Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

WASHINGTON (AP) Sorry, clean freaks. No matter how well you scrub your home, it's covered in bacteria from your own body. And if you pack up and move, new research shows, you'll rapidly transfer your unique microbial fingerprint to the doorknobs, countertops and floors in your new house, too.

In fact, researchers who studied seven families in Illinois, Washington and California could easily match up who lived where using their microscopic roommates, almost like CSI for germs.

Thursday's study is part of an effort to understand how the trillions of mostly beneficial bacteria that live in and on our bodies what's called the human microbiome interact with bugs in the environment to affect our health.

"We have so little information about where the microbes come from that shape our microbiome, whether it's for health or disease," said microbiologist Jack Gilbert of the Argonne National Laboratory and University of Chicago.

Where do people spend most of their time? "It's the indoor environment. The best place to look at that was the home," said Gilbert, who led the Home Microbiome Project and included his own family.

Right at birth, babies start picking up microbes on the skin, in the nose, in the gut that eventually make up living communities that will share their bodies throughout life. Many of these bugs play critical roles in digestion, the immune system and other health-inducing factors. Others may make it easier to gain weight, or influence disease. What shapes the balance of good bugs and bad is a huge scientific question.

Hospital studies make clear that someone who already is sick can catch a new infection from pathogenic bacteria left behind by a previous patient.

In contrast, the new study examines healthy people, and it marks an important step: Beginning to show what's normal in a regular home, said Dr. Lisa Helbling Chadwick of the National Institutes of Health. That's a key question before scientists can explore how to possibly create healthier homes.

"You have to think about the microbiome of your home as part of your home's immune system," said Chadwick, of NIH's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, who wasn't involved with Gilbert's project. "Instead of relying on killing bugs to stop the spread of infection, maybe we need to cultivate better bugs."

For the study, Gilbert recruited seven households that included 15 adults, three children, three dogs and a cat. For six weeks, participants collected samples of the microscopic bugs living on and around them by swabbing the hands, feet, noses and paws of everyone in the household, plus doorknobs, light switches, floors and countertops.

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OK, so we have germs. But they're our unique germs

Know where do bacteria reign? In the cosiness of your home - at doorknobs, light switches, floors, countertops - and within relationships.

If you are married and have kids, you tend to share most of the microbial community, says a fascinating research.

And if you have pets, it changes the bacterial makeup with more plant and soil bacteria entering the house.

"As people spend more and more time indoors, we wanted to map out the microbes that live in our homes and the likelihood that they will settle on us," said microbiologist Jack Gilbert from US Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory.

As part of the Home Microbiome Project, researchers followed seven families, which included 18 people, three dogs and one cat, over the course of six weeks.

The participants swabbed their hands, feet and noses daily to collect a sample of the microbial populations living in and on them.

They also sampled surfaces in the house, including doorknobs, light switches, floors and countertops.

"We found that people substantially affected the microbial communities in a house - when three of the families moved, it took less than a day for the new house to look just like the old one, microbially speaking," Gilbert explained.

In one home where two of the three occupants were in a relationship with one another, the couple shared many more microbes.

Married couples and their young children also shared most of their microbial community.

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Beware! Married couple share most bacteria

Park City, Utah (PRWEB) August 29, 2014

With hardwood floors growing in popularity and becoming an in-demand investment, customers are educating themselves. With better customer education comes the right to demand better products. Kalia Flooring & Design Center has read the signs early enough and have done exactly that by improving on their product offering by introducing highly regarded, pre-finished hardwood floors with low UV finishes.

Founder of Kalia Floors, Scott Heath, comments on the introduction of pre-finished hardwood floors with low UV finishes to Kalia's showroom. "We've enjoyed using high quality, UV finished floors for years. With a noticeable increase in demand over the years, we've been planning on expanding our offerings to carry the product directly in our showroom." He continues. "By bypassing ordering from a central warehouse, carring UV finished hardwood floors in our showroom will expedite installation for customers."

Since the recent announcement the company reports that there has been exceptionally positive feedback. While the positive reception of pre-finished hardwood floors from Utah customers comes partly from satisfied buyers spreading the word, much of the demand for this flooring comes from the benefeits of the product itself.

