Thoughts and ideas from one of the best area home inspectors in the Bloomington Normal area.
Underfloor Heating
‘Garden offices’ boost economy
0428 days
BRITAIN’S economy is getting a huge boost from an army of “shedworkers”.
Some 80,000 backyard businesses are now being run from the “garden office” and
contribute an amazing 6.1BILLION to the economy.
The number of shedworkers – including lawyers and IT workers – is thought to
have doubled since the credit crunch began.
One in five expects their business to grow by 20 per cent this year.
Alex Johnson, the editor of blog shedworking.co.uk,
says: “It has been an underground movement for some time.
“But it has really taken off, with thousands buying a garden office or
renovating their old shed.”
Dozens of firms selling top-of-the-range sheds and garden “rooms” have sprung
up in the past year.
B&Q earlier this year posted a five-fold rise in sales of their 1,299
Cannock summer cabin.
Posh shop John Lewis are selling summer houses costing more than 11,000.
They come with double-glazing and brass door fittings.
And Ecospace sell garden offices with Scandinavian-style low-energy underfloor
heating. With add-ons, their luxury “sheds” could cost 50,000.
Mr Johnson says high-speed broadband has made it far easier to work from home.
And he says that better insulation and construction methods mean outbuildings
are now a far better choice of “shedquarters”.
Helen Kara, 46, from Uttoxeter, Staffs, runs a research and humanist funeral
script agency from her back garden.
She said: “I’ve been in this particular shed for eight years, we actually
bought the house we’re in because of it.
“I love the freedom and the commute is fantastic – 20 yards in my slippers.”
Scrum’s The Word For Lutterworth Business!
0428 days
News Release
A Lutterworth business has made an impressive offload to a thriving rugby club in the town, courtesy of an ?800 donation to buy new shirts for its youth team.
Uponor, the leading underfloor heating (Underfloor heating and cooling is a form of central heating and cooling which achieves indoor climate control primarily through thermal conduction and thermal radiation rather than convection (forced or natural air movement). Heat can and plumbing brand, has scrummed together to raise the cash, which Lutterworth’s under-14s will convert to their advantage.
The Rugby Road based business wanted to make the donation to the club to underline its commitment to the local community and specifically youngsters in the town who love playing the game.
Uponor’s national sales director Brian Winter said: “We are lucky to have such an historic, well run outfit like Lutterworth Rugby Club and wanted to find a way to support one of their teams.
“We are passionate about the local community and always try to support community groups where possible. We hope the money will make a difference and we wish the club well for the future.”
Lutterworth Rugby Club’s under-14s manager Jeremy Lord said: “We haven’t had sponsorship for some time so this makes a massive difference to us.
“For Uponor to come in and support a local club like ourselves in this hard economic climate really is hugely appreciated by everyone here.
“We have used the cash to purchase 30 new semi-fitted shirts and the boys can’t wait to get kitted out with the Uponor name as soon as possible.”
For more information about Uponor click on www.uponor.co.uk
For further information please email Uponor Housing Solutions
? Faversham House Group Ltd 2010. edie news articles may be copied or forwarded
for individual use only. No other reproduction or distribution is permitted without prior written consent.
for individual use only. No other reproduction or distribution is permitted without prior written consent.
Underfloor Heating 1 Launch New Website
0428 days
underfloor heating (Underfloor heating and cooling is a form of central heating and cooling which achieves indoor climate control primarily through thermal conduction and thermal radiation rather than convection (forced or natural air movement). Heat can 1
(PRWEB) November 29, 2010
The new site brings with it some great new functionality and improvements to the overall user experience designed to help customers find the products they want quickly and efficiently.
To celebrate the launch UFH1 are offering a 5% discount on their wet underfloor heating (Underfloor heating and cooling is a form of central heating and cooling which achieves indoor climate control primarily through thermal conduction and thermal radiation rather than convection (forced or natural air movement). Heat can kits. Simply add the code ?new05? in the discount box during checkout to receive your discount. The discount can be used for multiple orders, but only once per single order.
Speaking on the launch Managing Director, Paul Hadley said:
?The launch of our new site is a great stride forward for us, but it?s just one step in our evolution to ensure we continue to provide an exceptional service and product offering to our customers. We have a number of additional enhancements coming to the site soon, which will continue to optimise the services and experience we?re able to offer our customers.?
