By Christina Schmidt CasperJournal.com | Posted: Monday, September 10, 2012 10:50 am |

We just keep getting busier and busier, said Gary Berchenbriter, owner of GB Building and Design. This last year has been a really strong year for us.

Berchenbriter specializes in creating one-of-a-kind furniture and home decor fixtures using a specialized concrete known as GFR concrete.

With the type of concrete we use, we can make thin pieces and have a lot of flexibility, said Berchenbriter. Its a really specialized mixture. We make a really dense concrete and a concrete thats stronger than typical sidewalk concrete. Its specially designed for this type of work. Theyre extremely durable.

Berchenbriter and his team of two part-time assistants are able to create a variety of items with the specialized concrete, including fireplace hearths, outdoor kitchens, outdoor furniture, fire pits, tables, benches and bathroom fixtures. Theyve even created a bookshelf with the concrete.

However, his most requested items are kitchen countertops.

Most folks are looking at countertops, mainly because people have seen them the most.

Because of its flexibility, we can create shapes that are sometimes more difficult with other materials, he explained. We have a variety of different finishes ... solid, grooved, recycled glass or metal wires or other things embedded in them. Some have a bit more texture to them, an old-style feel. We can do quite a few different things with it.

Berchenbriter has been working with GFR concrete for several years. Though he initially started with do-it-yourself books and videos, he said he quickly became aware that he would need more technical training. To that end, hes attended classes in California, North Carolina and Arizona. He also learns from others whore willing to share their knowledge.

Im continually talking with other artisans around the country and am taking a class in Atlanta in October to learn more form techniques and sealing techniques, he said. Weve been doing it almost seven years now and there are constantly things to learn. Its really time-intensive and theres a lot of craft involved in it.

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Set in concrete - Casper artisan molds a new business

The white tapestries hanging from the high ceilings to the white Corian countertops, Sky Spa in Norwood has clients feeling like they are in the clouds.

Thats a feeling Xuan Thang intended with the architectural design of the Walpole Street spa.

When you first walk in to the spa, you dont expect it to have such tall ceilings, she said. The drapes make you feel like you are in the clouds.

Standing in the entryway of the spacious spa, which offers waxing, facials, manicures and pedicures, Xuan proudly pointed to rooms to her left and right. One side is the nail room, complete with stations for manicures and bench seating for pedicures.

All of the countertops are Corian, which helps reduce bacteria. Xuan said the style of countertop is smooth and very easy to clean. The nail room is open and perfect for larger groups or parties, she said.

On the other side of the building is the drying room. Bottles of the seasonal shades of OPI nail products are clustered on shelves like tiny colorful clouds on a solid white wall. The nail drying stations are custom made with a small shelf for personal items.

In the back of the spa are the facial and waxing rooms. Each room is designed for the client to feel relaxed, she said.

We just tried to put ourselves in the clients place, Xuan said on Monday, Aug. 27, just a few days before the grand opening on Sept. 1. We tried to think about what people might need and like. Then we put it in here.

Xuan and her husband, Hon, decided to open a spa a few years ago. Xuan joked that the industry runs in her family.

My sister, brother, and sister-in law they are all in the beauty industry, she said. So I got my mind into it. I wanted to make a spa something that weve always wanted.

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Sky Spa in Norwood to hold grand opening on Sept. 1

By Wednesday, Brenda Gleason had a bad case of cabin fever.

Shes redone her closet, redone the kitchen, reorganized the countertops and put things in drawers, said Dan Gleason of his wife. Now shes going to work on my office.

Thats what happens when youre trapped in your cul-de-sac for four days. The Gleasons, who own a fire-engine red 2005 Ford Thunderbird, the 50th anniversary edition, calculated that the water in their Wycliffe neighborhood would swamp the low-slung sports car and maybe even tear off parts of the undercarriage.

Their home on a circle had what Dan Gleason called a moat by Monday, which was 14 inches deep at the worst and still around 10 inches deep Wednesday afternoon. Wycliffe Golf & Country Club is west of the intersection of U.S. 441 and Lake Worth Road.

At least two of the Gleasons neighbors tried and failed to get out. A brand-new Hyundai Genesis and a black Mercedes both stalled and had to wait for tow trucks.

