Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

The beginning of astronomical winter arrived more than a month ago, but it took until this week for the real, prolonged, bitter cold to put a freeze on Hampton Roads.

With highs near freezing, wind chill below freezing and two inches of snow this week, its a safe bet many folks were putting on layers, turning up the thermostats, stoking the fires, and maybe even pulling out the space heaters. People with fewer resources may also have turned to less conventional, and more dangerous, methods of heating their living space.

Unfortunately, home heating is the second leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries (after unattended cooking), and the third leading cause of home fire deaths. Fire departments respond to nearly 50,000 fires every year across the United States involving heating equipment.

The National Fire Prevention Association has this list of safety tips to help avoid fires caused by heating equipment:

Read more from the original source:
Stay safe in cold weather - The Suffolk News-Herald - Suffolk News-Herald

(WWLP)- The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services is reminding residents of ways to safely keep their homes warm this winter and how to prevent house fires.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services, heating has caused 6,692 fires over the past five years and is the number two cause of home fires in Massachusetts.

Residents are encouraged to use their home heating system and space heating appliances wisely and responsibly. The following tips were provided by the Department of Fire Services:

The ABCs of fire safety

Be careful when using fireplaces and solid fuel stoves

If you heat your home by burning solid fuels (coal, firewood, pellets), be careful before, during, and after using these kinds of fuels.

Space heaters need space

Fires caused by space heaters are rare but often deadly. If you must use a space heater, doso safely.

Maintain Natural Gas Equipment

Natural gas is a safe and efficient way to cook and heat our homes and hot water.

Gas leaks can be dangerous if you smell something like rotten eggs or you think there might be a leak:

Maintain Oil Heating Equipment

Home heating with fuel oil is also safe and efficient.

Carbon Monoxide: The silent killer

Heating equipment is the leading source of carbon monoxide in the home.

Continue reading here:
Tips on how to keep warm and keep safe during cold weather - WWLP.com

First off, calm down. That price you see for the Aquasana Whole House 10-Year Water Conditioning System is all that youll pay for equipment, filter media, or installation hardwarefor ten years. Thats right: no changing out media and nothing to replacefor ten years (you may have to spring for pipe and fittings for your existing system).

Now, do you understand? Good, because this water conditioner is awesome and theres more to tell you.

The Aquasana filtration system pumps out healthy, clean water from everywhere in your house. 97% of the chlorine from regular tap water is removed along with all sorts of other toxic substances such as pesticides, rust, silt, metals (!), solvents, and more. Plus, the system doesnt use any chemicals or salt to make it all work.

The system is designed to hook right into your existing water supply system in one go. Say goodbye to scale, sediment, and more coming out of your taps and spigots. This water conditioner features a sediment pre-filter, a salt-free water conditioner, activated carbon filter, and a post filter to make sure all the water in your house looks clear and tastes great.

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11 Best Water Conditioners for Your Home (2021) - Heavy.com

The bitter colds months are here and southern tier and northern Pennsylvania homes are turning up the heat.

The Firemens Association of the State of New York reminds you that heating homes is the second leading cause of homes fires, injuries and death.

Many New Yorkers and Pennsylvanians are working from their homes and keeping the heat turned up, and putting more work on our furnaces and heat sources.

According to a FASNY news release December, January, and February are the months for fires caused by heating sources in our homes.

Make sure you are following all safety precautions during these times.

Smaller units like space heaters and plug-in electric heaters can increase the risk of fire in your home, and are responsible for 25,000 house fires, and thousands of burn injuries, if they are not properly used.

Always make sure your heating equipment is maintained and working properly, and make sure you have sufficient smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home, and check the batteries.

In the news release FASNY President John P Farrell says We recommend everyone place carbon monoxide alarms outside of sleeping areas in the home, especially as it gets colder and snow may block exhaust pipes in homes. We want all New Yorkers to be fire-safe this winter and remember if there is a fire: get out, stay out, and call 911

Here are a few tips from the Firemens Association of the State of New York.

Be Safe this winter, for more information CLICK HERE

See the article here:
Heating Homes Leading Cause of Fire in Winter - wnbf.com

You can find flooring perfect for any home or lifestyle

by: Hanna Erdmann

WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) New flooring can be a major project to begin looking into, but since we are still staying home more often, why not give your home some needed TLC?

At Satolli Carpet and Floor Covering, you can find flooring perfect for any home or lifestyle. The carpet and hard floor coverings are built to last and take on lifes daily messes.

