Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

FARMINGTON - The Mt. Blue Regional School District school board held a public hearing on a proposed bond Tuesday evening, detailing $318,000-worth of improvements to boilers, rooftops, windows and pavement across the district.

The bond will appear before voters at the June 13 referendum, along with the budget validation vote.

Estimating a 3.5 percent interest rate and a 10-year lifespan, the $317,834 bond would cost $38,217 a year for 10 years. The first payment would be part of the 2018-19 budget, not the incoming 2017-18 fiscal year. The timing of the bond would have the first payment due the year after the last payment on the Academy Hill School gymnasium and heating improvements, which costs the district $29,104 each year.

A second, $48,000 annual debt payment would expire in 2019-20, the year after the first payment on the new bond.

The improvements addressed by the $318,000 bond include $43,000 to replace single-pane, aging windows at the G.D. Cushing School in six classrooms, the kitchen and two bathrooms. The new windows, according to the Jonathan Chalmers, director of facilities management, would decrease the glassed area and increase the insulated area to improve energy efficiency and security. Classroom lighting would also be improved at the Cushing School, with new, flat panel LEDs replacing old lights that needed lens and ballast replacements.

The gym roof at Cushing School also needs to be resurfaced, Chalmers said, with water stains visible on the laminated wood roof decking inside the gym. That project, which would cost $37,000, had been postponed several years, resulting in increased staining.

At Cascade Brook School, pneumatic actuators associated with air handling equipment would be replaced at the cost of $19,081. The current air compressor tank has failed, so the district is using a replacement unit recycled from Cushing School. The new actuators would reduce the energy consumption of the system, allow for digital control and allow the district to avoid replacing the compressor.

Pavement projects would target broken ground at Cape Cod Hill School and the bus garage, at the costs of $11,303 and $60,000, respectively. At CCHS, the bus unloading area has become degraded and needs to be replaced, Chalmers said, while the bus garage would replace failed pavement in the parking lot.

Also at CCHS, $35,000 would address additional exterior windows, targeting units with failed balances and rotted sashes. The windows are located on the second floor classrooms, Chalmers said, with usable parts to be recycled to replace some failed first floor window balances and sashes.

A boiler at the bus garage would also be replaced at the cost of $35,000. That's another project that was pushed back from this year, due to unforeseen district-wide costs.

Several parking spaces, including two handicapped spaces, would be paved at the Mt. Blue Campus to accommodate the Adult Education program. That project would cost $25,000. Also at the MBC, air conditioning would be installed in seven classrooms in the F wing at the cost of $23,450.

At Mt. Blue Middle School, four water storage tanks would be replaced at the cost of $20,000. Chalmers said that one of the tanks has failed and two others are leaking.

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School bond includes funds for boiler, roof repair and other improvements - Daily Bulldog

Video shot/edited by Jennifer Hahn.

Samsung revamped one of its 2016 hybrids while simultaneously creating a challenger to Microsoft's Surface family. Last year's Galaxy TabPro S was a thin-and-light tablet powered by a Skylake Core M processor and featuring an OLED display. While stunning, the OLED display raised questions about the longevity of the device, and the tablet itself was lacking in connectivity options.

The new Galaxy Book tries to fix some of that while keeping the good parts intact: it's a slim Windows tablet, accompanied by a folio keyboard case and S Pen stylus, that's vying to replace your regular laptop by enticing you with Ultrabook-grade internals. The Galaxy Book comes in 10- and 12-inch models,but both are very different, not just in their screen size, but in internal quality as well. While Samsung managed to right some of the wrongs of the TabPro S, it's hard to make a case for the Galaxy Book replacing your everyday work device.

As the next iteration of the TabPro S, the Galaxy Book's kicker is its 12-inch, 21601400 Super AMOLED display. It produces highly saturated colors and rich blacks that make photo and video viewing (or editing) a vibrant experience. But since it is an OLED panel, I ran into the same issues that Ars' Peter Bright did while reviewing the TabPro S: the pixels in OLED panels degrade over time. Areas of the screen that are brightly lit grow dimmer more quickly than areas of the screen that stay dark.

This degradation is much faster and more uneven than the gradual backlight dimming of LCD screens. Samsung tries to slow that process as much as possible with the use of screensavers and screen-dimming software. You can turn offthe screensaver completely, but, just like withthe TabPro S, there's no straightforward way to stop the display from dimming after about 10 minutes of inactivity.

