Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Waterloo, Ontario (PRWEB) June 11, 2014

Noise Pollution is a growing global urban problem. The World Health Organization (WHO) says it seriously harms human health. An interesting statistic from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association estimates that 30 million Americans are exposed to dangerous noise levels on a regular basis.

Noise pollution can lead to hearing loss, sleep disturbances, and fatigue headaches. Inside or outside communities are working to make changes. An interesting case study has recently happened in the restaurant industry.

Reducing Noise Pollution can be simple in small spaces. A good example is Taco Farm, an innovative restaurant in Waterloo, Ontario. It opened less than a year ago. It had delicious food, excellent service and a cool location, but customers and staff were struggling with the noise levels.

We take feedback from our customers seriously, says Ryan Good, Taco Farm co-owner. Taco Farm has a great atmosphere, but the sound was reverberating off the high flat ceiling making it very difficult to hear. Our staff were complaining about headaches and we knew we had to do something.

Ryan Good called Conestoga-Rovers & Associates, industry experts in noise reduction, Tim Wiens and Joey Jraige. Sound softening techniques are mostly used in large theatre spaces, but Wiens says more businesses and restaurants are looking to the engineers. We are interested in designing smarter spaces, and sound is a big part of that.

The Conestoga-Rovers & Associates team used a sound technique that is traditionally used in theatre spaces to decrease the sound in crowded areas.

The acoustic absorbing panels reduced the reverberation time by 30%. Reverberation makes hearing incredibly difficult because an overlapping of speech sounds occurs. That significantly reduces speech intelligibility.

The panels blend in with the hip dcor at Taco Farm, and most people dont even notice them. What they will notice is that they dont have to shout to speak to the person next to them. We call it speech privacy, explains Tim Wiens.

The effect has been dramatic. Our staff and customers noticed immediately. Anything we can do to make someones dining experience better is great, says Ryan Good.

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More Than Food - Conestoga Rovers Engineering Smarter Spaces for Restaurants

Juleps New Southern Cuisine is leaving Shockoe Bottom and moving to East Grace Street downtown.

Owner Amy Ayers said Thursday night before the restaurants 11th anniversary celebration that the restaurant will move to the former Shields Shoes store at 420 E. Grace St.

She hopes to finish construction on the building by the end of 2014 and open Juleps in its new location by March 1. The restaurant will remain open at its current location until the move.

Were going from one historic building to another, Ayers said.

Ayers bought the three-story Shields building with Tom Dickey and Chris Johnson, principals of The Monument Companies. The first floor will hold the 128-seat restaurant, up from 74 seats in the current location. Eight apartments will be built on the second and third floors.

Ayers will remain sole owner of Juleps, which will rent the space from the three-person partnership. The Monument Companies will handle construction.

The partnership 420 E Grace Richmond LLC bought the property for $630,000, according to the commercial real estate firm CBRE|Richmond, whose agents represented the seller and the buyer.

Juleps will be next door to Pasture, which has served Southern-focused food since chef-owner Jason Alley and co-owners Michele Jones and Ry Marchant opened the restaurant in 2011.

Like Juleps new digs, a storefront that once catered to downtown shoppers houses Pasture. The restaurant is the former home of the high-end womens clothier Montaldos.

When she was fresh out of college, Ayers worked at Downtown Presents, which had been Richmonds urban festival promoter. One of her tasks was to hang event posters in the windows of downtown retailers.

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Juleps restaurant moving to East Grace Street

TAHOE CITY, Calif. Tahoe City is set to take the plunge with a new lake front restaurant addition.

Located in a new, two-story building at the Grove Street Pier in Tahoe City, Moes Original Bar B Que is scheduled to open by mid-June.

Josh Wallick, Eric Pilcher and Luke Dannals partnered after finding the perfect location for what they call a soul food revival. The boys like to call it a friendchise its mostly friends and family. Moes has restaurants in Alabama, Colorado, North Carolina, Tennessee and Maine.

Working practically 24/7 to get the building restaurant-ready, these hands-on guys built their own tables for a totally Tahoe ambiance. All three have extensive restaurant and food and beverage experience: Eric and Josh worked side-by-side at Moes in Vail, Colo. and Luke worked as a beverage captain at the Marriott in Vail, a four diamond resort.

Their philosophy is to provide an affordable meal in a relaxed atmosphere like being at a friends for dinner.

Moes is steeped in the tradition of sizzlin Southern soul food, such as smoked meats with Moes secret rub and slow smoke process.

