Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Located on one of the most picturesque wooded settings in Hidden Valley Estates.

What: Gorgeous, custom-built home

Where: 13221 Hidden Valley Drive, Homer Glen

Amenities: This well-maintained home boasts four spacious bedrooms, a large main floor office/optional fifth bedroom and new roof (September 2018). There is granite, an island and stainless steel appliances in the spacious kitchen. Also, there are hardwood floors, a beautiful family room with custom fireplace (wood burning and gas starter), a lovely dining room with wainscoting, separate living room, upgraded master bath with separate shower and dual sinks and a large deck looking out to 100-year-old oak trees. Full, finished lookout basement with rec room, gym area and work area. Two hot water heaters (40 and 50 gallon), back-up sump pump. Quality built home by Riordan & Murphy, who also completed the bathroom and kitchen remodels. Three floors of living space. Conveniently located just minutes to schools, Interstate 355, Interstate 80, commuter train and more.

Listing Price:$475,000

Listing Agents:To view this property or for additional information, please contact Judy Glockler, the Glockler Group, at (708)-529-5839, judy@cbexchange.com, GlocklerGroup.com

Agent Brokerage:Coldwell Banker Residential

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Home of the Week: 13221 Hidden Valley Drive - The Homer Horizon

Do you feel like homebuying preferenceschange like the weather? Youre not alone. Just askNino Sitchinava, an expert from Houzz. In less than a year from when she gave an in-depth, data-driven presentation at John Burns' 2019 Housing Design Summit, her team has already seen major changes in what people want to see in a home. With access to social media, homeowners are able to grab inspiration at the touch of a button, changing the speed at which trends come and go. One of the popularhome styles of recent years, the farmhouse, is on the decline. Modern contemporary is hot, and bold accent colors are making an appearance in what used to be stark white kitchens. But there is one trend Sitchinava says is going to last: Homeowners are spending big on remodels.

Builders can finally rely on data as well as opinion to make multi-million dollar design decisions, resulting in improved profitability.

At last years Housing Design Summit, the head of architecture at one of the largest builders in the country shared that consumer design preferences were changing more quickly than ever, attributing most of the reason to the Internet, and specifically Houzz and Pinterest. This was causing consternation for his salespeople, who were having to respond to customer requests for more up-to-date designs and materials.

Also at the Design Summit, Nino Sitchinava from Houzz laid out the most data-rich presentation of design trends I have ever seen. In this podcast episode, Nino shares an update on those trends, with one of the hot trends she mentioned last March already on the decline!

As a gift to you, here is a link to her presentation last March. Be sure to attend this year, where her teammate Liza Hausman will keynote.

Here are a few of Ninos insights from the podcast:

Read More and Listen to the Podcast

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How Have Home Design Trends Changed in Just One Year? - Professional Builder

By: BIGGBY COFFEE | 0Shares 17Reads

January 23, 2020 // Franchising.com // East Lansing, MI - Southeast BIGGBY COFFEE locations are excited to partner with the Novi Home Show for their 2020 show at Suburban Collection Showplace Friday, January 24Sunday, January 26.

With the snow falling and temperatures dropping, its the perfect time to think about cozying up your home! At the 2020 Novi Home Show, visitors will get the opportunity to experience the latest kitchen, bath, window, door, flooring, and cabinetry designs; attend design seminars; connect with Michigan crafters and businesses; and snag some good deals from ABC Warehouse, Big Georges, and Witbeck Home Appliance Mart. While strolling through the show, sip on a free hot BIGGBY coffee while you dream up your dream home.

All Southeast Michigan BIGGBY COFFEE locations have coupon discounts for the Home Show and are even giving away free tickets to the Home Show on their Facebook page at Southeast Michigan BIGGBY.

Not only will there be hundreds of exhibitors ready to talk siding, landscape, kitchen and bath remodels, waterproofing, and more, this year, Laurie Smith from TLCs Trading Spaces will be there giving insider design tips and tricks and talking the most popular trends today.

This is a longstanding popular event that many of our customers attend, Karissa Canfield, owner of BIGGBY COFFEE New Hudson said. We love an opportunity to get out in the community and are excited to meet our customers at the Novi Home Show.

For a $2 off coupon and a chance to win free entry to the Novi Home Show, stop by any Southeast Michigan BIGGBY COFFEE location and ask your barista how you can get involved!

