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Home | Top Stories | Alabama-rooted ministry approaching 4 decades of church construction

August 12, 2017

By Karen O. AllenCorrespondent, The Alabama Baptist

Heres the church. Heres the steeple. Open the doors and see all the people.

Remember the church rhyme? As children it brought a smile to our face. The building did not seem as important as the wriggling people (fingers) inside. But Alabamas Builders for Christ (BFC) group prefers to focus on the building so the people will have a place for corporate worship and fellowship.

Every summer BFC volunteers from around the country converge at a site that has undergone an extensive screening process. The project site could be anywhere from Maine to Louisiana or the upper Midwest. Volunteers (aka construction missionaries) give one week of their time for one purpose: to construct a church or church addition in a community with accelerated church growth or dire need. The motto on the BFC truck reinforces the purpose: a network of Christian laypersons who build churches for congregations who are rapidly leading others to a saving knowledge of Christ as Savior and Lord.

The vast majority of volunteers are nonskilled laborers (e.g. teachers, health care workers, homemakers, salespersons, truck drivers). Skilled volunteers include home builders, engineers and architects. Some are newcomers while many are seasoned BFC veterans. No matter the age, gender or skill set, there is a job for everyone.

The BFC leadership team prepares months in advance for the 15-week construction period that begins in late May and goes through mid-August. Along with planning and coordinating, the leadership team provides advice and consultation to the host church throughout the entire process. The leadership team is composed of a project team leader, construction leader, financial analyst, church team leaders and kitchen coordinator.

Wood and light steel framing, electrical work, plumbing, HVAC services, roofing, drywall, cabinetry, carpentry, hardware installation and painting are services provided by the construction missionaries. Typically it will take about eight months before a building is ready to be occupied.

Constructing meals

While the kitchen team may not swing hammers and drive nails, they play a vital role in the building effort constructing 300 to 500 meals per day. They prepare a big breakfast, a sandwich/fruit lunch combo and finally a hearty dinner equivalent to that of a Thanksgiving meal, said Lawrence Corley, BFC founder.

Corley, a Birmingham architect and member of Brookwood Baptist Church, Birmingham, describes the BFC seed as having been planted following his pastors return from the Southern Baptist Convention in 1979. The pastor gave the disheartening announcement that it would not be possible to tell the world the good news by the year 2000 as hoped.

Laypeople were going to have to be enlisted to help fulfill the daunting challenge.

Corley accepted the challenge and focused his efforts on helping build churches.

The first church construction project took place in Adamson, Oklahoma, in 1981. It didnt take long before a network of interested churches began to form.

In 1994, Appleton, Wisconsin, made its debut as the first official construction site under the Builders for Christ name. Another BFC team was developed in 1991 and aptly named Team B. In 2005 Team C was added. Corley serves as team leader for Team A while Earl Rhyne and Allan Ivemeyer from Dawson Memorial Baptist Church, Birmingham, have served as team leaders for B and C, respectively. With the combined efforts of all three teams, BFC boasts a total of 70 projects in 21 states in the past 37 years.

When asked about the ministry name, Corley says Builders for Christ was decided collectively by the volunteers and represents a comprehensive body of builders, not just contractors, electricians, etc.

Volunteers represent a variety of groups including Baptists, Methodists, nondenominational churches, Lutherans, Catholics and Presbyterians as well as come from various states.

Gatlinburg project

This summer BFC went to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, to rebuild the worship center and family life center for Roaring Forks Baptist Church following the devastation of the 2016 fires. The project logged 25,000 square feet. Seventy-six church teams from 22 states with 1,850 volunteers paid their own expenses to sweat in the sweltering heat.

Twenty-two teams were from Alabama Baptist congregations.

Kellyann German, a four-year BFC veteran from Meadow Brook Baptist Church, Birmingham, said, Every year we encounter churches with different ministries and different needs. This years trip was unique in that it followed a disaster.

At least two other churches have been built by BFC in response to a disaster Phil Campbells Mountain View Baptist following the April 2011 tornadoes and First Baptist, Chalmette, Louisiana, following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.German said she and her husband plan to serve Christ by serving His church through BFC as long as they can.

_______________________________

For more information on Builders for Christ, visit http://www.baptistbuildersforchrist.org.

Go here to read the rest:
Alabama-rooted ministry approaching 4 decades of church construction - Alabama Baptist

Just down the road from Emancipation Park in Charlottesville, Virginia,where a thousand white supremacists congregated around a statue ofRobert E. Lee this weekend, is another historical landmark. Its alarge, two-story brick building called the Jefferson School, which firstunderwent construction in 1924the same year that the Confederatemonument went upat the insistence of the local black community, whosechildren were barred from the citys high schools because ofsegregation. Now the school is on the National Register of HistoricPlaces.