"The advantages of using low UV finishes are quite tangible." Mr. Heath exclaims. "UV oil finish has an extremely thin coat and an intentionally low thickness. This makes for a very attractive furniture-like finish that's not common in floors. The oil actually penetrates the surface of the wood, in the process providing a very rich appearance that's not seen in the conventional semi-gloss urethane floors."

When compared against other finishes such as semi-gloss urethane finished floors there are numerous benefits that owners of low UV finished floors experience. Because the finished layer is quite flexible and thin, the end product is capable of easily taking impacts while leaving the finish intact. This is a striking difference from the easy flaking and chipping away that is often experienced with cheaper, conventional, semi-gloss urethane finished flooring.

Another great benefit of UV oil is the ease at which it can be repaired. This is mainly because of the light finish on top of the hardwood. Semi-gloss urethane floors are quite difficult to repair, due to the thick finish it leaves on top of the wood. Should this flooring break it is virtually impossible to touch it up seamlessly. With UV oil finishes repair is easily achievable. Scott Heath explains. "Oil finishes are quite easy to blend and repair without leaving any noticeable spots." He continues. "To repair (UV pre-finished) flooring just touch up some oil on a cloth, rub it slowly and smoothly into the wood and let it dry for an hour. It is usually as simple as that."

Even though oil finished floors are perfect for a variety of commercial applications where there is considerable wear and tear on the floor from high foot traffic, they also come in handy for residential installations. With a relatively low gloss level of around 10%, UV oil finihed floors reflect minimal amounts of light. This makes for vibrant, rich floor colors that are sure to compliment any room - all while minimizing dings and dents and maximizing the life of the investment.

As society increases their movement towards "green" products, Mr. heath was quite excited in stating that "Environmentally, this UV oil is normally made up of one hundred percent (100%) solids and contains no after-cure products or solvents." He continues. "This makes the product more environmentally friendly than cheaper products."

The demand for this product has pleasantly surprised the wood floor installers at Kalia. Scott remarks further. "Our clients have been wonderful in providing feedback from their first-hand experiences so that we ensure we offer only the best. We continuously strive to provide world class products and service, but to also ensure that our client's expectations are not only met but surpassed," concludes Mr. Heath.

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Utah Floor Company, Kalia Flooring, Adds Pre-Finished Hardwood Floors With Low UV Finishes to Their Showroom

Reading into the future Benson library continues with series of improvements

By Beverly Clark bclark@titusvilleherald.com Saturday, August 30, 2014 4:06 AM EDT

You may do a double-take the next time you walk into Benson Memorial Library.

Not everyone has noticed the change, but those who have gave positive responses to the new carpeting in the library, according to library director Tara Bartley.

Bartley said the previous carpet was 25 years old, and there were noticeable stains, along with general wear and tear.

The librarys board decided decided it was time for new carpeting.

The library closed for a little more than a week, from Aug. 15 to Aug. 25, for the installation.

The library received partial funding for the carpeting from various foundations, such as Harold D. Jones for Charities; PNC Foundation, Harold A. Heist TUW Trust B; PNC Foundation, and Fred Lintner Fund; and the Crawford Heritage Community Foundation.

With the new carpet, there are also some boarders on the floor in the different rooms of the library, which Bartley said were there to help define the space, and the accent gray color would help give it its place.

In August 2013, the library also put in completely new lighting, seeking energy efficiency, so the old lights were being phased out.

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Benson library continues with series of improvements

Architects have until 3 October 2014 to enter their church building and church conservation projects for two national awards:The Presidents' Award and theKing of Prussia Gold Medal.

The Presidents' Award

New church buildings and new designs in church re-ordering, alterations or extensions can be entered for The Presidents' Award. The award is open to church buildings of all Christian denominations in the UK.The Presidents' Award is made on behalf of the Ecclesiastical Architects and Surveyors Association President and the National Churches Trust's Joint Presidents, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York.

Projects are eligible if they have been completed within the last three years.

The 2013 Presidents' Award was awarded to the Michael Dales Partnership for the new Parish Room at St Mary's Church, Hertingfordbury, Hertfordshire.

