Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

By DEBORAH GERTZ HUSAR Herald-Whig Staff Writer

BASCO, Ill. -- Brad and Cindy Koehler know there's no place like home.

Even better will be a wheelchair-accessible home for Koehler, a Basco farmer who was paralyzed from the waist down after a July 15 car accident.

"It will be absolutely wonderful," Cindy Koehler said.

The house, like harvesting the couple's crops, turned into a project for friends and neighbors.

"We got help getting the house ready for us -- carpenters, the local lumberyard. Everyone's helped out a lot. It's just the community," Brad Koehler said.

Tammy Koehler, a distant relative, spearheaded the effort to raise $10,000 for the remodeling work.

"We're right at $9,000," she said. "There's people from Iowa, somebody from Florida who sent money. We do have a wonderful community that supports each other."

The Koehlers and their daughters, Katy and Anne, live in an older farm home that had no bedroom or bath on the first floor -- a stumbling block now for Koehler.

Within days of the accident, contractor and neighbor Andy Finch was talking with Cindy Koehler about changes needed at the house.

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Home remodeling turns into project for friends, neighbors

Novi River Rock Plus combines the texture of genuine stone with an easy-to-install interlocking design.

Deer Park, NY (PRWEB) October 11, 2012

Genuine river rock is stone thats tumbled and smoothed from long-term exposure to a rushing river. Our Novi River Rock Plus has that same great look and texture without the heavy weight or the need to hire a stone mason to install it. Its interlocking panels are easy to handle, said Steve Barron, president of Faux Panels.

For quick curb appeal and an easy, attractive exterior renovation, Novi River Rock Plus is a great option. DIYers love the interlocking panels because theyre so simple to install. For those who prefer to hire a contractor, these manufactured stone siding panels speed up installation while assuring consistent results. Customers love the lower labor costs combined with great-looking results.

Strong and Gorgeous

River Rock Plus is made of strong polypropylene, so it wont chip or erode like regular stone can. It has nearly zero UV degradation, ensuring its gorgeous appearance for many years, plus it wont attract pests like termites. Extreme weather, ice, harsh temperatures itll hold up beautifully.

While primarily used to perk up an exterior, Novi River Rock Plus siding panels can also be used indoors, depending upon the building codes in your area. No matter how you use them, their low maintenance beauty will be an asset for years to come.

Novi manufactured stone siding panels come in three colors that fit a variety of styles. Smoke White brightens an area. Misty Beige is a warm tan shade and Shadow Gray is a cool neutral so no matter what color scheme you use, one of them will work perfectly.

The beauty of river rock with the ease of interlocking panels makes Novi manufactured stone siding panels practically a no-brainer for exterior renovations, said Barron.

About FauxPanels.com

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Novi River Rock Plus is the Newest Siding Panel Design from FauxPanels.com

Betterlivings new Benefits of a Sunroom infographic is based on customer survey responses and online research

(PRWEB) October 11, 2012

Sunrooms are an affordable way to add extra space to a home, thus increasing the homes overall value. Sunrooms can also help save cost on energy bills by capturing the warmth and light of the sun. In addition, sunrooms benefit health by bringing in fresh air and sunshine which are natural stress reducers. Betterliving Sunrooms are the most affordable home improvement option, listed at under $20,000, when compared to a garage addition or a basement remodel.

Andy Stone, President of Craft-Bilt Manufacturing Company, says, "Very often, the first home improvement that is made by a home buyer is adding a deck. Once they have the deck, they rarely use it. Do they use it when it rains? When its too windy? Too sunny? Too cold? At night? When there is snow on the deck? So when can they use it? Only on calm clear days when the temperature is not too hot and not too cold. We can fix that for them. Everyone who has a deck needs a sunroom if they want to get significant use out of it. Why would you pay five or ten thousand dollars for something that you can't use?

To view the infographic, accompanied by images, visit http://blog.betterlivingsunrooms.com/2012/09/sunroom-benefits-infographic/

For other home improvement products and information, visit http://www.betterlivingsunrooms.com/.

About Betterliving Sunrooms

Betterliving Sunrooms is a leading American sunroom manufacturer since 1946. We manufacture high quality, maintenance-free sunrooms to help you enjoy the outdoors in comfort. Our other home remodeling products include retractable awnings, conservatories, retractable canopies, exterior solar shades, screen room and patio covers, and replacement windows. All of our products are backed by our 50 year warranty.

