Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

LAKEWOOD RANCH Nearly 100 end-user home and builder lots have sold in 2020 inThe Lake Club, within themaster-planned community of Lakewood Ranch.

A statement says the homes and large lots in the village includefeatures that appealto homebuyers during the pandemic, such as spacious outdoor living areas, bonus rooms that can be converted into home officesand open floor plans with high ceilings.

The newest enclave in the community, Genoa, has had 54 sales so far this year. It expanded to include four neighborhoods withthree-, four-, and five-bedroom residences and over 20 floor plans rangingfrom 2,400 to over 4,000 square feet under air, the release states.

Lake View Estates is 90% sold out. The enclave began with 68 lakefront estate homes, withseven remaining.

Thecommunity'samenities include six tennis courts, four pickleball courtsand a tennis pro shop that opened this year as part of the tennis center. The village also has aprivate 20,000-square-foot clubhouse, ayoga lawn, childrens playground, fitness trail, dog park and sports courts, according to the statement.

The Lake Club is a Tuscan-inspired, private club community of custom luxury homes. The Lake Club is one of 16 actively selling villages in Lakewood Ranch, a 31,000-acre,master-planned community straddling Sarasota and Manatee counties.

Originally posted here:
Nearly 100 home, builder lots sell in community in 2020 - Business Observer

Tim Hicks addiction started early in life around the time he was 13 years old.

By the time I was 19, I was pretty much a full-blown alcoholic, he said. By the time I was 22 years old, I had been in and out of several treatment facilities.

Hicks said he ultimately managed to leave that life behind 18 years ago, successfully bucking his addiction to drugs and alcohol through a combination of treatment, lifestyle changes, work experience and faith-based counseling.

Hicks said he needed a life-changing experience, one that involved changing multiple aspects of his routine, including his friends.

If you want to be a banker, hang around bankers, he said. If you want to be a baseball player, hang around baseball players. If you want to be a good person, hang around good people, and I think thats a key point in recovery.

After unseating incumbent state House Rep. Micah Van Huss, R-Jonesborough, during the Republican primary in August, Hicks will now face Democrat Brad Batt in the general election for the District 6 seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives.

The two candidates recently sat down with the Johnson City Press to discuss their views on addiction treatment in Northeast Tennessee, a region that has been a flashpoint in the fight against opioid abuse.

Batt said treatment is important, but there also needs to be a focus on the underlying factors that lead to addiction.

I think a lot of these issues are an outcome of economic insecurity, Batt said, noting that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has only strengthened the financial headwinds that households are fighting against.

Batt pointed out that about 45% of households in Washington County fall below the federal poverty line or are part of the ALICE population, an acronym that stands for asset-limited, income constrained, employed. ALICE families live above the poverty line, but dont make enough to afford the cost of living.

Now with COVID, you have even more strain on working families, Batt said, and those sorts of pressures and stresses combined with a lack of access to healthcare contribute to these addiction issues.

Opioid addiction, Batt said, in some cases starts when an injury is treated with painkillers because the patient cant get needed rehabilitative health care.

Weve got to make sure we focus on not just treating the symptoms, which is the addiction, but the disease, which is economic insecurity, lack of health care, lack of options, he said. Weve got to look at it from a big-picture standpoint. Not just the addiction treatment part.

A builder who owns a custom home construction company in Gray, Hicks said experience in a trade helped him during recovery and can play an integral role in treatment, giving recovering addicts a way to occupy their minds.

It helps you to get up early in the morning, it helps you to sleep better at night, Hicks said. Theres just many different avenues that a job helps. ... But I think the most important thing that it does is it makes you feel better about yourself.

Faith-based counseling, Hicks said, can also act as a way to instill hope in those seeking treatment.

Hicks said the region has a strong slate of 28-day programs, but the area needs a sober living facility, which Hicks said can help recovering addicts relearn life skills and would ideally provide a path to workforce development.

The problem is after the 28 days, Hicks said. Thats where were really messing up.

Currently, Hicks said many people exiting a 28-day program in Tennessee have to travel elsewhere to seek treatment through a sober living facility.

