(PRWEB) January 26, 2015

Southview Design won two awards for Excellence in Landscape Design from the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA) this month.

Southview Design landscape designer Tim Johnson won the award for the swimming pool landscape design he created for a Vadnais Heights couple; landscape designer Colleen Moran won the award for her suburban backyard design for an Edina family.

Adjacent to natural wetlands, the Vadnais Heights backyard had serious drainage issues. The homeowners pool wasnt installed correctly, causing groundwater to seep into the pool. Runoff from the owners house and the neighbors yard created puddles in the backyard, rendering it nearly unusable.

Southviews first order of business was to turn a soggy backyard into a livable area. They re-graded the yard and installed drain tile to redirect the runoff. Building a concrete base and decorative drain tile in the pool deck also helped solve the drainage issue. Finally, Southview put in a drip irrigation system with multiple drip areas that redirects water to the gardens.

Johnsons design also included creating an outdoor living room under the deck. Bluestone pavers accent the living space under the deck and line the pool deck, while an outdoor lighting system provides ambiance. Colorful perennial gardens and mature trees line the outer edge of the property, which is accented with boulders.

While the Vadnais Heights couple had rarely ventured beyond their deck, they are now enjoying their new backyard, swimming in the lap pool in the summer and soaking in the hot tub in the winter. Their new favorite pastime is relaxing in the new outdoor living room space overlooking the pool, gardens and wetlands, teeming with wildlife.

For photos of the award-winning Vadnais Heights backyard design, visit: http://southviewdesign.com/landscape-designs/award-winners/suburban-pool-landscape.html.

The Edina property offers views and access to Lake Cornelia. Although the home was on a higher elevation the drop from the sliding glass doors to the ground is about eight feet the one stipulation was that they didnt want a deck. This required thinking outside the box, said Moran.

Morans design combined tiered paver patios and a modular block retaining wall, built to fit the scale of the home. The tiered walls were sized and constructed to create livable spaces, including a dining area, fire pit, and areas for plants and flowers.

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Southview Design Wins Two MNLA Awards for Landscape Design

The Thames Baths swimming pool would offer 25 metres of swimming in the middle of the river Thames in London.

Image: Studio Octopi & Picture Plane

By Tim ChesterUK2015-01-26 12:41:18 UTC

LONDON Berlin's got one. New York is set to get one. Now, it looks like London could get one too.

Plans are afoot to launch a crowd-funding campaign for an open-air swimming pool in the middle of the river Thames.

The Thames Baths project would see a 10 million pool, measuring 25 metres by 10 metres, with a full filtration system and pool-side decking, plonked in the murky waters by the Victoria Embankment, the Guardian reports.

The pool project has been conceived by architects Studio Octopi and Jonathan Cook Landscape Architects as well as other studios and construction companies, and is backed by Tracey Emin and The Outdoor Swimming society among others.

It aims to offer an alternative to the hot, chlorine-infused experience of an indoor pool and will likely charge between 4 and 6 for a dip. Beds of reeds and a glass barrier will keep river water away from the pool water, which will be "as clean as anything you would find in a mountain lake" according to Tim Evans from another firm on the project Gartenart.

An artist's impression of the swimming pool in the Thames.

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The river Thames could be getting an open-air swimming pool

Repairs of the high schools tennis courts get the go-ahead.

With some residents calling them the worst tennis courts in Orange County, plans were given the go-ahead this past Tuesday to refurbish rather than upgrade the Park Avenue courts across from Laguna Beach High School. The decision will cost $620,000 and was made at a joint meeting between the Laguna Beach City Council and Laguna Beach Unified School District board.

Resolving a year of disagreements, the courts will be repaired rather than equipped with post-tensioned slabs that prevent cracking, and the city and the district will split costs 70-30 as previously negotiated. Repairs at the community pool, which is adjacent to the courts and also used by high-school students, were also agreed upon.

