Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

A poll of 2,000 adults, with an outdoor space, found more than one in 10 describe their entire garden as intentionally wild in style, to encourage biodiversity.

Fruit trees, composting areas and greenhouses appeared in the list of what people most like to see in a garden.

But anything painted in an orange wood stain, wind chimes, recycled old tyres and artificial topiary balls are unlikely to be bought in 2022.

Water features and living walls are also among the most popular garden trends of the moment, while fake animals, buddha statues and plastic ornaments are out.

Kevin Smith, from Draper Tools, which commissioned the research, said: So many of us have got into gardening in recent times and its fascinating to take a look at the top trends as well as those that have fallen out of favour.

Its great to see the number of people focusing on sustainability by growing their own food, composting, harvesting rainwater and encouraging biodiversity in their gardens hopefully these are long term trends that are here to stay.

Gardens are ultimately a very personal thing, so although gnomes and plastic flamingos may not be top trends, if you love them in your garden thats all that matters.

Other elements Brits are now turning away from in their gardens are hot tubs, perhaps as a result of rising electricity costs.

Another 27 per cent dont like to see trampolines in their back gardens, and 15 per cent consider topiary to be over.

However, some trends made both the top garden trends and the worst ones suggesting an opinion split.

Those which fall into this love/hate category include decking, ponds, fire pits, and repurposing household items to grow plants in like bathtubs, sinks, and old bikes.

Exactly one in five respondents say keeping up with the latest garden trends is very important to them, while three quarters reckon theyve got great outdoor taste.

And during a typical week, green-fingered Brits will spend an hour and 20 minutes pondering how to get the best from their outside space.

Nearly a fifth (17 per cent) also admit they get inspiration for their garden by peering over their neighbours fence.

Adults will spend nearly two and a half hours each week outside tending to their garden areas during the summer months.

In total, they estimate having spent an average of 1,732 on buying new bedding, plants, tools and other garden costs since they moved in, according to the OnePoll data.

And its seen as money well spent, as 34 per cent said spending on their gardens is a worthwhile investment.

Respondents also say their top priority for their garden is simply having a place to relax (49 per cent).

However, just under a quarter (24 per cent) say sustainability is their number one goal, and 31 per cent want a space they can grow their own fruit and veg.

Draper Tools Kevin Smith added: Our results found people use their gardens for many different things and there are certainly strong feelings out there but almost everyone wants their space to look good.

This is the time of year when all the work you put in during winter and spring should be paying off, and letting you enjoy that outdoor space.

And if wild animals, birds and bugs are also able to thrive in the space then thats just perfect.

BRITS TOP 40 GARDEN TRENDS FOR 2022:

1. Bird feeders

2. Planters

3. Bird bath

4. Fruit trees

5. Hanging baskets

6. Lanterns/outdoor lights

7. Solar lighting

8. Vegetable gardens

9. Garden pathways/stepping stones

10. Herb garden

11. Rainwater harvesting

12. Terracotta plant pots

13. Water features

14. Wild meadow area/growing of wildflowers

15. Raised garden beds

16. Successional gardening (ensuring there are plants are flowering all year round)

17. Decking

18. Rose gardens

19. Ponds

20. Composting areas

21. Greenhouses

22. Summer houses

23. Natural stone/minerals

24. Hedgehog homes

25. Trellis

26. Fire pits

27. Glazed plant pots

28. Rock gardens

29. Bumblebee nest boxes

30. Immaculately trimmed lawns

31. Naturalistic planting

32. Built in BBQ/Outdoor kitchen

33. Pergolas

34. Repurposing household items to grow plants in such as bathtubs, sinks, old bikes

35. Bird/animal box cameras

36. Palm trees

37. Pizza ovens

38. No dig gardening also known as rewilding (involves minimal interference to the garden)

39. Stripes in the lawn

40. Tulip gardens

Originally posted here:
Brits are encouraging wildlife in their gardens - The London Economic

Sometimes, you dont realize that you need a tech upgrade until someone points it out like, why are you still using the one charger you got five years ago to charge all of your Apple products? From chargers to speakers, weve got you covered with must-have tech that is definitely worth the upgrade.

Key Selling Point: Get rid of wires once and for all with this charging station.

If you find yourself fumbling to find space for your iPhone, Apple Watch, and Airpods on your nightstand, it might be time to upgrade your charging station to the 3-in-1 Wireless Charger with MagSafe 15W, which provides a place to charge all of your devices in one convenient location no extra wires necessary. This wireless charger comes in black or white, and you can sleep easy knowing that your devices wont stop charging in the middle of the night phone-safe magnets keep everything securely attached to the charging stand.

Key Selling Point: Seamlessly mount your phone and drive off for a hands-free commute.

Any driver can tell you that one of the most crucial accessories in your car is a phone mount. Hands-free access to GPS, music, or calls is essential for safely navigating the roads but what good is a mount if youre having to constantly fiddle with it to keep your phone attached, or needing to pull over to change the orientation? By simply placing your phone against the Car Vent Mount PRO, your phone is secured with phone-safe magnets. With a quick twist, you can swap between portrait and landscape modes one-handed, thanks to the mounts clever ball joint design. The compact accessory also allows you to loop your phone charger around the back, keeping your cable tidy and within reach. Youll never have to worry about fumbling to keep the mount secured either, as the vent clip keeps everything in place.

Key Selling Point: German-engineered glass that reduces wear and tear and prevents deep cracks.

This screen protector is nothing like those flimsy pieces of plastic you get with your phone case its scratch-resistant surface is two times stronger than tempered glass, making it one of the strongest screen protectors out there. Its made out of UltraGlass, a chemically strengthened material that increases durability and protects against scratches from everyday objects like keys and coins. If you do drop your phone, the UltraGlass prevents surface cracks from penetrating deeper layers of your phone. While some screen protectors weaken your phone touchscreen capabilities, the UltraGlass Treated Screen Protector for iPhone 13 is cut thinly so that its highly sensitive to any pressure applied to it and its been engineered with an anti-fingerprint coating so your screen doesnt get smudged while youre scrolling through TikTok.

Key Selling Point: This voice-enabled speaker comes with an added feature: a wireless charging station.

With the HiFi Smart Speaker and Wireless Charger, listening to music feels like youre in the studio with the artist. Despite the speakers small size, youll be able to hear the deep bass of every song with Devialets signature Push-Push vibration-canceling dual-woofer configuration. This speaker is also voice-enabled, so you can tell it to play your favorite playlist from the kitchen so that its all set to go before you reach your bedroom (or wherever else it's set up). If you want to bring it outside or to a different room, its small enough to easily transport and set up in a different area of your house. Once the music starts playing, you can set your phone on the speaker for a quick wireless charge while you listen to your favorite workout playlist or true-crime podcast.

Key Selling Point: With voice control and schedule-setting capabilities, this is not your garden-variety outdoor outlet.

