Solar pavers

Imagine ... A city square by night, the paving is scattered with hundreds or thousands of tiny lights. Each light is set into the paving and sparkles and shimmers. Walking across the square is like walking over a magical glowing sea of sparkly lights. These are Tsola Lights. As well as looking beautiful, they have a huge technological advantage: they are powered only by daylight. During the day they use their internal solar cells to make their own electricity. There are no running costs, they must be the most environmentally friendly lights around.

The Tsola Lights turn themselves on automatically at dusk and run from the electricity they have stored up during the day. At dawn they turn their lights off and start charging up again for the next night.

Installation could not be easier. Because there is no wiring and no dangerous mains voltage, they can be set almost anywhere. Ideal for large outdoor areas like Leisure Parks, or for marking country walks, car parks, steps, drives. [via peterThink]

Self Contained Toilet

Unique toilets which utilize the best of both the permanent and portable toilet worlds.

Thetford Cassettes offer the built-in comfort of RV permanent toilets to vehicles without waste holding tanks.With a compact design allowing every square inch of vehicle bathroom space to be utilized.

A small door provides access to the toilet's waste cassette holding tank which slides out through the door.

Convenient handles make it easy to carry the tank, like a portable toilet, to a disposal point. The integrated pour-out spout then makes emptying easy and splash-free.

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This temporary toilet for use in emergency situations or remote locations is fully recyclable and biodegradable. It ships flat and can be air dropped or shipped in quantity. Plastic liners may be sealed for sanitary disposal; after the liners are used up, the base may be burned as fuel. * The height may be adjusted for elderly or disabled users by placing the unit on any stable surface.

"This is an extraordinarily accomplishment-a design that is elegant in its simplicity, addressing enormous social and environmental issues." - Imre Molnar, IDSA, Dean of Academics, College for Creative Studies or danielle.conte@artcenter.edu Credit: William Hsu, Art Center College of Design

Low tech water pump

The MoneyMaker-Plus Pump -- Due to the demand for an even lower cost pressure irrigation pump ApproTEC designed and launched the MoneyMaker-Plus pump in July 2001. This new very small leg operated pump has only one piston and one cylinder but can still pull water from 23 feet (7m) deep, has a total pumping head of over 69 feet (21m) and can be used to irrigate as much as 1.5 acres of land. The MoneyMaker-Plus retails in Kenya for 2,990 KSh. ($38) Over 4,050 Original-MoneyMaker pumps were sold. They are still being used to generate over $3.8 million in new profits and wages every year and they proved the potential of micro-irrigation in East Africa. However, this pump can only pull water from a well or pond and dump it into an irrigation furrow - it cannot push the water thru a hosepipe or up a hill. It soon became clear that Kenyan farmers preferred to irrigate with a hosepipe or sprinklers and wanted to pump water up to their fields on the sides of hills. So in October 1998 ApproTEC introduced the new Super-MoneyMaker Pump and this new suction and pressure pump superseded the original and the Original-MoneyMaker was taken off the market in February 1999.

Water Quality

Rain is a free source of crystal, clear water. With an average rainfall of 1.5m per annum across NZ, rain is an ideal source of water for New Zealanders. Until now there have been problems keeping rainwater crystal clear in a water storage tank. Connovation is in continuing development with various universities to engineer a system which will overcome the problems with rainwater harvesting.

The Tank Vac is an automatic water tank cleaning system, that works on the overflow of your water tank to vacuum that sludge from the base of the tank. It is a fit and forget system that does not use electricity and will require no maintence once installed.

Tank Vac Diagram
Local Government Magazine Articles

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Stormwater Management Electrocoagulation System™ uses controlled electrical current to remove multiple contaminants from industrial wastewater, washwater, and stormwater. Monitored and maintained by on-board control system, system reduces operator time by 95% and draws approximately 15 A on 230 V, 3-phase circuit at 5 gpm. Use of electrocoagulation water processing system results in nearly 100% of cleaned water that can be recycled.

Window shades

Spring roller shades can be used in any style of home from vintage Bungalow, Craftsman, and Victorian as well as Modern and Contemporary designs.

For 18 years we have been custom crafting roller shades using the finest heavy-duty wood spring rollers and traditional shade cloth. We also offer the application of hand stenciled permanent designs to these custom shades.

36" x 54" about $60 with trim.

Fast Glue

garymkatz.com: Fastcap recently introduced a revolutionary new fast-acting glue that sets in about 10-15 seconds. and is virtually unbreakable. I cut miters on the ends of several pieces of baseboard about 4' long and no one's been able to break one yet, at least not without stomping them on the floor.

Other Fastcap innovations:

Power caulking tools

The PowerCaulker adapts practically any drill (variable speed drills are recommended) for applying caulking or chinking with maximum productivity and minimum labor. Easily apply caulking or chinking in cold weather. No need for air compressors or bulky air lines. Reduces the risk of carpal tunnel and eliminates repetitive motion injuries. Made from heavy-duty aluminum, steel, and delrin parts. Drill not included. Pint $139.90 Quart $157.90 at LogHelp, wich has several caulking and chinking accessories, but the same tools is here at hotknife.com for $79 and $89.

Why Decks Turn Grey

The condition: Wood is often preferred for decks because of its appearance, stability and durability. However, without proper protection along with an ongoing maintenance program the deck will deteriorate and change color.

Salespeople as well as consumers believe in the legendary magical deck. Although a deck is subject to the same climatic conditions as the siding, windows and roof, etc., consumers often refuse to acknowledge that a deck requires maintenance. Imagine your laundry on a clothesline left to hang above your deck through a year of rain, wind, snow, air-pollution, etc. Would the clothes remain clean and beautitul because they were washed by the rain?

Likewise, would your once beautiful deck beneath the clothesline remain free from the elements that damage and change the appearance of the laundry? The average consumer somehow expects the deck to look beautiful without on going maintenance.