On Monday night, a few hundred Charlottesville residents gathered at theJefferson School, in an auditorium on the second floor, for a communitymeeting. Two days before, three people died and nineteen were injuredwhen violent demonstrators from across the country came toCharlottesville with guns, shields, weapons, and flaming tikitorches for a Unite the Right rally. Well fucking kill these people if wehave to, one of themtold ViceNews. A twenty-year-old neo-Nazi from Ohio ran over counter-protestersin his car, in an act that Jeff Sessions, the Attorney General, latercalled domestic terrorism. (The President initially condemned violenceon many sides, then followed up on Tuesday afternoon by saying thatthere were very fine people on both sides.) But, almost as soon asthey had arrived, the agitators were gone, and community members wereleft to try to make sense of what had just happened.

One of the local leaders at the school was instantly recognizable toeverybody: a sixty-five-year-old reverend named Alvin Edwards. WhenTerry McAuliffe, the governor of Virginia, came to town on Sunday, hewent directly to a service at the Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church,which is Edwardss congregation. Hes been there for the past thirty-sixyears, and during that time hes also served as the citys mayor and asa member of its school board. His years in politics have only seemed tostrengthen his ties to his parishioners, and he likes to joke, withfolksy charm, about his B.C. daysbefore Christwhen he lived inIllinois, where he grew up with plans to make money and to be anindustrial engineer. Edwards marched with the counter-protesters overthe weekend, but these days hes best known for founding a broadcoalition of local faith leaders called the Charlottesville ClergyCollective.

For the past month, the Collective has met weekly to prepare for theincursion that took place this weekend. The violence outstripped evenEdwardss expectations, and he and others in the Collective are tryingto balance spiritual and pragmatic imperatives in the aftermath of thetragedy. The local debate over what to do with the citys Confederatemonuments, which was fractious but never violent, will flare again atthe end of the month, with another public hearing on the issue. Youcant let others have the last word, but we have to move to the highground, Edwards said. If they come back, we have to shout louder andmore often.

In 2015, after a white supremacist in Charleston, South Carolina,murdered eight church members and their pastor, Edwards wondered what would havehappened if a similar attack had taken place at his own congregation.Would he have called any of his fellow-clergy in Charlottesville fortheir support? The answer was no, he told me, when we met in hisoffice Monday afternoon. We didnt have the kind of relationship thatwould warrant a call like that. Why would I call you when I barely knowyou? The clergy community herethe faith communityhas been dividedsince desegregation. It was almost like they were nonexistent. They wereover there; we were over here. Youd almost think they didnt want tocome over, because they were afraid of the projects! It was adisturbing realization that Edwards vowed to correct immediately, sothat summer he started calling other pastors to float the idea of acollective.

The initial proposition was simple: once a month, a small group of whiteand black pastors, from different denominations, would meet forbreakfast and discuss activities that they could do together, such as takinga day trip to Monticello. We talked about how we didnt know eachother, he said. We had a bunch of ideas. But we werent prepared forwhat happened with the K.K.K. coming here. We didnt know that was goingto happen when we formed this. In May, two permit applications camebefore the City Councilthe first was for a Ku Klux Klan rally, to beheld in July, and the second was for Unite the Right. Attendance atthe Collective went from about five or six regulars per session to closeto fifty.

We talked about the safety of those demonstrating close to the front,and about whether or not we wanted to march down there, or go pray,Edwards said, of the meetings. He has the slightly more conservativeoutlook of an elder statesman, and hed sooner lead a prayer vigil thanrush into the fray. My thought was that we should completely ignore theKlansmen, he told me. Their numbers were smallthis wasnt the Klan ofold, he arguedand theyd clearly come from out of town. The worstthing you can do to a person is to not listen to him. I hate whensomeone does that to me, he said. But in the Collective you had theones who wanted to confront them, and I respect that, he told me.

Ultimately, the group decided to stage a counter-protest against theKlansmen, who in July flocked to another Confederate monument in town, astatue of Stonewall Jackson, in Justice Park. Elaine Thomas, a priest atSt. Pauls Memorial Church, a mostly white Episcopalian congregationacross the street from the University of Virginia, had joined theCollective at its inception and marched with the other members at theK.K.K. counter-protest. Were not activists, but we are people whowanted to make our presence known, Thomas told me. Young racial-justiceactivists whod shown up to stand in opposition to the Klansmen ralliedaround the pastors when they arrived. As we rounded the corner toJustice Park, they rushed toward us, she said. They kept saying, Theclergy are here! The clergy are here!