You have a 28-day program, which basically gets you started in a direction, and then what were doing now is were dumping them back into the same situation that they came out of, he said. I think that we need a sober-living facility coupled with faith-based ministries.

Talking opioid treatment, Hicks has expressed opposition to Suboxone, a drug used in medication-assisted treatment designed to help wean people off opioids.

In a Facebook post, Hicks campaign linked the countys relatively high density of Suboxone clinics to a 200% increase in drug-related crime over the past seven years, according to the Addiction Center, which the post said occurred as other forms of crime were decreasing.

Washington County is the Suboxone capital of Tennessee, the post read. Replacing one addiction with another isnt working.

Dr. Wesley Geminn, the chief pharmacist with the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, said he hasnt seen evidence to support the idea that Suboxone clinics lead to increased crime in their surrounding area.

Its not the crime that Im worried about, Hicks said during a recent interview. What Im worried about is wrecking peoples lives, people not getting a fresh start ... at life and a different way of life.

Hicks said common sense tells him trading one drug for another isnt a long-term solution for recovery.

I just have a hard time with that, Hicks said. It holds people back to where they cannot get that life-changing experience.

Hicks also expressed concern about whether drugs used in medication-assisted treatment could play a role in spurring neonatal abstinence syndrome. Additionally, he questioned whether the predominant drugs of choice in the region are best treated with that methodology, which is used to manage heroin and opioid addictions.

Reiterating that its important to address the underlying causes of addiction, Batt said no treatment is off the table, but medication-assisted treatment isnt a panacea.

Its not going to get it done on its own, he said, adding that patients also need to receive mental health treatment to identify the root causes of their addiction.

Excerpt from:
Underlying causes and intervention: District 6 candidates talk treating addiction - Johnson City Press (subscription)

The custom-built colonial house at 52 Charcoal Hill Road sits on a private two-acre property in the Coleytown neighborhood .

The custom-built colonial house at 52 Charcoal Hill Road sits on a private two-acre property in the Coleytown neighborhood .

Photo: 360 Properties And Associated Photographer(s)

The custom-built colonial house at 52 Charcoal Hill Road sits on a private two-acre property in the Coleytown neighborhood .

The custom-built colonial house at 52 Charcoal Hill Road sits on a private two-acre property in the Coleytown neighborhood .

On the Market: Custom-built colonial in Westport for $2.8M

WESTPORT Charcoal, when compressed for thousands of years, transforms into a diamond. But it didnt require pressure or thousands of years to create the brilliant gem that sits at 52 Charcoal Hill Road in the Coleytown neighborhood.

As with all high-quality diamonds, this gray custom-built colonial house has increased in value since 1992 when it was constructed, not just monetarily but in function and appeal. It is likely to go quickly because of the number of people from neighboring New York who are seeking the open space and quietude of bucolic Fairfield County properties.

Once in a while the stars align and everything comes together as it should welcome to 52 Charcoal Hill Road, a custom-built home by renowned builder William Kokot, the listing agent said. Her use of the stars in her marketing material is certainly appropriate for this house. The late Kokot was an engineer and builder whose obituary indicates he worked on a few projects for NASA. Additionally, among the many amenities easily accessed from this house is the Rolnick Observatory, home of the Westport Astronomical Society less than a mile away.

Although the observatory is temporarily closed to the public, it will eventually reopen to once again bring the wonders of the night sky to the thousands who have visited, according to its website.

Until then, the owners of this house can enjoy the night sky and they day sky too, with the naked eye, right from their own backyard. This two-acre level property is in the Coleytown section of town, away from glaring lights, which allows for perfect viewing conditions on clear nights. They can also enjoy the in-ground swimming pool, relaxing and entertaining on the patio, and sitting around the fire pit.

A winding driveway leads an ample parking area and to the house, which boasts 10 rooms and 9,741 square feet of living space. Casual elegance meets high design in this exquisite home on a serene country road, the agent said. It has many unique features including attractive moldings, handcrafted banisters, tall windows and French doors to the bluestone patio, pool, and backyard.