Who knew plugs could be so high-tech? The Wemo WiFi Smart Outdoor Plug will make you wonder how you ever lived without a smart plug in your home. Its easy set-up means you can get started on customizing your outdoor lighting immediately. Just download the app, plug in the device and connect to WiFi to start controlling your lights via the Wemo app. You can do this from any room in your house, and if you are outside, you can even use voice control to turn your lights on and off. Its durable and waterproof so, unlike a normal plug, you wont have to worry about it when it rains. You can create schedules using the app as well, so when its sunny outside, you can sit in your outdoor space and garden until nighttime, watching the lights turn on by themselves once the sun sets.

Whether youre trying to declutter your nightstand or get your garden ready for the summer, there are tons of ways to upgrade your tech. Take a long look at current headphones and see if it might be time to finally retire the same wired headphones youve been using for the last three years for a newer model. Or maybe its time to stop just putting your phone in an empty cup whenever you need a speaker, and get one that provides better audio quality while charging your phone.

This post was created by a non-news editorial team at Recurrent Media, Futurisms owner. Futurism may receive a portion of sales on products linked within this post.

See the rest here:
Tech Accessories That Are Worth the Upgrade - Futurism

The PlayStation 5 has been Sony's most popular console to date and now it's starting to become more-widely available to buy. It has taken two years for the console to get on track with demand.

Since it first launched in the UK back in November 2020 gamers have gone to desperate lengths to try and get their hands on one. Issues over gaming chips being made and stock issues made demand soar and because of a limited supply only selected retailers were selling them at one time.

Over the past few months though various gaming retailers have seen stock return to more of a sustainable level and many have been able to offer both versions of the PlayStation 5 console to a wider market. That being said stock levels haven't quite returned to normal.

Questions are being asked as to whether the PlayStation 5 will appear in the Amazon Prime Day sale and one expert has answered. The online retail giant recently made a PlayStation 5 bundle available on its site. This PS5 Console with the Horizon Forbidden game was available to buy earlier this week, but is now out of stock again.

Amazon Prime Day takes place on Tuesday July 12 and July 13. The 48-hour event is one of Amazon's biggest sale events, aside from Black Friday which takes place later in the year, and offers shoppers thousands of discounts on everything from tech, gaming, clothing, Amazon devices and more.

Shoppers who are part of Amazon Prime can get access to exclusive deals ahead of Prime Day and on the sales day itself. Not a member of Amazon Prime? You can sign up to a free 30-day trial here.

However, because of previous demand of the PlayStation 5 it is not clear whether the console will even be available to buy on Amazon, yet alone be featured in the Prime Day sale.

Talha Sonmez who runs the popular PS5 Stock UK account on Twitter and the Stockchecker website, doesn't think the console will be making the cut for Amazon Prime.

READ MORE: Expert behind popular PlayStation 5 stock account revealed as he hints at where to find console in 2022

He said: "I personally do not think Amazon would offer the console on a deal for Prime Day, not a chance. I don't even think they'll do it for the Xbox Series X, although that's a higher chance than seeing the PS5 on sale.

"The console may be in decent supply now however, the phase of supply lasting long hasn't been around for too long yet, therefore the console (in my opinion) wouldn't be on discount this soon."

If you thin Talha may be wrong though then you can keep an eye on the PlayStation 5 landing pages on Amazon here and here. The PlayStation 5 comes in two forms, the PS5 console: 449.99 and the PS5 Digital Edition console: 359.99. The only difference between the PS5 console and the PS5 Digital Edition console is the inclusion of an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive in the PS5 console. The PS5 Digital Edition console does not feature a disc drive.

READ NEXT:

Originally posted here:
How much is the PlayStation 5 on Amazon Prime Day? - Manchester Evening News

A reflection on where they've been and the bright future ahead.

NEW YORK, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrating its 10th year in business, MPOWERD announced that it is launching an array of exciting new products, and introducing a brand-new product line; ViriSolar Energy Storage Tiles. Founded in 2012, MPOWERD is a Benefit Corporation and Certified B Corporation and has been creating solar lighting options with innovation and impact at its core. With the announcement of the new Viri line, MPOWERD is continuing its tradition of providing sustainable product options to people all around the world.

Over the past decade, MPOWERD has grown from its wildly successful original inflatable solar light to over 16 unique products that serve people worldwide for various needs. From Solar String Lights to Solar Bike Lights, all fully patented, Luci lights are sold in over 7,500 retailers, including REI, Amazon, Anaconda, Decathlon, MEC, to name a few.

Viri, which is derived from the Latin words "power" and "green," is a natural evolution and extension of Luci, which is derived from Luc or "light." Complementing Luci's transformative design, expansion and modularity are at the heart of the Viri platform. Viri provides solutions for all price points and needs while amplifying MPOWERD's mission of providing portable clean energy and expanding opportunities. Viri truly puts the "power" in MPOWERD.

The innovative modular Solar Power Bank will be the first Viri product to hit the market. With the ability to combine multiple power banks to accumulate power or increase the solar panel size, these chargers can live independently or as a collective microgrid. With this adaptive modularity, they can conform to one's personal power needs from mobile phones to larger electronic devices. Following the Company's mission-oriented approach, Viri will provide people the freedom to create energy independently, customized to an individual's needs.

Since its founding, impact and sustainability have always been central to the Company's mission. MPOWERD Founder, Inventor, and Chief Business Development Officer John Salzingercreated a business model with a novel tiered structure, where saleshere at home offset the costs to emerging markets and disaster relief. He also created the Give Luci Program that enables consumers and corporations to participate in the MPOWERD movement of delivering light and power to those in disaster or humanitarian crises. Therefore, expanding into solar power storage is a natural and necessary product path for the Company.

"MPOWERD has grown up!" says Salzinger. "The business model I constructed has proven to be a true vehicle for change. That said, it takes a village and I am grateful to all those who have contributed during this incredible voyage, including Seungah Jeong, who has been a great partner in the business. We have collectively shown how one can and should make a positive impact on our world while leading a business with purpose."

Seungah Jeongjoined MPOWERD in 2016 as the President and CEO. Since then, the Company has expanded its product assortment, established itself as a significant brand in the outdoor industry, increased sales across the board, and furthered positive impact initiatives worldwide.

MPOWERD's impact work is illustrated by the 3.9 million lives they have affected in emerging markets and emergency response situations. By working with NGOs and non-profit organizations, MPOWERD distributes Luci Lights into the hands of people who need them most. A recent example of this was utilizing contributions to their Give Luci Programto deliver Luci Lights to Ukrainian refugees. In addition to social impact, the Company's commitment to reducing emissions and the global carbon footprint are reinforced by the 3.2 million tons of CO2 that Luci lights have averted in emerging markets.

"Air pollution, deforestation, and ever-increasing natural disasters - our earth faces many challenges right now," Jeong affirmed. "From reducing CO2 emissions to minimizing single-use products, we aim to make the biggest impact we can in the hope of inspiring others to take action too."