So as the South Florida Water Management pumps chugged away Wednesday, Brenda Gleason, a judicial clerk at the 15th District Court, telecommuted to get her regular job done.

Dan Gleason, a consultant who works at home, has a plan to get her to work on Thursday.

Im going to drive on the golf cart path and get her out to the road. Shell be fine then, and Ill walk back to the house. Its not that far to walk, said Gleason.

Further west in the Acreage, the flooding occurred swiftly late Sunday and early Monday.

Boom, the water was just out of control, said Gary Tobias, who lives on 68th Street. Tobias can see Banyan, the nearest paved road, 300 feet from his house, but cant get to it.

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Western Palm Beach County residents go stir-crazy waiting for water to recede

Those cracked and leaky countertops in Des Plaines Public Library bathrooms will soon be replaced.

The library board voted Tuesday to approve a $37,600 bid from L & M Builders in Des Plaines to spruce up the downtown library buildings eight public restrooms, according to Heather Imhoff, head of public information.

Seven companies bid on the project to replace the countertops and back splashes. All also submitted an optional bid to replacing the existing stainless steel hand towel dispensers with hand dryers.

The budget for the countertop replacement was $25,000 and only L & M submitted a bid below that amount. They were also the lowest bid for the overall project, including the optional hand dryers.

Imhoff said the dryer installation will include patching walls, necessary wiring, and actually installing the dryers.

The existing laminate countertops in the bathrooms have become nasty, Imhoff said. They will be replaced with a solid surface that should not leak. The library is saving some money by refusing the faucets and tubing already in the bathrooms.

Work is expected to begin soon and should be done before the year is over.

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Library Countertops In Store For Replacement

Patrick Industries Inc. is investing up to $3 million and creating up to 65 new jobs as it expands operations in Kosciusko County.

The manufacturers AIA Countertops division will broaden its product line to include new granite and quartz countertops.

Patrick Industries is buying, renovating and equipping a 142,000-square-foot factory at 203 S. Huntington Ave., Syracuse, for additional production.

Elkhart-based Patrick Industries makes and distributes building and component products for the recreational vehicle, manufactured housing and industrial markets.

AIA Countertops now employs about 175 full time in Syracuse.

The Indiana Economic Development Corp. on Thursday announced it has offered Patrick Industries up to $325,000 in tax credits, based on the companys job-creation plans. The employer wont get the full amount if it doesnt fulfill its hiring projection.

The town of Syracuse approved additional property tax abatement.

For more on this story, see Saturdays print edition of The Journal Gazette or return to http://www.journalgazette.net after 3 a.m. Saturday.

sslater@jg.net

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Countertop division plans 65 new jobs

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Kitchen cleanliness could seal the deal

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) August 10, 2012

GLASS RECYCLED sets the interior design community abuzz with their one-time only Thats SUM-FALL promotional event. By offering then entire sample gallery of GlassSLAB recycled glass countertops with special incentives that will not be repeated.

Interior designers and homeowners alike have been flocking to the GLASS RECYCLED website (glassrecycled.com) to take advantage of this promotion. The Thats SUM-FALL event features GlassSLAB countertops in over 250 styles for $48 per sq. ft. when picked up at the GLASS RECYCLED warehouse or $58 per sq. ft. delivered to the continental USA. Orders may be placed over the phone toll-free by calling (888) 523-7894 or online via the GLASS RECYCLED website. A 50% deposit is required at the time of order with the balance due prior to delivery or pick up. The Thats SUM-FALL event ends December 20, 2012.

GLASS RECYCLED representative Christopher Oliver says, If you have been contemplating how your kitchen, bathroom, or business could be transformed by our GlassSLAB recycled glass countertops you are in luck. If you have been on the fence then it is time to hop off. This is a special one-off promo and it is exactly what you have been waiting for..

GLASS RECYCLED manufactures upcycled products such as recycled glass kitchen countertops, recycled glass flooring and upcycled glass tabletops. For more information visit their website at glassrecycled.com.

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GLASS RECYCLED Electrifies Designers With “That’s SUM-FALL” Promotion Featuring GlassSLAB Recycled Glass Kitchen ...

