Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Remember Bugs Bunny and how he would occasionally say, This means war? Turning the thermostat up or down by a degree can certainly feel like an act of aggression. This is because, in many homes, especially split-level homes, someone is too hot, someone is too cold and no one is happy.

Even in a home with adequate central air conditioning, mom or dad may find the temperature to be fine in the kitchen or living room, but the basement game room might be so frigid the daughter has to find sweaters for her friends to wear. Upstairs, their son is visiting from college and actually wanting to study at his desk, yet the desk is so hot that he has trouble concentrating. This is a house that might benefit from a zoned HVAC system.

What is a zoned HVAC system?

A zoned HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) system allows the homeowner to set different temperatures in different parts or zones of the house. Instead of only using one thermostat for the entire house, each zone can be regulated with its own thermostat, fully customized to the preference of the user. A zone can be as small as a room, as large as an entire floor, or an addition to the house.

How does zoning work?

A common misconception is that, to have multiple zones, multiple systems must be installed. In a home with an existing forced air heating and cooling system (and one thermostat), however, it may be possible to install an automatic damper system into the ductwork, to divide the home into zones.

The better way to set up a zoned HVAC system is with ductless mini-split units. Though these units come in a variety of styles and models, it is basically just a small heating/cooling unit that is mounted high on the wall (or to the ceiling). This indoor air-handling unit (evaporator) is hooked up to an outdoor compressor/condenser unit. Several indoor units can be hooked up to one outdoor unit, and each indoor unit is controlled with its own thermostat. Another key benefit of these systems is that they bring fresh air directly inside and it isnt recycled through ductwork.

Reasons for switching to a zoned HVAC system

Ductless mini-splits are a great solution for a newly constructed house, and a good retrofit for houses with non-ducted heating systems. They also work well for new additions to a house that lack ductwork or separate buildings like a garage or shed converted into offices or hobby rooms.

Why might you want to look into installing some ductless mini-splits?

Chris Jones and the team at Green Dot HVAC are committed to provide their clients with a consultative, transparent approach, driven by innovative technology and a diligent work ethic. With a team of highly trained and versatile technicians, a focus on helping clients make informed decisions, and a commitment to deliver substantial value, Green Dot HVAC is a leader in the Southeast North Carolina marketplace. To arrange a free at-home consultation, a repair/installation or simply find guidance about the nuances of modern heating and air conditioning systems, call 910-791-0480 or text 910-612-0052.

Excerpt from:
Save On Cooling/Heating With Dual Zone HVAC Systems by Chris Jones | Sponsored Insights - Greater Wilmington Business Journal

From the April 1986 Issue of Car and Driver.

According to Webster, a milestone is "a significant point in development." The term applies perfectly to Ford's new Taurus and its sibling, the Mercury Sable. With their smooth, flowing lines and European-style road manners, the Taurus and the Sable chart a new direction for mainstream American sedans. But you undoubtedly know that by now. Ford has orchestrated an unusually long and intensive publicity program to prepare the public for these novel cars. We've done our share by devoting many of our pages to praising the design and performance of the prototypes we've tested.

Unfortunately, milestone prototypes do not always lead to good cars in dealer showrooms. A prototype's virtues can be compromised by the penny-pinching of heartless bean counters, by manufacturing shortcuts required to meet introduction deadlines, and by last-minute second thoughts in the product-planning department. The purpose of this road test is to see whether the production Taurus lives up to its promise.

Aaron KileyCar and Driver

The moment of judgment has been a long time coming because Ford postponed its introduction of the Taurus and the Sable from last fall to the day after Christmas. That day hardly figured to be the best time for a new-car launch, but Ford needed the additional months to iron out the final production-line glitches. After gambling $3 billion on a high-risk design, the last thing Ford wanted was a problem-plagued introduction.

If the Taurus LX we tested is representative of the line, Ford's extra time was well spent. The Tauruses lined up at your local Ford dealer have every sweet, windblown line in place, and they haven't been sullied by last-minute additions of chrome strips, opera windows, or stand-up hood ornaments. The cars look so buttoned-down sleek that every Ford dealer should make sure its banners are displayed prominently, lest any customers walk away under the assumption that they have stumbled into a premium foreign-car emporium.

