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Mid Atlantic Construction and Technology is the leading roofing and restoration company in Loudoun and Northern Virginia, and is located in Ashburn Virginia. Mid Atlantic Construction and Technology provides services to all of Loudoun, Fairfax, and Prince William Counties. Mid Atlantic Construction and Technology is the leading roofing and restoration contractor in the Washington D.C, Maryland, and Virginia metropolitan area. When it comes to providing superior roofing and restoration services to Loudoun, Fairfax and Prince William, our company is the company to call. Mid Atlantic Construction and Technology is a license and insured contractor, and weve been doing business in Loudoun county for over 10 years, and is proud to say our company website is the most visited construction/remodeling website in the Loudoun county. Mid Atlantic Construction and Technologys goal is to provide Loudoun county with great quality roofing and restoration services.

Our company has three locations to better serve our residential and commercial clients. Mid Atlantic Construction and Technology has provided services to more than 1000 Virginia commercial and residential customers, that also includes both Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Mid Atlantic construction and Technology provides both residential and commercial roofing services. No job is too big or too small for our company to handle. Mid Atlantic Construction and Technology has made a name in the Northern Virginia area, and that is because our company delivers on everything that we say were going to do.

What makes our company different from the rest of the companies? Is that, weve partnered with great companies, which provide excellent construction materials and services. Which; makes it easier for us to cut cost, that means big savings for our customers. Mid Atlantic Construction and Technology also uses brand name material on our projects, and we never cut corners to make an extra dollar. We use brand name materials such as GAF and Certainteed for our roofing projects, and we guarantee to beat the competition by 10%, or well do the job free.

Our company deals with hail damage, our company has claim specialist that can work with your insurance company to ensure that your home is repaired as quickly as possible. We understand how devastating hail damage can be so we hire only the best insurance specialist to deal with hail and wind damage.

We live and work in Northern Virginia we are your neighbors and friends. And were committed to building our success on a good local reputation and satisfied local clientele.

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Let the strength and durability of hand-crafted, specially-designed concrete not only enhance the aesthetic value of your home, but provide the structural support you need as well. StoneMakers of Pittsburgh has the ability to create a custom concrete retaining wall for your Pittsburgh home that will last for decades. Our retaining walls are functional while increasing the value of your home. Our experience and our high-quality product have made us the number one concrete retaining wall designer and installer in western Pennsylvania.

Retaining walls are used in many residential and commercial areas. They add beauty to a front yard, back yard, or entrance way, but they also have an important and functional purpose: They prevent rock, soil, and vegetation from falling into a home, building, or other structure, such as a driveway or parking lot.

Retaining walls are commonly used around new construction areas, especially in the Pittsburgh area, since western Pennsylvania terrain is very hilly. Youve no doubt seen retaining walls on the highway and outside of businesses on hillsides.Most retaining walls are designed to prevent unstable soil from sliding into a yard or building.

StoneMakers designs and installs the best retaining walls in the Pittsburgh area. Our knowledge and products are second to none, and we back up every installation with our service guarantee.

We use only the highest-quality product: a solid monolithic concrete that is cast as one piece. This kind of concrete is durable, is stronger than stone, and can be used in both hot and cold climates. The concrete is poured, carved and textured to look just like real rock, and it lasts for a lifetime. Using a special technique, we can make the concrete appear as distressed rock, giving your outdoor area a new, natural look. We have different rock patterns available and will be glad to show you each.

A concrete retaining wall is not a DIY project. They should only be designed by a professional who understands the proportioning of the wall, its structural design, and the minimum reinforcement cover. StoneMakers will determine the dimension of the walls by calculating the slope of the ground, evaluating the type of soil in your yard, and measuring the proposed length of the wall. In addition, a drainage system will have to be installed to prevent groundwater from exerting further pressure on the wall.We do great work, but we also work quickly because we have more than 25 years of experience. We can be finished with a 50 foot by 5 foot retaining wall within 3-5 days. (A traditional stone wall will cost much more and take several weeks to complete.) We guarantee that you will love the design of your new retaining wall!

Call StoneMakers today to learn more about our decorative concrete retaining walls and take a look at this video to see just how we install retaining walls.

If youre interested in seeing more of our excellent retaining wall work, feel free to continue on to our retaining walls gallery page!

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As one of the worlds most popular travel destinations, New York City has recently seen an explosion in bed bug activity in buildings like hotels and homes. Bed bugs are very hard to see and difficult to remove without professional tools and expertise.

If you live in an apartment building and one apartment experiences a bed bug infestation, it can quickly lead to other apartments within the building becoming infested. That's why it's crucial for New York residents to partner with a reliable bed bug removal company like Ehrlich.

The brownish insects multiply very quickly and are highly resilient, even to some pesticides. A treatment that leaves only a few bed bugs alive can lead to a re-infestation. Bed bugs are not just found in beds. The pests can also hide just about anywhere:

Effective bed bug removal takes specialized skill and training to make sure all pests are eliminated. The Ehrlich NYC team uses the latest methods and technology to get rid of bed bugs such as Entotherm heat treatments. We also have bed bug dogs that can find the insects wherever they hide.