Samsung included this feature for good reason: similar to the Tab Pro S, screen-dimming will help reduce the effects of the pixel degradation. Since the Galaxy Book is positioned as a productivity two-in-one, users will be tapping, typing, and writing with the device, presumably for hours on end. Screen dimming will likely increase the longevity of the device overall, even if it was an annoying obstacle during our testing.

The bezels surrounding the display are a bit wide (the biggest measuring about .75-inches), but the bezel that sits at the top of the tablet in laptop mode holds the front-facing 5MP camera. Mirroring its placement on the back of the tablet is the 13MP rear camera. This isn't complemented by a cutout on the keyboard cast like the TabPro S's rear camera had. Instead, theplastic flap covering the camera is narrower than the other two sections of the case's back, so you can simply fold it down to reveal the camera and not much else. Still, having the cutout is more convenient because you don't have an extra step to complete before taking a photo.

Being a tablet, the Galaxy Book doesn't have many ports on its edges. Both of the short sides sport speaker grills, the right side holds the two USB Type-C ports and a headphone jack, and the opposite side holds a microSD card slot. The power and volume buttons are at the top edge of the device for easy access when in laptop mode. I appreciate that Samsung added an additional USB Type-C port since the TabPro S only had one, and I really appreciate that you can charge the device through either of those ports.That being said, I would have been elatedif some adaptors like USB Type-C to Type A were included in the box as well.

Otherwise, the Galaxy Book is your typical metal slab-like tablet. Our review model, the 12-inch Galaxy Book, is better positioned for work and serious productivity, not only thanks to its size but also its internals. Comparatively, the10-inch device requires compromising at every corner: it has a 10-inch TFT 19201080 display, Core m3 processor, 4GB of RAM, either 64 or 128GB of storage (but it does have the microSD card slot, so you can expand that to 256GB), no rear-facing camera, and no LTE option. Both the 10- and 12-inch models conveniently have onboard GPS and GLONASS, so you're not forced into the LTE option if you want a GPS on the tablet. The 10-inch Galaxy Book starts at $629, which is much lower than the $1,129 starting price of the 12-inch model (our model comes in at $1,329).

Samsung's Galaxy Book with keyboard cover and S Pen.

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Full-sized keyboard.

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The adhesive sleeve for the S Pen sticks to the bottom of the keyboard deck.

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Five magnetic connecting nodes.

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Keys are nicely sized and have good travel.

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Two USB Type C ports.

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Power and volume buttons.

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Connecting nodes on the device.

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One of the viewing angles provided with the keyboard case.

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OLED screen at 200-nit brightness.

OLED screen when automatically dimmed.

The 12-inch Galaxy Book starts at $1,129.

Valentina Palladino

The included keyboard case wraps around the entire Galaxy Book slab. Unlike the TabPro S, which had two viewing angles using the back magnetic flap of the case, the Galaxy Book has four. I typically kept mine on the second-highest angle, as that and the highest position are best forbasic work like Web browsing and typing. I didn't use the second-lowestposition much at all, but it's likely better for using the S Pen instead of the trackpad to navigate.I love taking notes, so the S Pen mostly came in handy with the Galaxy Book in tablet mode. Artists may also like the lowest mode thatleans the tablet back so much that it's nearly flat, using only the smallest flap (the one covering the rear camera) for support.

The absence of a kickstand makes the Galaxy Book look and feel much more like a tablet than a two-in-one. The keyboard case provides a fairly stable stand for the slab, even whileworking with the device on your lap. However, it's not nearly as secure as a device with a kickstand would be, like HP's updated Spectre x2or the newly announced Surface Pro devices.

The Galaxy Book isn't as stable as a regular laptop, either.You need stability for any two-in-one to succeed on a fundamental level, and devices with built-in kickstands (particularly those you can adjust to sit at different viewing angles) are arguably better suited for stability in unstable environments. The flap of the keyboard case sticks nicely to the back of the Galaxy Book, but just fiddling with it to adjust the viewing angle requires attention to make sure it's completely secure at the angleyou want. If you misalign the magnets, the tablet will fall backward.

The island-layout, full-sized keyboard is one of the better tablet keyboards I've used. There's decent travel between the keys, and Samsung didn't misplace or leave out any crucial keys. The Backspace key is slightly smaller than normal, but not small enough to impact my typing speed or cause many mistakes. I managed manyhours of typing on this device with no fatigue or discomfort. The trackpad is just as pleasant to use with its smooth-to-the-touch feel and gesture support. It's a Precision Touchpad, supporting the full range of built-in Windows touch gestures.