People will wash their dishes, vacuum their carpets, mow their lawns, wash their cars, etc. However, they rarely maintain their decks! What kind of logic is this? Common sense dictates that you must spend time, effort and yes, money; if you want to maintain the original appearance, the same as with your automobile. Imagine a new $20.000. automobile in your driveway that you have never washed, vacuumed or cleaned the windshield. Would that car always look new as a result of only being washed by rain? Weatherbos

Hinge helpers

The concept behind HingePoints is simple:

• Locate and attach one leaf of the hinge on the box or cabinet.
• Place ONE HingePoint between the leaves of EACH hinge.
• Position the door to make an impression where the hinge should be located.
• That's It!  You have accurately marked the hinge location.

In order to make an accurate impression in the lid or door, the leaves of the hinge must be at or very near parallel.  HingePoints have been engineered to do just that.  Each package contains two each of two different sizes that are precision machined from 360 brass to provide years of use along with complete instructions.  HingePoints will provide accurate location for most hinges requiring #4 through #6 screw sizes. $5.00

New flooring idea

Until recently, the only way to rise above the cold of a concrete slab floor was to  construct a wood subfloor.  Even then, a wood floor does nothing to combat dampness! But now there's a far better -- cheaper, easier and more effective -- solution. DELTA-FL  is a uniquely dimpled, heavy-duty grey plastic membrane that keeps you and your family warm and comfortable in your basement rec room, or any room in the house with a concrete, slab-on-grade floor.  It's a far better choice than a wood subfloor for so many reasons: COST: DELTA-FL is 40 to 50% cheaper than awood subfloor HEIGHT:  1½ inches lower than a wood subfloor WARRANTY:  comes with a 20 year product warranty. Link to manufacturer Cosella Dorkin.

Low cost building

Solar/Wind/Off Grid Sites

• Homepower Magazine
• Generation Solar
• Another World is Here
  

Straw Bale Links

• Camel's Back Construction
• Our Cool House
• Ontario Straw Bale Coalition
• Surfin' Strawbale Link List

So what is an off-grid passive solar home?
Off grid means that we are not connected to the electrical grid, water, sewer or gas mains. We are creating our own power with solar collectors and a wind generator. Simon at Generation Solar prepared a Load Analysis for us and specified a system to match. Our kitchen stove and back-up hot water heater are propane fired. On sunny days our primary souce of heat is the sun itself coming through the walls and heating the concrete floor. On cloudy days, we have a radiant- in-floor heating system. The pumps in this system use electricty so as a backup we hope to add an efficient wood stove or fireplace insert soon. Our hot water comes from a combination of two solar hot water heaters and a propane fired boiler. A large heat exchanger supplies hot water to the house systems and the radiant in-floor heating system.  Passive solar refers to a design philosophy that involves the proper positioning of the house to allow the sun to heat the house in winter but not in the summer.

Bottle cap tripod

/tripod/

Invisible speakers

Check out purSonic building materials which turn your walls into speakers.

Robotic sculpting

[via engadget]  Why spend days chipping away at a granite block when you can have a robot do ninety percent of the work for you? Studio Roc offers up its robots, computer controlled milling machines that can do the same amount of work in a matter of hours. They use either laser-scans of an original or prototype sculpture or a CAD file to direct the machines. Once the busywork is done a human artisan can put the final touches on by hand. This technology sees most of its use doing the busywork or changing the scale of a pieces for individual sculptors (present a ten-inch prototype and get a twenty-foot sculpture back), and with architects and contractors who want custom carvings but don’t feel like spending the time and money necessary for it to be done by actual people. Of course there are the common questions being asked, such as whether or not these pieces qualify as art and whether it’s ok to replace the craftsmen with machines (you know, the same questions people ask every time a new “art” technology comes out). Pretty soon it will just be the way things are done. Read 

Repair Historic Stucco

The Preservation and Repair of Historic Stucco: Anne Grimmer

Historic stucco mixes varied a great deal regionally, depending as they did on the availability of local materials. There are probably almost as many mixes that can be used for repair of historic stucco as there are historic stucco buildings. For this reason it is recommended that at least a rudimentary analysis of the existing historic stucco be carried out in order to determine its general proportions and primary ingredients. However, if this is not possible, or if test results are inconclusive, the following mixes are provided as reference. Many of the publications listed under 'Selected Reading' include a variety of stucco mixes and should also be consulted for additional guidance.

Lime should conform to ASTM C207, Type S, Hydrated Lime for Masonry Purposes. Sand should conform to ASTM C144 to assure proper gradation and freedom from impurities. Sand, or other type of aggregate, should match the original as closely as possible. Cement should conform to ASTM C150, Type II (white, nonstaining), portland cement. Water should be fresh, clean and potable. If hair or fiber is used, it should be goat or cattle hair, or pure manilla fiber of good quality, 1' to 2' in length, clean, and free of dust, dirt, oil, grease or other impurities.

Rules to remember: More lime will make the mixture more plastic, but stucco mortar with a very large proportion of lime to sand is more likely to crack because of greater shrinkage; it is also weaker and slower to set. More sand or aggregate, will minimize shrinkage, but make the mixture harder to trowel smooth, and will weaken the mortar.

Soft Lime Stucco
suitable for application to buildings dating from 1700 - 1850)
A.J. Downing's Recipe for Soft Lime Stucco
"The Architecture of Country Houses," 1850

• 1 part lime
• 2 parts sand
  

Vieux Carre Masonry Maintenance Guidelines June, 1980
Two Base Coats:

• 1 part by volume hydrated lime
• 3 parts by volume aggregate [sand]--size to match original
• 6 pounds/cubic yards hair or fiber
• Water to form a workable mix

Finish Coat:

• 1 part by volume hydrated lime
• 3 parts aggregate [sand]--size to match original
• Water to form a workable mix.
  
  Note: No portland cement is recommended in this mix, but if it is needed to increase the workability of the mix and to decrease the setting time, the amount of portland cement added should never exceed 1 part to 12 parts lime and sand.