Let us help you with any concerns you may have about bed bugs. Call us today and tell us about your bed bug removal needs. Hire the pest control professionals New York property owners rely on, Ehrlich.

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Pest & Bed Bug Exterminators New York City | Ehrlich Pest ...

Pest Control in Albany, New York

The capital of New York, Albany was developed along the Hudson River. Home to the states government, along with many health services and educational facilities, Albany has a lot to offer. From a bustling nightlifeto many historical buildingsand the New York State Museum, residents can enjoy lots of different activities.

When you have a pest problem in your Upstate New York home or business and it becomes too big for you to handle on your own, you need to call a reliable pest control company to take care of the issues. Residents of Albany, New York have been relying on Catseye Pest Control services for the past 25 years to deliver lasting solutions for getting rid of unwanted critters and also preventing them from entering in the future. Catseye isa local company based right here in the Capital District, soAlbanyis our backyard and we can offer a personal knowledge of the area as well as the specific challenges faced in eliminating pests and nuisance wildlife which a national company may not offer.

Whether facing mice, bats, bees, ants, or other unwanted creatures, Albany residents have found our services to be quick and reliable. We have received an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau along with the Mark of Excellence in Pest Management and Quality Pro Badge which shows that we are a reputable, respected,and trustworthy company within the pest control industry.

We know how important it is to protect your home and family, and Catseye will help make it happen. Here are some of the pest control services Catseye provides to Albany residents and commercial locations:

1.Pest Control:Whether its residential or commercial pest control youre looking for, Catseye has the experience and level of professionalism youd expect from a top-rated pest control company.Contact us for pest control help today.

2.Nuisance Wildlife Removal:When it comes to trapping and removing the critters and rodents that wreak havoc on your property, Catseye keeps it safe and humane, leaving you with a clear conscience.Contact us for more information today.

3.Cat-Guard:This all-natural pest control method securely seals off all entry points into your home, ridding yourself of unwanted intruders for good in the safest way possible.Learn more about Cat-Guard Exclusion Systems today.

4.Bed Bug Elimination Catseyes bed bug service combines The Cryonite Method of freezing bed bugs with a residual insect growth regulator to disrupt the reproductive cycle and eliminate the problem. Additionally, we can monitor to ensure that the problem never comes back.Contact us for fast removal of bed bugs today.

5.Platinum Program: This is the only way to keep your home or business pest-free year-round. We protectNew York residents with year-round monitoring of everything from ants, bees, palm rats, skunks, as well aspalmetto bugs, spiders, and even termites.Contact us for more information on our Platinum Program.

The Catseye mission is to protect your home, family, and business from pests by providing award-winning customer service and the best quality pest control in Albany, NY and the Capital Region. We accomplish this through:

Catseye has been a proven leader in the Albany pest control industry for over 25 years. Family-owned and operated, Catseye Pest Control has been the proud recipient of the Quality Pro Badge, the Mark of Excellence in Pest Management for meeting and exceeding superior industry standards. Whether you have mice in Albany, NY or termites in Lake George, call us for a free home inspection.

Albany, Cohoes, Colonie, Delmar, Guilderland, Latham, Loudonville, Slingerlands, Voorheesville, Watervliet

Canaan, Chatham, Copake, Ghent, Hillsdale, Hudson, Kinderhook, Old Chatham, Valatie

Fishkill, Hopewell Junction, Hyde Park, Millbrook, Millerton, Pine Plains, Poughkeepsie, Red Hook, Rhinebeck, Wappingers Falls

Broadalbin, Gloversville, Johnstown

Athens, Cairo, Catskill, Coxsackie, Greenville, Hunter, Windham

Amsterdam, Canajoharie, Fonda, Fultonville, Sprakers

Averill Park, Castleton-on-Hudson, East Greenbush, Nassau, Rensselaer, Stephentown, Troy, West Sand Lake, Wynantskill

Ballston Spa, Clifton Park, Gansevoort, Malta, Mechanicville, Rexford, Saratoga Springs, Waterford

Glenville, Niskayuna, Rotterdam, Schenectady, Scotia

Cobleskill, Gilboa, Middleburgh, Schoharie

Hurley, Kingston, New Paltz, Saugerties, Shokan, Woodstock

Bolton Landing, Glens Falls, Hague, Lake George, Queensbury, Silver Bay

Cambridge, Fort Edward, Greenwich, Hudson Falls, Salem

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Azulejo (Portuguese:[zuleu] or Portuguese:[zulju], Spanish:[aulexo] or Spanish:[asulexo], from the Arabic al zellige [1][2]) is a form of Spanish and Portuguese painted tin-glazed ceramic tilework. Azulejos are found on the interior and exterior of churches, palaces, ordinary houses, schools, and nowadays, restaurants, bars and even railways or subway stations. They were not only used as an ornamental art form, but also had a specific functional capacity like temperature control in homes.

