If you go back through the past five trade deadlines and peruse the moves made by Stanley Cup-winning sides, one thing stands out: the big budget, headline-making, splashy moves are the exception, not the rule.

Last season, for instance, the St. Louis Blues made one acquisition at the deadline, landing rearguard Michael Del Zotto from the Anaheim Ducks for a sixth-round selection. He played in seven games for the Blues, all in the regular season, and didnt see a second of playoff action. The year prior, the Washington Capitals big deadline transaction was picking up Michal Kempny from the Chicago Blackhawks. As it turned out, that was a stroke of genius. And the deadline acquisitions by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the two campaigns prior and the Blackhawks before them included the likes Mark Streit, Frank Corrado, Ron Hainsey, Andrew Desjardins and Kimmo Timonen. Not exactly the biggest names.

In fact, the only major waves any of those Stanley Cup winners made in the past five seasons by Stanley Cup-winning teams were the Penguins three-way swap with the Ottawa Senators and Vegas Golden Knights that sent Derick Brassard to Pittsburgh ahead of the 2018 deadline. That came three seasons after Chicagos Antoine Vermette trade with the Arizona Coyotes. But in both instances, those were secondary pieces that supplemented the already-established top stars.

So, ahead of this deadline, its worth remembering that the best additions might not be the big guns, but rather the role-players and pluggers who can cement themselves as key pieces of the bottom six. And given more than half the leagues teams have projected cap space below $1.5 million according to CapFriendly, the contending clubs looking to add those types of players will likely have to do so with the spending limit in mind. That could make these 10 skaters prime trade candidates and sneaky-good additions come deadline day:

Derek Grant, C, Anaheim Ducks $700,000 AAVGrant, 29, has skated with six clubs across his seven seasons in the NHL, which speaks to two things: a number of teams see him as a useful piece and he has enough versatility to fit into just about any lineup. Like a number of players on this list, Grant isnt going to make or break any organizations post-season run, but what he will do is provide reliability in depth minutes and solidify a fourth-line with a legitimate big-league skater. Some teams want to entrust those minutes to veteran skaters and veteran skaters only. Grant can be that guy.

Brian Boyle, C, Florida Panthers $940,000 AAVAny selling the Panthers do ahead of the trade freeze, especially of role players such as Boyle, will be contingent on their spot in the standings come deadline day. If GM Dale Tallon does decide to move out some veteran pieces, however, Boyle, 35, should be at the top of the list for any club that wants to add some size and scoring to its fourth line. Its not as though Boyle is going to be a bank-breaker in either the cap or cost-of-acquisition sense, and his penalty killing acumen, strength in the faceoff circle and mild offensive ability are attributes contending teams will covet at the deadline.

Joakim Ryan, D, Los Angeles Kings $725,000 AAVIts a bit telling about the situation in Los Angeles that Ryan, who was pegged as a third-pairing blueliner, is averaging upwards of 19 minutes per game with the Kings. Any team that acquires the 26-year-old wont be looking to utilize him in the same way, though. Much more likely is that he reverts to his prior playing time with the San Jose Sharks, which is to say around the 14-minute mark at most. What might entice teams about Ryan is that hes got experience being part of a deep post-season run. He skated in 20 playoff games with the Sharks last season as a bottom-pairing rearguard. Never hurts to have another player whos been there and seen the late rounds of the playoffs.

Brad Hunt, D, Minnesota Wild $700,000 AAVHunt is the only player on this list with a contract that does not expire at seasons end, but the cap hit is so minimal as to almost be negligible moving forward. He has a league-minimum salary and hes producing enough offensively that he should be on the short list of any club who needs a boost their power play. Hunt, 31, is a late-bloomer, but he can quarterback the second special teams unit and blast away when he tees one up. Of 51 defensemen with at least 100 minutes on the power play, Hunt ranks 21st with 4.96 points per 60 minutes. Thats better than the rates possessed by Zach Werenski, Erik Karlsson, Jacob Trouba, Kris Letang and Morgan Rielly.

Nate Thompson, C, Montreal Canadiens $1,000,000 AAVThompson is cut from the same cloth as Boyle, the difference being that the potential for the former to be available is much higher than it is for the latter. At roughly the same price in terms of assets needed to pry the players from their clubs and cap hit, any team that misses out on Boyle will probably then look to swing around to Thompson and vice-versa. Any team acquiring Thompson, 35, is going to want to stash him on the fourth line and use him in own-zone, must-win faceoff type situations. His 55.2 faceoff-winning percentage is tied for 12th-best in the NHL among players whove taken at least 600 draws.

Rocco Grimaldi, RW, Nashville Predators $1,000,000 AAVGrimaldi was an inspiring success story last season, an experienced AHL hand who finally managed to crack an NHL roster and convince the higher-ups he belonged. The 27-year-old has proven the Predators faith in him right, too, with a nine-goal, 26-point output in 52 games that is double what he posted in 53 outings last season. That has only set up for Nashville to potentially move Grimaldi along should the Predators stumble out of the race in the next week-plus, though. Teams will be intrigued by his skill and ability to chip in with limited ice time. Hes worth kicking the tires on.