MPOWERD was recently selected as a Finalist in the Outdoor Retailer 2022 Inspiration Awards for its contributions to social and environmental change and as a part of Real Leaders Top 50 2022 Eco Innovation Award list, among many other honors and awards over the past ten years for product innovation and impact initiatives.

About MPOWERD: MPOWERD is on a mission to transform lives with thoughtfully designed, clean technology. As a Certified B Corporation and Benefit Corporation, MPOWERD sets strict standards, ensuring that its work enhances both society and the environment. The Company's innovative products give people the power of self-reliance as well as moments of wonderbecause everyone deserves to be empowered and inspired regardless of where or how they live. Support the MPOWERD mission at https://mpowerd.com/.

Media ContactRebekah Conti[emailprotected]716.410.1808

SOURCE MPOWERD Inc.

Original post:
MPOWERD Luci Lights, Turning Ten, Product Expansion, and Impacting the World - PR Newswire

Dublin, July 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "LED Lighting Market by Installation (New, Retrofit), Product Type (A-type, T-type, Decorative, Directional), Sales Channel (Retail, Direct, E-commerce), Application (Residential, Commercial, Industrial) and Geography - Global Forecast to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The LED lighting market size is estimated to be USD 75.3 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 124.7 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 10.6% during the forecast period.

The booming lighting industry contributes most to the rising demand for energy-efficient products and modifications in the existing lighting products using LED technology. Moreover, technological innovations and rising environmental concerns have further accelerated the growth of LED lighting market. Competitive manufacturing costs, high economic growth rate, and large-scale industrial constructions in residential and commercial segments are some of the other major factors driving the growth of the LED lighting market.

Decorative luminaire to register highest growth between 2022 to 2027

Decorative luminaires are expected to record the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The easy availability of decorative lights with a variety of color combinations in attractive shapes and sizes for interior decoration, coupled with the growing use of highly energy-efficient products to reduce energy bills, is the major factor propelling the growth of the market. Bullet, candle, flare, globe, and any other decorative lamp shapes, integrated chandeliers, single-head pendants, wall sconces, lanterns, and cove luminaire products fall under the category of decorative lighting. Commercial and hospitality applications contribute most to the increasing demand for decorative lighting.

Lamps segment to account for a larger share of the LED lighting market in 2022

A-type and T-type lamps have high penetration in residential applications, which, in turn, leads to a larger market size of the overall lamps category compared to luminaires. The enormous rise in the use of LED lighting solutions has changed every aspect of modern life.

The modern technology equipped with LED lamps enables improved efficiency with low maintenance costs. The warm light from the LED lamps allows for complete brightness without energy loss. Compared to the lifespan of average incandescent bulbs, the lifespan of an LED light is far superior. A-type LED lamps are also referred to as plug-and-play. These lamps directly replace traditional lamps such as compact fluorescent (CFL) and linear fluorescent. A-type lamps are considered the classic type of light bulb that has been used for general-purpose lighting for over 100 years.

The streets and roads application segment likely to dominate the outdoor LED lighting market from 2022 to 2027

According to market estimates, The streets and roads segment is expected to account for the largest market share throughout the forecast period due to rapid urbanization and government efforts to reduce energy consumption with the adoption of LED lighting solutions. Streets and roadways are continuously illuminated; hence, there is a high requirement for energy. Therefore, switching to LED lighting is a better choice. Streets and roadways are expected to provide lucrative opportunities to LED lighting market players.

Asia Pacific followed by Middle East, and Africa region likely to witness higher growth rate from 2022 to 2027

The LED lighting market has enormous potential in the Asia Pacific region, and it is anticipated that consumers would accept these systems as an integral part of digitalized households. Increasing construction activities in Asia Pacific contribute significantly to the growth of the LED lighting market in the region.

The thriving electrical and electronics industry in Asia Pacific also supports the growth of the LED lighting market. In the last few years, LED lighting has become the dominant artificial light source and is preferred over all the conventional light sources such as incandescent bulbs, CFL and fluorescent lamps, high-pressure sodium lamps, and metal halide lamps in the region. The LED lighting market in RoW is growing slowly compared to other regions; however, emerging economies such as South Africa and the GCC countries in the Middle East are expected to contribute to the market growth in the coming years.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Introduction

2 Research Methodology

3 Executive Summary3.1 Realistic Scenario3.2 Optimistic Scenario3.3 Pessimistic Scenario

4 Premium Insights4.1 Attractive Growth Opportunities in Led Lighting Market4.2 Led Lighting Market, by Product Type4.3 Led Lighting Market, by Installation4.4 Led Lighting Market, by Lamp Type4.5 Led Lighting Market, by Sales Channel4.6 Led Lighting Market, by Application

5 Market Overview5.1 Introduction5.2 Market Dynamics5.2.1 Drivers5.2.1.1 Increasing Utilization of Smart Lighting Systems in Several Applications5.2.1.2 Surging Adoption of Led Bulbs and Luminaires to Achieve Goal of Net-Zero Emissions by 20505.2.1.3 Rising Demand for Led Lighting Systems in Residential Interior Designing and Home Decorating Applications5.2.1.4 Ongoing Release of New Innovative Led Products due to Constant Technological Advances5.2.2 Restraints5.2.2.1 High Installation Cost of Larger Projects5.2.2.2 Short-To-Medium-Term Impact on Market due to Us-China Trade Conflict and Ongoing Russia-Ukraine War5.2.3 Opportunities5.2.3.1 Government Initiatives to Reduce Energy Consumption and Cut Down Ghg Emissions from Public Electricity and Heat Production5.2.3.2 Continuous Decline in Prices of Led Chips and Other Components of Lighting Systems5.2.4 Challenges5.2.4.1 Slow Rate of Adoption of Led Technology in Developing Countries5.2.4.2 Constant Threat of Data/Security Breach in Iot-Based Lighting Systems5.3 Value Chain Analysis5.4 Led Lighting Market Ecosystem5.5 Porter's Five Forces Analysis5.6 Average Selling Price Analysis5.7 Trade Analysis5.8 Revenue Shift & New Revenue Pockets for Led Lighting Market5.9 Case Study Analysis5.9.1 Uline, Shipping Supply Company, Shifted to Led Lighting System from Conventional Lighting System5.9.2 Abb Atlanta International Airport (Atl) Went Over Complete Makeover with Led Lighting5.9.3 Commercial Led Lighting Implemented at Franklin Institute5.10 Led Lighting Market: Detailed List of Conferences and Events5.11 Patent Analysis5.11.1 Patent Registrations, 2018-20215.11.2 Led Lighting: Patent Analysis5.12 Technology Trends5.13 Government Regulations and Standards5.14 Key Regulatory Bodies, Government Agencies, and Other Organizations5.15 Key Stakeholders in Buying Process