There is also a tradition of their production in former Spanish and Portuguese colonies in North America, South America, Goa, Africa (Angola and Mozambique), and the Philippines.

Azulejos found particular success also in Liguria (Italy), due to the close relationships between both Christian and Islamic territories of the Iberian peninsula and the Republic of Genoa. Being imported at first (in most cases from Seville or the Nasrid Granada), they started to be produced in situ during the next centuries. Ligurian-made tiles inspired by azulejos are known as laggioin in Ligurian ([ladwi]; sing. laggion) and, from this language, laggioni in Italian ([ladoni]; sing. laggione).

Azulejos still constitute a major aspect of Portuguese architecture as they are applied on walls, floors and even ceilings. Many azulejos chronicle major historical and cultural aspects of Portuguese history.

The word azulejo (as well as the Ligurian laggion[3]) is derived from the Arabic (az-zulayj): zellige, meaning "polished stone" because the original idea was to imitate the Byzantine and Roman mosaics. This origin shows the unmistakable Arab influences in many tiles: interlocking curvilinear, geometric or floral motifs. The craft of zellige is still in use in the Arab world in two main traditions the "Egyptian Zalij" and the "North African Zellige", the latter being the most famous.

The Spanish city of Seville became the major centre of the Hispano-Moresque tile industry. The earliest azulejos in the 13th century were alicatados (panels of tile-mosaic).[4] Tiles were glazed in a single colour, cut into geometric shapes, and assembled to form geometric patterns. Many examples can be admired in the Alhambra of Granada.[5] The old techniques of cuerda seca ('dry string') and cuenca developed in Seville in the 15th century.

These techniques were introduced into Portugal by king Manuel I after a visit to Seville in 1503. They were applied on walls and used for paving floors, such as can be seen in several rooms, and especially the Arab Room of the Sintra National Palace (including the famous cuenca tiles with the armillary sphere, symbol of king Manuel I). The Portuguese adopted the Moorish tradition of horror vacui ('fear of empty spaces') and covered the walls completely with azulejos.

Potters from Italy came into Seville in the early 16th century and established workshops there. They brought with them the maiolica techniques which allowed the artists to represent a much larger number of figurative themes in their compositions. The first Italian potter to move into Spain was Francisco Niculoso who settled in Seville in 1498.[8] Examples of his work can still be admired in situ in the Alcazar of Seville. Under the influence of the Renaissance style introduced by Italians artists, most azulejos were polychrome tile panels depicting allegorical or mythological scenes, scenes from the lives of saints or the Bible, or hunting scenes. Mannerism and the grotesque style, with its bizarre representations, had much influence on azulejos.

Until the mid-16th century the Portuguese continued to rely on foreign imports, mostly from Spain, such as the Annunciation by Francisco Niculoso in vora, but also on a smaller scale from Antwerp (Flanders), such as the two panels by Jan Bogaerts in the Pao Ducal of Vila Viosa (Alentejo). One of the early Portuguese masters of the 16th century was Maral de Matos, to whom Susanna and the Elders (1565), in Quinta da Bacalhoa, Azeito, is attributed, as well as the Adoration of the Shepherds (in the National Museum of Azulejos in Lisbon). The Miracle of St. Roque (in the Church of S. Roque, Lisbon) is the first dated Portuguese azulejo composition (1584). It is the work of Francisco de Matos, probably the nephew and pupil of Maral de Matos. Both drew their inspiration from Renaissance and Mannerist paintings and engravings from Italy and Flanders. A fine collection of 16th-century azulejos (azulejos Hispano-mouriscos) can be found in the Museu da Rainha D. Leonor in Beja, Portugal (the former Convento da Conceio).

In the late 16th century, checkered azulejos were used as decoration for large surfaces, such as in churches and monasteries. Diagonally placed plain white tiles were surrounded by blue square ones and narrow border tiles.

Detail of the azulejos painted by Cristbal de Augusta in 1577[9] of the Gothic Palace of the Alczar of Seville, Spain.

Casa de Pilatos in Seville has around 150 different azulejo designs of the 1530s[10], one of the largest antique collections in the world[11]

16th-century azulejos in Convent of Santa Isabel, Valladolid

Azulejos made by Hernando de Santiago and Juan de Vllalba in 1575[12] in Sala Nova, Palau de la Generalitat Valenciana, Valencia.

Adoration of the Magi, Museum of azulejos, Lisbon.

Shortly afterwards, these plain white tiles were replaced by polychrome tiles (enxaquetado rico) often giving a complex framework such as in the Church of Santa Maria de Marvila in Santarm with one of the most outstanding tile-based interior decorations in Portugal.

When the diagonal tiles were replaced by a repetitive pattern of horizontal polychrome tiles, one could obtain a new design with different motifs, interlacing Mannerist drawings with representations of roses and camelias (sometimes roses and garlands). An inset votive usually depicts a scene from the life of Christ or a saint. These carpet compositions (azulejo de tapete), as they were called, elaborately framed with friezes and borders, were produced in great numbers during the 17th century. The best examples are to be found in the Igreja do Salvador, vora, Igreja de S. Quintino, Obral de Monte Agrao, Igreja de S. Vicente, Cuba (Portugal) and the university chapel in Coimbra.