The included S Pen is similar to what's included in Samsung's Chromebook Pro. However, the Galaxy Book doesn't have a built-in slot to keep the pen close. Instead, the box includes an adhesive sleeve you can attach to an indentation on the keyboard case. The sleeve places the pen at the left side of the keyboard at all times. The pen's 0.7mm tip is precise and easy to use to write, sketch, or highlight, and neither the S Pen nor keyboard require charging, so younever have to worry about battery life with either of these accessories. The pen's latency was barely noticeable, but it wasn't exactly the same as the elevated writing experience found on the Chromebook Pro.

One of my favorite features of theTab S3is Samsung's Air Command, and that's also ready to go on the Galaxy Book. With the pen tip close to the display, you can bring up the Air Command menu by pressing the singular side button on the S Pen. By default, fiveapps pop up, letting you quickly grab a screenshot, write notes, select parts of the screen, and more. I will say that the side button is awkwardly placed, at least for me and how I hold a pen naturally. While taking notes and gripping the pen normally, I often accidentally clicked the side button

Air Command makes using the S Pen much easier in situations whereyou wouldn't necessarily think to use a stylus. There are plenty of shortcuts for Windows users already, but makingsome important ones (like taking a scribble-ready screenshot) readily accessible in a pen-only menu encourages users to pick up the S Pen more often. I only wish you could customize the app shortcuts in Air Command like you can on the Tab S3 Android tablet. On this Windows device, you have to make dowith just the five apps programmed into Air Command: create note, view all notes, smart select, screen write, and show window.

Samsungdoesn't add muchbloatware to the Galaxy Book, but the company hopes users will take advantage of Samsung Flow. Flow is Samsung's software for sharing information, including notifications, photos, and documents, between different Samsung devices that are connected via Bluetooth. If you have a Samsung smartphone, you can unlock the Galaxy Book by using your fingerprint on the smartphone's reader. You can also share documents easily between the two devices and receive smartphone notifications on the two-in-one.

Flow certainly makes life easier for those with many Samsung devices. Flow also provides the only biometric security features for the Galaxy Book. The Book doesn't have an IR camera or an onboard fingerprint sensor, so the only way you'll get around usinga password or PIN will be by using your fingerprint to unlock Flow on a Galaxy smartphone. I'm glad there's some form of biometric security available for the Galaxy Book, but I'm disappointed at the lack of IR cameranumerous times, I flipped open the Galaxy Book from its keyboard case and expected the camera to recognize my face and unlock my device.

Our review model of the Galaxy Book is powered by a dual-core Core i5-7200U processor, Intel HD 620 graphics, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of onboard storage. I like that Samsung added an 8GB of RAM optionthe 4GB on the TabPro S just wasn't enoughbut you'll still pay premium for it. The Galaxy Bookperformed just as well as similar Kaby Lake systems inall of our benchmark tests, and it performed a little better than Skylake devices like Microsoft's Surface Pro 4. However, it did get noticeably warm with consistent use.

We had to account for the Galaxy Book's screen-dimming feature before running our battery tests by runningan app that moves the cursor periodically to simulate activity and prevent the screen from dimming. Samsung estimates the Galaxy Book will last around 11 hours on a single charge, but our tests didn't even get close to that.The Galaxy Book lasted an average of 411 minutes on our default battery test, or just under seven hours. Manytwo-in-ones we've tested last anywhere between 600 to 900 minutes on this test, but the Galaxy Book performed most like Apple's 9.7-inch iPad Pro (which still lasted over an hour moreon the same test). The Galaxy Book did slightly better on our graphics test, lasting 241minutes, or about fourhours. It placed ahead of devices like the Dell XPS 15, the HP Spectre 13, and the 13-inch MacBook Pro with TouchBar.

Samsung succeeded in updating the TabPro S with the Galaxy Book. Adding 4GB of RAM, an extra USB Type-C port, and an LTE option bring the slab into the modern age, at the very least. The keyboard cover and S Pen are particularly good because they're included (similar accessories are extra when you buy a Surface Pro). The typing experience is much better than other hybrid keyboards, and the S Penis quite useful when paired with Samsung's Air Command software. Our model of theGalaxy Book was a capable machinethat performed just as well as other devices with U-series processors, two-in-ones or not.