Fried, sustainably harvested, freshwater catfish are a specialty, along with a fried gulf shrimp Moe-boy and blackened seasonal fish.

Alabama barbecued chicken and turkey, chicken wings and tofu are served with a signature white barbecue sauce. When winter rolls around, warm up with crab or shrimp bisque, sweet potato soup and a variety of chili.

Banana pudding, Mississippi mud pie and scotcheroos (Rice Crispie treats with caramel and chocolate coating) will top things off.

Craft beers and a hand-selected wine list should keep the bar lively and diners satisfied.

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Moes Original Bar B Que lands lakeside in Tahoe City

Pollyana #39;s remodeling upstairs
Girls love remodeling, and my sisters and I are no exception! Though really only Rose and I did it, and only our rooms got redone, but Snow Flake likes her room the way it is and she did the camera.

By: Pollyana Bear

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Pollyana's remodeling upstairs - Video

A Schultz Custom Homes Remodeling Project Part 1
Tom Schultz with Schultz Custom Homes and Remodeling walks you through a sun room remodel with designs implemented around unique challenges brought on by North Carolina building codes. For...

By: Tom Schultz

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A Schultz Custom Homes & Remodeling Project Part 1 - Video

Sims 3 - Ep 19 - Remodeling!
In his ep of The Sims 3 I remodel my house! Subscribe http://bit.ly/ZaiLetsPlay Sims 3 Playlist https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL48s7en279BtNHYz-wSkSn2zDxERsu90G action_edit=1...

By: ZaiLetsPlay

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Sims 3 - Ep 19 - Remodeling! - Video

Let #39;s Play Minecraft Ep.6 Gold Farming and Nether Remodeling
Welcome to the sixth episode of Let #39;s Play Minecraft! Make sure to check out any previous episodes if you missed one! 🙂 Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-fNjAq0adNchXV5KFTq9ERrLT...

By: AHeckman2

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Let's Play Minecraft Ep.6 Gold Farming and Nether Remodeling - Video

When remodeling or preparing to sell your home, getting the biggest return on your investment is not always easy to figure out. Deciding what project, budget and scope of work are all things that will determine what value or return you will get from the project.

Some projects make you more comfortable in your home but will not necessarily delivery the same monetary value that you put into the project. Other projects may make your home easier to sell and attract buyers but, depending on the scope and budget, you may not recoup the cost.

However, it may have been a necessary project to sell your home. Lets look at a few cost vs. value examples in the St. Louis market from Remodeling magazines 2014 report.

When looking at cost vs. value of projects in your home, it is important to keep your emotions out of the analysis. The modern, upscale bathroom you have always wanted may not correlate to a big return on investment compared to a midrange remodeling project. For example, according to Remodel magazines 2014 report, if you were to complete an upscale bathroom remodel you would recoup around 57 percent of the projects cost. But if the remodel cost landed in the midrange, your return would be closer to 62 percent. The return on investment of the projects can fluctuate from year to year. From 2013 to 2014, the return value of an upscale bathroom remodel went down, whereas the return value of a midrange bathroom remodel went up.

One of the best cost-to-value projects for your home, whether it is upscale or midrange, is installing modern vinyl windows. With a midrange job that costs around $10,500, you will add around $9,200 to your homes value. This is a cost to value of 87.7 percent, which is among the highest included in the report. If you complete an upscale version of the same project spending around $13,944 it would add a value of $11,291 to your home. This cost to value would be 81 percent.

One thing to remember when tackling any project is excess is not always the best. It is your home, and you can always do what makes you happy so long as you go into it knowing you may not get out what you put in.

Look at your home, as well as the market around you, and try and make an educated decision about what the project will cost and what it is actually worth to the value of your home.

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What projects add value to my home?

Inside, Outside, or Poolside? By Rachel Harper

When you own a pool, it becomes the central part of your backyard, and the entire area around it becomes extended living space that can be used throughout the season. To get the most out of your pool and newfound living space, you can extend the season or even allow for year-round swimming by adding a pool enclosure. If youd rather have a separate structure where you can store everything you need, relax in the shade, and enjoy the conveniences of your main house (without having to run back and forth to it), you may opt for a pool house. Both structures allow you to spend more time by the pool and enjoy the beauty of your outdoor oasis.

