Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Updated at 9:57p.m.

A three-alarm fire at a roofing company in Capitol Heights, which caused a huge plume of smoke visible from the District, destroyed two firetrucks, together worth about $1.5 million.

Fire department spokesman Mark Brady said thatit was the first time in his 40 years of experience that he had ever known a firetruck to be destroyed by a building fire.

At about 9:30 p.m., Brady said that the fire was still smoldering and would likely continue all night, but was controlled.

One firefighter suffered a minor burn to his leg, and Brady said that there might be additional minor injuries to firefighters. But it was remarkable, he said, that no one was seriously injured.

The fire took a surprising turn early on, when the first two trucks arrived on the scene at about 5:15 p.m. The trucks, operated by the Kentland Volunteer Fire Department and the West Lanham Hills Volunteer Fire Department, parked where they had a clear view of the fire, just as the firefighters had been trained, Brady said.

Then the wind suddenly changed direction, sending the fire straight toward the firefighters. They tried their best to hold it off, but ultimately had to pull back, leaving their trucks to be gutted by the blaze.

Brady said that both volunteer fire departments have other trucks they can use to respond to fires. The county fire department pays a portion of the insurance on the trucks and will help with the replacement cost, he said. The volunteer departments also might hold fundraisers or apply for grants.

Brady said the cause of the fire was not yet known. It started in a storage area behind a warehouse owned by a company that refurbishes bathrooms and closets, he said. The storage area contained many flammable materials wooden panels, tires, cars in disrepair waiting to be fixed, sea containers of styrofoam.

It was the tires, he said, that caused the thick black smoke visible from miles away.

More here:
Massive plume of smoke visible in D.C. from Capitol Heights fire

Roanoke, VA (PRWEB) April 07, 2015

Keeping Growth, Progress Alive and Safe at Garcia Roofing:

Distracted driving is an increasingly deadly problem on our nations roads and highways. The National Safety Council estimates that at least 24% of all traffic crashes, or 1.3 million accidents per year, involve drivers using cell phones and texting. These cell phone-related crashes result in 3,200 deaths and almost half a million injuries per year.

In addition to the terrible toll in human lives, distracted driving costs society $129 billion per year in property damage and medical care. Companies with service fleets are especially vulnerable to these impacts. Losses ring up quickly when there is a culture of texting while driving among employees. When distracted driving was suspected in several crashes that negatively impacted a growing roofing company in Louisiana, management decided to take action. They didnt want to lose good employees to injury or death, or to discipline and termination. They realized that they would have to actually change the culture that could have been encouraging this dangerous behavior, and what they did, by implementing the ORIGOSafe system, achieved everything they needed, and moreover changed the behavior of their vehicle operators. They became safer drivers, better employees, and embraced it.

What is ORIGOSafe? Put simply, its a technology developed by Virginia-based ORIGO that keeps the cell phone out of the drivers hands while driving and its screen out of his sight. It is a fully integrated, patent pending solution that requires drivers to dock their phone in order to start the vehicle. This ignition interlock system requires the driver to insert their smartphone into the docking station prior to starting the vehicle, effectively making the smartphone a secure password-protected second key. Similar in design to a classic cassette tape deck, the drivers smartphone is connected into the ORIGOSafe port and a green light appears indicating that the vehicle can be started. In addition to charging the smartphone while its plugged in to the ORIGOSafe, the user can still answer voice calls over Bluetooth and have a hands-free call using a headset. However, the ability to send text messages is no longer available since the touchscreen and keyboard are completely covered by the ORIGOSafe. The system is simple to install and manage, giving employers peace of mind knowing that their driver is safe and focused behind the wheel.

The story of Gabriel Garcia and his family business is one of hard-earned success and achieving the American Dream. Gabriel Garcia came to the United States in 1987 following civil strife in his homeland of El Salvador. With the language barrier and other challenges that face most immigrants, securing employment was difficult, in spite of Gabriels work ethic and dedication. In 1992, with a handful of workers, he struck out on his own in Prairieville, Louisiana and grossed $60,000 that year.