There are a number of historically influential churches inCharlottesville, but Mt. Zion and St. Pauls are especially emblematic.One is mostly black, the other mostly white. Mt. Zion sits at the bottomof a hill, in a quiet neighborhood called Fifeville, on the outskirts ofdowntown. St. Pauls is on University Avenue, within feet of theschools iconic statue of Thomas Jefferson; its classical portico andbrick building are an extension of the campuss architectural style. OnFriday night, close to a thousand people were packed into St. Pauls fora prayer service when a throng of torch-wielding demonstrators startedmassing across the street. Several police cars sped to the church justbefore the service let out, after reports that one of the demonstratorshad brandished a rifle.

I visited St. Pauls earlier this week to talk with its rector, theReverend William Peyton, a native Virginian whose great-great-grandfather lost his arm at the First Battle of Manassas. He has onlyrecently returned to the state, after serving as the associate rector atSt. James Church, in New York City, for the past seven years; he andEdwards are still only loose acquaintances. Peyton marched with a largegroup on Saturday that started at the Jefferson School and continued tothe First United Methodist Church, which is directly across the streetfrom Emancipation Park. As armed demonstrators moved along the fringesof the park beating counter-protesters, Peyton and others stood in thechurch parking lot to make sure that the property wasnt overrun.

There are all kinds of deep and intertwining historical ironies here,Peyton told me, as we walked through St. Pauls on Monday. We had sevenhundred people in the church the other night. There were Nazi torchesoutside. Some of the pews in the chapel bear the names of Confederatesoldiers. This church also had a proud history of leadership during thecivil-rights era. Thomas Jefferson was a white supremacist, he said,adding to the litany. How far was Robert E. Lee from Jefferson in termsof world view? But we deify Jefferson in this town.

Even the liberal politics of Charlottesville were complex and tangled,he told me. On one side was what Peyton called Old Virginia, acontingent of residents with a more conservative, nostalgist bent, whonever quite defended the Confederate monuments but still saw the CityCouncils vote to remove them, in February, as a needless provocation.On the other was a progressive group anchored by students and faculty atthe university, some of whom would leave town when their time at schoolwas up. Its a big university and a small city, he said. People whocome here from elsewhere dont always appreciate the depth of thehistoric ties to the Confederacy.

Peyton, like Edwards, wants his church to be a source of moral clarityand purpose, without overt activism becoming its sole function duringtrying times. Im trying to lead a church whose Christian identityleads my members to their politics, and not to have their politics leadthem to the church, he said. On Saturday morning, while protestersgathered downtown, Edwards invited congregants to Mt. Zion to pray fromsix until noon. To hear him describe it, the worshippers were a criticalpart of the resistance, too. We were trying to be prayerful, and Imgrateful for that, because I believe it would have been worse if peoplehadnt prayed, he told me.

The Collective is now at a crossroads. Some of its participants,especially younger pastors, grew restless in the weeks before thisweekends confrontation. They wanted the group to prepare for nonviolentdirect action and to hold the line against the white supremacists whowere coming to town by the van-load. You cant wish this away, SethWispelwey, a recently ordained minister, told me at the JeffersonSchool, on Monday. He helped a colleague, Brittany Caine-Conley, put outa nationalcall for pastors to come to Charlottesville to join the counter-protesters onthe front lines. The move wasnt exactly a consensus position amongmembers of the Collective, but its defenders saw it as necessary giventhe circumstances.

On Monday night, one sentiment seemed to elicit broad and unqualifiedagreement. There is a specific and demonstrable connection betweensymbols of racism and acts of racism, Lisa Woolfork, a University ofVirginia professor and member of Black Lives Matter, said. They keepcoming because we keep inviting them, she said, of the whitesupremacists from out of town. To rescind the invitation, you have toremove the Confederate monuments. Her statement drew the biggestapplause of the night.

See the article here:
How Church Leaders in Charlottesville Prepared for White Supremacists - The New Yorker

Instead, the items completely transformed and repurposed, creating an elaborate, full-sized gingerbread house set for the lessons taught at Vacation Bible School.

The woman behind the intricate set design, church secretary and former art teacher Shirley Johnson, has been working at the church since 1989. Now on Highway 29 in Alexandria, the church was originally housed in a smaller building. Because of space issues, decor for VBS was not always as detailed as it is now.

"We didn't do much then," she said. "We had a character, a tie-dyed sheet, stuffed animals and a paper palm tree. It's come a long way."

Now, the set building process takes months. The planning process for summer VBS begins in January, when the theme is established.

"We don't use anybody else's themes," Johnson said. "We write our own script, come up with the (Bible) verses, all the lessons. Pretty much before the meeting is over I can see it (the set) in my head."

From there, Johnson sketches out the set and begins brainstorming what materials the staff will need to construct it. In late May, the materials are brought to the church and construction of the set begins, typically taking about three months to complete. Assisting Johnson with construction are church members Don Kuelbs and Gene Ward.