Dylan DeMelo, D, Ottawa Senators $900,000 AAVIt would not be shocking in the least if the Senators were to cling to DeMelo through the deadline, as the 26-year-old defender has consistently skated top-four minutes and could be one of the key defensive cogs for the next few seasons. That said, hes got the perfect price tag for teams that need to add on a budget and he can be slotted into a top-four and flourish. Thats remarkable value given the price. The only drawback is that DeMelo might be the most expensive acquisition, in terms of assets traded away, on this list.

Tyler Ennis, RW, Ottawa Senators $800,000 AAVAfter spending his early and prime years as a decent middle-six scorer with the Buffalo Sabres, Ennis, 30, has been a journeyman bottom-six hand across the past few campaigns. And though hes found himself a nice spot with the Senators this season, his production he has 13 goals and 30 points in 56 games, which is a 19-goal, 44-point pace paired with his price tag makes him a prime secondary scoring option for the clubs that need to add on a budget. Ennis wont be a game changer, but hes shifty and he can create. If nothing else, hes a bottom-six piece for a contending club who can chip in a point or two.

Patrick Marleau, LW, San Jose Sharks$700,000When he signed his one-year, $700,000 pact with the Sharks, the expectation was Marleau would get one last hurrah in the NHL and the chance to win a Stanley Cup in San Jose. The former held true. The latter? Not so much. With the Sharks so far out of the post-season race, the reality is Marleaus only real use in San Jose right now is as trade bait. Hes not the player he once was, but the 40-year-old has 10 goals and 20 points this season and can still skate the game. Without question, Sharks GM Doug Wilson will leave the decision to stay or go to Marleau, but if he wants to chase a championship before he calls it a career, this deadline is likely his last opportunity to play for a contender.

Radim Simek, D, San Jose Sharks $675,000 AAVUnderstanding full well how ridiculous this sounds, Simek, 27, has been something of a crucial player for the Sharks since he arrived last season, if only because his presence allowed for San Jose to optimize their defensive pairings. It turns out that hes a fairly decent depth defenseman, too. Hes not going to wow anyone, but he can contribute offensively from time to time, move the puck and play the stay-at-home role for a more fluid puck-moving partner. But really, the thing with Simek is that you cant beat the price. Hes earning less than a league-minimum deal this season and can be that final budget addition for a team looking to really round out its defense corps.

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Tags: los angeles kings, montreal canadiens, lists, san jose sharks, florida panthers, minnesota wild, anaheim ducks, nashville predators, ottawa senators

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Jared Clinton

Jared Clinton is a writer and web editor with The Hockey News. He's been with the team since 2014. He was born, raised and resides in Winnipeg, where he can be found missing the net on outdoor rinks all over town.

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Bargain Hunting: 10 cost-effective trade options contending teams should target at the deadline - The Hockey News

Zachary Oren Smith, Press Citizen Published 3:39 p.m. CT Feb. 13, 2020

State Sen. Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, knocked on doors at West Branch Mobile Village to see if there was appetite to organize among mobile homes tenants in his district, on Friday, April 19, 2019.(Photo: Zachary Oren Smith)

In 2019, Havenpark Capital, a Utah-based private equity firm, bought up manufactured housing parks in Johnson County and across the state. Residents of those parks quickly were hit with sharp rent increases, someas high as 58% in North Liberty's GolfviewMobile Home Park.

It became clear to residents and their advocates that protections afforded to apartment renters and other consumerswere not extended to mobile home residents who might own their home but rent the parcel it sits on.

On Wednesday, a bipartisan group of 15 Republican and 15 Democratic senators introduced S.F. 2238, a bill that aims to expand those protections for mobile home residents.

More: Taskforce releases recommendations for manufactured homes

State Sen. Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, knocked on doors at West Branch Mobile Village to see if there was appetite to organize among mobile homes tenants in his district, on Friday, April 19, 2019.(Photo: Zachary Oren Smith)

Sen. Carrie Koelker, R-Dyersville, introduced the bill in the Iowa Senate. She could not be reached by press time.

In the waning days of the last session, Sen. Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, attempted to pass legislation with similar aims but it was unable to clear both chambers.

"I think the big difference is the amount of education that went on in the interim. For seven months now, we've been engaged in writing legislation with members of both parties and both chambers," Wahls said. Both Iowa Legal Aid, who represents some Golfview residents, and the Attorney General's Office have weighed in on the crafting of the bill. "And we've been keeping the Governor's Office in the loop."

While he said the bill does not do all the actions he set out for, he said it takes two important steps. First, it aims to protect property and due process rights for people who own manufactured homes. Second, it provides legal protections that are at least as strong as people living in apartments."

The bill as introduced would do the following:

Candi Evans, the co-chair of the Golfview Residents Association, said that while the bill doesn't accomplish all she would like to see, she was heartened by the bipartisan support on the bill.

"Not all of it came through that we wanted, but this important. It has real impacton our families who are in need," Evans said.

Next week, she said mobile home park residents will head to the Capitol to share their stories. She said that Republican and Democrat lawmakers alike have been willing to listen before. She said she is hopeful to continue those conversations next week.

Republican Senators signed on:

Democratic Senators signed on:

SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM: Subscribe to the Iowa City Press-Citizen.

Zachary Oren Smith writes about government, growth and developmentfor the Press-Citizen. Reach himat zsmith@press-citizen.com or 319 -339-7354, and follow himon Twitter via @zacharyos.

