Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

A project to replace windows at Confederation Building is nearly $20-million over budget.In 2009, the renovations were estimated to cost $40-million, but Transportation Minister Nick McGrath says the actual number is now more like $56-million. Work has included the replacement of windows and brick, and repairs to the tower.

McGrath says once crews started work on the outer-facing portion of the building, they realized the limestone around the windows had deteriorated. Instead of just replacing the windows, he says the entire window casing had to be replaced.

The renovations mark the first major overhaul of the building since it opened in 1960. The former green windows are changing to blue, and are meant to be more energy efficient window.

Liberal Critic Tom Osborne says some new windows are already leaking and blinds are being put up in offices. With the project 150 per cent over budget and two years behind schedule, Osborne questions the due diligence. He estimates the cost will come in around $60-million when the cost of blinds is taken into account.

Minister McGrath says not all offices will require blinds for the glare from the sun and any leaks will be covered under warranty. Construction is expected to be complete in 2015.

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Window Renovations $20-million Over Budget

Batavia, Illinois (PRWEB) May 30, 2014

After losing their jobs and suffering a series of unfortunate health issues and financial setbacks, Ken and Jeanine Staples found themselves in dire straights and close to losing their home. An old, inefficient furnace from the 1940's and mounting fuel costs were adding to the pressure throughout the winter. But at last, things took a positive turn with great news from Confident Aire, Inc. announcing they had won the companys annual Ultimate Energy Transformation Award and would be receiving a new Trane 95% Efficient Furnace. As part of the award package, the Staples will also receive a home air quality test, complete cleaning of all their air ducts, a brand new hot water heater and a new programmable thermostat all at no charge from Confident Aire, the Illinois-based HVAC and Plumbing Company, in cooperation with Munch's Supply, and the Trane Company.

Pete Hansford, a family friend, had nominated the Staples for The Ultimate Energy Transformation Award without their prior knowledge. Pete admired both Ken and Jeanine for their incredible fortitude in staying positive despite a series of tremendous obstacles.

Things started to go downhill when Jeanine lost her job. Out of work only a few days, Jeanine broke her hand and wrist leaving her unable to look for work. After these injuries finally healed, she slipped on some stairs and broke both her shoulder and ankle. At the same time Ken was diagnosed with a blod clot in his leg and had to remain in the hospital for a time, leaving him unable to care for his wife. Ken had also lost his brother to brain cancer after caring for him in the Staples' home at the same time he was assisting his wife with her broken hand and wrist. To make matters worse, at the end of December Jeanine's unemployment funding was cutoff leaving the family with no income.

Ken is a self-employed handyman and was without work throughout the recent rough winter. Now that the warmer weather has arrived, Ken is still not able to work much due to his own health issues and having to care for his wife Jeanine.

Ken and Jeanine Staples are hopeful that the new free furnace will mark the start of a positive trend in their lives. They will receive a more fuel-efficient heating system and save significantly on heating bills next winter.

The new system will be installed in the next few weeks, along with the new hot water heater and air purifier and their heating ducts will be thoroughly cleaned for a healthier living environment.

Tom Wangler, owner of Confident Aire, Inc. and his Technical Team plan to visit the Staples' home to perform a load analysis of the home heating environment to determine the exact size furnace the home will require. They will also place an AirAdvice monitor in the home to test levels of VOCs, dust, mold, pollen and other aggravating airborne contaminants that can compromise a family's health. This test will be performed both before and after the installation of the new Atmos Air Ionic Air Purification System to demonstrate its effectiveness.

Assessing the homes need for a new furnace involves a very intensive evaluation of the home, said owner, Tom Wangler. At least it should be. We spend time calculating what the actual load requirements on the furnace will be. We measure the homes square footage as well as take into account other critical factors including the number and size of windows, where and how much sunshine comes into the home, the thickness of walls, room sizes and whether a garage, basement or crawlspace lies below the rooms. We also inspect air returns and heating vents to check for proper air flow and try to find those drafty areas where heat loss typically occurs.

Measuring for a new furnace can involve a complicated algorithm, but Tom Wangler and his Team use a software program to help with the calculations. If you want to maximize efficiency and maintain an optimal level of home comfort year round, you need to do the math, said Wangler.

