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. Whatever the weather, our internal clock of the longest days active response to our taste buds with food and heavy stews heating light meals and fresh salads. So there is no better time to upgrade the kitchen.

Before you start to tear break cabinets and floors, try to take some 'time to plan how you really want to be your kitchen. In every kitchen to the three most important are the stove, sink and food preparation area.They comprise an area called the Golden Triangle. Try putting no more than a few steps from each other and are a part of your kitchen, which is to leave the path of normal traffic. For example, if you young people who regularly raid the refrigerator, keep the direct line of the refrigerator door also removed from the golden triangle.

Measure your kitchen plan and design a kitchen scale. Mark Fixed functions such as doors and windows. Decide how you want to be dramatic, for example, you musttime, or around the kitchen, take care ReWire. Now, your chance is so good that should be taken into account, or it may take another ten years or so.

With the decision to be the most drastic one goes, you can move crop models of furniture and appliances over the plan in order to get a feel for your new kitchen. Do not fall into the trap of ignoring common as a large closet with the door open. Central Kitchen islands canattractive, but not if that means not fully open doors or drawers. A professional kitchen fitter will help you with your plans for the kitchen as they learn to the best of cooking, although there is a small kitchen and is independent of form.

forget when planning your kitchen is not new, ceilings and floors. Light is important in a kitchen. You must be able to see clearly, for cooking, but may want to dim the lights for romantic meals. Renovate your kitchenis the ability to examine, floor, tiles or wooden floors.

You can then start looking style. There are so many to choose from, but the bottom line is that something that you must choose to live at least ten years. Explosive catcher now, but will still be the same at 4 am on a cold winter evening?

Finally, remember that some changes can kitchen design requirements. A professional kitchen installeradvice on this and usually complete the formalities for you. Good cable installers will do anything for laying tile equipment, plumbing and electric displacement. All you have to do is, lets you work with, and a summer garden. Beware those storms!

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A tile shower can be a beautiful addition to any bathroom. One common question asked with regard to tiling a shower is “should I seal the tile?” First, a distinction needs to be made between tile and grout.

Grout is the mixture used to fill in the gaps between the tiles. Grout needs to be sealed. Sealing it will make it easier to clean, protect it from mold and mildew, and keep it looking new. Since grout needs to set for about one day before sealing, most installers don’t seal the grout- it’s something you might have to do yourself. Grout should generally be re-sealed every few years. Failure to seal the grout will result in water leaking behind the tiles, which can cause mold problems and then you might end up having to re-tile the whole shower.

Sealing the tile is usually optional, and depends on the kind of tile being used. Marble, natural stone, slate, limestone, terra cotta, and matte tiles should be sealed to protect them from water, mold, mildew, and stains. Since stone is naturally porous, it absorbs any water washed over it, breeding mildew. Plus it stains fairly easily. Ceramic tile generally doesn’t need to be sealed. The benefit of sealing tiles is that they will require less cleaning and won’t absorb any moisture.

Sealing the whole tile does have its drawbacks. For example, some kinds of sealers can darken or stain the tiles, altering the natural color. It is also extremely time consuming to seal the entire shower, rather than just the grout. Tiles also need to be re-sealed every few years to maintain quality. Past sealers needed to be re-applied every year, but now you can find some that are professed to last up to fifteen years.

Before a shower can be sealed, it needs to be completely dry. If the shower isn’t brand new, this can take up to five days, as the moisture behind the tiles needs to completely evaporate before being locked in. If you decide to seal your new shower, make sure you do so before using it, or you will have to find another means of bathing while the shower dries out. If you’re sealing your old shower for the first time, you may have to wait several weeks for the tiles to completely dry, in which case sealing the whole floor might not be the best option.

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ICF construction, or Insulating Concrete Form, is a construction method that will give your structure unmatched durability and energy efficiency compared to traditional building systems. It has gained popularity amongst homebuilders and has started to become more attractive to commercial builders because of the benefits of energy efficiency, quality and structural strength.

Vertical ICF construction consists of reinforced concrete in wall slab form, like you would see in basements or foundations. However, an ICF wall slab has been designed to be lightweight and a superior insulator. The concrete used in Vertical ICF technology has a typical aggregate size of 3/8 pea gravel, allowing for smooth and trouble-free pouring and shaping.

The concrete is poured inside the insulating form, giving the walls a concrete center with two foam insulation layers. The walls have plastic ties for attaching exterior and interior finishes and treatments. The foam insulation panels are reversible and provide continuous protection. The plastic ties are mounted centrally for maximum stability during placement and are marked for visibility so ICF installers can easily find them.

