Public Bathrooms for Children: Design Tips and Inspiration

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We often use the term accessibility when designing spaces for the elderly or for people with special needs. However, to guarantee effective universal design for children, it is necessary to understand and cater to their specific needs as well, especially through ergonomics, safety, lighting, colors, and some particular accessories. In this article, we will cover the most important parameters to consider when choosing dimensions and materials in public bathrooms for young children.

When it comes to a residential renovation,onlysmall adaptations are necessary for children to have the autonomy to use the toilet and sink safely. A stool and a toilet seat cover,attached to the toilet bowl, are effective short-term interventions. In the case of public bathroom projects in schools, parks, gyms, or family areas in shopping centers, for example, there are other important points to consider.

Everycountry has unique rules and instructions regarding safety elements and dimensions to use fordifferent types of construction. For illustrative purposes, we will use toilets for school children in Brazil as an example. Among other technical specifications, the following are recommended:

One of the most important elements toensure safety is the floor, whichmust be non-slip and waterproof. All the coatings must be easy to clean and maintain, even on partition walls thatare only 1.50 meters in height. For the safety of the children, it is essential to check the edge of the floor (especially near the sink area) to eliminate water accumulation. Dimensioning the number of drains correctlycontributes heavily to this end.

As with any type of building at any scale, good lighting is essential. It can contribute to a feeling of security and well-being, two very importantemotions for strengthening children's self-esteem in such an important periodin the formation of their personality.

A reference value for bathrooms, recommended by MEC Brazil, is to make the area of the window at least 1/8 of the total floor area. This formula can also be applied to the natural ventilation of the environment.

Generally, go for bulbs that are cold and intense. Diffuse lighting is the most effective method for ensuring the same level of lighting and comfort at any time of the day (or night). Including enough lightbulbs to light every stall is another key consideration in designing children's bathrooms. Check out some tips for lighting indoor spaces for kids here.

In nurseries,where there is usually a mixture of ages,designers might consider installing sinks at different levels, adapting them to the different heights of the children who will use them.

The sink surface should be installed approximately 40 centimeters from the floor. Additionally, the shape of the faucetis a primary consideration, as the faucet handle or lever must be easy to use forchildren whose motor coordination is not yet fully developed. Designers may even avoid water temperature adjustment systems so as not to add additional difficulty in this phase of learning self-care.

In children's bathrooms, whether unisex or divided by gender, toilet and urinal cups should be installed according to the guidelines of each provider, but always keeping in mind that the average height of a 3-year-old is approximately 95 centimeters.

There are three types of users in children's restrooms: infants, toddlers, and older children. Each one has different needs since they are in very specific periods of development.

For children with special needs, specific toilets and showers should be offered, as well as a bath chair and a sink. The space must be dimensioned so that it is comfortable for the child and their caregivers.

Ideally, bathrooms should be a calm and relaxing environment, especially those with areas for bathing. If your project aims to convey this kind of feeling, you should try to use primarily light colors. If, on the other hand,your design seeks a stimulating environment, it is possible to innovate and take advantage of the many possibilities for colors and shapes offered by cladding for wet areas.

It is important to emphasize once again that we have used illustrative benchmarks in this article. Whenever you design equipment for collective use (children or not), we recommend consulting the specific manuals for each country and type of project.

See also an article on designing safe bathrooms for the elderly.

References

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Public Bathrooms for Children: Design Tips and Inspiration - ArchDaily

Marina Tarasova and John Levy were five months into the renovation of their two-bedroom co-op on the Upper East Side contractor willing, just three months to go! when word came from the co-ops management company in mid-March that all construction and renovation projects would have to stop because of the coronavirus.

Another email soon followed as if for emphasis: The halt would be immediate.

We were beside ourselves, said Ms. Tarasova, the co-founder of Paloma Health, a virtual medical practice. Wed been renting elsewhere and the expense was much more than wed budgeted for. And now the rental would be prolonged.

It isnt exactly news that the coronavirus has upended everyone and everything. Those with an interrupted home renovation have good reason to feel especially unmoored. What should be a haven, their one safe place in the midst of chaos is perhaps now a welter of exposed pipes and partially tiled floors, an Everest of rubble around which they navigate at their own risk, or worse yet, flat-out uninhabitable.

In accordance with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomos executive order, certain construction projects like hospitals, homeless shelters and affordable housing are considered essential and thus, permitted to go forward. But apartment alterations appear to be prohibited, said Steven D. Sladkus, a real estate lawyer. Still, he added, even without the governors order, practically all buildings are prohibiting renovations during this time anyway to limit foot traffic.

Nationally, the pandemic has caused almost one out of two contractors to stop work on current projects or delay jobs scheduled to start in the next 30 days, according to a recent survey by the Associated General Contractors of America. Further, 33 percent of those responding to the survey said they had been notified by suppliers that deliveries would be late or canceled altogether.