Aaron KileyCar and Driver

Even if the Taurus were styled like a boxcar, we would love it for the way it drives. This car's European connection is more than skin-deep, and you feel it the moment you slip behind the wheel. Unlike the sofa-soft seats of most mainstream American sedans, our test car's split-bench front seat had firm padding and a proper contour. It provided solid support for long stints behind the wheel.

The Taurus's steering is also a departure from the over-assisted, lifeless American norm. The power-assisted rack-and-pinion mechanism is fast, communicative, and nicely weighted. With only 2.6 turns lock-to-Iock, the Taurus responds crisply to steering-wheel commands and changes direction in clean, precise arcs without any two-stage turn-and-wait action. At the same time, the steering has a pronounced on-center feeling. There is a distinct toggle-switch action when you turn the wheel off the straight-ahead position, and you can feel the pressure build in your hands as the front tires go to work in a corner.

Aaron KileyCar and Driver

This outstanding steering can be appreciated in any kind of driving, but it is particularly welcome when the Taurus is pushed, because it collaborates beautifully with the car's excellent handling. Whether charging through an entrance ramp or slaloming down a winding mountain road, the Taurus feels reassuring and composed. There is always a bit of understeer, but only enough to keep the rear wheels in line; deliberate action is required to bring the tail out. The Taurus never pushes so much that it shreds its front tires, not even at its cornering limit. That limit is held to a modest 0.76 g by all-season tires, but the car's friendly handling makes all of this grip available without demanding any daredevil driving.

Aaron KileyCar and Driver

Such behavior is not the result of any dazzling new suspension breakthroughs, for the Taurus rides on fairly conventional struts at all four comers. The secret is a commitment to excellent handling from the design's inception, which has resulted in a number of subtle developments. The targets for this car's suspension behavior came from Europe rather than from the Lincoln line. Such details as the negative camber and four degrees of caster in the front suspension, and the calibration of the springs, shocks, anti-roll bars, and bushings, are what produce the Taurus's European-style road manners. Best of all, these details are not exclusive to a special handling package. Each and every Taurus LX handles the same. (The base Taurus, however, has different tires and lacks the LX's rear anti-roll bar.)

Another result of the suspension tuning is a ride with more control than any big Ford sedan has ever had. And its control is not achieved in the usual American way, with stiff springs and thick anti-roll bars. The Taurus's springs are soft enough to follow most road imperfections, and its shock absorbers have enough damping to keep a tight rein on body motions. One typically European feature that the Taurus lacks is very hard suspension bushings. As a result, the Taurus rides just like an Audi or a BMW over large undulations, but absorbs small ridges and sharp edged bumps a bit better.

Aaron KileyCar and Driver

No doubt some of the credit for this performance belongs to the Taurus's rigid chassis. Our test car had that carved-from-a-solid-billet-of-steel feeling that is common among premium European sedans. This solid structure is apparently a result of plenty of material rather than of a perfectly optimized design, because our Taurus weighed a hefty 3251 pounds. A comparably sized Audi 5000S weighs in at under 2900, and a Pontiac 6000STE weighs only 3100 pounds.

Fortunately, the all-new Taurus powertrain deals easily with the excess poundage. The transversely mounted 3.0-liter V-6 is typically domestic in its use of a pushrod valvetrain and iron construction for its block and heads, but it does employ port fuel injection, Ford's sophisticated EEC IV engine-control system, and aluminum castings for a number of components. It operates in conjunction with a four-speed automatic transmission that uses an electronically controlled lockup torque converter and an overdrive fourth gear to deliver good highway fuel economy.

Aaron KileyCar and Driver

With 140 horsepower on tap, the Taurus accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 9.8 seconds and through the standing quarter-mile in 17.4 seconds at 79 mph. For comparison, that's about as quick as an automatic BMW 528e, and quicker than both the Pontiac 6000STE and the normally aspirated Audi 5000. Furthermore, the Taurus's 20 mpg on the EPA city cycle betters the mileage of all of these competitors.

Despite the V-6 engine's American design, it has the refined, purposeful note at high rpm that we usually associate with premium European machinery. Indeed, it produces a bit more powertrain noise than is usual in large American sedans, reaching 76 dBA during hard acceleration. The engine is quite subdued during cruising, however; a slight wind whistle accounted for most of our test car's 71-dBA interior sound level at 70 mph.