6 Led Lighting Market, by Product Type6.1 Introduction6.2 Lamps6.2.1 A-Type6.2.1.1 A-Type Lamps are Primarily Used in Residential Buildings for Energy Saving6.2.2 T-Type6.2.2.1 T-Type Lamps are Widely Used in Commercial and Industrial Applications as They are Cheaper, More Efficient, and Long-Lasting Light Source6.2.3 Others6.3 Luminaires6.3.1 Downlighting6.3.1.1 Downlighting to Dominate Luminaires Segment due to Increasing Number of Residential, Construction, and Industrial Infrastructure Projects6.3.2 Decorative Lighting6.3.2.1 Commercial and Hospitality Applications Contribute Most to Increasing Demand for Decorative Lighting6.3.3 Directional Lighting6.3.3.1 Directional Lighting is Widely Used for Accentuating Purpose6.3.4 Others

7 Led Lighting Market, by Application7.1 Introduction7.2 Indoor7.2.1 Residential7.2.1.1 Residential Segment is Likely to Capture Majority of Market Share During Forecast Period7.2.2 Commercial7.2.2.1 Offices7.2.2.1.1 Recessed Luminaires and Downlighters are Most Commonly Used Lighting Fixtures in Offices7.2.2.2 Retail Stores7.2.2.2.1 Retail Shops and Malls are Expected to Witness Accelerated Demand for Led Lighting Systems During Post-COVID-19 Scenario7.2.2.3 Horticulture Gardens7.2.2.3.1 Led Lighting Systems are Increasingly Used as Supplemental Lighting Sources in Greenhouses and Vertical Farms7.2.2.4 Others7.2.3 Industrial7.2.3.1 Landscape Lighting Solutions, Spotlights, Led Tubes and Panels, and Floor Panels are Most Commonly Used Industrial Lighting Solutions7.2.4 Others7.3 Outdoor7.3.1 Streets and Roadways7.3.1.1 Increasing Number of Road and Street Development Projects in Developing Economies to Drive Market Growth7.3.2 Architectural Buildings7.3.2.1 Led Lighting to Witness Increased Demand from Heritage Buildings, Historical Buildings, and Contemporary Architectural Landmarks7.3.3 Sports Complexes7.3.3.1 Existing Stadiums and Sports Complexes Expected to Switch to Led Lighting in Near Future7.3.4 Tunnels7.3.4.1 Upcoming Tunnel Construction Projects Worldwide to Provide Market Opportunities to Led Lighting System Providers7.3.5 Others

8 Led Lighting Market, by Installation8.1 Introduction8.2 New8.2.1 New Led Lighting Fixtures are Likely to be Deployed in Various Upcoming Construction Projects8.3 Retrofit8.3.1 Traditional Lighting Solutions are Widely Replaced with Led Lighting Solutions Across Several Applications

9 Led Lighting Market, by Sales Channel9.1 Introduction9.2 Retail/Wholesale9.2.1 Retail/Wholesale Distribution Channels Account for Major Market Share9.3 Direct Sales9.3.1 Direct/Contract-Based Sales Channels Eliminate Third-Party Interference, Thereby Reducing Procurement Costs9.4 E-Commerce9.4.1 E-Commerce-Based Led Lighting Sales Will Increase Significantly Until 2027

10 Lumens in Led Lighting10.1 Introduction10.2 1,600 Lumens10.3 1,100 Lumens10.4 800 Lumens10.5 450 Lumens10.6 Low-Power Led10.7 High-Power Led

11 Geographic Analysis

12 Competitive Landscape12.1 Introduction12.2 Key Player Strategies/Right to Win12.2.1 Product Portfolio12.2.2 Regional Focus12.2.3 Manufacturing Footprint12.2.4 Organic/Inorganic Growth Strategies12.3 Market Share Analysis, 202112.4 Revenue Analysis of Top Players in Led Lighting Market12.5 Company Evaluation Quadrant12.5.1 Star12.5.2 Pervasive12.5.3 Emerging Leader12.5.4 Participant12.6 Competitive Benchmarking12.7 Startup/Sme Evaluation Quadrant12.7.1 Progressive Company12.7.2 Responsive Company12.7.3 Dynamic Company12.7.4 Starting Block12.8 Company Footprint12.9 Competitive Situation and Trends12.9.1 Product Launches & Developments12.9.2 Deals12.9.3 Others

13 Company Profiles13.1 Key Players13.1.1 Signify N.V.13.1.2 Acuity Brands13.1.3 Cree Lighting (Part of Ideal Industries, Inc.)13.1.4 Osram Licht AG (Ams Osram)13.1.5 Lg Electronics13.1.6 Dialight plc13.1.7 Panasonic Corporation13.1.8 Hubbell Lighting, Inc. (Part of GE Current)13.1.9 Zumtobel Group13.1.10 Savant Systems, Inc.13.2 Other Companies13.2.1 Honyar13.2.2 Samsung13.2.3 Sharp Corporation13.2.4 Siteco GmbH (Ge)13.2.5 Havells India Limited13.2.6 Trilux GmbH& Co. Kg13.2.7 Fagerhults Belysning Ab13.2.8 Syska Led Lights Private Limited13.2.9 Go Green Led13.2.10 Forest Lighting13.2.11 Lighting Science Group Corporation13.2.12 Wipro Lighting (Parent Company Wipro Limited)13.2.13 Opple Lighting Co. Limited13.2.14 Nvc Lighting Technology Corporation13.2.15 Soraa

14 Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/vndqvy

More here:
The Worldwide LED Lighting Industry is Projected to Reach $124.7 Billion by 2027 - Benzinga - Benzinga

How to create an outdoor entertainment space to enjoy year round

There's nothing quite like a good backyard barbecue to send off a good year. Getting the whole family together for a good backyard grill-up is really what the summer holidays are all about.

If it's your first time playing the host, however, it can be tricky knowing just what you'll need to make sure your summer barbecue goes off with a bang. Sourcing a selection of fancy snags and sauces is really just the tip of the iceberg here.

Here are a few other things worth keeping in mind when planning your first backyard summer barbecue.

Keeping your grill well-stocked and well-organised

Whether you're having a small get-together with a few intimate friends, or a larger welcome event filled with housewarming gifts and great music, having good food is a must.

So, no matter how big or small your party is going to be, your grill station should always be kept well-organised to ensure that no food items go overcooked and burnt and that there will be plenty of active cooking space available to cater to larger groups of people.

To impress your friends by grilling like a pro, make certain that you're cooking with 4 burner gas bbqs, this will ensure that you're serving up the juiciest meat, and thanks to more cooking space, you'll be doing it in record time.

Cooked foods are best kept warm by the grill rack, out of the way of uncooked meats to minimise risks of contamination.

Be sure to also keep an eye on the number of foods on your grill rack too! If you put too many extra patties and snags on the grill before any pre-cooked ones have had a chance to be eaten, you'll find yourself with an influx of food that may end in some food waste.

It's all about maintaining a good balance between cooking and cooked food, as well as keeping track of how many more of your guests may want extra servings.

Establish a dedicated drinks station

Having a dedicated drinks area should be considered a top priority, especially in the height of summer.