Contact:

Jessica Leidy

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Betterliving® Releases Sunroom Benefits Infographic to Educate Homeowners

by WHAS11 editors

WHAS11.com

Posted on October 10, 2012 at 12:32 PM

Updated yesterday at 6:48 PM

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- According to the Louisville.edu website, hundreds of University of Louisville students are being asked to move out of Miller Hall due to the presence of mold spores.

"To ensure the health and well-being of our students and staff, the university has decided to close Miller Hall for extensive cleaning, remediation and source identification. At this time, we do not know when the building will reopen and are preparing for the possibility that it may remain closed for the remainder of the fall 2012 semester," is the messaged posted on the website.

The mold spores, known as aspergillus and penicillium, are common types and do not pose a health risk. However, when levels become elevated they can cause problems for people with respiratory issues.

Students who currently live at Miller Hall are being rehoused at other "campus affiliated housing or placed in a hotel room." Students who choose to return home will receive a pro-rated refund.

For more information about the evacuation, click here.

Originally posted here:
Dozens of UofL students asked to move after mold found in Miller Hall

On Saturday, Oct. 13, at 8 a.m., hundreds of Sugar Land area residents will flock to the Telfair Central Lawn next to the Houston Museum of Natural Science Sugar Land to participate in the successful and popular TelfairLife Charity of Your Choice Walk.

Every year, walk participants choose a charity for which they would like to walk, and 100 percent of their walk registration is donated to that charity. Walkers can also raise money by having friends and family donate money to their team.

The event also holds several Challenge Competitions where walkers can win more money for their charity. The Charity Challenge awards $1,500 to the charity represented with the most pre-registered walkers participating in the walk, with $750 and $250 awarded to the second and third place charities respectively. In the Walker Challenge, $1,000 will be awarded to the top two individual fundraisers, to be given to the designated charity of their choice.

In the team challenge, $1,500 will be awarded to the pre-registered team of four or more that raises the most money. This year, the Christ United Methodist Churchs (CUMC) team is making a large push and effort to register as many members of their congregation as they can in order to win several of the challenges.

The churchs team, called the Christ Church Jaunters, have the goal of registering 100 walkers and raising $70,000 for their charity of choice, the Fort Bend Habitat for Humanity.

The group has already registered more than 120 walkers, who range in age from 18 months to 92 years. The group is committed to helping raise these funds for the 12th Habitat for Humanity House built by Christ Church in association with The Fort Bend Habitat for Humanity chapter.

CUMC built its first Habitat for Humanity home in the fall of 1999. I found that experience very fulfilling and decided to volunteer with Fort Bend HBH on a regular basis, said Bob Ayers, a member of his churchs Jaunters team and Chairman of CUMCs HFH Mission Team. What I found in HFH was an organization which allowed me to do several key things. One, it was a way to pay back the Fort Bend Community for allowing me to raise my family is a great environment. Secondly, it gave me a great stress release from my job, something physical at the end of a long week in the office. Third, I developed a new sphere of friendships. And lastly, it gave me an opportunity to demonstrate my faith through my actions.

The Jaunters Teams goal is to specifically pay for land and building materials for the Habitats 12th house. Construction on the new building, which began Sept. 15, is built solely through volunteer work.

Our church has had a great internal PR campaign to raise awareness of CUMCs HFH Mission and the importance of the Telfair Charity Walk as a means of raising funds to support the building of our 12th HFH home, Ayers said. One of our goals for this year is to win the award and associated bonus for the largest team at the Telfair Charity Walk.

A group of 12 from the churchs Jubilee Sunday School class participated in last years event. The group decided to participate in the in the 2011 Walk as a means to help raise funds for the 11th Christ Church Habitat House.

Original post:
Christ United Methodist Church goes for top challenge wins at charity walk

EXETER Construction began this summer on the new social hall at St. Stephens Church, replacing the current facility located a distance from the church, in downtown Exeter.

This will easily accommodate wedding receptions and parish activities, explained Father Tom Kuffel. The other hall didnt meet our needs anymore and we had accessibility issues there as well. Its been a long desire for us to have a church hall on the property.

Capacity has been estimated at around 150.