Aaron KileyCar and Driver

Much of the credit for the powertrain's performance belongs to the transmission, which provides smooth shifts and unobtrusive converter lockup at moderate speeds and snappy downshifts to more aggressive ratios when acceleration is called for. We do wish that the transmission would stay in fourth gear under full throttle at high speeds. Its refusal to do so limits top speed to 114 mph, which corresponds to the redline in third gear. With 140 hp and a 0.32 drag coefficient, we're sure that the Taurus could do better with a little help from its fourth gear.

We also found that the Taurus's brakes could stand improvement. Its 194-foot stopping distance from 70 mph is not bad, especially with its low-grip tires, but the pedal feel was spongy, making it difficult to modulate the braking. Evidently, Ford engineers agree, because we have been advised that a redesigned brake booster is already in production; all but the very first Tauruses should have better brake feel. Our track testing also revealed that a little more fade resistance would be useful, though we never noticed any loss of braking capacity on the street.

Aaron KileyCar and Driver

We suspect that few Taurus buyers will subject their cars to repeated panic stops. They'll be more likely to test its volume and load capacity. The EPA rates the Taurus at 100 cubic feet of interior volume, which puts it on the line that divides midsize and large cars. We found plenty of room inside for four adults. The rear passengers are treated to a comfortable, chair-high bench and commodious footwells under the front seats. In a pinch, the cabin is even wide enough to seat six; in front, however, the contours of the split bench will leave the center passenger sitting uncomfortably on a pair of raised bolsters. The trunk volume is also generous and usefully shaped.

Functionally, the Taurus's interior is the equal of any European car's, but some aspects of its styling reveal its Detroit origins. The tan A-pillar moldings in our test car were attached with exposed black screws. There was also an exposed bolt in the center of the dash near the base of the windshield, and a few interior panels fit less than perfectly. We think that the fake wood-grain on the dash and door panels is out of sync with the interior's cleanly sculptured shapes, and the location of various minor controls lacks the military precision of most German cars. Some of the exterior details are also ragged, like the uneven line formed by the bottoms of the headlights, turn signals, and grille panel.

These are very minor nits to pick, however. All in all, the Taurus is an outstanding car. It has all of the comfort and utility that one expects in a large cruiser. And for the person who enjoys driving, American sedans don't come any better.

Aaron KileyCar and Driver

The Taurus is competitive with European sedans as well. In performance, handling, ride, fuel economy, and utility, it is as good as or better than the Audi 5000S and the BMW 528e. And while the Audi costs $18,065 and the BMW $26,280, the Taurus LX can be had for $13,351. That price includes air conditioning; power windows, locks, mirrors, and lumbar support; the V-6 with the four-speed automatic; a four-speaker AM/FM-stereo radio; and premium interior trim. Even at the $15,079 price of our fully loaded test car, the Taurus is priced very competitively.

The Taurus doesn't quite have the assembly quality or the careful detail design of the best European cars, but are the small differences worth several thousand dollars? Most of us think not. Furthermore, we suspect that Ford will do its best to smooth out the Taurus's few rough edges in the coming months. Then the only remaining problem will be to convince the skeptics that one of the world's finest sedans is a Ford.

Now there can be no more excuses. The Taurus is finally in production, and it either lives up to its promise or it doesn't. Ford revealed this car to the press so early in the development process that it seemed like an old friend long before the production lines were cranked up to full speed.

That's the soft spot in the early review process. Mass production, like marriage, always changes something. Some pieces of the giant mechanical jigsaw puzzle suddenly won't fit anymore, because a stamping machine in some far-off factory has gone out of toleranceor who knows what might happen? Anything can go wonky. For this reason, we tried in our previews of this car to keep a tight rein on hyperbole. That was tough, because cars as promising as the Taurus come along only once in a long while.

Now that I've finally driven a production Taurus, I'm more than ready to tackle the question we've been posing for the past several months. Is this Ford really a breakthrough, a car with European breeding, German-luxury-car moves, a strong dose of value, and all the goodness that can be packed into a cut-rate Audi 5000? The answer is yes. Rich Ceppos

There was a time many months ago when I was convinced that the Taurus and the Sable were too advanced for mainstream American tastes. The new sedans so neatly fit my philosophies about what a modern American sedan should be that I couldn't imagine the greater car-buying public nodding in agreement. Now that the assembly lines are rolling and the dealers are dealing, it's clear that I wasn't the only bloke waiting for Detroit to produce a worthwhile sedan. Plenty of folks with cash in hand have stepped up to the counter, and a good share of the first year's production is already sold.

