Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

St. Louis, Missouri (PRWEB) January 13, 2014

Starrcos modular office systems are the perfect solution for organizations and companies that need flexibility in their office structures. There are many different options for add-on accessories that add to the top reasons to choose a Starrco modular office.

All of Starrcos modular office systems arrive on-site completely finished. With a wide variety of materials, finishes and colors available, Starrco modular offices are sure to be a visually appealing addition to any existing structure. Because organizational decision makers, along with architects and contractors have full control over the entire modular office system the final product can be a unique structure. The final modular office product is one of high quality, visual appeal, will stand the tests of time and will be a great use of facility space.

Available in all Starrco modular office structures are a variety of customizable accessories. Custom windows that meet all structurally applicable standards are available. Also, the option for commercial grade steel or wood doors is available for all modular offices.

Additional accessories include a corrugated steel deck and drop ceiling system including lighting, a standard or pre-wired modular electrical system, and a variety of other options to maximize the functionality and appearance of any facility or building. The modular office professionals at Starrco can answer any specific questions on available accessories and options.

Another wonderful feature of Starrco modular offices is that room dividers can be easily added to most systems. The Starrco modular office systems that can have room dividers includes administrative offices, shipping and receiving offices, cafeteria and break rooms, conference rooms, sound, paint and dust enclosures, plant foremans office, computer and engineering labs, and two-story offices.

Because modular offices can be completely dismantled, relocated and reassembled, modular office systems can be depreciated over 7 years as opposed to 39 years required with permanent construction. This difference results in an immediate reduction in taxes and saves Starrco customers money.

About Starrco Starrco has been providing modular office solutions since 1965. The success and growth of Starrco is built upon the steadfast commitment to quality, innovation and Starrcos unparalleled customer service.

Starrco offers a wide variety of modular office systems - from single user offices to two-story multiple modular office complexes. Modular office systems are manufactured to precisely fit the client's application and install in a fraction of the time of conventional construction. Modular office materials come completely finished and require no sanding or painting.

Starrco offers a wide variety of materials, finishes and colors that allow customers the freedom to design systems that meet specific needs and personal style.

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Winter Construction is Simple with Starrco’s Modular Office Systems

A new year is always a time of reflection a time to contemplate accomplishments of the past year and anticipate upcoming events. The Van Banner asked city leaders and the Van ISD superintendent to take a few moments and answer some questions about the year past and the one just started. Here are the first responses received and we are hoping to run the remaining responses next week.

Van City Council Member Amanda Davis

Residents of Van, First, I would like to thank the citizens of Van for allowing me to serve as their voice on the city council. The past six months have been an exciting time for me as a council member, as a council we have established a new Parks and Recreation board, kept our tax rate from rising yet again and also are pushing for the annexation of Interstate 20. I hope over the next year and a half, we can accomplish more of the goals that I originally set when I ran for office. -One of these accomplishments was the formation of the Parks and Recreation board, which will hopefully take the initiative to begin repairs and update our city parks and ensure the use of them for many years to come. Van residents all know that our city parks have declined and that our pool was closed. I hope to work closely with the new parks and recreation board to get our parks where we all would like to see them- safe, clean, and a focal point for our children. We hope to apply for many grants and work closely with the Chamber of Commerce, the Lions club, Kiwaniss club and our citizens to give our children a safe environment for them to play. While pushing for the repair of our parks, it is also crucial to push for development across Interstate 20, a must if Van is to move forward into the future. We all know that Vans oil and mineral revenue has steadily declined over the past few years and will continue to do so with more oil wells are being capped every year. I hope in the next year, we can expand infrastructure across interstate. Van is a prime location. If we could get south of Interstate 20 developed, it would increase sales tax revenue and allow for exponential growth. It is imperative for us to keep strategic planning as a priority in order for us to move ahead. Ive tried to help raise awareness with the safety concerns of the I-20 exit ramp 540. Moving our ramp back would not only eliminate the safety concerns currently on our minds, but would open so many opportunities along our I20 corridor. If you havent written Dan Flynn or Bob Deuell regarding the safety concerns of our ramp, I would encourage you to do so. We, as a community, need to voice concerns regarding our roads to ensure a productive and safe community. Although taxes were raised in Van Zandt County, the council voted to keep our tax rate the same instead of raising it yet again. If we continue to support our local businesses and our sales tax revenue continues to rise, I would like to see us try to lower our tax rate next budget cycle. As many of you know, our Economic Director, Jerrod Fishback, recently left. We are confident that even with his departure, we are on the right path for success and I hope to have the support that would entail me to further Vans growth. During my time as a council member, we have seen many new businesses come into Van, the tax rate kept the same and the formation of the Parks and Recreation Board, something that Van vitally needed for its residents. As a council member, I will continue to work tirelessly to prosper, grow and move Van into the future. Again, thank you for trusting in me to be your voice. Please feel free to contact me if I can be of service to you.