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Bipartisan bill introduced to add protections for manufactured home residents - Iowa City Press-Citizen

Make sure youre aware of these expert-approved tips before buying your first home. USA TODAY

After a decade of litigation, more than 1,800Florida homeowners who bought homes made unlivable by drywall manufactured in China will be sharing in a $248 million settlement.

Defective drywall that caused damage to property and health concerns hit people in 44 states, estimated at as many as 20,000 homes. Florida had the most. The drywall materials reacted to produce fumes that corroded fixtures. The gas smelled of sulfur and raised health concerns.

The settlement approved by a federal judge in New Orleans last month resolves two suits and potentially more than 3,000 claims filed against Taishan Gypsum Ltd., the China-owned company that sold much ofthe defective drywall in the United States, beginning in 2009.

The Biltz family, Shane, Darlene and their son Vincent, 1, pose for a portrait at their home, Friday, Feb. 7, 2020, in Golden Gate Estates. The couple had to delay starting a family because of health issues caused by exposure to fumes created by drywall made in China that was used to build their home.(Photo: Jon Austria/Naples Daily News USA TODAY NETWORK - FLORIDA)

Victims includeShane and Darlene Biltzof Collier County, who thought they had found the perfect home to raise a family,a 3,300-square-foot residence in Golden Gate Estates.

Darlene Biltz said the discovery was heart-breaking.

"When we bought the house, we bought it as a forever home, we wanted to raise our children in that home, we wanted to have our animals in that home, we wanted to bring our family together in that home," she said."I mean its a beautiful home but its not one that we could have been in forever because of health issues."

More: How to file a claim to be part of the $248 million Chinese drywall settlement

Drywall installation became big business in Florida between 2004 and 2006. Abuilding boomspiked demand for drywall.Then, extensive repair and replacement damage tobuildings in Gulf Coast states inflicted by hurricanes Rita and Katrina in 2005 added to the pressure on supplies.

With domestic inventory tight, builders and suppliers turned to China. Slowly, tales began to emerge of an odor of sulphur in the homes and unexplainable corrosion to fixtures.

The Biltz family home is pictured, Friday, Feb. 7, 2020, in Golden Gate Estates. The home was built using Chinese dry wall.(Photo: Jon Austria/Naples Daily News USA TODAY NETWORK - FLORIDA)

The gas began to cause damage to the homes and raise fears that the contaminated air was a threatto the health of residents.

Government scientists blamed the drywallfor damaging buildings and causing health problems after its internal parts reacted and produced dangerous gasses.

As the housing boom was replaced by the Great Recession, homes that had lost much of their value were abandoned. Crashing property values made walking away the choice for many.

Previous coverage in The News-Press

More than individual homeowners were affected.

Lennar Corp., a major homebuilder in the state, said in a government filing that it had found the faulty drywall in hundreds of homes that it had builtand put $40 million aside to fix it, while pursuing legal action against subcontractors who used the drywall.

WCI Communities Inc. of Bonita Springs, a prodigious builder of luxury homes in Southwest Florida,filed for bankruptcy in 2008 as claims against it mounted. The company cited the bottom falling out of the housing market in Lee County.WCI eventually discharged billions of dollars in debt, as well as its obligation for at least 100 homes with the drywall problem in a bankruptcy reorganization. Secured creditors took control of the company and sold it toLennar for more than $640 million.

Worker removes China-manufactured drywall from a Southwest Florida home. The drywall is blamed for emitting hazardous fumes that made people sick and buildings uninhabitable. A federal lawsuit over the drywall has been settled.(Photo: News-Press file phoeo)

Edwardo and Carmen Amorin filed suit in U.S. District Court in Miami in July 2009.Stephen and Diane Brookefiled suit inVirginia in 2015. Both cases were against Taishan.

The cases were assigned to the federal court system's multi-district litigation docket, and were all overseen by a single judge in U.S. District Court in New Orleans.

The victims will be notified of their settlement amounts by a court-appointed expert who will use factors such asthe size of the property and which of multiple class action suits the individual property owners joined in determining what they will be paid.

Individuals who are covered in the Amorin suit may receive higher payouts because that suit was filed earlier. The judge's settlement decision said a lot more groundwork for the case was done in the class action led by the Amorins than the suit initiated by the Brookes

As the case churned through the preliminaries toward potential trial, scientific evidence of health and safety issues raised by the drywall mounted.

The Florida Department ofHealth had reported in 2009 that the fumes led to corrosion of evaporator coils in air conditioning units as well as corrosion of electrical connectors, copper wires and chrome-plated fixtures.

A 2014 reportfrom the federal Agency for Toxic Substances found health issues caused by exposure to sulfuric gasses andhydrogen sulfide released by drywall imported from China. The report suggests the emissions were highest in drywall manufactured between 2006-2009.

Exposure made some existing conditions worse, such as eye, ear, nose and throat problems. Some people who came in close contact withthe material sufferedrespiratory discomfort, and general malaise, the reportsaid.

As the drywall plague deepened, theU.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission called for replacement of problem drywall, and warned that the fumes couldeven damage smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, electrical switches and circuit breakers, even some types of fire protection sprinkler heads.