The use of azulejos for the decoration of antependia (front of an altar), imitating precious altar cloths, is typical for Portugal. The panel may be in one piece, or composed of two or three sections. They were used in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Some antependia of the 17th century imitate oriental fabrics (calico, chintz). The golden fringes of the altar cloth were imitated by yellow motifs on the painted border tiles. Excellent examples can be found in the Hospital de Sta. Marta, Lisbon, or in the church of Almoster and the Convent of Buaco.

During the same period another motif in friezes was introduced: floral vases flanked by birds, dolphins or putti, the so-called albarradas. They were probably inspired by Flemish paintings of flower vases, such as by Jan Brueghel the Elder. These were still free-standing in the 17th century, but they would be used in repetitive modules in the 18th century.

Another type of azulejo composition, called aves e ramagens ('birds and branches'), came into vogue between 1650 and 1680. They were influenced by the representations on printed textiles that were imported from India: Hindu symbols, flowers, animals and birds.

In the second half of the 17th century, the Spanish artist Gabriel del Barco y Minusca introduced into Portugal the blue-and-white tiles from Delft in the Netherlands. The workshops of Jan van Oort and Willem van der Kloet in Amsterdam created large tile panels with historical scenes for their rich Portuguese clients, such as for the Palace of the Marqueses da Fronteira in Benfica (Lisbon). But when king Pedro II stopped all imports of azulejos between 1687 and 1698, the workshop of Gabriel del Barco took over the production. The last major production from Holland was delivered in 1715. Soon large, home-made blue-and-white figurative tiles, designed by academically trained Portuguese artists, became the dominant fashion, superseding the former taste for repeated patterns and abstract decoration.

The late 17th and early 18th centuries became the 'Golden Age of the Azulejo', the so-called Cycle of the Masters (Ciclo dos Mestres). Mass production was started not just because of a greater internal demand, but also because of large orders came in from the Portuguese colony of Brazil. Large one-off orders were replaced by the less expensive use of repetitive tile patterns. Churches, monasteries, palaces and even houses were covered inside and outside with azulejos, many with exuberant Baroque elements.

The most prominent master-designers in these early years of the 18th century were: Antnio Pereira (artist), Manuel dos Santos, the workshop of Antnio de Oliveira Bernardes and his son Policarpo de Oliveira Bernardes; the Master PMP (only known by his monogram) and his collaborators Teotnio dos Santos and Valentim de Almeida; Bartolomeu Antunes and his pupil Nicolau de Freitas. As their production coincided with the reign of king Joo V (17061750), the style of this period is also called the Joanine style.

During this same period appear the first 'invitation figures' (figura de convite), invented by the Master PMP and produced in the 18th and 19th centuries. These are cut-out panels of azulejos with life-size figures (footmen, halberdiers, noblemen or elegantly dressed ladies), usually placed in entrances of palaces (see Palcio da Mitra), patios and stair landings. Their purpose was to welcome visitors. They can only be found in Portugal.

In the 1740s the taste of Portuguese society changed from the monumental narrative panels to smaller and more delicately executed panels in Rococo style. These panels depict gallant and pastoral themes as they occur in the works of the French painter Antoine Watteau. Fine examples are the faade and the gardens of the Palace of the Dukes de Mesquitela in Carnide (Lisbon) and the Corredor das Mangas in the Queluz National Palace. The mass-produced tiles acquired a more stereotypic design with predominant polychrome irregular shell motifs.

The reconstruction of Lisbon after the great earthquake of 1755 gave rise to a more utilitarian role for decoration with azulejos. This bare and functional style would become known as the Pombaline style, named after the Marquis of Pombal, who was put in charge of rebuilding the country. Small devotional azulejo panels started to appear on buildings as protection against future disasters.

In Mexico, a large producer of Talaveraa Mexican maiolica, there are several instances of the use of azulejos on buildings and mansions. One particular mansion, the Casa de los Azulejos in Mexico City, was built in 1737 for the Count and Countess of El Valle de Orizaba. Ceramic making traditions were imported to Mexico in the early 16th century and have flourished.

As a reaction, simpler and more delicate Neoclassical designs started to appear with more subdued colours. These themes were introduced in Portugal by the engravings of Robert and James Adams. The Real Fbrica de Loua do Rato, with the master-designer Sebastio Incio de Almeida and the painter Francisco de Paula e Oliveira, became in this period an important manufacturer of the characteristic so-called Rato-tiles. Another important tile painter in this period was Francisco Jorge da Costa.

Albarrada, flower vase by Valentim de Almeida (between 1729 and 1731); Cathedral of Porto, Portugal.

Azulejos vault in bidos, Portugal.