But just because the Galaxy Book is a better TabPro S doesn't mean it's an ideal hybrid. I have yet to try a slab-folio keyboard combo that I would feel comfortable replacing my laptop with, and the Galaxy Book doesn't change that. While it is decently stable on your lap, itsoverall design simply isn't suited for my lifestyle as a primary PC. This type of device is best suited for hyper-mobile usersas in those who are constantly running around and need a lightweight device that packs plenty of power. Those users also value the laptop experience and the tablet experience equally. I need a laptop more than a tablet most of the time, so the Galaxy Book won't replace my current PC any time soon.

I also take issue with the OLED display and the price. The issues we had with the TabPro S concerning its OLED display haven't been quelled with the Galaxy Book, but I didn't expect them to be. Samsung uses OLED panels in many of its devices, and we'll probably have to make do with screensavers and screen dimming on its tablets for the foreseeable futureor at least untilthe longevity of OLED panels is aswonderful as the panels themselves.

In terms of price, you'll spend at least $1,329 for a Galaxy Book with this much power. Butyou still sacrifice a lot despite the high price tag, particularly with the lack of any Windows Hello support and the disappointing battery life. I'd hold off on the Galaxy Book for now and wait to see how new, similar devices perform, including the updated HP Spectre x2, which starts at $999, and the new line of updated Surface Pros, which start at $799.

Listing image by Valentina Palladino

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Samsung Galaxy Book review: A better TabPro S, but not a laptop replacement - Ars Technica

Premier HVAC service provider in the Frederick County region, Frederick Air conditioning, and Heating, partners with top manufacturers and suppliers of cooling and heating to ensure quality and affordable service delivery

Frederick Air Conditioning and Heating has announced its partnership with top cooling and heating systems brands, which includes world-class suppliers and manufacturers. The move is to ensure the continuous delivery of quality yet affordable services to clients in different counties across Maryland.

Frederick Air Conditioning and Heating is currently in partnership with brands like Mitsubishi, Lennox, Trane and Honeywell.

Frederick Air Conditioning and Heating is one of the renowned Frederick MD HVAC contractors offering a wide range of repair services for heating and cooling systems. The air conditioning repair and service Frederick MD is delivered by professionals and well-trained technicians that are well rounded in repairs of air conditioners, ventilation, and refrigeration.

HVAC Frederick MD also provides installation and maintenance services to clients across Federick County for all types and sizes of HVAC systems both for residential as well as commercial purposes. The team at Frederick Air Conditioning and Heating also offer regular servicing and maintenance of air conditioning systems to ensure smooth and efficient operations.

HVAC Repair Frederick MD also offers heating services, which include furnace repair services, sales of new furnaces at special discounts available all through the year, installation of furnace and boilers and subsequent repairs and maintenance of all brands of boilers and furnace. The company also does energy auditing to help in improving the efficiency of heating system and free quotes and inspection of home furnace and heating equipment.

In addition to the services mentioned above, Frederick Air Conditioning and Heating also offers HVAC installation and replacement services, and emergency HVAC Repair Services to homes and offices in Frederick County and surrounding areas.

Frederick Air Conditioning and Heating serves areas in Frederick, Howard, Montgomery and Carroll Counties, ensuring homes and offices get the best of services as fast as possible.

About Frederick Air Conditioning and Heating

Frederick Air Conditioning and Heating is the premier Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) service provider in the Frederick County region of Maryland. The Frederick Air Conditioning and Heating team comprises of experienced and well-trained technicians that deliver quality services to clients.

Frederick Air Conditioning and Heating also partners with top heating and cooling brands like Trane, Honeywell, and Mitsubishi, ensuring clients get quality yet affordable services and products.

Media Contact Company Name: Frederick Air Conditioning and Heating Contact Person: Mike James Email: hvacfrederickpro@gmail.com Phone: 301-444-5630 Address:47 E All Saints St. City: Frederick State: MD 21701 Country: United States Website: https://www.hvacfrederickpro.com

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Frederick Air Conditioning and Heating partners with top cooling and heating giants - Digital Journal

With a larger, easier to read screen, a thinner profile, and host of new sensors, the 3rd generation Nest thermostat offers energy-saving smarts in a slightly more capable and attractive package.

Simple installation has been one a strength for Nest since its beginnings and the third generation is no exception. The thermostat comes with everything you need, including a screwdriver, mounting screws, and a mounting base. The latter even has an embedded leveler to ensure your Nest is straight when you mount it to the wall. We've grown accustomed to swapping thermostats in and out lately, and so far, the Nest is hands down the easiest. Physical installation took a little under 10 minutes, with an additional 10 required for setting everything else up onscreen and in the app.