Drywall made in China and imported to Southwest Florida during the building boom of the early 2000s was blamed for medical issues. A federal lawsuit over the use of the drywall has been settled.(Photo: New-Press file photo)

Last month, U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon approved the settlement for people who sued in the cases started by theAmorins and the Brookes. Litigants said the settlement avoids the risk of long and costly trials with an uncertain outcome.

Others think the lawyers could have done a lot better.

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Cape Coral resident Russell Moody, in an-email to The News-Press, was critical of the judge for approving thenegotiated settlement.

Moodyargues that in his case, it will pay only a fraction of the estimated $163,000 it would cost to remove the offending drywall and its effects from his home.He is among the people who sued that have not removed the drywall.

"It is a cleverly worded rationale, obfuscated in legalese and based on faulty and mischaracterized information, for approving a settlement that deprives over a hundred SW Florida residents of hundreds of thousands of settlement dollars that they are legally entitled to," Moody said.

Moody filed his objection to the settlement in November and claimed that the handling of the case was procedurally flawed and claimed that some representations by lawyers on the case were false.

Judge Fallonoverruled the objections of Moody and 26 others in finding that the settlement was "fair, reasonable and adequate."He ordered payment of nearly $50 million in attorneys' fees and costs from the settlement proceeds.

Attorney Pete Albanis, of Orlando-based Morgan & Morgan, said the ultimate decision to recommend settlement was based on weighing the risk and expense of further litigation against the chance of getting more money in a case that had been in court for more than a decade.

Even winning a judgment had no guarantee ofsuccess.

The Biltz family, Shane, Darlene and their son Vincent, 1, pose for a portrait at their home, Friday, Feb. 7, 2020, in Golden Gate Estates.(Photo: Jon Austria/Naples Daily News USA TODAY NETWORK - FLORIDA)

If we were to continue the case, meaning there would be no settlement and peoples cases would proceed to trial, there would be some serious concerns and potential problems that homeowners would face with respect to collecting in China, Albanis said. This is one of the most difficult class actions that has been ever been pursued.

Ultimately, the victims of the Chinese drywall will be paid pennies on the dollar for the damage to their homes and possibly to their health. The emotional strain of a decade lost will not be compensated.

The Biltzesdecision to move out was based on the expense of fixing their home. Instead, they disclosed the issues with the house and found a tenant who would rent it.

The couple'splans to start a family had to beput on hold, on the advice of Darlene's doctor, because of the uncertain effect drywall fumes might have on an unborn child.

"They said no, you may want to give yourself time to have your body detox, they didnt know what kindof effects it might have on a baby," she said. "We finally have a one-year-old son,he is healthy and happy."

A federal judge has issued a final order in the$248 million drywall settlement thatincludes a master list of more than 3,000 drywall victims.

If you're not on the list, thejudge has set Wednesday as thedeadlineto file a claim to be eligible for any money. Visit chinesedrywallsettlement.com for more information.

The idea that youll save money buying a fixer-upper doesnt always hold true. Buzz60s Sean Dowling has more. Buzz60

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Defective drywall lawsuit reaches settlement, a decade after Chinese product forced many from their homes - News-Press

ELK GROVE (CBS13) What toilet do you have? Its a question Nafisa Neabkhail wishes shed known to ask.

When Neabkhail and her family returned home after a vacation, they walked into a nightmare.

I hear water everywhere, said the wife and mother of three.

The house was flooding. Light fixtures rained onto the carpet below, the alarm was squealing, the ceilings peeling.

As if this whole house is a waterfall. My whole rug was floating on the water said Naebkhail.

The result was $190,000 in damage to the familys Elk Grove home.

You would never think something like this would happen. That flood is still running in my mind, said Naebkhail.

READ:Newborn Charged $10,000 For Hospital Room And Board

Her family of five was forced out of their home for more than five months, and their house has been torn down to the studs.

They took out everything because of the water damage, she said.

The flood was caused by a toilet in their second-story master bathroom. A steady stream of water poured through the crack in the tank of their Vortens toilet.

No family deserves this, Naebkhail said.

Weve learned the same model is failing in homes across the country including California, Texas, Louisiana and Florida.

Texas resident Amy Etchberger says her Vortens model cracked in 2016.

It was coming out and just dripping out the bottom. Its a faulty product on their part, and I think they should take responsibility, Etchberger said.

ALSO:Roseville Mom Says Valet Gave Car To Crook Who Almost Burglarized Her Home

Anne Altz says her cracked Vortens toilet caused $20,000 in damage.

They know theyre going to fail. said Altz.

The manufacturer has admitted Some tanks made in 2011 with model numbers 3464 and 3412 may have been affected by technical issues that allegedly caused the fractures.

Sure enough one of those numbers, 3464, is etched in Nafisas toilet tank, but the company never recalled them. Nafisa said no one even warned them of the problem; not the toilet manufacturer nor the builder who installed the toilet in 2012.

Thats what were really, really upset about, she said.

How many of these toilets remain in homes in Naebkhails neighborhood and in homes across America? Vortens would not say. The company tells us, to date, all claims received have been addressed or are in the process of being addressed. Vortens full statement is included below.