BIGGBY COFFEE, East Lansing, Mich.-based, was started with a single store on March 15, 1995. One year later, and on the cusp of opening a second location, Bob Fish and Michael McFall, on a handshake and $4,000, decided to franchise the concept. BIGGBY COFFEEs cultural values of Make Friends, Have Fun, B Yourself, and Share Great Coffee help coffee-lovers and the coffee-curious alike benefit from a less pretentious and fun approach to the standard gourmet cafe paradigm. Besides connoisseur-worthy drinks with pronounceable names like Teddy Bear and Caramel Marvel, BIGGBY baristas provide a unique experience focused on brightening their customers day and supporting them in building a life they love. The Big B on the orange background caught on, and today BIGGBY COFFEE has more than 230 cafes across many states including Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Kentucky, and Florida. In 2018, BIGGBY launched an Area Representative Program and currently has 8 Area Representatives in 6 states.

Nicholle Robertson517-294-3487press@biggby.com

SOURCE BIGGBY COFFE

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BIGGBY COFFEE Partners With The Novi Home Show - Franchising.com

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dacor, the leading American luxury home appliance brand, today announced the debut of new appliance and personalization offerings at the 2020 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) in Las Vegas, Nevada from January 21-23 2020. Showcasing the brands commitment to high-quality craftsmanship, performance and innovation, the interactive booth focuses on transforming culinary experiences from memorable to legendary. This event marks a significant evolution in the brand portfolio through the introduction of three distinct product styles: Contemporary, Professional and debuting at KBIS, Dacors new Transitional style, to more directly cater to consumers individual cooking & cooling needs and the diverse design styles within the kitchen design marketplace.

The exhibition space (booth C5907), highlights the versatility of Dacors unique suite of full kitchen appliance offerings, while encouraging consumers to envision how each product style can come to life in their home. Three kitchen vignettes highlighting the product styles: Contemporary, Professional, and Transitional are prominently featured, along with a vibrant display of the unique color match customization program, DacorMatch, which continues to be a growing category for the business as consumers look for appliances options that bring color into the kitchen. An added level of personalization is touted through the debut of a new accessory kit, Personalize with Dacor, enabling individuals to customize their appliances by selecting unique finishes for handles and knobs on select styles.

For more than 50 years Dacor has expertly led the luxury kitchen category with appliances that deliver outstanding performance with careful consideration for design and innovation, said Randy Warner, President of Dacor. At KBIS 2020, we will debut a distinguished portfolio of product styles that our consumer can confidently identify with based on the needs of their individual kitchens. Whether you are regularly hosting or entertaining, or you like to stay ahead of the curve on smart home technology integrations, or youre looking to merge the two without a trade-off, our goal is to encourage culinary and design enthusiasts alike to showcase their own style without compromising on reliability, hand-crafted and high-quality design, power or performance.

Highlights and new introductions include:

Dacors participation and introductions at KBIS 2020 follows a series of new launches for the prestigious brand, including the debut of its first two US showrooms, Dacor Kitchen Theaters, located in the A&D building in New York City and Chicagos renowned TheMart (formerly the Merchandise Mart). Next month, the luxury brand will debut its flagship showroom in Irvine, California. Additionally, Dacor will continue to serve as a key partner to the trade community through its National Design Contest, a two-year contest ending in July 2020, which designers and students are invited to submit their work to be recognized and promoted within Dacors showrooms, website as well as win prizes including a $10,000 scholarship for student submissions and Grand Prizes for the Designers Choice Award, include a trip for the winner and one guest to Seoul, Korea to visit the Dacor house. Submissions will be judged by the Dacor Design Council, an esteemed group of individuals curated by Dacor for its body of work, innovations and expertise. Members of the Design Council hail from the across the United States and Canada with projects that range from interiors to product design with remodels, new builds and collections.

For more information about Dacor, or to find a dealer, visit Dacor.com.

About Dacor

Dacor is a leading American luxury home appliance brand known for creating stunning tools that deliver expert innovation, intuitive technology and handcrafted design. The company, based in Southern California and founded over 50 years ago, has revolutionized the luxury kitchen landscape through its award-winning suite of next-generation creative tools. Boasting curated design and confident reliability, Dacor pushes the boundaries of innovation and performance by transforming the modern-day kitchen into a place to connect, entertain and create. For additional information, please visit Dacor.com or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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Dacor Delivers a Legendary Experience at KBIS 2020 Debuting Three New Style Collections and Personalized Customization Tools for the Kitchen -...

