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By: EATUmds1
Tanya Brown is spending hours making hailstones by hand, injecting rubber molds with a seltzer-and-water mixture and freezing them. On Wednesday, the researcher and her colleagues at the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety will fire more than 8,000 of the ice balls at up to 76 mph onto a test house inside the institute's facility in Richburg, S.C.
"We really want to try to mimic Mother Nature," says Brown, whose team chased real storms to measure typical hailstone mass, size and hardness for the test, which the institute says is the first of its kind. They plan to study what happens to different kinds of shingles, siding and other building materials under the kind of barrage for which insurance companies don't yet have good models.
Insurers generally have enough experience with hurricanes to predict damage and avoid taking on too much risk. Not so with hailstorms and tornadoes, where costs are increasing. That's why the institute's insurance-company members are funding the research.
Average industry losses for severe thunderstorms in the U.S. have ballooned sevenfold since 1980 and totaled almost $15 billion last year, according to Munich Re, the world's largest reinsurer. The tab for 2011 was a record $25.9 billion.
As storms have occurred earlier in the year, they've tended to strike farther east, where there's greater population density, says Matthew Nielsen, director of product management at Risk Management Solutions, a disaster modeling firm. The spring outbreak of severe storms in 2011 cost property insurer Travelers more than the deadly Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Chief Executive Officer Jay Fishman said.
With storm damage on the rise, insurance companies are taking steps to limit losses. Allstate, the second-largest U.S. home insurer, began two years ago to "age-rate" customers' roofs. In states like Oklahoma, where severe storms blow through with troubling frequency, the company is rolling out policies that take a roof's age and construction material into account when calculating the payout to replace it after storm damage.
"A lot of people would wait until these things happened" and file a claim to get a new roof, says Thomas Wilson, CEO of the Northbrook, Ill., insurer. "That's not a fair deal for anybody, because that cost goes through us back into the system." Policyholders can still pay a premium for full-replacement coverage.
Predicting where hailstorms and tornadoes will strike is tougher than for hurricanes because the historical record is less complete and because they're much smaller and more variable, says Nielsen. That's especially true for tornadoes, whose paths of destruction often appear random, decimating some buildings while sparing others nearby.
Insurance Institute CEO Julie Rochman says this week's simulation is just the start of research she hopes to conduct that could lead to better building standards and lower insurance losses within a few years.
High on the agenda for Brown, the researcher: automate the creation of the hailstones: "Making ice every day for two hours a day is not my most favorite thing."
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Insurers' fake hail helps plan for worst
Soft-Lite Windows is pleased to pay tribute to one of its long-standing dealers, Larmco Windows & Siding, which recently received the 2012 "Super Service Award" from Angie's List, a leading provider of consumer reviews on local service companies.
Streetsboro, OH (PRWEB) February 19, 2013
According to Angie Hicks, Founder of Angie's List, standards for the Super Service Award are quite high and earning this recognition reflects Larmco's dedication to providing great service.
We are so pleased that our customers and Angie's List have recognized Larmco for extraordinary achievement in delivering the best home improvement products with the best service and overall customer satisfaction to Ohioans, said Bill Simon, Chairman of Larmco Windows. In our 50 plus years of business, today is a day to remember. Thank you to all of our loyal Larmco customers!"
We have a great network of dealers and distributors that promote and sell our products, and were particularly proud of our long-standing partnership with Larmco," said Roy Anderson, President of Soft-Lite Windows. "Like all our dealers, Larmco plays a considerable role in Soft-Lite's success, as were manufacturing hundreds of windows for them every week. Their dedication to superior customer service, as evidenced by earning this award, is one of the primary reasons they've maintained such long-standing success and growth, and I commend them for it!
Larmco Windows & Siding is a leader in the vinyl replacement window and vinyl siding industry, with tens of thousands of satisfied customers and over a quarter million windows installed. The company has worked hard to gain and maintain a reputation that is centered on quality products, expert installation and satisfied customer. Larmco proudly serves the Columbus and Cleveland areas of Ohio. For more information, visit http://www.larmco.com.
Soft-Lite is a vinyl replacement window and door manufacturer headquartered in Streetsboro, Ohio. The company is a multiple Crystal Achievement Award winner and is also a recipient of the Friedman Corporation Customer Appreciation Award, the Window & Door Top 100 Manufacturers recognition, and the Door and Window Companies To Watch recognition. For more information, visit http://www.soft-lite.com and http://www.gorell.com.
Melanie Thomas Soft-Lite Windows LLC 330.528.4007 Email Information
In a recent nationwide survey examining local markets and buyer home preferences within those markets, Realtors rated exterior projects among the most valuable home improvements.
In the 2013 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report, the agents indicated such projects as siding, window and door replacements can recoup more than 70 percent of their cost at resale.
Realtors expected a steel entry door replacement as the project to return the most money, recouping an estimated 85.6 percent of costs upon resale. The steel entry door replacement is the least expensive project in the report, costing little more than $1,100 on average.
Three types of siding replacement projects ranked in the top 10: fiber cement siding, expected to return 79.3 percent of costs; vinyl siding, expected to return 72.9 percent of costs; and foam backed vinyl, expected to return 71.8 percent of costs. A midrange and upscale garage door replacement were both expected to return more than 75 percent of costs.