Nothing from the set is ordered online or elsewhere. Each item involved is constructed by the church staff. For example, the multitude of M&Ms decorating the set this year are each cut from styrofoam and hand painted. The gingerbread frosting is fashioned from caulking, which was then spray painted white and glittered. The counters in the set's store were built from scratch.

This year, since the set involved a store, certain items were brought in by church members. Johnson even managed to track down the exact cash register she was envisioning.

"I have to give a shout out to ACE Hardware for that," she said. "I walked in one day and there sat that beautiful cash register, exactly what I wanted. I asked about it and they said it had been in the family a long time and they let us borrow it for the week. It would not have been the same without it."

Johnson says this year's set is by far the most colorful and animated, but sets from past years were special in their own way.

"One of my absolute favorites was Jesus University," she said. "We built bookshelves to the top of the cross (in the sanctuary). That was probably the most challenging because there were so many pieces to it."

Another challenging but rewarding set involved building a lighthouse.

"I think building-wise that was the hardest," Johnson said. "It touched the ceiling and was made of wood and styrofoam. You can do amazing things with styrofoam."

In some cases, materials from past sets are saved and reused for future sets. This year, the last of the styrofoam from a previous safari-themed set was used.

"The jungle is very precious to me," Johnson said. "I hated painting over it."

Johnson says one of the highlights each year is seeing the children's reactions when they come for the first day of Vacation Bible School, which runs in the evenings at the church.

"We're doing it for the children, sharing God's word in a proper way," Johnson said. "The kids do appreciate it. They have a lot of fun."

Go here to read the rest:
Vacation transformation at Good Shepherd Church - Alexandria Echo Press

Interface (NASDAQ: TILE) and Interface (NASDAQ:IFSIA) are both consumer discretionary companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, valuation, risk, dividends, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership and earnings.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Interface and Interfaces top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Interface has higher revenue and earnings than Interface.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

91.0% of Interface shares are held by institutional investors. 1.9% of Interface shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Dividends

Interface pays an annual dividend of $0.26 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.4%. Interface does not pay a dividend. Interface pays out 33.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend.

Profitability

This table compares Interface and Interfaces net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and target prices for Interface and Interface, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Interface presently has a consensus target price of $19.00, suggesting a potential downside of 0.26%. Given Interfaces higher probable upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Interface is more favorable than Interface.

Summary

Interface beats Interface on 6 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

Interface Company Profile

Interface Inc. is engaged in design, production and sale of modular carpet, also known as carpet tile. As of January 1, 2017, the Company marketed its modular carpets in over 110 countries under the brand names Interface and FLOR. The Company operates through three segments: Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. The Company distributes its products through two primary channels, including direct sales to end users and indirect sales through independent contractors or distributors. The Company sells an antimicrobial chemical compound under the trademark Intersept that the Company incorporates in all of its modular carpet products. It also sells its TacTiles carpet tile installation system, along with a range of traditional adhesives and products for carpet installation and maintenance that are manufactured by a third party. It also provides turnkey project management services for national accounts and other customers through its InterfaceSERVICES business.

Interface Company Profile

Interface Inc. is engaged in design, production and sale of modular carpet, also known as carpet tile. As of January 1, 2017, the Company marketed its modular carpets in over 110 countries under the brand names Interface and FLOR. The Company operates through three segments: Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. The Company distributes its products through two primary channels, including direct sales to end users and indirect sales through independent contractors or distributors. The Company sells an antimicrobial chemical compound under the trademark Intersept that the Company incorporates in all of its modular carpet products. It also sells its TacTiles carpet tile installation system, along with a range of traditional adhesives and products for carpet installation and maintenance that are manufactured by a third party. It also provides turnkey project management services for national accounts and other customers through its InterfaceSERVICES business.

Receive News & Ratings for Interface Inc. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Interface Inc. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

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Contrasting Interface (NASDAQ:TILE) & Interface (IFSIA) - Stock Observer

SA Drywall specialises indrywall installation. Drywall partitioning, gypsum ceilings, suspended ceilings and bulkhead ceilings. We pride ourselves on superb quality workmanship. Every one of our drywall installers is trained professionally.We will deliver on our promise of excellent workmanship.

We offer our customers a complete solution. All our drywalling projects come complete with skimming, painting, skirting and cornice. The finished product requires no further attention.This approach makes the most sense and makes your life easier.

We do residential, commercial and industrial drywall installations.Bathroom drywall installations.Garage drywall installations. Bulkhead ceilings for your reception area.Gypsum ceilings for your home.Suspended ceilings for your offices. Drywall partitioning for your warehouse. Whatever your requirements, we will give you great service. We currently operate throughout the Western Cape.

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A drywall installation can be done by anybody with the right guidance. For the DIY enthusiast it shouldnt be a problem. And now you can too, even if youre a newbie. Here is a simplified process you can follow.