So whether you have kids, dogs or a messy handyman in your home, your flooring can handle it.

Most of the carpet I sell is 100% stain-proof. You can dump bleach on it and it doesnt change the color of the fiber, said owner Eric Thompson.

To keep those floors looking its best, there are a few things you can do.

For carpet, we recommend that it is professionally steam cleaned at least once each year, more often if necessary. We also sell spot remover and those kind of products that can help clean with daily maintenance for both carpet and hard surfaces as well, said Thompson.

With thousands of options of colors and styles, Satollis works with clients, asking them questions to find exactly the product that not only is the best fit, but also affordable for each customer.

Customers can come into the store then take samples home to see them in their homes lighting with their furniture and wall colors.

Then, someone will come out to your home and take care of measurements and estimates at no additional cost.

To save even more money, customers can come in and look at a variety of remnant carpet.

We have an entire warehouse thats full of nothing but rolls of carpet and remnants. So, if you have four bedrooms that you want to all do in the same color, we have that. If you have just the steps and hall that you want to do in the same color, we have that. So, everythings here and most of those remnants, some of them are 75% off. So, they are really a great value, said Thompson.

Customers have left very positive reviews of the installation on theirsocial media pagesand on their website.

This is the perfect time of year to get remodeling done in the home to start the year fresh.

Satolli Carpet and Floor Covering is located at 361 High Street NE in Warren. You can also give them a call at (330) 394-7573 or visit the Satolli Carpet and Floor Covering website.

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New year, new flooring with the help of Satolli Carpet and Floor Covering - WKBN.com

Village of New Paltz trustees may be looking at reining in the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. Using much more pollution than two-stroke engines, leaf blowers used for an hour belch out the hydrocarbons from driving a gasoline-powered car for 1,100 miles, according to a 2015 EPA-funded study. Using the tool also creates sounds loud enough to damage human hearing after as little as two hours, according to a CDC report from 2017.

Trustee Alexandra Wojcik advised at the January 27 village board meeting that this was a topic of interest among Environmental Policy Board (EPB) members. Wojcik said that EPB members, who were initially concerned with the noise impacts, were curious if trustees would like to be educated on the subject. Wojcik also took some time to research regulations that have been put in place to regulate leaf blowers in other municipalities, pronouncing some of them as needlessly complicated because theyre based on times of day or year.

A brief discussion showed that consequences of any kind of ban could include making it more difficult for people who are older or have physical limitations to get leaves out of the way, but deputy mayor KT Tobin noted that encouraging people not to remove them at all is another option. Fallen leaves disrupt the lawn aesthetic, which was popularized when Louis XIV installed a green carpet at Versailles.

Mayor Tim Rogers suggested that rather than addressing the problems of leaf blowers locally, trustees might ask the governor to consider regulating them at the state level as part of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Its not clear how likely or quickly an appeal to state leaders would have any impact.

Switching to electric blowers could reduce the noise and hydrocarbon pollution, but it would not eliminate all problems. According to an article published on the Sierra Club website in 2017, As leaf blowers generate wind speeds of around 180 miles per hour, they propel into the air potentially hazardous substances such as dirt, mold, pollen, animal feces and pesticides. Exposure to these dust clouds, which take hours to settle, damages peoples respiratory systems and may cause irritation, allergies and disease. While a 2011 Consumer Reports comparison found that it takes twice as long to rake, it also burns twice the calories and comes with none of the noise or emissions problems. For those who hire others to do the work, it may be possible to negotiate a lower rate for a neighborhood kid with a rake than to secure the services of a landscaping crew that has to pay for all that gasoline. Another alternative, according to a writer for the National Wildlife Federation, is to leave the leaves where they fall, as they support wildlife thats imperiled by human existence, while improving soil health as nature intended.

Trustees agreed to get a report on this issue directly from EPB members.

See the article here:
New Paltz considers regulations for the use of gas-powered leaf blowers - Hudson Valley One

Bob and Caryl Hilke celebrate adding outdoor dining to Pastimes Pub & Grille.

In October, the Ripon and Green Lake area lost more than just a business owner when Pastimes Pub & Grille owner Bob Hilke passed away at the age of 68.

It lost a husband, a father, a grandfather, a son and a friend.

For many, Green Lake Area Tavern League President and Tall Pauls owner Paul Salzwedel said Hilkes death was like losing a part of your family.

Hes greatly missed, Salzwedel said.

