GRAFTON -

The Tygart Valley Drug and Violent Crime Unit was called to the Briarcliff Apartment complex on Saturday for reports of a meth lab.

Grafton Police Chief, Robert Beltner, said eight apartments in two buildings were sectioned off and tenants were forced to evacuate.

Chief Beltner said seven apartments were occupied at the time and one was closed for remodeling.

The unit executed a search warrant and found a meth lab in one of the adjoining apartments.

Louis Arbogast, April Simpson, and Timothy Simpson were all taken into custody.

Chief Beltner said the evacuation was necessary due to the common attic that is shared by the apartments.

One member of the Tygart Valley Drug and Violent Crime Unit was taken to the hospital after receiving direct exposure to methamphetamine fumes. He received no serious injuries, according to Chief Beltner.

The West Virginia Bureau for Public Health will officially condemn the apartments on a state level. Property owners will then be required to have it tested. Once tests prove the apartments are not contaminated, the bureau will remove the restriction and allow the tenants to return.

Arbogast and Timothy Simpson were charged with possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance.

More here:
3 Arrested In Taylor County Meth Bust, More Arrests Pending

Often described as "having character" or "being interesting," old homes can just as often be described as "challenging" -- both to maintain and to renovate.

All older homes, which were not designed to anticipate today's electricity requirements, need electrical updates.

"If original wiring was used for what it was intended, it is fine," said Tom O'Connor, who owns O'Connor and Sons Electric in Palo Alto. "Lots of people have a lot of stuff in their homes now that no one imagined 40 years ago."

Sean Smith, who owns Smith Electric in Los Gatos, agrees.

"Back in the 1950s and 1960s, the biggest piece of (kitchen countertop) technology was a toaster or maybe a plug-in waffle iron," Smith said. In addition to the refrigerators, stoves and ovens that would have been in a 50-year-old kitchen, today's kitchens have dishwashers, powerful stove hoods, microwaves and many other countertop appliances that run on electricity.

Eichler homes, built throughout California for approximately 25 years starting in the early 1950s, are known for being among the most challenging older homes for electrical upgrades. Inside, Eichlers are not very different from other homes -- modern and old -- because the interior walls are standard 2-inch by 4-inch framed lumber, except these are covered with wood paneling instead of Sheetrock, Smith said.

What separates Eichlers from other older homes are the logistics required to get electrical wires inside the home.

Eichler homes are named after Joseph Eichler, a developer who oversaw the design and building of entire neighborhoods. The homes were designed in the style of midcentury modern architecture, with simple lines, open floor plans and exterior walls with many floor-to-ceiling windows and large glass sliding doors.

Certain aspects of the simple and clean Eichler design make performing electrical work more laborious than other older homes. Eichlers have no attics or crawl space; the underside of the roof is the home's ceiling. The homes also have a concrete slab foundation that includes embedded radiant-heating elements.

Some original wires lay directly underneath the roof and some run through metal pipes, called electrical conduits, beneath the concrete slab, Smith said. One or two conduits supplied power to the kitchen while others powered the washing machine and dryer, Smith added.

The rest is here:
Electrically eclectic Eichlers

Firefighters work to put out an attic fire in a home off of Mountain Close Lane Tuesday.

Contractors remodeling a home at 68 Mountain Close Lane, near Highland Lake Inn & Resort, were putting up new drywall in the otherwise vacant home when they smelled smoke Tuesday afternoon.

Michael McCarthy said they had started a small fire in the homes fireplace to keep the chill out while they worked in the house.

They didnt know it but somebody had roofed over the chimney, said Blue Ridge Fire & Rescue Chief Gary Brown.

The smoke and intense heat from the fireplace backed up in the houses attic, sparking a fire shortly before 2 p.m. McCarthy called 911.

Heavy smoke was escaping from the eaves of the house when firefighters arrived. There was a good-size fire in the attic, Brown said.

Firefighters cut a hole in the roof to access the fire in the attic when they noticed it had spread, but were relieved to find the flames had not sizzled through to the lower floors.

Brown said they cut about three holes into the attic to access the blaze. Water was pumped up from Highland Lake to extinguish the flames. Fire hoses blocked a lane on North Highland Lake Road, prompting officials to close the road from Greenville Highway to Highland Lake Drive.

Firefighters were able to save the home before it sustained any significant damage. Brown credited the fast actions of McCarthy reporting the fire and firefighters responding quickly for the successful outcome. The scene was cleared shortly after 3:30 p.m.

Valley Hill Fire & Rescue, Dana Fire & Rescue, the Henderson County Rescue Squad and Henderson County EMS assisted.

See the article here:
Attic fire damages Hendersonville home

TORONTO You may have selected paint colours, tiles and finishes, but plans to gear up for a home renovation can quickly grind to a halt if you havent ensured key health and safety measures are in place.

A U.S. Centers for Disease Control report released earlier this month focused on a case in Quebec where 14 people fell ill with a pneumonia-like infection after the exterior brick of a century-old house was removed as part of a renovation.