In these uncertain times, homeowners who are stopped mid-renovation can be certain of at least two things: the project is going to stretch out for months longer than theyd planned and cost far more than theyd anticipated.

Marc Solomon was told by his contractor that 70 to 90 days would be a sufficient chunk of time to allot for the renovation of his one-bedroom co-op in Park Slope. The job included turning the kitchen into a second bedroom, and creating a kitchen/living room area. Accordingly, Mr. Solomon, an associate broker at the real estate firm Compass, and his wife, Rainbow, a stay-at-home mother of two young daughters, signed a lease for a three-month rental nearby, and cleared out.

At the beginning of March, the apartment was gutted. In mid-March, a Sunday night text from a member of the buildings co-op board informed the couple that the renovation was being frozen.

We were devastated, Mr. Solomon said. We were already feeling the anxiety of the pandemic. We had money in the stock market, which was gutted. And now, here we are having to pay our mortgage, our maintenance and our rent. And, he continued, they have to use money they had set aside for the renovation to cover day-to-day expenses.

Of course, having taken that rental close by so they could monitor the progress of their home improvement job more easily, Mr. Solomon and his wife are now reassessing. With the renovation on hold, he said, were not sure why were here and were not sure where were going to go.

Ms. Tarasova is similarly at sea. With the renovation postponed indefinitely, she couldnt justify the outlay for extending the lease on the rental. Instead, the family is bunking with her husbands parents on Long Island.

But when things get back running, Ms. Tarasova said, our apartment still wont be ready immediately and well have to take on the expense of another rental because the commute to Long Island is two hours each way.

Even in the best of times renovations create upheaval. In these particular times, its upheaval squared.

When the one-bedroom next door to hers in a Sutton Place co-op became available last year, Gail Eisen pounced. Shed long wanted to expand her two-bedroom penthouse space; here, finally, was the chance. Im in my 70s and I wanted a project it would be fun, illuminating and a great present to myself, said Ms. Eisen, a former television news producer.

Work began last September and Ms. Eisen was pleasurably contemplating the fantastically large living room and fantastic apartment she would have in six months.

Everything was humming along right on schedule. The walls were plastered, the floors scraped and sanded, the millwork and a wall of cabinets all done. One day in mid-March, Ms. Eisen was in the lobby of her building, and the staff member who stands sentry at the service entrance gave her a somewhat cryptic heads-up: no more. The next day she got the official word from the management company.

You know, if the building wants to protect tenants, you go with the flow and thats all you can do. I still have a habitable place to live and thats the important thing. But time is precious, especially now, so Im not happy about the delay, said Ms. Eisen, who is even less happy about the current state of her living room. Shes sharing it with a washer and dryer, some industrial machinery, a hillock of furniture encased in plastic, a rolled-up carpet, her piano and a poinsettia from last Christmas.

Some, like Ms. Tarasova and Mr. Solomon, were initially hopeful that they could make their co-op boards see reason. My husband and I felt the board was overreaching and how could they control what was going on in our apartment, Ms. Tarasova said.

I was thinking how is this not essential? she continued, referring to the standard for deciding whether businesses can continue operating and projects can progress during the pandemic. I thought we could work something out. I thought the men on our job could wear masks and gloves and just go straight up to our apartment in the morning, stay there and come down at the end of the day.

Mr. Solomon was thinking along somewhat similar lines. Our contractor volunteered to keep one guy in the lobby whose sole job was to sanitize the door handles and such, he said. Alas, the board was having none of it.

Shareholders have pushed back against boards. They all think their circumstances are different. They all think theyre the exception, said Marc Kerner, the owner of Infinity Construction whos also on the board of his co-op on the Upper West Side. But there cant be any exceptions, added Mr. Kerner, who himself is in the middle of renovating his bedroom and bathroom, a project that was stopped a few weeks ago. I had workmen in my apartment who wanted to keep going and I told them they had to leave. I told them, Guys, Im on the board of the building.

In fact, some buildings have been willing to bend the rules just a bit. Pembrooke & Ives, an interior architecture and design firm was in the midst of work on the 6,000-square-foot penthouse of an Upper West Side co-op when they were directed to disappear for the foreseeable future.

We had just installed all the millwork and floors, which would be destroyed if the humidity on the site wasnt controlled, said Alexia Sheinman, Pembrooke & Ives director of branding and communications. We had to make a special arrangement with the building to allow one contractor up every morning to maintain the humidifiers.

A shareholder in the midst of a big renovation elsewhere on the Upper West Side persuaded the board of her co-op to allow the delivery and installation of a stove so that her kitchen would be at least partially functional while she was sheltering in place.

But then she started parsing what Governor Cuomo meant by essential to try to get us to let her workmen continue refinishing the floors, said a member of the board who requested anonymity to avoid conflict with a neighbor. People like that are just selfish.

Delays are likely to continue long after residential buildings open their doors to cabinetmakers and carpenters once again.

Lets assume were back to normal June 1, said Mr. Kerner. Every client with an unfinished project is going to be asking their contractor when can you get here?

