOCAL HOME REMODELING CONTRACTOR

With many aging homes in Northern Virginia and with many affluent consumers, the demand for home remodeling is strong and rising. That said, many consolidated services exist that are not actually home remodeling companies or contractors but rather online services the pull together inquiries. Similarly, many Northern Virginia customers in cities as diverse as Alexandria, Arlington, and Fairfax would prefer to deal with a family-owned, small business for their home remodeling needs. By upgrading its website to showcase the breadth of service offerings such as bathroom or kitchen remodelings, attic or basement additions, or even custom home buildings, Elite Contract Services is reaching out to Northern Virginia homeowners in terms of online information. Persons, including journalists and bloggers, interested in learning more about this innovative online initiative are urged to visit the website.

ABOUT ELITE CONTRACTOR SERVICES

Elite Contractor Services (http://elitecontractorservices.com/) is a family owned home remodeling company serving cities as diverse as Washington DC, Alexandria Virginia, and Bethesda Maryland as well as Falls Church home contractor services. Persons looking for a top remodeling contractor for a home remodel or kitchen remodel, can reach out for a no obligation consultation. The company consists of expert contractors for kitchen remodels, home remodels or additions, and even specific jobs such as basement remodels or attic additions. The company aims to be one of the best, top-rated remodeling companies and remodeling contractors in communities as diverse as Arlington or Fairfax, Herndon or Washington DC or up to Vienna, Fairfax County or even Rockville, MD.

Media RelationsTel. 703-813-1678

Share article on social media or email:

Continued here:
Home Remodeling Contractor Serving Alexandria, Arlington, and Fairfax, Elite Contractor Services Announces Website ... - PR Web (press release)

Sometime you might be outside, the guests are arriving for lunch. You planned to serve it on the patio outside the house. Just before they arrive, you get a whiff of a terrible sewer smell.

Theplumbing roof vent pipe and yard-based septic vent pipe is a necessary partof your plumbing system. The purpose of the stink pipe, as it's sometimes called, is to enable the pressure in yourdrain system to equalize. When water and waste flows downyour drains, pressure in your plumbing drains increases asthe air in the system is displaced by water and waste. Withoutthe roof vent pipe, the drains would gurgle up into yoursinks, tubs and toilets.

Theplumbing roof vent pipe, and yard-based sewer vent pipe, are also a placewhere septic gases and sewer gases exit the system safely.These gases are a natural byproduct of the bacteria thatbreak down the waste in either your septic system or sewerline. Because of this naturally occurring cycle, the septicand sewer gases have a foul odor. Normally,the gases are carried up and away from the systems stink pipe. However, under certain conditions, these hydrogensulfide (also known as H2S) and methane gases might be pulleddown into your yard around your home or place of business.

Thereis also a new style septic system design called a pressuredose septic system. This style septic system is becomingmore popular as it utilizes both a solids and a liquid septic tank. By separating the liquidfrom the solids, it allows for a cleaner liquid to be pumpedup into the leeching field allowing the leeching field tobe significantly smaller than what would be necessary ina standard septic system. For safety reasons, this styleseptic system requires that the liquid tank be vented topurge the hydrogen sulfide and methane gases away from theelectronic pump found in the septic tank. With pressure dosestyle septic systems, the septic gases are purged directlyto the yard through a vent causing unpleasant odors, evenunder the best of conditions. This septic tank vent is typicallylocated somewhere in the yard near the liquid tank.

Ifyou notice sewer smell coming from your septic tank vent, don'tassume that you have serious problems with your septic system.As we mentioned earlier, hydrogen sulfide is a normal by-productof the breakdown of wastes occurring within your septic system.

In certain situations the hydrogen sulfide thatwould normally exit your roof vent and be carried up andaway, will actually be pulled down into your yard creatingnot only an annoying problem, but also an unhealthy livingenvironment. (For health information concerning hydrogensulfide see The Toxicology of hydrogen sulfide.)