Soft Brick Mortar and for Soft Stucco

• 5 gallons hydrated lime
• 10 gallons sand
• 1 quart white, nonstaining portland cement (1 cup only for pointing)
• Water to form a workable mix.

Traditional Natural Cement or Hydraulic Lime Stucco Repair

• 1 part by volume hydrated lime
• 2 parts by volume white portland cement
• 3 parts by volume fine mason's sand
• If hydraulic lime is available, it may be used instead of lime-cement blends. ("Conservation Techniques for the Repair of Historical Ornamental Exterior Stucco, January, 1990)

Early twentieth century Portland Cement Stucco

• 1 part portland cement
• 2-1/2 parts sand
• Hydrated lime = to not more than 15% of the cement's volume
• Water to form a workable mix.
• The same basic mix was used for all coats, but the finish coat generally contained more lime than the undercoats. ("Illinois Preservation Series No. 2: Stucco," January, 1980)

American Portland Cement Stucco Specifications (c. 1929)
Base Coats:

• 5 pounds, dry, hydrated lime
• 1 bag portland cement (94 lbs.)
• Not less than 3 cubic feet (3 bags) sand (passed through a #8 screen)
• Water to make a workable mix.

Finish Coat:
Use WHITE portland cement in the mix in the same proportions as above. To color the stucco add not more than 10 pounds pigment for each bag of cement contained in the mix.

Stepping stone recipe

Stepping Stone Molds By Garden Molds. Each recipe is enough for approximately one stepping stone.

Recipe #1 - Concrete without Aggregate
2 1/2 quarts Portland cement, white or grey
5 quarts sand, white or grey
1 3/4 - 2 quarts water

Mix the dry ingredients well. Slowly add water until the concrete is workable. Don't add all of the water at once- you may not need the full amount. Continue to add water until the mixture resembles a thick pancake batter.

Recipe #2 - Concrete with Aggregate
2 quarts Portland cement, white or grey
4 quarts sand, white or grey
3 quarts aggregate- rock, pumice, etc.
1 1/2- 1 3/4 quarts water
Mix the dry ingredients well. Slowly add water until the concrete is workable. Don't add all of the water at once- you may not need the full amount. Continue to add water until the mixture resembles a thick pancake batter.

Recipe #3 - Concrete with Perlite
Perlite is an ultra-light, glassy volcanic rock. Added to a concrete mix in higher percentages, it creates an interesting pock-marked, antiqued look in the finished stone.
2 quarts Portland cement, white or grey
3 quarts sand, white or grey
3 quarts perlite
1 quart water
Mix the dry ingredients well. Slowly add water. This mixture doesn't contain as much water as a standard concrete recipe because the finished stone should have a more open, porous texture. Therefore add water until the mix resembles a crumbly cookie dough. Press the mix firmly into the mold.

Hypertufa is a substitute for Tufa rock, a spongy rock found in limestone country. Though not as strong and durable as a standard concrete, hypertufa can be used to create some interesting finishes on stepping stones. If the stones are intended solely for decoration, you can fill the entire mold with hypertufa. If the stepping stones are intended for foot traffic, fill the bottom 1/2- 1 inch of the mold with hypertufa, then top the mold with a concrete mix. For extra stability and strength, lay strips of nylon sheeting or fibers in between the hypertufa and concrete layers.

Recipe #1

3 quarts Portland cement, white or grey
2 1/4 quarts sand, white or grey
4 quarts peatmoss
1 1/2 quarts water
Mix the dry ingredients well. Slowly add water. This mixture doesn't contain as much water as a standard concrete recipe because hypertufa has a more open, porous texture. Therefore add water until the mix resembles a crumbly cookie dough. Press the mix firmly into the mold.

Recipe #2

3 quarts Portland cement, white or grey
3 quarts peatmoss
3 quarts perlite
1 quart water

Mix the dry ingredients well. Slowly add water. This mixture doesn't contain as much water as a standard concrete recipe because hypertufa has a more open, porous texture. Therefore add water until the mix resembles a crumbly cookie dough. Press the mix firmly into the mold.

Old Stucco Recipe

The University of Michigan Detroit Observatory:
"The recipe for the stucco finish of many of the University buildings, including the Detroit Observatory, the four professors' houses, and the North and South College buildings, as well as other Ann Arbor buildings, such as the Lund house on Pontiac Trail, can be found in Dr. Chase's Recipes; or Information for Everybody. This book, published in Ann Arbor, was an international best-seller for several decades. The recipe can also be found on page 102 and 103 in A Creation of His Own: Tappan's Detroit Observatory, by Patricia S. Whitesell.

The fascinating recipe in its full detail follows:
First make up as much mortar as you need for the job, with good common lime; using only 3/4 or four-fifths, at most, as much lime as needed for common work--the other fourth or fifth is to be water lime; and not to be put in only as used. The sand must be course and free from loam or dirt.

To prepare the white colored washes, run off common lime enough with hot water, to make a white-wash to go over the whole job. This white-wash is to be colored the tint desired for the work. Be sure to make color-wash enough at one time, or you will find it hard to get the shades alike; saving a little of the white-wash without color, to pencil the seams, and also for specking, as mentioned below. The colors used are lamp-black, Spanish brown, or Venetian-red, as preferred, and these are cut or dissolved in whisky; then putting into the white-wash to suit.

When these washes are all prepared, wet up as much of the mortar as can be put on in 20 to 40 minutes, and mix in the fourth or fifth of cement, and put on as fast as possible; first wetting the wall very wet with water. Some cement will set in 20 and some in 40 to 50 minutes. When you see the time necessary for the kind you are using, act accordingly, and only mix the cement into as much mortar as your help will put on before it sets; beginning at the top of the wall with your scaffolding and working down, which prevents too much specking from the colors. Have a man follow right after with a float, keeping the stucco very wet while floating down level and smooth; and the longer it is floated and wet the better will be the job. Even after it is floated down well, keep a man wetting it with a brush until you get the whole line on, as the water-lime must be kept quite wet for some considerable time, to set properly.