The updates to the site have focused on improving the general design, navigation, search facilities, account management and checkout functionality. UFH1 have also just launched their new online technical chat facility which will allow customers to chat to an underfloor heating (Underfloor heating and cooling is a form of central heating and cooling which achieves indoor climate control primarily through thermal conduction and thermal radiation rather than convection (forced or natural air movement). Heat can expert online getting their answers quickly rather than having to reach for the phone.
Coupled with the enhancements to the website UFH1 are also continuing to offer an exceptional range of other benefits to their customers, including:
?A 10,000ft warehouse stocking a wide range of underfloor heating (Underfloor heating and cooling is a form of central heating and cooling which achieves indoor climate control primarily through thermal conduction and thermal radiation rather than convection (forced or natural air movement). Heat can systems and support products.
?An in-house design team that will provide a detailed and priced bill of materials necessary to complete any installation ? simply send us your plans or room sizes.
?An in-house CAD Design Department ready and able to provide you with a detailed CAD design for your installation. Better yet we offer free CAD designs when you order any of our underfloor heating (Underfloor heating and cooling is a form of central heating and cooling which achieves indoor climate control primarily through thermal conduction and thermal radiation rather than convection (forced or natural air movement). Heat can kits.
?Regular free underfloor heating (Underfloor heating and cooling is a form of central heating and cooling which achieves indoor climate control primarily through thermal conduction and thermal radiation rather than convection (forced or natural air movement). Heat can training days that can be tailored to meet specific topics that our customers want to learn more about.
?Open during office hours 7 days a week, offering free technical support on product selection, installation or any other general queries around underfloor heating (Underfloor heating and cooling is a form of central heating and cooling which achieves indoor climate control primarily through thermal conduction and thermal radiation rather than convection (forced or natural air movement). Heat can.
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Children settle into new school buildings
0428 days
Children settle into new school buildings
By
November 26, 2010
GREEN Oak CofE Primary School?unveiled its completed building work this week after 10 months of anticipation.
Students and staff proudly showed off the new site to visitors during an official opening ceremony, where parents and guest speakers including the mayors of Godalming and Waverley were given a walking tour.
The new build was funded by government grants?of ?800,000, through the Department for Children, Schools and Families? primary capital programme.
Plans were finalised and submitted on Christmas Eve 2009, and work began in March.
Simon Godber, head of teaching and learning at Green Oak, said it had been an exciting moment for everyone involved.
?The children have seen the whole building going up around them,? he said.
?We had one emergency closure day but we have been on site for the rest of the work.?
The main aim of the redevelopment was to allow the school to keep The Wharf children?s centre on site, in the Eashing Building.
Two new classrooms have been created for Green Oak, allowing the school to push ahead with increasing its pupil numbers.
Currently it runs from nursery to Year 3, but it hopes to have a full primary school with pupils up to 11-years-old within two years.
The environmentally-friendly extension includes solar panels and underfloor heating (Underfloor heating and cooling is a form of central heating and cooling which achieves indoor climate control primarily through thermal conduction and thermal radiation rather than convection (forced or natural air movement). Heat can, as well as improving on the school?s wide range of outdoor facilities.
WATTS going on?
0428 days
While the newest addition to the Youngstown State University campus is nearing completion, the YSU and Youngstown communities will have to wait nearly two months before the opening of the Watson and Tressel Training Site.
“I think we’re looking more like the middle of February,” said Rodger Shuback, superintendent for Hively Construction, the company selected as building contractor for the WATTS project.
“They were hoping to have an indoor track meet in here towards the end of February.”
He said the building itself should be completed by February, but some of the landscaping work may be unfinished. Shuback said the WATTS is about 65 percent completed.
Hively Construction also worked with YSU in constructing the Andrews Student Recreation and Wellness Center. The construction company is responsible for the steel frame, the exterior wall panels and the foundation.
Other local companies are also working alongside Hively Construction to complete the project. They include Warren Glass & Paint, which is installing the building’s glass windows; Roger Kreps Drywall and Plastering, which is installing the metal studwork; and Lencyk Masonry, which is completing the brickwork such as the inside locker rooms and offices and outside facade.