Yes, Martha, there really is a demand for functional, affordable, and distinctively good-looking automobiles. GM has also gotten the message, and it has literally rushed back to the drawing boards in response to the initial success of the Taurus and the Sable. Our testing of one production Taurus has uncovered no flies in the ointment, and I couldn't be happier. Although there won't be a Taurus or a Sable in my garage in the foreseeable future, I'm certainly looking forward to having a few hundred thousand of my kind of car on the road. Don Sherman

I'll wait six months, thanks. Ford has left itself a little detail work now that it's flat nailed the basics of designing and producing a league-leading sedan. The Taurus's big stuff is in the bag: great looks, great aero, great space, great comfortin short, all the benefits you gain by carefully studying the big problems and responding to them with great understanding.

Now it's time for Ford to address the little stuff. The screw heads staring from their open sockets in the interior trim. The atrocious orange-ish "woodgrain" that stretches across the dash but fails to match the darker inserts that adorn the doors. The big gaps in the LX's exterior door spats. The wind noise around the A-pillars. The brake pedal's closeness to the driver's seat, which only emphasizes the brakes' touchiness. The gas pedal's oversensitivity at low speeds. The automatic's often jerky shifting.

With the little stuff still on the loose, the Taurus isn't ready for games of coordination with an Audi 5000S. But because the basics are so bullish, I am willing to wait. Larry Griffin

SPECIFICATIONS

1986 Ford Taurus LX

VEHICLE TYPE

front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 6-passenger, 4-door sedan

PRICE AS TESTED

$15,079 (base price: $13,777)

ENGINE TYPE

pushrod 12-valve V-6, iron block and heads, port fuel injection

Displacement: 182 in3, 2986 cm3

Power: 140 hp @ 4800 rpm

Torque: 160 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm

TRANSMISSION

4-speed automatic

CHASSIS

Suspension (F/R): strut/multilink

Brakes (F/R): 10.2-in vented disc/8.9-in drum

Tires: Firestone Supreme, P205/70R-14 M+S

DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 106.0 in

Length: 188.4 in

Width: 70.4 in

Height: 54.4 in

Passenger volume: 100 ft3

Trunk volume: 17 ft3

Curb weight: 3251 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS

60 mph: 9.8 sec

100 mph: 31.2 sec

Top gear, 3050 mph: 5.4 sec

Top gear, 5070 mph: 6.7 sec

1/4 mile: 17.4 sec @ 79 mph

Top speed: 114 mph

Braking, 700 mph: 194 ft

Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.76 g

C/D FUEL ECONOMY

Observed: 20 mpg

EPA FUEL ECONOMY

Combined/city/highway: 23/20/28 mpg

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Tested: 1986 Ford Taurus LX Shapes the Future of the Family Sedan - Car and Driver

Address: 1300 Army Navy Drive #225Neighborhood: Horizon House (Pentagon City)Listed: $329,900Open: By Appointment

This is a 900-square foot one-bedroom condo with brand new Cyrus vinyl plank flooring, a renovated bathroom and excellent natural light!

The residence has a separate dining area that is spacious and can fit a large dining room table. The kitchen comes equipped with newer stainless steel appliances along with excellent counter and cabinet space. There is even enough room for a table in the kitchen.

The living room receives excellent natural light from the floor-to-ceiling double-pane sliding glass doors and the doors lead out onto the balcony. The bathroom was renovated recently and features modern tile work and a sleek vanity. The owners bedroom has two huge closets and also has balcony access. The property also comes with a reserved parking spot. The condo fee includes all utilities!

The community is located just steps to Pentagon Row, Pentagon City Metro and National Landing. Residents at Horizon House enjoy a 24/7 front desk concierge, outdoor pool, tennis court, almost seven acres of landscaped grounds and a rooftop deck with incredible views of Washington D.C.

Contact Matt Leighton or your buyers agent for more information or to set up a showing.