The front door opens into the grand two-story foyer. In the formal living room there is a gas-fueled marble fireplace and French doors to the grounds. In the family room there is a coffered ceiling, built-ins and a wood-burning fireplace. From the large formal dining room the caf door opens into the chefs kitchen, where there is a center island with a breakfast bar and built-in wine racks, white ceramic subway tile backsplash, under cabinet lighting, pantry, high-end appliances, and an eat-in area with sliding doors to the yard.

Should the country ever experience another lockdown, or if students are forced to distance learn again, this house is well-equipped to accommodate work-from-home and home-as-classroom for all its residents. In addition to the large office with built-ins on the main level, there is another office or study or homework station on the third floor including a long double desk area.

Four of the homes five en suite bedrooms are on the second floor. The master suite has a gas log fireplace, two closets and a spacious bath. The third floor offers the potential fifth bedroom, which is currently a media room.

The lower level features another 2,800 square feet of possibilities.

While the house is in a private setting it is conveniently located within walking distance of Coleytown elementary and middle schools, and only about one mile from the Merritt Parkway. It is not much further to the Post Road (Route 1) and downtown Westport shops, restaurants, town offices, the public library, Levitt Pavilion, and other features.

For more information or to set up an appointment to see the house contact Karen Amaru of William Raveis Real Estate at 203-858-6329 or karen.amaru@raveis.com.

STYLE: Custom-built Colonial

ADDRESS: 52 Charcoal Hill Road

PRICE: $2,890,000

ROOMS: 10

FEATURES: Two-acre level and lightly wooded lot, heated in-ground swimming pool with automatic pool cover, bluestone patio, outdoor BBQ and kitchen, professionally installed gas fire pit, professional landscaping, exterior lighting, underground sprinkler system, underground utilities, programmable thermostat, audio system, pre-wired for cable, central vacuum, theater/media room, three fireplaces, cedar closet, attached three-car garage, central air conditioning, oil heat, short distance to the Merritt Parkway, walking distance to Coleytown elementary and middle schools, wood shingle roof, attic, full unfinished basement, public water connection, septic system, five bedrooms, five full and two half baths

SCHOOLS: Coleytown Elementary, Coleytown Middle, Staples High School

ASSESSMENT: $1,795,000

MILL RATE: 16.71 mills

TAXES: $29,994

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On the Market: Custom-built colonial in Westport for $2.8M - Westport News

This summer, Steve Rendine watched boards of pressure-treated decking in his Smithfield, Rhode Island, lumber yard disappear like the most recognizable symbol of COVID-19 scarcity.

Its similar to what happened with toilet paper, except the process to make toilet paper is much easier than lumber, Rendine, the general manager at Douglas Lumber, said. Theres panic buying. Stuff gets snapped up at prices that, realistically, three months from now will be astronomically expensive.

Like the toilet paper shortage that perplexed Americans in the first two months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the more recent lumber shortage caught many by surprise and has been difficult to remedy.

On Friday, lumber futures hit yet another record high, more than double the price at the start of the year, but locally many people would be willing to pay more if they could find product to buy.

What we are seeing is historic in a number of ways, from pricing to availability, Rendine said.

Builders like Tim Stasiunas, of Stasiunas Construction in Charlestown, are sending trucks out of state in search of building materials, understanding that hell be paying more than usual for what they find.

For me, it is causing a lot of headaches, Stasiunas said. We have an exposure of thousands of dollars of loss per house we are building, because we are locked into contracts signed six and seven months ago.

So what happened to all the wood?

Rendine calls it a perfect storm of problems that started with President Donald Trumps 20% tariff on Canadian softwood lumber, which raised prices on a source New England relied on.

Then when COVID-19 landed on American shores, mills and building materials producers like counterparts in many industries ratcheted operations down as the economy went into hibernation.

But unlike in other markets, Americans never pulled back on real estate or home improvement spending. In fact, being stuck at home encouraged many people to redirect resources they used to spend on restaurant meals and travel into improving their living space.