You'll want to ensure you have a good selection of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages as well as plenty of ice to keep your drinks nice and cool under the hot sun.

Seating is also just as important for keeping your guests comfortable, so it's well worth investing in a few bar stools for your outdoor bar set-up.

Having an array of seating options will also naturally keep your outdoor entertainment space feeling nice and varied, ensuring that your guests feel comfortable interacting with one another in a selection of different spaces.

Vegetarian options and toppings galore

Of course, organising your grill can become more complicated when catering to groups with food allergies.

What you may find surprising, however, is that taking the extra time to ensure that you have meal options for gluten-free or low-FODMAP individuals, as well as vegans or vegetarians will likely elevate the overall quality of your summer barbecue. How does this work?

A widespread of foods means that everybody has more options to choose from, ensuring that your barbecue transforms into a culinary experience in its own right.

If you're concerned about contamination between veggie patties and cooking meats, you may opt to smoke your meat in a smoker instead, or even decide to invest in a secondary grill top specifically for vegetarian and vegan options.

This same grill top could also easily be used for grilling up some onions, pineapple, and beetroot that meat-eaters can use in their meal too!

Pasta salads can also be a great option for vegetarians and low-FODMAP individuals, but can also provide guests without dietary restrictions with a wealth of other foods to choose from.

If there are any foods that are specifically for those with dietary restrictions, they can easily be accompanied by little notes, or they can be placed on their own table too.

There is a selection of ways that you can keep your barbecue inclusive! It's all about finding the methods that work for you and your outdoor barbecue space.

Outdoor lighting and insect control for evening grills

Summer evenings are best spent outdoors, enjoying the gentle breeze of the season, and listening to the chirping of crickets in the distance.

There are, of course, some caveats that come with alfresco summertime dining, namely the presence of mosquitos, flies, and other insects that may be less welcome than the crickets in the distance.

These backyard nuisances are best dealt with by investing in some mosquito coils and solar-powered bug zappers.

Pest control lights are infinitely preferable to bug sprays, especially around foods, making bug zappers an essential element of your overall outdoor dining space.

Alongside bug zappers, some ambient tea lights and gentle fairy lights may also prove to be valuable assets to your barbecue area and will inspire your guests to stick around and stay celebrating well into the evening.

Having some ambient lights will naturally also help you and your guests capture your evening on camera too. Gold fairy lights provide flattering lighting for taking candid snapshots.

Complete the day with a little backyard cricket

Last but not least, it wouldn't be an Aussie summer barbecue without a game of backyard cricket. Having a few stumps on one end of the yard is really all you need to get the games going.

Even families without yards can still use their driveways to do a little wicket hitting. Just be sure that young children are kept supervised and understand the importance of road safety when collecting stray cricket balls.

Aussie backyard barbecues are a staple of all our summer holidays, past, present, and future. Even if our spreads have somewhat changed from being explorations into the world of pork and beef to including prawns, pineapple, pea protein patties, and corn on the cob, these outdoor shindigs are still undoubtedly an opportunity for families to come together and celebrate good food, good company, and great weather.

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How to create an outdoor entertainment space to enjoy year round - The Canberra Times

Home House & Components Parts of House Siding

Get professional-looking, watertight results with these residing techniques.

Don't be intimated by vinyl siding. We'll show you how to install it and make repairs. You can save a lot of money by handling a vinyl siding project yourself. And you'll still get professional looking results. In this article, we'll show you everything you need to know to remove and install vinyl siding so it's watertight and looks great.

By the DIY experts of The Family Handyman Magazine

You might also like: TBD

Youll need specialty tools, like this zip tool, to work with installing vinyl siding.

Dont let the fact that you have vinyl siding installation deter you from that repair or remodeling project. If you want to shift a window, replace a door or even put on an addition, you can remove, alter and reinstall vinyl siding much more easily than any other type of siding. In this article, were going to demonstrate how to rework the siding around a new set of windows.

Well show you how to remove it, and learn tips for installing vinyl siding new parts. Well also show you how to cut vinyl siding, fit it and nail it back up. Most important, well show you how to make the installation watertight.

While well cover the basics, we wont cover every detail you might run into with your own project. Most manufacturers offer complete instructions; ask for them wherever vinyl siding is sold.

Working with vinyl doesnt require special skills, but you do have to understand the system. The only special tool youll need for reworking areas is an unlocking tool, often called a zip tool. (Youll need a snap-lock punch if you intend to cover new areas.) Youll probably need new vinyl siding trim pieces. We bought two types-J-channel to go around the new, larger windows (Photo 9), and undersill trim (see When to Install Undersill Trim.). You may also need additional siding.

Vinyl siding installation is designed to hang loosely on the sheathing so that it can expand and contract with temperature changes. To prevent the relatively thin panels from buckling, observe these fitting and nailing rules.

Youll need a zip tool to remove siding.

Slide the zip tool under the butt edge of the siding, hook the locking edge and pull down. Then slide the tool horizontally along the lock to release it. Lift the unlocked siding to expose the nailing hem of the siding piece below. Draw a line on the wall along the top of each siding course before you pull the nails.

The zip tool slides under the siding to unlock it

Drive a flat bar between the nailheads and siding and carefully pull the nails. Then slide the piece down to unlock and remove it. Number each piece and set it aside. Remove siding until you expose enough wall to replace the window.

The beauty of vinyl is that you can remove a piece anywhere on the wall. Locate the piece you want to remove and unlock the one above it with the zip tool (Photo 1 inset). It might be tricky hooking the zip tool onto the locking edge if your siding is tight. Try starting at an end or look for a loose spot. Sometimes you can unzip it just with your fingers. If youre having difficulty with a particular lock, try moving up a course. New vinyl siding is quite flexible, especially in warm weather, but older siding becomes more brittle with age, so work carefully.

It should be easy to slide a flat bar behind the nailheads since theyre not driven tight (Photo 2). Dont slide the flat bar behind the siding itself. Youll risk breaking it. You may have to bow each length of vinyl to release its ends from the trim moldings, and you may have to slide short pieces up or down past the window to release them from the J-channel.

Level and tack the new window in place then cut a piece of aluminum flashing to width so it extends from the new window to overlap the nailing hem of the siding below. Slide the top edge under the window fin, then nail off the fin with roofing nails.

Slide 5-in. wide vinyl siding flashing under the windows nailing fin. Make sure it laps over the bottom flashing at least 2 in. and extends 2 in. above the windows top. Nail off the window.

Slit the building paper about 2 in. above the window and slide 5-in. wide flashing behind it. Lap it over the side flashing and window nailing fin. Drive roofing nails at each corner to secure it.

Building paper is an important part of the walls waterproofing. Its a barrier to any water that may work its way behind the siding, so be sure upper pieces lap over lower ones. Tape any tears or holes with housewrap tape (available at home centers).