Listed by:Matt LeightonCentury 21 Redwood Realty703-472-0574[emailprotected]TheMattLeighton.com

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Listing of the Day: 1300 Army Navy Drive #225 - ARLnow

A Western Massachusetts tile and carpet company has agreed to pay $1 million to settle allegations that they knowingly provided false information to obtain contracts with the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Dimauro Carpet & Tile, an East Longmeadow company, will pay the state $950,000 over the next five years and pay a further $50,000 toward a three-year monitoring program conducted by an independent ethics and compliance review organization.

Founded by Vincent Dimauro in 1996, Dimauro Carpet and Tile has been providing residential and commercial customers with services. The website states that Dimauro Carpet & Tile, Inc. is an authorized provider to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, an approved supplier to the Massachusetts Higher Education Consortium and a certified contractor to local, state and federal government.

From bedrooms and bathrooms to businesses and schools, no job is too big or too small for the Dimauro team, states the companys website.

The complaint that was filed with a proposed consent judgment at the Suffolk Superior Court alleges that Dimauro Carpet & Tile, Inc. violated the Massachusetts False Claims Act when the company submitted knowingly false applications to the states Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance to obtain certification.

Past and present owners Vincent Dimauro, Patricia Dimauro, and Paul Beturne then allegedly relied on those certifications and other false statements in bids for contracts it submitted to UMass.

The attorney generals False Claims Division alleges that from Sept. 2016 and Oct. 2019, Dimauro Carpet & Tile, Inc. submitted two bids for flooring installation contracts at UMass that listed the names of five alleged employees who would be performing the work. According to the complaint, none of the individuals listed in the bid were employees of Dimauro.

The company did not use its employees to install flooring but, instead, hired subcontractors for this work. Dimauro Carpet & Tile, Inc. then allegedly filed more than 100 false weekly payroll reports with UMass claiming to have paid the states prevailing wage rate and fabricating the number of hours worked on each job.

Got a news tip or want to contact MassLive about this story? Email newstips@masslive.com or message us on Facebook orTwitter. You can also call our news tips line at 413-776-1364.

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Dimauro Carpet & Tile to pay $1 million to settle claims of using false information to obtain state contracts - MassLive.com

Posted: Jul 2, 2020 11:42 AM CDT

by Alabama News Network Staff

There are 366 days in 2020. And of all those days, the 4th day of July is the most dangerous for smartphones.

According to a study by Asurion, there is always a surge in reports of damaged and lost phones on Independence Day.

It stands to reason. More people are out celebrating at the pool, a lake or the beach, not to mention all the folks watching firework shows. In the dark, where a phone can easily disappear.

According to the study, reports of lost or stolen phones jumps 75% on the 4th. Water damaged phones skyrockets 250-percent compared to other days. Cracked screens? up about 40%.

So with this knowledge, take a few steps to protect your device before leaving the house.

If youre going to the beach or pool, use a waterproof case that floats, or put it in aziplock bag. If the phone gets wet, act quickly. Shake out any water. Shake the phone hard. Thatisnt going to hurt it. Blow into the charging port and earphone jack (if you have one) to remove any excesswater. If the phone gets soaked and doesnt turn on, dont try to turn it back on right away. let itsit to dry out a bit. Covering in rice doesnt work well. If you have any of the silica gel packs you get in newpackaging, empty them and cover the phone with those.

To prevent a phone from getting lost, take a look at Tile trackers. These devices clip on your keychain or bag or anything else you dont want to lose. Using the Tile app you can find your keys, but it works the other way around too. Hold down the Tile button and your phone will ring.

The Tile Slim is a credit card sized finder that fits easily in a wallet or purse. Press the button and your phone will ring even if youve got it silenced.

If you lose your wallet or keys with a Tile attached to it, you can find it using the Tile app. If youre far away, the app will ping other Tile devices owned by other people to find yours.

It does this anonymously so the person whos Tile device is being pinged does not know it has located a device. The location will show up on your phone in the Tile app.

Its also a good idea before venturing out to back up your phone and photos. And turn on Find My iPhone to locate the device from a computer or another connected phone.

For Android devices you can go to Google.com/search to locate your lost device.

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What the Tech? Why the Fourth of July Is a Dangerous Time for Your Cell Phone - Alabama News Network

(Adds analyst comment, details from statement, shares)

July 1 (Reuters) - British tile retailer Topps Tiles Plc said on Wednesday its weekly sales towards the end of June were ahead of its revised expectations, as it sped up the pace of store reopenings following the coronavirus lockdowns.