Differentclimate conditions, such as temperature variances, temperature inversions and changein wind direction, can direct the gases back toward yourliving area. This problem can be magnified by the locationof your home as well. If your home is located against a hillor near objects taller than your roof vent pipe, negative pressurescan naturally develop pulling the septic gas or sewer gasdown from your roof vent pipe and into your yard or place of business. Inthe case of sewer lines, since they dont utilize plumbingtraps, your home or buildings roof vent can be an exit sourcefor not only the sewer gases created within your structurebut for all the homes and structures on your main sewer line.

So, how do you stop septic odor? Whileyou cant stop the creation of septic and sewer gases, youcan eliminate the odor that is caused as they exit the roofvent pipe or septic tank vent by installing a Wolverine Brand activated carbon vent filter on top of your sewer vent.

The Wolverine Brand activated carbon vent filter (sometimes called a charcoal vent filter) was specifically designed tosafely remove the hydrogen sulfide and methane gases fromthe air exiting your septic and sewer vents. And best ofall, The Wolverine Brand activatedcarbon vent filter is easy to install, comes with a 120-day moneyback guarantee and a one-year limited warranty.

So what are you waiting for? Why not let Simple Solutions Distributing help you permanently eliminate that sewer smell outside your house once and for all. Learn more about the Wolverine Brand activated carbon vent filter and the entire Wolverine Brand Family of Odor Control Products.

Read this article:
About That Septic Gas - Industrial Odor Control

For more that two hours Thursday, members of the Morgan County Regional Sewer District board heard about the process that will establish a rate for uses of the Waverly Sanitary Sewer System.

Board members met with representatives from engineering firm Beam-Longest-Neff, accounting consultants Umbaugh and Associates, Strategic Development Group for publicity and Cornerstone Grants for grant funds to discuss the progress of the system.

At this time, financing for the project will come from several sources, including grants and low-interest loans. Most of the available grants are based on the income of people living in an area.

Due to the wide range of incomes in the Waverly area, some homes qualify for grants while others do not.

Board members discussed having a company do a study to determine how many residents want and will hook on to the new sewer system and to do an income study to help determine what areas qualify for grants.

Determining the number of residents who want the system is vital in helping to determine the user rate. The more users who connect to the system, the lower the rate will be.

According to Doug Baldasari from Umbaugh, who is working on establishing a rate, there are many factors to consider.

Baldasari said Umbaugh does a large amount of work for regional sewer districts. He gave the board a worksheet showing the items that have to be taken into consideration in establishing a rate.

One topic was final construction costs. At this time, the project has not been let out for bids. All construction costs are estimates only. Once the final amount is determined, the rate will have to include money to repay the construction cost.

Also to be considered are operational costs. Once the plant is built and the sewer lines installed, a private company will operate the system. The rate will have to include money to pay for the operation of the plant.

As for repair and expansion costs, according to Baldasari, the rate should reflect funding to pay for repairs of the plant and funding for future expansion.

Some board members expressed concerns that residents may not see the benefits of having a sanitary sewer system. According to BLN, having a sewer system eliminates any future septic system problems. It eliminates the pollution of ground water by septic waste. It also keeps septic waste out of the White River. Having a sewer system can add to the value of property.

There was discussion regarding, once Interstate 69 is complete, development around the Ind. 144/I-69 intersection. Board members said they felt development will depend on the availability of a sewer system.

Decisions to affect rates

Baldasari said the board will have to make some decisions before rates can be established. He said board members will have to determine if there will be a connection fee to hook onto the sewer line. If they decide there will be a fee, a decision will have to be made to determine the connection fee amount, and whether it can be paid upfront or in installments.

Due to the hills and valleys in the area, some homes will have to have a grinder pump to move waste into the sewer line. According to information from BLN, a grinder pump can cost between $4,000 and $5,000. Baldasari said the board will have to determine who the pays for the pumps. He said a decision will have to be made to determine if the district pays, then recovers the money though the user rate, or if the resident pays when the pump is installed.

Baldasari said another factor that affects the rates is whether the board has a part-time or full-time employee to take care of any problems that could develop or if it contracts with the company that operates the plant to deal will problems. That decision has to be made before a rate can be determined.

Amy Miller, of Cornerstone Grants, explained different grants available for the project. She said many of the grants depend on the income of those living in the area.