ALSO:Elk Grove Woman Claims Hospital Mistake Killed Her Mother, But No Attorney Will Take Her Case

After a class-action lawsuit, Vortens has agreed to pay up to $300 to replace the toilet and, if theres flooding, up to $4,000 to help cover insurance deductibles.

I just want it to be over, Naebkhail said.

Nafisas insurance is covering the damage. Now living with relatives during the rebuild, she says this has turned her familys lives upside down.

Im thinking after everything is fixed Im putting the house back on the market, she said. Because I cannot see myself living here anymore.

The Naebkhails think it will be at least another month and a half before their house is done. They plan to sue over the inconvenience. After we reached out to the builder, Taylor Morrison, they sent letters to all homeowners in the Elk Grove, Franklin Crossings community. The letter, below, alerts homeowners to the issues with Vortens toilets and directs them to the class action settlement.

Oct 9, 2019

Dear Homeowners,

It was recently brought to our attention that some homes in the [Franklin Crossings] community may have been built with a particular model of toilet tank manufactured by Vortens between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011. The enclosed 10-page Notice was downloaded from the website link https://vortenssettlement.com/Content/Documents/Notice.pdf. The Notice provides a good explanation of the issue and what steps can be taken by affected homeowners. While Taylor Morrison has no involvement in the class action settlement, you may wish to inspect your toilet tank to see if it is one of the affected tanks, and if so, take the appropriate steps to address it.

We asked Taylor Morrison how many of these toilets they installed across the county. They havent answered. Vortens statement, the models affected and a link to the settlement website are below.

Vortens complete statement:

In the past, Vortens acknowledged that some of our tank models #3464 and #3412 manufactured in 2011 may have been affected by certain manufacturing issues.

To date, all claims received have been addressed or are in the process of being addressed to the satisfaction of our customers.

Pursuant to a class action settlement being administered by a Texas court involving these tank models manufactured in 2011, we have established a program for certain remedies which include product replacement, reimbursement of certain costs, and in some cases, extended warranties. For more details the claims that are covered, the remedies available, and the process for pursuing claims, please reference the claims website at: https://www.vortenssettlement.com

For other Vortens matters regarding issues not related to the settlement program mentioned above, customers may contact us directly at 866-821-2811 or via e-mail to claims@vortens.com.

Vortens is committed to generating value for its consumers and offering the best experience possible, as our customers are at the center of everything we do. Solving any complaints and receiving suggestions is a priority for us. For these purposes, we may be contacted at customerservices@vortens.com

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Cracked Toilet Causes $190K Of Damage, Investigation Reveals Models Have Been Failing For Years - CBS Pittsburgh

It is being brought forward by the innovative modern house builder House by Urban Splash, a new company backed by regeneration specialists Urban Splash, Homes England and Japans biggest house builder, Sekisui House.

Inholm comprises a total of 406 modular homes sitting within the context of Northstowes masterplan and is inspired by the areas rich history and previous settlements. The new neighbourhood quarter will be defined by a perimeter of landscapes; country park, sustainable drainage swales, ecological zones and an education campus.

Proctor & Matthews Architects is the lead architect and master planner of the site. The village will encompass a range of housing typologies, later living homes and mixed-use buildings. The modular homes will include designs by architects shedkm, which can be configured by the buyer to their own design before being built in a factory and delivered to site.

With this expansion of Northstowe, House by Urban Splash is bringing its skill and expertise in world-class manufacturing to the East of England, choosing Cambridgeshire as its first location to deliver the homes on a new site. The majority of homes will be manufactured in the House factory in Alfreton, East Midlands.

Mark Latham, Regeneration Director at House says:

We are delighted to launch our first homes in this part of the country and are excited about the opportunities ahead at Northstowe as we contribute to this emerging town.

We want to break new ground and surprise people using the latest building methods combined with bespoke designs. We are offering a range of customisable homes and apartments to suit a wide range of modern families, lifestyles and budgets. We cant wait to get going.

Stephen Kinsella, Chief Land and Development Officer at Homes England, said:

Im delighted that planning permission has been granted for the first homes to be built on Homes England land at Northstowe, which is a significant step forward for the new town and an important milestone for our joint venture with Urban Splash and Sekisui House.

This is a really ambitious proposal for 406 homes using modern methods of construction, and the quality design of these homes really reflects our ambition to deliver outstanding places.

Stephen Proctor, founder of Proctor & Matthews Architects says:

As master planner and lead architect we are delighted to have secured planning permission for phase 2A of the Northstowe community. Our design for this contemporary mixed-use residential quarter is inspired by the form of traditional edge-of-fenland settlements and recent archaeological discoveries within the locality.

Innovative clusters of homes employing offsite modular construction will help to deliver a visually distinctive narrative creating a new Inholm village for the 21st Century.

Ian Killick, Director at shedkm commented:

We are thrilled that the full range of our customisable, factory-built homes is soon coming to Northstowe. The Inholm urban village will feature the most up to date versions of our house and apartment designs, incorporating new technologies and Cambridgeshire inspired materials and details.

Were working with a great team and have high hopes of creating an exemplar neighbourhood that sets a new benchmark for the use of modern methods of construction.

The customisable homes will be launching officially late Spring/ early Summer 2020. For more information visit the Urban Splash website.

Bidwells have been appointed as a local agent acting on behalf of House by Urban Splash and will be handling all initial sales enquiries.