And then all the new clients who booked a contractor for a June 1 or July 1 start are also going to be asking when are you going to get here? Mr. Kerner continued. But we cant be everywhere at once. Quality is going to start suffering because we dont have a lot of bench strength in this business.

Meanwhile, Gabriela Gargano, the founder of Grisoro Designs, an interior design firm, is anticipating a scarcity of plumbing fixtures and fittings because of coronavirus-related factory shutdowns, as well as keen competition for luxury materials.

We had several slabs of Calacatta Viola on hold, Ms. Gargano said, referring to a burgundy-veined marble. And we received an urgent call from our vendor about whether we were purchasing it. With all the shipments of marble from Italy on hold until further notice there was a huge spike in demand.

Ms. Tarasova is very gamely trying to look beyond past and future interruptions. Its painful at the moment, but I know this will pass, she said. I just picture us when were finally in our apartment.

But, she added, If people I like are looking for a place, Ill beg them never to buy something that needs renovating.

For weekly email updates on residential real estate news, sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @nytrealestate.

Read more from the original source:
Renovation, Interrupted - The New York Times

Imagine lying in bed in a tiny glass cabin at the foot of Icelands most active volcano and watching the spectacle of the northern lights, or a five-hour-long sunset play out through the transparent roof and walls that surround you. This is the magical reality crafted by Estonian brothers Andreas and Jaak Tiik. The duos company D Homes built a tiny cabin for Panorama Glass Lodge Iceland on a remote site at the foot of the Hekla volcano in the south of Iceland.

D offers a range of "mirror houses"tiny prefab cabins that are often used as guest houses, countryside getaways, and Airbnb accommodations. So far theyve built projects in 12 different countries, including Estonia, Finland, and Norway. The D Iceland home is a bespoke design, based on the clients wishes and strict local building requirements. These impacted everything from the dwellings structural properties and energy efficiency to the pitched roof.

"D Iceland is a house of transparent glass that allows for next-level stargazing from the comfort of your home and bed," says CEO Andreas Tiik. "The apocalyptic scenery is a dramatic matchadd strong howling winds and the comfort of a warm, homely cabin and you get the perfect out-of-this-world hideaway."

Two cabins sit in the vast, empty landscape overlooking the Hekla volcano, around three hours drive fromReykjavk. The front part of each cabinfor sleepingis almost entirely glass, while the rearwhere the living, kitchen and bathroom spaces are locatedis clad in timber for privacy.

D created two identical cabins for Andreas and Sabrina Dedler, who rent them out to guests through their company Panorama Glass Lodge Iceland. The 200-square-foot cabin has all the necessities for livinga bedroom, small living space, kitchenette, and bathroomarranged in a tiny floor plan.

The gable decoration is a Viking element traditionally used to protect homes from danger. The "moon" shape comes from the shape of Viking horns.

Like other D homes, the cabins were constructed in a factory, then delivered and installed on-site in just one day. "D Iceland has been created with the surrounding landscapes in mind," says Tiik. "Transparent glass is a perfect match with the Icelandic nature, letting in as much of its beauty as possible."

The harsh local climateincluding strong winds and acid rain caused by the volcanic landscapewas a particular challenge. The cabin features a copper roof, which is one of the few materials that can cope with acid rain.

D Iceland has a number of sustainable features, including substantial insulation, triple-glazed windows, thermally modified timber, programmable thermostats, and LED lighting.

The bedroom is set at the front of the cabin, which is entirely encased in glass so that guests can sleep under the stars. A more private living/dining space and kitchenette are located to the rear. Black hexagonal tiles on the floor and kitchenette backsplash help to define different zones in the open space.

"D always hopes to make people feel at home," says CEO Andreas Tiik. "This approachfound in the use of materials, the bespoke solutions, and the warmth of the kitchenmakes a house that is meant to be a hotel to feel like a home."

The custom pendant above the dining table was made by a small Lithuanian design studio based on a brief from the client. The black hexagonal tiles help define the different zones in the tiny interior space.

The cabins design is inspired by Viking culture and Nordic mythologyfrom the rustic, handcrafted bed to the symbolic Viking moon element on the roof, and the custom cord and wire pendant above the dining table. Nordic mythological symbols and runes also adorn the exterior of the home.

The two cabins are named Freya and Alva, and feature the runes for "F" and "A" on the exterior timber wall. Signs from Nordic mythology are also found on the back of the houses. "The viking elements and the runes help the cabins fit into Icelandic history," says CEO Andreas Tiik.

"One of the challenges was to accommodate everything necessary in such a small areawe had to maximize every inch of space available," says Tiik. "Large drawers below the bed, for example, provide ample space to stash everything from clothing to additional blankets for chilly nights." The cupboards are also designed to accommodate travelers suitcases.

The bed is custom-made by a local designer according to a brief by the client. It offers ample storage below to make the most of the small space.

