Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Window Replacement 9 22 14 2
Window Replaced. 1 picture every 10 seconds.

By: supespawn22

Go here to see the original:
Window Replacement 9 22 14 2 - Video

Home Window Replacement Call (888) 647-9771 Repair Kennewick WA, Commercial|Glass|Foggy|Cost
Home Window Replacement Call (888) 647-9771 Repair Kennewick WA, Commercial|Glass|Foggy|Cost http://youtu.be/2LjYiJ7KSsY When you are looking for home glass ...

By: Tiny E. Torres

Here is the original post:
Home Window Replacement Call (888) 647-9771 Repair Kennewick WA, Commercial|Glass|Foggy|Cost - Video

(Consumer Reports) - Home remodeling is up this year and along with it sales of replacement windows.

Installing new windows offers many benefits. They can make your home less drafty and more attractive. Theyre easier to clean, and some come pre-painted.

But putting in new windows just to save on your energy bills isnt a good reason. Sure, new windows could lower your energy bills by as much as 15 percent, but youre going to spend $10,000 to $20,000 buying and installing those new windows. So it could be decades before you recoup the cost.

With replacement windows, the most popular styles are double-hung and casement. Consumer Reports tested 24 replacement windows in both types and found that higher prices dont always guarantee better performance.

For casement windows, Consumer Reports says consider the vinyl $260 American Craftsman by Anderson 70-Series, available at Home Depot.

For double-hung windows in both warm/dry climates and regions with cold winters, Consumer Reports recommends the $300 Pella ProLine 450 Series. It performed well in wind-resistance tests, so it will keep out cold winds and hot air.

In warm/wet climates, Consumer Reports says the $190 Reliabilt 3201 window at Lowes is a good choice for a double-hung window. It and earned excellent scores for rain resistance in warmer temperatures.

Before you clean your new windows with ammonia-based product, be sure to check the instructions. Some window manufactures dont recommend ammonia or alcohol-based cleaners because they can leave streaks or a film that can attract dust. Instead use a vinegar solution on a soft microfiber cloth or a paper towel.

Here is the original post:
Thinking about replacement windows? See what Consumer Reports says about them

Ground Source Heat Pumps, more commonly referred to as geothermal heat pumps, are one of the most talked about heating and cooling systems in the consumer market today.

Consumers are excited about the incredible energy savings that can be had by installing one of the most efficient heat pumps on the market.

The problem, you ask? Most contractors and homeowners dont understand this new technology and the benefits they can get by installing geothermal. Some history of the technology and some tips can help you select the right contractor for the job.

Ground source heat pumps have existed for more than 60 years. There is a myth of it being a new technology, but the truth is, it is just misunderstood. Some HVAC contractors just choose to not install them for fear of how they actually work, or dont have the knowledge to design it.

These systems can achieve energy efficiency ratios (EER) of 41, and a coefficient of performance (COP) of 5.3. The higher the numbers the less money you spend running it, similar to the gas MPG of your vehicles.

Air source heat pumps cannot reach 50% of that efficiency and dont perform well when the temps drop in the single digits. The rate of return on most ground source heat pumps is three to 10 years or sooner with the benefit of tax incentives or power company rebates. These rebates change yearly so be sure to research these costs as they can save you thousands off the initial investment.

The key to selecting the right contractor for your ground source heat pump is to make sure they are designing the system properly. If designed improperly, the expected energy savings may not be attained.

Make sure the installing contractor does, at a minimum, the calculations called: Manual J and Manual D. Manual J is a calculation which determines the heating and cooling loads on your home based off your homes orientation, outdoor design temperatures, R-Values of the building shell, interior loads, and window performance.

Manual D takes the design a step further and designs the ductwork for optimum velocities and pressures needed for correct air delivery. This is calculated by using design parameters from the equipments blower performance charts and pressure drops on the duct system. Dont be afraid to ask your contractor for a copy of the Manual D calculation report.

The final crucial step for a high performing geothermal system is to ensure the water loop field is designed correctly. Your contractor designing the well systems must research and understand soil types and the ability of the soil to transfer energy. Rock and clay type soils hold more energy therefore the loops may be shorter. Sandy soils absorb less energy therefore your loop field will need to be deeper or more loops may be added.

Read more:
What is a Heat Pump and is it Right for You?

FORSYTH COUNTY -- The Better Business Bureau is raising awareness about a scam that affects home and business owners nationwide.

The most recent involves contract asphalt workers.

The BBB receives hundreds of contractor complaints a month from customers who weren't satisfied with a job.

"They have a period of time to respond also in writing reporting their claim, and we take that information back to the client or the consumer, the complainant and see if that satisfies the complaint or if there are additional steps taken. If that's the case, we repeat the process until it's resolved," said Brian Wright, Better Business Bureau, Northwest N.C.

