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Friday, May 9, 2014 | 5:54 p.m. CDT; updated 7:02 p.m. CDT, Friday, May 9, 2014

COLUMBIA An engineering firm hired to evaluate all MU structures sent a letter to Larry Hubbard, director of campus facilities, in March to "strongly recommend" that access to the rear decks of all 16 buildings at Tara Apartments be closed off.

According to the letter, engineers from Trabue, Hansen and Hinshaw Inc. looked at the decks from the ground during its campuswide evaluation and noticed that the supporting beams had "lost some of their original capacity due to age and exposure to the elements."

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One deck was able to support three adult men, according to the letter, but there was enough "deflection" or give that the firm recommended sealing off the decks to allow time for further inspection.

The decks were sealed beginning March 21, per the firm's recommendation. An email sent to residents said engineers would evaluate the decks for signs of weathering, according to an email sent to Tara residents on March 20 that was forwarded to the Missourian.

The decks remained sealed as of Friday, and the university was still waiting for a final report from the firm, MU spokesman Christian Basi said.

The firmcompleted an inspection of buildings on campus after the University Village collapse in February.

Link:
Engineering firm strongly recommends decks at Tara Apartment be closed

How many times a year do you use your outdoor deck? Tell us in the comments below.

If you think winter was tough on your lawn, think about what your outdoor deck endured. Show it some love -- and get it ready for the season -- with the tips and ideas in the links below.

Popular Mechanics reminds us to replace splintered and rotted parts, and sand down any rough spots before cleaning a deck. Check to be sure your deck was constructed with stainless-steel or weatherproof fasteners, not drywall screws or plain steel fasteners, which rust. Check for structural soundness so that your deck isnt in danger of collapsing.

For detailed guidance, download the Deck Evaluation Checklist from the North American Deck and Railing Association.

Wood decks are susceptible to surface mold, mildew and discoloration, says HGTV. Decks built in a shady backyard or in very humid climates can mildew because they stay damp after rains.

If your deck suffers from mold or mildew, consider a power wash, but do it safely. Keep the stream of water away from your feet, or wear closed shoes or boot and eye protection so that youre not injured.

Periodic cleaning is needed if you want your deck to retain its original beauty, but a pressure washer in inexperienced hands can remove a layer of wood along with dirt. The website Decks.com has a series of articles on how to clean your deck safely.

Apply a wood brightener and cleaner if UV rays have turned your deck gray, recommends Lowes. Deck cleaners help remove dirt, nail stains, algae and mildew. If your deck isn't brand-new, always use a cleaner before applying staining or sealing the wood.

Sometimes, it takes refinishing to refresh a deck. Better Homes and Gardens also has a step-by-step deck refinishing guide.

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Power wash, stain and repair backyard decks to prepare for wine-sipping season

Black Mold Removal (Mold Remediation) In Basement of Oswego, IL Home
Free Estimates from Guardian at 866.681.6653 on homes like this Oswego, IL. While your mold problem may not be as severe as this one, Guardian will be able t...

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Updated: 05/09/2014 10:22 PM | Created: 05/09/2014 10:20 PM By: Kai Porter, KOB Eyewitness News 4

Neighbors in Espaola say theyre living next to a stinky, stagnant, fly-invested puddle of raw sewageoozing up from the ground.

Norma Mooredoesn't need tosee it to know it's there.

You drive past it with your windows open and you can smell the sewer, she said.

Moore lives behind the Juniper Hills mobile home park.

She says overflow from the parks septic tanks runs down the hill and pools up at the base of a frontage road, just a stones throw away from dozens of homes.

It's not just the smell. Neighbors say it's a health hazard because sometimes kids and pets play in the water.

The thing of it is, when you can smell it you know it's unhealthy, said Moore.

We tracked down the mobile home parks manager to get some answers. But she didnt seem to be as concerned.

It's not really a hazard, said manager Johanna Kolbe. The children don't play down there. They aren't allowed to.

Excerpt from:
Stinky sewage puddle worries neighbors in Espaola

The city of Lakota will hold a public information meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7, at the Lakota Eagle Center regarding the wastewater treatment project, which has been bid. Construction will start later this summer.

The project engineer, city council members and the mayor will attend this meeting.

The first part of the meeting will be to show what improvements are planned and how they will affect property owners yards. This is an underground project that will disrupt daily activity in town while construction is taking place.

The public is encouraged to attend and ask questions, as the engineer will be there to answer them.

The main contractor on the project will not be allowed to enter houses so this electrical connection point for the new pump being installed must already be on the outside of the house.

It is the responsibility of the owner to provide for this electrical connection.