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Confident Aire, Inc., a Heating, Cooling, Plumbing and Energy-Saving Solutions Company Awards a Trane Furnace for ...

Kitchen Remodeling in New York-How to Find a Contractor
Kitchen Remodeling in New York will help you easily find a Kitchen Remodel Contractor. As with any project, it #39;s wise to get multiple bids. When you set out to find a contractor, get at least...

By: New York-3FreeBids.com

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Kitchen Remodeling in New York-How to Find a Contractor - Video

BB&T will be the anchor tenant in the five-story office building planned for 101 N. Third St. Contributed photo/LS3P Associates

BB&T will be the anchor tenant in a five-story office building downtown that will begin construction this summer.

The building, at 101 N. Third St., will be the first Class A office structure built downtown since the Bank of America Building in 2009. Class A denotes the highest quality office space.

BB&T will occupy 34,000 square feet of the 68,000-square-foot building. The current building on the site, which houses a PNC Bank branch, will be demolished.

Groundbreaking is scheduled for July 1 and completion is expected in June 2015, according to the developers, Will Purvis and Brian Eckel of Cape Fear Development Partners, a subsidiary of Cape Fear Commercial.

The project, which was announced in January, received its Technical Review Committee approval May 13.

Cape Fear Commercial is managing development and leasing of the building, which is designed by architectural firm LS3P Associates. Barnhill Contracting Co. is the builder.

Sharing the first floor with BB&T will be Dunkin' Donuts, the developers said.

The site has been designed with three bank drive-thru lanes and 14 on-site parking spaces. The developers are also working with the city for access to the adjacent Second Street parking deck for tenants' use, Eckel said.

"We have experienced a great surge in activity over the last 12 months in the Wilmington office market and believe that more users will play their part in shaping the new look of the downtown market by making the (central business district) their place of business," Eckel said in a statement.

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BB&T to anchor new downtown Wilmington office building

Get ready, D.C. The Trumpification of our city begins tomorrow when Donald Trump and his Trump Organization take control of the Old Post Office building.

Per Trump's deal with the General Services Administration, the historic 114-year-old building on Pennsylvania Avenue will turned into a 260-room high-end hotel, which will also feature a spa, conference facilities, restaurants, and a museum remembering the building's history. The renovations will cost $200 million.

In a statement, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), who passed the Old Post Office Building Redevelopment Act in 2008 in order to get the GSA to redevelop the building, said that the redevelopment of our Old Post Office building is on track, not only to tastefully transform the historic building into a unique hotel, but also to bring hundreds of jobs and millions in tax revenue to the District." She added that "we have worked tirelessly for well more than a decade to get GSA to put the beautiful building to good use. The beginning of construction is the tangible reward for the city we have been working for.

When the Trump Organization will have access to the building tomorrow, they'll begin construction on it, which will reopen as a hotel in 2016. The lease of the building is between D.C., the federal government, and the Trump Organization. According to a release, D.C. will get "$100 million in tax revenue over a 10-year-period, and the project will yield 700 construction jobs and 300 permanent jobs."

Let's just hope Trump keeps his reality shows in New York.

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Trumpification Of D.C. Begins Tomorrow

Colleen Schmidt, CTV Calgary Published Thursday, May 29, 2014 1:58PM MDT Last Updated Thursday, May 29, 2014 4:15PM MDT

Crews have reached the half-way point in the demolition of a crumbling wall at an office building in the core and city officials say a maintenance bylaw is in development to ensure the upkeep of Calgarys buildings.

Bricks started falling into the parking lot below from the east faade of a building at 608 7th Street S.W. on May 20 and firefighters and engineers were called out to assess the situation.

The wall was bowing and within a few days a large hole had opened up in the middle.

The city directed the buildings owner to hire an engineering and construction crew to safely remove the wall and work to demolish the faade brick-by-brick began on Tuesday.

The Citys Safety Response Unit continues to monitor the removal of the seven storey wall and says about 50 per cent of the bricks have been removed so far.

A temporary exterior envelope is being installed as the brick is removed and an interior wall will be put in place to protect the building from further exposure to the elements once the external cladding is done.