After inserting the individual wires into their matching connectors and snapping the main screen into place, the thermostat powers up and provides you with on screen instructions. You select your residence type (single or multi-family, business, or condo), the heating system you use (propane, oil, electric, or geothermal), and then choose a wireless network to connect to. We had already downloaded the Nest app to use with our 2nd gen Nest, so after updating models and ensuring everything was working properly, we spent a week retraining the new Nest to our schedule to see if features like Auto Schedule and Home/Away Assist worked any better.

Standard disclaimer: While the Nest should work with most 24V heating and cooling systems, before buying any new connected thermostat, do yourself a favor and figure out whether you have a power-supplying C-wire (aka common wire). We happen to have one, but they're not actually that common. The goods news is that the Nest remains one of the few smart thermostats that doesn't require a C-wire to work (it can charge its built-in battery using the heating and cooling wires).

Having used and thoroughly enjoyed the 2nd generation Nest thermostat for close to a year, we can confidently say the 3rd gen version improves on it in almost every way. No, these improvements aren't huge, and for most people they probably won't warrant an upgrade. Still, there are refinements aplenty, whether it's the larger, higher-res screen (up from a 1.75-inch 320 x 320 display to a 2.08-inch 480 x 480 one), the Sunblock feature that prevents the thermostat from turning on or off due to direct sunlight exposure, or the new far field sensor that can recognize movement from across the room and then trigger either the time, temperature, or weather forecast on screen.

What continues to distinguish the Nest thermostat from its competitors, though, is its ability to learn your heating and cooling preferences and then generate a customized, energy-efficient schedule based on them. After about a week of "teaching" the thermostat your preferred temperature settings, you can elect to have Auto Scheduling kick in. It'll use those previous heating/cooling commands along with its own sensors and algorithms to come up with an energy-saving schedule that you can then continue to tweak and refine or ignore. We found the feature worked just as well on the 3rd gen model, which is to say flawlessly. Granted, we don't have a particularly large house (~1,475 sq ft with one floor) or a complicated daily schedule, but the Nest had no trouble distinguishing between our weekday and weekend routines, and there was never a morning where we didn't wake up to our preferred temperature.

One area we did noticed some improvement in over the 2rd gen Nest was related to another smart feature: Home/Away Assist. Most thermostats with geofencing capabilities simply rely on your phone's location to figure when you're home and when you're away. That information is then used to adjust the temperature appropriately. As we've discovered reviewing other models, this can still cause plenty of confusion, particularly if the phone reception in your area isn't great. Even with the 2nd gen Nest, there were times when a sustained period of slothfulness was interpreted as an Away, which in turn caused our heating system to switch to its much cooler ECO mode.

The Nest does things a bit differently. It uses a combination of its own motion sensors, plus those of other Nest products (if you have them) like the Nest Cam and Nest Protect, to help determine your location. For us, the result was far fewer false positives. It also meant we were (gasp) free to leave home without a phone yet still rely on the heating system to revert to its ECO mode.

As far as integration with other smart home platforms and gadgets go, the Nest remains one of the most compatible connected thermostats you can buy. Yes, there are two notable and not very surprising exceptions: Apple's HomeKit and Samsung's SmartThings. But almost every other popular device we could think of seems to be supported through the Works With Nest program, including platforms like Insteon, WeMo, Wink, Lutron, Vivant, and many more. You can get a full list of compatible devices and platforms here.

This tight integration lets you do things like program your Hue lights to turn off when the Nest goes into Away Mode. The Nest also supports voice commands as well. We didn't have a Google Home to test with it, but can report that using Alexa with Amazon's Echo work perfectly. As a testament to how well the automatic scheduling worked, we found rarely used it.

If you're paranoid (and you should be) about the myriad security risks associated with filling your home with connected gadgets, you'll be pleased to know that you can now enable two-factor authentication for the thermostat through the Nest app. It's a welcome option that most smart thermostat manufacturers still don't offer for some reason.

Overall, the Nest performed reliably and without any major hiccups during the month we used it. Some may point out that, unlike the Ecobee3, the Nest still doesn't offer remote sensors that allow you to monitor and control the temperature in individual rooms (versus just the entire home). Realistically, if you don't live in a multi-level, larger home, you probably won't miss something like this..

With each successive generation, the Nest thermostat gets easier and easier to recommend. While it's not worth upgrading from the 2nd generation Nest, the latest version is an perfect choice for anyone who wants help saving money on their energy bills, but who doesn't want to exert much time or effort doing so.