Ramping up production at sawmills and factories was much harder than slowing it down. Some workers got COVID. Others were forced to quarantine, and measures to prevent the spread of the virus slowed output.

As with toilet paper, once shortages began, hoarders gobbled up whatever was left. And because wood is a commodity, speculators swooped in, sensing a market opportunity.

The first thing to start drying up was pressure-treated lumber, used on outdoor structures like decks, and other wood products that involve manufacturing, Rendine said. The price of pressure-treated lumber went up 250% at one point, he said, and plywood went up by 130%.

Once boards and wood became scarce, it had a knock-on effect on other building materials, such as engineered panels, windows and doors. And contractors unable to find pressure-treated boards snapped up composite decking.

What should contractors or homeowners with a big DIY project on tap do?

If you can wait, wait, Rendine said. At some point this year, there is going to be a market correction, and it will go down faster than it went up. That may not happen until theres a vaccine. I would advise anyone, unless they have to build now, not to build right now.

Although having inventory fly off the shelves as soon as it comes in, even at higher prices, is generally a good thing for business, Rendine said he fears the long-term impact if the shortage continues and projects are canceled.

John Marcantonio, executive director of the Rhode Island Builders Association, said the strong residential real estate market is helping the economy bounce back, and he worries the lumber shortage could slow the recovery.

Demand for residential construction is higher than it has been in years, he said. With the concern about nursing homes, people are keeping grandma home and doing the multi-generational thing, so they build [accessory dwelling units.] And people are working from home instead of the office, and I think some part of that is going to be permanent.

Stasiunas says the jump in lumber prices is unlikely to damage the high end of the market, where a $20,000 to $30,000 increase in materials wont derail a $1-million custom home.

But the middle range of the market $400,000 to $600,000 houses built without a specific buyer might not be as desirable. And the subsidized affordable market could really slow down if this continues, Stasiunas said.

I think we are in this for a while, he said.

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Whered the wood go? Lumber is the latest COVID victim - SouthCoastToday.com

The Window Cleaning Robot Market is estimated at around US$ XX.XX billion in 2020 and CAGR of XX.XX% is predictable to be registered. The report provides a wide-ranging analysis market size in terms of value and volume, revenue details, and additional important data on the Window Cleaning Robot industry and the different target business trends, drivers, and risks by 2026. The study furthermore presents informative and complete information, apart from strategies, acquisitions & mergers, and market footprint, on the various key players operating on the Window Cleaning Robot market and their financials.

Window Cleaning Robot Marketresearch report arrangement demonstrates and presents an easily understandable market depiction, lending vital insights on market size, market share as well as latest market developments and notable trends that collectively exploit the growth in the global Window Cleaning Robot market. This detailed and meticulously composed market research report on the Window Cleaning Robot market discussed the various market growth tactics and techniques that are leveraged by industry players to make maximum profits in the Window Cleaning Robot Market even amidst pandemic situations such as COVID-19.

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AlfawiseWellbotsZhengzhou Banghao Electronic TechnologyWINBOTMilagrow Business & Knowledge SolutionsHobot TechnologyEcovacsAll Home RoboticsNargosNeatoiRobotWindowmate

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The report further proceeds with unraveling the geographical scope of the Window Cleaning Robot Market. Additionally, a country-wise discussion with specific growth pockets has also been touched upon in the succeeding sections of this detailed report on the Healthcare CRM Software market.

North America(U.S., Canada, Mexico)

Europe(U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Central & Eastern Europe, CIS)

Asia Pacific(China, Japan, South Korea, ASEAN, India, Rest of Asia Pacific)

Latin America(Brazil, Rest of L.A.)

Middle East and Africa(Turkey, GCC, Rest of Middle East)

By the product type, the market is primarily split into:

Vacuum suction plate adsorptionFan adsorption

By the end-users/application, this report covers the following segments:

HomeCommercialIndustrialHealthcareOthers

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Inquire Before Buying:

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Key Question Answered in Window Cleaning Robot Market Report.

