Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Electrical connections have been corroded by seepage at the Missouri Capitol and are high on the repair list. (File photo) Photo by News Tribune.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon released $18 million Tuesday for repairs to the state Capitol building, and the selection of a consultant for the projects will begin immediately, according to the Office of Administration.

An estimated $15 million is for Phase I of stone repair on the south side of the building, an estimated $1 million will be used for window repairs and an estimated $2 million is to replace or repair the Centaur pavers at the north side of the building, said Ryan Burns, spokeswoman for the Office of Administration.

The Centaur pavers are the concrete stones on the edge of and around the Centaur fountain in the plaza near the Missouri River.

Burns said the stone repair on the south side of the building is the most critical to complete first. The repairs will include sealing and waterproofing the exterior of the building. She said there are additional sides of the building that also need repairs, as well as the dome, but they are not included in Phase I of the stone repair project.

A significant amount of progress has already been made in the last several years on projects at the Capitol, including electrical and generator replacements in 2011, and the west stairs and plaza repair and cafeteria renovation in 2012, Burns said.

The stone work is the major project that still needs to be completed. In addition, the Office of Administration is currently completing a major upgrade to the HVAC system, separate from the funding for capital improvements.

The HVAC system is the Capitols heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.

Burns said additional Capitol repairs may also be needed in the future.

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Capitol repairs to begin immediately

Splash Window Cleaning in PA 717-252-4153 at lucy #39;s
John cleaning with waterfed wagtails at Lucy #39;s in york, pa.

By: John Kimmel

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Splash Window Cleaning in PA 717-252-4153 at lucy's - Video

Working with Wagga Trailer
This trailer is to promote the new WCM TV program that follows Chris Dawber AKA Wagga of YouTube fame and Window Cleaning Magazine columnist. Chris and his v...

By: Lee Burbidge

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Working with Wagga Trailer - Video

She is rapidly becoming the priciest floozie in history.

But its not the cost of sampling this beautys ample charms but of keeping her in tip-top condition.

The Floozie in the Jacuzzi in Birmingham city centre has already run up a big tab.

She has cost more than the mountaintop statue of Christ The Redeemer of The Andes, which overlooks Rio De Janeiro, and is considered one of the worlds greatest landmarks.

Birminghams naked temptress cost an eye-watering 3.5million when she was unveiled and has been dogged by breakdowns and leaks, running up a huge repair bill.

Currently switched off yet again, some 410,000 has already had to be spent on repairs, bringing the total to 3.9m, excluding routine maintenance and cleaning work.

That compares to the cost of the famous Rio mountain-top statue, which weighed in in todays inflation-adjusted terms at a mere 2.3m to build back in the 1920s.

Christ the Redeemer in Brazil

With renovation and maintenance, the Brazilian wonder of the world is reckoned to have cost around 3.3m so far, less than the Second City floozie in her faulty Jacuzzi.

And now, the naked temptress with the voluptuous figure is demanding even MORE.

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Floozie in the Jacuzzi runs up eye-watering £3.9m bill

Ken Done unloads his Christmas tree at Murray Park in Murray on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2013.

Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY Live Christmas trees carry the scent of fresh pine and bring wonder to the season when annual traditions of bringing one home are involved.

Eventually, however, those cut evergreens dry up and are thrown out. And while each city might have a different set of rules for disposal, waste management officials are encouraging residents to dispose of Christmas trees properly.

"They can always be used somehow," said Davis Landfill manager Preston Lee. He said that by the end of January, there's quite a pile of old trees at the landfill.

"It's better than throwing it away and it's free," he said. "And it doesn't end up taking landfill space."

Christmas trees can be disposed at the landfill in Layton at no charge. The trees are then ground into mulch and sold for $5 a scoop, which is half the price of the site's regular mulch mix. Pine mulch, Lee said, is more acidic than some wood products and "provides a great weed barrier."

Tim Parson, of Monster Tree Service in Layton, said when used properly, different mulch products can condition the soil and decaying wood, such as pine, is often beneficial to flower and plant beds.

Depending on the region of the country and what is grown there, he said Christmas trees can include Douglas fir, white fir, spruce trees and hemlock. Each type provides different nutrients to the soil when it runs through its life cycle.

As a certified arborist, Parson provides advice on tree conditions and proper care and maintenance, cost estimates on hazardous tree removal, as well as other services.

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'Tis the season to recycle the Christmas tree

Lono Puts Sprinkler System Control on Your Smart Device
Lono is an automatic smart sprinkler control system that replaces most current dial and switch manual control boxes and can cut water usage by twenty to seve...

By: Terry Knight

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Lono Puts Sprinkler System Control on Your Smart Device - Video

Crimson Dragon - Coral Lake West - Pest Control
Crimson Dragon - 1st playthrough - Classic Difficulty.

By: munday78

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Crimson Dragon - Coral Lake West - Pest Control - Video

Submitted London Bay Homes' 6,000-square-foot Brighton model is nearing completion at Quail West.

London Bay Homes four-bedroom, five-bath Brighton, a single-family estate model at Quail West, is nearing completion. The custom model home overlooks the fairway and features two entry courtyards and multiple al fresco areas, including a private patio at the master bedroom, a great room loggia, and a large outdoor living room with fully equipped summer kitchen.

London Bays newest floor plan offers a study, great room, dining room, butlers pantry, family room and breakfast nook within its 6,326 square feet of living space. It will also have a mudroom and a combined tech and pet center. The design offers 9,954 total square feet, including attached and detached two-car garages and multiple outdoor areas.