ICF construction provides exceptional strength and durability compared to conventional homebuilding. In fact, a vertical ICF walls have a strength capacity up to 600% more than traditional frame walls. The superior structural integrity is due to curing the concrete in a temperature-controlled setting with a rate of very slow moisture loss within the surrounding polystyrene panels.

Some contractors offering these products will be able to have pre-assembled panels delivered to the construction site. This minimizes the cost for onsite labor. Others factors to consider when choosing a vertical ICF contractor is the shipping cost of the materials. Find a contractor who can get the materials quickly and from a nearby manufacturer and has extensive experience installing this type of energy-saving system.

There are fewer waste products associated with ICF construction, which is a good thing for the environment and the overall tidiness of the assembly area.

It is estimated that a residence or a business constructed with ICF walls can save 50% – 80% on energy costs. Heat retention with Vertical ICF technology is far greater than other types of structures, giving you an energy efficient insulation barrier. It also has a higher protection value in case of fire, floods and high winds. This can be ideal if you live in a costal area where flooding insurance coverage is denied. If you have regular homeowners insurance, your costs may decrease due to the strength of ICF (depending on your insurance company’s policies).

Vertical ICF construction is gaining popularity in residential and commercial construction. The ease of installation and the amazing benefits of having a strong, sustainable and energy-efficient structure have put this time and energy-saving construction at the forefront of green building technology.

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Every day, we find ourselves in situations where we say “oh if I could only have done that differently”. Well this could be your opportunity! .When you start to research a basement problem, you will find many companies claiming to offer the latest and greatest in basement waterproofing or claiming to have all the answers and the best systems. Often, they will throw every slick line at you that they can think of to convince you they’re the best! However upon closer inspection, once you get to the heart of the matter, you will find that they use the same out-of-date damproofing methods and interior drain systems everyone else does. What’s worse they employ slick sales techniques that you would find on any used car lot! It’s all a bunch of double-speak, flat out lies, and misdirection, which is designed to con even an Eskimo into buying ice cubes!

Now I know at this point that you are going to ask me how it is that you can trust me, well the reason is simple I am not trying to sell you anything!.  I promise, if you listen to all that I have to say, and finish reading this letter,  you will end up with more knowledge than you had before, and you will be ready for those “slick” salesmen that will come in the future! I want you to be better informed, better prepared, and better equipped than you are right now; and I also want to let you in on a few TRADE SECRETS that other companies don’t want you to know. Before we go into all of the systems, I’d like to introduce myself, and a little bit about my background that makes me uniquely qualified to help you understand how to solve your basement water or your mold problem!

I started building basements over twenty years ago when I was still in high school. I got a job working for what has become the single largest basement company in Ohio. I worked on both the footer and the wall crew so I became well versed early on, in all phases of new home foundation construction and basement waterproofing. Shortly after high school I was hired by a company that performed environmental services, specifically we removed asbestos from schools and public buildings (this was in the mid eighties when the government passed the legislation to require the asbestos be removed from all government building). I learned all there was to know about negative air flow containments air scrubbers manometers and the basics of ENVIRONMENTAL CLEAN UP. I finally quit when I had saved enough money for college. I swore I would never wear a tyvec suit or a respirator again (those are the HOT non-breathable suits that we wear in mold and asbestos clean ups, its funny the way Murphy will get you when you swear not to do something). During these years I began actively pursuing one of my many hobbies and I became an amateur mycologist. I built a lab in my basement… and built myself a glove box and began to perform sterile culture techniques for the growing of all sorts of fungi and mold and mushrooms. I used Petri dishes Autoclaves and learned many of the processes used at modern laboratories today. I did spore streaking and culture analysis. I believe I gave myself the equivalent of an associates degree in mycology. When I got to college I needed a job, and I found one working for the third largest basement waterproofing company in Ohio. I was hired to service their basement waterproofing jobs that were already installed but STILL LEAKED.

I quickly began to learn that there was something drastically WRONG with virtually EVERY single basement waterproofing company in Ohio…

They all install systems with fatal flaws. They have SERVICE DEPARTMENTS to handle the “problem” jobs. I became adept at solving these problem basements “issues”. I then began waterproofing basements on my own. I realized from the very beginning that if I didn’t want to service my basement customers and charge every year for their warranty I wood have to “fix” the systems themselves used to treat basements. I read every single book there was available on the subject. I did a TONS of experimentation in those first couple of years and began to “fix” each and every one of the problems that I had discovered associated with all the various available waterproofing systems.