By putting his customers first and offering consistent, high-quality installation, Gabriels company grew rapidly at 30% per year over the next four years. By 1996, the company was at a point that professional management was needed to administer operations. Over the succeeding years, product and service offerings were expanded to serve more customers and fulfill more roofing needs throughout the Baton Rouge area. Both roof replacement and sheet metal divisions were added, as well as a sister company focusing exclusively on commercial contracts, Garcia Roofing and Sheet Metal, Inc. Since 1992, the Garcia business group has been one of the largest roofing contractors in the state of Louisiana, servicing over 1600 customers a year with 25 employees. Garcia Roofing installs a variety of shingle roofs, slate roofs, Spanish tile roofs, and metal roofs.

Rapid growth and success comes with its share of headaches, and with the availability and temptation of new smartphones with text messaging capability, distracted driving became a potential problem for the company. It threatened to erode the hard-won success and profitability of the Garcia enterprises and endanger their valued employees whom the Garcias proudly refer to as their craftsmen and hold in high regard.

In the 12 months before the Garcia business group implemented the ORIGOSafe system, there were more than five (5) vehicle crashes, costing the company in excess of $300,000 in property damage, lost time, insurance and medical costs. Valued employees had to be terminated or disciplined, an unpleasant business for any management team.

Ours is a very socialized business; weve been in business for 23 years, and we have 25 employees, outside salesmen working out of the office almost all the time, often spending their entire day on the road, says Andrew Goldberg, Residential Team Leader for Garcia. Theres lots of contact, and consequently lots of potential distractions, he adds, So we became alarmed when we began to experience a few accidents, all of which seemed to happen in one year.

More here:
Company fleet sees 100% reduction in crashes after implementation of ORIGOSafe technology

Replace Air Conditioner Compressor | HVAC Refrigeration Sunday, 22 June 2014 14:39 Written by Richard Ashworth+ Replace Air Conditioner Compressor Decision | HVAC Refrigeration Question

Replace Air Conditioner Compressor | HVAC Refrigeration Question Richard I am an HVAC technician and have read all of your articles on refrigeration and compressors. Great information and it has helped to hone my skills and offer better service for my customers. Thanks! I was wondering what your experience is with replacing compressors. How do you arrive at the decision to replace a compressor technically speaking of course? I look forward to reading your answer. Brett

Condenser which houses the compressor in most HVAC systems

Replace Air Conditioner Compressor | HVAC Refrigeration Answer Brett Thanks for the great comment and hopefully I can help you. Of course with many of the questions I get I have to assume a few things such as are you talking about residential or commercial. While most of it is the same there are some minor nuances that you need to to understand or know when making the distinction between residential and commercial HVAC refrigeration. I will assume you are talking of residential air conditioners or heat pumps and making the decision as an HVAC technician to replace the compressor when failure occurs. Of course your compressor troubleshooting skills are definitely important when you come to the conclusion that the compressor is bad. I have been behind unscrupulous or ignorant technicians who told the customer the compressor was bad only to find something else very simple that fixed the problem and got the compressor up and running again. You do not want to make that mistake because almost every customer will call for a second opinion especially when you tell them the cost of replacing their compressor in their air conditioner or heat pump. So make sure you are 100% certain in your compressor knowledge and troubleshooting skills before you condemn an HVAC compressor in an air conditioner or heat pump.

Residential compressors in air conditioners and heat pumps are hermetically sealed and it is impossible to take them a part and check for a bad piston or bearing or check the oil level or oil health or quality. With any compressor failure you can have either a mechanical failure or an electrical failure. Since the compressor has an electric motor inside of it and because it has mechanical components inside of it an understanding of how each type of compressor works will help you understand the compressor and different things that can go wrong with the compressor.

