Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Outdoor Lighting Ideas - Key Design Elements to Enhance Your Outdoor Space

By: LampsPlus

Visit link:
Outdoor Lighting Ideas - Key Design Elements to Enhance Your Outdoor Space - Video

Many Americans have embraced outdoor decorating, filling their yards with fluffy sofas, gleaming end tables and even outdoor rugs.

But what happens when the sun goes down?

Chris Lambton, landscape designer and host of HGTV's "Going Yard," advises his clients to give as much thought to the lighting of their outdoor space as they do to the furnishings.

Forget yesterday's glaring porch light, he says. You can now choose from a wide range of much subtler lighting options. Many are inexpensive and stylish enough to quickly turn a basic patio into a chic entertaining space.

Here Lambton and two other outdoor decorating experts Los Angeles-based designers Jeff Andrews and Brian Patrick Flynn offer advice on the newest, most attractive and safest options for outdoor lighting.

Many indoor furniture designs and fabrics are now available as outdoor items, Lambton says, and the same goes for lighting. Companies are creating outdoor versions of their most popular indoor lamps and fixtures.

Flynn is a fan of outdoor chandeliers on patios or decks that are covered: "They're an excellent way to make any humdrum outdoor space feel like an

actual room."

But, he says, choose wisely: "To get them right, you've got to take scale and proportion into consideration. Install one that's too small, and it will look like an afterthought. Install one that's too big or hangs too low, and it will completely overwhelm the space."

Flynn also recommends using floor lamps and table lamps designed for outdoor use.

Here is the original post:
Outdoor lighting options abound

Mold remediation from hurricane Sandy by Flag Enterprises

By: Robert Griffin

Read more from the original source:
Mold remediation from hurricane Sandy by Flag Enterprises - Video

Enlarge Image

This undated publicity photo shows a finished bedroom designed by Interior designer Phoebe Howard in New York City. Howard advises homeowners to communicate closely with their designer as they plan the decorating of their home, then step back and trust that the finished product will please them. (AP Photo/Phoebe Howard, Josh Gibson)

Home-decorating television shows and shelter magazines have many Americans dreaming about inviting an expert interior designer into their homes.

It looks so effortless when a popular designer arrives in a whirlwind of creative ideas and quick-working craftsmen. By the end of an hour of cable TV, he or she has transformed a hopelessly drab home into a stylish oasis.

But what's it really like to hire a designer? How can you make sure it's a successful and not too expensive collaboration?

As with a good marriage, says interior designer Phoebe Howard, the relationship between designer and homeowner is about communication, trust and respect.

FINDING CANDIDATES

Many homeowners find a designer by asking friends whether they've used one. Designer Cathy Davin, founder and president of Davin Interiors in Pittsburgh, says new clients are often referred to her by previous clients.

Others discover her online, she says. Interior designers generally keep a portfolio of photos of rooms they've designed on their websites. Browse through as many as you can in your area, noting photos that fit with your vision for your home.

Training varies: An interior designer "typically has a bachelor's degree in interior design, and in several states must be certified," Davin says. They can collaborate easily with engineers, contractors and architects, and should have a full understanding of colour, proportion and other elements of design.

Read the original here:
Communication's key when hiring, working with a decorator or interior designer

Explaining a Home Warranty!
What is a Home Warranty? In this segment I feature Anne Lang of First American Home Warranty to explain what a home warranty really is, the pros of having a ...

By: Yony Kifle

See the original post:
Explaining a Home Warranty! - Video

Best home warranty companies of 2012 were honored with an award by HomeWarrantyReviews.com, an independent consumer reviews website.

(PRWEB) March 22, 2013

Service providers were awarded under different categories. Three nominees were listed and the best company was honored with an award in each category. The award winning companies for the year 2012 are Complete Appliance Protection under Top Rated Company category, Home Warranty of America under Best in Service category and Blue Ribbon Home Warranty under Best Regional Company category.

Companies were selected based on consumer ratings, number of recent reviews and customer satisfaction levels. A stringent selection criteria had been set up which included the size of the client-base, credibility of the company, breadth of coverage etc.

We are proud to introduce home warranty awards to recognize the best companies in business. We believe awards such as these are necessary in order to appreciate the sincere efforts which go into serving the repair needs of homeowners said Neil Albright, chief editor of HomeWarrantyReviews.com, who administered the awards.

Home service contracts are essentially household appliance service plans that protect homeowners from repair and replacement expenses. However, a recent survey conducted by Angies List reported home warranty companies to have one of the highest rates of customer dissatisfaction.