Over the years I have continued to refine and improve the systems so they remain “CUTTING EDGE” . About ten years ago I began to study “black mold ” and the various health effects related to it.  We actually developed the first completely NON-TOXIC (to humans) approach to treating mold problems.

The first thing that you have to understand is that there are ONLY three basic solutions to ANY basements water leakage problems.

Most companies install only one of the three systems but will claim to offer all three, in reality it isn’t true. Most companies offer one basic system either the inside system or the outside system.

The systems: Most companies rely on an interior drain system and a sump pump to control the water. They may call it something different, but a pump placed under the floor is a sump pump, and drains placed under the floor are interior drains. This is just flat out not a good idea, unless it is the only option. I recommend that you do not rely on electricity in any situation where it can be avoided. Some companies in order to confuse the customer and gain a competitive advantage claim that only by combining the interior system with something else, usually some sort of outside work (often digging down only 12 inches) is it possible to truly solve a problem (like the Big Chuck and Little John guys). The outside work generally benefits the customer very little, and allows the company to DRIVE UP THEIR PRICE and appear different from the rest of the inside system competition. Some companies, in order to eliminate the competition, actually price different methods as if they do them (even though they don’t). They will price exterior waterproofing ridiculously high, the interior drain method extremely low, and their system somewhere in the middle. If you ask for one of the two methods they don’t offer, you will be told they won’t install that for you because it just won’t work for you. Other inside system companies have come up with different interior methods, on top the footer or above the floor products. Although marketed extremely well, these systems fail in comparison to traditional under slab or exterior drainage systems. The reason is simple they completely fail to drain water under the slab either from the water table or from the exterior of the wall.

In order to help you wade through this mess, below, you will find a brief description of the basic systems offered nationally and what is WRONG with them.

The first solution is to actually excavate the foundation, meaning the foundation is dug up; this is generally referred to as waterproofing ( but I can assure you that in most contractors’ cases, IT ISN’T). Most of the guys that do this are small 1-4 men outfits. They learned to do what they do from someone who learned it from someone etc. What these “so-called waterproofers” do is actually to re-apply the EXACT SAME SEALANTS and utilize the exact same techniques that already FAILED in the first place! This usually means re-parging the wall and smearing some tar on it like a monkey!

Have you ever known anyone that had an asphalt driveway? How often did they Have-To Re- Seal it?

I can tell you I have. When I was a kid growing up two of my neighbors had an ongoing debate about their driveways. The first swore you needed to seal it every single year, and he did. The second one swore every two years was enough. I can still hear them arguing now in my mind’s eye… LOL. The sad truth is that according to the US Bureau of Standards asphalt sealants begin to break down in only 18 months, YIKES! You see the sad truth is; they were both right! And these so called waterproofers charge an average of ten to fifteen grand just to dig up the basement and seal it again using what FAILED already.

…You See Tar Has Never Been Rated as Waterproof

Did you know that in the building codes there are actually two separate definitions for damp-proofing (tar) and waterproofing. Damp proofing by definition means “something that helps to slow the penetration of water into the substrate”. HHMMM “helps to slow” sounds quite different than the definition of waterproofing “something that prevents the penetration of water” and further must pass a bending test where the membrane must be able to be bent around a cylinder.

Water proof sealants are almost all exclusively used and installed COMMERCIALLY…(that’s because they are more expensive).

The extra costs are what stop the average contractor from offering you , the homeowner, a product that is effective and will last and “stand the test of time”. We have developed and recommend if you plan to re-seal your basement; that you use a  MULTI-STEP EXTERIOR WATERPROOFING SYSTEM which, uses a cement-based fiber re-enforced wall resurfacing system and NO LESS than two waterproof rated sealants. This is by no means the cheapest of methods, however, and it may or may not be the BEST system to put into place. Which system you should use depends entirely on the specific nature of YOUR problem. There are NO miracle systems than can solve ALL basement problems. The thing I can guarantee is if you use a multistep outside waterproof system it will actively drain water away from the foundation, and the water leak will be a thing of the past, not only that, but the sealants will outlast the wood on your house GUARANTEED!