The most recent complaint is about asphalt contractors going door to door telling people they have extra asphalt and they're willing to do work at a discounted rate. Other area contractors say this puts a bad name on the industry but they see it all too often.

"These furnaces were an overstock and the contractor got them for a ridiculous low price, and therefore, he's going to pass those prices onto you. In reality, there is no thing as a free lunch and you're basically paying the premium for the air conditioning system to get the free furnace," said Richard Harrington, Gwyn Electrical Plumbing Heating and Cooling.

To avoid getting scammed, Harrington advises people to ask any question they have and when they pick a contractor to get the job all in writing.

"Asking questions about the price and the scope of the work is key -- what are you going to do, when are you going to do it, how much it's going to cost, all that needs to be put in writing just to avoid surprises and confusion later," said Harrington.

And the BBB adds, never pay full price up front.

"One of the rules of thumb we like to say is, if you're going to have work done make sure the payment is done after the completed job to your satisfaction. There might be a deposit up front which is understandable, but don't necessarily pay up front because it all of a sudden puts the power on the other side," said Wright.

Read more from the original source:
BBB Raising Awareness About Asphalt Contractor Scam

The Harp administration is looking to change the way it heats and powers government buildings from City Hall to the new police academyat less cost to both taxpayers and the ozone layer.

The ambitious quest is laid out in a request for proposals (RFP) for a five-facility design-build program. (Click here to view the RFP.)

Firms have until Oct. 7 (make that 11 a.m. on Oct. 7) to put in their bid to oversee the remaking of heating and cooling system for City Hall and the 200 Orange St. government office building and the construction of solar panels on the roofs of the Goffe Street firehouse, the old Goffe Street Armory, and the new police training academy and soundproof indoor shooting range planned for the West Rock neighborhood.

The winning construction firm would use both architects and engineers to draw up a design-build plan to carry out the whole combined operation. Thats a trend in modern contracting, unlike in older days where a city would first pay architects or engineers to draw up plans, then hire a construction firm separately, often paying extra unforeseen dollars before a job gets finished.

Right now Chase Enterprises owns and runs a basement heating and cooling system for both 200 Orange St. and City Hall; the city pays for the energy. Its 20-year contract has technically expired. (The company refused to allow the Independent inside to view and photograph the operation, which is in a public space; city officials said they have no power to force them to.) City Controller Daryl Jones and William MacMullen, a city engineer working with him on the project, said theyre confident that a new operator can run the system more efficiently and charge the city less than the $400,000 it pays now every year. They envision an arrangement under which a private operator would have a 20 to 30-year lease for new equipment, with the city having an option to buy it at any time.

Meanwhile, the armory and Dixwell firehouse need new roofs. Under the plan, a private operator would install solar panels on part of those roofs, as well as the roof to go up over the new academy and shooting range. The city would buy the power, which would have to cost at least 30 percent less than it does now, Jones said. Thats the win-win. That has to be achieved, or the deal wont happen. Unused electricity would be sold back to the grid for additional savings.

The armory sits empty right now. As part of the plan, Jones said, the city would prepare the first floor to serve as storage space for old files from the city health, education, and public works department. The city now spends around $600,000 a year to lease space for storage for those files as well as other items, said MacMullen (pictured). Weve had this armory sitting there for four years with nothing going on while shelling out all the storage money. He estimated it would cost around $28,000 to prepare to use the armory space instead. (The top floors would remain available for public uses.)

In an ideal world the city would make those improvements and own the equipment itself. But the city has lots of deferred maintenance to catch up on, and lots of roads and bridges to fix, Jones noted. It already has $48 million budgeted next year for capital projects. It cant afford to bond more money, so it needs to find these kinds of creative alternatives that dont add to indebtedness or contribute to tax increases, Jones said.

MacMullen said he anticipates the city would save $200,000 a year in energy costs just at City Hall/200 Orange complex, and a total of at least $400,000 a year under the entire plan. It depends how far we go with solar and other energy-saving measures like caulking windows.

The current RFP is part of a broader rethinking of how use that strategy to fix all the citys deteriorating 1960s-70s-era firehouses, for instance, and other neglected buildings. Ive been proactive, looking for ways to solve problems before they become acute and cost more, MacMullen said. In some cases, such as with some crumbling public-works property, it might make more sense to build replacements rather than renovate, he said.

Read more:
Energy Switcheroos Start With The Boiler

Kitchen Remodeling In San Diego - 619-850-4794
Kitchen Remodeling In San Diego - Call 619-850-4794 for your new kitchen remodel and free design - We can install new cabinets - floors - counter tops - appl...