Scott Burgins of Strategic Development Group said he could assist with meeting with residents. His advice was, Be transparent and dont try to hide anything. Be honest with the residents.

Board members plan to meet with the Morgan County Redevelopment Commission, which is building the sewer plant, to see if there is funding available to do the income study and determine who is willing to connect to the system. They also want to begin the process to educate residents, not only in the Waverly area, but elsewhere in the county, about the benefits of a septic sewer system.

See the rest here:
Sewer board discusses rate process for Waverly system - Reporter-Times

FARMVILLE Construction to install long-awaited sewer lines along U.S. 258 to Watkins Mobile Home Park,a large low-income residential development with several failing septic systems, is scheduled to begin in November.

The Farmville Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 with commissioners John Moore and Brenda Elks opposed to approve the low bid for construction by Ralph Hodge Construction. The Aug. 22 motion, which was made by Commissioner Hunter Walters and seconded by Commissioner David Shackleford, has been in the works since November 2016, when the town first received the construction bid.

Since January, the Farmville Board of Commissioners had repeatedly discussed the project, but either tabled or recessed the issue with no definitive action on whether or not the town wished to proceed or abandon the project.

The project is fully funded by the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources Division of Water Infrastructure, which awarded the town a $2.386 million Community Development Block Grant Infrastructure in May 2013.

Farmville Manager David Hodgkins had hoped Aug. 7 and again Aug. 9 that the board would take action on the low-bid offer, but Commissioner Jamin Dixon requested more information regarding the grant agreement. Dixon wanted to be 100 percent certain the town would not be liable if fewer than 75 homes were connected to the newly installed sewer line.

When the project was first presented in 2013, 81 homes were proposed for connection. Since then, some homes have been removed from the property or demolished.

Referring to the Division of Water Infrastructures letter to the town, Mike Barnette, an engineer with McDavid Associates, the towns engineering and consulting firm, explained the town must hook up all homes within Watkins unless the property is vacant or documentation can be provided to show the residents septic tank is functional.

To date, 20 percent of the parks septic tanks are failing. The park has 91 lots and 80 occupied homes.

This program is designed to help poor people, but if we approve this it will make poor people homeless, Dixon said.

Barnette countered, I respectfully disagree.

Several residents in Watkins oppose the project, according to Dixon.

At least the ones who have functioning septic tanks, Dixon said, turning his attention to Hodgkins. I want to make sure we have been clear with the state that as a town, we are not endorsing to that state that the park residents want (this project). We have heard verbally from them, and now have in writing.

Dixon was referring to an email Elks received from the daughter of tenants who live in the park. The daughter, whose name was not disclosed, informed Elks that her parents are more afraid of the parks owners than the criminals who live around them.

The couple claims when McDavid staff went door-to-door collecting financial information from the tenants to provide documentation of a 51 percent population of low- to moderate-income residents, they were threatened and told if they did not provide a bank statement the sheriffs office would be called, according to Elks.

Her parents are also afraid Country Farms LLC, which owns Watkins Mobile Home Park, will increase their rent if they do not comply with the project, Elks said.

I dont believe anyone on our staff would have bullied the residents. I take exception, Barnette said.

Watkins Mobile Home Park has the lowest available rent in this part of the state, according to Crisp Sellers of Country Farms.

We have never threatened our tenants. Raising rent has never been part of our communication with them, Sellers said.

Dixon questioned if the primary goal of the Division of Water Infrastructure project is to improve the quality of life. This terminology was used when the project was first pitched to the town in 2013, and several town officials believed the project would improve the lives of the residents.

The goal is to eliminate health risks at the park and downstream, Barnette said.

It is projected tenants utility bills will increase by approximately $60 to $70 a month once sewer service is added. The residents of Watkins now receive water service from the town.

Dixon requested assurance that if the residents can no longer afford to pay their utility bill, move out of Watkins and then contact the Division of Water Infrastructure or state governor claiming they were bullied, threatened by the sheriff or that their rent was raised, the town would not be found liable.

It will be known the town went well beyond to look out for the towns citizens and residents of Watkins Mobile Home Park? That we fulfilled every ethical obligation? Dixon asked. I still dont understand, but I am trying to shape this in a way to support it ethically and morally.