The second solution is an Interior solution which I call the sub-floor water re-directional system. This involves trenching around the interior of the basement wall and installing a drainage system around the perimeter of the inside of the basement. Many companies never explain that the system only works by completely draining the walls and any water under the slab during periods of extended rain or no melt when the water table rises. This system will allow water to be “drained” from the inside of the walls by drilling weep holes into every core of every single block then drained under the floor into a drain pipe and generally to a sump pump to then be pumped out. Other companies will often “explain” that the pipe under the floor takes all the ground water and the outside trench will take away surface water. This outside trench is shallow and worthless. They never even MENTION the drainage holes drilled into the core face of the bottom row of block in the basement, under the level of the floor slab. And folks, this is THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP. It is also the step most often “screwed up” by other contractors. You see there are two variables that must be dealt with in ensuring the effectiveness of the “weep holes”. First is that when the mason was laying the blocks different masons “slough off” different amounts of mortar into the bottom course which affects the level of the “bottom” inside the blocks themselves. This means it is important to make sure that you are above the mortar bed and yet remain in the lowest part of the block.

Secondly it is ESSENTIAL to make sure that your men are educated as to the history of the development of concrete blocks, as well as all of the different core patterns that have been incorporated into them over time. You see this work is done by YOUNG men. In their short lifetime concrete blocks have only been made with Two cores. If they drill into the block where they imagine the core is today, in one of the many variations in block design that have occurred over the years, it is entirely possible , no probable that they are drilling into the web rather than the core or pocket of the block. Only by drilling into every single core of every single block does it become possible to drain the entire wall and make the system work effectively. It is entirely possible to install the drain tiles perfectly and… still leave ALL of the water dammed up inside the walls, wasting all that money and still leaving the problem UNSOLVED. In fact many times I get called after the homeowners have spent thousands of dollars to “waterproof ” their basement and even THOUSANDS MOREto turn it into finished space. Only to find mold growing on newly installed drywall. This happened to one of my customers named Bonnie Rembowski. She had hired a big local company and they installed an inside system. She then hired a contractor to remodel her basement. They hung new dry wall and framed new walls. She had new carpeting installed and everything seemed perfect until… Bonnie kept getting sick.

She was treated for recurring bronchitis many times over a period of about six months. Finally one day Bonnie’s doctor suggested to her that she have her house checked for mold. Bonnie called me. I began inspecting the basement and I immediately began to notice mold growing along the bottom several feet on all the newly dry-walled walls that had just been “waterproofed”. I began inspecting the inside system and I discovered that even though a permit was pulled … Even though the drainage pipes were inspected and installed properly… even though there was no puddling or physical seepage the system was NOT WORKING . The reason why became apparent after we broke open the floor and inspected the weep holes- JUST AS I SUSPECTED. The walls were not draining do to improper weep hole placement. Poor Bonnie.

WE HAD TO COMPLETELY GUT THE BRAND NEW BASEMENT …and disinfect everything to stop the mold and help her STOP GETTING SICK. She contacted the waterproofing company who did the job WRONG. They told her there was nothing they could do under the warranty since technically the basement hadn’t leaked (it was just DONE WRONG in the first place). Poor Bonnie then had to hire us to fix the basement problem TOO! Unfortunately this is not the first time this has happened to me and sadly I’m afraid it WON’T be the last.

This inside system however is ideal for situations where water is coming up from under the slab itself; in fact it is the only solution for under-slab water issues. No matter which contractor you call the same basic system is used. There are however many problems with this system as is employed by  “competition” nationwide. The GOOD NEWS however is that we have modified the system to eliminate all of the potential problems and WE EDUCATE OUR WORKERS as to the history of concrete blocks. This education guarantees that this kind of a problem won’t happen to you. We also INSIST on installing CLEAN OUTS which are access points set in the floor. These clean outs means that down the road you can maintain your system and “flush it out” every few years with a garden hose. It also means, heaven forbid, you have a problem with the drainage pipes clogging, that you WONT have to JACKHAMMER your floor you can have them snaked or jetted clean! Contrary to what you might have been told PROPERLY INSTALLED inside drainage systems can be the BEST solution when figuring all factors especially the Return On Investment. A PROPERLY INSTALLED inside system is also the preferred method for keeping concrete block walls from disintegrating, due to the fact that it allows for water drainage and keeps soil acid buildup to a minimum.

The last two systems are what we call “beaver” or dam systems that are installed either on top of the floor or just under the floor but on top of the footer that channels water from the walls to either a sump pump or to a floor drain. These systems are marketed to installers usually under the Basement Systems(TM) , Beaver Technology and Squid gee Dri labels, and in my opinion, offer the least protection to your basement.

The Baseboard systems that sit on top of the slab or on top of the footer have several basic flaws.

FLAW ONE: the slab is poured several inches up the bottom block, this means that when the installer drills the weep holes above the floor level the system allows water to keep sitting in the block up several inches which makes humidity which leads to mold and keeps disintegrating the bottom block from the inside out. The bottom block hold the entire weight of the entire house! The LAST thing that you want is that block to crumble -DISASTER!

