A free barbecue lunch and information about renovating materials and services will be served at the Home Remodeling Street Fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13. TheNeil Kelly Co. puts on the annual event at its Design Center, 804 N. Alberta St., for Portland-area residents to get inspired and meet suppliers, from window installers to landscapers.

There will be educational workshops on home design trends, kitchen and bath ideas, lighting, landscaping, solar systems and energy efficiency presented by home design and remodeling experts including designer Martha Kerr.

"The event may be free, but the design ideas people can pick up are priceless," states Neil Kelly President Tom Kelly. "Designers will be on hand to answer tough questions and share the latest trends in home design."

More than 25 local companies will be presented, including:

Building materials: PARR Lumber, Milgard Windows, Trane Heating & Air Conditioning Specialists, Kohler, Keller Supply, BASCO, Neil Kelly Cabinets, Decor Cabinets, Caesarstone, Coulee Concrete, Forbo Marmoleum, Emser Tile, Statements Tile, Pratt and Larson ceramic tile, Gary's Vacuflo, Null Designs in Time, Budget Blinds, Rodda Paint, ReStore, Cupolette, Parker Furniture, Windfall Lumber,

Services: Landscape East & West, Capital Pacific Bank, Neil Kelly Home Performance, Neil Kelly Handyman Services, Neil Kelly Design/Build Remodeling.

For a full schedule and detailed workshop descriptions, visit http://www.neilkelly.com.

-- Homes & Gardens of the Northwest staff

If you want to receive home and garden tips, sign up for the free OregonLive.com's newsletter.

Continued here:
Free Home Remodeling Street Fair Sept. 13

By Gabriella Dunn, The Gazette

IOWA CITY Carpenters arent just only, well, carpenters anymore.

Today the term carpenter can be used to refer to someone who is employed in a broader spectrum of woodworking including furniture craftsmanship, construction and remodeling, among other professions.

And a sub-area of carpentry, remodeling contractors, refers to carpenters in charge of home remodeling projects that involve many disciplines beyond simply woodworking.

Oddly enough, said Chris Weckmann, remodeling contractor and owner of Iowa City-based Carpentry by Chris, the things we do involve very little wood anymore,

Weckmann said much of his job as a remodeling contractor involves orchestrating various disciplines involved in remodeling homes such as plumbing, lighting, tiling, drywalling, exterior home work and, of course, carpentry itself, which can include constructing cabinets, doors and trim.

The remodeling market nationwide has increased steadily since 2011, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity, a report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University that studies home-improvement spending.

The same report projects a 9.9 percent increase in home-improvement spending by the end of 2014 up from 5.6 percent in 2013.

But the remodeling group anticipates spending to drop to 7 percent during the first quarter of 2015, which would be the first quarterly drop since the beginning of 2012, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. WHY?

In the Iowa City area, some remodeling contractors and carpenters had a defense against the recent recession.

Continued here:
Carpentry business branches out

Yaoying Ma says that biology, by nature, has a yin and a yang -- a push and a pull.

Addiction, particularly relapse, she finds, is no exception.

Ma is a research associate in the lab of Yan Dong, assistant professor of neuroscience in the University of Pittsburgh's Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. She is the lead author of a paper published online today in the journal Neuron that posits that it may be possible to ramp up an intrinsic anti-addiction response as a means to fight cocaine relapse and keep the wolves of relapse at bay.

This paper is the first to establish the existence of a brain circuitry that resists a relapse of cocaine use through a naturally occurring neural remodeling with "silent synapses."

The work is a follow-up on a recent study conducted by Dong and his colleagues, which was published in Nature Neuroscience last November. The team used rat models to examine the effects of cocaine self-administration and withdrawal on nerve cells in the nucleus accumbens, a small region in the brain that is commonly associated with reward, emotion, motivation, and addiction. Specifically, they investigated the roles of synapses -- the structures at the ends of nerve cells that relay signals.

The team reported in its Nature Neuroscience study that when a rat uses cocaine, some immature synapses are generated, which are called "silent synapses" because they are semifunctional and send few signals under normal physiological conditions. After that rat stops using cocaine, these "silent synapses" go through a maturation phase and acquire their full function to send signals. Once they can send signals, the synapses will send craving signals for cocaine if the rat is exposed to cues previously associated with the drug.

The current Neuron paper shows that there's another side of "silent synapse" remodeling. Silent synapses that are generated in a specific cortical projection to the nucleus accumbens by cocaine exposure become "unsilenced" after cocaine withdrawal, resulting in a profound remodeling of this cortical projection. Additional experiments show that silent synapse-based remodeling of this cortical projection decreases cocaine craving. Importantly, this anti-relapse circuitry remodeling is induced by cocaine exposure itself, suggesting that our body has its own way to fight addiction.

Dong, the paper's senior author, says that the pro-relapse response is predominant after cocaine exposure. But since the anti-relapse response exists inside the brain, it could possibly be clinically tweaked to achieve therapeutic benefits.

