Retaining walls are used throughout the United States in order to create level areas for commercial, multi-family and residential structures, as well as parking lots and landscape areas. In many cases they are also used hold sloping ground in place and to prevent erosion. The design of retaining walls is complex and incorporates a variety of factors including the type of soils found at the site and the anticipated lateral forces that will be placed on the wall. The materials used in retaining walls can include block, stone and concrete, as well as a number of different types of materials, which are used to anchor the wall into the slope. In many cases, a water drainage system is used to reduce hydrostatic pressure on the wall as a result of ground water.
Over time many retaining walls will be in need of repair to stabilize the wall, as well as the ground around the wall. Often these retaining wall repairs are necessary due to the movement of soil and erosion around the wall. The forces of nature can easily cause soils to sift and sudden erosion to take place, which can cause the wall and surrounding soils to become unstable.
In most cases, the repair of an engineered retaining wall is complex and will require guidance from a qualified engineer and may require building permits and inspections. Any retaining wall repair should only be done using a contractor familiar with retaining wall construction and repair. In addition, the contractor used should be licensed and insured and should only use experienced workers, due to the risks involved.
Posted on behalf of Tri-County Pavers & Design Corp.
Kitchen remodeling continues to be one of the most popular of all remodeling projects in the United States. A remodeled kitchen that is modern, efficient, well designed and attractive adds a great deal of value to any home. Kitchen remodels vary in size and scope depending upon the homeowner’s needs and budgets. In some cases the kitchen remodeling could involve only the replacement of flooring and countertops, where in other cases an addition to the home could be built to accommodate a completely new and much larger gourmet kitchen. One thing that all kitchen-remodeling projects have in common is the long lead times for materials, especially cabinets and tops. Often cabinets take up to two months to obtain, as they are typically built when they are ordered. Tops can take up to two weeks to fabricate after the cabinets are installed.
Many homeowners find it beneficial to engage a contractor that specializes in remodeling projects early on in the process. A qualified and experienced remodeling contractor will be able to manage the long lead times and schedule the project based upon the delivery date of the long lead time items. Design build is becoming a very popular option in residential construction, because of the reduced risk to the homeowner as well as the reduction in the overall build time of the project. In addition, to managing the entire design process, based upon the homeowner’s guidelines, the design build contractor will be able to provide updated budgets as the design process and selections take place.
Kitchen remodeling is an excellent means for a homeowner to increase the value of their home, as well as the functionality!
Posted on behalf of J Christopher Design & Construction Services
Design-Build continues to be a very effective and popular contract type for owners seeking to minimize their management and risk on project. This contract format has been used for a number of years in the commercial and public construction industries and is becoming increasingly more popular in the residential construction and remodeling industries. In this type of contract, the contractor provides the kitchen design services, as well as the contractor services. In may cases, the contractor will have a number of architects, engineers and interior designers on staff to handle the design process. Throughout the process the builder’s construction department will work with the designers to make sure that the design is cost effective and can be built as designed. In a traditional construction, the owner hires the architect directly and the contractor is not involved in the design process.
The amount of time is saved in the overall process is the biggest advantage most homeowners realize in a design build relationship with a builder. The management of designers is time consuming and takes up lots of time. In most cases, homeowners have work and family obligations, which reduce the amount of available time to manage the design process. In addition, the overall time line of a project can be compressed with the contractor managing the architect and owner throughout the design and driving decisions.
Another benefit that homeowners realize is the reduced financial risk associated with turnkey design build relationships with builders. In this relationship, the builder is completely responsible for delivering a turnkey project at a set price and assume all responsibility of the accuracy of the plans and specifications, which there price is based upon. In a traditional builder owner relationship, if the designer makes a mistake on the design or does not show something on the plans, the builder is in most cases the builder is entitled to charge the owner additional money. No wonder design build is becoming more popular!