Price: $249

Colors: Stainless Steel, Copper, Black, White

Dimensions: 3.3 x 1.2 inches

Screen: 480 x 480 resolution at 229 pixels per inch (2.1-inch diameter)

Sensors: Temperature, Humidity, Near-field activity, Far-field activity, Ambient light

Compatibility: See website

Official site

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Nest Learning Thermostat Review: Smart temperature control that sticks to your schedule - Popular Science

YORK On May 2, a large crane was used to lift massive heating and cooling units to the roof of the York County Courthouse to replace failed units that were originals to this particular facility.

But here it is, May 25, and the air conditioning still doesnt work correctly, according to the county commissioners.

And because its not working the way it should . . . the commissioners decided this week to withhold 10 percent of whats owed to the company until the air conditioning can be properly regulated.

The company that did the installation work submitted a total bill, coming in right around $160,000.

It was budgeted and we are OK with the budget for this expense, said Commissioner Bill Bamesberger. Now, the issue is that things are not 100 percent done yet and I think we should hold off, withhold some of the money owed until the job is completely done.

Thermostat control is the issue as the system cannot be regulated, leaving some areas of the courthouse extremely cold and others warmer.

Are they coming back? asked Commissioner Randy Obermier, referring to the company that installed the new unit.

Well, yes, but they havent fixed it yet. And it needs to be done the right way, Bamesberger responded, as he is a member of the building and grounds committee. I think we should retain 10 percent, which would be about $15,000, until this is completely fixed and the work is done.

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Well, yes, it needs to work, Obermier said.

Hopefully, in two more weeks, it will, Bamesberger responded.

The other commissioners said they felt full payment wasnt warranted, at this time, either . . . and they agreed to hold back that portion.

More here:
Commissioners withold percent of pay on HVAC work - York News-Times

Austin, TX - Specialist Kitchen design and remodeling company Kitchen Central, is delighted to announce that they have experienced significant growth in the last 12-month period.

The company which is based in Austin Texas feels that this is due to their attention to detail, and outstanding customer service team. Purchasing a kitchen is a significant investment, but should also be an enjoyable experience. The company has developed a customer centric, streamlined process, that incorporates a 3d planning system.

Every customer is given a personal representative, who will walk them through the process, and help them to visualize the finished product, prior to ordering. Kitchen design can be a challenging and technical process, but with the correct tools and information, a fulfilling experience is readily achievable

We are delighted with the growth and expansion our business has experienced over the last 12 months, said Gazi Kose of Kitchen Central. Our aim has always been to deliver the perfect kitchen for every customer, but we also feel it is essential that the experience itself is enjoyable. All of our staff are trained and knowledgeable, and perhaps most importantly of all dedicated to the customer and their requirements. We will offer advice and expertise when it is asked for, but we never forget that it is the customer who needs to be happy and make the final decision. The vast majority of our new business comes from customer recommendations, which we see as a validation of the customer service and quality of product that we deliver.

Kitchen Central is a kitchen and bathroom design and installation company based in Austin Texas. Formed in 2009, they have many years of experience, and their market leading customer service team, are always available to help the decision process. With a large percentage of repeat customers and new business as a consequence of client recommendations, the company has continued to grow and expand year on year.

If you are looking for a new kitchen then visit their website at kitchencentral.com

Media Contact Company Name: Kitchen Central Contact Person: Gazi Kose Email: info@kitchencentral.com Phone: 512-354-2230 Address:3010 W Anderson Ln City: Austin State: Tx 78757 Country: United States Website: kitchencentral.com

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Texas Kitchen Remodeling Company Enjoying Significant Growth Year on Year - Digital Journal

By Teri Ann Loeser

Kitchens & Baths by Artie Small License No. H1719370000 (516) 785-8393

General contractor Artie Small learned his craft at a very young age. Starting in his teens, he worked with his father, who was in the home improvement business for 30 years until passing in 1983. Artie Small excelled in bathroom tile repair, finding the source of leaks, and eventually branched out into bathroom remodeling. In the early 90s, he joined forces with Ray Jutt, a master carpenter, and expanded to include kitchen remodeling. Now they also handle interior carpentry, windows, doors, moldings and sheetrock work.

Happiness is a watertight shower, said Small, who will take on most any job, from a leaky faucet or broken tiles, to a whole bathroom or kitchen remodel. Sometimes, repairs are done to hold clients over until they can afford their dream job. Small works with professionals he has known for decades - master plumbers, electricians and carpenters. In addition to being hands-on himself, he coordinates and supervises all phases of the work.