Lets say youre installing drywall partitioning. Your first job is to measure the length and height of the proposed area you want to build the drywall. For example. A height of 2540mm x length of 4800mm equals 12.2 square metres. Plasterboard or gypsum boards normally come in 2.7m or 3m or 3.6m lengths x 1.2m wide. We will therefore use the 2.7m x 1.2m size and we will require 8 of these. They also come in different thicknesses. For partitions, you will use the thicker 12mm plasterboard, because you want your wall to be a strong as possible. The drywall must be able to withstand knocks and bumps. Please note that youneed these drywall sheets delivered to your site unless you have a flat bed truck.

Now you must assess the structure which you will attach your drywall partitiononto. Is the floor made of concrete, woodor steel? This information will ensure that you buy the right fasteners (drywall screw for timber; 13mm wafer head screw for metal and 6mm hammer screw for concrete) for your drywall tracks. The tracks are secured to the existing walls, ceiling and floor to form a frame. Then the studs are connected to the frame in a vertical position every 600mm. Plasterboards are then screwed onto the tracks and studs forming a solid partition.

Next, you need to visit your local hardware store and buy all the tools and materials for the job. Tools will include a chalk line, tape measure, spirit level, cordless drill, pencil, tin snips and utility knife. Materials will be the gypsum boards as well as the aluminium tracks and studs with appropriate fasteners, skirtings and cornices.

For the installation. Step1: Draw a chalk line from the existing wall across the ceiling. Step 2: Draw another chalk line from the existing wall across the floor. Make sure these 2 chalk lines are perfectly aligned using a spirit level. Attach the 76mm track to the ceiling using the appropriate fasteners. Next use a level and attach a 76mm track to the floor from the ceiling down to the ground. Now attach your studs to the tracks every 600mm. Then secure your plasterboards to the studs. Now tape up all the joints and skim with Rhino-glide. Apply primer and paint with white PVA.

For more information on DIYdrywall installation, watch this drywall installationvideo by Gyproc South Africa

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Drywall installation in Cape Town. Drywall installers

The following is an overview of the projects that were underway during July in the Burbank Unified School District using Measure S funds:

The childcare program at Harte Elementary School has been moved to another location. Demolition of the south building should be completed soon. Utilities for existing portable classrooms have been disconnected. Grading and excavation for a mobile-classroom project are scheduled to start soon.

The power lines to Jefferson Elementary School have been relocated and started back up. Demolition of the concrete pad and asphalt paving is expected to be completed soon. The drilling for shoring along Karen Street and next to the new modular classrooms has started. The demolition, grading and excavation for a mobile-classroom project are scheduled to start soon.

Installation of the interior finishes in the new modular classrooms has started at Stevenson Elementary School. The perimeter fence along Avon Street has been installed. Also, the curb and concrete strips along the playground are being installed. Visual and audio improvements are in place in all classrooms.

Exterior painting at Luther Middle School is nearly complete. Installation of visual and audio improvements in all classrooms is complete.

Installation and patching of drywall in Building B at the Mann Child Care Center continued. Installation of the seismic hold-down clips on the heating and air-conditioning units on the roof is ongoing as is installation of electrical underground utilities. Installation and testing of the gas piping is completed. Construction of the water and waste piping in Building B continued.

New wireless access points will be added on the athletic fields at Burbank High School.

Painting of the exteriors of the buildings at Muir Middle School is almost complete.

Installation of visual and audio improvements is expected to be completed at Disney Elementary School later this month.

Cabling and speaker installation in all classrooms is complete at Jordan Middle School.

mark.kellam@latimes.com

Twitter: @lamarkkellam

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Measure S improvements continue within Burbank Unified - Los Angeles Times

When it comes to installing a wall hangingbe it a work of art, a shower curtain bar, a knife grabber, or a big, heavy mirrorthere are so many unspoken rules around what will hold and what won't that it can be intimidating to even move forward. (Pan right to the pile of artwork that's been waiting patiently to be hung on your walls for over a year. Now cue the violins!) Very real dark thoughts might bubble up: Is it safe to mount things on brick walls? Or possible to drill through ceramic tile? What kind of weight can my plaster walls bear!? We decided to settle some of these eternally prohibitive questions by calling on a bevy of experts to very kindly bust some age-old wall hanging myths. So maybe this weekend you'll actually hang all those things? We hope so.

It's easy to get caught up worrying if the mortar will crumble away and send your artwork smashing to the floor, but that's unlikely. "Drilling into and anchoring into brick or grout (which is cementitious) is more sturdy than drywallit's much thicker and stronger," explains Edmond Caputo, an expert in art installation and handling who consults for interior designers and gallerists. Note, however, that grout is much easier to patch than brick. "Drilling and mounting into the grout is usually for the purpose of preserving the face of the brick (depending on its condition)," he says. "It's easier to fill in and patch the (typically gray) grout once something gets removed than to try and patch a red brick and make it flawless again."