FLAW TWO: when the cement finisher was troweling your cement floor X number of years ago the last thing on his mind was sloping the perimeter around the basement so 50 years later some guy could glue a gutter around the edge of the basement! What that means is since the gutter is basically level it allows for pooling along the bottom of the walls and is usually just glued into place without any type of pitch added. When the water lays in it in the low sections over time it will DISINTEGRATE or break down the bond between the floor slab and the wall. Eventually LEAKING again into the living space.

FLAW THREE: This system is still prone to the same weep hole placement errors as described above due to variations in the number of cores used in blocks over time.

FLAW FOUR: This system does nothing to drain water from underneath the slab or hydrostatic water from the exterior forced under the footing- it only partially drains the walls which is not good enough to stop MOLD from developing. The second hybrid system is the system offered by distributors of the Basement Systems(TM) called Water Guard this system is installed by breaking out approximately 6 inches of the basement perimeter concrete but digging no trench alongside the footing. The system has a flat drainage pipe that sits absolutely level on the TOP of the footing. The level drain tile will always allow water to sit in it and can contribute to the overall humidity in the room, creating the conditions that let MOLD thrive. This means that the lowest part of the pipe is the TOP of the footer completely failing to drain or eliminate ANY under-slab water whether from the water table or from the exterior of the wall being forced under the slab. In other words it only drains the wall and NOTHING ELSE! This system is used because it drastically limits the amount of labor used by the contractor saving him tons of money! In fact in many cases these contractors make more from this system than any other which is the reason so many of them will offer you a basically WORTHLESS system! It has been proven that the most effective inside de-watering system is one that is installed below the floor slab, and has been given an artificial pitch. It is just as important that when using one of these true under slab systems to correct the items commonly mistaken in the industry that are mentioned above, it is best to have a thorough knowledge of all of the systems at ones disposal!!!

Good luck!

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In shopping centres perhaps but not so in private gardens, Some people who do not like gardens clearly seize the opportunity and remove any evidence of green and replace it with a wall to wall car park. Fortunately the majority of people prefer to retain some no matter how modest aspect of a garden area within the new driveway scheme.

Fortunately many are looking beyond the immediate car needs and seek more and better defined garden green spaces to achieve a more visually appealing balance. Plants, shrubs and trees are very important elements within the task, so too are lawn areas. Alas with the lack of space the lawn is usually the first item to be removed or at least dramatically reduced in size to provide much needed space for car(s).

Another major design factor which can significantly affect the overall appeal of the end result is of course the choice of surface material. Granite considered by many as a premium natural paving stone makes an ideal surface finish for driveways. Advantages include uniform non slip surface, calibrated (consistent ) cut sizes, available in a range of colours and thicknesses, very hard wearing but easy to maintain. Can enhance a contemporary layout but looks equally at home in a classic formal or indeed rustic setting. A very important aspect is also the availability of granite in a range of forms including granite kerbing (ideal for defining planting areas/beds), granite setts which are used at entrances, ramps, to frame pedestrian paths, lawn edging/mowing strips, in fact setts can also be used as an alternative to kerbing as a raised edge for definition, contain pebbles or stone chippings within certain areas etc. Granite steps are available in a range of styles and finishes, with bullnose (rounded profile much nicer than the harsher flat or cut edge common with other materials).

This greater availability of variations allows one to develop very unique and attractive designs for the driveway. With so many formats form which to choose there is really no excuse for a wall to wall dull monotonous finish. Instead one should develop a design that defines driveway structure, proposed usage but equally important a layout which is attractive and compliments the owners house. Ideally the design aesthetics should exploit the various material forms in such a way as to provide an overall coherent look and finish. Subtle details like consistent narrow joints, accurate cutting, gentle but consistent curves are clear evidence of great skill and workmanship. Poor execution can destroy the overall results. Granite is unforgiving in so far as any and all errors will be evident, but done well, it is a superb, hard wearing and easily maintained surface.

Ultimately the success of any design will be largely affected by the quality of the installation. Nothing worse than seeing premium materials used poorly and in some cases wasted all because the installers did not have the expertise or pride to complete the task. Regrettably granite is more readily available than there are competent contractors to install the driveway. There are specialist landscapers who design and install driveways but here too research is required to identify suitable candidates.