Hilke worked at Oshkosh Corp. for 28 years, and married his wife and Pastimes co-owner Caryl in 1995.

A year later, the couple opened the Boondocks, a tavern located roughly four miles north of Mayville at the intersection of County Road V and Farmersville Road.

It's initial business venture largely served customers from Mayville, Lomira and Brownsville, the Commonwealth reported in 1996.

When the tavern launched, Caryl worked full-time at the Boondocks, while Hilke put in about five to six hours a day on top of running the control lab at what was then called "Oshkosh Truck."

Six years after opening the Boondocks, the Hilkes sold the tavern and moved back to Ripon, purchasing Pastimes in February 2002.

Shortly after purchasing Pastimes, the couple told the Commonwealth that it was enjoying its return to Ripon, finding the business to be much more brisk in its hometown than it had been in Farmersville.

In the years since, the Hilkes oversaw multiple cosmetic changes to the building, replacing windows, installing carpeting, replacing tables and chairs, reconstructing the outside wall and incorporating outdoor dining.

Aside from helping operate a staple in Ripons bar and restaurant scene, Hilke also was a longtime member of the Green Lake Area Tavern League, serving as the organizations treasurer for many years.

As treasurer, Salzwedel noted Hilke was responsible for monitoring the tavern leagues bills, noting Hilke also served on the leagues board of directors.

He was very active with the tavern league, helping with all of the different fund-raisers that we do, Salzwedel said. He and Caryl helped us with a lot of fund-raisers over the years, fund-raising for different charities throughout the area.

He explained that many of those fund-raising events helped donate to local food pantries.

Beyond helping with fund-raisers, Hilke and Salzwedel attended multiple tavern league conventions together and built a strong friendship.

Hilke eventually stepped down as treasurer, but he and Salzwedel still talked on the phone regularly.

Salzwedel explained that Hilke spent a great deal of time up north in his final months and Caryl managed the day-to-day operation of Pastimes and remained active in the Green Lake Area Tavern League in Bob's place.

When Hilke died in October, Salzwedel said it sent a shockwave through the local tavern league chapter.

Anytime you lose a friend and a fellow tavern keep, it's like you're losing part of the family, he said. Thats what everybody felt because he was such a long-time member.

To honor Hilkes legacy, the Green Lake Area Tavern League is making donations to multiple food pantries in the area.

The organization is donating $500 to the Ripon Community Food Pantry, $200 to the Brandon Food Pantry, $200 to the Markesan Food Pantry and $600 to the Green Lake County Food Pantry, which serves Green Lake, Princeton and Berlin.

Presenting a certificate to Pastimes owners Bob and Caryl Hilke, second and third from left, are members of Ripons Underage Drinking Initiative, from left, Gary Will, Danelle Phillips, Rev. Paul Nulton, and Ripon High School student Kali Kinziger.

Salzwedel noted the tavern league discussed ways to honor Hilke at its monthly meeting in December and decided that donating to food pantries would be fitting, especially with the increased need spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic.

We just thought that he was such a part of the community and with this COVID the people hurting the worst could really use that help, Salzwedel said. We thought that he'd like to take care of the community and help some of the people that are really struggling.

More:
How is a local organization working to honor Ripon tavern owner Bob Hilke? - Ripon Commonwealth Press

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Oprah Winfrey is one of the most admirable African American media moguls of our time. She has built an empire that has inspired some of the most successful, financially-free people. Her ambition and accolades are to be studied and admired. At the age of 67, Oprah shows no signs of slowing down.

Beyond her amazing and influential career lies her stylish wardrobe. Oprah is a fixture on the red carpet. She has given us decades of fashionable looks. Weve seen her body transform from petite, to plus size, to standard size. It was her weight loss journey documented through Weight Watchers, that inspired others to follow in her footsteps.

She was fly in 1995, but her style over the last 2 years have been a downright fabulous. Though her pieces are simple, they make memorable statements that will send you to the store shopping for, that thing Oprah wore.

In honor of her 67th birthday, were checking out 5 of our favorite fashion moments from Oprah.

Oprah Winfrey posed with 2 awards at the 22nd Daytime Emmy Awards in a simple, powder pink gown. By 1995, she had established herself as a successful actress and talk show host.

The media mogul paved the way for many actresses, philanthropists, talk show hosts, and many more. In addition to making professional strides, shes become a key person to watch during every major red carpet event.

Oprah Winfrey gave a chic spin on the term business casual during an Apple product launch event at the Steve Jobs Theater. She wore black slacks, a white high-low blouse, and a black tie.