Commenting on this, Mr. Albright said, There is often a wrong impression that home warranty contracts are designed to cover all kinds of repairs. In reality, pre-existing conditions and poorly maintained appliances are not covered while some appliances are excluded in the contract. Moreover, the turnaround for the first repair visit is generally 24 to 48 hours which is another reason for dissatisfaction.

He also mentioned that unlike home insurance, home warranty industry is loosely regulated and there are incidents of few companies not honoring their contracts. Consumer advocates recommend consumers to be extra cautious and check the ratings of home warranty companies before purchasing.

Home service contract is $1.7 billion industry in US and was hit hard by the recession. With an expected rebound in the real estate sector, the industry is expected to grow quickly. California is the top market for the industry in the United States, followed by Pennsylvania, Florida and other coastal states.

About HomeWarrantyReviews.com - homewarrantyreviews.com is an independent review website serving the industry for the past 8 years. The website collects consumers reviews and ranks appliance service companies, thereby helping consumers choose the best company in business.

Read the original:
First Ever Annual Home Warranty Awards Announced

6Webs.com publishes their results of the top home security system providers in 2013. The independent security systems reviews site provides insight into their rankings of the top security companies.

Pittsburgh, PA (PRWEB) March 25, 2013

Years ago, calling the local security dealer to install a home security system was enough to protect the family, but now with the latest advancements in the home security and home automation space, consumers could be leaving themselves at risk by not conducting thorough research before purchasing a security system to protect their home and family.

Tim Smythe, the senior editor for 6Webs.com states, 6Webs.com recognized there was a lack of home security systems reviews that offered detailed comparisons and made recommendations to consumers based on safety, reliability and customer service. Each year literally dozens of home security companies are reviewed and vetted by the team. Only the top providers make it on the 6Webs.com website and a few are awarded with the coveted Gold, Silver and Bronze awards. In order for a home security company to win an award they have to demonstrate responsive monitoring services, provide their customers with high-quality equipment and back it up with a warranty. These are just some of the aspects that are closely looked at when 6Webs.com performs their home security reviews.

The 2013 Top Home Security System Monitoring Companies are FrontPoint Security, Protect America and ADT Security. FrontPoint Security and Protect America both offer their customers easy to install wireless home security system by GE Security. FrontPoint Security carries a Better Business Bureau accreditation and an A rating which is a rare find in the home security space.

ADT Security has been in business for over 100 years and earned the 2013 Bronze Award for providing outstanding service to their customers. ADT Security offers professionally installed home security systems with the option to incorporated home automation features and services.

To review the leading home security companies and to see how their offerings compare, please visit 6Webs.com at:

http://www.6webs.com/home-security-systems-reviews/

About 6Webs.com

6Webs.com is the leading home security system reviews company that is dedicated to providing consumers with the latest reviews and educational information. 6Webs.com conducts annual reviews of the leading home security system providers and publishes information on their website.

Here is the original post:
2013 Home Security Systems Reviews – Top Monitoring Companies Ranked by 6Webs.com

After releasing their 2013 FrontPoint Security review, the home security experts at SecuritySystemReviews.com have released an updated review to reflect the most accurate information about FrontPoint Security. The experts frequently update the FrontPoint Security review to ensure that consumers have all the information needed when buying a FrontPoint Security system.

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) March 25, 2013

SecuritySystemReviews.com also provides a detailed company overview for FrontPoint Security, and discusses the key features that make the companys home security systems stand out from competition. Aside from being licensed in all 50 states and Canada, FrontPoint Security is known for their excellent customer service, which is proven consistent even after system sales and activation. SecuritySystemReviews.com reports that FrontPoint garnered an A rating with Better Business Bureau, as well as positive ratings with other third party online review entities such as Angies List and Yelp.

According to SecuritySystemReviews.com, FrontPoint home security system company maintains a strong relationship with General Electric home security division. The latter being the exclusive manufacturer of FrontPoints wireless home security equipment. Aside from a wide variety of alarm devices, home automation devices and security camera, FrontPoint also makes use of the Simon XT, a state-of-the art control panel that can manage up to 40 individual alarm sensors.

In the aspect of security monitoring, experts from SecuritySystemReviews.com regard FrontPoint Security as one of the best. The company implements a 100% cellular monitoring technology, considered to be the most reliable and safest method for monitoring alarm systems today. Such technology does not depend on phone lines and internet connection to operate. FrontPoint Securitys products are do-it-yourself security systems, which empowers homeowners to conduct the installations themselves to cut back on installation costs.

Aside from offering pre-made security packages, the company also allows homeowners certainly customizations to address their specific needs. Customers can configure their own security package on the company's online store or arrange it with a security consultant on the phone.