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I was attending a business networking event the other evening and I ran across a friend of mine who is a chiropractor. Interestingly enough, this networking event was taking place at a bowling alley. The name of this facility is Super Bowl of Canton, and it is one of the top facilities in the state of Michigan and boasts that it has 60 lanes at this location. This place was jammed with bowlers. They had an excellent restaurant and as I learned from the manager, business was booming. Incidentally, the owner operates thirteen bowling centers in the state. Many people are not aware of this, but there are quite a few businesses that are booming in Michigan. They are very profitable and successful because they are providing the kind services and products that people need and want, despite the economy. The fact that these businesses exist, seems to be a quiet secret often escaping the news media.

Now, this chiropractor I have known for at least 20 years has had part of his marketing plan advertising in the local paper. As I looked at him and glanced around at all the people in the bowling alley, it occurred to me that this facility would be an excellent place for him to advertise his services. It seems the activity of bowling connected to back problems would make a great fit for a chiropractor. So, I asked him had he ever considered advertising in this bowling alley. He replied, “It never occurred to me. I don’t even know if they would allow me to advertise here”. I suggested he find out. Here is an example of how easy it is to miss an opportunity to anticipate where the need for your products or services could be used.

Another example is a business person I know who owns a jewelry store. She was expressing her concern about not knowing good places to advertise. She explained that wedding shows were not ideal, because she concluded that by the time a couple were engaged, they had already purchased a ring from some other jewelry store. I thought for a moment and asked myself where would someone find potential customers who would eventually want to purchase an engagement or wedding ring? How about a place where people are just starting the dating process? One place would be on-line dating services. So, I asked her if she ever thought about advertising with an on-line dating service? She said it never occurred to her.

A third example is a women’s fitness studio. Some of the places, its future clients could come from would be a hair salon, Weight Watchers, or a women’s clothing store. Any and all of these could be an excellent place to promote the fitness studio because their services compliment the fitness studio.

The final example, a wholesale tile company. This organization could develop business relationships with companies who would be involved in the planning of commercial building projects. Some of the relationships the wholesale tile company could target would be with architects and building planners. Another business field they could focus on would be homebuilders. These companies would use the wholesale tile company’s products as part of their offering to future homebuyers. The wholesale tile company would also develop relationships with and market to installers who work with the private sector and the home remodeling projects they would provide.

The advantage to taking this approach to locating and marketing to your future clients is a focused allotment of resources in areas that will provide you with the best return on your investment of advertising dollars or your marketing efforts.

I hope you see the value of approaching this activity in this way. Now, to grow your client base for your business, please complete the following exercise to help you get a better idea of where to spend your advertising budget and with whom to spend your networking time.

When it comes to your business, what and where are your potential clients now buying, which would logically lead them to the services or products you offer? Consider both physical as well as on-line locations to promote your products or services.

Your Business:

Type of Products or Services You Provide

Type of Businesses or People Who Are Now Servicing Your Potential Future Customers

1.

2.

3.

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Introduction

The primary function of the roof system is to protect against and manage the weather elements, particularly precipitation, thereby protecting the interior and structural components of the home. For the purposes of a home inspection, the roof system consists primarily of the roof coverings, flashings and chimney.

In addition to protecting the interior elements of the home the roof components should also be designed, in conjuction with the gutters and downspouts, to direct rainwater and runoff away from the foundation area, to help reduce the potential for soil erosion, compaction and water entering the basement area.

Because of the important functions this system provides, it’s condition should be assessed regularly, and maintenance provided when and wherever necessary.

Roofing

There are two basic types of roof construction, sloped (also called pictched) and flat. Most sloped roofs are covered with individual pieces of shingling material overlapped to prevent water penetration. flat roofs are basically watertight membranes that should have just enough slope to allow water to run off. The slope of a roof can be a factor in the life expectancy of the roofing material. The life expectancy of a roof covering is also dependent upon the type of material used, the quality of workmanship, exposure to sun and wear from tree branches, snow/ice and wind. For example, south and west roof faces have a higher wear factor than north or east exposures, highly reflective shingles tend to have a longer life expectancy, and cement or slate roofs last much longer than standard ashphalt shingles (and cost a lot more!)

Asphalt shingling is the most common roofing material used in residential construction in Canada. Other types of covering for sloped roofs include asphalt roll roofing, concrete or clay tiles, wood shakes and shingles, and slate shingles. There are also fibreglass shingles, metal shingles and metal sheet roofing systems.

Flat roofs are built up with layers of molten asphalt and felts, or covered with a membrane of modified bitumin or asphalt base, or plastics or rubber. Most are heat-sealed and some are glued.

Flashings

The purpose of flashings is to prevent the entry of water at areas on a roof where two components join together or intersect (i.e. one roof to another or a chimney thru a roof). Flashings can be constructed of galvanized steel, tin, aluminum, copper, lead or lengths of roll-roofing. The choice of flashing material will be dependent upon the construction of the roof and the material used for the roof covering.