Heed this caution, and if water never gets in behind the plastering from bad cornice or leaky roofs, it will never peel off. When this line of scaffolding is plastered, take out enough of the color-wash, running it through a sieve, and go over the plastering; lamp-black alone gives it a bluish-slate color; if a little of the brown is added with the black, it will be a little reddish, and if the red is used without the brown, it will be quite red.

I prefer sufficient of the black only to make a gray stone color. A brown, however, looks exceedingly well. If you choose, you can make one-half of the color-wash darker than the other--having laid it off into blocks resembling stone, by means of a straight-edge, and a piece of board about half an inch thick, paint every other block with the darker wash to represent different shades of stone. Some of our best buildings are done this way and look well.

Then to give it a granite appearance; take a small paintbrush and dip it into the white-wash, saved for this purpose; strike it across a hammer-handle so as to throw the specks from the brush upon the wall, then the same with black and red. Pencil the seams with the white-wash, which gives it the appearance of mortar, as in real stone-work.

Now you are ready to move down the scaffold, and go over the same thing as before. After the colors have been dissolved with spirits, they can be reduced with water, or what is better for them and the color-wash also, is skimmed-milk; and where milk is plenty, it ought to be used in place of water, for white-wash or color-washes, as it helps to resist the weather and prevents the colors from fading...

Speck quite freely with the white, then about half as much with the black, and then rather free again with the red. The proportion of lime, probably, should not exceed one, to six or seven of sand."

Working with Lime

Lime has been used all over the world as a binding material and as a surface protector of buildings for thousands of years. In Europe, lime was used in building for hundreds of years before contemporary cement was invented.

However, whereas cement is foolproof (in that any fool can use it), lime requires thought and an understanding of the processes involved in the slow carbonation back to limestone in order to use it successfully. The preparation and practice of lime work is simple, but variables in the materials themselves (the sand, the lime, and particularly in the weather during application and drying time) are crucial to the overall durability of the material.

Traditionally, knowledge about lime was passed down from one generation to the next and so built up a wealth of experience based on a sound knowledge of the material. Today, there are very few skilled craftsmen left living (I haven't found any women yet) who worked in those times, and we have to learn as best we can from what we have left. To some extent, that can lead us into an overly technical approach to what was essentially a practical and rather adhoc building practice. We are trying to specify exact lime/sand mixes when most likely what happened on-site was fairly rough and ready, except for the most prestigious jobs.

Limestone and Lime Burning
The raw material for lime mortars and renders is naturally occurring limestone, shells, or coral calcium carbonate (chemically CaCo3). The process of making lime putty from the raw material is relatively simple. Traditional, limestone is placed in a specially built kiln (sometimes a pit or a heap), layered with fuel such as coal or brush, and burnt for about 12 hours. At the end of the burning process, whitish lumps of calcium oxide are left, along with bits of burned and unburned fuel. Overburned limestone appears as black, glassy pieces, and these are removed and discarded.

The material needs to reach a temperature of 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit (1,200 degrees Celsius). At 1,650 degrees Fahrenheit (900 degrees Celsius), carbon dioxide (CO2) is driven off, and 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit (1,200 degrees Celsius) is required for the heat to penetrate through to the center of the stone. As it heats up, steam (H2O) is driven off, and a chemical change occurs. Heat acting upon calcium carbonate (CaC(3) produces calcium oxide (CaO) plus carbon dioxide (CO2). The chemical reaction is usually more complicated than this, due to other carbonates and silicates being present in the limestone, but it's important to understand the basic changes that are taking place at this stage.

Calcium oxide is very reactive and can be dangerous; it is called 'lump-lime' or 'quicklime' and may be left as lumps or ground down into powder. It must be kept dry, as it reacts very quickly with water — even the water in the air or the moisture in your skin — to form calcium hydroxide, which is the first step to reversing the process back to calcium carbonate. Just as making quicklime needed heat, the reverse process produces heat: calcium oxide (CaO) plus water (H2) produces calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) and heat. Quicklime added to water gives us lime putty!

How to Make Lime Putty
Always add quicklime to water.
Never do it the other way around.
If you do it backward, it can explode!

Recipe: 1 part quicklime to 2 parts water, by volume.

Great care must be taken in the making of lime putty. A mask, goggles, and gloves must be worn. The tremendous amount of heat that is generated produces steam and can spit lime.

The process of adding quicklime to water is called 'slaking.' In the method I use, only a portion of the water is used to begin with, followed by some of the quicklime. Two people are needed: one to pour the water and quicklime... [more]

Lime Masonry Specifications: "How Is Lime Specified Into Mortars?Portland cement/lime mortars are specified in two steps. First, the mortar type must be determined based on the strength required for the application. Secondly, a choice must be made between specifying proportions or properties listed in ASTM C 270. Graymont Dolime (OH) Inc.

Concrete colors

Listing of Concrete Colors and Add Mixes

Hilti gas gun

"Fast, light, and efficient, Hilti's gas-powered fastener gun shoots up to 1,000 fasteners an hour into concrete and steel.

Is this a good thing? The battery does not need to be changed or charged in the field; battery changes will be performed at a Hilti-authorized repair center.

The curved clip holds 40 fasteners; one gas cartridge will shoot about 750 fasteners ranging in length from 1/2 to 1-5/8 inches. The GX 100 has tool-free jam clearing. $895. 800-879-8000, www.us.hilti.com.

Copemaster

copemaster:
"The Copemaster is a revolutionary new tool for coping moldings.

It works like a key-duplicator: Insert a coped pattern into one side and a length of pre-mitered molding into the other. The stylus follows the pattern and a side-cutting saw blade recreates the cope. It's precise and fast. Tom McKeon, a trimmer for T&M Construction in North Haven, Conn., was among the first Copemaster users. 'We used Copemaster on a 12-bay coffered ceiling,' he says. 'What would normally take all day -- coping 48 inside corners -- I did in two hours.' $2,295. 800-630-1104, www.copemaster.com."