The bed features luxurious supima linen and woolen blankets, as well as hand-knit pillows from a local artist.

The "rustic Nordic" kitchen features dark oak cabinets that complement the black hexagonal tiles that climb from the floor to the backsplash. The cabinets have been deliberately left open to create a welcoming atmosphere. "Imagine how cold and closed off the space would look if everything were hidden in cabinets," says Tiik. "Instead, everything is out in the open, creating a space that feels more like a home and less like a storage unit."

The kitchen features oak woodwork, black fixtures and fittings, and black hexagonal tiles that mimic the lines of the local landscape and represent the "basalt columns and moodiness of Iceland".

A door from the kitchen leads into the bathroom, which features copper and stone details and a dramatic wall crafted from geometric 3D tiles. "When the light is turned on, the shadow effect is very eye-catching," says Tiik. "These particular tiles were chosen thanks to the Viking arrow-like pattern, and the industrial-style lights give it a little bit of an underground feeling."

The bathroom has a richly textured material palette, including a copper towel rack, natural stone basin, and white ceramic tiles. The painting reflected in the mirror depicts draumstafir, magical Nordic staves.

One of the major challenges with the large expanses of glass was controlling light in the summer months, when it doesnt get dark at alla phenomenon known as the midnight sun. "These long sunsets can be both beautiful and disturbing," says Tiik. "Therefore, we installed pleated curtains around the bed, which provide privacy as well as shelter from the constant daylight."

The cabins overlook the Hekla volcano, one of Icelands most active volcanoes. It is part of a 25-mile-long volcanic ridge, and during the Middle Ages it was referred to by Europeans as the "Gateway to Hell."

"People visiting D Iceland are immensely impressed by the natural forces that you can enjoy in the comfort of the home," says Tiik. "D Iceland is less an accommodation and more an experiencethe only time that you have to leave the beautiful view is if you fall asleep."

The glass front half of the cabin blurs boundaries between interior and exterior and completely immerses guests in the dramatic surroundings.

Both D Iceland houses have a hot tub at the front overlooking the spectacular scenery. "This makes the experience even more surreal," says CEO Andreas Tiik.

A floor plan of Ds Iceland mirror house shows how the living, sleeping, dining, and bathroom spaces are arranged.

A floor plan and elevations of Ds Iceland mirror house.

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This Tiny Glass Cabin in Remote Iceland Takes Stargazing to the Next Level - Dwell

Since the 1950s, vinyl has been a popular choice for homeowners looking for a cost-efficient, low-maintenance, and durable flooring option. And now with vinyl choices no longer limited to six-foot to 12-foot sheets -- and a lot of new looks -- that popularity just continues to endure.

For those looking for a tiled look, vinyl tiles may be a good option because they look like ceramic tiles but cost significantly less than their ceramic counterparts and are easier to install. Similarly, vinyl flooring is also now available in wood-like planks, which may be more resistant to damage and less expensive than hardwood floors.

But while vinyl is known for being economical and hard to damage, it may not be the right choice for every home or every project. So let's discuss the pros and cons of vinyl flooring before you start tearing up all the carpet and tile in your own home.

One of the biggest considerations for any project is cost. That's a big win for vinyl.

According to HomeAdvisor (NASDAQ: ANGI), vinyl flooring usually costs between $0.50 and $5 per square foot. Compare that to tile and wood, which can cost up to around $15 per square foot, and carpet, which can cost up to $7 per square foot, and the savings can really add up.

Vinyl flooring used to only be available in large sheets that were difficult to work with. Today's vinyl flooring usually comes in tiles or planks, which are easier to work with and often can be installed without using a saw or having to hammer the planks in place. Some vinyl tiling is even available as self-stick, meaning you can install it by peeling the backing and sticking it to the floor.

Vinyl flooring holds up to heavy use and also reduces noise compared to some other options, making it a great choice for homeowners with pets and/or kids. Vinyl flooring also holds up well to moisture, unlike carpet and wood flooring, which makes vinyl a great choice for bathrooms, kitchens, mud rooms, and laundry rooms.

While vinyl flooring may be easier to install than other flooring options, it can also be more difficult to remove. The reason for this is because vinyl flooring is glued down, and once that glue is set, it can require a lot of time and energy to remove.

While vinyl flooring holds up well to moisture, it is prone to fading over time in the sun. Vinyl flooring is also more sensitive to extreme hot and cold temperatures. Because of this, as HomeAdvisor points out, vinyl floors may not be the right choice for rooms that get a lot of direct sunlight.

Vinyl flooring is considered a "softer" flooring option, which means that while it is comfortable underfoot, it is prone to gouging by sharp objects, like knives and sharp edges of furniture. Because of this, homeowners need to be careful when moving and placing furniture.

Vinyl flooring has been an affordable and attractive flooring option for homeowners for decades. And with recent advances in options, including vinyl tiles and wood planks, homeowners now have a variety of attractive, durable options for many different rooms.