The city says that a maintenance bylaw is in the works to ensure the upkeep of Calgarys buildings.

We want to remind all owners and property managers that this week serves as an excellent reminder of why its so important to properly maintain your property for public safety, said Marco Civitarese, Chief Building Official with The City of Calgary. The Alberta Building Codes primary purpose is to provide safety, and to limit the probability of injury due to structural failure. Owners and property managers should perform preventative maintenance and inspections to ensure public safety and building performance.

Civitarese says owners are liable for ensuring due diligence is performed to maintain the upkeep of their buildings and that they can be fined under the current building code for creating an unsafe condition.

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Brick-by-brick removal of broken wall half done

Looking like flecks of paint rising from an artists canvas to seek freedom in flight, butterflies personify beauty and hope as well as an indescribable lightness of being.

Butterflies fascinate people. Learning about their life cycle is a rite of passage for children throughout the world, as evidenced by the popularity of the childrens book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, written by Eric Carle. Chronicling the changes a caterpillar goes through on its way to becoming a glorious butterfly, this book has sold more than 38 million copies and has been translated into 58 languages since it was published in 1969.

Now, after years of delighting humans by giving us a glimpse into a world of visual enchantment, these beautiful pollinators need our help. Their natural habitat is shrinking as buildings and roads replace forests and meadows. In addition, plants necessary for their survival are less plentiful.

Around the world, people who appreciate these winged creatures can assist them by providing butterfly gardens that include blooming flowers, resting places and garden damp spots.

Butterfly gardens are becoming popular in Napa, according to Van Winden Nursery Manager Becky Horne. People enjoy the same colorful plants butterflies need, so it is easy to attract them into a yard.

Van Winden Nursery sells Milkweed plant, critical to Monarch butterflies, during late spring and in the summer, Horne said.

Butterflies like many kinds of flowers, but they are especially drawn to umbel shaped flowers, Horne explained.

My mother-in-law always called Scabiosa, also known as Pin Cushions, the landing pads for butterflies, Horne continued. They like the shape of this form of flower that is very flatyarrow and Queen Anne s lace are, too.

Locally, Penny Pawl and Pat Orr, both master gardeners, are at the forefront of protecting butterflies.

Pawl first planted Milkweed the only plant Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on in her yard, 25 years ago. For two years, she didnt see an egg or caterpillar on her plants, although she checked nearly every day. Then, when she needed a life affirming message most, the butterflies came.

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Butterfly gardens gain popularity in Napa

Tyler Hoares work has been a fixture in the Berkeley and Emeryville mudflats for more than a generation. Photo: Emilie Raguso

For nearly fourdecades, Berkeley artist Tyler Hoare has been adding a bit of whimsy to the East Baywaterfront with his salvaged wood creations: some 30 large sculpturesincluding airplanes inspired in part by Snoopy comics; a submarine, a pirate ship, a viking ship, and a King Tut ship with a gold-painted Egyptian-style figurehead;and, before most of the wood pilings in the waterrotted away, spindly, rustic, 6-foot-tall sculptures Hoare calls his post people.

If youve driven on the freeway toward San Francisco, youve likely seen his work mounted on wooden columns hovering above the water nearBerkeley and Emeryville. His sculptures have been part of the local landscape for more than a generation. And, though they once appeared as a highlight amid towering figures, made from debris and found materials,that definedEmeryville mudflat art, Hoares work has long since stood alone due largely to some geographic luck. As the last artist standing, hes taken the responsibility seriously, and approached it with good humor.

Its been kinda my obligation to entertain the poor peoplein their cars stuck in traffic, and Im glad to do it, the 73-year-old said recently. Usually its the kid in the backseat. Its nice to have something to look at when youredriving along.

His most recent public work, installed nearly two years back with the help of a half dozen friends, involves two sculptures near the Emeryville fishing pier: A begoggledpilot in abright red airplane, modeled after the Red Baron, faces off against Snoopy in his green Sopwith Camel fighter plane, complete with a string of bullets like the punk kids wear that Hoare bought on Telegraph Avenue, and many other distinctive touches. The planes, which weigh several hundred pounds, are about 6 feet tall, and 12 feet long in either direction.