The King of Prussia Gold Medal

Innovative, high quality church conservation or repair work that has successfully overcome a major aesthetic or technical challenge is eligible to be entered for The King of Prussia's Gold Medal. The Gold Medal was the gift of King Freidrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia in 1857 who was highly impressed with British Victorian church architecture.

The award is open to the Architect or Chartered Surveyor on any scheme of repair for a church or chapel of any Christian denomination in the UK, in use for regular worship, and over one hundred years old. The scheme must have been funded by a grant or loan from the National Churches Trust, or would have been eligible for such a grant or loan, and have been completed within the last three years.

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Best church architecture awards

Chef Matthias Merges said he hesitated at first when the University of Chicago asked him several years ago to open a restaurant in Hyde Park. The owner of acclaimed Yusho and Billy Sunday in hipster haven Logan Square loved the diverse and tightknit South Side neighborhood, but would it have enough bustle to support his dining concepts?

Nine months after opening the upscale French-Italian restaurant A10 on 53rd Street, part of a sweeping university-led effort to revive Hyde Park's commercial core, Merges has an answer.

"It has crushed our expectations," said Merges, who this fall plans to open a second Yusho location in Hyde Park, at 53rd and Kimbark Avenue. "It's like people have been waiting for businesses to come down and help revitalize it."

The decadelong, multimillion-dollar effort to rejuvenate Hyde Park, widely known for its museums and academics, but not as a terribly cool place to hang out, has been on a roll in the past year, with a flurry of new businesses open in the redeveloped Harper Court shopping center and with business owners reporting positive results.

Kilwin's Chocolates and Fudge is one of the 28 new businesses that have opened in the past three years along the 53rd Street corridor, the focus of the redevelopment. Franchise owner Jackie Jackson said her sales are double what they were at the Kilwin's she ran for five years in the heart of the tony Old Town neighborhood. Jackson, who lives in Hyde Park and opened the shop in December 2012, said she started turning a profit this year for the first time since she went into business in 2008.

Jackson was able to open the second shop because the university offered a rent abatement and help with her build-out. She closed her Old Town store a year ago after vandals broke the windows there, the third break-in at the site, she said, and is focusing on Hyde Park, where she feels overwhelming support.

"I think this neighborhood is more receptive," Jackson said. "Because Hyde Park was underserved, people are very excited."

Across the street, at the Hyatt Place, which opened in September 2013 at Harper Court, revenues are exceeding expectations by 25 percent, and occupancy is 10 percent above projections, said general manager Anthony Beach. Average room rates are just $5 less than its downtown competitors, a mark of high demand, he said.

Most of the hotel guests are visiting the University of Chicago school or medical center (the hotel offers a shuttle to both), but some are McCormick Place conference attendees, who Beach said are important for shedding widespread misconceptions about the neighborhood.

"We had a number of reservations cancel on us at first when they heard we were on the South Side. We hear it all the time from travelers who say they've heard terrible things about the South Side," said Beach, who grew up in the Englewood neighborhood and attended Hyde Park Career Academy for high school.

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Hyde Park's retail revival is on a roll

Historical home restoration by John Gregg and the crew of Double G Professionals!
via YouTube Capture.

By: Double G Painting General Contracting

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Historical home restoration by John Gregg and the crew of Double G Professionals! - Video

Williams-Sonoma, Inc is experiencing a bump in its otherwise very lucrative road, as the specialty retailer's outlook has created some concern amid weakness in key segments of its business. Nonetheless, while investors typically group companies together -- in this case, Williams-Sonoma with Restoration Hardware -- one thing should be known: Williams-Sonoma's short-term problems are hardly a forecast for what to expect with thriving home-improvement retailer Restoration Hardware.

What is Williams-Sonoma? Williams-Sonoma is a large home-furnishings retailer that operates in-store and through e-commerce, nearly half-and-half. The company splits its business into two segments, direct-to-consumer and retail, in which each segment includes the company's seven different concepts . The company's concepts are popular among middle- to upper-class consumers, as each of its seven concepts focus on quality. But like so many other retailers today, discounting has broadened its appeal to new consumers.