McDavid engineers assurances must have satisfied Dixon, who in 2013 voted against applying for the grant funds, but supported the low-bid Tuesday.

The town now has until June 30, 2018, to complete construction of a sewer pump station and sewer lines in the park and installation of sewer lines along U.S. 258 to Watkins.

Walters motion also included a contingency that Country Farms maintain affordable rent within the park for at least one year upon closeout of the construction project. The motion also accepted Country Farms proposal, as previously requested by Moore and Dixon, that the property continue to operate as a mobile home park for at least 10 years as of Tuesday.

Country Farms has established a $20,000 grounds maintenance security escrow for the town to access should it fail to meet the towns required community standards agreement that was entered into in 2014.

They have also agreed to install a border buffer and re-grade the park to improve drainage issues. They have a grounds maintenance agreement in place with a lawn care service and are in the process of hiring an on-site manager.

At the start of this project, Country Farms contributed $25,000 to complete all initial work in support of applying for the grant.

The Enterprise serves western Pitt County including the towns of Falkland, Farmville and Fountain.

Read the original here:
Controversial sewer project finally gets OK - Greenville Daily Reflector

Due to an action by the North Branch City council Aug. 22, some residents in town could now have up to 15 years to hook up to city sewer.By a 3-1 vote (Mayor Kirsten Hagen-Kennedy was absent for the meeting), the council approved the repeal and replacement of an ordinance regarding connection to municipal utilities for homes within the citys newly updated urban service area.This matter had been tabled from the previous council meeting, as three of the bodys members Kelly Neider, Robert Canada and Jim Swenson wanted more time to research the issue prior to voting on it.North Branch City Administrator Renae Fry thoroughly explained what the repeal and replacement of the ordinance means for the people of North Branch.She repeatedly stressed it is not in the citys plans to build out utility lines in already existing neighborhoods.This is not a case where individual properties that exist today that might possibly be near a force main or other major infrastructure are being required to hook up, she said. Were really talking about the expansion of sewer into new areas or the redevelopment of existing neighborhoods.She said an aspect of the ordinance update that staff struggled with is what it means to have utility lines available to hook up to city sewer.Running a force main down a street is not a structure that an individual resident can hook up to. Staff wanted to be certain that this hookup concern is only triggered when those lateral lines are installed in connection with a particular project to which an individual property could actually hook up to, she said. So in the case of an apartment building, if were taking a force main with a lateral directly to that site where theres no means for any of the area properties nearby to hook into, that sewer is not available for those residents to hook up to, and therefore the requirements are not triggered.The main language change that occurred with the ordinance dealt with the timeframe in which people had to hook up to city services, if they were deemed available in their area and their dwelling had its own well and septic.Under the previous ordinance, a homeowner who lived close enough to existing utilities could have had a very short timeframe to connect.(The homeowner) shall be required at the owner(s) expense to install suitable connection to the public sewer in accordance with the provisions of this division, within 90 days of the date the public sewer is operational, provided access to the public sewer is within 100 feet of the structure generating the wastewater, if required to preserve health, safety and welfare of the occupants or environment, the previous ordinance read. If no threat to health, safety or welfare exists, and the existing septic system is in full compliance with city, county and state code, then the property owner will not be required to connect to the municipal sanitary sewer system.Fry noted there wasnt a standard to determine if a septic system was operating correctly under the former ordinance, so as part of the new ordinance, residents who live in a home that could be hooked up are required to have their septic systems inspected every three years to obtain a certificate of compliance to prove theyre in working order.If a septic system is in working order, a homeowner could get five certificates of compliance, meaning theyd have up to 15 years to connect to city services.The cost of those obtaining those certificates could range from $250 to $335, Fry noted. She also explained that an inspection cannot be done unless a septic system is pumped. Building official Rich Meyer said after two industry professionals have done soil borings to determine the quality of the soil in a given area, future inspections would cost less, because that aspect of them would no longer be required.Having the 15 years provides you the most options of any policy Ive ever seen, City Engineer Lee Gustafson said. The 90 days is pretty common. If you get to other cities, you have two years to hook up, period, and thats it. To have this type of flexibility for the residents of North Branch, frankly, is almost unheard of. I think youre providing a very good situation for each and every property owner to make individual decisions as to whether they want to hook up or not.Due to water services being controlled by North Branch Water and Light, which is a separate entity from the city, a connection to that utility would differ from sewer.The ordinance was written to cover sewer and water to the extent that water is also available for a particular development, Fry wrote in an email. As separate entities, however, we do not govern Water and Lights practices and it would be up to Water and Light to indicate what evidence they would consider appropriate to demonstrate that the existing well was not contaminated. Our ordinance does indicate that the city would allow a property owner to continue to use their well once hooked up to municipal water, but only for non-potable purposes, such as watering their lawn.