Photo courtesy of Concord Pools

Pool Enclosures

A pool enclosure is a great way to achieve the benefits of an indoor pool without feeling like youre stuck inside. Complete with sliding glass doors and retractable polycarbonate or glass-paneled roofs, permanent enclosures function like a sunroom for your pool. They provide UV protection while allowing the warmth and light of the sun to shine through and heat up the pool water. On hot summer days, you can open up the doors and roof to welcome comfortable breezes. When the forecast calls for rain, no need to stay inside the house; having a fully enclosed pool means you can swim rain or shine! Youll also have protection from pesky insects, and you wont have to worry about your picnicware getting blown away while youre dining poolside.

Permanent pool enclosures offer a great deal of versatility. They can be freestanding or attached to your home, and either prefabricated or custom-built, allowing for a wide variety of design options. Most are built from tempered aluminum frameworks with stainless steel fastening hardware, but they can also be constructed from brick, stone, or other materials. Custom structures allow you to choose a color and design that best complements your homes architecture. No matter what style you choose, investing in a pool enclosure means youll have an indoor-outdoor room that you can use as often as you wish.

Photo courtesy of Garden Prairie Pool & Spa Enclosures, manufactured by CCSI International, Inc.

If you live in a mild climate and want to extend the use of your poolside living space, you may prefer a pool house or cabana instead of an enclosure. Large or small, pool houses can provide useful storage space and living areas, as well as an attractive addition to your backyard. Since pool houses can go from basic storage units to grand multi-room guest houses, youll need to decide what kind of structure you want and what will fit into your budget.

Compact cabanas provide a place to store all of your pool floats, toys, maintenance equipment, sunscreen, towels, and other poolside needs. If your space and budget allow, you can opt for a larger structure that includes a bathroom, shower, and changing room. While all these features add convenience to the use of your pool, you may seek refuge from the sun and want a room where you can relax while enjoying the view of the pool. A one-room pool house can function just like a sunroom, complete with a cozy living room set and any decorative accents you wish. If you plan to spend a great deal of time in the pool house, you may want to install heating and air conditioning so it can be used just like any other room in the house.

If you are able to splurge on a luxury pool house, your structure can include all the fundamentals of your home and be used as a guest house, as well as for poolside entertaining. Adding a kitchen, dining table and chairs, bar, large-screen TV, and bedroom opens up your pool house to infinite possibilities.

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Inside, Outside, or Poolside? Pool Houses, Cabanas, and ...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are moving from tarps to pools.

The Jaguars provided a hard-hat tour of their $63 million stadium renovation Tuesday, showing off the world's largest scoreboards, a pair of wading pools and a two-story party deck that will include 20 all-inclusive cabanas.

Jacksonville removed 9,500 chair-back seats to make room for the new construction in the north end zone. That allowed the team to remove 12 of 16 tarps around EverBank Field. The tarps have been an eyesore for years and essentially made the Jaguars the brunt of jokes. Maybe more importantly for a small-market franchise trying to change perception after years of futility, the covered sections won't be seen on television.

The Jaguars will unveil the scoreboards and cabanas at a Carrie Underwood concert July 26.

Already, the team has sold 65 per cent of its cabanas for the 2014 season. Cabana seating is sold out for three home games: against Pittsburgh (Oct. 5), against the New York Giants (Nov. 30) and against Houston (Dec. 7).

"We're trying to give fans a compelling reason to leave the comfort of their homes and to come and watch the Jaguars in person," Jaguars president Mark Lamping said. "We have to make sure the experience, when people spend their hard-earned money, is really good. But more importantly, it is unique and distinctly different than what you can get at home."

The Jaguars are selling 12 upstairs cabanas for $3,000 a game, with a maximum of 20 people in each suite. The price includes all-you-can-eat food and all-you-can-drink beer, wine and soda.

The eight downstairs cabanas -- the only tickets that include pool access -- are going for $12,500 a game, with a maximum of 50 people in each suite. Those also are all-inclusive.

Throw in 120 bar-rail seats located in the north end zone and adjacent to the pools, and the Jaguars have completely changed the look and feel of their 20-year-old stadium. Those bar-rail seats cost $150 a game and include food and drinks.

"This starts to give our building character, gives our building a personality that fits this market," said ChadJohnson, the team's senior vice-president of ticket sales. "We're in a great warm-weather market where water, beaches, the river are all part of it. So this incorporates not only what's local, but it incorporates a high-end beach resort. You go to a high-end beach report and sit in a cabana, what do you have there? You have the luxury of the beach but the ability to pull away from it with comfort of shade, fans, televisions that you can't get with your chair parked in that sand.

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Jaguars move from tarps to pools with stadium renovation