I am acutely aware of the fact that, when I handle a knife, it often makes people nervous. And I understand why: I have a neurological disorder that manifests most visibly in a pronounced kinetic tremor. My hands get so shaky that I often have trouble using pens or phone keyboards or other common implements grounded in fine motor skills. So watching a sharp cleaver twitch and jump in one of my mitts while the other holds down, say, an onion, it is easy to worry that I might end up lopping off one of my digits. Or dropping it on my foot. Or otherwise mutilating myself or others.

Admittedly, I did slice and dice my fingers fairly often when I was first learning to cooka period that coincided with a spike in the severity of my tremors. But after a while, like most people with disabilities, I developed adaptations: ways of positioning my body that allow me to brace my arms and so reduce tremors. Methods for keeping objects on a cutting board in place without using my hands. Basic care and observation honed through years of practice. As a result, I can safely dice an onion faster than most of my family and friends. And I take a great deal of pride in that.

But the occasional wince or sharp inhale I still catch to my side, and the unsolicited offers for help because it looks like youre struggling there, can be frustrating, tiring, or outright disheartening. Even when born of genuine concern, they represent the all too common patronising view that people with disabilities are not safe, or do not belong, in the kitchen. In fact, this conviction is so prevalent that it keeps far too many people with disabilities from ever finding a place for themselves in the kitchenfrom developing their own tricks and adaptations.

In part, this view just reflects the fact that most kitchens and appliances fall far short of universal design. Even the standard height of a countertop or sink, points out Minna Hong, who developed paraplegia after sustaining a spinal cord injury about two decades agoand who makes a mean paelladoes not work for someone like her who uses a wheelchair. Not to mention the countless utensils that are not easy for people with low grip strength or dexterity to hold or manoeuvre. This systematic lack of intuitive accessibility can be daunting, lead to accidents or difficulties, and reinforce the view that kitchens just arent a safe place for a population that, in reality, designers have simply historically failed to account for.

This view also reflects the severely limited representation of disability in cooking shows. One in five Americans has some kind of disability; one in ten has a severe disability. Yet chances are that the only time most Americans have ever seen a chef with a disability on TV, it was Christine Ha, The Blind Cook, who won season three of MasterChef in 2012. (Granted, PBS diehards may have seen a few more on the show Cooking without Looking.) And that is likely not just the result of low representation in the culinary world due to accessibility issues and general stigma. I was recently approached by a TV station for a cooking show, but found out I was ultimately turned down because the studio kitchen was not accessible, notes James Coke, a skilled and successful chef who uses a wheelchair and has lived with a multiple sclerosis diagnosis for about 35 years. I felt Id been used just to tick an inclusion box and was angry that I was prevented from showing that disabled cooks are winners.

Instead, cooking shows valorize or reify proper techniques, physically intensive cooking styles, and intricate recipes that just do not work for many average, much less disabled, cooks. Fooderati also turn up their noses, points out Anna Moyer of Accessible Chef, a site with recipes and lessons geared towards people with disabilities, at things like pre-cut or canned foods, which may be vital ingredients for people with severe fatigue or limited to no hand control who want to get into the kitchen. When shows do deign to bring on people with disabilities, adds Sue Hoss, who builds resources for young chefs with intellectual disabilities at Look, Cook, and Eat, It seems theyre there for the challenge value of living up to ableist standards rather than their innate talent.

As Hoss and Moyers projects attest, there are a growing number of resources online for people with disabilities looking to learn how to cookor to get affirmation that they can find a place in the kitchen. There are also a growing number of people with disabilities making cooking content on social media, blogs, and digital video platforms, improving representation and fighting stigma and stereotypes. Specialty companies also make a growing range of adaptive appliances; I have looked into, for example, gyroscopically stabilised forks, spoons, and knives in recent years. But adaptive technologies, Hong points out, are often incredibly expensive and as such inaccessible to most people. And representation and resources, Hoss argues, are still quite limited at best.