Flashing is critical for a watertight window or door. Aluminum works best with vinyl. Buy a 10-in.wide roll of aluminum (at home centers), and cut it into 5-in.wide strips for the top and sides of the window. The width of the bottom flashing will vary. It must go under the window nailing fin and lap over the nailing hem of the vinyl siding (Photo 3). This will direct water to the front of the siding.

When youre done flashing the window, stand back and imagine water running down the wall. Start above the window and visually check that all building papers and flashing lap over the piece below it so water cant run behind.

Cut a section of new J-channel 2 in. longer than the width of the window. Mark out a notch 1 in. in from each end and deeply score the inner cutting line with a utility knife.

Make the last two cuts with snips. Bend the tab back and forth to snap it off (see Photo 8).

Position the J-channel under the window. Cut and position an undersill trim if necessary (see When to Use Undersill Trim.). Drive roofing nails every 8 to 10 in. through the middle of the slots. Dont drive them tight. The vinyl siding trim pieces should slide back and forth slightly.

Cut the side J-channel 2 in. longer than the height of the window. Make the miter cut on the bottom with shears. Cut a 1-in. notch on the top end as you did on the bottom J-channel. Lap the side over the bottom as shown. Drive roofing nails every 8 to 10 in. to secure it.

Cut 45-degree miters in the side J-channel

Cut the top J-channel 2 in. longer than the window width. Cut and bend the profile shown (see detail) on both ends. Lap it over the sides as shown and nail it into place.

Cut and notch J-channel to fit over the top of the window.

You have to wrap the window with vinyl J-channel to divert water and to cover the ends of the siding (Photo 9).Youll probably have to buy new strips for this. Start with the bottom piece and work up to the top (Photos 6 10). Make sure the pieces overlap to keep out water.

Mitered corners give a clean and finished appearance. Be extra careful to fit the top channel correctly over the side pieces (Photo 10) because a lot of water can run over these joints.

Because the siding is beveled, the cut edge under a window may end up about 1/2 in. out from the wall. If it falls 1/4 in. or less away, add the undersill trim to lock it in place (shown). If it falls more than 1/4 in. away, skip the undersill trim and simply rely on the J-channel.

If youre working over foam sheathing, place a piece of plywood between the foam and flat bar to avoid crushing the foam.

Position the siding to be notched below the window. Mark it on each side of the window, allowing an extra 1/4-in. gap on each side for expansion. Measure from the locking tab of the siding below to the undersill trim to determine the depth of the notch.

Cut through the nailing hem with shears, then score deeply along the rip line with a utility knife. Bend back the piece to snap off the notch.

Position the notched piece under the window, sliding it into the undersill trim and pushing the butt edge against the locking tab in the lower siding course to snap it in place. Make sure the top edge is on the layout line, then drive roofing nails at each stud.

Drive nails so that the exposed shank equals the thickness of two layers of siding (1/16 in. to 1/8 in.). Dont drive nails all the way in.

Measure and notch the top piece over the window. If necessary, put a butt joint above the window to make it easier to install these final pieces. Lock the piece to the one below it, then nail it into place.

Finally, pull the last loose piece down and over the lock with the zip tool. Using your hand, push or pound the piece to lock it back into place. Work the piece into the lock down its length.

Maneuvering long pieces of vinyl into place can be tricky. Push one end of longer pieces into the trim, then bow the siding slightly and guide the other end into the trim.

Then slide it up and snap the butt into the locking edge of the piece below. Feed the shorter pieces alongside the window into the channel at the top of the window, and slide them down into position. Installing the piece above the window (Photo 15) was especially tricky because it was also the last piece (it would have been easier to remove one more course above).

We had to cut the piece and put a joint directly above the window. Then we cut a long length of extra siding to complete the row. Be sure to overlap butt joints 1 in. This method wouldnt work if you had to splice in new vinyl, because the colors wouldnt match.

Remove a piece of siding and identify it. Take it to a siding retailer or distributor. Theyll identify the brand and style and should be able to direct you to the right source. Unfortunately, vinyl siding fades with age, so an exact color match may be impossible.

Be sure to save and reuse all the siding you remove. Thevinyl siding trim pieces arent as critical. If you have to add new siding, position it in an obscure spot, like the base of a wall or behind the garage. In fact, you may want to re-side an entire wall with new vinyl.

Have the necessary tools for this DIY project lined up before you startyoull save time and frustration.

Avoid last-minute shopping trips by having all your materials ready ahead of time. Heres a list.

Originally Published: May 06, 2019

Read more from the original source:
How to Install Vinyl Siding (DIY) | Family Handyman

Hours before I began to write this column, I was backing my car into a parking spot at church. Just ahead of me was an older garage on the church campus that was being remodeled. New vinyl siding is being installed, and my guess is all of the trim is going to be wrapped in pre-painted aluminum coil stock.

New trim boards had been installed around the garage door because the remodeler had enlarged the opening. I was aghast to see he had placed the bare cedar trim boards in direct contact with the asphalt paving and the soil at the building corner. In his defense, this garage had been built too low to the ground decades ago.

I think the original builder has just poured a concrete slab just an inch above the ground around the garage. Such a sad mistake (as Queen Cersei says to Lord Stark in "A Game of Thrones").

Get more from the Citrus County Chronicle

My sweet wife had walked ahead to get out of the blazing sun as I stopped and took photographs and looked closely at what was going on. As I turned and walked across the macadam driveway, my tiny gray cells started to fire off, asking all sorts of rhetorical questions:

My mind then drifted to how lucky I was to grow up in Cincinnati, surrounded by older homes built by builders and carpenters who treated their trade as a vocation, not a job. They passed down to apprentices decades of building experience and what they knew about how to prevent wood rot.

One building technique you'll often see in older homes, and I'm referring to ones built it the late 1800s and early 1900s, is the top of the foundation was often two or more feet above the ground. This kept the wood siding well out of the splash zone of falling rain.

This technique also saved money on excavation, as the basement holes didn't have to be as deep. Tall foundations like this also had room for operating windows to be incorporated into the foundation, allowing ventilation and light into the basement spaces.

By the time I was at the church door, I was relating all of this to the current building code. I then thought about the great writing of J.R.R. Tolkien in his "Lord of the Rings" book series. He wrote, "And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years, the ring passed out of all knowledge."

So much accumulated building knowledge is taking the path of the ring. The current building code allows wood siding to be extremely close to the grade around homes. I constantly do phone consultations with people that have water streaming into their homes because the top of the foundation is far too close to the ground. When this happens, it can be hard to achieve great sloping positive drainage away from a foundation.

I thought about some landscapers and clueless homeowners who pile mulch up in planting beds, creating dams that allow water to leak into homes.

I pondered why grade schools and high schools don't teach home improvement and the basic science of what is going on inside and outside your home. Can you imagine the magic of doing a year-long experiment in grade school where children just take untreated pieces of lumber and lay them on the ground for months? In the spring they examine them and note how they've started to rot.