Ma notes that this finding "may provide insight into ways to manipulate this yin-yang balance and hopefully provide new neurobiological targets for interventions designed to decrease relapse."

"The story won't stop here," Ma adds. "Our ongoing study is exploring some unusual but simple ways to beef up the endogenous anti-relapse mechanism."

See the rest here:
The yin and yang of overcoming cocaine addiction

Alpharetta remodeling |contractor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLDdPbPbHeU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKS_IF3bDoM Alpharetta remodeling |contractor We provide the finest Remodeling services for the residences of...

By: Mike Leonard

Go here to read the rest:
Alpharetta remodeling |contractor - Video

LifeStyle with Denise Simons: Home Decorating and Remodeling Show
Kathleen Calligan from the Better Business Bureau, and entertainer Irlene Mandrell discuss the upcoming Home Decorating and Remodeling Show.

By: NewsChannel 5

Originally posted here:
LifeStyle with Denise Simons: Home Decorating and Remodeling Show - Video

Minnesota Remodeling Solutions St Michael Remarkable 5 Star Review by Jeff M...
http://www.mnremodelingsolutions.com (763) 428-4888 Minnesota Remodeling Solutions St Michael reviews 5 Star Review MN Remodeling Solutions did a great job installing our basement...

By: MinneapolisRoofing

Read more here:
Minnesota Remodeling Solutions St Michael Remarkable 5 Star Review by Jeff M... - Video

What is Insulated Vinyl Siding - Almar Building Remodeling - Hanover, MA - CertainTeed
Almar Building and Remodeling can help you with your Vinyl Siding project. Check out some Vinyl Siding projects Almar Building Remodeling has done to help you get ideas for your project....

By: AlmarBuilding

Read the original:
What is Insulated Vinyl Siding - Almar Building & Remodeling - Hanover, MA - CertainTeed - Video

Are you in the market for Union, NJ, home remodeling services? Whether you're looking to build an extra bedroom, finish your basement, or remodel your exterior, Absolute Home Improvements can deliver the high-quality, reliable services that you need. We're fully licensed and insured for the protection of our customers, and we're so confident in our detail-oriented techniques and exemplary customer service that we guarantee the satisfaction of our clients.

We believe that you deserve world-class service, and you shouldn't have to make compromises. We offer a variety of services at competitive prices, and we have convenient morning, evening, and weekend appointments available so that you can meet with us on your schedule. We're equipped to handle several types of remodeling jobs such as:

When you need premier Union, NJ, home remodeling services, the friendly and reliable team at Absolute Home Improvements is ready to serve you. We have 20 years of experience, and we're committed to your satisfaction. If you're ready to get started on your remodeling project, or if you're interested in learning more about our pricing, availability, or qualifications, contact us today.

Continue reading here:
Union, NJ Home Remodeling | Union, NJ | Absolute Home ...

Monk #39;s Home Improvements Remodeling Job in Randolph, NJ
This is the video presentation of Monk #39;s Home Improvements featuring renovations and remodeling done to multiple rooms and areas in a home in Randolph, New Jersey. Monk #39;s Home Improvements...

By: Monk #39;s Home Improvements

Here is the original post:
Monk's Home Improvements Remodeling Job in Randolph, NJ - Video

When my husband and I first met we were both new to our careers, and money was tight. We had no budget for upgrading our new apartment in the Hollywood Hills, so we spent every moment together figuring out how to achieve a fresh design without breaking the bank.

Here are the three biggest lessons I learned when remodeling ona tight budget:

Do it yourself: When Justin and I were living in our apartment, the Internet was not the resource it is now, so we had to learn how to do things on our own. Together we tore out a wall, framed in a closet, laid new tile in our small kitchen and did extensive painting. Today, so many wonderful design resources are available both educational and inspirational. Before beginning your next DIY project, do your research. Check out websites such as Zillow Digs, where you can find design inspiration and learn how much those remodels would cost in your area.

Buy used: To this day my husband and I still go to estate sales and use various websites such as eBay and Etsy to find used furniture that we can revamp and make beautiful. My biggest tip is to always look for well-madepieces that you would want to pass down to a future generation. But remember, the important thing is to love the shape of the piece, not the finish!

Barter: Never overlook what you can offer others. Do you have a skill that you can trade with a contractor or tradesman to get something you need? If so, you should considering bartering! I barter, too. Right now Im talking to a hardscape designer about trading my interior design work for his hardscape services. You might be able to do the same.

There are many ways to spend little to nothing if you are willing to roll up your sleeves and do a little work on your own, or as a team. Ive found in the past that this type of activity has always brought my husband and me closer together even if we do argue over the finer points. Trust me, its worth it in the end when you have a beautiful home for a fraction of the cost.

For a glimpse into our lives and how we handle budget remodels, watch Episode 4 of Glamour Goes South Season 2 above. You can also catch up here.

Read More from Zillow:

Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of Zillow.

Read the original post:
3 Ways to Reduce Your Remodeling Budget