Instead of upgrading the tennis courts with a longer-lasting post-tensioned apparatus triggering requirements that tripled projected costs the city proposed to sandblast, replace cracked concrete, patch, level and resurface with a premium sealer. The sealer, according to the city report, will reduce cracking and water seepage. The council unanimously approved the plan while the school board will officially vote on both improvement projects at its meeting Tuesday, Jan. 27.

The city and the school district considered post-tensioned construction a year ago. Total costs escalated to $1.36 million because the post-tensioned project is considered new construction and triggered costly requirements to reconfigure access for the disabled and a review by the Division of the State Architect.

The city balked at paying for the more expensive upgrade pushed by the district. Last week, the stalemate was resolved with face-to-face talks. School board members agreed to jettison plans for post-tensioned slabs following a presentation of a city soils report showing no conditions at the courts warranted the stabilizing post-tensioned slabs.

Bids on post-tensioned courts, considered higher quality with greater longevity, were sought at the request of members of the public, board member Jan Vickers explained. No one anticipated costs would triple due to unexpected new construction requirements, she said.

We, as a city, have the worst tennis courts in all of Orange County, said resident Tiana Hamilton, whose children played tennis in competitions at other schools in the county. I dont think thats anything to be proud of. Hamilton and her husband Paul urged the two governing boards to choose quality. Resident Howard Hills admonished the school district for never comparing the high school courts to the quality of courts at schools in other cities.

The school board should have known what the situation was on the courts, under the courts and around the courts when they did the reconstruction of our facilities, Hills said, referring to a $39-million bond measure approved by the community in 2001 to modernize district buildings. This represents gross negligence that this wasnt done.

Besides resurfacing playing surfaces, the improvements will also include new LED lighting, refurbished lighting standards, upgraded fencing, windscreens and nets, and a new drinking fountain and viewing benches. Esthetically, it will be a beautiful facility, said Ben Siegel, the citys director of community services, following his report at the meeting.

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Tennis Courts, Pool Improvements Get Go-Ahead

FHX Forestry Mulcher by RockHound on Kubota SVL75
The FHX Defender Forestry Mulcher is the product of years of high-performance brush cutter engineering. It allows standard flow skid steers and track loaders to become powerful fuel reduction...

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From flicking a light switch to opening your garage door with a remote control, our homes have been automated for decades. The concept goes as far back as the 1934 World's Fair in Chicago where the "home of the future" was unveiled. In the last 80 years, however, the automated home has morphed into the smart home, courtesy of the Internet, sensors and connectivity. The modern automated home can do more than turn on our heating and our lights--it can actually think for us.

In this guide, we'll explain what smart home automation is, how it can help you, and explore the latest and greatest technologies, products and services in the Home Automation field.

The terms "Home Automation," "Connected Devices" and "Internet of Things" are often used interchangeably, but they are distinct parts of the Smart Home concept:

Home automation: This is where a home's electrical devices are connected to a central system that automates those devices based on user input. For example, you push a button and your shades go up, or you give a voice command and your lights turn on.

Connected devices: These are electrical devices that are intelligent, courtesy of a connection to the Internet and sensors. These devices know or are able to anticipate what a user needs. At first, this intelligence comes from user programing, but with time the device can learn and adapt to patterns and interact with its users.

Internet of Things: IoT is the magic dust that turns the automated home into the smart home. With a combination of sensors, smarts and systems, IoT connects everyday objects to a network, enabling those objects to complete tasks and communicate with each other, with no user input.

When you combine home automation, connected devices and IoT you get a Smart Home. And a modern smart home can be easily controlled through a smartphone, tablet or computer.

Why do you need a smart home?

At first glance, some of the most talked-about home automation devices appear gimmicky and expensive: $200 for a set of light bulbs that change color, or $250 for a thermostat that saves you the trouble of programming it may seem fun, but ultimately, isn't it frivolous?

Not at all. The color changing and self-programming features are simply icing on the cake. The real goodness is buried in the sensors and smarts. The more connected devices in your home, the more of these sensors and smarts you integrate, and the stronger and smarter your home becomes.

Read more here:
What is home automation and how do I get started?