According to those surveyed, two interior remodeling projects can recoup substantial value at resale. A minor kitchen remodel, ranked fifth, is expected to return 75.4 percent of costs. Nationally, the average cost for the project is just under $19,000.
The second interior remodeling project ranked eighth in the top 10 and tied with the vinyl siding replacement is the attic bedroom, with an estimated cost recovery of about 72.9 percent. With the addition of a bedroom
"Realtors are the best source for helping homeowners decide what remodeling project brings the best value to their home because they see many homes every year and can provide valuable insight into what types of improvements can make a difference with buyers. They also are knowledgeable about what types of improvement projects are permitted and regulations involved in your particular area," said Carolyn Miller, president of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors.
The 2013 report, which is produced by Remodeling magazine publisher Hanley Wood, LLC and completed in cooperation with the National Association of Realtors, compares construction costs with resale values for 35 midrange and upscale remodeling projects comprising additions, remodels and replacements in 81 markets across the country.
To read the full project descriptions and access national and regional project data, visit http://www.costvsvalue.com. "Cost vs. Value" is a registered trademark of Hanley Wood, LLC. Results of the report are also summarized on the national group's consumer website HouseLogic.com, which provides information on dozens of remodeling projects, from kitchens and baths to siding replacements.
Information in this column is presented by the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors at silvar.org. Send questions to rmeily@silvar.org.
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Exterior projects offer big returns
Wayne Allen | Daily Times Mike Crabtree, Chairman of the Scioto County Commissioners points out some of the destruction caused by roof issues on the courthouse.
Wayne Allen | Daily Times Doug Coleman, Scioto County Commissioner looks over a wall that's been damaged on the fourth floor of the courthouse.
File Photo | Daily Times The Scioto County Courthouse under construction.
Wayne Allen
PDT Staff Writer
When the Scioto County Courthouse was completed in May of 1927, Henry Bannon, chairman of the courthouse committee was quoted in the Daily Times as saying, It has up-to-date offices, a modern and sanitary jail, a beautiful law library and dignified courtrooms which represent justice.
In the spirit of restoring the courthouse to the standards of Bannon and to better represent its spot on the National Register of Historic Places, the Scioto County Commissioners met in special session Tuesday morning and passed a resolution authorizing the expenditure of $99,990 to replace the roof of the courthouse.
The failing roof which has been in disrepair for years caused the top floor of the building to be practically vacant since the Scioto County Jail relocated to its new location in April of 2006.
On Tuesday, the commissioners awarded the roofing replacement project to Five Star Commercial Roofing, out of Hartford City, Ind.
They have done some work for other companies in the area and weve heard nothing but good things. They (Five Star Commercial Roofing) have offices in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and in Florida, said Mike Crabtree, Chairman of the Scioto County Commissioners.
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Courthouse slated for new roof
Highlights from the Batavia City School District (BCSD) Board of Education meeting on Feb. 12, include news and updates about the following:
Capital Improvement Proposal
Blue Devil Update
Staff and Staff Development
Board Members Earn Awards
Capital Improvement Proposal
Jerry Young, of Young and Wright Architectural, presented an overview of the potential capital improvement project that our Buildings and Grounds Committee began discussing in May 2012. Recommendations for this project came out of a state-mandated Building Conditions Survey in September 2010, as well as subsequent reviews of building conditions. The presentation to the Batavia school board will be followed by presentations to the Budget Ambassadors, to school parent-teacher organizations, and to community groups upon request. The board will review the proposal and, if approved by them, it will go up for community vote in May.
Major components of the $3,841,000 proposed project include work at Richmond Memorial Library ($1,590,000), VanDetta Stadium/Batavia High ($548,000), Batavia High School ($406,000), Jackson Primary ($621,000), John Kennedy Intermediate ($557,000), Batavia Middle School ($80,000), and Robert Morris ($39,000). Most of the items outlined and pictured by Young in his presentation addressed building deterioration or legal compliance issues.
Work at Richmond Memorial Library ($1,590,000) would include slate roof shingle replacement, flat roof replacement, masonry restoration on the original building, window and door replacements on the original building and addition, site work (including sidewalks, roadway and parking), and interior improvements such as carpet and emergency lights.
Work at VanDetta Stadium/Batavia High ($ 548,000) addresses both gender-based discrimination targeted by Title IX of the federal Educational Amendments Act of 1972 as well as discrimination based on disabilities as outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act. The scope of work includes improvements to the girls softball field (dugouts, scoreboard and fence) as well as improving or creating handicapped access to the bathrooms, the concession stand, the ramps to stadium seating, and handicapped seating.
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Capital improvement proposal presented at Batavia School Board meeting
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Ventura County commercial window cleaning. Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo (805) 612-3471
Commercial window cleaning Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Ventura County commercial window cleaners. Scenic View business has been washing business windows and commercial windows all across Ventura County Ca. since 1999
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Ventura County commercial window cleaning. Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo (805) 612-3471 - Video
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Scenic View commercial window cleaning (805) 612-3471 washing business windows in Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Ventura County since 1999. We are Ventura County #39;s best window cleaners with over fifteen years experience as business window cleaners.
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