Table of Content:

Chapter 1: Window Cleaning Robot Market Overview, Product Overview, Market Segmentation, Market Overview of Regions, Market Dynamics, Limitations, Opportunities and Industry News, and Policies.

Chapter 2: Window Cleaning Robot Industry Chain Analysis, Major Players, Cost Analysis, and Major Downstream Buyers.

Chapter 3:Value Analysis, Production, Growth Rate of Window Cleaning Robot.

Chapter 4:Downstream Characteristics, Market Share by Application of Window Cleaning Robot.

Chapter 5:Production Volume, Price, Gross Margin, and Revenue ($) of Window Cleaning Robot by Regions.

Chapter 6:Window Cleaning Robot Production, Export, and Import by Regions.

Chapter 7:Window Cleaning Robot Market Status and SWOT Analysis by Regions.

Chapter 8: Key Company Profiles, Market Distribution Status by Players of Window Cleaning Robot.

Chapter 9:Window Cleaning Robot Market Analysis and Forecast by Type and Application.

Chapter 10:Window Cleaning Robot Market Analysis and Forecast.

Chapter 10:Window Cleaning Robot Market Conclusion of the Whole Report.

For More Detail Table of Content @:

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Global Window Cleaning Robot Market 2019 Market Key Players, Growth, Trends, Revenue and Demands Research Report and Forecast to 2026 - Verdant News

How often do we start and end our days in the same fashion? Our personal groundhog days see us rising at a particular time, checking on the weather either electronically or by peeking out the window, cleaning, dressing, and fueling our bodies, and then going about our business, whatever that might be. We wind down in a similar manner, with our nighttime rituals leading us to the moment when we ultimately drift off to sleep, ready to begin the next day, and again, and again.

How strange, then, is it, when we travel, which we all used to be able to do pre-COVID-19, and our routine is disrupted? Even the slightest alteration stepping onto a tile floor instead of a carpet, a little too much or too little light seeping in from behind the curtains or under the door, an unlikely choice for breakfast food or a different brand of coffee somehow these little inconsistencies register with us and color our outlook on the rest of the day.

So too is the situation now, with the coronavirus, where we have made small changes in our lives that have forced us to examine the necessity, the essentialness, of our daily habits. Those changes impact the way we work as well, the way we communicate with others, the color of the clothes we wear as we dress for video conferencing, the lighting in our workspaces, the tools we work with, the snacks we consume at our makeshift desks.

Do you find yourself longing for the old ways, or are you settling into a new process, a new location, even a new you? What would you bring with you if the COVID-19 clock stopped ticking and suddenly we were catapulted back to actual Groundhog's Day 2020, before we started down this pandemic path? What will you take with you when you ease out of pandemicland?

I'm just rambling, because I don't have answers, just the thoughts that strike me when I notice changes that have become my new reality. I tried to assemble some interesting solutions this month in my Apps We Love column on Page xx. How to manage the WFH lifestyle, how to create or improve a home office, how to cope with the requirement that the job must still get done.

Another topic we cover in depth in this issue is document management. Like it or not, paper is a hinderance to progress, now more than ever. Our reviews will introduce you to software tools to make the paperless office closer to becoming a reality, and columnist Randy Johnston discusses the reasons why you need software at the helm of solving the document management dilemma.

Meanwhile, stay safe, enjoy your new routines, pick the ones you like best and carry them with you as you continue on your life journey.

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Repetition and the Way of the World - CPAPracticeAdvisor.com

Actor Spencer Wilding, who playedDarth Vader in Star Wars spin-off Rogue One, has said he may return to his old job as a window cleaner in the Welsh seaside town of Rhyl because film work has dried up in the wake of Covid-19.

"The acting has been put on hold and if I need some work I can go back to cleaning windows," the 48-year-old told the Daily Star.

"I'm not above all that.

"I don't feel I would be lowering myself if I went back to cleaning windows.

"I used to have a massive window-cleaning round and I need to do something to bring the money in.

"I have two teenage sons, as well as a 27-year-old daughter, and it would be good to set up a company for them to take over one day."