While third-quarter sales were down 53% year-on-year, average sales per week improved to 3.9 million pounds ($4.83 million) in the final week of June when all stores reopened from 0.8 million pounds in April at the peak of the lockdowns.

Analysts at Liberum said the recovery was better than they had expected, helped by well-planned store re-openings, strong customer demand and a robust online performance.

Shares in the company climbed 4% by 0729 GMT in a low-volume session.

All of the companys UK stores were shut in mid-March when the country went into a nationwide lockdown, leaving Topps Tiles solely reliant on its online business, which saw a 139% spike in sales during the quarter.

Activity levels across June have increased steadily as the construction industry has returned to work, said the company, which sells bathroom, wall and floor tiles from its more than 350 stores globally.

Topps Tiles said the social distancing measures at it stores had not significantly hampered trade due to relatively low customer footfall and availability of space. ($1 = 0.8077 pounds) (Reporting by Aniruddha Ghosh and Tanishaa Nadkar in Bengaluru; Editing by Bernard Orr and Rashmi Aich)

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UPDATE 1-Topps Tiles sales pick up as stores reopen in the midst of lockdowns - Reuters

Yesterday, Microsoft released a new build of Windows 10 that includes an updated Start menu design with translucent Live Tiles, improvements to Notifications, and behavior changes to things like Tablet Mode and the Taskbar. It's been a while since Microsoft released a build with any surface-level changes, but now it's finally happened, we're back showcasing all the changes on video.

The new Start menu is just the beginning of some of the UI changes Microsoft is planning to make to Windows 10. It's not a huge change, but it makes all the difference. In the past, the Start menu was a messy looking UI, but with these changes, the Start menu Live Tile interface looks uniform and minimalist.

Now, not every app abides by these new translucent designs, but most of Microsoft's in-box apps do. Over time, this will improve. It's pre-release right now, and honestly a great first look at the work Microsoft is doing to Start. Notifications are also receiving a minor UI update, with an X for dismissing notifications instead of an arrow.

Microsoft is also experimenting with different Taskbar layouts when settings up a PC for the first time, depending on whether your Microsoft Account has an Android phone or Xbox LIVE account linked to it. If it does, you might see the Your Phone or Xbox app pinned to the taskbar by default.

Make sure you check the video out for all the biggest changes and let us know in the comments what you think!

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Hands-on with Windows 10 build 20161 showcasing the new Start menu - Windows Central

The tours are two hours long and are wheelchair accessible. The starting and ending points vary.

Im very excited to be back talking to people about St. Louis and doing what I do, Clark says. Ive been practicing on friends. I make them stand far away. Im figuring out what jokes are funny from far away with a mask on. Theres definitely going to be an interesting challenge to that, that we will figure out as we go along.

Several themes and subjects are available, including a Whole Lotta (STL) History tour, which helps visitors travel through more than 250 years of local history; Made in the STL, a tour of beer, shoes and other things made in St. Louis; and tours of neighborhoods, architecture and Forest Park.

The tours are meant to be conversational and interactive, with visitors sharing their own memories and stories. Clark keeps notes but not a script.

Just beyond the back door of the museum in Forest Park, Clark offers glimpses into history that go beyond landmarks and vistas. It once took a 40-minute carriage ride to get from downtown to Forest Park, she points out.

On a sample tour given in March, Clark takes a walk to Art Hill, where she tells the story of Charlotte Rumbold, who staged a massive public pageant there in 1914 to honor the citys 150th anniversary. Rumbold, as park commissioner for the city, already had practice with having children at playgrounds put on pageants. If the children will play together, they will work together, she said.

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New Missouri Historical Society tours will have St. Louisans seeing the city a bit differently - STLtoday.com

Bright colors paint the streets and sides of buildings across America, as murals are created as a symbol of solidarity for the black community.

But many of the murals already have scars, vandalized with tar, tire marks, and words of hate.

"No, not surprised. Racism is still prevalent in Santa Barbara, as it is in the entire land, unfortunately," said Roy Paris Green, a musician who lives in Santa Barbara, California.

When a mural paying tribute to George Floyd went up in the downtown area, Green jokes that he thought he was in a different city. Santa Barbara has strict rules on what signs are allowed on buildings. The town has a uniform architecture of red tile roofs and white stucco walls.

