Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

In landscape architecture and garden design, a water feature is one or more items from a range of fountains, pools, ponds, cascades, waterfalls, and streams. Before the 18th century they were usually powered by gravity, though the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon are described by Strabo as supplied by an Archimedean screw.[1] Other examples were supplied with water using hydraulic rams.

Since the 18th century, the majority of water features have been powered by pumps. In the past, the power source was sometimes a steam engine, but in modern features it is almost always powered by electricity. There is an increasing range of innovative designs as the market becomes more established and people become more aware of alternate installation methods, such as solar power. The advantages of using solar power include environmental benefits, no electrical lines in the garden, and free energy.

Modern water features are typically self-contained, meaning that they do not require water to be plumbed in; rather water is recycled from either a pond or a hidden reservoir, also known as a sump. The sump can either be contained within the water feature, or buried underground (in the case of an outdoor water feature).

A water feature may be indoor or outdoor and can be any size, from a desk top water fountain to a large indoor waterfall that covers an entire wall in a large commercial building, and can be made from any number of materials, including stone, granite, stainless steel, resin, and glass. Most water features are electronically controlled, ranging from simple timer actuators to sophisticated computerized controls for synchronizing music to water and light animation.

Water features often offer additional benefits to homeowners, such as increased curb appeal, home value, reduced noise pollution (due to the sound of water overpowering outside noise), and improved air quality.

In early modern Europe, fountains were found in the elaborate gardens of the mansions of the wealthy, and in modern times can be an element in urban design provided by the municipal authorities or public subscription.

A notable modern example is the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain in London, England.

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Water feature - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

by Jennifer Jones

Stone walkways are the perfect way to enhance your outdoor living areas and add beauty to your surroundings. Pathways are not only a gorgeous addition, but also functional, leading the viewer to a specific area. One of the most important aspects of your property is the walkway that leads to the front door of your home. A garden path is excellent for guiding admirers around your yard. There are many styles of paths, but the most popular is a stone walkway. They can blend in with most yards and are incredibly durable. A stone walkway is a relatively simple, inexpensive update and can be completed in a weekend.

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A natural first step is deciding the length, width and position of the path. A rule of thumb is to make it wide enough so that two people could walk it side by side. Try to avoid building the walkway under large trees. Tree roots may eventually damage the walkway or the path may harm the roots. A more welcoming, relaxed walkway is often a curved path with unique features. Formal walkways are usually as straight as possible with plain materials that convey organization. A widely spaced, random stone path is better suited for gardens or secondary paths across lawns and backyards. A high-traffic walkway leading to a home's entry is best constructed with a smooth, uniformly cut stone set with tight joints to prevent trips and make walking easier. Calculate the square footage of the walkway area by multiplying the approximate width by the walkway's length. This square footage will give you an idea of the quantity of materials that you will need.

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A moving walkway or moving sidewalk (American English), known in British English as a travolator[1] or travelator[2] is a slow moving conveyor mechanism that transports people across a horizontal or inclined plane over a short to medium distance.[3] Moving walkways can be used by standing or walking on them. They are often installed in pairs, one for each direction.

The first moving walkway debuted at the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It had two different divisions: one where passengers were seated, and one where riders could stand or walk. It ran in a loop down the length of a lakefront pier to a casino.[4] Six years later a moving walkway was also presented to the public at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1900. The walkway consisted of three elevated platforms, the first was stationary, the second moved at a moderate speed, and the third at about six miles an hour. These demonstrations likely served as inspiration for some of H. G. Wells' settings mentioned in the "Science Fiction" section below.

The Beeler Organization, a New York City consulting firm, proposed a Continuous Transit System with Sub-Surface Moving Platforms for Atlanta in 1924, with a design roughly similar to the Paris Exposition system. The proposed drive system used a linear induction motor. The system was not constructed.

The first commercial moving walkway in the United States was installed in 1954 in Jersey City, NJ, inside the Hudson & Manhattan Railroad Erie station) at the Pavonia Terminal. Named the "Speedwalk" and built by Goodyear, it was 277ft (84.5 m) long and moved up a 10 percent grade at a speed of 1.5mph (2.4km/h).[5] The walkway was removed a few years later when traffic patterns at the station changed.

The first moving walkway in an airport was installed in 1958 at Love Field in Dallas, Texas. On January 1, 1960, Tina Marie Brandon, age 2, was killed on the moving sidewalk.[6]

Moving walkways are built in one of two basic styles:

Both types of moving walkway have a grooved surface to mesh with combplates at the ends. Also, nearly all moving walkways are built with moving handrails similar to those on escalators.