Checkered azulejos on the faade of the Igreja Matriz de Cambra, Vouzela, Portugal

In the first half of the 19th century, there was a stagnation in the production of decorative tiles, owing first to the incursion of the Napoleonic army and later to social and economic changes. When around 1840 immigrant Brazilians started an industrialized production in Porto, the Portuguese took over the Brazilian fashion of decorating the faades of their houses with azulejos. While these factories produces high-relief tiles in one or two colours, the Lisbon factories started using another method: the transfer-print method on blue-and-white or polychrome azulejos. In the last decades of the 19th century, the Lisbon factories started to use another type of transfer-printing: using creamware blanks.

While these industrialized methods produced simple, stylized designs, the art of hand-painting tiles was not dead, as applied by Manuel Joaquim de Jesus and especially Lus Ferreira. Luis Ferreira was the director of the Lisbon factory Viva Lamego and covered the whole faade of this factory with allegorical scenes. He produced panels, known as Ferreira das Tabuletas, with flower vases, trees, and allegorical figures, applying the trompe-l'oeil technique. These hand-painted panels are fine examples of the eclectic Romantic culture of the late 19th century.

At the start of the 20th century, Art Nouveau azulejos started to appear from artists such as Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, Jlio Csar da Silva and Jos Antnio Jorge Pinto. In 1885 Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro founded a ceramics factory in Caldas da Rainha, where he created many of the pottery designs for which this city is known. In this factory he has his own a museum So Rafael devoted to his fantastically imaginative work, especially the decorative plates and his satirical stone figures, such as the Z Povinho (a representation of the worrying common man).

Around the 1930s, Art Deco-azulejos made their appearance with their principal artist Antnio Costa. The monumental decorations, consisting of 20,000 azulejos, in the vestibule of the So Bento railway station in Porto, created by Jorge Colao, show in its historical themes the narrative style of the romantic 'picture-postcard'. This one of the most notable creations with azulejos of the 20th century. The faades of the churches of Santo Ildefonso and Congregados equally attest to the artistic mastery of Jorge Colao. Other artists from this period include Mrio Branco and Silvestre Silvestri, who decorated in 1912 the lateral faade of the Carmo Church, and Eduardo Leite for his work on the Almas Chapel (imitating the style of the 18th century), both in Porto.

20th-century artists include Jorge Barradas, Carlos Botelho, Jorge Martins, S Nogueira, Menez and Paula Rego. Maria Keil designed the large abstract panels in the initial nineteen stations of the Lisbon Underground (between 1957 and 1972). Through these works she became a driving force in the revival and the updating of the art of the azulejo, which had gone in some decline. Her decorations of the station Intendente is considered a masterpiece of contemporary tile art[citation needed]. In 1988 the following contemporary artists were commissioned to decorate the newer subway stations Jlio Pomar (the Alto dos Moinhos station), Maria Helena Vieira da Silva (the Cidade Universitria station), S Nogueira (Laranjeiras station) and Manuel Cargaleiro (the Colgio Militar station).

The Museu Nacional do Azulejo in Lisbon houses the largest collection of Portuguese tiles in the world.

Santa Maria Church in Covilh; faade was covered in the 1940s.

Art Nouveau azulejos on a shop in Porto.

Capela de Santa Catarina, Porto; faade was covered in 1929.

Iglesia de San Juan Bautista de Chiva, Valencia.

21st-century azulejos (Porto)

In the Philippines, a former Spanish colony, the tradition survives of decorative tiling on staircases, where the tiles are placed on the vertical rise right below each step. It sees a more ubiquitous application in votive diptych tiles depicting the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as well as other religious themes. These tiles, which are also coloured brown or polychrome besides the conventional blue, are placed on the wall beside the front door or principal gate of a house, and are encased in a black metal frame surmounted by a cross.

The tiles can also be seen in Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and several cities of Mexico.

Due to their prevalence and relative ease of access in historic and often decayed buildings across Portugal, these type of tiles are vulnerable to vandalism, neglect and theft. In Lisbon, the tiles can sometimes be found for sale in street fairs and the black market,[21] despite recent efforts to raise awareness among buyers, that are mainly foreign tourists. Since 2013 that it is forbidden to demolish buildings with tile-covered faades in this city, in an attempt to protect its cultural heritage from deterioration.[22] The highest number of thefts does occur in the capital, and Lisbon authorities estimate that 25% of the total number of artistic tiles existent in that city has been lost between the years 1980 and 2000.[23]

The main azulejo protection group in Portugal, SOS Azulejo, created in 2007 and that works as a dependency of Polcia Judiciria,[23] has identified the limitation and control of the sale of ancient tiles in those markets as their main goal as of now.[22] The city of Lisbon has also developed 'Banco do Azulejo', that collects and stores around 30 thousand tiles provenient from demolished or intervened buildings, and also from donations to the city, in a project similar to others existent in the cities of Aveiro, Porto and Ovar.[24]

In August 2017, a new law was put in place in order to prevent both the demolition of tile-covered buildings across the country, and the initiation of renovating operations that could mean the removal of tiles, even if they only affect the building's interior.[25][26]

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Azulejo - Wikipedia

Building construction, the techniques and industry involved in the assembly and erection of structures, primarily those used to provide shelter.

