Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Actual construction is nearly ready to begin on the first part of the Ward County jail remodeling and expansion.

The Ward County Board voted today to move offices and people from the basement of the courthouse so that work can begin to turn the space into a juvenile detention center.

The work could begin within six weeks or so in an area adjacent to the existing juvenile court.

County Engineer Dana Larsen told board members the engineers on the project want to get going on identifying structural issues they'll face in putting the center in the basement.

(Dana Larsen, Ward County Engineer) "They would like for individuals to be out within maybe 30 days so they could start removing items so they can begin the process - and I think they talked about maybe within a year juvenile detention could be open if we got going on it right away."

(Shelly Weppler, Ward County Commissioner) "I think we should just get moving on it and make it happen."

Sheriff Steve Kukowski told commissioners the work is important because it will help him spend grant money that might run out if work isn't begun soon.

He also says the relocation of the juvenile detention center will open up several new beds for the county jail.

The jail remodeling and expansion will ultimately include a new building to help greatly expand the capacity of the jail.

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Jail Project Close to Start

Deck Video: A Bunch of Commentated Druid Decks (Ramp, Midrange, Tetris, "Miracle")
I was in the middle of answering a viewer #39;s question, might as well keep it in. THIS IS A BROAD GENERALIZATION OF DRUID DECKS. Just a few Druid decks I #39;m mes...

By: AishiHearthstone

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Deck Video: A Bunch of Commentated Druid Decks (Ramp, Midrange, Tetris, "Miracle") - Video

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) January 07, 2014

The work is done, the workers have cleaned up and the bill is in hand. All is well, right? Maybe not, according to most mold professionals. In many cases, post repair mold testing might not be performed. Of course everyone wants to save money these days (especially in today's tough economy), but this may not be the best time to get shortchanged. However, if post mold testing is completed, it is most likely done by the removal company. This in itself may pose a level of trust problem. Most service providers recommend that a Certified Hygienist be called in for post mold testing. While this is a good idea, it may be a costly and unnecessary one, especially in relatively mild cases of mold infestations. Industrial Hygienists are certified by the American Industrial Hygiene Association and equipped with the most current and useful knowledge on Indoor Air Quality. Companies performing mold testing without the use of a third party may inherently cause a conflict of interest. There are at least three goals of mold testing that need to be achieved in the post repair process:

1. Is there actual mold present in the suspected areas? 2. What kind of mold is it? 3. How much mold is present?

In the end, the process of testing for mold again will verify if the level of mold has been reduced to equal or less than the level of mold found in the outside air. The actual testing usually involves taking air or swab samples. An air sample involves a small pump that is calibrated to draw a certain amount of air through a small plastic canister for a specific amount of time. A common method is to draw fifteen liters of air for five minutes. The air cell is then taken to a certified Lab for analysis. In most cases, an outside air sample is taken to compare the level of mold in the home to the level of mold found naturally outside. If the level of mold inside the home is higher than the level of mold found outside, then most service providers will recommend some type of mold remediation work. Generally the cost of each sample to be processed by the lab is around $35. According to Larry Holmes The Home Pro (CEO of Home Pro Environmental), on average most homes require 3-4 samples to get the information needed to make a common sense decision on how extensive the problem may be and how to repair it. After the work is completed Mr. Holmes also recommends taking two air samples inside the home to verify the success of the mold remediation. This of course is a subjective procedure based on an average size home with average remediation work involved.

Pre-repair mold testing is always a good practice. Sometimes finding the exact source of the mold can be frustrating and difficult. Mold spores are everywhere inside homes, up in the attic, in a homes yard outside, living rooms, kitchens, etc. It is a question really of how much and what species of mold that is present. Some molds are worse than others in terms of toxicity. If a building smells moldy, for instance, hidden mold could be the culprit, but perhaps the source cannot be pinpointed. If it is known that there has been water damage and health problems are being reported then is it usually safe to assume that mold growth is present. Modern building materials like wood, drywall, wallpaper, and fabric are excellent food sources for mold, while synthetic stucco building technology can leak and trap moisture inside. Home appliances like washers, dryers and dishwashers also generate water vapors which again create the type of thriving environment conducive to mold infestation.