Another thing to understand is why the problem with the compressor happened in the first place. If the compressor locked up then you need to find out why it locked up? If the windings are burned up then you need to find out why the windings are burned up. Some of the answers to those questions are easy with some of the answers are not so easy. One time I spent hours trying to find out why a compressor failed and finally I found the problem. It was a problem that resulted from poor installation skills of the installing contractor. A small bead of solder had found its way into the piston metering device. The bead of solder would plug the metering device and cause the head pressure to go very high. The bypass valve in the compressor opened but it happened often enough that eventually the reed valves inside the compressor either busted or bent way out of shape. Anyhow, the customer appreciated my diligence even though their patience wore thin with my relentless troubleshooting to find the root cause of the problem. I didnt want to simply replace the compressor only to have it fail again.

The same can be said about burn outs. A burn out is likely the result of poor installation practices by the installing contractor and boils down to a lack of proper refrigeration training and poor education of the installing HVAC technician. When a compressor burns out and you find a the electrical part of the compressor has a problem from your troubleshooting skills (such as Ohming the Windings)then you need to test the oil for acid. It is not always the case but sometimes when you have the electrical problem it is from poor installations the installer did not properly evacuate the refrigeration system and get all the moisture out of the system. This created a problem with sludge and producing acid when the moisture mixed with the oil. Eventually the acid eats away at the windings and you end up with shorted windings.

It happens and no matter how many times I tell homeowners that the lowest bidder is not always the best many times they go for the lowest bidder and end up paying way more in the long run than if they would of chosen the contractor that may charge a little more but the job is done right especially with the new installation. On the other hand I have ran into some true knuckleheads who say the know what they are doing but really do not because they never learned how to do it right in the first place. Im talking about installing a new air conditioner or heat pump and getting it right the first time with the refrigeration system. Always use nitrogen and a micron gauge for deep vacuums. Do the triple evacuation. In all the years I have been doing this I have never had any one of my customers call me back because of a burned out compressor because of poor installation skills. I have had problems with defective compressors or a condenser that got struck by lightening but never had the oil come back positive for acid after one of my installations.

Mechanical lock ups are becoming less and less frequent because more people have delay timers in their newer thermostats or the equipment has a delay timer in the system somewhere. And I have some stories to tell about delay timers but for brevity sake will refrain from telling them. Withthe old mechanical thermostats, with a heat pump or air conditioner system that does not have a delay timer installed in it, a customer can innocently kill their compressor. How? By short cycling the on and off switch too fast. They go turn it to cooling mode and then change their mind and turn it off and then turn it back to cooling when it was already running and the compressor cuts off and then back on a again in fast succession and you have caused a compressor to be mechanically locked up. Since the compressor is hermetically sealed it is impossible to tear it apart and unlock it. Sometimes it can be forced to restart and sometimes it cannot. It is still a problem and needs to be addressed. A good technician is always looking out for the customer and will recommend a fix for this whether it is changing out the thermostat or adding a delay on break relay in the system at the Y contacts.

Finally, a good HVAC technician will always strive to learn new things and give the customer the best service possible using that knowledge. When you make the recommendation to the customer to replace the compressor make sure you tell them that you know why the compressor failed and that you will correct the problem with the compressor so it does not happen again. Make the repair and you will have a happy customer that is confident in your skills and this customer will tell others about your service and you will stay busy.

Read the rest here:
Replace Air Conditioner Compressor | HVAC Refrigeration

Published on April 07, 2015

Alyssa Blais, executive dorector of the Agape Centre.

CORNWALL, Ontario - The Agap Centre has a happier future, thanks to a $150,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

Local MPP Jim McDonell joined Coun. Bernadette Clment in congratulating the Agap Centre at an announcement ceremony Tuesday afternoon.

"The Agap Centre provides the neediest residents of Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry with essential services and support and they fulfill their mission with great dedication and care," said McDonell. "Their focus on the centre's accessibility is further testimony to their commitment to ensuring no local resident in need is left behind.