Mortar Mix tip

Magical Mortar Mix for Flagstone and Paving Brick:

"The hydrated lime you read about is a dry fluffy powder made by adding a very specific amount of water to regular lime and mixing the two in large mechanical mixing machines. The small amount of water activates the calcium oxide in the lime but does not turn it into a paste or putty. Mortars that contained traditional lime were often subject to popping, pitting or disintegration if they were not carefully proportioned and mixed. 

Hydrated lime takes the guesswork out of mixing mortar and as such is very user-friendly. You can purchase hydrated lime at full-service building supply business that sell cement, mortar, plaster and other basic building materials.

Hydrated lime is not a necessary mortar ingredient. You can make mortar with just Portland cement, sand and water. The mortar that I used to permanently attach my brick and stone to my patios did not contain any hydrated lime.

But adding hydrated lime to the mortar mix can be beneficial. The plasticity or workability of the mix is better. When hydrated lime is added to the mix, the sand and the cement do not separate. The final mortar is also more waterproof. Shrinkage cracking can often be eliminated or minimized when hydrated lime is added to the mixture.

Replacing 10 to 15% of the total volume of cement with hydrated lime usually produces optimum results. Keep in mind that the Portland cement is the glue that holds the flagstone and brick to the concrete patio.

Years ago many recipes I looked at suggested a ratio of three parts sand to one part cement for cement mortars. I altered that recipe and always mixed my ingredients 3 parts sand to 1.5 parts cement. After surviving 25 years of brutal winter freezing temperatures, my patios look like they day they were finished.

I am convinced that my recipe is one that will work for you as well. If you decide to use the hydrated lime, you can use this recipe for the mortar: 3 five gallon buckets of dry sand, 6.38 gallons of Portland cement and 1.12 gallons of hydrated lime. Blend these ingredients together well before adding any water to the mix. Add water slowly until you get a mixture that resembles regular bricklayers mortar. Only mix as much mortar as you can use in one or two hours. Do not add water to the mortar if it starts to get stiff.

Design Build increases

Remodeling Online - How Smart Companies Grow:
"Design/Build It, and They Will Come

 The flexibility of design/build has made it hugely popular with upper-end clients. The middle market may be next. There are four ways remodeling projects get designed.

In the first scenario, the homeowner hires an architect. The architect completes a design and supervises bidding out the job. The low-bidding contractor is usually awarded the project and the architect's pay -- 5% to 7% of the price of the job -- doesn't include job supervision. The second scenario involves the design/build contractor with an architect on staff. The contractor sells his company's ability to design and build the project in its entirety. The cost of the design is usually 4% to 5% of the estimated price. A third approach has the remodeling contractor subbing out design to an architect for a fee of 4% to 6%. The fee is either part of the estimate or invoiced separately to the architect. Lastly, many contractors -- or their most technologically astute employees -- design in-house, usually using a CAD program.

In the past 20 years, remodeling contractors catering to the high end have moved away from the architect-designed concept to a design/build approach. Design/build contractors have the ability to provide customers with services other contractors can't provide, such as redrawing the design if that's what's required to come in under budget.

For the past 10 years, I've suggested the middle market would be well served with predesigned projects in pullout/put back kitchens and baths, decks, sunrooms, and basement refinishes. Up to this time, most of the predesigned projects in the kitchen and bath segment have usually included a three-level approach for the customer. For example, a 5-by-7-foot bathroom would be presented with good/better/best price points, with five to 10 options on specific products for customers to select.

If the remodelers in this middle market don't seize the opportunity to bring the concept of this type of "adjusted" design/build to prospective customers, it's likely that the installed sales departments of The Home Depot and Lowe's, as well as lumberyards and distributors who sell direct to the consumer, will.

The design/build concept has revolutionized the upper end of the remodeling market, enabling those customers to receive quality design and expert installation at fair prices. Today, technology allows the concept to move into the middle and upper-middle segment of remodeling, as well. There's no question in my mind that the middle and upper-middle markets -- 60%-plus of total customers -- will soon move toward design/build.

Lead carpenter concept

Tricks of the Trade

Here are some tricks of the trade as practiced by contractors who have implemented the lead carpenter concept throughout the country.

What is water hammer?

Water hammer occurs a lot!

It is frequently recognized by a 'thump' or 'bang', usually throughout the water line (if you have copper pipes, you'll tend to hear the noise throughout the house).

Water hammer can be caused by a number of things. Many times a loose washer that is jumping around in the faucet or valve causes it. This can be fixed by identifying which valve is the culprit and fixing the washer. Other times it is simply caused by water traveling at a rapid rate and suddenly being shut off.

The best solution for this is to increase the size of the water supply thereby slowing down the water (a larger pipe being able to deliver the same amount of water in gallons per minute at a slower speed). If this is not possible, then many times a water hammer arrester helps. Sometimes the cause is excessive pressure and the best way to deal with that is to install a pressure regulator. In any case, please be aware that sometimes water hammer arresters will not solve your water hammer problem."

Window Leaks Rampant

JLC-Update - Notebook Article:
"Window Leaks Rampant, Canadian Study Reports

An intensive study of window performance carried out by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and the British Columbia provincial Homeowner Protection Office (HPO) reported last winter that most if not all windows are prone to significant water leakage.

• Manufacturing, building design, installation, and maintenance were all contributing factors:
• More than half of new windows let water get past the operable glazing in factory testing.
• In on-site quality-control inspections using a different test method, 35% to 48% of newly installed windows were found to leak through the window unit itself, through joints between the window and the rough opening, or both.
• The passage of time, not surprisingly, does not make leaks go away.
• After several years in service, the incidence of leaks rose because of deterioration and wear and tear.

Windows in homes performed worse than commercial windows: 100% of installed residential windows examined after years in service were found to leak either through the window unit itself or at points of attachment to the building. "

Victorian wood trim

Vintage Woodworks:
Victorian gingerbread
 house trim,
fretwork,
millwork,
porches
& screen doors.

"The largest manufacturer of solid wood
traditional millwork
for sale directly to the public."