When stereotypes, stigmas, and a pure lack of resources convince people with disabilities that they just cant cook, that is not only a huge moral problem, but also a public health one. As Moyer points out, people with disabilities often, for want of kitchen access, knowledge, or confidence, end up lacking affordable and nutritious food. This despite the fact that eating well is often key to the management of chronic disordersand the fact that cooking with and for others can foster a sense of community, inclusion, and autonomy that many people with disabilities struggle to maintain.

To give disabled individuals concrete examples of the ways their peers have carved out a space for themselves in the kitchen, I recently asked a handful of professional and amateur chefs to share their experiences navigating cookingfiguring out tricks and adaptationswith disabilities. The insights they present below are hardly comprehensive. Every individuals disability will be at least somewhat unique, and as such demand equally unique adaptations. But they are a good starting point for visualising how disabilities of all stripes can fit into the average kitchen.

Almost everyone I spoke to for this piece, no matter their disability, agreed that when coming into the kitchen, people with disabilities have to really look at what is happening, as Ellen Kyhl, who spoke to me alongside her son John, who has Down syndrome, put it. You need to figure out what your abilities are and how you can accommodate that ability. Make a list of things that you might have trouble with, and things that you excel at, then start coming up with broad adjustments or porting over solutions that you have applied in other parts of your lifethe tricks you use to reach things from a wheelchair or to grip things with limited dexterity or hand strength.

Some people might have to abandon spontaneity in the kitchen in favour of planning and preparation so they do not find themselves unexpectedly blocked or running out of steam midway through a recipe. That might include budgeting time for physical and mental fatigue into a cooking schedule. Pre-planning is also useful for people who might need to find workarounds for certain ingredients when shopping on a fixed income or when they have trouble getting out to or navigating stores.

It is important to find community and support in organisations that advocate for civil rights and awareness, adds Christine Ha. Not only will they be able to connect you with a broad range of support and resources, but they will be good spots to meet with people who have a similar disability and compare notesto figure out what dishes or techniques have worked for others and how to make them your own. This is especially helpful when it comes to developing DIY solutions to kitchen accessibility issues. (Everyone I spoke to for this piece recommended trying to find such a DIY solution before splurging on adaptive appliances or remodels, as there is usually some inventive way of jury-rigging what you already own to make it work for you.)

For beginners especially (but not exclusively), says J.J. Goode, a chef who was born with one arm and has written extensively about single-armed cooking, it is useful to just throw away any dreams of making the ultra-complex recipes you might have seen on TV or in a magazine. Say, I am going to do this easy thing, he argues, and it is delicious. That way you can slowly build up your own approach to core cooking skills, getting fancier and more complex as you go alongbut only if you want to. There will be a learning curve as you figure out how to adapt and account for your unique context. But, says Ava Marie Romero, an autistic chef and food blogger, my message for everybody is: Do not give up. It may sound trite, but really, you have to believe in yourself.

Honestly, most of this advice could be useful for anyone, not just people with disabilitiesas is the case with most of the insights that come out of the world of disability. But it is the vital core that most people with disability especially need to adapt and experiment their way into cookery.

I cant tell you how frustrated I washow many things I spilled on my lap, all over the kitchen how many ugly words I said to myself, says Hong of her first year or so getting back into cooking after becoming a wheelchair user. As with anything new and different, it takes time. But its worth doing, especially if you identify with itas somebody who enjoys being a cook or cooking.

Goode argues that most of the things people do in the kitchen, like stirring a pot, are already one-arm activities. But moving boiling water pots, taking hot, heavy trays out of the oven, or chopping things up are much harder for him than they are for most two-armed people.

Most of the time, Goode believes, you can bridge this gap through automatic compensation: You try to do things the way that a two-armed person does, then adjust your body however feels right in order to find balance and leverage in line with your own anatomy. This may involve leaning down so close to a cutting board that youre almost eye-to-eye with an onion. It may mean using your foot for a quick assist stabilizing a tray or centering your gravity. At times, he admits, it looks ridiculousIm hunched over and balanced in this precarious way. But no matter how it looks from the outside, it will feel natural and quickly develop into automatic muscle memory.