Outside companies will be brought in to complete specialty work such as siding, Astroturf and the indoor track.
Also on hand at the construction site Monday afternoon was Randy Barker, husband of Summer Barker, lead architect of the WATTS. Both work for MS Consultants, Inc., the architectural firm responsible for the building’s construction.
Barker, a former YSU football player, said he is happy to be working with the university on this project.
He said the facility should help the university when it recruits and be a nice place for athletes to practice.
At times, around 50 or 55 workers from different companies work to complete the WATTS.
The Hively Construction crew, consisting of about 20 workers, is installing more than 20 miles of underfloor heating (Underfloor heating and cooling is a form of central heating and cooling which achieves indoor climate control primarily through thermal conduction and thermal radiation rather than convection (forced or natural air movement). Heat can tubing.
John Hyden, executive director of facilities at YSU, said the building was originally planned for completion after this past football season, but once construction started, the date changed.
He said the underfloor heating (Underfloor heating and cooling is a form of central heating and cooling which achieves indoor climate control primarily through thermal conduction and thermal radiation rather than convection (forced or natural air movement). Heat can needs to be completed soon, as the asphalt paving must be completed before the paving plants close for the season on Dec. 15.
The weather has also hindered completion of certain projects.
“I’d like to be running the roof. A couple more days we’ll have that roof finished up, but it’s too windy up there,” Shuback said.
“You’ve got ironworkers up there handling 40-foot sheets of roofing and insulation, and with the wind, it’s too dangerous.”
He said the crew is used to working in the winter months, and it should not delay the construction process.
Strong Cyprus housing market attracts Britons
0428 days
It’s easy to see why Cyprus has been one of the most popular locations for Britons to have a holiday home over recent decades.
English is spoken widely across the island; the sun shines bright and warm right into November and beyond and the two major airports have regular flights to the UK, only four and a half hours away.
“People feel it’s a real home away from home. They love the weather, of course, low crime, as well as the fact that English is spoken fluently everywhere and they even drive on the left,” said Eileen Hardy, a director of Paphos-based estate agency Hardy Estates (hardyestatescyprus.com).
But there have been spoilers to this island idyll set in the shimmering eastern Mediterranean. Firstly, there was the legacy of the island’s painful division between the Greek south and the Turkish north. Displaced Greek Cypriots have a claim on land ? which has been upheld in the UK courts ? in the north of the island which has been subsequently resold to British buyers. In one case, the British buyers has been forced off the land and out of the dream holiday villa they thought was theirs. Whatever the rights and wrongs of such situations, the property business on the whole island has suffered reputational damage.
“We don’t have the same situation here in the south as in the north, but buyers have to be aware of certain land ownership issues,” says Ms Hardy. “Every bit of land is registered ? as a legacy of the British. But when you buy a new-build property in particular you can be waiting a long time ? sometimes several years ? to get your hands on the title deeds. The development has to be completed before the title deeds can be applied for. If the developer has mortgaged the land, then that has to be paid off before the deeds are available. In most cases, there’s no problem but you have to do your homework.”
Usually, the problem of title deeds can be avoided by buying a second-hand property rather than a new build, Ms Hardy says. However, even in this instance there are some homes which have been standing for 10 or 20 years yet still don’t have a title deed.
“If you are considering buying property in Cyprus, the key is to get the correct legal advice. Fortunately, documents should be in English,” said Rob Wilson, the overseas property director at Rightmove.co.uk. “Don’t go with the lawyer the seller suggests or the developer ? source your own. Check out the Association of International Property Professionals to find a suitable lawyer.”
On top of such knotty legal problem came the credit crunch, subsequent global recession and the pound’s crash against the euro which hit the buying power of all those Britons. This hit the Cypriot property market for six. “If you bought three or four years ago, you’d be very lucky to make your money back selling now,” Ms Hardy said.
However, Cyprus is on the way back. Ms Hardy reports activity comfortably up on last year. Developers are building again in a still sparsely populated island. At a top-end development, Aphrodite Hills, near Paphos in the beautiful south-west coastal area of the island, the sales manager, Yiannos Panayides, says they have reported a return in buyers from the UK, making up 60 per cent of the total purchasers, with Russians the next biggest group making up 30 per cent of new home buyers.