Telephone power

Telco Powered Products: Just wait until there's a meter on your phone line!!

This site states: "The Phone Company is a FREE Source of Electric Power!"

All you need is a phone line from the phone company to tap this free hidden source of power. If you have two or more lines, you have that much more power available to you. In many cases, the phone company leaves disconnected lines energized with power, figuring that the new tenant or homeowner will need the phone line turned on when they move in. Instead of physically disconnecting the pair to the premise, they simply change the programming at the central office to remove the dial tone and the ability to receive calls. The power is still on the line! If you're already paying for a phone line, you don't have to pay anything more to make use of the power that's always on it when you have Telco Powered Products."

Electric cut out

Python Tools: "The Python Perfect Cutter lets you cut perfect, no-mess electrical holes in seconds instead of minutes or hours. We’re not talking about an incremental improvement here. We’re talking about a revolutionary new tool. Cutting electrical holes has always been a time-consuming, "pain in the you know what"! You’ve got to measure, mark, score, drill, chisel, saw, file, re-drill, re-saw…and then clean up the mess. And when you’re done, you still frequently end up with ragged edges or gaps, nicked-up fingers and a hole that’s a bit off-level or off-height. Starts at about $900. Expect more investment."

Note the wall-mounted template. A kit of these and a rotary cutter can improve short run production.

Steel cutting saw balde

Diablo Steel Demon: "Diablo Steel Demon saw blade for ferrous metal cutting cuts most steel less than 1/4 inch thick, including studs, pipe, and sheets. The blades' Super MicroGrain Carbide Blend teeth withstand impact, reduce wear, and last longer than standard carbides, the maker says. Other features include a Triple Chip Metal Cutting Grind tooth design that maximizes speed and durability and anti-vibration slots. Four blades are available; the three larger-diameter blades should only be used with dedicated low-rpm metal-cutting saws. Cost: $39 to $124. 800-334-4107. Freud Tools."

Woodworker robot

ShopBot: "ShopBot's line of CNC (computer-numerically-controlled) tools offer quality and dependability at a reasonable cost. Whether you intend to cut intricate, detailed, specialty items or want 40-hr continuous production, the ShopBot CNC router can help you get the job done. The original-sized PRT96, named because the cutting area covered a 4x8 sheet of plywood, is still our best seller although we now offer 4 other standard sizes. If you have limited space, check out the new BenchTop model. And for metal fabrication, see the Plasma Cutter. Each tool comes with assembly manual, ShopBot Operating Software, design software and free tech support. "

Drywall cutter

EZRip: "Feature-For-Feature the Finest Drywall Cutting Tool In The World!"

Landscape links

Garden Watchdog -- This site covers more than 3,000 gardening vendors selling everything gardening-related - from attire to plants to tools. Consumer ratings are currently available for over 1,300 of those listed so you can get an idea how reliable a given company has been.

Self aware housing

Aware Home Research Initiative: "Is it possible to create a home environment that is aware of its occupants whereabouts and activities? If we build such a home, how can it provide services to its residents that enhance their quality of life or help them to maintain independence as they age? The Aware Home Research Initiative (AHRI) is an interdisciplinary research endeavor at Georgia Tech aimed at addressing the fundamental technical, design, and social challenges presented by such questions. "

Door drill set

Door Boring Installation Kit: "Boring Jig Kit complete with basic fixture for Standard 2-3/8' and 2-3/4' backset positioning, 1' spade boring bit, 2-1/8' spur bit, 1-1/2' spur bit, 3/8' quick release adapter, 1-1/2' reducer ring, 1' x 2-1/4' latch mortiser,2-1/4' strike mortiser with full lip, steel strike marker, and heavy duty molded carrying case. $250.00"

Door installation jig

The Denpo Door Holder: "Introducing a new and innovative tool that will enable the user to secure a door while preparing it for installation. Simply place the door between the two 'L' members and the weight of the door automatically clamps it securely into place. The door holder will accommodate doors of varying thickness, from 1'1/8 to 2'1/4. The wheeled model allows a heavy door to be transported from one location to another with ease. Sheet goods such as drywall or plywood can be moved by simply placing the material in the holder as you would a door. This door holder is a quality product. Its paint is a tough powder coat finish that can stand up to the heaviest of shop activity. Made of heavy gauge steel, this holder can hold up to 300 Lbs. and will provide many years of heavy duty use."

Sick Home Syndrome

HOW HUMIDEX WORKS: "If your home has musty, stale odors you may have a condition known as Sick Home Syndrome. This occurs in homes with inadequate ventilation and excess humidity. In other words, your home is not breathing properly - as the EPA says it should for a healthy environment. Not enough air and too much moisture can make anything and anyone sick - including you and your family. Sick Home Syndrome usually leads to mold growth, as well as an accumulation of toxins, pollutants and gases. In addition, dangerous and costly structural damage may take place.Humidex is a mechanical ventilation unit engineered to exhaust the moist, musty and contaminated air that becomes trapped in the house due to the poor circulation of indoor air. Excess humidity can be removed by heating it, by condensing it, or by ventilating it. Heating and/or condensing excess humidity is expensive and seasonal at best. Ventilating excess humidity with Humidex technology is the inexpensive and most efficient year round solution. High relative humid air, Molds, Musty Odors and Gases are expelled to the outside via the Humidex unit, and replaced with Fresh Air."

Structural insulated panels

Beyond the box: "The structural insulated panels industry says the latest panels are energy efficient, easy to assemble, and strong. But can they produce stylish architecture? The Insulspan SIP walls and roof of this Michigan custom home handle the complex roofline and the 25-foot great room ceiling. Despite the large window openings, the natural gas cost per year is about $500 for heating, hot water, and appliances."

Moulding & Millwork Producers

Wood Moulding and Millwork Producers Association: "The Wood Moulding & Millwork Producers Association (WMMPA) is committed to 'Perpetuating America's Forests for Products and the Environment.' WMMPA supports a forest policy in America that features a reasonable set-aside for enjoyment by people and a balance with other living things. WMMPA also supports the principle of a renewable resource to provide timber dedicated to wood products for the public. WMMPA believes the environment can be served by both. WMMPA is committed to the protection and enhancement of the natural life cycle of our forest."