Goode notes that many people who can only use one arm or hand use simple DIY fixes to reduce the need to find new positions in which to cook. A spike in a cutting board, for instance, can hold items in place, reducing your need to find leverage. And a wooden dowel affixed to a paint roller is a lot easier to use one-handed than finding the right angle to hold a two-handed rolling pin. Thats just not Goodes style, personally. Although maybe when I get older and Ive developed intense back pain from all this hunching over Ill be like, all right, gadget time.

Meal prep and planning can be especially powerful tools for anyone prone to fatigue, says Coke. I tend to do my cooking in the morning, as I have more energy, and cook double portions that I can freeze for later use. Simple recipes and pre-prepared ingredients are also a boon. The rise of the popularity of one-pot recipes certainly helps to accommodate these sorts of needs today.

It is trickier, Coke argues, to figure out how to deal with low grip strength when you have to use utensils with small, hard handles. Cokes solution is to just zap everything in a food processor then throw it all together, reserving his strength for things like mixing and side-stepping the finest motor function and ongoing strength drains of cooking. But others with limited grip strength, dexterity, and stamina address this limitation by putting foam onto handles to make them easier to hold for longer periods of time. Others design their cooking schedules to alternate between tasks that use different muscle groups and build in breaks to minimise the continuous strain of gripping, chopping, stirring, or any other kitchen activity.

For Hong, one of the most frustrating aspects of learning to navigate life in a chair was figuring out how to doand reacheverything from a low seated position. It takes a while, she says, to figure out things like, oh, if I have my coffee at the edge of the counter instead of at the back, like everybody else, itll make things so much easier. Granted, people born with a disability that leads them to use a wheelchair may, with their spongy young brains, figure these things out a bit quicker and so feel less frustration. But everyone in a chair needs to contend with a largely standing world.

Hong has solved this kitchen conundrum by bringing as much of cooking down to her level as she can. Her family has built a customised table low enough for her to get leverage while in her chair. Shes learned how to balance a cutting board on her lap with a towel under it to prevent slippage. And when she does need to use higher surfaces, there are always hooks and poles for reach, mirrors to see what is going on, and clever workarounds like scooping pasta out of boiling water into a colander suspended over another bowl rather than hoisting said pot of boiling water up from the stove while seated and perilously getting it over to an elevated sink to dump it out.

One-pot meals are a favourite for Hong as well, as they minimise the amount of back-and-forth she has to do in the kitchen. The more efficient her recipes, the less she has to figure out adaptations.

She is also a big believer in recognising when a modification may be possible, but would also be time-consuming, exhausting, or flat-out absurd. In these situations, she suggests just asking for help from someone proficient in an ability you might struggle with. Independence does not mean you have to do everything yourself, she argues. True independence is controlling your environment. Sometimes that control takes the form of empowered delegation or cooperation.

Although the needs of people with developmental disabilities vary wildly from one individual to the next, Sue Hoss (of Look, Cook, and Eat) and Anna Moyer (Accessible Chef) note that many have trouble with standard recipes. John Kyhl, for instance, who has Down syndrome, is an excellent reader but often has trouble holding his place in a paragraph if he has to turn away from it. Complex recipes with compound steps also pose a challenge.

For me to find a simple recipe was half the battle, says Ellen Kyhl, who ultimately turned to Hosss resources for help. It helps as well if that simple recipe is written (or can be copied out) in large font and clear bullet points. Illustrated steps might help, too. Ellen Kyhl says that, when cooking with John, she often thinks: How can I make this task as small and simple as possiblethen split it in half again and again and again, so theres something easy to follow that will slowly build up skills.

Differentiation of like things is also a challenge for John, Ellen adds. For example, a tablespoon versus a teaspoonfinding it in a drawer, because of the similarity of the label. You might have to develop clearer labels and strict organisation systems in a kitchen to help mitigate that issue.

It is useful, at least early on, for many people with developmental disabilities to cook with at least one partner the way John cooks with Ellen. That partner can help them to build a repertoire of recipes customised in the way that works best for them, to fill in on recipe work if fatigue starts to set in, and overall to help them develop the core skills and confidence necessary to cook a stable of loved dishes on their own. The duration of learning a skill for someone with a disability may be years instead of months or weeks, Ellen notes. But the autonomy is worth the time.