Hoare said that, because of their proximity to shore, he was sure they wouldnt last a week before being pilfered. Instead, the opposite has happened. Someone hung upa small hand-carved sign designating the area the Emeryville National Airport.And Hoare said hes noticed repairs done by unknown others when maintenance was needed.

Hoares most recent installation on the San Francisco Bay, the Red Baron in Emeryville. Photo: Emilie Raguso

Theyve been picking up sculptures when they fall. Sometimes they paint them, he said. My wife and Igo to Chevys to eat, then we walk along and see how its going. Andevery time Igo there, somebodyhas reinstalled something. Theyre being very nice.

He said he likes that kids can reach out from the dock and spin the propeller, and called the interactivity very important. Doors that open, buttons to push, knobs that turn, all of it adds to the fun and keeps the creations from being static.

For Hoare, seeing his sculptures by the pieris a bit of a dj vu. When he first began installing his art on wooden posts in the San Francisco Bay in the 1970s, versions of the Red Baron and the Sopwith Camel were among his earliest pieces.

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Decades on, the man who puts the Red Baron in the bay

RICHMOND, Va. In the heart of VCUs campus, construction isthe new normal, but many say heavy flooding has also been a familiar sight, for too long.

As evidenced last week when a fast-moving, heavy storm flooded the intersection of Grace and Harrison Streets, it was temporarily a mini-lake.

It was five feet over the curb, said Village Cafe bar manager Chris Brumfield.

I wondered if it was going to ruin the tiling in the restaurant if we were going to have to shut down for a while,said Ariel Schultz, who works at Panda Garden.

Businesses like the Village Cafe say they felt the brunt of the flooding, and last week wasnt the first time.

Everytime it rains, it floods from outside drains in through ours, said Ray Ralph, Bartender, Village Cafe.

From like the door, it started coming in a little bit from outside, but then it will also come in from out here and kind of dispense to a couple of booths down there, Ralph said. And then, downstairs started to get wet from coming out of the bathroom.

Ralph told CBS 6 that the problem stems from the citys overflowing sewer system.

The city came down and cleaned out the sewage not too long ago because we got complaints about it smelling bad, Ralph said.

According to Richmonds Department of Public Utilities, the city is well aware of the issue experienced by those businesses, and has been for some time.

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City responds to dire flooding problem in the Fan

Cords for various lamps, phone chargers and other electronic gadgets can create tripping hazards for older adults. Organizing and tying them up can help prevent falls, and moving power strips away from head vents and unplugging cords not in use can prevent electrical fires. Tools to aid with grabbing items from the floor or shelves, like the one shown above, also can be useful in preventing accidents for older adults. (Jenni Grubbs / Fort Morgan Times)

As they get older, adults need to be aware that the homes they may have lived in comfortably and safely for many years may need some adjustments to remain safe.

The everyday clutter and objects people are used to stepping over or avoiding can become tripping hazards and lead to falls for seniors and to serious injuries and health problems.

There are many things people whether the seniors themselves, or their adult children and/or care-givers can do to prevent such accidents and falls and make homes safer for older adults.

The Colorado State University Extension Office offers a fact sheet about this issue, and businesses that deal in senior care, like Home Instead Senior Care of Northern Colorado, offer resources, as well.

"The 65-plus population will be radically transformed as the baby-boom generation ages," the CSU Extension Fact Sheet stated. "No segment of the population will change as much as mature Americans. There are currently 40 million people (13 percent of Americans) aged 65 or older. By 2050 this will increase to 88 million. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the housing needs of the elderly."

Accidents in the home can cause many injuries and even death for seniors, according to CSU Extension.

"The elderly are especially vulnerable to serious injuries from home accidents," the fact sheet stated. "Older bones are often less dense, more brittle and break more easily. A simple fall can become a serious, disabling injury that limits independence."

Home Instead recently did a survey of 100 emergency room doctors and found that nearly a third of the injuries in the homes that sent their senior patients to the ER could have been prevented, according to a press release.

Tripping hazards at homes can include throw rugs, loose railings, strewn out electric cords and pulled up metal strips in doorways between flooring types.

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Many in-home injuries preventable for seniors