Wilding, whose other screen credits include Game of Thrones, Doctor Who and Guardians of the Galaxy, joked that he could use The Force from Star Wars so that all his customers' windows would be instantly cleaned.

"I love people, love being around people, and if someone needs their windows cleaning, I could do a good job.

"People in Rhyl and North Wales have always backed me and they might see 'Big Spen' going up and down ladders cleaning their windows again."

The former professional kickboxer also said he could return to work as a doorman.

"I was a good doorman," he added. "Parents would ring me up and say: 'If you're on the door I know my kids will be safe'."

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story receives its Irish network television premiere on RT2 this Saturday, September 19, at 9:20pm.

Watch our 2016 interview with Rogue One director Gareth Edwards:

Click here for more movie news.

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Darth Vader may return to window-cleaning job in Wales - RTE.ie

The innovation of many automated cleaning devices which significantly reduce the cleaning time has contributed to the growth of thecleaning servicesmarket. The quality of cleaning services is efficiently improved with power tools such as low noise vacuum cleaners, floor cleaners, etc. Cleaning services market has a broad category, comprises of day to day cleaning services of hotels, hospitals, schools, industrial premises, shopping centres, etc., maid services, window cleaning, etc. Interior building cleaning services are the most significant contributor to cleaning services market.Request Sample Report@https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=2155Global Cleaning Services Market: Segmentation

Globally, the Cleaning Services market is segmented on the basis of type of service, end user as followsOn the basis of type of services, global cleaning services market is segmented as

Commercial cleaningWindow cleaningFloor cleaningVacuumingOther servicesResidential cleaningMaid servicesAppliances cleaningVehicle cleaningOtherOthersOn the basis of end use, global cleaning services market is segmented as

HospitalsInstitutional CentreOfficesShopping centreIndustriesFoodTextilePharmaceuticalPersonal and homecareOthersStadium

Global Cleaning Services Market: Regional Overview

The cleaning services market is much high in developed countries and North America is be the major contributor in the cleaning services market due to changing lifestyle of consumers. Western Europe also present the large cleaning services market and is anticipated to continue its growth during the forecast period. Increasing disposable income in emerging economies such as China drive Asia Pacific cleaning services market. The cleaning services market in South Korea, Eastern Europe, UAE is projected to be low as compared to Western Europe, North America and APEJ during the forecast period.Global Cleaning Services Market: Market Players

Key players of the global cleaning services market are as follows :

CoverallJani-King International, Inc.Jan Pro IndiaAnago Cleaning Systems, Inc.The Service Master CompanyABM Industries Inc.CleanNet USA Inc.Stanley Steemer International, Inc.SodexoGet Full Access of the Report@https://www.factmr.com/report/2155/cleaning-services-marketWhy choose Fact.MR?Reports published by Fact.MR are a result of the combination of our experts and digital technologies. We thrive to provide innovative business solutions to the clients as well as tailor the reports aligning with the clients requisites. Our analysts perform comprehensive research to offer ins and outs of the current market situation. Clients across various time zones tend to utilize our 24/7 service availability.

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COVID-19: Impact on Cleaning Services Market Revenue Analyzed and Forecast Growth - The Cloud Tribune

He may be currently the bookies' runaway favourite to take over from Daniel Craig as James Bond but, in his new tearjerker, Nowhere Special, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival yesterday, James Norton plays a Belfast window cleaner. For much of the movie, the dashing star of McMafia, War and Peace, Little Women and Happy Valley is up ladders with his cloths, wipes and scrapers, trying to bring some gloss to panes of glass while ungrateful customers look on.

owhere Special is as far removed from the world of 007, or from the romantic leads Norton often plays, as you can imagine. The ex-public-school boy and Cambridge theology graduate is cast as a working-class, tattoo-covered Northern Irishman who often wears his baseball cap back to front.

There's no baseball cap when we catch up on Zoom. In fact, with his tousled hair, he looks better suited for a part in a remake of Brideshead Revisited. He is well-spoken and polite, apologising for being late; he's just got back from a walk. Self-effacing and humorous one moment and solemn the next, he talks about a project that he describes as the "purest" piece of film-making he has ever been involved with.