Building construction is an ancient human activity. It began with the purely functional need for a controlled environment to moderate the effects of climate. Constructed shelters were one means by which human beings were able to adapt themselves to a wide variety of climates and become a global species.

Human shelters were at first very simple and perhaps lasted only a few days or months. Over time, however, even temporary structures evolved into such highly refined forms as the igloo. Gradually more durable structures began to appear, particularly after the advent of agriculture, when people began to stay in one place for long periods. The first shelters were dwellings, but later other functions, such as food storage and ceremony, were housed in separate buildings. Some structures began to have symbolic as well as functional value, marking the beginning of the distinction between architecture and building.

The history of building is marked by a number of trends. One is the increasing durability of the materials used. Early building materials were perishable, such as leaves, branches, and animal hides. Later, more durable natural materialssuch as clay, stone, and timberand, finally, synthetic materialssuch as brick, concrete, metals, and plasticswere used. Another is a quest for buildings of ever greater height and span; this was made possible by the development of stronger materials and by knowledge of how materials behave and how to exploit them to greater advantage. A third major trend involves the degree of control exercised over the interior environment of buildings: increasingly precise regulation of air temperature, light and sound levels, humidity, odours, air speed, and other factors that affect human comfort has been possible. Yet another trend is the change in energy available to the construction process, starting with human muscle power and developing toward the powerful machinery used today.

The present state of building construction is complex. There is a wide range of building products and systems which are aimed primarily at groups of building types or markets. The design process for buildings is highly organized and draws upon research establishments that study material properties and performance, code officials who adopt and enforce safety standards, and design professionals who determine user needs and design a building to meet those needs. The construction process is also highly organized; it includes the manufacturers of building products and systems, the craftsmen who assemble them on the building site, the contractors who employ and coordinate the work of the craftsmen, and consultants who specialize in such aspects as construction management, quality control, and insurance.

Building construction today is a significant part of industrial culture, a manifestation of its diversity and complexity and a measure of its mastery of natural forces, which can produce a widely varied built environment to serve the diverse needs of society. This article first traces the history of building construction, then surveys its development at the present time. For treatment of the aesthetic considerations of building design, see architecture. For further treatment of historical development, see art and architecture, Anatolian; art and architecture, Arabian; art and architecture, Egyptian; art and architecture, Iranian; art and architecture, Mesopotamian; art and architecture, Syro-Palestinian; architecture, African; art and architecture, Oceanic; architecture, Western; arts, Central Asian; arts, East Asian; arts, Islamic; arts, Native American; arts, South Asian; arts, Southeast Asian.

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Western architecture: Building materials

The material employed in the earliest buildings constructed around Rome was tuff, a volcanic rock of varying hardnesses, some soft enough to be worked with bronze tools. Later, other harder volcanic stones were used, such as peperino and albani stone from the nearby

The hunter-gatherers of the late Stone Age, who moved about a wide area in search of food, built the earliest temporary shelters that appear in the archaeological record. Excavations at a number of sites in Europe dated to before 12,000 bce show circular rings of stones that are believed to have formed part of such shelters. They may have braced crude huts made of wooden poles or have weighted down the walls of tents made of animal skins, presumably supported by central poles.

A tent illustrates the basic elements of environmental control that are the concern of building construction. The tent creates a membrane to shed rain and snow; cold water on the human skin absorbs body heat. The membrane reduces wind speed as well; air over the human skin also promotes heat loss. It controls heat transfer by keeping out the hot rays of the sun and confining heated air in cold weather. It also blocks out light and provides visual privacy. The membrane must be supported against the forces of gravity and wind; a structure is necessary. Membranes of hides are strong in tension (stresses imposed by stretching forces), but poles must be added to take compression (stresses imposed by compacting forces). Indeed, much of the history of building construction is the search for more sophisticated solutions to the same basic problems that the tent was set out to solve. The tent has continued in use to the present. The Saudi Arabian goats hair tent, the Mongolian yurt with its collapsible wooden frame and felt coverings, and the American Indian tepee with its multiple pole supports and double membrane are more refined and elegant descendants of the crude shelters of the early hunter-gatherers.

The agricultural revolution, dated to about 10,000 bce, gave a major impetus to building construction. People no longer traveled in search of game or followed their herds but stayed in one place to tend their fields. Dwellings began to be more permanent. Archaeological records are scanty, but in the Middle East are found the remains of whole villages of round dwellings called tholoi, whose walls are made of packed clay; all traces of roofs have disappeared. In Europe tholoi were built of dry-laid stone with domed roofs; there are still surviving examples (of more recent construction) of these beehive structures in the Alps. In later Middle Eastern tholoi a rectangular antechamber or entrance hall appeared, attached to the main circular chamberthe first examples of the rectangular plan form in building. Still later the circular form was dropped in favour of the rectangle as dwellings were divided into more rooms and more dwellings were placed together in settlements. The tholoi marked an important step in the search for durability; they were the beginning of masonry construction.