USDA-RD has a program that allows seniors and those that meet income requirements to take advantage of financing and grant opportunities to help pay for the electrical disconnect installation.

It is recommended that property owners contact an electrician to get an estimate for the work.

The electrician should be asked to perform the following:

Installation of exterior rated electrical disconnect box on the outside of the house near the existing septic system or where the sewer exits the building.

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Lakota to hold public meeting

Sunrooms, Decks, Garages, Porches and Additions
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May 9, 2014 Stamp Out Hunger Saturday

By BRAD KELLAR Herald-Banner Staff The Herald-Banner Fri May 09, 2014, 10:01 AM CDT

GREENVILLE Once each year, letter carriers collect items from mailboxes and front porches across Hunt County and the United States, in an effort to help assist the hungry in our community.

The 22nd annual National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) National Food Drive to Stamp Out Hunger, the largest one-day food drive in the United States, is Saturday and employees of the Greenville Post Office will participate in the event.

In 2013 the office collected more than 24,000 pounds to be donated to Hunt County Shared Ministries (FISH) and the Salvation Army.

Last year letter carriers across America collected more than 74.4 million pounds of non-perishable food the second-highest amount since the drive began in 1992, bringing the grand total to just under 1.3 billion pounds.

The local drive brought in a couple thousand pounds during its first year, but has collected more than 275,000 pounds of food in the past two decades.

On Saturday carriers in Greenville will collect from the mailboxes and door steps of local homes, with many area churches also planning to take part. Drop boxes are available at each of the local Post Office locations.

Monetary donations to the NALC National Food Drive will also be accepted.

The drive is held annually on the second Saturday in May in over 10,000 cities and towns in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

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Stamp Out Hunger Saturday

A proposed townhouse development will be a real upgrade on its street in central Bryn Mawr, Lower Merion Townships planning commission agrees, but it has given the developer a long list of items to explore to make it even better.

The properties in question include the Devon Apartments at 859 Old Lancaster Road, two older garden-apartment buildings containing 24 units, which were put up for sale by Main Line Realty Corp., an affiliate of Main Line Health in 2013. Developer JLPH Associates has also acquired neighboring properties at 843 and 847 Old Lancaster, and will consolidate the parcels into a lot of 1.9 acres. All of the structures, including two single-family houses built in the mid- to late-19th century, will be demolished.

Replacing them will be a total 28 units: 12 townhouses set back from the street, and, fronting Old Lancaster Road, a new type of dwelling in the township. The 16 units there will be in the form of quads or stacked twins, as Assistant Director of Planning Chris Leswing described them in a presentation on a tentative sketch plan for the site May 5. That is, along the streetscape, the structures will have the appearance of twin homes, but each half will contain two units, with living space on different levels of the three-story structures.

That unusual configuration led to one of the planners questions: Would there be a market for the new homes?

Sarah Peck, whose Progressive Housing Ventures is a partner in the project, said it could be a nice variety.

With options for elevators, the quads could appeal to older, empty-nesters, or, with the location close to Bryn Mawrs amenities, to first-time homebuyers. She said the quads would be priced in the mid-$400,000s; the somewhat larger townhouses in the low- to mid-$500,000s, in the bulls eye of what the market would like to see, a range appropriate for the neighborhood.

The project as proposed has another feature, nearly unheard-of in Lower Merion for a multifamily development, Leswing noted. In addition to two parking spaces per unit in the homes garages, the plan currently provides 10 guest parking spaces on-site. That led some on the commission to wonder if there isnt too much parking, robbing the development of green or recreational space, or another desirable feature larger porches that would reflect the character of the neighborhood.

Peck had also said an attraction of the homes would be the availability of transit in Bryn Mawr, but planners noted the tight space and multiple breaks along a central driveway for garages made the project seem dominated by parking. Some commission members want one of those items for study before the project comes back for the next stage of review to be eliminating some parking spaces.

Discussion of the plans tied in with another item on the agenda that night. Because the trend of several similar in-fill or redevelopment proposals has been to build to the building envelope, creating larger, boxy structures, Leswing said porches are seen as one feature that could soften their mass and make new construction more compatible with established neigborhoods.

Township commissioners last year adopted a zoning code amendment to permit porches to extend 10 feet into the front-yard setback in R-6A zoning districts, transitional areas near commercial districts. Now a further amendment, triggered both by some recent plans and a recommendation of a committee working toward writing a new Comprehensive Plan, is proposed to apply more broadly. Continued...

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Bryn Mawr townhouse plan raises unusual question: Is there too much parking?

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Bathroom Remodeling Altadena, CA - Reviews Watch live Testimonial - Video