Art hangs on the walls of this 17th-century convent annex in Valencia that houses David Lladr's apartment (with no fear of it crashing down).

Oberto Gili

To drill into grout, Caputo recommends a 1/8-inch Bosch masonry bit followed by "a drywall screw of the same thickness or just slightly thicker so it bites well into the grout." Use a lead anchor or masonry sleeve if you're going to drill directly into brick.

While you can certainly go the easy route here by using sticky hooks (like the ones Command makes, some of which are even humidity-resistant), "for anything with weight, youre going to have to drill into the tile wall," says Katie Battaglia, design director at Nemo Tile+Stone. Equip yourself with a diamond-head drill bit, "measure three times, and then drill" (lest you get it wrong). For something especially heavy, like a wall-hung vanity, she recommends positioning a layer or two of plywall between the piece you're hanging and the tile wall before drillingthis will help the wall bear the weight of the piece. "If you just go through the tile, the tiles not going to hold and itll pop off," she explains. So don't do that.

A mirror hangs on the mosaic-tiled wall of this Manhattan bathroom by Drake Design Associates.

William Waldron

Before drilling through the tile itself, make sure they're not made of glass, which is usually tempered. "If you were to cut into tempered glass its going to shatter," Battaglia says. "Thats what its built to do; its in essence a safety glass." Ceramic or terra cotta tiles are fine to drill through, though, if you don't mind putting a hole in one foreverjust spritz them wet while you're drilling (you might want a friend's help) to help prevent cracking.

"Drywall is softer to drive a nail or screw into, but plaster can range in hardness from super stubborn to butterlike," Caputo explains. "Some plaster will be very brittle and break off into pieces if you try and drill or drive anything into it without patience." To counter these many variables, he recommends using skinny nails such as finishing brads (or those tiny ones that come with hanging kits) when hanging a piece on a plaster wall: "Slowly, steadily drive the nail as if you're tapping it into place. Sometimes this works, and sometimes you've got to repeat the method many times, as the nails will give out and begin to bend, becoming useless. Pull it out, get a fresh nail, continue to slowly drive it into the plastered wall. You can also use a masonry bit to tap into a plaster wall as well, then use a drywall screw to hang the painting from." If you're nervous anyhow, he recommends the tug test: "It never hurts to give a tug to make sure whatever you've nailed or anchored feels solid." If it isn't, you'll want to drill into a stud instead.

Even large artworks can safely hang on plaster or drywall (see: Basquiet's Trumpet on display in Steve Tisch's Beverly Hills living room).

Roger Davies

"Ideally you'd like to hang anything heavy by hitting a stud behind the drywallbut it's not absolutely necessary for the majority of paintings and pictures most homeowners own," Caputo says (and, yes, that means your standard drawing or painting or DIY artwork, freshly home from the framer, can go right up without bothering to break out a studfinder). "Once you start getting into works that are in the 150-pound range, you should try to hit a stud and/or just hire a professional for the job because of inherent risks to yourself and the artwork," he says. Do this also if your tug test (see myth #2) fails, meaning your drywall or plaster and lath walls are too thin.

If you can't lift the heavy antique mirror yourself, hire a professional (and be sure he or she finds the stud!).

Pascal Chevallier

Read the original here:
4 Wall Hanging Myths We Are Delighted to Have Busted - Architectural Digest

Photo: unicosystem.com

As the temperatures rise, homeowners across most of the country face the same dilemma: whether to turnon the noisy air conditioning and suffer the skyrocketing energy billsor sit through a sticky, uncomfortable summer. There doesnt seem to be much of a compromise, given that conventional forced-air systems dominate the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) landscape in the United States. And for owners of historic, architecturally sensitive, or aesthetically challenging houses, these systems may not even bea viable option due to lack of space or the need for extensive renovation. Even window unitsthough they offer some reprievearent necessarily any more ideal: They block views, use energy inefficiently, generate unbearable noise, and can pose security risks if stationed in unlocked windows.

Fortunately, todays homeowners have access to more options and more advanced technology. One such creative and cutting-edge solution that has gained popularity over the past 30 years provides the comfort of central AC without the hassle of tearing down walls and running bulky air ducts or the expensive utility bills thereafter. High-velocity or small-duct HVAC systems comprise flexible mini ducts that can be easily routed through existing space within walls, floors, and ceilings. Moreover, the uniquely small size of their parts plays a role in ensuring operational efficiency and lower monthly billsbut thats just the tip of the iceberg of what the systems smart design can offer.

High-velocity HVACs ease of customization and installation give a homeowner plenty to think about before selecting their new systems. If youre in the market for a most efficient cooling and heating option, weigh these considerations to design a high-velocity system tailored to your home.