But before you start tearing up floors, it's important to consider whether vinyl is the right choice for your project. After all, once it's down, it's down.

Follow this link:
Vinyl Flooring: The Good, the Bad, and the No Longer Ugly - Motley Fool

CALHOUN, Ga., Apr. 15 /CSRwire/ - The Edison Awards winners were announced today, and Mohawks Air.o hypoallergenic soft flooring took the bronze for the consumer goods home solutions category.

Being recognized with an Edison Award is an honor and one of the highest accolades a company can receive in the name of innovation and business, said Jamie Welborn, vice president of product management. From the time we rolled out our first carpets to today, weve worked hard to develop revolutionary product innovations. Air.o is not only innovative, its also a solution that no one else can offer consumers. Hypoallergenic soft flooring changes how shoppers think about carpet, and we will continue to build on our successful product line.

Air.os unique, unified construction does not absorb any moisture, inhibiting the growth of allergens such as mold, mildew and dust mites. This construction simplifies the installation process and provides 50 percent more airflow when vacuumed, making it easy to clean by releasing more dust, dirt and pet dander. Air.o is also VOC free and latex-free with no new carpet smell.

When we say Air.o provides pure peace of mind for homeowners, we want this to apply to every aspect, including the design front, explained Angela Duke, director of brand marketing. With our 2020 ColorMax intros, consumers will be blown away that they can have soft flooring thats better for their family with incredible color and blended style to uplift their homes aesthetically.

Air.o recently achieved rigorous Declare Red List-free status certification from the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), as well as a Health Product Declaration (HPD) from the Health Product Declaration Collaborative.

Among the nomination entries comprising the best products, services and businesses in innovation for the year 2020, Air.o was chosen as a winner by a panel of over 3,000 leading business executives from around the world.

After a thorough review, the Edison Awards Judges recognize Air.o as a game-changing innovation standing out among the best new products launched in their category, said Frank Bonafilia, executive director of the Edison Awards.

For more information on Air.o, visitMohawkFlooring.comor speak to your local Mohawk sales representative.

About Mohawk

Mohawk Industries is a leading global flooring manufacturer that creates products to enhance residential and commercial spaces around the world. Mohawks vertically integrated manufacturing and distribution processes provide competitive advantages in the production of carpet, rugs, ceramic tile, laminate, hardwood, stone and vinyl flooring. Our industry-leading innovation has yielded products and technologies that differentiate our brands in the marketplace and satisfy all remodeling and new construction requirements. Our brands are among the most recognized in the industry and include Mohawk, American Olean, Daltile, Durkan, IVC, Karastan, Marazzi, Pergo, Unilin and Quick-Step. During the past decade, Mohawk has transformed its business from an American carpet manufacturer into the worlds largest flooring company with operations in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Europe, India, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, and the United States.

About the Edison Awards

The Edison Awards is the worlds most revered Innovation Award dedicated to recognizing and honoring the best in innovation and innovators since 1987. For more information about the Edison Awards and a list of past winners, visitwww.edisonawards.com.

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Air.o Wins Edison Award: The Only Hypoallergenic Soft Flooring Available in Market Recognized As Innovation Leader - CSRwire.com

Verizon Fios truck. File photo/Bklyner

Over the past month, internet access has helped New Yorkers maintain a vague semblance of the life we had before we were forced to huddle indefinitely in our own homes, together in our aloneness. Virtual dinner parties and Seders and Skype chats with friends and family have made things feel just the slightest bit less weird, and platforms like Zoom and Google Hangouts allow employees to check in with their teams while they work from home. Internet can also be a lifeline for some, allowing people to search for food pantries and coronavirus testing facilities.

Charter is currently offering 60 days of free Spectrum Wi-Fi and broadband access to households with children in K-12 and/or college without an existing broadband subscription. While the company originally denied this service to families with unpaid bills, The City reported, theyve since agreed to waive the bills for New York City families. Optimum, which has also begun offering free service for families with students, has also agreed to waive the bills.

Providers like Verizon have made life difficult for their customers in other ways. Pawel Dlugosz, a former Brooklyn resident whose parents, Jan and Dorota, still live in Greenpoint, said that his parents are living without internet indefinitely due to a mistake on the part of their provider, Verizon Fios.

The company had scheduled a technician to install internet in his parents new apartment, two floors down from the unit where they were previously living. In anticipation of internet being installed in the new apartment, Dlugosz said, the company shut off internet in the old unit a day before the installation was slated to take place, without any notice. Then, they cancelled the appointment with little other than a cursory text message, leaving Jan and Dorota without the ability to email, Skype, or FaceTime their family members, including Dlugosz, who lives in Oakland. The couple were also sharing the account with their neighbors, both of whom work in government, and who rely on internet access for their jobs.

When Dlugosz pursued an explanation for the cancellation, he was told by Verizon that all in-person appointments had been cancelled due to COVID-19. When he asked them to simply turn the internet back on, they informed him that this was impossible because his parents equipment was outdated.