A shocking number of recipes and bits of conventional cooking advice centre on sight: checking the colour of meat, reading thermometers, or noting the hue of variant peppers. So one might think that cooking with a visual impairment is especially daunting. But in truth, more often than not, people with vision impairments can learn alternative cues for readiness at each stage of cooking with their other senses. Powders all have their unique feel. Frying oil or boiling water has a sound. About-to-burn bread has a smell.

When cooking in a new environment, a visually impaired chef might need some help getting acquainted to a new space and where all its ingredients and appliances are. But most visually impaired cooks memorise the layout of their own kitchens and customise them with simple cues like bump dot stickers on the stove and touchscreen appliances, as Ha points out, which assist in differentiating between devices, setting temperature dials, and so on.

Cooking with a visual impairment may require a few special precautions, like avoiding sleeves in case they get caught on something. Adding cook time to recipes instead of preheating the oven minimizes the risk of scorching oneself on a hot rack.

But beyond that, it islike cooking with most disabilitiesnot too different from the way most people cook in practice: Use the skills and senses that you have, and lean into the strongest ones. Experiment your way to individualized tactics that work well and feel natural for you. Plan and organise until you develop a sense of confidence. This might take time, and your process could look different from anyone elses. But as Hong points out, There is no right or wrong way, no specific time in which to master things. If cooking is something you really want to do, you owe it to yourself to try. Because its absolutely doable.

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Navigating Disability In The Kitchen Is All About Finding The Right Adaptations - Gizmodo Australia

First Posted: Jan 21, 2020 07:50 AM EST

A thermostat is a device used to control the heating and cooling system of a home or an office. It consists of a circuit controlled by a temperature-sensitive device and connected to the environmental system.

This time,Amazonis offering you lists of thermostats that work effectively with an Alexa app. Here are some of them:

(Photo : Amazon)

This thermostat is one of the best devices that you can have in your smart home. You can choose to auto-schedule or program the temperature that you like. You can also change the temperature anytime by connecting it to this thermostat in a Wi-Fi. In doing so, you can use your phone, tablet or laptop. This has also a nest leaf that will help you choose a temperature that saves energy.

One of the special features of this thermostat is it automatically turns itself down when you are away to avoid heating or cooling the house. Most of all, this works with Alexa for voice control purposes. Click the image above for the price and more details.

(Photo : Amazon)

If you are looking for an energy-saving thermostat then this is the best device that you are looking for. Using this thermostat will help you save 23 percent in heating and cooling. You can place this thermostat in a room or place that you like and have the temperature balanced throughout your room.

Its installation is just very easy. It will only take you 30 minutes to install the device by just simply following the instruction. You can also adjust the thermostat using your iOS or Android device. Most of all, you can control the device using your voice since this is compatible with Alexa. Click the image above for the price and more details.

(Photo : Amazon)

This is one of the best thermostats that you can buy on Amazon if you are looking for a device that best blends and fit to your home. You can also change the temperature by using the Nest app anywhere you are. Like any other smart Thermostat, this will help you to save energy.

It also automatically turns itself down after you leave your house and with this, you will not waste energy by heating or cooling. Using the Nest App, you can also check how much energy you use and when. Click the image above for the price and more details.

(Photo : Amazon)

This is named as the 'Best Value' smart thermostat from 2017 to 2019 by USA Today's Reviewed.com. This has an Energy Star that helps you save energy up to 23 percent. This is not hard to install, by just following the instructions you install the device in just 30 minutes.

One of the best features why it is named as 'Best Value' because it works in the most and leading smart devices like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Homekit, and more. Click the image above for the price and more details.

(Photo : Amazon)

This is compatible with Amazon Alexa, Smart Things, Google Home, and IFTTT. It also auto-updates for daylight savings and adjusts every 12 hours. You can also customize its touchscreen to full color to easily read the numbers and text. Click the image above for the price and more details.

TagsAmazon, smart devices, Amazon smart devices, Nest Smart Thermostat

2015 Latin Post. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

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5 Smart Thermostats Compatible With Alexa - Latin Post

Global warming affects us all, which is why in a time of such peril Plumbzall, one of Melbourne's leading plumbing services, has decided to go green and be a part of the green plumbing initiative. With the major changes in the climate all over the world, more people are opting for eco-friendly homes. As part of this initiative, the business has decided to increase the use of environmentally friendly fixtures that will reduce the amount of water being used in your homes. The use of products such as low-flow showerheads, flow regulators and dual flush toilets, will significantly reduce water consumption in Melbourne homes.