Photo: unicosystem.com

1. Desired Amount of Climate ControlHigh-velocity systems are as efficient heating solutions as they are cooling, so long as you set them up to do so. First, assess whether your regions climate demands a system that only cools or one that will maintain year-round comfort with both heating and cooling. (If you aim to do both, a preferred installing contractor will connect the system to a hydronic coil, add-on heat pump, orelectric duct heater.)Next, determine how youd like to set up the system to address climate throughout the house. Theability to designate zones from a single room to an entire floor in size allows a more individual control by separate thermostats, and homeowners can further target rooms that tend to warm up faster than others as well as leave out those infrequently used to conserve energy.

Beyond what arrangements are made during the assembly of a new high-velocity HVAC, homeowners can also count on more precise control over the temperatures simply through the systems design. The Unico System operates through a process called aspiration, in which a high-velocity stream of air entering a room creates enough of a gentle suction around itself to draw the rooms air into its stream. As a result, homeowners enjoy a draft-free comfort even in rooms with once spotty coverage from forced air heating and cooling systems. Plus, temperatures from floor to ceiling and room to room are no more than 2 degrees higher or lower than what is set on the thermostat.

2. Maximum EfficiencyIf your main motivator in choosing a new system is energy savings month after month, a high-velocity system is the way to go.The Unico Systemrelies on the design of its mini ducts as well as specially wrapped and insulated supply tubing in order tominimize air loss from air handler to room. Indeed, Unicos mini ducts developed have one-third less surface area than conventional ductwork and lose that much less heat through their walls. Then, where traditional HVAC systems can lose up to 25 percent of their heating or cooling energy through leaks in ductwork, the Unico Systems quality insulation limits loss to less than 5 percent. In short, homeowners get the cooling or heating that you pay for.

On top of its superior network of ducts, Unico Systems air handler also play a part in the energy savings this high-velocity HVAC system offers. The exceptionally efficient cooling coils removeupto 30 percent more humidity than conventional systems. With less moisture in the air, a homeowner can keep the thermostat at a higher settingreducing energy use by three percent for every additional degreeand still maintain a more comfortable environment.

Photo: unicosystem.com

3. InvisibilityNothing spoils thoughtfully decorated interior quite like the conspicuous metal grillwork of conventional air vents. Not only does their appearance detract from the overall tone of a space, but traditional metal registers are prone to streaking, and those dark, dirty trails makethem look even worse. High-velocity HVAC offers new options for vent styles that make this energy-efficient system easier on the eyes as well as the wallet.

The Unico System, for example, preserves the aesthetics of your home through a vast array of nearly invisible outlets. Choose either five-inch round or slotted half-inch-by-eight-inch styles, each in a variety of colors and wood stains that let them blend in with virtually any decor. Unfinished wood versions can even be painted or stained to exactly match their surroundings. Mounted on the ceiling, in the floor, or on a wall these vents ensure a highly discreet distribution of conditioned airand whisper-quiet airflow (thanks to sound-deadening insulation in the air handler and the layered design of the supply tubes) wont give away their hiding spots!

4. TimingProfessional installation of a high-velocity HVAC system is so quick and simple that homeowners can start reaping its benefits almost immediately. Whereas the bulky ducts in most conventional cooling and heating systems require a fair amount of renovationfrom the opening of drywall to the construction of soffits and drop ceilingsto incorporate them, a high-velocity system has the upper hand because of the compact size of its components.The flexible ducts can snake between beams and joists throughout existing cavities in ceilings, walls, or floors, while the modular air handlers and coils fit in any opening thats just a couple of feet tall and wide in, for example, an attic or crawl space. In fact, the Unico System uses less than one-third of the space in the built environment that a traditional system requires, meaning it can deliver up to nine tons of air conditioning without taking up any more space than a three-ton traditional unit.

By eliminating the need to gut the home, installation becomes less time-consuming (not to mention less disruptive and less expensive). The only question left to answer is,When should we make the switch?

Next Up: Consult a ProWhile its a good idea to weigh all these considerations on your own as you narrow down your HVAC options, the planning and assessment stage is not truly complete until you involve a professional. A qualified HVAC contractor can help you choose a high-velocity mini-duct system that best meets your needs, right down to the intricacies of determining the right size. The climate in your region, the amount of insulation in the home, the homes square footage, and the number of people typically occupying various rooms all havean impact on air handler requirements. Proper sizing is crucial: An improperly sized system will not perform efficiently and can compromise your comfort.