POSEY COUNTY, IN (WFIE) -

A new home for wounded Army veteran Sgt. Kenneth Harker could be ready by October.

The outside walls are up and construction is underway inside for the Homes For Our Troopsdream home.

Builder Mike Conti says it's an honor to be part of this project, soSgt. Harker and his family can move in, he thinks, in October.

Nearly three weeks ago, more than100 volunteers began with a concrete foundation and began building from there.

Thursday, plumbers were inside working on a bathroom.

For those of you who haven't heard his story, Sgt. Harker was on his second deployment in June 2008 when he lost both of his legs in Iraq, and after surgeries and treatment, he returned to Indiana last year.

Thursday night, Conti says he's expecting insulation to go in soon and drywall should go up next week.

He says, building this type of home, has been a new challenge.

"It's been a challenge because it's a new style home for me. It's allADA handicapped accessible. I'm not used to doing that so it's page by page, as we go."

Original post:
House being built for wounded soldier could be ready by October

By Debra McCown/Bristol Herald Courier - Ginny Barker (in pink) tells tour participants about the fine features in the kitchen of John and Mary Beth Poma during the Twilight Kitchen Tour on Thursday evening.

One kitchen boasts granite countertops and decorative white cabinets; in another, wormy chestnut and sculpted metal form an entirely different look.

It is a world of pop-up mixers and sliding spice cabinets, microwave drawers and hidden ice makers: Kitchen tours have become a popular and successful means to help fund the Virginia Highlands Festival.

Abingdon is sort of given to tours of homes because there are so many historic places in Abingdon, explained Sue Clark, a member of the festivals board of directors and its home and garden committee, which oversees the kitchen tours. Any time we get to go into some of these old places, we jump at it.

The tours feature a variety of houses, from the historic to the opulent to the typical.

I think they enjoy seeing how other people decorate their homes, said Ginny Barker, a festival volunteer who was showing tour participants around one of the kitchens Thursday.

Two tours are held each year, organizers said: one in the evening and one during the day. This year, the daytime tour sold all 80 tickets at a price of $15 each. The twilight tour sold nearly all of its 70 tickets at a price of $35 each.

Clark said the proceeds pay for such things as tents and setup for the annual 16-day summer festival, which helps drive Abingdon tourism.

Betty Cline and Louise King said they havent missed a single kitchen tour since they began in the early 1960s.

I just love kitchens, Cline said, and I love the new renovations that they come out with every year.

Go here to see the original:
Kitchen tours popular at Virginia Highlands Festival

461 Second St., Unit 126, San Francisco

Beds: 1 Baths: 1 Square footage: 1,250 Price: $4,500/mo.

This furnished brick and timber loft in the historic ClockTower has an open floor plan, exposed brick and timber beams and dark hardwood throughout its lower level. The bedroom features plantation shutter enclosures, a desk and chaise longue. Its full bath has custom fixtures and a shower-over-tub with granite surround. The kitchen has a breakfast bar, granite countertops, glass-tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances. The dining room converts into a guest bedroom with a queen-size Murphy bed. The unit has a washer and dryer, and a one-car garage parking space is included.

Leasing agent: Leah Johnson, McGuire Real Estate, (415) 901-2781, ljohnson@mcguire.com.

106 Lake Merced Hill, San Francisco

Beds: 2 Baths: 2.5 Square footage: 2,000 Price: $4,500/mo.

This three-level townhome is furnished in a gated and guarded community. Offering views of Lake Merced, it includes a home office along with a formal dining room, a sunken living room with a wood-burning fireplace, a deck and parking for two cars. The eat-in kitchen has a breakfast bar, new appliances, new tile countertops and cabinets. There is also a full laundry room. The condominium community holds a large central clubhouse, a heated swimming pool, a spa, two saunas and three tennis courts. There's also a golf course nearby.

Leasing agent: Peter Chovanes, Vanguard Property Management, (415) 517-7667, pchovanes@gmail.com.

The Chronicle and BlockShopper San Francisco scour the Bay Area to find what range of properties renters can get for their money. This week, What You Can Rent looks at homes for $4,500.

Excerpt from:
What you can rent in San Francisco for $4,500