Clemmons, NC Single Family Home For Sale - 6033 Stone Bluff Drive
For more details: http://www.visualtour.com/showvt.asp?t=3515983 6033 Stone Bluff Drive Clemmons, NC 27012 $167500, 3 bed, 2.0 bath, 1923 SF, MLS# 729037 You will love this home...

By: Coldwell Banker Triad, Realtors

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Clemmons, NC Single Family Home For Sale - 6033 Stone Bluff Drive - Video

How to upgrade Black Decker VersaPak
How to convert VersaPak into Li-ion battery. Coming soon: DIY auto calling home security system FACEBOOK http://www.facebook.com/PanWorksWeb TWITTER http://www.twitter.com/PanWorksLights.

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How to upgrade Black & Decker VersaPak - Video

Raspberry Pi Smart Home Security System Test
http://androidcontrol.blogspot.com/2014/09/raspberry-pi-smart-home-control.html.

By: Android Control

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DIY Home Security KOB Albuquerque, NM Jan. 26, 2015. 09:49 AM EST
DIY Home Security KOB Albuquerque, NM Jan. 26, 2015. 09:49 AM EST DIY Home Security KOB Albuquerque, NM Jan. 26, 2015. 09:49...

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DIY Home Security KOB Albuquerque, NM Jan. 26, 2015. 09:49 AM EST - Video

Once reserved primarily for the wealthy due to its complexity and whole-home-or-nothing model, today home automation is more accessible, no matter what your budget. Instead of buying into a $50,000 whole-home system, you can build a smart home yourself piece-by-piece.

In this article, we will run through the major areas of home automation and explore what different devices and systems can do, helping you decide what works best for your needs. (Click here for Part 1 of this series.)

The opportunity to keep your home safe and secure with accessible gadgets and no high monthly fees has been a driving factor in the rapid growth of the smart home. Smart home security systems are simple and inexpensive, making this a great entry point into the smart home ecosystem. Here are some of the key elements:

Smart Locks:A smart lock uses Bluetooth-enabled smartphones to sense when a recognized user is approaching and unlock itself. For a household with members who don't have smartphones, compatible key fobs also work. Special digital keys can be given to people who need to gain entry at certain times or for certain periods, and these can be revoked at any time, eliminating the need to change locks.

Smart locks can also be controlled remotely via apps on a smartphone, meaning you can get in bed at night and lock all your doors with just the touch of a button. This Gizmodo article offers excellent insight into the five major brands of smart locks currently available. This is a fast emerging market however, and we can expect to see many variations of this concept hit stores in the coming year.

If putting the security of your home in the hands of a relatively new technology scares you somewhat (and you are not alone), it doesn't mean you have to stick with the inconvenience of regular keys. Touchpad locks offer an added layer of convenience without the connected concerns of smart technology. You can also opt for a touchpad with some smarts built in, like the Schlage Connect Century Touchscreen Deadbolt, giving you remote management capabilities and integration with home security systems, but via a more standard method of entry.

Smart Surveillance: Whether you want to keep an eye on the inside or outside of your home, wireless cameras make the process simple. Plug it into a power outlet, turn it on and view a live feed via a smartphone, tablet or web browser. Some services will store recorded footage for a monthly fee, usually around $9.99 (significantly less than traditional home surveillance companies). Smart cameras also incorporate geo-fencing and scheduling, so they can turn on when you leave and off when you come home, or at pre-set times.

Another feature to look for in home video monitoring is "activity zones." These are areas you can set so that when something moves in them, you receive an alert and can begin watching in real time on your smartphone or computer. Instead of zones, some brands include facial recognition, which helps cut down on alerts if you want to know when your children get home but not that your dog is back in the living room.

Dropcam is the leader in the smart home camera field, largely due to its simplicity, but it's not the only option, as this roundup illustrates.

Another good option if you have a lot of different scenarios for home video surveillance is D-link. D-link is one system that offers a large ecosystem of camera models with specific capabilities and convenient interoperability. This buying guide provides a complete overview of all D-link's options.

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What can I do with home automation?