Van City Council Member Jackie Nations

What do you see on the horizon for Van in the upcoming year? Several things are on the horizon for Van in 2014. We will be replacing Jerrod, our EDC Director and picking up where Jerrod left off to not lose momentum with the projects that Jerrod and the board had begun during the past year. The new Parks and Recreation Board that has been formed can have an impact for our community if we can find funds to restore some of our facilities.

What would be Vans biggest challenge in 2014? Our biggest challenge for 2014 is finding ways to fund all that we need to do in our community without raising our taxes. Growing our business base to increase sales taxes and creating jobs for our local people is a challenge for all of us in our community. Our oil revenue dollars are decreasing, as evidenced by the continual plugging and abandoning of the wells which have given Van much of its support in the past. Another challenge is cleaning up our town so that those who come here will see our community as a nice, neat place to live, raise our family, or start a business. We all need to look at our premises to see if there are ways we can contribute to this effort and have pride in our outward appearances.

Any significant events that the residents of Van should be looking forward to? The events that everyone should look forward to are the development of several new businesses. We will continue to actively solicit new businesses to come to Van while pledging our support to the other existing businesses in town.

What should people put on their calendar right now so they will be sure not to miss it? Our citizens should watch for ongoing events that are normally posted in our Van Banner paper and support our organizations and efforts to bring people closer together to grow our community.

Several accomplishments in 2013 were: The Van EDC has taken great strides in their efforts to inform people of their efforts and to set up a base work for the direction we need to grow our business base. Several streets were re-paved in the city. This may not seem like much, but it is a big expense. I hope it will be a new beginning to continue with several streets each year. A previously water well that has been out of service for many years has been resurrected to supplement our water needs for future growth. Water is going to be one of our big ticket items to prepare for future needs of our community.

Superintendent of Van ISD Don Dunn

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Community leaders reflect on 2013, look forward to 2014

HOWTO: Install a Tankless Hot Water Heater Unlimited Hot Water

When I bought my latest house I was already planning on some upgrades to various things. One of these was the hot water heater. The water heater that came with the house was old and would start to run rust-colored water if the faucet was left on long enough. I'd been hearing about the new "tankless" style heaters so I went gathering information about them. Turns out they did what I wanted, using much less energy in their off state since they only heat water as it flows, there are no large reservoir tanks to worry about keeping warmed.

I installed my heater after finding rust and silt in the bath tub when trying to take a bath. I performed a second installation with a friend after she saw how nice the tankless heater worked, and her hot water heater just plain stopped. This article is the result of the lessons learned during both of those installations.

When I went looking for information on installing a tankless hot water heater most places told me simply to find a "qualified professional" and have them do it. Well, I'm a do-it-yourselfer so that wouldn't cut it. I found very little information on installing a tankless heater, thus this guide was born. The following items are the things I wish someone had told me ahead of time.

I am very pleased with my home upgrade to a tankless hot water heater. As you can see in the photos below the space savings were enormous. My utility bill (for natural gas) has dropped by almost a third. I can shower for as long as I want without ever worrying about running out of hot water (or getting rust and sediments out of it.) Another advantage is that the service life on this tankless hot water heater is 20 years. Most of the new hot water heaters I looked at charge a big premium to have a service life of even 12 years, so I will be enjoying my trouble-free hot water for even longer. The installation was challenging, mostly due to my lack of advance knowledge and planning, but it certainly is within the reach of a competent DIY'er. After reading this you have any questions or comments, go ahead and contact me and I will do my best to answer them.

No HTML allowed.