"By providing Agap with the necessary funding to invest in their accessibility, the Ontario Trillium Foundation is recognizing the prominent role played by Agap in our community, bringing together donors and clients in the spirit of generosity and cohesion that makes our region the best place to call home."

The Agap Centre applied for a grant last year so that a new accessibility ramp could be installed at the store entrance.

This new ramp is part of our 'Within These Walls' building campaign which compliments the other four major infrastructure projects, said Alyssa Blais, Executive Director of the Agap Centre. Our building renovations is intended to provide a safer and more accessible environment for our clients, volunteers, staff and customers.

The other areas Agape plans to focus on includes new HVAC equipment, washroom renos, window replacements and interior finishes/flooring.

The Agap Centre is a not-for profit organization, supported by the community to ensure that no family goes hungry, cold or without any of the basic necessities of life. The Agap Centre has been providing food, clothing and furniture to more than 1,000 people each month for the better part of the decade.

View original post here:
Agape receives $150k for new accessibility ramp

http://www.gofasthavefun.ca

Getting better sound and functionality starts with changing your head unit. You'll see step by step what's involved in a car stereo install / wiring up and installing an after market head unit into a vehicle. You'll want to note that this is a deck install in its simplest form. Vehicle with factory amplifiers or complex dis-assembly can create a larger challenge. If you're still unsure how to do it, it might not be a bad idea to have your local professional do it for you.

This is a demonstration video showing how to properly install an aftermarket head unit into a particular vehicle (2003 Mitsubishi Lancer).

Go Fast Have Fun provides the content in this video, for information and entertainment purposes only. The information in this Video presents guidelines to help vehicle enthusiasts modify or repair their vehicles and to demonstrate what car culture is all about. Go Fast Have Fun make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the Video or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the Video for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. Nothing presented should be relied upon you for your modification or repair plans for your vehicle and is not in any way professional mechanical advice. Go Fast Have Fun strongly recommends you consult with a professional automobile mechanic to ensure that any modification or repair plans for your vehicle are appropriate for your vehicle. In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this Video and the information presented within it.

Go Fast have Fun Canada

See the original post:
How to wire / Install a Car Stereo / Deck (aftermarket ...

Wed, Apr 08, 2015

The NextGen GA Fund has been established to support the rollout of the US NextGen program, which enables updated air traffic information to both pilots and controllers.

We are working exclusively on behalf of the GA community to enable these avionics upgrades using financial incentives, including affordable financing programs and other assistance.

The GA Fund also has successfully established Jumpstart GA 2020, a new program to further incentive small aircraft owners seeking basic ADS-B compliance. To begin, Jumpstart has partnered with L-3 Avionics Systems to offer a basic ADS-B Out only solution at a reduced pricing, available through dealer networks in limited quantity by the summer 2015. Eventually, Jumpstart 2020 intends to reduce costs for a range of next generation products, including ADS-B In and transponders. Dealers interested in learning more can contact the NextGen GA Fund.

The NextGen GA Fund can finance equipment, related electrical systems, instrument panel modifications, antennas, wiring, and installation/certification costs under a single agreement. Any aircraft owneran individual or businessis eligible for financing US-registered piston, turbine and experimental aircraft. This includes all types and ages of fixed-wing and rotary aircraft.

The NextGen GA Fund's capital is easy to apply for. Financing terms are highly competitive compared with conventional financing alternatives. Terms will vary for each applicant and are arrived at using commercially accepted consumer lending standards.

Pre-qualification for financing can occur within one day, and funds may be available usually within two days. All applications are held in strict confidence, and such information is never shared with third parties.

Continued here:
NextGen GA Fund, LLC/Jumpstart 2020 Sponsors AEA2015 Special Event Coverage

Terrifying video: Window-cleaning cradle swings violently outside 91st floor
Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/ODNsubs A window-cleaning cradle suspended outside the 91st floor of the Shanghai World Financial Centre swings violently out of control for 15 minutes. Report...