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Second phase of Northstowe and one of the UK's largest modular neighbourhoods gets the green light - Famagusta Gazette

Wood has been the concrete contractors formwork of choice for years. Its relatively inexpensive and easy to understand, light weight, can be easily cut to size, and easy to replace and dismantle.

However, lumber formwork also has its disadvantages. It has limited usage and cannot be reused on one job to the next. Wooden formwork also been known to absorb water from concrete when dry, reducing the strength in concrete structure. On the other hand, lumber with too much moisture can compress wet concrete and cause cracks when shrinking occurs.

These challenges have resulted in hundreds of formwork alternatives from steel, aluminum, manufactured timber, plywood, plastics and fabricthat claim to offer the trifecta: saved time, labor and money.

Formwork is a crucial element to concrete construction, though, so selecting the right formwork is essential to any job. In fact, the right choice can greatly affect the schedule, labor requirements, quality and total cost of a project, says Michael Schaeffer, senior U.S. product manager with Doka USA.

Formwork, the temporary or permanent molds used to hold wet concrete until it sets, is a crucial element in concrete construction. Just as important is selection of the right formwork, Schaeffer notes. Over the years, formwork molds have evolved from traditional job-built timber to pre-engineered systems composed of a combination of steel, aluminum, manufactured timber, plywood and plastics. These advancements in formwork molds have led to increased jobsite production and safety, with less labor, while producing a better-finished product.

But with so many options, how can contractors choose the right one. Schaeffer suggests the following tips to consider when choosing a formwork system:

Now lets look at a few of the newest formwork alternatives on the market:

The Rapid Form Bracket from Innovative Concrete was designed to take the place of lumber supports in the construction of elevated slabs. The bracket is commonly used for work on foundations around a building, when constructing loading docks, or any job involving vertical work.

Made of steel and then powder-coated to keep away rust, the brackets inventor Bob Kalbach says it eliminates the labor and costs involved in purchasing, layout, measuring, cutting, constructing and cleaning up after stripping of wood supports. He estimates that the traditional process takes about three times longer than the bracket does.

When a slab is designed to turn down on top of a wall, you have to form the outer edges so that concrete doesnt go over the top of the wall. Traditionally, this is done by cutting two by fours that hold the form against wall. The pieces are layered on top of each other, the form is attached and then everything is braced. Once the concrete is poured, the supports then are removed and thrown away. Made of steel, the Rapid Form Bracket takes the place of lumber supports in the construction of elevated slabs.Innovative Concrete

Why are we paying $1,200 for a pallet of wood, cutting it all up and taking these pieces and throwing them away when were done. Not just that, but you have to collect all of that. Hundreds of pieces collected and then thrown in the dumpster, asks Kalbach.

The bracket was recently used during the construction of a four-story office building for LifeQuest, totaling 3,675 lineal feet of slab form. The project called for 925 brackets, which saved the company approximately 720 two by fours at a cost of $4,800. In addition, the contractor estimates a labor savings of $26,800.

The use of fabric formwork began in the early 20th century with concrete architectural structures. Today, the formwork alternative is slowly gaining momentum in the construction industry as the publics focus on sustainability grows. The industry is increasingly being asked to address and lower its carbon footprint. While the use of wood and/or metal is not completely eliminated by using fabric, it can be reduced to essential components thereby saving natural resources.

Using fabric formwork, such as a geotextile, offers several additional advantages, according to an article by Robert P. Schmitz, a registered professional engineer, with more than 35-years experience in architecture and structural engineering. Those benefits include:

Schmitz notes that fabric formwork does have its disadvantages though. Those include:

However, until new fabrics are developed, the benefits of using geotextiles far outweighs any disadvantages, Schmitz writes. In addition, unless standards and guidelines for use in precast and cast-in-place forming systems are developed, this method of forming concrete will remain a niche market exploited only by those brave and bold enough to challenge the status quo. To be of practical use to the design community, some standardization of systems and guidance are needed for contractors to feel comfortable using flexible formworks.Made of high-density polyethylene fabric, Fab-Forms markets its products as a green replacement of lumber and plywood for forming concrete footings.Fab-Form Industries

Leading the charge for adoption in the construction industry, Richard Fearn, owner and founder of Fab-Form Industries, Ltd., has developed several fabric forming products, including Fastfoot for continuous and spread footings, Fastbag for spread footings, and Fast-Tube for piers and columns.

Made of high-density polyethylene fabric, Fab-Forms markets its products as a green replacement of lumber and plywood for forming concrete footings.

Force Concrete & Masonry Corporation of Piscataway, New Jersey, has been working with Fab-Form for nearly a decade. They recently used the Fastfoot product to form the footings of Rutgers Universitys new Health & Athletic Performance Center.

The project had a tight deadlinejust six months. Because Force Concrete & Masonry was able to setup huge amounts of formwork before the pour took place, they were able to pour all the concrete in one day, keeping the project on track. In addition, because the fabric prevents the concrete from touching the lumber framework, the lumber framework can be reused and easily stripped, further increasing labor productivity.

When you strip [the forms], you only remove the lumber framework, explains Bill Pavlic of Force Concrete & Masonry. The fabric conforms to the uneven ground, which makes it a lot easier. If youre using regular forms, you have to go back and patch in the bottom or other spaces.

Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) are not a new technology, but they are seeing a resurgence in popularity. In fact, before the collapse of the housing industry in 2008, many homes were built with ICFsa type of permanent concrete formwork that create the external wall envelope of a building. The alternative formwork has regained some of that traction in recent year, though, as the popularity of energy efficient and disaster resistant homes and buildings grows.

In the past, single family residential accounted for about 70% of ICF construction compared to about 30% for commercial or multifamily uses, according to a report by the Portland Cement Association. (PCA). But, use in larger commercial buildings appears to be a growing market for several reasons. Chief among them is the potential for reducing energy to heat and cool the building.Shown here are Nudura Insulated Concrete Forms, which meet the demands of today's buildings, offering an energy efficient and eco-friendly construction option.Nudura

According to the PCA report, some estimates place the savings at 20 percent or more. The R-value for a typical ICF is about 20, and the walls can often have high air tightness 10-30% better than frame-with compatible windows, doors and roof. As a result, assuming a 100-year service life, PCA estimates one single-family ICF home has the potential to save about 110 tons of CO2 compared to a traditional wood frame home.

This more than offsets the CO2 associated with the production of the cement used to make the concrete, the report adds.

In addition, ICF save natural resources by eliminating the structures wood frame. The forms also often contain recycled materials.

See the original post:
Concrete Formwork Alternatives Save Time, Money and Labor - ForConstructionPros.com

Plastics ban

The federal government says it plans to ban many single-use plastics in 2021. Be careful what you wish for. Many of the items banned could affect you more than you realize. I agree that a lot of waste is the result of plastic products. But do we need to ban everything? Maybe we should rethink how we use these products.

Steve WhinesBrantford

Re: Trailer park residents fear for their future (Jan. 29)

I am the executive director of the Manufactured Home Park Owners Alliance of B.C., a non-profit business association serving, educating, and representing the owners and managers of manufactured home communities. About 45 per cent of British Columbias 900 communities are members of our association.

Your article refers to trailer parks and trailers. While the story is a sad one and unfortunately not unique our industry is constantly working to remove these terms, particularly from lexicon of the media and politicians.

The days of trailers and trailer parks are gone. Todays manufactured homes are built to a national building code. They have strong frames and roofs, 2 x 4 or 2 x 6 construction, insulation, Gyproc walls, etc. They dont have wheels or hitches any more.

Most important manufactured home living is a desirable and affordable housing alternative for people looking to own their homes, but who dont have the $500,000 to $1 million to buy a fixed house.

We would really appreciate your help in getting rid of the old stereotype by referring to manufactured homes and manufactured home communities or parks in any future articles.

Al Kemp,Manufactured Home Park Owners Alliance of B.C.

Why is there so much controversy over the teachers contract?

The education of our youth should be our No. 1 priority, if the children are the future.

Im a retired registered nurse. I volunteer in the elementary school to help children learn to read, the basis for all learning. The classes now that are inclusive do not benefit the students, the teachers or the students with special needs.

Some top bureaucrats at Queens Park have enjoyed a 14 per cent increase in pay. This raise does not help our students when money is needed for education funding. The next generation will not have the tools to participate in the future.

I totally support the teachers. In Brant, teachers work very hard with the limited resources they get from the government. I would encourage any retired person or person with some time to volunteer and see first hand the caring teachers at work in the classroom.

Now is the time for the tired old Tories to elect someone new who has no ties to the regime. Well, Toronto lawyer Leslyn Lewis fits that bill; she is a person of colour, female and has a lot to offer. She speaks her mind and is extremely well educated. I sincerely hope she gets on the ballot, she would give Peter MacKay a run for his money. Besides MacKay will not beat Trudeau, but she would clean his clock.

Stephen FlanaganOttawa

I remember when I used to look to the Oscars now it is just a bunch of actors who think they have something to say politically. First diversity, not enough women directors, etc., not enough people of colour. Both have some merit, but isnt it about the person that does the best job on a film? Listening to people Sunday night like Joaquin Phoenix was so cringeworthy I had to mute it. The best part was the director ofParasite with limited English, he was amazing. For my wife and me, the best part was the pre-show and interviews. It is no wonder the ratings keep dropping. Time to stop talking about diversity, etc. and get on with show. These actors are not politicians, just very rich privileged people who think we give a rats behind about their limited view of the world.

Jon GrosvenorBurlington

Read more:
Letters to the editor - Brantford Expositor

Check the caulking around the windowBroken or missing caulking will allow water and the wind to penetrate the walls and cause moisture damage and rotting over time. Caulking acts as the first line of defense against water penetration into the wall structure.

Look for signs of worn weatherstrippingIn slider and hung windows, weatherstripping is a crucial element in preventing drafts and heat loss. As the window gets older, the weatherstripping wears out and deteriorates. Most weatherstripping today is peel and stick, and you can replace it yourself.

Check your window for sealed unit failureA chipped or cracked glass pane may seem like a visual nuisance, but the problem may be much bigger than meets the eye. If your glass panes are put together in a sealed unit, there is a good chance there may be a gas fill between the glass panes to improve the windows efficiency. If the glass pane is cracked, the seal in the window may be broken causing the gas to leak and your home to lose heat. It is often possible to change just the sealed unit in the window without having to replace the whole window.