As Oprah gets older, she takes great interest in finding fun yet comfortable clothing that speak to her personal style. This black and white ensemble fits her personality perfectly!

Oprah Winfrey posed with the Cecil B. DeMille Award during The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards in a form-fitting black gown.

With her glasses and award in tow, the media mogul looked absolutely stunning.

Is anyone else obsessed with the way Oprah matched her glasses with her dress? Just me? Oprah attended the premiere of OWNs David Makes Man in a simple white dress, gorgeous curls, and chic glasses.

Oprah clearly has a drawer full of diverse, fun frames. I love that each outfit she wears features a new set of glasses that somehow tie into her outfit. Accessorizing at its finest.

Oprah Winfrey spoke during the WW (Weight Watchers Reimagined) & Oprahs 2020 Vision: Your Life In Focus Tour in a stylish, khaki duster, paired with white slacks.

Everything about this ensemble is chic and timeless. I especially loved her white Stella McCartney platform lace-up brogues.

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Check Out 5 Times Oprah Winfrey Slayed The Red Carpet - HelloBeautiful

The first words God spoke in the Bible were Let there be light. As members of St. James Episcopal Church return to their renovated sanctuary, that may reflect their first impression.

A lot was done to preserve and restore the 125-year-old worship space in downtown Baton Rouge, but the most obvious is how bright the once-dark Gothic Revival interior now is.

Peoples breath is taken away when they come in and see it, said the Rev. Chris Duncan, rector at St. James. Everyone that walks in, the things that stand out are the floors, the ability to see the ceiling, which you could not do before, and how clean and crisp it looks.

The project the first wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling renovation since the church was built in 1895 follows exterior work that began after Hurricane Gustav damaged the roof in 2008, creating leaks. More recently, mortar supporting the bricks was replaced to better waterproof and protect the structure.

That work finished as Duncan became rector in 2018, and attention turned to the interior. The wiring, over 50 years old, needed to be replaced; wall plaster had water damage; and the white walls had grayed due to age and water leaks, Duncan said. The circa-1975 organ and the heating and air conditioning system both needed replacing, and the lighting was poor.

You couldnt see the ceiling. It was dark, Duncan said. There was only light shining down, so they blinded you when you looked up. It was also a fire hazard because we didnt have any kind of sprinkler system.

"All of these things started adding up, so we said the time now was not to do a small campaign but to do a larger campaign to fix the church.

Lisa Coco Hargrave was the lead architect on the project along with Chris Doiron and Liz Spedale at Tipton Associates.

The interior work has cost about $1 million, Duncan said, and the new pipe organ, which has not been installed, will cost about $900,000.

St. James will have its first worship service in the sanctuary at 205 N. Fourth St. on Sunday, though COVID occupancy restrictions mean that only those who have preregistered can attend. For those who want to see the renovations, open houses will be held from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday and noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday.

And what they will now be able to see with the addition of new LED lighting that nearly doubled the lumens of the light fixtures and directed lights are the elaborate wooden arches of the ceiling.

What they probably won't see are the new sprinkler pipes, which have been painted dark brown to blend in with the woodwork.

It may seem like a small feat, but getting these sprinklers in here and not having them not really very visible is certainly something were really proud of, Hargrave said. We actually went through nine paint samples to figure out one. The wood varies in color.

The most noticeable wood, however, may be the floor, which has been entirely carpeted since at least the 1950s, Duncan said.

The carpet was removed, the original wood floorboards restored by Paul Allen Flooring of Baton Rouge, and the walkways covered by a new, custom carpet filled with symbols of spiritual imagery: fleur de lis to symbolize the Trinity, wheat to represent the bread of Christ, quatrefoils in honor of the four evangelists, red to represent the blood of Christ, and martyrs, gold for the resurrection. Church members chose the symbols they wanted, and Avenue Rugs in Mandeville designed and made the floor coverings.

I just love the symbolism that can be brought out in church work, Hargrave said.

Removing carpeting can have a dramatic effect on acoustics, and the sanctuary already had issues with voices bouncing off the walls. The church brought in acoustical engineer Richard Boner from Dallas, who repositioned the speakers to solve that problem.

What we expect with the sound in here when its full of people that well be able to hear the spoken word better and the music will be heightened by the extra reverberation, Hargrave said.

Michael Terry and Bryan Brown with Associated Design Group served as electrical and mechanical engineers, and Mid South Church Construction also worked on the project.