Posted on behalf of J Christopher Design and Construction Services
A high quality home theater or multi-purpose media room system is much more than a bunch of high priced electronic equipment purchased either online or at the nearest big box retailer. Often people become fixated on the brand name and price of the equipment, while ignoring the heart of the system, which is the design. Even the best equipment in the world will not provide the level of audio and visual performance required, unless the entire system is well designed!
The home theater design will incorporate a number of factors including room dimensions, room layout, seating layout, acoustic layout, projector location, screen location and component selection. All of these factors must be considered together and integrated to provide the homeowner the best possible value and performance of the system.
In some homes it may not be possible to have a home theater room due to space constraints, but it is possible to design a multi-purpose media room, which will provide as much enjoyment as a home theater. The design of the multi-purpose media room will incorporate the design criteria as a home theater, but will also include provisions for concealing the audio and video components of the system so they do not dominate the room’s décor or use.
A well designed home theater room or multi-purpose media room will provide years of enjoyment for any family. The audio and video technology today is truly amazing and it has never been easier and more affordable to enjoy a movie like experience in the comfort of your home!
Posted on behalf of Callaway Home Theater
In general the quality of the air inside most homes is poor as a result of the same air being constantly re-circulated by the heating and cooling systems. This air often contains moisture, insects, dust mites, pollen, dander, fumes from household products and furnishings, smoke, dirt, cooking fumes and germs. Often these terms negatively impact asthma and allergy suffers and can trigger symptoms. While it is possible to improve indoor air quality by modifying the heating and cooling system with special filters and introducing outside air into the homes, studies have shown that a central vacuum system will significantly improve the symptoms in people suffering from allergies and asthma.
Central vacuum systems are a cost effective system integrated into the structure of the home. Typically they consist of a series of outlets in the walls of the home that will accommodate a series of specialized cleaning tools. The outlets, which power the cleaning tools using a built in power source, are connected to a central vacuum unit located in an unused part of the home, by a series of pipes.
The vacuuming process is basically the same as a traditional vacuum, with the remotely located unit collecting the large materials. However, unlike traditional vacuum cleaners, the air is exhausted to the exterior of the home and not to the interior of the home. This keeps the smaller airborne particles from continuously being re-circulated. This provides continuous improvement in the indoor air quality of the home, while also significantly improving the quality of life of those suffering from asthma and allergies!
Posted on behalf of Callaway Home Theater and Automation
Above grade and below grade parking facilities are found throughout the area and are an effective means to provide cost effective parking solutions for a variety of commercial and residential multi-family properties. Typically they are multilevel structures constructed with concrete and are extremely strong and durable. Despite their durability many property managers do not realize that periodic maintenance and cleaning is necessary to keep the structure in good condition.
In addition to being unsightly, oil, hydraulic fluid, brake residue, road residue including mud and road salt can cause deterioration of the concrete surface. Often these substances will chemically react with the concrete surface and cause the surface to deteriorate, including a flaking of the top layer of concrete. In garages where cracks in the concrete exist, these foreign materials eventually end up causing deterioration of the reinforcing steel as well. Another danger associated with the build up of these materials is the slick conditions that will exist when the drive isles and ramps get wet. This can cause dangerous conditions for both cars and pedestrians alike as braking distances and traction are impacted.
A periodic power washing of the structure is critical to the removal of the oil, hydraulic fluid, brake residue and road residue. In addition, to removing these damaging materials, the parking deck pressure washing will restore the garage to a like new condition. The cleaning will also allow the property manager the means to conduct a thorough visual inspection of the structure to determine what other maintenance items are necessary. Periodic power washing is an integral component of the overall maintenance plan for any parking structure!
Posted on behalf of Impact Pressure Washing
Almost all commercial properties and many residential properties have a fire alarm system, which detect fire through a variety of strategically mounted heat and smoke detectors, pull stations, as well as the building’s sprinkler system. In the event that a fire is detected, the alarm system notifies a central call station, which in turn notifies the nearest fire department, which will dispatch the fire department. The fire alarm system will also trigger a variety of audio and visual alarms within the structure, notifying occupants of the fire. In many buildings there is a central panel in the lobby of the building, which tells responding fire fighters the area or zone that the fire is in.