The situation was further compounded by Verizons failure to properly communicate with Dlugosz and his parents, Dlugosz said. Not only did they turn off the internet in the third floor apartment without warning, but they failed to acknowledge the mistake, keeping Dlugosz waiting on the phone for nearly six hours as he attempted to connect with a customer service representative.

Verizon has yet to provide Dlugosz and his parents with any kind of concrete solution, which he finds baffling. How can a major tech corporation not have a contingency plan? he said. All he wants is for Verizon to take ownership of their mistake, and to offer a solution. Theyre just like washing their hands of responsibility, Dlugosz said. The best Verizon has done, he said, is to offer to waive the $99 installation fee when they finally do send technicians out. Dlugosz would prefer that his parents just have their internet turned back on, he said. Self-installation is not an option for his parents, he said, who are not especially tech-savvy and speak limited English.

I just think that depriving internet access to people in their mid-60s for three weeks is just an insane thing, Dlugosz said, referring to the amount of time Verizon told him it may take to begin sending out technicians.

Aviva Sokolow-Shahar, a Park Slope resident who will be moving to Ditmas Park with her husband next week, doesnt expect to have internet anytime soon, either. When she asked Verizon when they could send a technician to install internet in her new apartment, she was told the company wouldnt be sending any technicians out for the foreseeable future. The alternative, self-installation, isnt a possibility in the new apartment, even though the couple are already Verizon customers.

Its a big issue as my husband is a teacher who has to do live classes every day, and we live in a time when its basically impossible to do anything without internet, said Sokolow-Shahar.

Verizon sent the couple a stand-in date for November 2020, and told Sokolow-Shahar that they would be on a priority list when they eventually start sending technicians out. For now, though, Sokolow feels like shes out of options. We dont have a viable solution at the moment, she said.

For Clinton Hill/Bed-Stuy resident Stefanie Lewin, interacting with Verizon was a nightmare. She and her partner moved to the neighborhood from Greenpoint on March 21st, and were scheduled to have their internet installed on March 23rd. Verizon proceeded to cancel and reschedule the appointment multiple times via automated text message, Lewin said, without providing any information or recourse. The couple spent hours trying to reach a representative who could tell them how long they would need to wait for a technician to come, she said. Eventually, after more than two weeks of waiting, they gave up.

The lack of internet made working from home extremely challenging for Lewin and her partner, both of whom work for nonprofits, and they were only able to get their internet back when they switched over to Optimum.

Were not halting all service and repair work, said David Weissman, Communications Manager for Verizon, in an email to Bklyner. To reduce the spread of COVID-19 and keep our employees and customers safe, we are making every attempt to perform work without going into homes or small businesses and are limiting installs.

Weissman did not respond to our follow-up question of why, if Verizon was not halting all service and repair work, customers were having their appointments cancelled without warning, and were not given the ability to reschedule.

Charter also claims to be continuing service visits. Our technicians continue to make select service calls to keep our customers and critical service providers connected during the pandemic, Director of Communications for Charter, John Bonomo, informed us through email. Bonomo noted, however, that technicians first attempt to resolve the issue online or over the phone.

Jenn Flores R, a North Brooklyn Resident, had a fairly smooth experience doing self-installation with Spectrum in the midst of the pandemic. They sent a self install kit and were pretty helpful over the phone when I had issues later after installing, Flores R told us over Facebook. Self install kit was pretty self explanatory and convenient.

See the original post here:
During COVID-19, Internet is a Blessing - Unless You Need Verizon - BKLYNER

The house sits at the edge of the Northmoor Country Club, with views to the golf course (the owners first spotted it while golfing), about 25 miles north of downtown Chicago. It is about a mile and a half southeast of Highland Parks business district. Ravinia, the site of an annual music festival and the summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, is less than a mile away and has its own commuter rail station.

Size: 4,989 square feet

Price per square foot: $300

Indoors: The architects signature use of brick extends to the floors of the foyer and throughout most of the main level. It covers the large great room, with its two walls of glass and gray (formerly dark brown) ceiling. The sellers installed skylights that were part of the original design, added 16 feet of open steel shelving along one wall and sheathed the brick fireplace in stainless steel plate to lighten the room.

The kitchen was professionally remodeled with white cabinets, smoothly integrated storage (a coffee bar sits behind one wall panel) and stainless steel surfaces and appliances, including a Wolf range. Pocket doors close off the space from the dining room, as needed.

The owners added a wall of shelving to the master bedroom, as well as motorized drapes covering the floor-to-ceiling glass doors opening to a patio and a screened porch. The en suite bathroom was converted from a bedroom and includes two walk-in closets, two vanities, a walk-in shower, a soaking tub overlooking a Zen garden and shower, and a separate toilet room.

One of two main-level guest rooms was turned into an office. Off it is a guest bathroom with a trough sink and a paneled wall that opens to reveal a shower. A closet has been turned into a 400-bottle wine-storage room. The second guest room on this floor is used as a gym; it has hardwood floors, a mirrored wall and a wall of glass opening to the front yard.