Flashings will expand and contract, metal in particular, with heat from the sun and air temperature changes. They are also expected to move and stretch with typical building shifts. The areas where flashings are required are typically very vulnerable to water penetration. There is a high risk of water leakage and wood decay from a damaged, loose or poorly constructed flashing. For all of the above reasons, regualr monitoring and routine maintenance of the flashing areas is issential to preventing leaks.

Chimneys

The most common materials used in chimney construction are masonry and steel. Masonry chimneys can be brick, block or stone and are sometimes stuccoed or parged. Chimneys often have more than one flue. A flue is a separate and distinct channel for the smoke on the inside of the chimney. In most cases, each appliance within the house must have a separate flue. In certain cases, two gas furnaces on the same floor within a house can share a common flue, as can a gas furnace and a gas hot water heater on the same level. Some wood furnaces are designed to share a flue with an oil furnace, if at the same floor level.

Some flues are unlined in that there is masonry exposed on the inside of the flue. Unlined chimney flues are most common in houses built before the Second World War. These unlined masonry flues have performed reasonably well for fireplaces and oil-fired furnaces, however most have deteriorated beyond a safe condition. Gas appliances require a suitable liner.

Flue can be lined with clay tiles or metal liner. For more information about chimneys and chimney liners, refer to the “Heating” section.

Skylights

Skylights are windows installed into a roof, where the ceiling is vaulted with the roof, or where a well has been constructed thru the attic area, to provide a passage from the ceiling to the roof window. Ideally, skylights should be installed on curbs, projecting at least 6 inches above the roof surface, in order that proper flashings can be applied. Some skylights are manufactured with built-in curb and flashing assemblies. Sometimes skylights are installed flush to the roof. This configuration almost always leads to water penetration at the joint between the skylight and the roofing material. Frequent monitoring and regular maintenance of this joint are essential to reducing the incidence of water penetration.

Evestroughs (gutters) and Downspouts

(See “Exterior”)

Considerations

The component of roofs that is most vulnerable to early deterioration is the area around the flashings (chimneys, plumbing stacks, the intersection of two or more roofs, skylights, etc.) It is not uncommon for these areas to develop a leak well before the rest of the roof material has aged significantly. Also, because these areas are frequently made of metal they can be more suceptible than the rest of the roof coverings to damage from wind and expansion/contraction from freeze/thaw cycles. So while flashings may appear fine on the day of an inspection and the roof may be relatively young in age, the flashings should be monitored on a regular basis (at least semi-annually) to detect any changes in condition that may indicate maintenance or repair is necessary. Leaks left unattended can cause serious damage to other parts of the roof and structure.

Flat roof technology has been improving and some of the newer methods are predicted to last longer with fewer problems. However, as a generalisation, flat roofs are more vulnerable to leakage than sloped roofs. The traditional method of covering flat roofs with built up material does work, but it has a shorted life expectancy than some of the newer materials and there is an increased possibility of premature leakage. A primary factor in the life expectancy of a built-up roof is the workmanship of the installers. Built-up roofs with excellent workmanship will last up to 15 years, while the work of less skilled installers may develop problems in 5 years or less. A flat roof that is past mid-life may develop leaks fairly quickly. Because of this behaviour characteristic we recommend monitoring of flat roofs to detect signs or symptoms that may indicate imminent failure.

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The first digital signage company became involved with the cinema scenein 2007 with its initial LCD display selection and development of that product. Eventually it became more involved in the entire digital advertising scope of work given its capabilities and awareness of the focus required to manage a successful project.

Prior to the involvement of such media focused companies, kiosks were installed and maintained by various vendors and the servicing levels were inconsistent. Specialist companies became the key contact for all service issues by aggregating critical information from installers and other vendors into a Web portal. This opportunity enabled users to identify asset tags, service repair records and the installation status on all displays. Asset markings on all products helped track their location and maintenance analyses.

Using a Web portal enables a 24×7 online support services package that is offered with most display packages. Involvement on the front end is vital too. A key specialist team conducted an onsite survey which analyzed theaters, entryways, concession stands, and other public areas to determine the best locations and positioning opportunities. Once sites were selected and the right services and products identified, all technical analyses information on kiosks and their positioning was relayed, through the Web portal, to installers. This process enabled technicians to reference critical information while installing and or servicing kiosks at movie theaters.