Not that the role came without its challenges. Writer-producer-director Uberto Pasolini (the man behind 1997 smash hit The Full Monty) made heavy demands on his star's ability to deliver lines while perched high up on his ladder. Norton had to embark on a crash course in window cleaning before production began. "I had a professional window cleaner (as teacher)," the 35-year-old says, joking about the lengths he had to go to in order to master a profession which has previously been depicted on screen by the likes of George Formby and Robin Askwith. "We had sessions. Uberto was very, very keen that I look authentic in my craft. I really didn't know what I was doing so he made me take home all of the kit. I would walk up and down my street. I think that people were a little bit perturbed that I was offering them free window cleaning."

Norton's character is a single father bringing up a four-year-old son, Michael (Daniel Lamont). The huge twist here is that Norton's John has brain stem cancer and only a few weeks left to live.

"The script broke my heart. It was such a powerful read. I don't think I've ever read a script like it, the simplicity of it," he remembers. "I kept on trying to explain the story to people. It was simply just a young man preparing his son for death."

Instead of taking on Blofeld or shooting enemy spies with a Walther PKK (as might one day happen if Norton actually wins the Bond role), the actor is shown baking cakes and clearing up toys, teddies and spilt milk. The closest he comes to a fight is when he lobs eggs at the windows of a customer who has insulted him. There is no romance for him either. His wife has walked out and he has too little time left to go on dates. His only concern is finding the little boy a suitable foster family.

It's a testament to Norton's excellence that we don't question the casting for an instant. He plays John with quiet and very affecting dignity and restraint, keeping his emotions under wraps at even the most fraught moments. His Belfast accent is spot on too.

Don't expect scenes of hair loss or dark, melodramatic moments in doctors' surgeries and hospital wards. The cancer is referred to in only the most oblique and subtle way.

"The illness, we did talk about at length obviously," says Norton. "It's an incredibly important part of the film. We didn't want the film to be about the illness. We talked about the way cancer is often portrayed on screen and (about) avoiding cliches."

Instead, the focus is primarily on the father's relationship with his son. The Ballymena-based child actor Daniel Lamont is one of those doe-eyed, scene-stealing kids the camera adores.

"Never work with children or animals," curmudgeonly comedian WC Fields famously advised. Norton admits that he was "totally reconciled" to the fact that his four-year-old co-star was bound to "eclipse me and steal the whole movie".

They were only allowed to work with Daniel for four hours a day. Strict rules were in place to make sure the child actor was not exploited. Norton was fascinated by Daniel's approach. "To begin with, he really didn't understand what it was to step into another person. He didn't know the difference between rehearsal and filming. Half way through the shoot, he turned to his mum and said, 'When do we start the film?' It was amazing to see him over these four and a half weeks learn this process of film-making, acting and storytelling."

Soon, the child actor was able to respond whenever Pasolini called "action" and, as Norton puts it, "to go into this other head space, this character Michael", learning he is about to lose his father. Then, when Pasolini called "cut", Daniel would immediately turn straight back into the mischievous, loveable little boy who had caught the casting directors' attention in the first place. "He didn't even know what he was doing. It was completely extraordinary to witness. I don't know how he did it."

When he takes on a role, Norton is famously diligent in his preparation. For McMafia, for example, he learned the complex Russian martial art Systema which equips its practitioners to cope when violence is unavoidable. "It's used by the Russian military a lot. People who practice it apply it to all facets of their life, not just conflict training," he told the BBC.

In Nowhere Special, the subject may be paternal love and bereavement, but he shows the same dedication. "The challenge was to find that very powerful, poignant and traumatic journey in the everyday, in the mundane," Norton reflects on a film in which his character is shown going about his daily life as death inches nearer. Pasolini tries to make sure the audience is always aware of the character's predicament. John may be performing banal household chores but if the director felt that Norton wasn't conveying John's inner uncertainty and angst, he would make him shoot the scene again. "He (Pasolini) gave me this quite heavy black rock on the first day of filming, put it in my pocket and said every day you are going to carry this with you. It is going to be there as a reminder, a physical weight, of what you are going through."