Evidence of composite building construction of clay and wood, the so-called wattle-and-daub method, is also found in Europe and the Middle East. The walls were made of small saplings or reeds, which were easy to cut with stone tools. They were driven into the ground, tied together laterally with vegetable fibres, and then plastered over with wet clay to give added rigidity and weatherproofing. The roofs have not survived, but the structures were probably covered with crude thatch or bundled reeds. Both round and rectangular forms are found, usually with central hearths.

Heavier timber buildings also appeared in Neolithic (New Stone Age) cultures, although the difficulties of cutting large trees with stone tools limited the use of sizable timbers to frames. These frames were usually rectangular in plan, with a central row of columns to support a ridgepole and matching rows of columns along the long walls; rafters were run from the ridgepole to the wall beams. The lateral stability of the frame was achieved by burying the columns deep in the ground; the ridgepole and rafters were then tied to the columns with vegetable fibres. The usual roofing material was thatch: dried grasses or reeds tied together in small bundles, which in turn were tied in an overlapping pattern to the light wooden poles that spanned between the rafters. Horizontal thatched roofs leak rain badly, but, if they are placed at the proper angle, the rainwater runs off before it has time to soak through. Primitive builders soon determined the roof pitch that would shed the water but not the thatch. Many types of infill were used in the walls of these frame houses, including clay, wattle and daub, tree bark (favoured by American Woodland Indians), and thatch. In Polynesia and Indonesia, where such houses are still built, they are raised above the ground on stilts for security and dryness; the roofing is often made of leaves and the walls are largely open to allow air movement for natural cooling. Another variation of the frame was found in Egypt and the Middle East, where timbers were substituted for bundles of reeds.

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Buffalo New York Furnace and Air Conditioning Services

Zenner & Ritter Home services has proudly been servicing the Buffalo area since 1930. Since our beginning we have strived to be the best company in the heating and air conditioning industry. We offer top-of-the-line premiere home heating and cooling services. We offer services in heating and cooling, automatic standby generators, water heaters and plumbing services. With over 80 years of experience our knowledge gives up the upper hand against any competitors. Simply put, there is no better choice than Zenner & Ritter. We offer affordable prices, quality work, and reliable services.

Zenner & Ritter is a family owned home services contractor that focuses on quality installations and hvac service you can rely on.

Need Air Conditioner Repair or Furnace Repair? Look no further. The HVAC experts at Zenner and Ritter Heating and Cooling are here to help you today. We have the training and experience necessary to handle all sorts of heating and air conditioning issues for all brands of heating and air equipment. Were not limited to repairs either. Our HVAC technicians can help you with repairs, service, maintenance, replacement or installation of heating and air conditioning equipment for your home or office. Call us today!

Call us if you need heating repair services, Air Conditioning Repair Services, or other HVAC services. (716) 241-9350(716) 241-9350

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Zenner and Ritter Heating and Cooling

For 50 years, our goal has been to ensure the complete satisfaction of every customer by using a personal approach while providing efficient, courteous and professional service at competitive rates. Serving the Greater Kansas City area, every job, big or small is important to us as we focus on customer care and reliability.

Midwest Heating Cooling & Plumbing is a family owned and operated business, taking pride in our reputation of quality and dependability from repeat business, client recommendations and of course new clients. It has been our pleasure to provide heating and cooling services to both home and business owners for fifty years.

Service:From our Air Defense Plan to 24- Hour Emergency Service, our servicemen are standing by to have your system up and running as soon as possible. Our NATE certified and skilled technicians will evaluate and determine the cause of your problem. With trucks stocked with the most commonly used parts, we strive to repair all brands, makes and models of furnaces and air conditioners on a single visit.

Replacement:With Midwest, you are working with a personal comfort consultant. We carry a full line of heating and cooling products with a wide selection of brands. By listening to your needs, we are able to customize a package that best suits your home, lifestyle, budget and future needs. Locally owned and operated, we provide the best value and highest quality comfort systems. Your free replacement estimate is a phone call away!

In addition to installation and service, we offer other areas of expertise: Indoor Air Quality, filtration, combustion analysis, carbon monoxide monitoring and testing, electronic zoning, humidification, dehumidification, remote home automation, whole home generators and tankless water heaters to name a few.

We would like to thank all of Kansas City for helping us celebrate 50 Years and look forward to serving you for many years to come.

Midwest Heating Cooling and Plumbing is a family owned business. We specialize in HVAC replacement, service, residential new construction, light commercial and residential plumbing service. We employ over 50 full time people to serve our customers needs. Twelve full time servicemen are available to provide service when needed. Twenty-four hour service is available when and if emergency situations arise. All of our servicemen are NATE certified. We are members of ACCA (Air Conditioning Contractors of America), the HBA (Home Builders Association) and The Better Business Bureau. We have two Master Mechanic HVAC specialists and one Master Mechanic Plumber.

We are proud to service the Kansas City Metro area. Locations include: Overland Park, Olathe, Leawood, Lenexa, Prairie Village, Shawnee, Mission Hills, Fairway, Roeland Park, Mission,Merriam, Stilwell and many in-between. We also service several locations on the Missouri side: Kansas City, Raytown, Raymore, Lee's Summit, Parkville, Belton, Independence, Blue Springs, Grandview,Riverside and many more!