We hope to have coffee and rolls here after services, pancake breakfasts, chili feeds and fish fries, Father Kuffel said. We want this to be a regular part of the community, hosting funeral and prenuptial dinners and yes, small wedding receptions.

Members of the congregation serving on the building committee are Bob Dumpert, George Erdkamp, Barry Murphy, Gerry Geiger, Mark Becker, Bob Mueller, Vicki Geiger and Ranell Odvody. The committee is overseeing the construction.

The congregation raised about one third of the cost and rest came by way of donations through wills and bequests.

Mueller and Geiger said they are thrilled with the new project. Its a much nicer facility with better spaces for our CCD classes, bigger bathrooms. It has a much larger capacity with better and more parking. Just not having to climb stairs will be a key for most people, along with the fact that the upkeep should be easier with a new building.

The building meets all ADA requirements and is designed to match the church, Kuffel said. Two of the old stained glass windows from the school that once stood nearby have been refurbished and will be placed in the front entrance area of the social hall.

The group also hopes to incorporate the bell from the school into the building.

The only part of the project that is left to plan is the kitchen. The budget did not include finishing the kitchen, so the congregation is still looking for donations for that portion.

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Church building new social hall

Staff Photo: John Bohn Pastor Ray Warren, left, with Tom LaSalle, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, center, and Matt Guerra of Dallas, TX, right, pose for a portrait at the construction site of a new building to be erected at Forest Hills at Mountain View Church in Snellville. The building will be used for Sunday school classes and church offices. LaSalle and Guerra travel the country, building projects for churches at cost, with no charge for labor. They live on site, in travel trailers while they work.

SNELLVILLE -- Tom LaSalle has become quite the popular man.

He and comrade Matt Guerra technically operate out of Oklahoma City, but spend the vast majority of their time living out of trailers. They travel the country -- latest stop Snellville -- as a sort of roving construction ministry, throwing up new buildings for independent, fundamental Baptist churches in need.

They do it with fee-free labor and at-cost supplies.

They stay busy.

"When a pastor gets somebody to work for them for free," LaSalle said this week, with a chuckle, "it usually doesn't take long for them to tell somebody."

The latest project for Cornerstone Baptist Builders lies on the Snellville campus of the Forrest Hills at Mountain View church, where ground was finally broken on Tuesday. At the request of Pastor Ray Warren, the crew is in the beginning stages of building a 5,400-square-foot structure that will cater to the church's growing Sunday school needs and provide more office space.

After they've completed the job, they'll go to Arizona, then to Florida, then to Colorado, then back to the Sunshine State. They have work scheduled as far out as 2016.

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Traveling construction ministry helps Snellville church

The city wants to to make it easier for food trucks and sidewalk patios to operate in Edmonton.

Saylish Haas, a co-owner of The Next Act Pub and The Act food truck, says she would to move her truck more frequently and stay open past 11 p.m. to serve the crowds at closing time things that aren't allowed under current regulations.

Haas is encouraged by how the city is open to changing the rules, which could take effect next spring.

"We'll all meet and sit down and figure out what we want to do," she said. "Hopefully, we'll end up getting to move forward and be able to relocate and have a little bit more options that are siding towards the street vendors."

The rule change was prompted by a conflict earlier this year between the Drift food truck and a nearby sandwich shop.

Drift owners Nevin and Kara Fenske were asked to move from their location at 100th Avenue and 108th Street because the nearby Grandma Lee sandwich shop complained they were taking away business.

The Fenskes successfully appealed the city's order and city administration was asked to clarify the rules for food trucks

Food truck regulations aren't the only rules under review. The city plans to approach the Alberta Liquor and Gaming Commission about changing the rules for serving alcohol on outdoor patios.

Read more from the original source:
City wants to ease rules for food trucks and patios

The garage flooring industry is "in for some major changes" states Justin Krauss, Co-Founder and President of Garage Flooring LLC. This, on the heels of several new releases from Garage Flooring LLC's key supplier Better Life Technology (BLT), gives customers a wider range of garage flooring options and may prove to change the industry as a whole.

Grand Junction, CO (PRWEB) October 11, 2012

For over a decade there have been three specific customer groups within the garage flooring industry. Roll out vinyl garage flooring was available to those who wanted a quick, affordable garage floor. Garage floor tiles often appealed to another subset of customers who were looking for that checkerboard look for the garage. Of course many consumers still preferred the seamless look of an epoxy or other garage floor coating.