By: ODN

Read the original:
Terrifying video: Window-cleaning cradle swings violently outside 91st floor - Video

Boston, MA (PRWEB) April 08, 2015

Men In Kilts, a franchised window and exterior cleaning company, stormed the North Shore of Boston on April 1, 2015. The franchises young and enthusiastic owner Krystina Creel is excited to begin her adventure as Men In Kilts newest franchisee and is out hitting the streets in her tartan trucks alongside her kilted crew!

Prior to Men In Kilts, Creel was a paralegal for ten years as well as a full-time student pursuing her masters degree. So how did she end up owning a Men In Kilts franchise?

When Creel attended a local event hosted by Bostons Entrepreneur Organization (EO) she suddenly had a change of heart. Creel said, I was so motivated and inspired after attending this event that I started looking into different franchises and ended up meeting Judy Briggs, the local president of EO and a Franchise Owner for Men In Kilts. Judys business experience and the positive things she had to say about Men In Kilts caught my attention. The thing that struck me the most was the companys strong core values and memorable brand. I began looking into it and I spoke with several of their existing franchise owners. I instantly fell in love with the culture and the brand and I decided that I absolutely had to be a part of this!

Men In Kilts CEO Chris Carrier is thrilled to welcome Creel to the Tartan Army: We are very excited to bring Krystina on board and we know she is going to do a great job rocking the kilt and bringing smiles to the Boston North Shoreone kilt at a time! Were a people business and we screen for leaders who are awesome, dedicated and fun! Krystina exemplifies all these qualities in spades. One of the qualities we appreciate most about Krystina is her track record for working hard and taking bold initiative in her career and her pursuit of her dreams. This red head with Irish and Scottish roots is fiercely fun and awesome and shes going to make a huge impact in her community.

Creel laid it all out on the table saying, I love seeing a man in a kilt, and having them provide needed services is just icing on the cake! I know that everyone is going to love this concept and we have already experienced the power of the kilts and the lasting impression we leave. Men In Kilts will soon be a household name, not because of our kilts, but for what we stand for.. professional, reliable service.

Boston North Shore is the 11th franchise location to open and the 5th in the United States. It also happens to be the second solely female-owned and operated franchise in the business how awesome is that? Make sure to call to get the scoop on this fun and friendly business concept and a story with Krystina herself and our CEO Chris Carrier who will be on the North Shore for opening week through April 9.

About Men In Kilts Men In Kilts was started in 2002 by Nicholas Brand with a squeegee and a hand-sewn kilt made by his wife. The first franchise was opened in 2010 in Vancouver and has grown to ten locations across Canada and the US. The company continues their successful expansion, with plans to be in every major market across North America.

For more information on Men In Kilts, or to see them in action, please contact Megan Nemeth at pr(at)meninkilts(dot)com or visit http://www.meninkilts.com. For franchise information, visit http://www.meninkiltsfranchise.com

--high-resolution images available upon request--

Read the original here:
Men In Kilts Storms Bostons North Shore

NAPLES FLORIDA Lake Water Fountains & Waterfalls Installation, Repair, Service & Maintenance

Beautiful Lake Fountains Nothing enhances your property quite like the spectacular look and relaxing sound of a lake water fountain. For over 25 years, Trademark Water System has installed floating fountains in residential and commercial ponds and lakes.

All of our floating lake fountains are made of corrosion resistant materials to provide years of dependability and high performance.

The Trademark Water Systems Difference We have the ability to design and manufacture a fountain to fit any client's needs, from 1/2 hp to 40 hp, resulting a wide variety of sprays and heights from 3' to 90'. As the manufacturer, we use the highest quality products. Our staff is available to assist you with any technical specs. We ship anywhere in the US and our fountains are easy to install.