The raised basement level has two guest bedrooms and two full bathrooms. Both bedrooms overlook the side yard and one has a private bathroom. The second has pocket doors opening to a tandem room. There is also a laundry room and a walk-in cedar closet, as well as storage and mechanicals rooms.

Outdoor space: The screened porch runs for 31 feet alongside the great room. The exterior rear patio is 56 by 15 feet. Parking is in the original carport next to the main house. The sellers installed snow-melting pavement between the two.

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$1.5 Million Homes in Florida, Illinois and California - The New York Times

SPONSORED byFBC Mortgage: This two-bedroom, one-bath bungalow is located at 1623 Canton Street [GMap] in Colonialtown North and is a quick bike ride away from Mills 50 and Audubon Park bars and restaurants.

The 1,182 SF home sits on a corner lot and features original hardwood floors, a gas fireplace, and original classic molding.

The kitchen has a gas stove island, stainless steel appliances, a laundry closet with exterior access to the back porch and garden, and more.

The master is privately located in the rear of the home with double French doors that lead to the back porch and the recently renovated bathroom features tile flooring, new subway tile, and a newly installed vanity.

The asking price is $309,00.

Click HERE for more information and photos or to arrange a tour, or contact Lisa Morgan, Mainframe Real Estate, at 407-738-9784 or [emailprotected]

All photos by Gil Levy, Framed Listings.Instagram @framedlistings

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House of the Day: Colonialtown 1930s bungalow asking $309000 - Bungalower

New Jersey needs more space to house and treat patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

As part of his push to ensure those spaces exist, Gov. Phil Murphy directed operators of longterm care facilities to make arrangements to accommodate residents with the coronavirus by creating separate, isolated units were these patients can recover without endangering non-COVID residents.

In less than two weeks, the staff at one South Jersey continuing care community managed to convert a former patient wing that hadnt housed patients in years into a dedicated COVID-19 unit.

Friends Village at Woodstown welcomed its first coronavirus patients to the isolated unit on Wednesday, just 13 days after the renovation project began.

A lot came together in a very short time, acknowledged Gary Morris, director of marketing at Friends Village.

Friends is a retirement community in Salem County that provides all levels of care for seniors, from independent living to assisted living and long-term services on a 30-acre campus.

Workers renovate an old unit at Friends Village at Woodstown to prepare for COVID-19 patients.

This expansion is not intended to take hospital overflow cases, as is being done in a few other nursing homes statewide.

Patients treated here, including current Friends Village residents, will be those discharged from hospitals who are still COVID positive but over their window of worry, so to speak, Morris said. We would get them back up and running.

The new unit can include eight to 12 beds, but that figure is a moving target, Morris said.

Over the years, Friends Village has expanded into different areas of independent living, Morris explained, and new cottages and apartments have been built across the campus. The renovated wing was a residential area decades ago, but hasnt seen patients in about 17 years. Until last month, it was used for storage.

Friends Village knew it had to prepare for the coronavirus and quickly formed a plan to reactivate the area, which needed plenty of renovations.

We looked at that hallway and said we can make it happen, Morris said.

They discussed the idea in late March and had approval from the state Department of Health by April 2. They had bids for roof work that night.

Renovations to the wing included installing an entirely new roof to replace the leaky old one, installing new plumbing and bathroom fixtures, replacing carpeting with vinyl flooring, installing phone lines and WiFi, and giving the whole place a fresh coat of paint. Each single-patient room comes complete with a TV.

The unit is completely blocked off from the rest of the facility, with a separate exterior entrance and a separate drop-off area for ambulances.

We completely rerouted ambulance traffic on campus, Morris said. We tried to manage the flow so we know exactly where every positive patient would be on campus, even from arrival by ambulance.

The units staff of about 20, including three shifts of nurses, aides, physical therapists and maintenance, work in this unit only.

In addition to contractors, the facilitys maintenance staff worked 18-hour days to pull this project together, while other members of the staff pitched in.

It was all hands on deck, Morris said. Personally, I was laying on the floor hooking up hospital beds. The only way to make it happen was to put your titles and roles away. We were just doing everything.

LeeAnne McCauley, director of nursing at Friends Village, posted a message to Facebook praising the teamwork that made this project possible.

Today is my 13th straight at work with most of those days averaging 14+ hours, she wrote. And there are other people who have put even more time in than that. The teamwork that pulled this off is nothing short of spectacular.

Ambulances will be directed to a special drop-off point for COVID-19 patients arriving at the new coronavirus unit opened at Friends Village at Woodstown.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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It sat empty for 17 years. In 13 days they built new wing for coronavirus patients. - NJ.com

Researchers from the West Pomeranian University of Technology (ZUT) in Poland have produced a study on the automation of 3D printing construction, while also investigating methods of improving the process in regards to the rheological properties of the concrete mix.