If you feel the same way I do about all of this, it's time for you to get active. Once a month you need to attend your school board meetings and speak about this void in the curriculum. Give real-life examples of why boys and girls all need to be taught how things work in and around homes. This knowledge is invaluable.

It's unacceptable that all of this cumulative knowledge might shift from history, to legend, to myth. This is why every word I've ever written is stored on my AsktheBuilder.com website. It's there for you and for all those unborn in the future so what I know does not pass out of all knowledge.

Subscribe to Tim's free newsletter at AsktheBuilder.com. Tim now does livestreaming video at 4 p.m. Monday thru Friday at youtube.com/askthebuilder.

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Ask the Builder: Lost building secrets that prevent wood rot - Citrus County Chronicle

In a sobering trend for homeowners, natural disasters are getting costlier, stronger and more frequent. Eight of the nine costliest wildfires on record have blazed since 2017, the Insurance Information Institute says. In Hurricane Alley, five of the six most devastating hurricanes to hit the U.S. have made landfall in the past decade. And three of the six nastiest tornado outbreaks on record have occurred since 2019.

Why is the toll from wildfires, storms and other catastrophes rising? Disaster experts point to a combination of changing weather patterns warmer waters in the tropics mean more intense storms, while drier conditions in fire country feed wildfires and to development patterns that bring more people than ever to live in disaster-prone areas.

In California and other parts of the West, soaring home values have pushed more people to seek out affordability by living in fire country. Historically, these areas were prone to burn, but more people are living there, says Robert Hartwig, director of the Center for Risk and Uncertainty Management at the University of South Carolina.

The trend is similar in hurricane-prone areas. Florida and other coastal states have seen continued population growth for decades. That simply means more people in harms way, Hartwig says.

Indeed, more than a quarter of Americans live in three states California, Texas and Florida that are nearly synonymous with natural-disaster risk. Here are some of the most catastrophic events that can strike a home, plus strategies for protecting your property.

Unfortunately, devastating wildfires have grown common in recent years. The worst was Northern Californias Camp Fire in 2018. That inferno killed 85 people, destroyed 14,000 homes and caused insured losses estimated at more than $10 billion.The map of fire-prone areas overlaps with many of the nations hottest housing markets: California, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho and Nevada all have experienced sharp increases in home prices in recent years. The housing affordability squeeze has boosted demand for properties in new suburbs and exurbs. Increasingly, those developments are in fire-prone canyons.

California officials have responded to the risk of fires by making building codes stricter. The new rules require such features as double-paned or multi-paned windows with tempered glass, metal screens over vents and fire-rated roofs. During the Camp Fire, 51 percent of houses built to the tougher standards remained standing. Only 18 percent of homes not built to the new fire code survived, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

Homeowners in fire country should be sure to have ample space between their homes and clear any vegetation in their yards, Hartwig says. That sort of maintenance makes it harder for a wildfire to reach the house. Meanwhile, insurers have begun to avoid wood-shingle homes, and new houses are being built with more metal and less wood.

For older homes not built with fire safety in mind, the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes offers this list of upgrades:

Tornadoes are especially terrifying for homeowners because they can materialize so suddenly, and destroy so thoroughly, packing winds in excess of 100 or even 200 miles per hour. The most powerful storms can have gusts as high as 318 mph, according to the Fujita Scale, which measures the intensity of tornadoes on a scale of EF0 to EF5.

In 2021, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recorded 1,376 tornadoes in the United States that claimed 103 lives, up from 1,082 storms and 76 deaths in 2020.

Tornadoes can happen just about anywhere, and almost without notice wide swaths of the Midwest, Southeast and Mountain West have been hit by damaging twisters. Insured losses from tornadoes in the U.S. average about $17 billion each year, nearly equal to the losses incurred by hurricanes, the Insurance Information Institute reports.

Its practically impossible to build a home that can withstand an EF-4 or EF-5 tornado, Hartwig says. Youre talking about winds approaching 200 mph and a tremendous amount of flying debris. Its more about protecting your life and your family at that point.

The risk that any given house will be leveled is low enough that homeowners in Tornado Alley typically dont harden their homes with impact-resistant windows and roof tie-downs. But one thing you can do to protect yourself is build a safe room in the house. These structures are bunkers built of concrete or steel and located away from windows and exterior walls. The Federal Alliance for Safe Homes estimates the cost at $3,000 to $9,500.

Unlike tornadoes, hurricanes give homeowners plenty of advance warning. Property owners in coastal areas of Florida, Texas, Louisiana and the Carolinas know theyre at risk, and the storms themselves typically form days before hitting land.

Property insurers, building officials and homeowners were put on alert three decades ago when Hurricane Andrew struck near Miami. Andrews $16 billion in damage ($30.8 billion in 2021 dollars) made it the costliest storm ever to hit the U.S. Andrew ushered in a new era of costly storms six major hurricanes since 1992 have eclipsed its toll, according to the Insurance Information Institute, most notably the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.In the days and weeks after Andrew, photos of wrecked, shoddily built suburban homes spurred local and state officials to harden building codes. These days, new homes in Florida are built with a variety of hurricane-resistant features the shells are concrete block rather than wood, windows are either impact-resistant or protected by storm shutters, garage doors are heavily reinforced, roof lines are designed to be aerodynamic.

Over the past 30 years, Florida has made enormous strides, Hartwig says. More recent homes built to more stringent standards do indeed withstand hurricane winds better than older homes.

Meanwhile, soaring premiums for windstorm insurance in Florida all but force owners of older homes to make upgrades. Homeowners can earn discounts on their windstorm policies by installing shutters or hurricane-rated windows, by adding roof tie-downs and by upgrading to garage doors and sliding-glass doors that meet the high standards of Floridas building code.

The U.S. has been spared a major earthquake since 1994, when the Northridge Earthquake caused $44 billion in property damage in Southern California. But severe earthquakes have continued to devastate other parts of the world, serving as a reminder that this risk remains very real.

The Federal Alliance for Safe Homes and the Insurance Information Institute suggest these improvements to homes near fault lines:

Flooding is tricky: If your house is in a flood zone, theres not much you can do to harden it. In many beach communities, homes are built on stilts to raise the living areas out of harms way in case of storm surges.

But there is something homeowners should do: buy flood insurance. Private insurers long ago stopped insuring against rising waters, outsourcing that responsibility to the federal government. The National Flood Insurance Program is the only provider of flood policies.

Yet many homeowners are unaware of this reality, realizing only after a flood that they arent insured. The biggest mistake people make is not purchasing a flood policy, Hartwig says.

If your property is in a high-risk flood zone and you have a mortgage, the lender will compel you to buy coverage. If youre in a lower-risk area, flood insurance is optional, but definitely worth considering.

Thunderstorms might sound like small potatoes compared to the disasters listed above. But lightning strikes are no joke. Homeowners insurers paid out $1.3 billion for lightning damage in 2021, per the Insurance Information Institute.