Small will come to a residence and work with a client to plan a remodel. Customers can view books, or see finished jobs via computer. He works with Blackman Plumbing Supply, which has multiple showrooms, and he encourages customers to save pictures from magazines for ideas. Computer renderings can be provided for kitchen and bathroom layouts, if needed. The business keeps up with the latest techniques and materials to ensure lasting beauty and performance. And, they have the ability to make design and structural changes on the fly to please a customer. We solve problems with integrity, without taking shortcuts, added Small.

The care and quality of our kitchen installations caught the eye of a well-known high-quality cabinet manufacturer, Craft-Maid, in Pennsylvania. Over the years, we have become their go to company for all their warranty work in the Tri State Area. Long lasting relationships with local suppliers and manufacturers have been built as well, which allows for special considerations when acquiring special products and services.

Kitchens & Baths by Artie Small works hard to understand the customers needs, build trust, and keep the business very personal. All verbal estimates are free. A nominal fee is charged for written estimates and insurance documents, which is credited to the proposed work being done. They take pride in keeping the worksite neat and clean. References can be provided. Calls are usually returned the same day. The business has been serving Nassau County for over 30 years.

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Expert craftsmanship, from repairs to remodels - liherald.com

PLATTSBURGH Lake Forest Senior Living Community has approval to build five new duplexes.

The new units are to be constructed on a 3.3-acre lot on the east side of Nevada Oval, near the other nine duplexes owned by Lake Forest.

Lake Forest Executive Director Kevin Defayette was pleased with the City of Plattsburgh Planning Board's approval of the plans this week.

They can now move forward to finalize specifications so the project can go out to bid in the next few weeks, he said.

The overall construction timetable will depend on the availability and schedule of the firm that is awarded the contract.

"We're still shooting to begin (construction) by the end of spring or the beginning of summer," Defayette said.

LONG WAIT

The Lake Forest Board of Directors decided to pursue the project due to demand for duplex housing.

A six-to-seven-year wait exists now, as Lake Forest only has nine such units.

"We're trying to minimize that as much as we can so people can enjoy the lifestyle they've been waiting for, without having to wait longer than they need to," Defayette said.

That demand comes at least partly from the amenities available, such as access to shopping and to recreation, including Lake Champlain, the nearby bike path and city recreation center.

"It really is a great location,"Defayette said. "The founding fathers really knew what they were doing when they chose it."

TWO OPTIONS

The buildings would be similar to the neighboring units. Two floor plans are offered, each with two bedrooms and two baths in the duplex units.

One layout calls for about 1,112 square feet of living space per unit, while the second would have about 1,505 square feet, due to the addition of a sunroom.

Both layouts include an attached garage in the center of each building, at the eastern end of the driveway.

The duplexes would be served by city water, wastewater and electric connections.

CHANGES MADE

Project Engineer Michael Coon of Architecture and Engineering Design Associates said they were able to address the issues that came up during a preliminary-plan review last month.

The plans were shifted to eliminate the need for split driveways for two of the duplexes, which had been caused by the presence of utility poles.

The applicant also agreed to install sidewalks on the eastern side of Nevada Oval, along with a striped crosswalk to connect to sidewalks on New Hampshire Road to the west.

The Planning Board requested, and the applicant agreed to a 2-degree pitch to the section of driveway to the road to prevent stormwater from flowing onto the properties during heavy rain.

Defayette said AEDA did a great job in the lead role on this project

"We're very happy with their work."

Email Dan Heath:

dheath@pressrepublican.com

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More Lake Forest duplexes OKed - Plattsburgh Press Republican

aleph-bau, a practice led by iranian-canadian architect delnaz yekrangian, has overhauled a 19th century rowhouse in torontos summerhill neighborhood. from street level, twelve tacoma retains a somewhat subdued appearance. the brick faade has been painted a uniform white, while the form of the vernacular front porch has been reinterpreted with updated materials.

all images tom arban (unless otherwise stated)

aleph-baus design notably includes a new rooftop structure clad with corrugated aluminum. while out of sight from the passing street, the full appearance of the volume becomes visible from the laneway at the rear of the property. a steel construction helps support the third-floor addition without burdening the party walls. the unusual shape of the new structure, and its adjoining roof terrace, is defined by the citys strict zoning and code regulations.