Council, resident commentsFour residents spoke at the meeting; all were concerned about the ordinance update.Ive been very upset about what youve been pulling the last couple of months, Nancy Zacherson said to the council. You make decisions for all the people in North Branch, not just 50 percent of the population.Resident Don Swanson had a few questions for the council.When is the proposed date that sewer and water is going to come down 400th Street? he asked. We dont know if its 10 years or 20 years.Council member Robert Canada, who voted against the ordinance update, has repeatedly expressed his opposition to the change and said he wanted more opinions on it.I would defer this to the new planning commission, he said. I have yet to see input on the positive nature come to us or staff.Council member Jim Swenson said the council is updating an ordinance that has been on the books since 1996 and needed to be changed to reflect the citys current situation.It is not the intent of staff or council to prohibit people from having their own wells and septic systems, he said. We just need to upgrade and change our ordinances because some of these ordinances have been on the books for many, many years and we need to bring things up so when we do get developers and other people coming into the community they know this is what we have.

Read more from the original source:
NB council updates ordinance on sewer connections - ECM Post Review

Drive up and down the streets of any neighborhood and each individual homeowners pride of ownership reveals itself in various ways. In many cases, a homes curb appeal is a quick snapshot of what lies beyond the passerbys view. Regardless of what end of the spectrum a home falls on from snappy and pristine to dull and dingy most homeowners have a list of home improvement projects either written down or filed away in a mental note.

With a list in hand, or in mind, the next natural step is to prioritize the projects. Here is where budgets, wants, and desires start to vie for pick me status. One way to help prioritize the list is to consider the return on investment (ROI) of each project. This is especially helpful when considering how a project, or projects, will impact the current and future market value of the home.

Fortunately, each year studies are conducted to analyze the cost for various upgrades and how much will be recouped on that investment when the home is sold. One such report is Remodeling Magazines Cost vs. Value report.

Results reported in the Cost vs. Value report are produced by researchers scrutinizing 29 popular home improvements in 99 markets nationwide. They poll contractors on how much they charge for these jobs as well as real estate agents who share how much they think these improvements increase a homes market price. Next, each projects upfront cost is divided by the homes resale value. The resulting percentage offers some guidance as to how well the money invested in each particular renovation project pays off.

Comments from Craig Webb, editor of Remodeling Magazine, point out that the value of pricier projects rose significantly over last year. These results may come from the health of the housing market. When the market is hot, Realtors are more likely to give value to more expensive renovation projects, because they expect that the market will stay hot and people will pay the price, he explains. When the market is cool, Realtors tend to put less value on those big-dollar projects, because they have concerns about whether the house will get sold in any state.

Despite the uptick in value associated with pricey renovation projects in the 2017 report, once again the highest ROI projects came with the cheapest cost to complete. This year (same as last year), the number one finisher was installing loose-fill fiberglass insulation in the attic. Hidden away and silently doing its job, according to Remodeling Magazine, with an ROI of 107.7 percent, insulating the attic is the only project that regularly pays back more than the dollars invested.

Number two on the ROI list is replacing an ordinary, run-of-the-mill entry door with an attractive steel replacement door at 90.7 percent, third at 89.4 percent was adding manufactured stone veneer.

Data from the 2017 report suggest that curb appeal projects such as new doors and exterior siding generate higher returns than improvements completed to a homes interior.