The company has seen its stock price increase 245% during the last five years, but on Thursday its stock tumbled nearly 12% after its second-quarter revenue growth decelerated to 5.9% from nearly 10% in the first quarter, and many of its top concepts, like Pottery Barn and Williams-Sonoma, saw comparable sales growth cut in half. Furthermore, the company's outlook was conservative, which investors dislike for a stock that's had such a remarkable run.

Where's the problem? While Williams-Sonoma does not report detailed financial information for any of its concepts aside from comparable-store sales, the company's PBTeen concept saw noticeable weakness. Specifically, PBTeen had seen double-digit comparable-sales growth in previous quarters, including 12% during the first quarter, but then fell to negative 1% during the second quarter.

PBTeen was launched in 2003 and offers, as the company says, "a complete line of furniture and accessories for teen bedrooms, study and lounge spaces, and college dorm rooms."

On the conference call, Chief Financial Officer Julie Whalen said that PBTeen was a significant piece of comp deceleration, and that issues including a fire in a Vietnam factory destroying inventory caused significant delays for the concept. In other words, many of the company's concepts experienced hardships, many of which were created by discounting, but PBTeen was a major contributor to the disappointing performance.

Not like Restoration Hardware With that said, fellow home-improvement retailer Restoration Hardware saw its stock decline after Williams-Sonoma's poor performance, falling more than 3% on Thursday. While both companies operate in the same industry, generate a significant amount of their business directly from consumers, and use catalogs as a major outlet for their businesses, the comparisons pretty much end there.

For example, while Williams-Sonoma's consumer appeal is questionable, at best, based on economic class, Restoration Hardware is undoubtedly a luxury retailer, and has attracted customers at an alarming rate, allowing for comparable sales growth of 57% during the last two years. Furthermore, while Williams-Sonoma is a mature company with nearly 600 stores, many of which are located in malls or shopping centers, Restoration Hardware has only 70, and has shied away from smaller stores in crowded shopping centers that have declining traffic in favor of enormous galleries.

Last year, Restoration Hardware opened a newly designed 40,000-square-foot gallery in the old New England Museum of Natural History in Boston. Then, in June, the company renovated its New York gallery, making it three times larger, with 30,000 square feet. Now, Restoration Hardware has its sights set on new bigger and better stores.

In the past, Restoration Hardware was renovating existing stores, or locations, keeping its store count around 70 -- the same for the better part of two years. However, earlier this year, the company announced an enormous expansion program , including plans to open new large galleries in Greenwich, Los Angeles, and Atlanta, three areas that aren't short of luxury shoppers. In addition, the company announced plans to build another 25 next-generation Full Line Design Galleries.

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You're Wrong to Worry About Restoration Hardware Based on Williams-Sonoma's Report

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Office has advised motorists that the exit ramp from southbound Interstate 65 to KY 44 (Exit 117) at Shepherdsville will be closed this weekend for concrete pavement repairs.

The ramp is scheduled for closure from 9:00 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29 until 5:00 a.m. Monday, Sept. 1.

Motorists should follow the signed detour via southbound I-65 to westbound KY 480 (Exit 118), northbound KY 61 and then connect with KY 44.

This work is part of a $20.7 million project for the removal and replacement of various sections of concrete pavement across a 20-mile section of I-65 in Bullitt County.

Construction work is proceeding north -- and Thursday, the work zone was moved to the section of interstate between mile points 112 and 118.

Two lanes of traffic are being maintained in each direction.

A temporary median crossover is being used to shift one lane of southbound traffic to the northbound lanes while crews replace the pavement in the southbound lanes.

Southbound traffic is separated from northbound traffic by a concrete median barrier wall.

Southbound I-65 motorists exiting at KY 44 (Exit 117), KY 480 (Exit 118) and KY 245 (Exit 112), must stay in the right lane to exit during this phase of construction.

This traffic pattern will remain in place for approximately two months while contract crews work to replace various sections of damaged concrete pavement.

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Interstate 65 South ramp in Bullitt County closed this weekend

Siding Installation Colorado Springs - Siding Pro - Lockwood Project Day Four
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