Just simple

Ultraviolet Water Disinfection System in Mexico

USA builders in China

"...an American builder with a sense of adventure and some business savvy could make a fortune."

Recent market data supports the idea. Annual sales of home improvement products and services in China hit $92 billion in 2004 - nearly double the 2000 figure - and are projected to climb to $122 billion by 2009, according to a study by the Boston Consulting Group.

That's opened the door to a flood of home improvement retailers, including Britain-based B&Q, Ikea, and Wal-Mart (Charts), which have all set up in the major cities. And Home Depot (Charts) has reportedly been courting Chinese home improvement chain Orient Home for a joint venture.

Despite the retail stampede, Chinese homeowners don't yet share the same do-it-yourself gene of their American counterparts, making the need for small finishing contractors even more alluring.

via Business 2.0

Leather with Plastic Chair

The white plastic chair is the most common chair in the world. It has no known designer and costs only 4 bucks. The design firm Front has combined it with a leather seat, to create an exclusive armchair.

The chair and prices are available at:

www.vlaemsch.be

www.frontdesign.se

When the oceans rise

What happens to real estate when the oceans rise?

firetree has created floodMaps with Nasa-derived data in a mashup with Google maps that shows coastline impacts at various levels of increase.

Check out your future!

via future feeder

Stack cars in your garage

The stack is powered by a 110 volt power pack that plugs into any wall outlet.

A 9′ ceiling will fit 2 cars.

Harding has been in business since 1968 with over 30,000 systems installed world-wide. Offers a variety of car & SUV lifts for residential and commercial use including below ground.
Facing terrific parking challenges, Bonn, Germany pioneered this approach more than 40 years ago.

Energy niche boom markets

From Future Pundit, these could easily be prescient statements:

There's a big demand for non-grid electricity. That electricity costs far more than grid electricty. Therefore electricity from solar photovoltaics does not have to become as cheap as big power plant electricity in order to compete. A substantial portion of the population will buy photovoltaics and batteries for their homes once the price allows them some feeling of environmental satisfaction or increased security against natural disasters. Some will also buy rooftop wind microturbines to generate home electricity from the wind.

As living standards rise for the upper middle class and upper class they find they have money to buy things they never bought before. So more people buy second homes, private jet flights, and other luxury goods. While some people buy big $50,000 SUVs others spend far less on a Toyota Prius in order to feel they are doing something for the environment and in order to signal that they are acting on their political beliefs by putting their money where their mouths are.

The combination of rising affluence and eventually falling prices for photovoltaic installations will drive installation of photovoltaics well in advance of when photovoltaics make sense purely from the price standpoint as compared to local utility electricity.

New wall surfacing

Iconic Panels are created using an innovative process of formed laminate over a carved wood core.

Incredibly durable, they can be sawn, nailed, screwed, glued, or simply mounted on walls.

b+n

Indoor Air Quality matters

Respirable Suspended Particulates

Respirable suspended particulates (RSP) are particles, organic and inorganic, that are suspended in the air and are small enough to be inhaled into the lungs. RSPs are also often referred to as PM2.5 or as PM₁₀s, particulate matter 2.5 microns or 10 microns in size or less.

The major source is tobacco smoke. Wood smoke is also a major contributor during the heating season. Unvented gas appliances and kerosene heaters also produce RSP.

There are no indoor standards for RSP. EPA has, however, established an annual average outdoor standard of 15 ug/m3 (micrograms per cubic meter), and a maximum 24-hour standard of 65 ug/m3 for PM 2.5’s. PM 10 standards are set at 50 ug/m3 for an annual average outdoor, and a maximum 24 hour standard of 150 ug/m³ for respirable particulates. As previously mentioned, these standards are often exceeded in indoor environments where smoking is permitted.

RSPs are comprised of many different compounds. Radon and benzo-a-pyrene, suspected carcinogenic agents, are transported by RSPs into the lungs. Gases or other substances may also be carried by RSPs into the lungs. Respiratory illness, especially chronic illnesses like bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma may be linked to, or aggravated by, exposure to RSPs.