Hargrave hopes those who visit will share her feeling of inspiration. Her architecture work doesnt typically involve churches.

Its really been an honor for me to be involved in the process, she said. Its really the highlight of my last few years.

See the article here:
'Let there be light': Renovation of St. James Episcopal Church's illuminates once-dark sanctuary - The Advocate

Katherine Gregg|The Providence Journal

PROVIDENCE Weeks away from his likely stepup to governor,Lt. Gov. Dan McKee has begun lining up his cabinet, his own replacement in the state's No. 2 spot, and his counter-arguments to legislators seekingto halt the expansion of "charter" schools.

In a wide-ranging interview on Sunday, McKee said he has been reaching out one-by-one to the members of Gov. Gina Raimondo's cabinet that he hopes to keep.

He said a handful, he declined to name, have already signaled their intent to leave their jobs soon. But he said state Health Department Director Nicole Alexander-Scott,Business Regulation Director Elizabeth Tanner,VeteransAffairs Director Kasim Yarn,Adjutant General Christopher P. Callahan and James Manni, the superintendent of the R.I. State Police, would remain at the helm of their respective agencies.

And he told The Journalhehad more calls to make.

At the same time, he confirmed that Johnston Mayor Joseph Polisenais leading his effort to screen the candidates seeking to replace him aslieutenant governor when Raimondo leaves for her anticipated new job as commerce secretary in the new Biden administration and he moves up.

Once he is governor, McKee will get to appoint his own replacement, subject to Senate confirmation. .

The mayor of Cumberland before his own election as lieutenant governor six years ago, McKee said Polisena, as a mayor, "knows me [and] that's a top priority."

Polisena has already stated his first choice out of the dozen or so applicants: former Central Falls Mayor James Diossa.

Im coming out publicly for Mayor Diossa,'' Polisena told the Johnston Sunrise."Hes a friend and I feel confident in his abilities."

"I think he would make a great lieutenant governor,'' Polisena is quoted as sayingin an article published on January 15,"because hes got experience in running municipal government... Its not a position for someone to start learning... Hes very bright, very articulate, he ran Central Falls and he left Central Falls in a better position than when he took over.

McKee said: "I talked to Joe about that ... I know that mayors like mayors and I like (James)Diossa as well, but that doesn't mean the decision is made."

Women'sadvocates have pushed for the appointment of a woman; Black advocates for the appointment of a Black person and Latinos for a Latino.

McKee said the most important characteristic to him is: "someone that is able to work with me."

As an example, he would like the next lieutenant governor to be someone who would keep the 39 city and town plaques he placed on the wall leading to his State House office. Put another way: "somebody who has an interest in including all 39 cities and towns in their efforts."

Asked how important "diversity'' will be in the decision, he said: "It's important ... but I don't think it is a disqualifier to be non-minority ... I think that would be discrimination as well, right?"

McKee said he's been briefed on the state's budget predicament, but will not be in a position to say how he intends to close the projected $513-million deficit in the budget until he has a clearer picture of how big the deficit really is.

"If you need to raise taxes to be solvent, you are going to do it,'' he said, while stressing he is not yet convinced that is necessary.

He is most clear, at this point, on where he stands on the latest in a series of annual bills to curb the expansion of "charter schools."

The latest championed by Senate President Dominick Ruggerio and the top-ranked players on his leadership team is scheduled for a hearing Wednesday by the Senate Committee on Education.

Charter schools are publicly funded alternatives to traditional schoolswith more freedom from mandates.

The legislation says: "The state shall not approve or appropriate funding to any new charter school orto expand an existing charter school that had not been approved by the council on elementary andsecondary education prior to July 1, 2020."

McKee, who as a mayor helped found a type of charter school in which mayors chair the board of directors and teachers dont pay into the pension system, objectedto any effort to stop the sixcharter schools that won approval in December toexpand or open in Providence.

"The agenda there is pretty obvious,''he said. "The agenda is to stop charters."

He said he would be "open'' to discussing a "reasonable pause to take a look at it."

But he pushed back hard against the argument "an argument motivated by self interest" that the public dollars given charter schools come at the expense ofthe traditional public school system.

"It's public money that's going to a public school," McKee said.

"So the notion that it is taking away from kids' education is not accurate,'' he said, citing the overall improvement in schools in his hometown when "mayoral academies" were added to the mix.

See the original post here:
McKee starts putting the puzzle pieces in place for move up to governor - The Providence Journal