Workers, residents of the home and neighbours have recovered after developing symptoms of a fungal disease called histoplasmosis, which is carried in the droppings of bats and birds. Infection symptoms include high fever, coughing, chest pain and shortness of breath.

Cases of histoplasmosis infection are rare in Canada and usually involve construction work that stirs up clouds of dried-up aerosolized spores that people end up inhaling. In the Quebec case, workers had been given masks to wear but didnt do so continuously due to hot weather.

Whether homeowners are embarking on a do-it-yourself project or enlisting a professional, here are tips from experts for making health and safety a top priority throughout the home renovation process.

Cory Norris, chief project estimator at Greater Toronto Contractors, said the No. 1 determining factor as to whether there will be problems with the home is its age. They also look at the state of the home, with visible damage among the red flags.

If you can see water damage, if paint is peeling off walls here and there if it hasnt been maintained well, they probably have ignored any kind of problems that have been going on as well: rodents, bats, for example, mice

Norris said workers will go into the attic and lift up some insulation where mice, rodents and squirrels love to make their home.

While a few droppings arent a cause for concern, discovering a significant amount is problematic and requires expert attention. I stop, I come out and then I tell the homeowner, We should have this stuff tested, Norris said.

If I go into the home and see the old paper-type wrapping around plumbing pipes, we say: Dont touch a thing here; we have to get this tested for asbestos. Any home thats been built pre-80s, theres going to be a real high chance that theres asbestos somewhere, he added.

Here is the original post:
Safety tips for doing home renovations

By Thomas Hubka

Attic remodels to small- to medium-sized houses can be especially challenging construction projects because they usually require good design layout in tight places with sloping roof conditions that complicate typical construction details.

Perhaps the biggest challenge for owners of modest houses is to adjust large house spatial expectations to the snug joys of rooms with lower sloping ceilings.

Stair location. For houses without attic stairs, locating the stairway is one of the most critical design decisions.

Several locations are often possible, including exterior bump-outs, but exacting stairway standards and code requirements make stair design a challenging exercise usually it is a task for architects or experienced contractors.

For houses with existing stairs and tight locations, an important consideration is the possibility of reconfiguring or turning the stairs at top or bottom to maximize better spatial usage for adjacent spaces.

Attic room locations and shed or dormer extensions. Typically, on the second floors of modest houses, the existing stair and the plan of the two or three bedrooms dictate the basics of the design. If this is a given, the major task is then to decide which areas of the roof to expand or open-up with roof gables, sheds, large or small dormers and skylights.

Frame the major view with your best and largest opening. To enhance most rooms, consider framing a primary view with a group or cluster of major windows. And your view doesnt have to be Mount Hood. Consider framing or focusing on a favorite tree or just the sky and neighboring tree tops.

Some homeowners sit on their roof to make these selections but experienced architects or builders can also anticipate these decisions without roof sitting.

Skylights can complement major window openings. These are also ideal for obtaining secondary views and for lighting small interior rooms and stairways. They are also considerably cheaper than equivalent dormers or shed roof opening.

The rest is here:
Design considerations for remodeling attic spaces

A Beatrice woman is staying with family after a Thursday evening fire rendered her home unlivable.

Beatrice Fire and Rescue workers responded to the fire at 11:12 p.m. at 1503 E. Court St.

Fire and Rescue Chief Brian Daake said the resident of the home, Marge Gouldie, had experienced electrical problems earlier in the day, prompting her to spend the night of the fire elsewhere.

The occupant was having electrical problems through the day and wasnt comfortable staying there so she went to her sons house, Daake said. When we arrived on scene, there was light-colored smoke coming out of the attic.

The fire appeared to be electrical and Daake described it as slow, hot smolder.

Firefighters cut a ventilation hole in the roof and damage to the older home was estimated at $13,000.

A total of 11 firefighters were on the scene for roughly two hours and Beatrice Police officers assisted in shutting down Court Street.

Daake added the home was at some point remodeled, which can add challenges for firefighters.

It just was an older home and had remodeling done at some time, he said. Any time you change a room from its initial design of the building it appeared the ceilings were lowered at one time just gaining access to where the fire actually is adds some challenges.

See the original post:
Attic fire damages home

QUINCY, Ill. (WGEM) - Warmer weather melts snow and ice off roofs, but it can cause problems for some homes.

Ice dams build up when melted water runs down the roof but freezes at the base of the roof just before running off. Co-Owner of Full Service Roofing and Remodeling Jonathan Schemerhorn says the problem can cause water to sit on the roof, leading to leaks or parts of the roof caving in. He says the problem can start in the attic.

"To help prevent it, you definitely don't want to get on the roof when it is icy," Schemerhorn said. "[The ice] is at the base of the roof. It's where you set your ladder. It's where you first get off. The thing is you will just have to wait it out. You can wait for it to melt or you can get in your attic and make sure the insulation is spread completely around."