Plumbzall provides a number of plumbing services including heating and cooling repairs and maintenance. Provisions such as insulated pipes and energy-efficient heating and cooling systems will be part of their appliance installation process. These changes in the plumbing system will not just be targeted toward a particular system but the entire house. The business will also be providing a whole house filtration system that is energy-efficient, environment-friendly and is also good for one's overall health.

The founder and owner of Plumbzall, Mr. Gabriel Tomasini says, "in a time like this using eco-friendly material and systems within your homes is the best way to keep the environment safe as well as maintain your own health. Most of these eco-friendly installations will contribute to a reduction in water and energy consumption." Their plumber Sunbury service is said to be ready with all the material required for sustainable plumbing installations. Their team of plumbers will be urging all customers to get the installations for their plumbing systems. "Most people don't even know about these small steps they can take towards saving the environment. We are just here to inform our customers of the benefits of these sustainable installations and install the fixtures in their homes," says Mr.Tomasini.

About Plumbzall:

Based in Sunbury, Plumbzall has been in the business for several years. They provide efficient and effective plumbing services in Melbourne. Quality plumbing service provided at competitive rates by professional licensed plumbers.

Visit Plumbzall website here - https://plumbzall.com.au/

View Plumbzall on Maps

Media ContactCompany Name: PlumbzallContact Person: Gabriel TomasiniEmail: Send EmailCity: Sunbury, MelbourneCountry: AustraliaWebsite: https://plumbzall.com.au/

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The Plumbzall Green Plumbing Initiative in Sunbury - Press Release - Digital Journal

After months of wildfires that have ravaged many parts of Australia, and the unending bushfire season showing no signs of abating, the quality of air is abysmally poor with pollution from the smoke reaching hazardous levels. From office buildings, hospitals, hotels and schools to homes, every space presents a risk for occupants from the hazardous air quality.

As a specialist in track and sealing products, Cowdroy explains in this article how you can prevent the thickening smoke from entering your home.

Stay indoors

Whenever the Bureau of Meteorology issues a poor air quality alert, try to stay indoors as much as possible with all windows and doors closed. Particle levels are likely to be higher outdoors than indoors, so if you are particularly sensitive to these, definitely limit the time you spend outside.

Run your air conditioner

Add a filter to your air conditioner to prevent smoky air from seeping into your home. When the air outside is clean, ventilate your home the natural way by opening all the windows. You could invest in a portable air filter to lower the level of indoor smoke particles. These filters also work effectively in a well-sealed room.

Install weather seals

Also known as a weather strip, a weather seal is used to seal gaps around moveable building components such as doors and windows to prevent air leaks. Cowdroy weather seals are designed to provide an infiltration barrier, preventing conditioned air from leaking out and keeping smoke, dust and insects from entering the enclosed space.

Even if your home is well-insulated, smoke can still leak in through gaps. Weather sealing your home against air leaks is one of the simple and affordable upgrades you can undertake to guard against exterior pollutants, says Peter Doyle, business development manager at Cowdroy Retail. By directly addressing air leakage, weather seals can significantly enhance occupant comfort. It is worth investing in the small things that make a big difference.

Cowdroys CM7 perimeter door seal is suitable for all single and double hinged doors (laundry doors, garage doors or entry doors) and effectively locks in thermal comfort, lowers heating and cooling bills, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions for the lifespan of your home. This PVC and rubber seal fits around the door frame for added insulation and has self-adhesive backing with optional nails.

Suitable for doors measuring up to 2100mm (H) x 1000mm (W), the CM7 is available in white and brown, can be simply cut to size, and is quick and easy to install, providing homeowners an affordable and effective solution for improving air quality and insulation within a home. This product can also be used in conjunction with CM3 automatic door seals.

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Keeping the smoke out of your home - Architecture and Design

To install UltraShield composite cladding, you will need to gather some tools, research some topics and perform a few tasks. These include:

As mentioned above, your composite cladding cannot simply be installed on a flat surface. You must install it on joists to allow for proper ventilation. This structure is known as the under construction. Before installing this structure, keep these tips in mind:

Before you install the under construction, we recommend you speak with a licensed professional.