By: george johnson

View original post here:
Kitchen Remodeling In San Diego - 619-850-4794 - Video

LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Its not a standard wall oven. Its more than a microwave. The latest microwave/wall oven combo is now available with GEs most advanced cooking technologythe Advantium speedcooking oventhe ultimate kitchen multitasker. Its like having four ovens in one: Speedcook, true European convection, microwave and warming/proofing. Upgrading the microwave portion of the combo to the Advantium wall oven, GE is giving these appliance owners a plethora of cooking choices.

According to the American Institute of Architects, more activities are taking place in kitchens. While kitchens havent significantly increased in size, they are including more technology. On top of the increasing use of technology, more people are remodeling their kitchens. 1 GEs new Advantium/wall oven footprint and connections match those kitchens that already have the built-in microwave/wall oven set and could prove a space-saver for other consumers looking to remodel the kitchen without adding additional floor space.

By purchasing an appliance that already fits the cut-out of current kitchen cabinets, homeowners dont have to totally reconfigure the kitchen layout which will save them money on the cost of a remodel, said Paul Bristow, product manager for Built-in Cooking at GE Appliances. With the built-in Advantium/wall oven combo, consumers can get all the latest features GE has to offer and a product that doesnt cause installation stress.

The Advantium component of the wall oven combo features technology that harnesses the power of light, cooking the outside of the food like a conventional oven with radiant heat produced by halogen bulbs above and below the food. This halogen-produced heat receives a boost of microwave energy. The result is it browns food and cooks evenly and quicklytwo to eight times faster than a conventional ovenwhile retaining foods natural moisture.

Other combination wall oven configurations

The unique design looks like double wall ovens, but in fact weve given consumers multiple options for the upper portion of the appliance Advantium or microwave, said Bristow. To dovetail its wall oven launch last year, GE is also offering the combination unit in other variations, including:

Only the Profile and Caf models feature the option of an Advantium/convection-oven combo with an MSRP of $3,999.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter or check out our website for more information

Friend GE Appliances on Facebook to view how-to videos, learn about new GE appliances and join in the discussion with other GE appliance owners. Join today and follow @GE_Appliances on Twitter or just locate detailed information about our products at http://www.geappliances.com.

About GE Appliances

Originally posted here:
GE Modernizes the Microwave/Wall Oven Combination with its Popular Advantium Wall Oven

Up for sale is Gateway Tower, a 1960s office building at One Memorial Drive near the Arch and Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis.

Jones Lang LaSalle has the listing for the 20-story building opened in 1967. Main tenants include ShipWorks, the East-West Gateway Council of Governments and KMOV-TV.

Peter Harwood, who with fellow JLL broker Jim Postweiler hasthe listing, isn't disclosing an asking price but says Gateway Tower is nearly 86 percent leased. City records indicate that Sovereign Partners, a New York-based real estate investment firm, bought Gateway Tower in 2004 for just under $8.5 million.

Downtown's office market is tepid but the good times keep rolling along for the area's residential market. With that in mind, Sovereign Partners did a feasibility study of a plan to build a 16-story residential tower on top of KMOV, which occupies Gateway Tower's lowrise portion. The preliminary plan is for 80 residences ranging in size from 1,200 to 1,500 square feet.

Harwood said today that Gateway Tower will benefit from its nearness to the Arch, whose grounds are undergoing a massive renovation, most of it to be completed in about a year.

Tim Bryant covers commercial real estate, development and other business stories for the Post-Dispatch. He blogs at Building Blocks, the Post-Dispatch development blog.

The rest is here:
Gateway Tower office building for sale

TRI-STATE NEWS HEADLINES

From our newsroom to your inbox weekday mornings at 9AM.

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) A construction workerwas killed in a partial building collapse in Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday,officials said.

Two workers at the West 37th Streetsite,where a 22-storyhotel will rise between Eighth and Ninth avenues, were diggingup against the foundation of the office building next door around1:30 p.m.

Then, a slab of approximately 4-by-8 feet collapsed off of the foundation of the adjacent building, trapping one of the workers underneath, cityBuildings Commissioner Rick Chandler said.

The section of concrete weighed about 8,000 pounds, WCBS 880s Alex Silverman, reported.

You could see there was somebody under there, one witness who was lookingdown from a window above told Silverman. All we saw sticking out was hands and arms.

You could see the arm and the hand sticking out from under there, so kind of a brutal sight, John Frandelli told 1010 WINS Sonia Rincon.

1010 WINS' Sonia Rincon reports

No other injuries werereported.

Read more:
FDNY: 1 Dead In Partial Building Collapse In Midtown