a new rooftop structure is clad with corrugated aluminum

the newly constructed storey contains sleeping quarters in addition to a library. below, the homes master bedroom adjoins a walk-in closet and a bathroom fitted with a wall of plants. an external balcony replaces a previously existing bedroom offering views of the garden at the rear of the plot. primary living accommodation is found at ground level with the houses entrance leading directly into the kitchen and dining area. the lounge adjoins a garden, which feels larger due to the removal of a previously existing sunroom.

the unusual shape of the design is defined by the citys zoning regulations

the staircase, which has been re-positioned at the center of the dwelling, leads below ground to a basement that contains an entertainment room conceived as a personal amphitheater, as well as an additional bedroom. the scheme presents restrained interiors throughout, with a focus on maintaining an organized and uncluttered aesthetic. modular sliding storage units have been used in both the front hall and the bedrooms.

the full appearance of the volume becomes visible from the laneway at the rear of the property

the master bathroom is fitted with a wall of plants

the scheme presents restrained, uniform interiors throughout

perforated screens have been used to ensure both daylight and privacy

primary living accommodation is found at ground level

an entertainment room has been conceived as a personal amphitheater

the homes brick faade has been painted white

the 19th century rowhouse is located in torontos summerhill neighborhood image kunaal mohan (also main image)

site plan image aleph-bau

axonometric drawing image aleph-bau

floor plan / level -1 image aleph-bau

floor plan / level 0 image aleph-bau

floor plan / level +1 image aleph-bau

floor plan / level +2 image aleph-bau

section A-A image aleph-bau

section B-B image aleph-bau

section C-C image aleph-bau

north elevation image aleph-bau

aluminum cladding pattern image aleph-bau

project info:

name: twelve tacoma location: 12 tacoma avenue, toronto, canada) client: private architect: aleph-bau (delnaz yekrangian) design team: gina gallaugher, golara jalalpour, joseph mcburney, so tadachi, fabiana todescan, leila sadri, kazem yekrangian design: 2013 completion: 2016 GFA: 114 sqm (1.223 sqf) structural engineer: blackwell photography: tom arban, kunaal mohan (drone photography)

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philip stevens I designboom

may 25, 2017

Read more from the original source:
aleph-bau adds aluminum-clad rooftop structure to 19th century toronto rowhouse - Designboom

Leyden High School District 212 officials purposefully included both current and future Leyden students in groundbreaking ceremonies on May 18, as the district prepares for a historic construction project.

"These projects are looking to the future, and it was important to us that we recognizee the impact they will have on our local elementary students when they come to Leyden," Superintendent Nick Polyak said afterward.

District school board members, administrators and others gathered in the ceremony in the inner courtyard at West Leyden High School, 1000 N. Wolf Road, Northlake.

The ceremony signals "the beginning of a historic construction project that will benefit generations of Leyden students," officials said in their announcement. District plans call for an estimated $55 million project at East Leyden, at 3400 Rose St., in Franklin Park; and a roughly $25 million project at West Leyden, with the goal of "enhancing students' educational experience," officials said, announcing the project.

The work is to be done without the need for a tax referendum, Polyak has said. Working with the district's financial partners, District Business Manager Thomas Janeteas suggested use of a debt certificate as a financing tool that would allow officials to spread the project cost over 20 years, with payments made annually out of the district's operating budget/capital improvement fund.

The work is to include new classrooms and practice rooms for band and choir, a new cafeteria/commons, an enclosed inner courtyard, a preschool and day care facility, and a new aquatic center, Polyak said when he was first announcing the project. Renovated spaces at East Leyden will include a new wrestling room, girls locker room, additional classrooms and a maintenance area, he said.

At West Leyden, an addition is to be built inside a portion of the inner courtyard, he said. The first floor will be a cafeteria/commons addition and a kitchen renovation, Polyak said. The second floor addition will be a new library and media center, he said.

Renovated spaces will include new classrooms, as well as reorganized office spaces, student support areas and more, the superintendent said. He said the additions will result in new cafeterias and common areas "that all of our students will use every day."

Construction is starting first at West Leyden, and the work at East Leyden will begin next school year. The projects are scheduled to be complete for the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year, officials said.

Along with the future users, "I would also like to thank our current students and staff members for their patience as we live through construction for the next two years," Polyak said following the groundbreaking.

"The end result will be worth it, and it will provide opportunities for generations of Leyden Eagles," he added.

Originally posted here:
Leyden School District 212 breaks ground on construction project ... - Chicago Tribune