We have so much confidence in the quality and longevity of our products that we offer them with a transferable limited warranty of 25 years. We will even cover the labor costs involved in replacing the materials if their performance is less than promised.

Warmer temperatures will cause your siding boards to expand, and cold temperatures will cause them to contract. For this reason, it is necessary to leave a gap between boards during your installation and you must know how much of a gap to leave. For instance, if youre installing an 8 board when its just 32 F, you must leave a 2/16 gap. If its 68 F, you only have to leave a 1/16 gap. You can?see the full chart?in our siding installation manual.

NewTechWood has been a dominant force in the composite wood industry ever since its beginnings 15 years ago. It has become known around the world for its advanced, attractive and reliable composite wood products.

At NewTechWood, we attribute our success to our philosophy we are committed to listening closely to homeowners, homebuilders, architects and contractors and work hard to carry out their requests and bring their visions to life. We believe our ability to realize our customers needs is in part due to our products wide range of colors and patterns, which allows us to find a look that works perfectly for every project.

Apart from our siding, we also offer a number of other composite wood products that can enhance your outdoor living experience, such as:

If youd like to learn more about our products, wed be happy to speak with you! You can reach us by calling 281-570-6450 or by filling out our online form. If youre ready to install one of our products, you can locate a nearby distributor that sells our products.

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Composite Siding & Cladding | Wall Panels | NewTechWood

Fiber cement siding is not that difficult to install if you have some basic information. One of the most essential facts and obvious is to follow your fiber cement manufacturers instructions that have been formulated based on their product and specifications.

Fiber cement siding must be cut face down with a diamond tip blade. When an irregular cut is needed, a jigsaw equipped with a medium or coarse-grit carbide blade can be used. A diamond jigsaw blade will be useful too.

Make sure the wall or surface is prepared to receive the cement siding. Make sure that the windows, doors, and openings have been flashed all around their perimeter. Also, check if your manufacturer requires a weather-resistive barrier.

Nails used to hang fiber cement siding shall penetrate at least 1 into the studs or the structural framing. Remember that the siding is hard so be sure the nails are located at the right place before driving them. If the cement siding is to be installed over wood sheathing (7/16 OSB or plywood at a minimum), it is recommended to use a 6d nail. Sometimes, if you are trying to drive the nails and you are having problems, you can pre-drill the holes to facilitate the job.

Siding can be installed over wood and metal studs. These studs shall be a minimum 20 gauge, 3-5/8" C-studs. Fasteners shall be flush to the surface material. Do not countersink or angle fasteners. When blind nailing, place nail 1" down from the top of the board, and when face nailing, place nail 3/4" up from the bottom.

It is important that the insulation product used when installing fiber cement siding will be able to level the wall and align each siding panel properly. When you add insulation to the siding, the customers energy bill will be reduced too, so you might want to highlight this as an additional benefit for your client. Fiber cement siding should be installed over plywood, OSB, or sheathing.

Be sure that the siding installed is dry. Otherwise, it might shrink at butt joints. When sheathing is the preferred surface that will receive the fiber cement siding or any other fragile substrate, be sure to pre-drill the holes at corners to prevent accidental damages. Building codes will usually require installing siding over water-resistant barriers and nailed into the studs every 16 or 24 inches.

When installing fiber cement siding be sure to leave at least clear space between the siding and the flashing vertical siding should be installed and attached to the structural framing when a non-structural sheathing, gypsum board or foam-type sheathing are used.

When you are getting close to the final grade, leave at least 6" between the bottom of the siding and finish grade, and a minimum of 1 above rooflines and decks. Fiber cement siding shall have a 1/8" gap between trims of windows and doors. If you need to cut cement siding a 100% acrylic latex primer must be used to reseal the surface. Install all butt ends and joints in contact with one another.

Be sure to caulk, paint, or finish fiber cement siding following manufacturer's recommendation. By doing this, you will be making sure that the siding is ready to withstand changing weather conditions. Caulk around windows, doors, trims, and self-flashing penetrations.

Fiber cement siding should be kept covered while not been installed on a clean, flat and leveled surface. The siding must be protected from direct exposure to weather that could damage the cement siding before it is installed. If you need to move siding pieces, be sure to carry them by their narrow edge and support it when you cut larger pieces.

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Fiber Cement Siding Installation Tips