Another listing on eBuild.

Caffeine Alertness

Caffeine Alertness Comes At Cost Of Word Recall

By Randall Parker on Brain Enhancement: a study in the latest issue of APA's Behavioral Neuroscience

The increased level of alertness from using caffeine comes at a cost: When asked a question unrelated to your chain of thought you'll be less likely to recall the correct word for the answer if you are on caffeine. "In some conditions caffeine helps short-term memory and in others it makes it worse.

"It aids short-term memory when the information to be recalled is related to the current train of thought but hinders short-term memory when it is unrelated.

"If the word is unrelated then caffeine is still strengthening retrieval in the same way, but because it is unrelated to the word you want to find it is actually having a negative effect," she said.

Association of Lifecasters

Announcing a Captivating New DVD Collection . . . How to Create Amazing Life-like Castings and How to Create Ultra Realistic Face Casts Life casting artists create a How To DVD series for students, sculptors, special effects technicians and artists. This is the first two in a set of twelve. If you would like to do something exciting, yet different for a friend or loved one . . . immortalize them in forensic detail by creating a beautiful work of art lasting more than a life time. Two new DVD's show you the step-by-step process. Even if you are not artistic you can quickly learn how to cast faces and the nude and clothed female torso for fun and profit. "I'm not an artist yet these DVD's made it so anyone can start doing life casting. It was a lot of fun. I'm confident I can create face and torso castings for profit. Kudos to Ed McCormick and Dave Parvin," wrote Glen Galatan, a recent purchaser of the set. Endorsed by the Association of Lifecasters International BEST SELLER! Great starter kit for you or your child's hand or fingers. Includes molding and casting material and instructions.... More

iVERSION creates completely personalized sculptures for your most special occasions by using a laser scanner to scan you and reproducing the image on an automated sculpting machine.

Construction oriented mold and casting supplies:
thestampstore.com

Mission Style Listings

Makers of exceptional furniture & cabinetry
based on the work of Greene & Greene and the Arts & Crafts movement.

Yahoo's furniture maker's list.
Craftsman-style homes collection.
Excellent historic ceramic tiles.

Old Woodworking Machines

www.owwm.com. Old Woodworking Machines was founded as a public service to amateur and professional woodworkers who enjoy using and/or restoring vintage machinery. The site’s main mission is to provide information about vintage machinery that is generally difficult to locate. Information is contributed by users of the site and includes documentation of old woodworking machinery that is in user’s personal collections. And it’s a two-way street: If you have material that you would like to contribute to the site, you can do that, too.

Titebond III

REVIEW: NEW TITEBOUND III GLUE

The new Titebond III http://www.titebond.com is supposed to be waterproof – not just water-resistant like the great Titebond II. To test this, we exposed a panel made using the new glue to the rigors of water, heat and steam in a dishwasher. For comparison, we also made panels using interior-grade Elmer’s Carpenter Wood Glue and Gorilla Glue brand polyurethane glue.

The results were impressive. As expected, the Elmer’s glue joints failed during the first dishwashing cycle (because this glue isn’t designed to be waterproof or water resistant). The boards glued using Titebond III and Gorilla Glue were as sound as before the test, if a bit waterlogged. After five more cycles in the dishwasher, neither the Titebond III nor the Gorilla Glue showed any signs of giving up at the glue line.

Titebond III ($14 per quart) offers higher bond strength (4,000 pounds per square inch), longer open time (10 minutes) and lower working temperature (47°) than Titebond or Titebond II. The glue sands easily without softening, cleans up with water, passes the glue industry’s test for waterproof glues and is approved by the FDA for indirect food contact.

Little more care...

PLASTER CAUTION
Is horsehair the new asbestos? Apparently animal hair used in plaster may have been soaked in arsenic from tanneries, making plaster demolition particularly harmful to remodelers.

Black & Decker Pentair

Becoming the Center of the Power Tool Universe
By Peter Davidson on Web/Tech: Black & Decker moves closer to total power tool domination with the addition of the Porter-Cable, Delta, DeVilbiss Air Power, Oldham Saw, and FLEX brands acquired in their purchase of Pentair, Inc. for $775 million. B&D already makes DeWalt drills, Kwikset locks, Price Pfister faucets and 41 categories of home care and food prep products. Black & Decker is slowly becoming a consumer brand force to be reckoned with. I think we all need to watch them more closely.

Housing ideas

1. CSBR: Research
   Abstract: The Center for Sustainable Building Research (CSBR) at the College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, University of...
   www.csbr.umn.edu
2. FMF | Programs
   Abstract: The Fannie Mae Foundation's programs show the breadth and depth of our commitment to improving affordable housing and homeownership opportunities, especially for low-income and minority...
   www.fanniemaefoundation.org
3. HomeASTA: Welcome
   Abstract: The HomeASTA website provides free technical assistance and information on sustainable design of affordable housing to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development HOME grant...
   www.homeasta.org
4. A Community Guide To Basic And Cost-Saving Construction In The American Southwest
   Abstract: This book presents more than 30 cost-saving strategies for housing construction in the rural...
   www.huduser.org
5. KnowledgePlex: The affordable housing and community development resource for professionals
   Abstract: A comprehensive news and information resource for the affordable housing and community development field. Powered by Fannie Mae...
   www.knowledgeplex.org
6. Issues and Initiatives at National Trust for Historic Preservation
   Abstract: HISTORIC PLACES Save the Farnsworth House National Trust Historic Sites National Trust Associate Sites 11 Most Endangered Places Restore America Legal Advocacy Issues and Initiatives Chain Drugstores Historic Schools Housing Smart Growth Transportation Case Studies Barn Again Save...
   www.nationaltrust.org
7. NMHC - National Multi Housing Council
   Abstract: National Multi Housing Council is a trade association covering apartment trends, statistics, owning versus renting, smart growth, technology, finance, environmental issues, property management and building...
   www.nmhc.org
8. Smart Communities Network: Green Buildings: Affordable Housing
   Abstract: Text Only | Español Introduction Building Principles Building Programs Rating Systems US Building Efforts Affordable Housing Success Stories Codes / Ordinances Articles / Publications Educational Materials Other Resources Green Buildings -- ...
   www.sustainable.doe.gov
9. Resources
   Abstract: This selected list of Web sites will help you find information on topics related to universal design and accessibility. The resource list should be used as a guide to additional information. This list will be updated periodically, categories will be expanded and added. ADA...
   www.design.ncsu.edu
10. Resources
    Abstract: This selected list of Web sites will help you find information on topics related to universal design and accessibility. The resource list should be used as a guide to additional information. This list will be updated periodically, categories will be expanded and added. ADA...
    www.ncsu.edu