Pallet-types consists of one-piece, die-cast aluminium pallets. Example dimensions are: widths (between balustrades): between 32inches (800mm) and 56inches (1200mm), with a speed of 100 feet per minute (.5 metres per second), powered by an AC induction motor.[7]

In the 1970s, Dunlop developed the Speedaway system.[8] It was in fact an invention by Gabriel Bouladon and Paul Zuppiger of the Battelle Memorial Institute at their former Geneva, Switzerland facility. A prototype was built and demonstrated at the Battelle Institute in Geneva in the early 1970s, as can be attested by a (French-speaking) Swiss television program entitled Un Jour une Heure aired in October 1974. The great advantage of the Speedaway, as compared to the then existing systems, was that the embarking/disembarking zone was both wide and slow moving (up to 4 passengers could embark simultaneously, allowing for a large number of passengers, up to 10,000 per hour), whereas the transportation zone was narrower and fast moving.

The entrance to the system was like a very wide escalator, with broad metal tread plates of a parallelogram shape. After a short distance the tread plates were accelerated to one side, sliding past one another to form progressively into a narrower but faster moving track which travelled at almost a right-angle to the entry section. The passenger was accelerated through a parabolic path to a maximum design speed of 15km/h (9mph). The experience was unfamiliar to passengers, who needed to understand how to use the system to be able to do so safely. Developing a moving hand-rail for the system presented a challenge, also solved by the Battelle team. The Speedaway was intended to be used as a stand-alone system over short distances or to form acceleration and deceleration units providing entry and exit means for a parallel conventional (but fast running) Starglide walkway which covered longer distances. The system was still in development in 1975 but never went into commercial production.

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Moving walkway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Pruning methods that promote a sound tree structure help trees resist failure, provide clearance, and improve aesthetics, while promoting long life. From training young trees to managing mature ones, structural pruning to guide and manage tree architecture should be the primary goal each time a tree is pruned. A well-structured tree is aesthetically pleasing, preserves the crown as it grows larger, and is long-lived. Poor tree architecture can be costly, leading to failure and early tree removal. When improperly performed, pruning can harm the tree's health, stability, and appearance and make matters worse. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Why prune? | Cause no harm | Objectives | Approach | Design a plan | At planting | Time of year | Pruning cuts | Structural pruning | Thinning | Reducing | Raising | Cleaning | Restoration | Pruning palms | Mature trees | Utility pruning | Practice pruning | Photos

Research: Appropriate pruning reduces wind damage Fact sheets: (pdf) Young trees, Mature trees, Restoration, Landscape trees and shrubs, Crape myrtle pruning New Cue cards: (pdf) Prune at planting, Prune young trees, Pruning methods, Restoration prune Much more on pruning: Click here ------------------------------------------------------------------- See: Root pruning, Nursery pruning, Pruning specifications See: Additional examples

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Tree Pruning - University of Florida

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Divide the areas into rectangles (if possible) of about 1200 square feet each. These will be your "zones", or areas which will be watered as a unit. Larger areas will require special heads and a higher volume of water than you can normally get from a residential water system.

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Chose the appropriate sprinkler heads to cover your zone, using pop-up impulse or gear driven heads for wide grassy areas, shrub heads or bubblers for shrubs and flowers, and fixed pop-up heads for locations adjoining buildings or paved areas like driveways and streets.

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Mark the location of each head in accordance with the spraying distance of the heads you choose. Rain Bird R-50's, a common good quality head, will spray an arc, semicircle, or full circle about 2530 feet (7.69.1m) in diameter, so heads can be placed about 45 feet (13.7m) apart to allow some overlap.

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Count the number of heads you use on a zone, and add the gallon per minute volume for each one. You should find the typical gear drive head can be rated from 1.5 gpm to 4 gpm, depending on the nozzle diameter. Fixed pop-ups generally run about 1 gpm. Add the total of gpm of the zone's heads, and use this number to size your pipe. As a rule of thumb, a zone with 5-7 heads should require about 12-15 gpm, with the water pressure supplied at a minimum of 20 psi (pounds per square inch). To supply this zone you will need a one inch main pipe (line), with 34 or 12 inch (1.9 or 1.3cm) branch lines from your main.

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How to Install a Sprinkler System (with Pictures) - wikiHow

Storage sheds and utility buildings can be versatile. They can be used for much more than just packing away a few items you dont need now but might need in the future. We cover some of those uses on this site, and a lot more. You will find information on why you might want to consider owning a storage shed, how to choose extras, how to find the right building for you, shed financing, and where to find the best outdoor storage sheds for the best prices. See a list of pages below.

This site will provide you with basic utility building information in an easy to navigate and easy to understand format. If you do not find what you are looking for, please use our custom search box above. It is set up to search for the type of information you are seeking. What is a storage shed?

Why do I need a shed?

Extras

How do I buy a storage building?

Where do I buy a storage shed?

Rent To Own Storage Buildings Texas

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Storage Sheds Texas | Sheds Texas

Outdoor Storage Sheds for Sale - Available Throughout Pittsburgh and Washington, PA and all surrounding areas.