Reviewing the individual ROI on all 29 projects analyzed in the Cost vs. Value report, its clear that most renovations wont pay them back in full. On average, in 2017, homeowners can expect to get back 64 percent of every dollar spent on home improvements.

Its also apparent from the data that tastes vary widely by geographic location. For this reason, Remodeling Magazine breaks down its data into nine U.S. regions and then further down into the major metropolitan cities of each state. In Portland, Maine for example, replacing an old entry door with a new fiberglass door earned the highest ROI at 93.7 percent. Next at 91.4 percent was siding replacement, followed by garage door replacement at 85.8 percent.

Wondering what improvements, if any, should be made to your house? Craig Webb says, If you see yourself keeping the house for at least five years, you shouldnt worry about value at all. Housing trends can change dramatically in this amount of time, so whats hot or popular today could be outdated in the near future. Renovate however will make you happy.

However, if youre planning to sell in less than five years, then looking at the return makes sense, says Webb. Be sure to do your research. Remember, tastes vary widely by location.If you, or someone you know, has a project list for their home, refer to Remodeling Magazines Cost vs. Value report for guidance and be sure to consult with your local trusted Realtor.

This column is produced by Rick Bisson and his family, who own Bisson Real Estate with Keller Williams Realty of Midcoast and Sugarloaf.

Read the original here:
What's your return on investment? - The Coastal Journal

Jessica Williams jessicawtn

The Alamance-Burlington School System is close to settling a lawsuit with Dow Chemical, and replacing the leaking roofs that have been a topic of conversation all summer.

Some background:

J.P. Stevens Roofing, which was bought by Dow in 2008, installed six roofs for ABSS in 2005 at Sellars-Gunn Educational Center, E.M. Holt Elementary School, Graham and Broadview middle schools, and two at Cummings High School under a 15-year warranty.

For the past year, major leaks have appeared in these roofs, and now its gotten to the point where four out of the six need to be fully replaced.

Why are the roofs leaking?

Assistant Superintendent for Operations Todd Thorpe says its a materials issue.

A TPO roof has foam insulation, and then it has, for lack of a better word, a piece of white plastic thats really heavy, he explained. Forty-five mil is what we have. If we do it again, I want to go back to 60 mil, which means it will be a heavier roof. So the roof has a layer of plastic and then a screen wire and then another layer of plastic. It should have enough UV protection that the sun doesnt disturb the material, but if we went on the roof and looked, youd see where the top layer of plastic is disintegrating, so were losing layers like that.

Broadview and Cummings have had the worst leaks because the roofs arent shaded by trees, thus theyve been exposed to more harmful UV rays than other facilities.

Graham Middle School is next on that list, but E.M. Holt and Sellars-Gunn are shaded enough to buy them another year or two.

What is ABSS doing about it?

Engineers and attorneys have walked the roofs, pictures have been taken, and core samples have been done by the engineering firms.

Until a settlement is reached with Dow something Thorpe hopes will come in the next few weeks the school system has been approved to patch the roofs at Broadview, Cummings and Graham with a heavy top coating, and replace ceiling tiles under a cap of $20,000.

We know its a temporary fix, but its a fix to get kids back in school, Thorpe said.

In the meantime, planning has already begun for how to swing replacing the worst damaged roofs at Broadview and Cummings this year while students are in school.

These roofs are not residential roofs. With a residential roof, you call somebody, they show up in a week, and three days later theyre finished, Thorpe said. We go through a much more complex procedure. There will be an engineer drawing, it will go out for bids, specs will have to be laid out. Once we get the funding and we can get started, its probably going to be three months, and thats if the weather cooperates with us.

The cost is quite a bit different from residential roof replacement as well.

Broadview alone will cost around $550,000, and new roofs for all five facilities are expected to cost more than $2 million which is why the much-anticipated lawsuit settlement price tag is important.

Once the lawsuit is resolved, Thorpe hopes to be able to present to the Board of Education in September and get the ball rolling as soon as possible.

Reporter Jessica Williams can be reached at jessica.williams@thetimesnews.com or at 336-506-3046. Follow her on Twitter at @jessicawtn.

Read this article:
School roofs: When will they be fixed? - Burlington Times News