New Wave Sanding Discs

These oversized discs have wave-like edges that curl over the sides of a sanding pad, a design that helps prevent the edge of the disc from digging into the surface of the wood, particularly when working a tight radius. The stearate coating on the aluminum oxide grit discs helps to prevent clogging and extends the life of the paper. The paper is flexible C weight and has a loop backing. The size indicated is the diameter of the sanding pad the discs will fit. These are excellent quality sanding discs. Cost starts at $3.00 for 10 at Lee Valley Tools.

Paint Stains

acetone or denatured alcohol will soften latex
mineral spirits or xylene will soften oil-based paint

Acrylic concrete colors

smithpaints.com Smith’s Color Floor are waterborne extra strength stains manufactured as a decorative and protective coating for masonry floors. Formulated as a user-friendly alternative to hazardous solvent and acid-based stains, Smith’s Color Floor has increased vehicle solids for added strength while achieving a variegated natural appearance. Superior adhesion to interior and exterior concrete, plaster, and terra cotta allows the user to apply this coating a variety surfaces. The use of a concrete sealer is recommended to extend the coatings’ longevity. Smith’s Color Floor can be applied via airbrush, production gun, pump (bug) sprayer, sea sponge and traditional bristle brush. For best results, create a “mist” of Smith’s Color Floor onto the intended surface.

Printed Plastic

"Mass customization," contradictory though it may sound, has been successfully achieved in various niches of the manufacturing world for several years. The term refers to products coming off an assembly line that have been individually configured according to customer specifications. The same combination of customization and economy of mass production may be coming to architecture. ... full story continues online (9 images): http://www.ArchWeek.com/2004/0714/building_1-1.html

Flat drywall joints

The BUTTHANGER from FlatFast, Inc. is the ultimate answer to unsightly butt joints; the last real imperfection in drywall installation -- creates a recess to lay your tape and compound in so that the finished joint is perfectly flat and smooth. Journal of Light Construction has a forum discussion here.

Toxicology

Source: National Environmental Trust
Cabinet Confidential: Toxic Products in the Home
From the Press Release: "Toxic chemicals are widespread in consumer products often found in the home according to a new analysis by the National Environmental Trust (NET). The chemicals include many that federal agencies already associate with cancer, reproductive harm and neurotoxicity."
Read the report [PDF]
Read the Test Results

Floor Sander

u-sand.com: "Cherryhill Manufacturing's U-SAND is a newly patented four-pad sander that utilizes random orbit technology, which allows for easy sanding of wood flooring.

Unlike other commercial sanders, the U-SAND will not leave unsightly swirl marks and drastically reduce the risk of damaging a floor. Operators of this machine will notice a relatively dust free environment while easily maneuvering with or across the grain.

Even more impressive is that this one machine can do the job of a conventional sander, edger, and buffer."

Sonoscope Leak Detector

professionalequipment.com: "This lightweight and inexpensive Sonoscope amplifies sound waves in a simple, yet ingenious way. Use the Sonoscope to listen behind walls or through surfaces to detect leaking pipes and for pest control applications. Use on meters, hydrants and valves to check for leaks. The Sonoscope leak detector is an economical way to flag potential expensive leakage problems. $12.95"

Wood stove flue clearance

jlconline.com Can a double layer of drywall reduce the clearance distance between a stovepipe and a wall? In short, the answer is "No." You'll need a heat shield to reduce clearances to a woodstove pipe. JLC offers several practical alternatives.

Brownfields

hud.gov: "The Brownfields Economic Development Initiative is a grant program that HUD administers to stimulate and promote economic and community development. BEDI is designed to assist cities, large and small, with the redevelopment of abandoned, idled and underused industrial and commercial facilities where expansion and redevelopment is burdened by real or potential environmental contamination. Brownfields: Abandoned, idled or under-used real property where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by the presence or potential presence of environmental contamination. "

National Electrical Code

NEC 406.8 Receptacles in Damp or Wet Locations revised to read:

(B) Wet Locations
(2) Other Receptacles. All other receptacles installed in a wet location must comply with (a) or (b):
(a) A receptacle installed in a wet location must have raintight while-in-use cover (enclosure that is weatherproof with the attachment plug cap inserted) if stationary or fixed equipment is plugged into it.
(b) A receptacle installed in a wet location having a weather resistant cover (cover that is weatherproof when the cover is closed and an attachment plug is not inserted) is permitted, if portable equipment is plugged.

Online machine shop

emachineshop.com: "Download free software, draw your part, and click to order - it's that easy! Your part will be machined and delivered. Even better, your cost is low due to the Internet, software, and automated machines."

The ring plug

toyamadesign.jp The best designs are the simplest and the most intuitive. We found this in ID Magazine's Annual Design Review (honorable mention), and then hunted it down online as the winner of The Universal Design Competition at Japan's Toyama Design Center. Quite simply, the Ring Plug is Manabu Nishikawa's improvement on the age old home appliance plug. Designed around two rings, which allow you to easily slip your finger in and push or pull it in or out. So obvious, why didn't we think of that?