The resort, owned by Lanitis Development and Marfin Laiki Bank, the second biggest bank in Cyprus, is selling 44 villas and apartments to be completed in 2012. The Alexander Heights has stunning sea views and nestles next to the resort’s 18-hole PGA championship golf course and within a short walk of the on-site tennis academy. The villas all have pools, extra basement space, underfloor heating (Underfloor heating and cooling is a form of central heating and cooling which achieves indoor climate control primarily through thermal conduction and thermal radiation rather than convection (forced or natural air movement). Heat can, smart home technology and landscaped gardens. Prices start at ?1.09m (?925,000). Apartments have terraces or gardens and prices start at ?598,500 for two bedrooms. Owners get a free two-year membership of the golf and tennis clubs, which can be transferred to guests. In addition, owners get a 10 per cent discount on the site shop and the wide range of site restaurants. The jewel in the crown of the resort is the spa with massage and facial treatments as well an extensive infinity pool. In 2008 it scooped the the European spa of the year award at the Professional Beauty awards. Lanitis’s links to Marfin Laiki bank mean that financing a purchase can be relatively straightforward, with mortgage rates not too dissimilar to those in Britain. “Mortgages are available at a loan to value of 75 per cent at a euro base rate plus 3.75 per cent [equivalent to 4.75 per cent]. Most buyers take this option,” Mr Panayides said.
However, elsewhere on the island financing may not be so clear cut. The reason? Those title deeds again. “The property may look perfect but you really have to check out the deeds situation, as without them, or the bank having a relationship with the developer, it may be difficult to get a home loan,” Mr Panayides says.
Purchasing a property in Cyprus also comes with some tax nasties. An initial property transfer fee of 8 per cent is payable by purchasers ? like stamp duty ? and on resale there is 20 per cent capital gains tax to pay on profits (but with a generous tax-free allowance) as well as estate agency fees typically round the 5 per cent mark. But if you are looking for a year-round holiday destination to attract rental income, then Cyprus is well placed.
“We have sun most of the year, and on average in our resort villas we have 20 weeks a year full occupancy of rental villas. Many owners rent out in high season (May to October), earning the most cash and then stay there during other times with the weather fine deep into the year. You can understand why,” Mr Panayides said.
‘Crumbling’ church appeals for restoration funds
0428 days
LEADERS at St Paul?s Church in East Molesey are reaching out to parishioners in an attempt to fund ongoing vital restoration work.
The brickwork on the 19th century building in Church Road is crumbling, the roof is in need of urgent repair and the church spire is also showing signs of wear and tear.
Early estimates suggest ?25,000 would be enough to cover the cost of the?work in the short term.
A food fair has been organised for Saturday, November 20 to launch the project and to raise both awareness and money.
Organiser Judy Lanaway said the problem of funding a church was ongoing .
She said they would be delighted if it raised about ?1,000 from the fair.
?We not only have these ongoing repairs but we have the roof to do as well,? she said.
?Of course there is only so much we can do, and we do not expect our parishioners to fund it all
?Some repair work has been carried out but there is still more to be done so we have plenty of fundraising to do.?
The appeal comes at the same time as the church is looking forward to welcoming a new priest, the Rev Paul Webb, from Bury St Edmunds.
Ms?Lanaway added: ?We really want to spend our money on missions because we have quite a lot of missions going on.
?Instead we have to spend money on the ongoing restoration work.?
The church was opened in 1856 and was originally? just a nave and a chancel. A south aisle was added later.
The last major restoration work took place in 2002, when underfloor heating (Underfloor heating and cooling is a form of central heating and cooling which achieves indoor climate control primarily through thermal conduction and thermal radiation rather than convection (forced or natural air movement). Heat can was installed along with new carpets, pews and a sound system.
The parish room was refurbished three years later.
The Churches Conservation Trust, a quango that monitors churches at risk, launched an appeal for users to raise funds to protect their churches after the government cut its grant to the organisation by 20%.
It said the average Anglican church can cost more than ?250,000 to make weathertight, even before any work is undertaken to make it suitable for modern use.