Mold can be very sneaky hiding in unseen places such as on the back side of dry wall, under wallpaper or paneling, on the top side of ceiling tiles, underneath carpets and pads, etc. Other places include areas inside walls around leaking or condensing pipes, wall surface behind furniture, inside air ducts, and even in roofing materials above ceiling tiles usually from roof leaks or poor insulation. Most home inspectors will use a professional grade moisture meter to help discover areas of moisture in a home that support mold growth. It is always good practice to look for a certified mold inspector that will work to resolve your mold issues on the lowest level possible. It is of course in the best interest of the consumer to hire a knowledgeable technician that uses common sense when deciding how a mold project should be completed. Homeowners can stay involved in the decision making process by asking the right questions.

For more information concerning mold inspection and mold remediation, please visit our website: http://homeproe.com.

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Home Pro Environmental Experts Issue a Warning Against Not Testing for Mold Post Repair

It's been 45 years since a new parish church has been built to serve Bakersfield's Catholic community.

That's a long dry spell for a city that has charted tremendous growth since 1968 when St. Philip the Apostle Church was established in Bakersfield's rapidly growing southwest.

But times are changing -- and soon that dry spell is expected to come to an end.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Bakersfield's newest Roman Catholic parish and the first centered in the city's northwest, will begin construction of its first-phase worship center and parish facilities beginning with a groundbreaking ceremony at 2 p.m. Saturday.

For those parishioners who have spent years working and praying for this moment, the event at the northwest corner of Old Farm and Reina roads -- the site of the planned 720-seat worship center -- symbolizes a new beginning, an opportunity to "get in on the ground floor" of a new Catholic parish.

At an estimated cost of $6.2 million, the facility will also include classrooms, meeting and office space, a children's center and a kitchen. An even larger worship center is planned in the not-too-distant future as projected growth demands.

The first-phase project was designed by Robert Habiger of Dekker/Perich/Sabatini, with revisions by Mark Russell, Radian Design Group. Construction is managed by S. C. Anderson.

"It's a real honor to be asked to do this," said Monsignor Perry Kavookjian, pastor of St. Elizabeth's since its formation in April 2008.

"You don't do this on your own," he said. "It's through the cooperation of people, their goodness and generosity, that something like this can happen."

Bishop Armando X. Ochoa, head of the Diocese of Fresno, will preside over Saturday's ceremony, ushering in a new era for the parish's nearly 1,000 families, who have been meeting for worship each Sunday in an auditorium at Frontier High School.

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First Catholic church in 45 years to break ground

Colorado Springs, Colo. (PRWEB) January 06, 2014

On Sunday, Compassion International will commemorate the four-year anniversary of the catastrophic 7.0M earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010 with the completion of 10 building projects for church partners affected by the disaster. The buildings will serve as schools for local children and Compassion-assisted child development centers for children enrolled in Compassions holistic child development program.

On a day that brings the solemn remembrance of an earthquake that took thousands of lives, countless homes and the hope of a nation, we are so thankful to celebrate these solid new facilities, said Mark Hanlon, Compassion International senior vice president of global marketing and engagement. While it hasnt been easy, there has been incredible progress in Haiti as a result of the dedication and commitment of our field staff and church partners to the children we serve. I cant think of a better way to honor the past than to open new schools and child development centers for the children, the future, of Haiti.

Approximately 90 percent of children in Haiti attend private or church-run schools due to an unstable public school system. This allows Compassions church partners in Haiti to serve children who attend a school run by the local church as well as children enrolled in Compassions holistic child development program. As a result, an estimated 22,500 children will benefit from Compassion-funded building projects in Haiti.

In addition to the 10 completed church building projects, Compassion has nine church projects under construction with another 11 slated for construction within the next year. While relief and recovery efforts are far from complete, Compassion International joins its church partners in celebration of progress made.