The Mini - Our Most Economical Model

A great low profile storage shed, offering attractive and affordable protection for mowers, lawn equipment, quads, bikes, and all those investments that need year around protection.

See Mini Shed Pictures in our online catalog.

The Workshop - Practical Charm Meets Rugged Durability

This multi-purpose shed is perfect for storing lawn and garden equipment, your bbq grill, bicycles and more with plenty of wall storage for all those extra tools. Or turn it into the perfect handyman's workshop or garden shed by adding our optional shelving and workbench. Available in a variety of colors to complement your home and add curb appeal and value.

See Workshop Pictures in our online catalog.

Hi-Side Shed - The Most Storage for the Money

The extra height and roof design of our Hi-Side sheds makes it one of our most versatile storage sheds, allowing you to make use of every inch of available space. Add an optional loft for additional overhead storage capacity. Classic barn styling adds rustic beauty to any yard or garden.

See Hi-Side Pictures in our online catalog.

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Sheds | Garden Sheds | Outdoor Storage Sheds | Pittsburgh

A train shed is a building adjacent to a station building where the tracks and platforms of a railway station are covered by a roof. It is also known as an overall roof. The first train shed was built in 1830 at Liverpool's Crown Street Station.

The biggest train sheds were often built as an arch of glass and iron, while the smaller were built as normal pitched roofs.

The train shed with the biggest single span ever built was that at the second Philadelphia Broad Street Station, built in 1891.

The earliest train sheds were wooden structures, often with unglazed openings to allow smoke and steam to escape. The oldest part of Bristol Temple Meads is a particularly fine - and large - example, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel with mock-Hammerbeam roof.

Surviving examples include:

The middle of the nineteenth century saw many large stations covered by iron, steel and glass train sheds, inspired by The Crystal Palace at The Great Exhibition in 1851. The best have been described as "like cathedrals" and feature curved roofs; other structures have pitched roofs.

Surviving examples of curved roof train sheds include:

Surviving examples of pitched roof train sheds include:

Surviving examples of Bush-type and related train sheds include:

Surviving examples of other train sheds include:

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Train shed - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Established in 2002, Scott Sheds Ltd. is a family run business based in North Norfolk.

We manufacture quality timber buildings from our production facilities in Norwich, and our name is synonymous with quality, style and customer service.

We manufacture all garden, agricultural, equestrian and utility timber sectional buildings and pride ourselves on supplying a high quality product, together with a professional service. Buildings are manufactured in our own workshops by skilled craftsmen and can accommodate individual designs and specifications. We are happy to work with you to design a building to meet your own individual needs.

European partners have been taken on board and we now supply a top quality range of Log Cabins, Grill Cabins, Camping Pods and Sleeping Barrels to enhance our already extensive range and to meet the needs of discerning clients.

At Scott Sheds Ltd. we offer a full planning, ground work, delivery and installation service, focusing on quality and customer care.

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Bigger bars are a new construction trend, according to Rob Mescolotto, founder and owner of D.C.-based Hospitality Construction Services.

Jim Cuddy and Mathew Lynch

Construction companies do more than build restaurants. The good ones are educated in many different aspects of the industry, from working with architects to analyze the logistics of a space to determining the viability and resourcefulness of different finishings and materials.

We make peoples dreams come true all while maintaining a budget, says Rob Mescolotto, founder and owner of D.C.-based Hospitality Construction Services.

Mescolotto, whos currently building a sushi kitchen and rehabbing a late-1800s building into a brewery, helped outline five aspects of restaurant construction to keep in mind when youre getting ready to build.

1. More renovations, less ground-up D.C. is an established city and there isnt much space for new construction. So Mescolotto has found himself working on a lot of renovation projects, such as the Mad Fox brewery, where hes pulling apart a building thats already been redone three times and has layer upon layer of finishings.

He recommends keeping your options open and not getting stuck on a particular building that may have caught your eye. Hes escorted restaurateurs to more than 100 properties before they decided on one, looking at each from a construction perspective. Some are monetarily burden, he says, adding that few restaurateurs are able to look beyond the faade. Nobody cares about things they cant seeelectrical wiring, HVAC, he says. With a new building, that stuff is pretty easy, but with renovations I often have to go back and tell them their allowance needs to be higher. With renovations, a lot of buyers are ending up in as-is conditions.

2. Ensure you stay on budget One thing restaurateurs understand well is their budget. A good construction company understands that if he cant meet the restaurateurs budget from the beginning, hes already putting the project in jeopardy.

As an example, Mescolotto cites Heartpinewood, an often-desired finish due to its strength and good looks. But he claims Cypress serves the same purpose and is just as beautiful, yet at a much lower cost.

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5 things you need to know about restaurant construction ...