The components of a modern fire alarm system are very complex and sophisticated and periodic inspection of the entire system is required under the provisions of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), which has been adopted by local jurisdictions responsible for enforcing building codes. In most jurisdictions, the local Fire Marshall will require that evidence of this yearly inspection be provided as a condition of continued occupancy of the building.
The qualified technicians completing the inspection will test all components of the system to make sure that they are in proper working order. In addition, they will verify that the system is communicating with the central call station either by a hard-wired phone line or wirelessly, depending upon the system being used. In the event that any issues are discovered, they will be able to be immediately resolved no matter what type of system is being used. Yearly fire alarm inspections are not only required by law, but they are critical to keeping the occupants of any commercial or residential structure safe!
Posted on behalf of Callaway Security
Traditionally, a hard-wired phone line has been the method for a security or fire alarm systems in commercial and residential buildings to communicate with a central monitoring station. In the event of an emergency, such as a break in or a fire, the system notifies the central call station, which notifies the Police or Fire department. While generally effective, there area number of drawbacks to this method of communication, including loss of communication with the central call station if the phone line is cut or is damaged, as the result of a natural event such as a storm. Another drawback is that many people now are not using traditional hard-wired phone lines in their home or business; instead using cell phones and a variety of Internet based phone systems.
Wireless home alarm monitoring is a viable alternative that provides both a primary and secondary means for the building’s security and fire alarm systems to communicate with the central call station in the event of an emergency. If the building does not have a hard-wired phone line, the security and fire alarm systems will contact the central call station using cellular phone Uplink technology. In the event that the building has a hard-wired phone line, the same technology provides backup service in the event that the primary phone line is cut or damaged. This results in no gaps in coverage!
The technology surrounding wireless alarm monitoring is cost effective and proven with hundreds of thousands of properties being protected since the introduction of the technology. Wireless monitoring systems provide an excellent means to provide primary or secondary alarm monitoring of any security or fire alarm system!
Posted on behalf of Callaway Security
Well, winter is finally over and before you know it summer will be here. Most people find summer to be one of the most enjoyable seasons, as it allows one to enjoy many outdoor activities at home such as gardening, working on the house and enjoying family and friends over a barbeque or a party. This is especially true later in the day as the sun starts to go down and is not quite as hot. However the downside to this time of the day is the large number of mosquitoes and other insects that are out with you at this time of the day! While very annoying, some insect bites can also result in diseases such as West Nile Virus and Encephalitis.
One of the most cost effective methods to remove mosquitoes and other unwanted insects on an ongoing basis is to install a automated mosquito misting system around the property, which sprays a mist containing a natural insecticide called Pyrethrum. This product, which is odorless, is considered to be environmentally friendly and is considered to have a low-toxicity to humans and pets. However, it is highly effective in killing hundreds of types of insects including mosquitoes, fleas, ticks and no-see-ums.
The insecticide is delivered thru a series of strategically placed spray nozzles, which are nearly invisible, located around the yard being covered. The system is completely automatic with the Pyrethrum being released at regular intervals using an automated time clock, which also has a battery backup system. Many people find these automated systems to be a very cost effective means to eliminate pesky insects from their summer outdoor activities!
Posted on behalf of Mr. Mister Mosquito Control
Conveyor belts are used in a wide variety of industries, from manufacturing to grocery stores. Although they all may move items from one area to another, each type is very different and has specific uses. A conveyor belt which might work great in one application isn’t necessarily the best fit for another. When it comes to buying a conveyor belt for your business, you want to make sure that you choose the right belt for the job.
Types Of Conveyor Belts
The type and size of product along with how the conveyor belt will be used are all factors when choosing the right belt for your business. Belts are made in a wide variety of types to fit all different kinds of business needs. Some of the conveyor belts to consider include:
Conveyor belts can save time and money from labor costs, and can even reduce injuries for many types of businesses. Finding the right belt for the right job is the first step to adding one of these useful devices to your business.
Posted on behalf of The King Group
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