Edouard Lassegue, Compassion International vice president of Latin American and Caribbean region, is available for interview. Please contact Tim Glenn at tglenn(at)us(dot)ci(dot)org or 719-272-5377 to schedule an interview with Edouard on the progress and rebuilding efforts in Haiti.

Compassion International is the worlds leading authority in child sponsorship. Compassion revolutionized the fight against global poverty by equipping the Church to develop children out of poverty to become responsible and fulfilled Christian adults. It is the only child sponsorship program to be validated through independent, empirical research. Today, Compassion partners with more than 6,000 Christian churches in 26 countries to release more than 1.4 million babies, children and students from poverty in Jesus name. Compassion has been awarded the highest rating for financial stewardship and transparency for 12 consecutive years by Charity Navigator, Americas largest charity evaluator. For more information on the ministry, visit compassion.com or follow on Twitter at @compassion.

Excerpt from:
Compassion International Celebrates Rebuilding Efforts in Haiti on the Four-Year Anniversary of the Earthquake

The East of England was responsible for 17 per cent of all UK construction contracts awarded in a building spree in November, new data confirms.

The figures, taken from Barbour ABIs latest Economic and Construction Market Review, highlight marked growth in the UKs industrial construction sector, with the value of projects totalling 587 million in November - an 83.5 per cent increase on the same month last year.

The value of education construction contracts in the East of England totalled circa 100m in November, accounting for 18.8 per cent of the overall contracts awarded for the sector - an increase of five per cent from the same month last year.

Education jobs included a new purpose-built building at West Herts Colleges Dacorum campus and the refurbishment of St Johns Church School in Peterborough, part of the Governments 2bn Priority Schools Building Programme.

Other key projects highlighted locally were Lawford Mead Primary, West Town Primary and Suffolk New Academy which all fall under the Priority School Building Programme.

A major contributor to the overall upsurge was the 40m redevelopment announced for The Welding Institutes Granta Park headquarters in Cambridge.

There was also a strong performance from residential, industrial and infrastructure sectors. The report revealed overall growth in the UK construction industry of 6.8 per cent from October to November - a 56.5 per cent increase on the value recorded in November 2012.

Michael Dall, lead economist at Barbour ABI, said: The figures highlight strong performance in the education sector overall, but particularly in the East of England where this type of construction appears to be booming.

This is helped by the recent Autumn Statement in which the Government announced it will remove controls on the number of students who can attend higher education institutions in 2015-2016, creating an additional 30,000 student places at publicly-funded institutions in 2014-15.

It also committed an extra 40 million to deliver 20,000 apprenticeships in the next two years, offering a potential boost to the levels of output in the sector in the coming years.

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East of England leads UK construction spree

COLD WEATHER: Winter Weather Resources | Viewer Gallery | Weather Center | Send Your Photos

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) Mondays frigid temperatures are creating extra work for heating repair companies.

CenterPoint Energy has tripled its staff since Sunday and technicians are working around the clock. CenterPoint spokeswoman Becca Virden said the company has received 800 service calls since Sunday, and crews are expecting more than a thousand more by the days end.

Smaller heating repair companies are also seeing a big boost in business. Seth Roe of Standard Heating and Air Conditioning was called to Denise Days St. Paul home for a furnace repair. She woke up to a freezing cold home and a furnace that wouldnt turn on.

One of my main concerns is that my pipes would freeze. I dont want that. Thats a problem, especially in an old house like this, Day said.

Roe said his work load doubles when temperatures plummet. Furnaces are running longer and more often in the cold weather. Some of the common problems he sees are component failure in the furnace, corroded sensors and burned-out motors.

For many customers, prevention and upkeep are the best way to maintain a functioning furnace in cold weather.

Everybody should make sure they have a clean filter in their appliance. If they have a high efficiency furnace, especially, (with) the PVC pipes that go outside, make sure theres no ice and snow around them. Thats an easy fix for a homeowner and we can get to someone else that needs our services, Roe said.

Furnaces that arent working properly also pose a safety risk. It can lead to carbon monoxide buildup in the home. Roe said its an important reminder to have a working carbon monoxide detector in the home.