A reminder from the State of Washington

Check fireplace downdraft!
Any black on hearth or wall is all the proof you need.

Bedliners and global warming?

Porous plastic protects coastlines from erosion

The spray-on polyurethane coating protects sea walls from the battering of waves during storms.

SEA walls designed to protect vulnerable coastlines from erosion by the sea are themselves at risk from the pounding of the waves. It's a problem likely to get worse if sea level rises or storms become more frequent because of global warming.

To protect these sea defences, the German chemical firm BASF has developed a spray-on polyurethane coating that is now being tested on the shores of the North Sea. Made by mixing two chemicals - a polyol and isocyanate - the coating can be applied directly to a loose layer of stone using a high-pressure spray, or mixed with crushed stone and sprayed in layers up to 30 centimetres thick. It cures in about 20 minutes, creating an elastic surface peppered with pores a few centimetres in size.

"In a conventional boulder and concrete reinforcement, the surface gets the full impact of the wave and starts to break away," ...

Hand-arm vibration

• Know the symptoms of hand-arm vibration. These may include: numbness, tingling, throbbing and pain in one or more fingers; fingertips that turn cool and pale or blue, and can go bright red; and difficulty picking up small objects and/or buttoning or zipping clothes.

• Be aware that these symptoms generally come in bouts, typically triggered by cold weather or by contact with a cold object.

• Know that tobacco use can increase the risk or severity of hand-arm vibration. Use hearing protection, and do not smoke or chew tobacco.

• Keep your hands and fingers warm. Wear anti-vibration gloves that cover all of your fingers, and make sure you have a proper fit.

• Hold chain saws and other tools as loosely as possible. Don’t excessively “grip” the tool.

• When possible, limit the amount of time you use vibrating tools

Studio in a Box

Acoustical foam provides the most cost-effective approach to controlling interfering reflections and noise.

To optimize the performance and appearance of conventional acoustical foam, RPG® patented an innovative profile design. This new nestable profile utilizes a Variable Depth Air Cavity (VDAC™) to strategically space most of the foam away from the mounting surface for optimum absorption efficiency and economy. By combining ProFoam™ and RPG®’s ProCorner™, a complete acoustical foam room treatment system is possible.

Epoxy repairs damaged house pilings

Fox Industries proves it's unnecessary to replace damaged wood. [pdf]

FX-70® System Selected to Restore Structural Integrity to Deteriorated Wood Pilings

FX-70® Jacket, FX-263 Rapid Hardening Trowleable
Mortar, FX-763 Trowel Grade Epoxy, FX-70-6 Pourable Epoxy Grout

Trucker's Hitch

The Trucker's Hitch (Lorry Knot in the UK and parts of Canada) allows the scout (or sailor or whatever) to easily tighten a rope, yet easily untie the knot. Its most common use is for tying loads (thus the trucker moniker) such as a canoe to a cartop, a tarp to trailer or any application where a very tight rope is needed. It provides the advantages of a block and tackle, without the heavy hardware.

To tie the knot, first make a single Figure 8 knot (red) in the middle of the rope. Loop the rope back through the Figure 8 (black line) and around whatever you will use for an anchor. Bring the end of the rope back through the first loop and pull like heck to make the whole thing tight. Finally throw a couple of half hitches (green) around both strands of the big loop to secure the knot. Even under the most severe tension, the knots remain easy to untie.

Scribe a crooked wall fast

Eagle: "This one-of-a-kind tool was designed to overcome the frequent woodworking problem of keeping your scribe at a constant distance from the profile or surface you want to copy. Sure, it's easy to do when everything is flat or at right angles, but what about when you are trying to fit your piece against a contour of any kind?

The Perfect Butt solves that problem. It comes with three different sizes of interchangeable tracing wheels which hold your pencil stable at its center and follow along almost any surface, keeping it at a constant distance from the profile you are copying and ensuring an accurate copy every time. Your pencil is also spring loaded so that it will remain in constant contact with your work piece whether it is flat or upright. About $30" M-Power