Specifically, the study details the application of additive manufacturing technology in the fabrication of a building wall model, in which the door opening was finished with an automated lintel installation.A lintel is a beam placed across openings in buildings like doors, windows etc. to support the load from the structure above.

The objective of the study was to improve the low capacity of 3D printed concrete mixes to transfer loads, which can be particularly troublesome in cases of external components that need to be placed on top such as precast lintels or floor beams during 3D printing construction processes.

Such an investigation, according to the researchers, can prove beneficial in designing larger civil structures using concrete 3D printing technology.

The advantages of construction 3D printing

The study sets out by explaining that developments in construction technology have been focused on speeding up the construction of buildings and structures through automation. A technology at the forefront of this development is additive manufacturing using concrete mixes, which allows the building up of a structure by extruding a concrete mix layer by layer.

Considering that the formwork can constitute to 3554% of total costs of raising concrete structure. The application of additive manufacturing brings measurable profits. Not only does it allow production of structures without the formwork, but it also reduces total production time, costs and labor. The technology also increases the safety of workers on the construction site, produces less waste and uses raw materials with low embodied energy, explain the authors of the study.

Indeed, recently the field of construction 3D printing has seen a number of initiatives and projects unfold which enabled the building of large structures in a short amount of time compared to traditional construction processes. For example SQ4D, an offshoot of the New York-based S-Squared 3D Printers (SQ3D), recently completed construction of a new building, in what it claims is the largest permitted 3D printed home in the world. Spanning 1900 square feet, construction of the 3D printed home reportedly took place over an eight-day period, with a total of 48 hours in print time.

New Story, a non-profit organization fighting homelessness and ICON, a Texas-based construction technologies company, have also begun an initiative seeking to create the worlds first 3D printed community of concrete homes. First announced in 2018, the 3D printed homes are intended to provide low-cost housing for low-income communities in Latin America that adapt to their day-to-day lives. Thus far two houses have now been 3D printed by ICON and New Story in Tabasco; each was completed in around 24 hours of print time and measures 500 sq ft. 3D printing was identified by New Story as a way to provide homes for these families at a faster pace.

Rheological properties of concrete in construction 3D printing

Discussing the additive manufacturing of structures, the ZUT researchers explain in their research the importance of ensuring a correlation between the increase of the load caused by additional printed layers, and the growth of the strength of layers already placed during the process of curing. Explaining further, the authors write: From this point of view, it is important to determine the appropriate extrusion speed, which makes it possible to obtain sufficient strength for each layer by the time the printing head returns to its home position, the layer needs to withstand the load imposed by layer deposited on top. As such, a central challenge in 3D printing is to obtain a mix with desired rheological properties, in order to ensure a proper printing process.

The purpose of the study is to therefore present the additive manufacturing of a scaled down wall model with a door opening, including the automated installation of a lintel. Specifically, the research adjusts the wall design and printing process to account for the rheological and mechanical properties of the fresh concrete, as well as the process of the automated lintel installation.

3D printing set-up. Photo via Materials 2020.The researchers aim to demonstrate that the automated process can be designed with high accuracy, as confirmed by simulation. They constructed the wall at a specially designed site, consisting of a 3D robot connected to a pumping module. The 3D printer and printing head motions were controlled by a G-code, whereas the mix was prepared in a laboratory mixer and transferred to the pump unit, from where it was delivered to the printing head hopper through a hose.

As part of the experiment, a special gripper was built in order to automatically transfer the lintel and install it on the wall in the determined position. The lintel placement via the gripper took place as the 3D printing robot was running, with the printing process recommencing as soon as they were completed. The concrete mix used in the experiments was designed on the basis of ensuring its optimal rheological properties for the 3D printing process. It had a 0.23 water-cement ratio and a density of 2168 kg/m.

After successfully 3D printing the scale model wall, the researchers were able to confirm the possibility of automating the wall construction process in additive manufacturing with the installation of a lintel with a special gripper. It was also proven that the printer can be used for placing precast elements during the whole process of printing. Significantly, the researchers also confirmed that the rheological properties of fresh concrete are of higher significance in 3D printing construction, than in the case of conventional concrete construction, due to the specific process characteristics involved.

Concluding the paper, the researchers state There are currently several experimental projects being carried out at different research centers, investigating the desired mechanical and rheological properties of concrete mixes and their behavior during the printing process. Further research concerning mix properties and 3D printing strategies will result in the development of design and construction procedures, which will ensure the required level of printed construction structural safety.

The paper, Automation in the Construction of a 3D-Printed Concrete Wall with the Use of a Lintel Gripper, is written by Marcin Hoffmann, Szymon Skibicki, Pawe Pankratow, Adam Zieliski, Mirosaw Pajor and Mateusz Techman. It is published in the journal Materials.

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Featured image shows the steps for printing a wall with a lintel. Photo via Materials 2020.

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Polish researchers explore automation for 3D printed building - 3D Printing Industry