The model will feature interior design by Romanza Interior Design, with a Ralph Lauren-inspired vibe with colors and collections reminiscent of the designers tailored and textural look. The ambience will be conveyed by the Brightons classic coastal and British colonial architecture, awash with yellow stucco, white railings, and hunter green shutters and French doors. A gate within a low wall will open to the models largest courtyard. The second will have a fountain and breezeway connecting the detached garage to the study.

Finishes will include custom millwork and decorative ceiling details throughout, off-white stone flooring with chiseled edges in main rooms, a pebble-stone floor in the full pool/powder bath, and woven bamboo floors with an ebony finish in the study and master bedroom. The models color palette will range from white-on-white in the master suite to the family rooms chocolate, crimson and sand, with guest rooms featuring combinations of camel and black, oatmeal and white, and nautical blue, cream and white.

The floor plan separates the large formal and casual gathering areas; both open spaces offer direct access to the outdoors. The trio of double French doors in the great room/dining area open to a columned loggia and echo the entrys three doors and columned gallery.

The butlers pantry offers a wet bar, under-counter refrigerator and ice maker, and an 80-inch wine refrigerator that connects to the kitchen, nook and family room.

The kitchen will feature custom cabinetry with a painted white finish and incorporate a built-in dish hutch with a leather glaze finish to match the free-standing oversized furniture-style island. It will also have granite counter tops, a six-burner stove with a wooden hood, a convection steam oven, separate microwave, warming drawer, side-by-side built-in refrigerator and two dishwashers.

The family room will offer a fireplace and sliding glass doors opening to the outdoor living room, which will offer eating and dining areas with rattan and teak furnishings. The area will overlook the models custom-designed pool accented with glass mosaic tile.

The Brighton floor plan was designed for the utmost privacy for its owners, placing the study and master suite in a private wing. The secluded study will have grasscloth walls, a panel-detailed ceiling and double doors to a patio overlooking the fountained courtyard.

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London Bay Homes' Brighton model at Quail West nears completion

The latest reports commissioned for 10 historic Mare Island properties focused heavily on the future of trees on two sites.

The city Architectural Heritage and Landmarks Commission zeroed in Monday night on cultural landscape evaluation reports by landscape architect Denise Bradley on Alden Park and Farragut Plaza Monday night. Developer Lennar Mare Island hired Bradley to assess several landscapes considered "contributing resources" by the National Register of Historic Places, before any future work is done.

Farragut Plaza is a grassy area surrounding the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard's Administrative Headquarters Building (Building 47) and sits adjacent to Alden Park between Railroad and Walnut avenues.

Bradley said there are no plans to develop Farragut Plaza. The cultural landscape report recommends replacing the plaza's existing trees, except the historic Bunya trees.

Commissioner Pearl Jones Tranter and resident Sarah Nichols suggested recreating a former trellis with wisteria.

Some Alden Park report recommendations called for the removal of trees that could be hazardous to the Chapel. Trees removed in recent years were taken out for that very reason, Bradley said. Recommendations included replanting trees -- possibly not eucalyptus -- along the property's outer edge.

Nichols advocated for the replanting of eucalyptus trees.

"(In the 19th and 20th centuries,) eucalyptus trees were considered this miracle plant for windbreak.

"So, if you were to do a very aggressive removal of those trees, you would have a very detrimental downside in terms of the climate and wind coming into the officers' mansions areas," Nichols said.

Contact staff writer Jessica A. York at (707) 553-6834 or jyork@timesheraldonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @JYVallejo.

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Historic Mare Island parks assessed for future treatment

To bring your garden into focus, find a place where your eyes can rest.

Focal points are a gardens visual resting spots. In the flashy riot and exuberance of a summer garden, they lead the eye through it all, gently imposing order on a view. At every season, a tall, carefully placed urn, a sparkling birdbath or a handsome specimen shrub doesnt steal the glory from the rest of the garden it enhances the scene by giving it direction.

The most common mistake people make is, they try all these different varieties of plants, and their backyard ends up looking like a tossed salad, says Mike Miller, a landscape architect at Ewseychik, Rice & Miller in Longwood, Fla. We use a broad, simple palette, he says, and create focal points.

Finding a focal point and settling on an appropriate plant or architectural element to achieve the desired effect may take some thought and effort. Some designers actually give their clients a large, empty picture frame and ask them to walk around with it, defining the important views.

Taking pictures of your garden will also reveal the places that naturally attract your eye as well as spots that need to be screened from view. Youll be able to forget about an annoying utility pole if you plant a screen of evergreens and place an arbor strategically in your line of sight.

Peggy Krapf, a garden designer in Toano, Va., near Williamsburg, works hard on the details in her clients gardens. One suburban garden seemed to have all the right elements but simply did not feel welcoming.

There were all these little bits, she says. They had nice plants and paths and a fountain, but they were like separate thoughts. Visitors were not sure where the garden began or how to approach it, and the existing paths hurried them along without encouraging them to enjoy the experience along the way.

Krapf needed to unify the garden. She first suggested a proper garden gate. The 4-foot-high gate, flanked by evergreen shrubs, makes visitors pause a little before entering the garden, allowing them to take in the scene.

Krapf then placed a bench at the end of the path, creating a destination, and moved a few shrubs to make the fountain the focus of the view from the porch. In another clients garden, she designed a curving stone bench to put in one corner. The bench draws visitors out to enjoy the flower beds up close and takes the sharp edge off the corner of the property.

In her own large country garden, Krapf put a garden bench at the end of an axis, about 50 feet from her front door. The bench occupies a space with raised flower beds on either side and invites her to sit there and admire her blooms.

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Get to the point with your garden design