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Heating Repair Calls Spike During Subzero Snap

The long-hoped-for recovery in Australia's residential construction sector may finally be underway, with low interest rates driving the second fastest rate of expansion in new home building since 2005.

Strong growth in house building has helped drive the broader construction sector to its third consecutive month of expansion in December, after several years of decline.

According to Australian Industry Group (Ai) figures, there were also solid gains from the commercial construction and apartment building sub-sectors during the month.

Growth across the entire sector was a little slower than in the previous two months but Ai Group public policy director Dr Peter Burn said the figures were good news after a long period of weakness.

He said low interest rates were finally having a positive impact on residential and commercial construction.

"Low interest rates are clearly having their long-awaited

impact," he said.

Dr Burn said the figures suggested 2014 would be a better year for the construction industry.

"The continued growth of new orders means that builders and the manufacturing and service industries that are linked to the commercial and residential construction sectors - can look forward to 2014 with a greater degree of confidence than prevailed only a few months ago," he said.

The Ai Group's Performance of Construction Index fell 4.4 points to 50.8 in December, putting it in mildly positive territory, while the house building sub-sector rose 1.5 points to 63.5.

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Home building spurs construction expansion

Grand Forks saw a spike in the value of building permits in 2013, driven largely by a jump in new apartment and commercial construction.

While the total number of building permits issued by the city grew by just 5 percent 1,506 in 2012 to 1,579 last year the value of those permits grew from $127.7 million to $212.1 million a 66 percent increase. There were eight multiple dwelling buildings that were permitted totaling $22.2 million in 2012. That grew to 31 buildings permitted valued at $76 million last year.

The average number of buildings for which permits were issued annually from 2003 to 2012 was 7.4, less than a quarter of those in 2013.

The citys growing and expanding and everything is doing quite well, said Bev Collings, the citys building and zoning administrator.

New construction saw an increase almost across the board. Single dwelling and townhome construction increased, as did garages and commercial projects.

Apartments

A jump in apartment construction is likely the result of low vacancy rates in Grand Forks, said John Colter, executive officer of the Greater Grand Forks Apartment Association. He said the overall vacancy rate shown by their July 2013 survey was 3.97 percent.

Investors are looking at the current vacancy rates and theyre seeing the need for housing in Grand Forks, he said.

Low vacancy rates were part of the focus of the citys Blue Ribbon Housing Commission, which issued its final report in early 2013.

Anecdotal reports suggest that new apartments are filling very quickly and vacancy remains low while rents continue to rise, the report stated. Housing professionals should actively monitor vacancy rates and prices over the short term to determine how the new units affect the market.

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Permits for Grand Forks apartment construction spiked in 2013

Australia's construction recovery slowed at the end of last year, but the sector continued to grow.

After several years of contraction, the building industry finally swung back to growth in October this year, and has been expanding since.

However, the Australian Industry Group's December Performance of Construction Index fell 4.4 points to 50.8 - only just above the 50-point level that separates expansion from contraction.

The fall was driven engineering construction, which slipped 6.4 points to 46.1 to be back in contractionary territory after two months of growth.

The Ai Group's director of public policy, Peter Burn, says the decline in engineering is to be expected as the mining construction boom wanes.

"In line with the easing of the mining investment boom, engineering construction was weaker in December and, with further falls in store, the time is ripe for a much more decisive focus on building new and upgrading existing transport infrastructure," he noted in the report.

In a positive sign that record low interest rates are boosting the domestic economy, home building continued to grow strongly.

The house building sub-index rose 1.5 points to 63.5, and is sitting just off an eight-year peak reached in October, while apartment building activity expanded at a slower pace - the sub-index dipping 1.9 points to 56 in December.

Peter Burn says there are signs the growth in residential construction will continue through 2014.

"Low interest rates are clearly having their long-awaited impact and the continued growth of new orders means that builders and the manufacturing and service industries that are linked to the commercial and residential construction sectors - can look forward to 2014 with a greater degree of confidence than prevailed only a few months ago," he added.

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Residential construction booms while mining construction falls