Customized software can be professionally installed on media players, then delivered and staged for each location’s requirements. In addition, the service team may create an instruction manual that enables technicians at different sites to standardize the kiosk installation processes. Updates on installation and servicing are electronically emailed from this portal to sales and installation teams. A specialist movie theatre signage team will service maintenance requests, and provided daily status report updates via the customer specific Web portal. Post-installation, customer satisfaction surveys may also be collated and submitted to the theater management. By gathering intelligence, analyses and the demographics, on theater clients and kiosk performance and by standardizing installation and maintenance procedures, it enables the client to save on operation costs.

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Trailer hitch installation may seem like a difficult and confusing process, but it is much easier with the right knowledge and tools. Most people are able to successfully install their own trailer hitches without any help from a professional. In addition to the installation instructions provided with every individual trailer hitch, there are several universal tips that make the trailer hitch installation process as easy as possible.

Most experts agree that it is a good idea to very loosely secure all parts in their proper places at the very beginning of the installation process. This will reveal any obstructions on the vehicle and will confirm that all of the necessary parts are present and insure that everything is the correct size.

Next, it is a good idea to use a jack to give the vehicle ground clearance needed to install the trailer hitch. It may be necessary to loosen the truck’s bumper, exhaust system, or other parts to get the trailer hitch to fit into place. It is vital that these parts are retightened after the trailer hitch installation is complete.

Next, the installer must drill the appropriate holes in the truck’s frame. Sometimes, the holes are already present, but there is usually some drilling required. It is important to make the holes no more than one 1/16th of an inch bigger than the bolts that will fit through them. Before drilling, the installer needs to insure that they are not about to drill through any important components of the truck’s undercarriage.

Next, any electrical wiring must be installed. The hitch’s instruction guide should provide all of the details for this process.

Experts agree that it is a bad idea to make any modifications to the hitch frame. Drilling any holes in it or trying to weld it to the truck will weaken the metal and possibly make it unsafe to operate.

Trailer hitch installation is not a difficult as it may appear at first. It is vital that the installer follows all safety precautions when installing a trailer hitch.

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So which one is better? It is Takagi vs. Noritz or vs. Navien or Rinnai.

Let’s start with the technology. They all use the same technology, pretty much same efficiency, no secrets there. Noritz advertises the “Dual Burner” technology. Is that a significant advantage to others? No. It is like your old 4 barrel vs. 2 barrel carburetor. Here all modulate their burners to adjust for the desired heat and therefore desired water temperature. Turning off one set of burners off versus turning down all burners give you the same result.

I like the single burner actually better because it is less complex and of course less things to go wrong with the unit. The dual burner has no real advantage I am aware of. I like simple elegant solutions to problems. Less parts, less things to go bad and longer lasting, usually.

Takagi and Noritz are both made in Japan and do share some components and have ver comparable warranties. Rinnai is also made in Japan and has a different venting system that all the others. Better? Not really. One thing I like about the Rinnai is that it has the condensation trap built in. On the other units a lot installers forget or don’t bother to install it because of the additional cost. That condenasation trap if missing can shorten the life of the heat exchanger significantly and it is not normally observed by the customer that it is missing.

Rinnai has a very nice look to it. I sometimes refer to it as the Stainless Steel refigarator and the other as the regular. Rinnai is a bit more expensive that the others and has spend more money on branding and marketing.

Navien is made in South Korea and fairly new to the US. It has a better presence in Canada. It has some innovative features, like some with a built in small tank that lets you trickle hot water. That little tank acts like buffer and has a built in pump for that. Now is it better or does it heat the water better? Not in my opinion. As said Navien doesn’t have much history here but in Canada they had major recalls. Navien claims 98% efficiency, all others have about 94%. Is the 4% difference real? I don’t know. Does it matter? I don’t think so.

So at the end all these brands, Navien, Noritz, Rinnai and Takagi are technically very much the same. They deliver all very much the same amount of hot water using the same amout of heating energy. They also have pretty much the same warranties. It comes down to reliability and support in case something goes wrong. I personally like Takagi because of service. They have a toll free number 24/7 I can call. I don’t get the message ” We are closed now and please call us during regular business hours Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm and please leave us a message… beep”.

Now if something goes wrong Friday afternoon after business hours I want to be able to call someone to come and to fix it and not have to wait until Monday. One service we offer at an additional cost is that when something goes wrong you call US not the company and we come and fix it within a few hours, warranty or not. It gives a peace of mind to our customers because lets face it most people can’t do without hot water.

The most important thing of course is that the tankless water heater is only reliable when installed correctly; it is not like your old storage water heater that a couple of pipes are connected and it is done. It is therefore important to buy and have it installed by a company trained to do this with a good track record.

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