The Unico System, which has now been installed in more than 500,000 homes, maintains a network of trusted professionals who will evaluate your situation, specify the appropriate products to achieve your cooling and heating goals, and install the system properly. The Unico System technology scales up or down as needed with ease, offering anywhere from one to five tons of cooling and heating, and these professionals understand it best. They can even help you save more money on your new investment by determining if you are eligible for federal, state, or local residential energy tax credits for upgrading to a high-efficiency HVAC system. To start exploring the possibilities, go to the Unico websiteand enter your zip code in the search tool to find a list of qualified HVAC technicians in your area.

This article has been brought to you by Unico. Its facts and opinions are those of BobVila.com.

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Valley Stream, NY (PRWEB) August 16, 2017

PreciseLED, an LED lighting manufacturer based in Valley Stream, NY, announced today that Zenlite Arc has been selected for inclusion in the 2017 IES Progress Report. The announcement was first made on stage at the IES Annual Conference on August 11th in Portland, Oregon. The Progress Report is a curated selection of next generation lighting products issued annually by the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), the foremost organization representing the lighting community in the United States.

Zenlite Arc is heralded as the first recessed curved product in the U.S. Market that allows for a virtually unlimited degree of freedom. Curves can be as tight as a 30 diameter (15 radius), and there is no maximum. The current version of Zenlite Arc is 1 wide, but there are plans for wider versions in the future.

With Zenlite Arc included in the 2017 Progress Report, it reinforces our drive to continue creating next generation LED lighting products said Daniel Machlis, President of PreciseLED Inc. Despite the youth of our company, we proved to the lighting community that we are one of the leaders of innovation.

Since we introduced the product at Lightfair International 2017, we received tremendous feedback on Zenlite Arc. With applications ranging from artistic freeform designs to circles used as part of logos embedded into drywall, the applications to Zenlite Arc are virtually limitless. We believe that Zenlite Arc is one of the few products on the market that truly harnesses the power of LEDs and allows them to be as flexible as they can be. This is not just another product- this is the future of lighting.

About PreciseLED

PreciseLED is a privately held LED lighting manufacturer based in Valley Stream, NY. With a mission statement of providing highly engineered architectural lighting fixtures at competitive pricing that ship fast, PreciseLED stands behind its mission by ensuring every product it introduces is in line with the companys mission.

About Zenlite

Zenlite is a linear recessed lighting product line designed to be the thickness of drywall itself. The name Zenlite was chosen to imply ease, as the products are designed to specify and install easily. With a proprietary design that includes insertable PVC flanges, the installation process is simple and there arent any post installation issues that can be seen with some other lighting products. The company has, to date, filed four patents for the Zenlite product line.

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PreciseLED's Zenlite Arc Selected for 2017 IES Progress Report - PR Web (press release)

Titan Interiors performed the finishing work on the interior of St. Luke University Parish near Grand Valley State University in Allendale.

Grand Rapids, Michigan (PRWEB) August 11, 2017

Titan Interiors LLC, a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based contractor specializing in metal stud framing and drywall installation, was named two years in a row to Walls & Ceilings magazines national list of Top 50 Contractors, one of only two Michigan companies to appear on the list.

Titan Interiors President Bahrudin Rudy Kadiric said he was honored and humbled that his company was highlighted again by Walls & Ceilings as an exceptional contractor in the interior building trade.

We must be doing something right to be selected two years in a row, said Kadiric, who founded the company seven years ago with his brother Muhamed. I think two keys to our success are leadership by example and our high standards of workmanship.

Titan Interiors and the other contractors on the list have exhibited numerous skill-sets that warrant them among the best, said John Wyatt, the magazines editor. All in all, their talents have sustained their business model and made them industry leaders. A monthly magazine with approximate national circulation of 30,000, Walls & Ceilings provides news and information of interest to wall and ceiling contractors, architects, dealers/distributors and other industry professionals.

While he said that Titan Interiors treats every job as if it were a million dollar project, Kadiric said he is especially proud of work that demands creative problem solving and strong project management, such as the high profile 20 Monroe Live entertainment complex, the first Hilton Garden Inn to be built in Grand Rapids, and the St. Luke University Parish in Allendale. Titan Interiors posted revenues of $12.4 million last year in commercial/industrial drywall projects, comparable to the revenues the year before.

Kadiric said the company has a peak staff of about 200 that provide high-quality interior and exterior framing, drywall installation, insulation, acoustical and specialty ceilings, acoustical sound panels, EIFS/stucco, flooring and painting.

We are very pleased to have nearly doubled the number of team members we are working with in the West Michigan region from the prior year, he said. That sets the stage for further growth of Titan Interiors. But we also want controlled growth, so that we never sacrifice our emphasis on quality workmanship that our customers expect.

For more information about Titan Interiors and its projects, please refer to the companys website at http://www.titaninteriors.net.

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Titan Interiors Named to Walls & Ceilings National List of Top 50 Contractors for Two Years in a Row - PR Web (press release)