Monitor air humidity in your homeBecause warm air contains more moisture than cold air, it is common for windows to form condensation on the glass. If left to stand this condensation can cause mold growth on windows or be absorbed into wood window components, eventually leading to rotting. Some people resort to buying dehumidifiers for their homes, but lowering the thermostat a couple of degrees or simply ventilating the room can reduce the levels of humidity significantly.

Dont wait to replace problem windows or doors. Save yourself money on your energy bill and beat mold and wood rot to the punch. Speak with the experts at R&L Contractors and Amazing Windows and Doors today!

5512 S Winland DriveGillette, WY(307) 682-7598

Originally posted here:
Why Replace Windows and Doors in Winter? - County 17

The Massachusetts School Building Authoritys board of directors on Thursday approved four school roof replacements in Worcester and four other projects in the region.

In Worcester, Tatnuck Magnet School, Vernon Hill School and Worcester East Middle School will receive funding from the MSBA to fully replace their roofs, while Burncoat Street Preparatory School got the OK for a partial roof replacement.

In addition, the board approved a boiler replacement at Lincoln Street School.

Combined, those five projects are expected to cost close to $10 million; the MSBA will cover about 75% of that total.

Elsewhere in the region, the MSBA directors also on Thursday approved $2.3 million of an expected $3.1 million needed to replace part of the roof and boiler at Fitchburgs South Street Elementary School; $751,188 for a $1.5 million partial roof replacement at Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School; and $365,276 of the $1.2 million required to replace the boiler at Southboros Mary E. Finn Elementary School.

All of those projects are to be completed through the MSBAs Accelerated Repair Program, which is intended to help pay for roof, boiler, and window and door replacements in a relatively quick time frame.

"The Accelerated Repair Program allows us to make critical repairs to more schools in less time," state Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, whose office oversees the MSBA, said in a statement, adding that the projects "make schools more energy efficient and generate significant cost savings."

Worcester in particular has benefited from the program, submitting and getting approved for around four projects a year over the last decade. This year, the district has shifted its focus from window and door replacements to upgrading roofs; according to the school departments budget book last year, it planned to submit 15 school roof replacements to the MSBA for approval from 2019 through 2023.

While almost all of those schools are elementary schools, one of the exceptions is Worcester East Middle, a nearly century-old school that has regularly been on the districts submission list to the MSBA for a more comprehensive replacement or renovation.

But school officials decided the roof project couldnt wait for the school to be accepted into the authoritys core project pipeline. Worcester East Middle currently sits behind Burncoat High School as the districts No. 2 priority for replacement/renovation, meaning it could be years or even a decade before the school is rebuilt or renovated, given the MSBAs lengthy approval process for comprehensive building projects.

While Worcester East Middle is in the MSBAs Accelerated Repair Program, it wont be able to be submitted as a core project, according to Brian Allen, the districts chief financial and operations officer. Typically, Accelerated Repair Projects are completed in a year and a half.

"But once the roof is completed, we still intend to submit for full renovation under the core program," Allen said, adding the district still sees it as the second most pressing school construction project behind Burncoat.

Scott OConnell can be reached at Scott.OConnell@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @ScottOConnellTG

The rest is here:
State board approves school roof replacements in Worcester, other projects in region - Worcester Telegram

Windows 10 is experiencing a spectacularly bad run of faulty updates recently, and if youve had enough, then Windows 12 Lite is promising to fix those issues.

Now, we should say straight away that this is not an official release from Microsoft. Instead, it appears to be a modified version of the Linux Lite 4.8 LTS distro made to look like Windows 10 with the default background wallpaper and custom icons.

Windows 12 Lite was spotted by a reddit user at a local computer sale, and according to the documentation that comes with the software (which is actually a crudely-printed sheet of A4), using Windows 12 Lite means No upgrading when ever you want to work. No upgrades that fail so you cannot upgrade clearly referencing Windows 10s recent travails.

It also makes the bold claim that there are no virus or ransomware as Windows 12 is immune from these nasties.

It also says that Windows 12 Lite is more than three times faster than Windows 10 and boots in about 15 seconds.

As well as the badly-printed out manual, there is also a rather ropey-looking website, which at least is honest about it being Linux Lite 4.8 LTS made to look like Windows 10.

Apparently, the seller was offering DVDs of Windows 12 Lite for 15 (around $20, AU$30) at the computer sale and while thats certainly cheaper than a Windows 10 licence you should never buy random software like that and you should never pay to use free Linux distros like Linux Lite.

While Windows 12 Lite is clearly not going to replace Windows 10, it does raise some interesting points about how Linux could be a good alternative for people who are getting sick of Microsofts mishandling of Windows 10.

There are many lightweight distros out there that run much faster than Windows 10 especially on older hardware, and because not as many people use Linux versus Windows, there are fewer viruses and malware threats as well.

And, as Windows 12 Lite shows, you can configure Linux to look and behave very similar to Windows. Check out our pick of the best Linux distros for beginners for better choices for replacing Windows 10 with Linux.

Via Liliputing

Original post:
Sick of Windows 10? Linux-based Windows 12 Lite promises to be three times faster - TechRadar