Chief executive Crispin Truman said: ?We will be working with communities across England to develop schemes which are right for their community and their church.
?The charity will respond to the 20% cut by asking communities and donors to play a greater role in funding repair and conservation work, previously covered by government grants.?
Fellow organiser Judy James said the food fair was expected to attract up to 70 people.
?It?s been a difficult year so we just want to get everyone geared up again with the new vicar joining,? she added.
?It will be a relaxed event and everybody will be welcome.
?Of course, the more people who turn up the more we will be able to put into the restoration funds as well.?
The food fair is being held between 11am and 2pm and homemade soup lunches will be served.
There will also be a bottle tombola, a raffle, a sweet stall and cakes and biscuits on sale.
Anybody who wants more information should contact 020 8979 0014.
B&C Q&A #1: Talking construction with J?rgen Arnold
0428 days
[]Population growth and climate change have turned water into a scarce resource. The infrastructure measures required to meet the resulting demand over the long term imply higher sales of plastics products, such as pipes. The top executive at one of the world’s leading extrusion systems manufacturers, J?rgen Arnold, CEO of battenfeld-cincinnati Holding GmbH (Bad Oeynhausen, Germany), shared in an …
Wayne and Coleen Rooney spend ?10,000 on underfloor heating… for their dogs
548 days
By
Mail Online Reporter
Last updated at 1:03 AM on 8th August 2010
After spending ?5million on a holiday home in Barbados they’ll only use a few times a year, it’s safe to say Wayne and Coleen Rooney aren’t exactly frugal when it comes to spending their millions.
So it shouldn’t be surprising to their fans to hear the Manchester United footballer has splashed out ?10,000 on underfloor heating (Underfloor heating and cooling is a form of central heating and cooling which achieves indoor climate control primarily through thermal conduction and thermal radiation rather than convection (forced or natural air movement). Heat can in their dogs’ kennels.
After a long, snowy winter last year, the couple don’t want their four dogs – two Bichon Frises Daisy and Bella, chow chow Fizz and a French mastiff – to get cold so have had the expensive heating system fitted in their special ‘doggie block’.
Beloved pets: Coleen Rooney with one of the couple’s Bichon Frise dogs
Puppy love: Coleen walking her chow chow Fizz
A source told The Sun: ‘Wealthy footballers in the North-West went through a phase of
having underfloor heating (Underfloor heating and cooling is a form of central heating and cooling which achieves indoor climate control primarily through thermal conduction and thermal radiation rather than convection (forced or natural air movement). Heat can throughout their homes.
‘Then there was a craze for installing it in their driveways to avoid snow in
winter. Now Wayne has taken it one further.
‘It’s cost him as much as it would to do an average family home. Coleen insisted on it. But Wayne’s a softie with dogs so he agreed.’
Meanwhile, Coleen claimed her baby weight just ‘fell off’ after giving birth to son Kai Wayne last November.
She told Star magazine: ‘I didn’t struggle to lose the weight or
focus on it too much and I think that’s the best way. The weight just
fell off.
‘I am quite lucky I never got stretch marks but your body changes because you get bigger.
‘I put weight on and thought, “Oh no, am I ever going to go back to
the way I was?” But when you have the baby that all goes out the window
because your focus is on looking after them.’
The Real Woman
presenter was spotted showing off her toned figure in a series of
designer bikinis on her recent month-long holiday in Barbados and Las
Vegas.
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Manchester United Training Day In Photos And Wayne Rooneys Hot Dogs
548 days
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BEFORE those pictures Manchester United?s open training session on the Old Trafford pitch (a chance to get the concession stand workers up to speed), news via the Sun that Wayne Rooney has invested ?10,000 on underfloor heating (Underfloor heating and cooling is a form of central heating and cooling which achieves indoor climate control primarily through thermal conduction and thermal radiation rather than convection (forced or natural air movement). Heat can ? ?in kennels for his pampered dogs.? Wayne?s Bichon Fris?s Daisy and Bella and Fizz and Coleen?s French mastiff (or the other way around) are available for panto, prostitutes and hospital visits. Now for those photos ? and look out for Paul Scholes? tan lines?
Posted: 7th, August 2010 | In: Sports Comment | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
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