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HOWTO: Install a Tankless Hot Water Heater

Did you know you need a permit from the city to install a new water heater?

What about to replace an air conditioner?

Some Santa Clarita residents may not know that some common household fix-ups and improvements require a city permit before work can begin, meaning they may be unknowingly violating building codes.

Smaller scale City officials have recently noticed an upward trend in such violations.

Although we dont have much in the way of specific facts and figures we know that it is on the increase, especially for the smaller residential projects, said Bill Read, an assistant building official with the city of Santa Clarita.

For example, the city recently checked the number of water heaters that had been disposed locally versus the number of permits people had pulled to install a new water heater.

Considerably less than half of the ones picked up were from people who had actually pulled permits for a new heater, he said.

Read said much of the unpermitted construction is for some smaller-scale residential projects, such as replacing a broken-down air conditioner or furnace.

Though those projects may seem minor, Read said such work could present a safety concern.

The primary focus of most of the building codes that we enforce is safety, Read said.

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Unpermitted construction on the rise

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The job is something akin to "tiling the hull of a ship, it's very complicated." So complicated, in fact, that authorities have decided to simply rip off the 8,000 square meters of trencads (a ceramic mosaic made from tile shards, first used by Gaud and other Catalan modernists) covering the enormous faade of the Palau de les Arts in Valencia.

The performing arts center and opera house was designed by the prominent architect Santiago Calatrava, who also created New York's World Trade Center Transportation Hub, scheduled to open in 2015, as well as many other international projects. His work is known for its airy, curved designs that suggest a symbiosis between architecture and sculpture. It has also proven controversial in recent years because of ballooning budgets and technical glitches.

The Palau, which cost 478 million euros to build, opened eight years ago. A recent analysis by the Construction Technology Institute (Aidico) concluded that there is a "generalized failure of the ceramic covering's adherence" on 60 percent of the surface. The Valencian government commissioned this report after a section of the mosaic fell off on December 26, forcing the opera house to shut down and cancel performances.

When all the tiles are pulled off the Palau, which is part of the landmark City of Arts and Sciences complex, the exposed steel dome will be painted white, making it look like a ship that ran aground, to borrow the nautical simile from Mximo Buch, the Valencian economy commissioner who described the building's problems.

The problem is caused by a "faulty design and selection of materials, or a faulty execution, or both," reads the preliminary report. To complicate matters further, the metal dome and the ceramic covering have different coefficients of thermal expansion and they are subjected to notable temperature changes, all of which has resulted in lumps and wrinkles forming visibly on the faade.

Several experts consulted by this newspaper nearly a year ago had already warned that this was a serious problem.

The Aidico report notes that the same trencads that covers concrete surfaces inside the Palau "does not present any problems." But the experts conclude that the outer damage is "irreversible" and that immediate action must be taken.

Yet the Palau has become an icon of the cityscape and a movie setting

Ripping off the tiles will cost an estimated three million euros. To this figure must be added the 624,000 euros that were lost following the cancellation of Puccini's opera Manon Lescaut, which was going to be directed by Plcido Domingo beginning on February 1.

Commissioner Buch said that the Valencian government will advance the money for the repair work, then claim it back from the architect Calatrava, the builders Dragados and Acciona, and the engineering consultancy Intemac. The Valencian attorney's office is already working on official complaints against all parties involved.

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Calatrava’s opera house: a rip-off?

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12 Jan 2014 18:49

Fire alarm was triggered at Tesco in Park Road in Dingle earlier today

Shoppers ended up getting a soaking after a Liverpool supermarkets sprinkler system went off unexpectedly.

The fire alarm was triggered in Tesco in Park Road in Dingle earlier today.

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service was called at around 16.51pm.

The manager had already evacuated the store before crews arrived.

A spokesman for the service said: We went out to Tesco at 16.51. It was a fire alarm that had gone off. The manager had evacuated the premises.

It was due to the sprinkler system activating. Its believed to have been a fault that triggered it. There was no fire.

One man took to Twitter, saying his mum was among customers who got a soaking by the stores sprinkler system.

He said the fire alarms had gone off and the store was evacuated and that the drama had seen the sprinkler system rain down on customers, including the elderly, who were left standing in the cold outside the store.

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Shoppers soaked after sprinkler system fault at Tesco store in Liverpool