The costliest damage comes from fires caused by lighting. However, homeowners can also suffer losses from power surges caused by lightning. New homes are equipped with a type of surge protection known as a ground fault circuit interruptor, or GFCI. If your house has an older electrical system, its worth hiring an electrician to add one.

It can be installed relatively inexpensively, Hartwig says. You should have a surge protector to protect your electronics. Thats become even more important as more people are working from home, and have even more electronics.

Natural disasters like wildfires, hurricanes, and earthquakes can be devastating for homeowners, and climate change is making them ever more destructive. But there are ways to protect yourself, and your real estate investment including specific insurance policies and home upgrades that make a home better able to weather the storm.

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Homes that can withstand hurricanes, wildfires and other natural disasters - Bankrate.com

American Framing, an exhibition now on view until July 30 at Wrightwood 659 in Chicago, is on a missiontwo, to be preciseit concisely tells the history of softwood construction in the United States and through its original installation triggers our imagination for how this ubiquitous building system that rarely deviates from reliable building industry standards could be diversified and reinvented by architects and homeowners. In late June, while visiting the city, I had a chance to attend this beautifully assembled provocative show.

Right upon entering this Tadao Ando-designed private gallery in Lincoln Park, which since 2018 consistently has been staging the most photogenic exhibitions focused on architecture and socially engaged art, visitors are greeted by a full-scale exposed wood-frame structure made up of standard studs and beams. The frame, a trapezoid in its plan, takes much of the perimeter of the gallerys soaring three-story atrium formed between a gorgeous amber-colour brick window wall on one side and an object-like exposed concrete stair on the other. The frame is topped by an inverted gable roof that either did not fit in its traditionally upright position under the buildings own roof or intentionally was turned upside down to try something extraordinarily novel.

What looks like an unfinished single-room house can be entered through a wide portal. A few pairs of Shaker-inspired chairs designed by Chicago-based design collective Norman Kelley and made from2 x 4 (5 cm x 10 cm) wood studs with varying degrees of finish and assembly are congregated in corners and provide a welcoming repose for visitors and a chance to calmly inspect the frame from within. Lit from every direction, it appears to be airy and graceful, even though it is unpretentiously rough in how its parts are nailed together. Look up and you may think you are looking down on what could be a typical American house right before being covered by amundane asphalt shingles roof. And when you look down at it from the top of the stair it may seem as if you are looking up to the ceiling from the inside. This ambiguous playfulness encourages us to think not merely about what meets the eye but what a typical house potentially could be if we were not as conservative when it comes to building a family house.

The exhibition continues on the third floor, adjacent to the top of the stair, and is sandwiched between other simultaneously held exhibitions on the floors directly below and above. The third-floor gallery features several structural scale models of historical wood-framed buildingsa round barn, a church, a suburban house, and a tiny doghouseall reproduced by students at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Architecture (UIC), benches designed by local architect Ania Jaworska, and a series of photographs by visual artist Daniel Shea and photographer Chris Strong. These process-depicting photos illustrate various wooded scenes in North America; they document the techniques, contexts, and labour that typically goes into fabricating the wood framing.

This open-plan gallery, distinguished by an elegant stair in the back that leads to the top floor, is now enclosed and framed by a straight open-stud wall that brings here the aesthetics from the structure in the atrium. The see-through wall contextualises the material on display and, in a way, brings closer the refined gallery space and the construction industry matters that are questioned here. Some images are attached directly to the studs. Being visible from both sides they are turned into curious artifacts. Many other photographs that hang on white walls are uniquely framed and can also be viewed as three-dimensional objects; one has a corner that splits open, another has a corner missing, and yet another one has its bottom edge peeling down. These provocatively artistic frames send a messageexpect the unexpected and although all building components in the show are standard, they can be put together in a myriad of distinctive and artistic ways.

A few annotations throughout the gallery provide a bare minimum of factual information about the wood-frame construction that originated in the early 19th century and is still widely used today. In fact, this method of wood-house building technique represents more than 90 per cent of all single-family house construction in the United States. An abundance of southern pine and Douglas fir forests and simplicity and speed of construction make it possible to assemble wood framing easily, quickly, and economically, particularly because its construction relies on unskilled labour and the most readily available building components in the country2 x 4 (5 cm x 10 cm) and 2 x 6 (5 cm x 15 cm) wooden studs.

Yet, however, ingenious, egalitarian, and so emblematic of one-to-three-story America, this building technique is quite banal as it typically falls into a very limited and predictable range of formal expressions and is entirely covered by tiresome vinyl siding that comes in a selection of colours thats just as dull. By removing all these layers of finishes, the shows curatorsarchitects Paul Andersen and Paul Preissnerfocus our attention on the hidden beauty and the potential of this overlooked but very flexible and potentially handsome building system, if only more creativity was applied. It is necessary to mention that both curators head their own practicesAndersen in Denver and Preissner in Chicagoand they teach at the already mentioned UIC, which cooperated with Wrightwood 659 on putting together this show.

The exhibition in Chicago was originally made possible by The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the US Department of State, and the University of Illinois Chicago for presentation at the US Pavilion at the last years 17th Venice Architecture Biennalewhere it was curated and designed by the same team. Having visited that exhibition as well I would add that it was among my favourite national pavilion presentations, both for its bold visual impact and the ambitious goal of the curators to revitalise Americas huge home-building industry. The wood frame there transformed the building by obscuring it entirely from its familiar neoclassical faade and the exhibition itself declared its intention to transform the most common building practice in the curators home country. This was the premise for both shows. In Venice, however, the result was more refined, both in its striking design and execution. The curators installation was built as a building addition that could be climbed extensively, reaching different levels and enabling visitors to see the original pavilion and territory around it in entirely new ways.

In contrast, the Chicago iteration is about the object itself and interacting with it purely visually. Still, it succeeds in making quite an impression due to the gallerys own layered design. It is a building within a buildinga newly constructed interior placed within the shell of a historical building. This means that the new frame is inserted within two other buildings; all three are wonderfully intertwined. Both in Venice and Chicago, the temporary interventions radically transformed their mother buildingsin Venice from the outside and in Chicago from within. It may be suggested that the curators used these two historical buildings as metaphors, meaning that what they really intended to challenge was the wood-frame building industry itself. And they have done it from two different endsby transforming these buildings and by exposing the structures that they used in the process.

However, what remains unexplored in both exhibitions is the analysis of relevant precedents of engaging with standard wood frames by architects. We are not presented with any such interventions other than by the curators themselves. Yet, it is an array of examples from different times and regions that could provide a meaningful cross-section for potential directions in terms of challenging the expected geometry of forms, the solidity of walls and roofs, or, for example, mixing wood with other materials. It is by comparing and contrasting these unorthodox case studies, either subtle or cutting-edge, that the building industry can be truly reinvented. That challenge is the curators homework for all practicing architects, which is to work creatively around all standards, whatever they may be.

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'American Framing' challenges the wood-frame construction traditions by exposing it - STIRworld