Schemerhorn says spreading the insulation around the attic makes the snow melt evenly as opposed to melting at the top and refreezing toward the bottom of the roof. Co-Owner Kevin Phillips said ice damming is common in our area.

"This is just something really common every year," Phillips said. "We always have ice damming. We are kind of in that section of the country where we are just north enough to where we see it. If you go a couple hundred miles south it kind of is not so much of an issue."

Schemerhorn and Phillips say this is a problem some individuals can fix on their own as long as they are comfortable on the roof and with tools. Phillips says there is no set manufacturer guidelines on what temperature is good for working on a roof.

Go here to see the original:
Roofs could be next problem for homeowners

Wednesday, January 8, 2014 - 4:19pm

Tyler, Texas (KETK) The Tyler Fire Department responded to a two-alarm structure fire Wednesady mornign at 1217 South Glenwood.

The initial call was received at 10:42 a.m., and the caller reported seeing smoke coming from the house. The first unit saw heavy smoke coming from the attic when they arrived on scene and called for a second alarm. Five engines and one Ladder Company, along with a District Chief and an Investigator, responded to the scene.

Fire investigators with the Tyler Fire Marshals Office have indicated that the fire originated in the kitchen area of the home. Investigators believe that the fire burned for an extended period of time in the wall space before it gained access to the attic area. Initial findings indicate that the cause is electrical in origin and may have involved one of the homes appliances.

Citizens are reminded to be cautious and keep safety in mind when dealing with electricity in the home. Remember to call a qualified electrician or your landlord if you notice any of the following conditions:

Based on recent data between 2003 and 2005, the United States Fire Administration reports that over 28,000 residential building electrical fires occurred annually. This accounted for approximately $995 million in property loss, 1000 injuries, and 360 deaths. Additional safety tips from the National Fire Protection Association include:

Citizens are also encouraged to have an adequate number of smoke alarms installed throughout their home. For more information about fire prevention and safety in the home or workplace, please contact the Tyler Fire Marshals Office at 903-535-0005.

Read more:
Tyler Fire Department releases fire safety tips after Wednesday morning fire

By David Komer Twitter: @DavidKomer_NH

TAYLOR In the midst of the latest winter blast affecting the area, the Fire Department had two early morning house fires to deal with Monday morning.

Firefighters responded to electrical fires in the 15000 block of Jackson and the 14500 block of Bailey, both happening within 40 minutes of each other.

No residents or first responders were injured in either incident, but neither residence had a working smoke detector.

The Jackson fire was reported at 12:30 a.m., which Engine 3 responded to in five minutes due to snowy road conditions. Upon arrival, firefighters found smoke coming out of a single family residence.

Deputy Fire Chief Dan Reynolds said the homeowner said he was alerted by his dog barking and escaped through his bedroom window with his dog. He first tried to escape by opening his bedroom door, but encountered a heavy rush of smoke causing him to slam the door and use the window.

Engine 3 advanced hose lines into the house and found fire in the crawl space, walls and attic. Ladder 1 ventilated the roof and cut holes in the floor of the house so the water could reach the fires in the crawl space, Reynolds said. The fire was determined to be electrical, possibly caused by the heavy snow, he added.

The electrical power was disconnected from the house and Engine 2, after arriving, assisted with putting out the fire.

Damage was estimated to be about $30,000 to the house, which is uninhabitable but can be rebuilt, Reynolds said.

Read the original post:
TAYLOR: None injured in pair of early morning house fires

Crews work on removing the scrim surrounding the Colorado State Capitol dome, Dec. 26 2013. The weatherproof wrap that's covered the dome for nearly two years is starting to come off early Thursday morning. (RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post)

By the weekend, the gold of the Colorado Capitol should be glimmering once again, as crews slowly bring down the curtain that has shrouded the dome during the $17 million restoration begun in 2010.

The scaffolding 210 feet high will be taken apart piece by piece over the next six weeks.

"If we have done our jobs well, you won't be able to tell we were there," state architect Larry Friedberg said, "except the building will be in much better shape than it was before we started."

The curtain began to come down a few inches at a time at daybreak Thursday.

Whatever the weather, the gauzy cloth had allowed work to proceed every day that crews were available, said Doug Platt, spokesman for the state Department of Personnel and Administration, which has overseen the work.

The curtain, called a scrim, could withstand sustained winds up to 60 mph, and when heated, it acted like shrink-wrap, making the 350,000 pounds of scaffolding capable of taking winds up to 90 mph.

The 270-foot dome has been closed since 2006, when a chunk of cast iron crashed on the observation deck where thousands of school children and tourists visit.

That kick-started a drive to make repairs. The legislature appropriated $4 million for the overhaul. The rest came from grants, sponsors and other donations through a campaign called "Share in the Care Colorado."

The work has been painstaking, especially replacing the thinner-than-paper sheath of Colorado gold that covers the dome.

See the original post here:
Colorado Capitol's $17 million rehab unveils results