"Recent innovations by Better Life Technology are now blurring the lines between what has always been considered separate groups of customers. Customers will no longer have to choose between a checkerboard garage floor and a seamless garage floor as they can have a virtually seamless garage floor with a checkerboard pattern. If customers want the look of an epoxy or a garage floor coating but do not want to spend days preparing the floor, Granite Spek provides the look of a garage floor epoxy with the ease of installation of a roll out flooring product," continued Krauss.

According to Garage Flooring LLC's website they now offer roll out garage flooring with the look of garage floor tile, garage floor epoxy, granite and even licensed specialty garage floors with the Corvette or Camaro logo.

In addition to floors for the garage, Garage Flooring LLC also sells the BLT anti fatigue mats and Backtract mats. Like some of the flooring products, these products are also available with several specialty designs and licensed logos.

For customers still looking for garage floor tiles or garage floor coatings, Garage Flooring LLC is not leaving that business behind. Garage Flooring LLC recently launched several lines of garage floor coatings including Polyurea and 100% solids garage floor epoxy. Additionally, they offer both affordable and premium lines of garage floor tiles.

About Garage Flooring LLC

Garage Flooring LLC is an emerging leader in the garage flooring and garage storage industry. With thousands of SKU's they offer one of the largest selections of garage flooring in the industry as well as a low price guarantee! Garage Flooring LLC specializes in PVC mats for the garage, interlocking garage tile, quality garage floor coatings and recently added the Drymate Garage Floor Mat. For more information on Garage Flooring LLC visit GarageFlooringLLC.com or call 800-956-4301.

Justin Krauss Garage Flooring LLC 800-956-4301 203 Email Information

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New Vinyl Garage Flooring Products Bring Change to Garage Flooring Industry

Every Wednesday during these tough economic times, Rosatis of Lakemoor lures its lunch crowd with a half-price pasta special. Regular customer Todd McCarthy opts for the $3 pizza slice deal, but ends up spending 18 bucks this time.

Grabbing a bite before starting his second shift as a deliver truck driver, the 24-year-old Wauconda resident enjoys his pizza and then wanders into Rosatis new video gaming lounge, where he loses $15 in 15 minutes playing the new gambling games now operating legally at 66 restaurants and bars across the state, with hundreds more on the verge of opening.

Thats the way it goes with video poker, shrugs McCarthy, who says he is a regular customer at area casinos. Im glad I didnt bring a lot of money in here. I didnt know these things were open yet.

During this first lunch hour with gambling on the Rosatis menu, most customers are here just to eat. Rosatis is a neighborhood place that attracts working people, families, senior citizens, kids sports teams, birthday parties and NASCAR fans on race days, says Anthony Patti, the 63-year-old co-owner. He was a full-time carpet contractor in Bloomingdale when he got into the restaurant business in 2005 as a way to supplement his carpet income. Now carpet installation is his part-time job.

In 2008, when everything dumped, it was a struggle to stay in business, says Patti, who lives in Lakemoor now and saw nearby businesses fold up shop. The gambling is a sideline to help out a little.

Among the first Illinois business owners granted a license for video gambling, Patti figures he spent about $10,000 to turn what had been his office into a nicely carpeted lounge big enough for five machines and a stool in front of each, with a window and a glass door that locks.

I hired a few extra people, too, Patti says, noting that, by law, someone 21 or older and approved by the Illinois Gaming Board must always monitor the room to make sure no underage people try to gamble. His wall already boasts a certificate from the village and police department for not serving alcohol to minors.

We hired six part-time people to help in all parts of the restaurant, notes Patti, who says he hopes the video games will attract more diners and allow him to stay open later.

By state statute, each of the five machines accepts a maximum of $100 at a time, allows bettors to wager anywhere from a penny to $2 on a play, and pays out a maximum of $500 for each jackpot. The machines, which offer a variety of games, operate on cash but print winnings (or money that wasnt lost) on a voucher that is fed into a heavily secured ATM-like machine that spits out the winnings and records every transaction.

The machinery and security cameras for Rosatis cost about $100,000, says Lynne Morris, the CEO of Morris Gaming in Skokie, one of the vendors licensed to put in systems around the state.

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At pizza place, nobody getting rich on video gambling