Despite sometimes being described as quintessentially English, Norton is one of the most versatile actors around. He can go from playing a psychopathic rapist in Happy Valley to a Russian aristocrat in War and Peace or a crusading Welsh journalist in Stalin's Russia in the film Mr Jones.

"The further I can get away from James the better," Norton says of his constant desire to escape himself. "I've made an active effort to not play the classic romantic lead throughout my career. Every time I've come close to that, I try to make an active choice to take a totally oblique angle somewhere else. I recognise the risk of pigeon-holing and will always make every effort to avoid that."

As ever, Norton has multiple projects in the pipeline. He is halfway through shooting Joss Whedon's new HBO TV sci fi drama, The Nevers. No, he jokes, he doesn't play a window cleaner. His character, Hugo Swan, is a "crazy, pansexual posh boy who runs Satanic orgy clubs". He has also recently set up his own production company, Rabbit Track Pictures, which he is running with producer Kitty Kaletsky. Their first project, Chasing Agent Freegard, stars Norton himself in the true story of British barman Robert Hendy-Freegard, who posed as an MI5 agent. It could therefore be very useful practice for Bond. However, if Norton really wants to continue appearing in offbeat, naturalistic dramas like Nowhere Special, I wonder if it might be wiser to avoid 007.

"This film couldn't be further from Bond and I had one of the most special and memorable experiences I've ever had on a film set," Norton states of Nowhere Special, although, he insists, he has enjoyed his previous experiences on bigger budget, spectacle-driven movies and TV dramas. "There's cranes, Russian arms and hundreds of people. It's all stunts and it's sexy. That's very fun. I've had a little experience of that (but) I think for me, what I really love - I hope I don't sound overly earnest - is that it is all about character. Often, when you put too much stuff in the way of that, you deny the actor, the director, the storytellers, their opportunity to excavate character."

The dilemma, then, is obvious. Is it possible to play Britain's favourite spy without becoming so identified with the role that the public simply will not accept you moonlighting in character roles as Belfast window cleaners and the like?

"You would have to ask that question to Daniel Craig," says Norton. "But if that choice (playing Bond) did preclude films like Nowhere Special, then it would be a hard thing for me to swallow."

Nowhere Special received its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival last week

Belfast Telegraph

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'This film couldn't be any further from James Bond' - Belfast Telegraph

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How to maintain the aluminum veneer curtain wall?

The surface of aluminum veneer curtain wall is treated with fluorocarbon paint spray, which can keep the bright color for a long time. Moreover, dust and pollutants are difficult to adhere to the surface, which has a strong self-cleaning property, so there is generally no need to clean.

But the aluminum veneer as the exterior decoration material, or to carry out regular maintenance and cleaning.

(1) During the warranty period of the aluminum veneer curtain wall, the supplier shall organize regular inspection and return visit, and remove the quality hidden trouble in time.

(2) Check the adhesive strips and injection glue at any time. Replace or repair the aluminum veneer curtain wall in time if it is found to fall off or be damaged. At present, most of the domestic silicone rubber and imported silicone rubber are used, and must pass the national designated testing unit for compatibility test before use. Note that the repair must be completed after curing (24h).

(3) Regularly clean the Windows with a window cleaner

(4) Surface repair of aluminum veneer curtain wall: repair paint for local damage or scratch.

The maintenance of aluminum veneer curtain wall is mainly to check the sealing between the panels.The seal between board and board mainly depends on sealant and glass glue, if have fall off, want to repair in time, replace. Do not step on aluminum or hold the frame for support while repairing or replacing. This is easy to wear aluminum veneer curtain wall or their own accidents. Always check the joint between the frame and the wall. If the screw at the joint is loose, tighten it immediately. If the screw base is loose, use epoxy super glue to fix it with a small amount of cement.

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How to maintain the aluminum veneer curtain wall - Press Release - Digital Journal