All of our floating lake fountains are powered by a control panel and heavy-duty submersible turbine pump with components that are fully waterproof and made of the finest corrosion resistant materials to provide years of dependability and high performance. We use long lasting LED low voltage lightening including colors for reduced energy consumption which will provide 5 times the life of standard halogen bulb and 20% power consumption.

Custom fountain configurations:

Southwest Florida Fountain Service Fountains installed and serviced in the Southwest Florida area including Naples FL, Boca Grande, Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Captiva, Estero, Everglades City, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Golden Gate, Immokalee, Lehigh Acres, Marco Island, Naples, Pine Island, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Sanibel and Sarasota.

Water Fountains and Waterfalls Repair & Maintenance Have an existing fountain? Does algae keep your fountain from looking its best? Call us for water fountain repairs. We'll fix it right the first time and with our water fountain maintenance program, we'll keep the water crystal clear.

See more here:
Water Fountains: Southwest Florida Installation, Service ...

by CHRIS ROGERS

On Monday, the Winona City Council is expected to vote on an issue Winonans have been working on for nearly 50 years: returning the island city's riverfront park to its former glory. The Levee Park Committee will present its new plan for Levee Park, an effort that will likely cost a few million dollars and would widen the Main Street railroad crossing, erect a large open-air performance structure, in-fill parts of the park, and leave the levee wall largely untouched.

"I think there is a real interest in the community for fixing up Levee Park and reconnecting with the river," said Winona Mayor Mark Peterson. Peterson and Levee Park Committee Chair Frank Pomeroy both described numerous things happening within the next few years that, if the city makes Levee Park shine, could be great opportunities to draw visitors to the downtown riverfront. They listed the construction of the new interstate bridge in 2016, the construction of a new bicycle trail and railroad overpass in Aghaming Park, streetscape planning by the downtown revitalization group Main Street, and the possibility of new river cruise ships stopping in Winona. "These are things that can have a big impact on a community, and I think if we put the effort into fixing up Levee Park, I think we will be a destination for those boats to stop again," Peterson stated.

Winona has faltered on improving Levee Park in the past, but if Winonans do not act now, we will always regret it, said Levee Park Committee member Mike Kennedy. "It would be a tremendous missed opportunity," he said. "It's time to commit and get it done," he added.

At the Monday meeting, the City Council is expected to vote on whether it approves of the committee's ideas for the park. While the committee's recommendations outline a rough plan for funding, the council is not yet being asked to vote on major funding for the park project, which has been the Achilles' heel of past Levee Park efforts.

It is still unclear how much the proposed changes will cost. The committee provided rough cost estimates for some parts of its plan, totaling $1.56 million to $1.78 million. However, there are still no cost estimates for several other parts of the park plan.

The proposed changes

Under the committee's proposed plan, the city would widen the pedestrian railroad crossing at Main Street to be as wide as the street and the stairs leading up to the former Wilkie site. The committee is also interested in improving and widening other pedestrian crossings at Center and Lafayette streets; however, crossings require approval from the Union Pacific (UP) Railroad, and while approval of a wider Main Street crossing seems likely, UP is opposed to adding new park entrances. The Main Street crossing changes are estimated to cost $115,000.

At the former Wilkie site, the committee has proposed a large stage and open-air pavilion that would take up most of the circular "patio" and provide a space for hosting concerts and other performances. This is estimated to cost $880,000 to $1,100,000. The committee recommended building a ramp leading up to the patio from the parking lot to the west that would accommodate handicapped visitors and vehicles needed for setting up special events. The committee also recommended rebuilding the stairs facing Main Street. Those costs are unknown.

The pavilion would be situated at a 45-degree angle to the river and, under the plan, the grassy area to the southwest of the patio would be in-filled to make it level with the patio height. That area would be used for overflow performance seating. Engineering for that in-fill is estimated to cost $100,000. Construction costs are unknown.

Originally posted here:
Vote on new Levee Park plan Monday