"To have a Black man on the side of a wall, which is supposed to be white, is not something a lot of people want to see, especially in Santa Barbara," said Bix Kaufman, owner of EOS Lounge.

After the death of Floyd, Kaufman broke the city's longstanding tradition, inviting an artist to transform the white wall outside his club. The overwhelming white community has a Black population of less than 2 percent.

"This is, I think, one of the strongest statements in Santa Barbara right now, and it feels really good. And there's been so much positive feedback," said Kaufman.

Green visits the mural twice a day now, "I'm very optimistic, yes, because of the young people stepping for the cause."

But the racism the mural was designed to combat resurfaced with a can of yellow paint. The words "All Lives Matter" sprayed over the words "I can't breathe."

Vandalism of the Santa Barbara mural is far from an isolated incident. Similar headlines can be found across the country, from Vermont to Texas, Florida, Ohio, and Oregon.

"It should be a big wake up call for all of America, that there's a lot of problems that need to be fixed and it's not going to happen overnight. But we can start with having justice served," said Kaufman.

But in the face of hate, artists and activists have grown more resilient.

In Santa Barbara, the mural was not only repaired within hours but also granted permission by the city to stay up indefinitely, according to Kaufman.

"We heard the word revolution during the 60s. this is a cultural revolution," said Stan Holder, a poet and activist.

Holder has helped cover the Santa Barbara mural with stories of pain endured by generations.

"How many more innocent Black lives must be sacrificed for us to all realize we are all in this human race together?" Holder reads off the wall.

"People go back to their regular lives and sometimes forget this is still a problem," said Kaufman.

He hopes the mural serves as a constant reminder of the years of work ahead needed to fight systematic racism and achieve equality for all.

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BLM supporters resilient in the face of hate, as murals across the country are vandalized - KATC Lafayette News

Tile debonding or kapak may be one of the most common and frustrating problems in construction, but it is also one of the easiest to avoid and solve by simply choosing the right adhesive product for your tiles. Smartbond Lightweight Tile Adhesive is an innovative new product invented by Filipino company Buildrite Construction Chemicals, which aims to provide customers with quality products and, at the same time, educate about new technologies and techniques to help improve construction work.Not only does Smartbond improve tiling results, it also helps contractors reduce their costs for better efficiency. It matters a lot that our product is lightweight as it is more portable and convenient for end-users. By being lighter compared to similar products, we can load twice as many units in one truck or container, which cuts clients freight costs by almost half. Also, on-site workers can finish tiling tasks faster because they dont have to strain themselves carrying the products from one place to another, says Buildrite CEO Derrick Tan.The formal introduction of Smartbond Lightweight Tile Adhesive to the market today could not have come at a better time. Given the products benefits and the companys passion to serve, it could greatly aid the nation in fast-building infrastructure, particularly those related to improving our healthcare systems.We developed Smartbond with the idea of delivering more than just a high-quality product. At the core of our company is customer service and offering solutions for their concerns, hence we thought of making a product that not only serves its purpose but also allows customers to save on costs and time. I think we can be of great help for the country during this time as we can guarantee quick deliveries of our quality products, as well as provide hands-on after sales services, says Tan. Smartbond Lightweight Tile Adhesive was thoroughly researched and developed using sustainable and eco-friendly materials to have superior adhesion properties. It meets the European standards of quality for water retention and flexibility and is also lightweight to address other logistics and productivity concerns of building contractors. This unique innovation earned the product the Second Best Invention - Utility Model Category Award at the annual National Inventors Week 2019, organized by the Filipino Inventors Society (FIS) Inc., in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology - Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST-TAPI). I hope Filipinos will be proud of this invention and support gawang lokal, adds Tan.As part of Buildrite Construction Chemicals Magtanong Para Sigurado campaign, which offers free consultation services, Smartbond has deployed product experts in their retail spaces to assist customers who are new to using tile adhesives. From recommending the right adhesive and application for your tiles--including a computation for the right amount of adhesive you need for your space--a team of experts can also conduct site visits to guide workers through the proper tile application process.Smartbond Tile Adhesive is currently available in select hardware stores and online via the BuildritePhils Facebook Page and the Buildrite Construction Chemicals official Lazada and Shopee store.

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Filipino invention Smartbond Lightweight Tile Adhesive promotes iwas kapak - manilastandard.net