One disadvantage of purchasing FrontPoint home security systems, as cited by SecuritySystemReviews.com, is its limited warranty. At the moment the company still provides a standard two year manufacturer warranty on all equipment. However, it does offer a lifetime warranty on rechargeable backup battery used in the system. By industry standards the up-front cost for a FrontPoint Security system is quite reasonable. The costs are usually based on the number of equipment to be used. The company also offers varying discounts dependent on the length of contract. FrontPoint Security rewards its loyal customers by providing the best value and discounts to a three year contract.

About AlarmSystemReport.com

As a premier review website for home alarm systems, AlarmSystemReport.com prides itself with having a team of security system experts, who are committed in creating extensive reviews of the best alarm system products and solutions. The reviews and recommendations published on the website hope to assist consumers in deciding the best possible home security solutions to address their needs.

Tim Eveler SecuritySystemReviews.com 571-235-4565 Email Information

Excerpt from:
FrontPoint Security Review Updated by Top Home Security System Experts – by SecuritySystemReviews.com

BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com (BHSC) launches a new consumer reviews platform specifically tailored for the Home Security and Monitoring Industry.

Pleasant Grove, UT (PRWEB) March 28, 2013

But big industry growth always comes with its fair share of consequences. Many alarm companies have had several lawsuits and complaints against them for bad service and bad marketing practices, specifically those with large door-to-door sales operations such as APX Alarm and Pinnacle Security to name just a few.

Its because of these combined forces at work BHSC has launched a new consumer review driven website that helps consumers collaborate to find the best home security companies who provide the best value and at the best price. Our goal is to create a platform where past and present customers can articulate the experiences they have had with a company, said PR Director Michael Bratton. We also want to create an environment where potential buyers can feel comfortable making their own decision using their own judgment based on the information weve helped deliver to them through this platform.

BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com not only acts as a consumer review platform, but they also rank and score companies based on their 9-point ranking criteria which includes:

Each data point is weighted with a percentage weight that affects a companys overall score.

The last part of the criteria is particularly interesting. According to PR Director Michael Bratton, companies receive fly-in visits where a review representative from BHSC actually performs an on-location visit and review. These visits help us gain much better insight into the validity and legitimacy of a company. We can get a feel of their operations, fulfillment, marketing practices etc. said Michael Bratton. We havent yet accomplished this for every home security company on our website, but we do have plans in place that will allow us to do on-location visits for the top 10 ranked companies on BHSC.

BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com has already reviewed over 20 of the top home security system providers in the industry as well as 10+ monitoring central stations.

Michael Bratton, PR Director BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com, LLC 801.896.4659 Email Information

Read more here:
BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com Launches New Home Security System Consumer Review Platform

A home security startup just raised $180,000 with an independent funding platform of its own. Professionals from Response Home Security commented on the successful fundraising.

(PRWEB) March 28, 2013

I think its time for the home security industry to have some changes, to become up to date, and Im glad that someone steps up to give it a try, even though I feel pity that its not us that step up. said one professional from responsehomesecurity.com, Nowadays you can enumerate lots of alarm companies very easily, but its hard to name ones that you are really happy with. The dissatisfaction is partly due to technology and partly due to service. I am eager to see what Scout is going to do to bring the industry to the next level be it a supreme service experience for customers or an innovative technology for alarm systems.

The team at Scout initially noted that home security is necessary to almost all families. However, most of the 17% of the families that have security are not getting satisfying services from their home security service providers. The Scout team interpreted the dissatisfaction as an enormous space for improvement, thats their initial idea for Scout to take home security to an up-to-date level. When it comes to realization of the idea, they need to do fundraising. Scout set up their own independent fundraising platform because the biggest startup fundraising platform Kickstarter rolled out some new rules this year that disqualified lots of companies, including Scout. The disqualification forces Scout to create innovative ways to raise fund to implement their ideas.

When I first visited their website, I thought it was a technology company, but they are not. The website style and design, in some ways, also convey their core value in business simple and creative. Their fundraising is creative, and I hope that their home security services are as creative as their fundraising. Even though they still have some ways to go to compete with established large home security companies, they already exhibit some eye-attracting features. This is a motivation for us to be more innovative as well, not just with the home security systems that we sell and install, but also with how we present ourselves, online and offline, said one professional from Response Home Security.

To get more details on the original interview with Scout, please visit here.

Cathy Li Compass Solutions International Limited 8618675640882 Email Information

Here is the original post:
Responsehomesecurity.com Commented on Successful Fundraising of Home Security Starup