In addition to installation and service we specialize in Indoor Air Quality products, testing and solutions. We also provide zoning, humidification, de-humidification, radiant floor heat, and custom sheet metal work and have the ability to engineer, design and manufacture jobs to fit most needs.

With over 50 years of experience in the HVAC business, Midwest Heating Cooling and Plumbing has provided thousands of satisfied customers with HVAC products over the years. If you have not given us the opportunity to provide you with a HVAC solution to your home or business, please allow us the chance to be of service to you. We guarantee you will be satisfied. Our goal is to install every job as if we were doing it for ourselves.

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Midwest Heating Cooling Kansas City, MO | Heating ...

Sunrooms, Vinyl Siding, Replacement Windows & More Offered by NRG Industries, Inc., for Homeowners in Tallahassee, FL & Surrounding Communities

NRG Industries, Inc., is a certified remodeling contractor that installs sunrooms, vinyl siding, replacement windows, patio covers, and more in Tallahassee, Florida, and nearby communities. We are experts in the industry, as we have been providing home improvement solutions since 1983. We still believe in our founding principle of striving to meet and exceed our customers expectations. This core belief ensures future referrals from our current customers and helps us maintain our A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

Perhaps the product that we are best known for is our sunrooms. Our sunrooms are supplied by some of the industrys leading manufacturers and are extremely durable. You can expect your sunroom to last for decades, standing up to anything nature throws its way. Each one of our sunrooms is custom built for your home, allowing us to ensure a precise fit for each installation.

In addition to our durable sunrooms, NRG is proud to offer vinyl siding by Reynolds, one of the most-respected siding manufacturers in the industry. All of our house siding is crafted with an acrylic polymer that ensures it will remain resistant to fading typically caused by UV rays. Also, thanks to the sidings foam insulation backing, it will reduce energy loss and sound transmission, so your home will be quieter and more comfortable. Whats more, the durability of our vinyl siding is unmatched by any other remodeling contractors in the area our well-made products can stand up to all of the elements and retain their beauty for decades, all while staying securely affixed to your home.

We are proud to install replacement windows from two of the most well-known manufacturers in the industry, PGT Industries and Simonton. All of our window products are custom built to exact size, energy efficient, and come with ENERGY STAR ratings. This means that after purchasing vinyl windows from NRG for your home in Tallahassee, FL, you may end up saving money on your monthly energy bill. We have several styles of house windows to choose from, including casement, awning, single hung, double hung, picture, bay, bow, geometric, and architectural windows.

At NRG, we also install structurally sound patio covers that come equipped with three-inch insulated roofing panels, which provide superior strength and meet or exceed the standards of even the most rigid building codes. The patio cover products we install also feature a high-density polystyrene core to deflect the suns heat and provide optimum thermal performance, so you can sit on your porch comfortably, even on hot summer days.

In addition, were happy to offer bathroom remodel and kitchen remodel services, install custom blinds, and complete home additions. Our factory-trained and -certified installers are proficient at building whatever you have in mind. Furthermore, all of the products we install come backed by manufacturer warranties, as well as a one-year labor warranty from NRG.

Contact NRG today for more information about our sunrooms, vinyl siding, replacement windows, patio covers, kitchen and bathroom remodeling, or any of our other products and services. We proudly serve homeowners in and around Tallahassee, FL.

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NRG Industries - Vinyl Siding | Replacement Windows

Water Feature or Fountain Prices by MaterialThe price of a fountain itself will range from $50 to more than $4,000. Exact project price will depend on the material used. You can find a simple garden fountain or birdbath at a hardware store for very little money. Or you can install a full-sized waterfall cascading over a marble wall for thousands of dollars. Any way you want it, there is one that will meet your needs and your budget. Water Feature Price by Material TypeMaterialPrice RangePlastic or Resin$100 - $400Fiberglass$100 - $1,600+Rock or Stone$200 - $1,200+Concrete$300 - $3,000+Marble$300 - $4,000+ Types of Features Some models will cost more to install than others, depending on the features you select and how difficult the unit is to install. Water Feature StylesTypePrice RangeDetailsFreestanding Wall Fountain$600 - $1,200+

Like with outdoor fountains, indoor models are available with features like lighting, programmable settings, and high-end materials. The price will increase with added features and higher-end materials.

For example, a small pond fountain uses a 44-watt pump to run 24 hours per day where the cost per kilowatt hour (kWh) for electricity is 24 cents.

The electrical installation for a solar water fountain is much less than the work needed for a standard model. A high-end solar pump with a good solar collector and battery can power a pump 24 hours a day.

Unlike water features, drinking fountains do not recirculate liquid. For the most refreshing drink, you can add refrigeration and/or filtration. Many outdoor models also feature freeze resistance. With each additional feature, project costs creep up toward the higher end of the range.

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2018 Water Fountain Costs | Price to Install Pool ...