Protecting Trees During Construction

Whether it is new home construction or an extensive renovation, minimizing the impact on the surrounding landscape takes careful planning and commitment from both homeowners and contractors working at the site. Experienced builders are becoming increasingly sensitive to preservation of the natural beauty of a home site and many have perfected methods to minimize construction damage to trees, shrubs & other vegetation.

An Educated Consumer
As with most significant changes in industry, the move towards preserving natural beauty during construction is consumer driven. Most homeowners are very much aware of the positive effect that mature trees & shady areas have on their quality of life . . . not to mention property values. In new housing, buyers are increasingly requesting that their homes be positioned to take advantage of rock outcroppings & mature tree specimens. They are disenchanted with developments that offer dozens of homes scattered on a barren landscape, with just a couple of forlorn trees left standing strangely out of place.

It is no coincidence that home sites that border wooded areas are most sought after. During renovations & foundation work, there are often many landscape considerations. Often times trees & shrubs are planted near a home when it is built and they grow to be a perfect compliment to the structure. When that structure is expanded, it takes a talented builder and committed homeowner to retain the services of an experienced tree mover for relocation of living specimens.

It’s All in the Planning
In new construction, builders will typically develop a topographic map to show land grades, slopes, streams & areas of large rock. Homeowners can request that builders include the location of specimen trees, wooded areas & rock outcroppings on these maps, allowing for optimal placement of the home in relation to the natural beauty of the property. Dwight Mossman of Hobbs, Inc., a builder of distinctive homes in the northeast, recommends including trees greater than six inches in diameter on the topographic map. He also includes the species of the trees involved in order to maintain maximum outdoor visual appeal during all seasons. “My clients pay the same attention to outdoor details as they pay to indoor specifics,” Mossman explained, “They place a high value on landscapes that include mature trees since trees provide natural cooling & a buffer to the wind. My clients understand that specimen trees cannot be replaced and should be taken care of during construction. Careful mapping & injury prevention provides an enhanced product.”

Site management plans can include specifics on traffic flow & parking to minimize the impact of vehicles on the environment. In addition, construction fencing should be placed at the dripline of the tree, anchored as far from the trunk as possible. Visualize the tree as if the canopy were an umbrella- the drip line is where the water droplets would fall to the ground. According to Mossman, “Cabling & bracing may be needed when the stability of a large tree is compromised. It improves the tree’s chance of survival.”

Sources & Symptoms When tree roots are removed or damaged, or fill is placed on the soil surface, trees may show decline symptoms within a few months. Trees on construction sites are injured by: Lowering of groundwater

Compaction of soil

Removal of top soil

Loss or damage to roots

Damage to trunk & leaf crown.

Symptoms include small or off-color leaves, premature fall color, extensive water sprout development on the trunk & main limbs, dead twigs and eventually dead branches.

Naturally, the best way to protect trees on a construction site is to prevent, or at least minimize any changes that may cause injury. Trees that have been injured are best treated by first stabilizing their environment. Next, deliver the appropriate amount of moisture & avoid additional stress factors caused by insects & disease with an accredited plant health care program. Follow up with maintenance pruning, cabling, bracing & the implementation of a nutrient program designed to recolonize the soil with beneficial mycorrhizae and provide the nutrients required for healthy growth.

When homeowners & builders are committed to preserving natural beauty, they can work together to minimize the impact of construction & renovation, creating a home to be enjoyed both inside & out.

For more info about the company, visit the website SavATree.com

Used Porsche 911 Buying Tips

The following article is some handy hints of what to look for is you are buying a used Porsche 911. The used car market is full of sharks and certainly where high performance cars for sale, you can find that the prices are marked up on vehicles that are not of a high standard. Here are a few tips if you are specifically looking to buy a used Porsche 911 in the UK.

Service History
Unless the car is a really old classic Porsche 911’s from the 1960’s, I would always go for a car with a good service history record and copies of receipts from previous work that had been undertaken on the car. A used Porsche 911 without any service history is a risk and you do not want to be footing the bill for any major problems after the warranty runs out.

Check the Bodywork
Looks are always a big factor with used Porsche 911 vehicles, you want people to admire the car, any imperfections on the car will only stand out like a sore thumb. Older cars will have paintwork that is not perfect, so be prepared, especially the older reds that may have faded. What you want to look out for are stone chips and faded paint. Any high end dealer will fix minor imperfections for you, but make sure you tell them to do this before you pick the car up. Unscrupulous dealers won’t work on a car unless they have to. Any small faded areas on the roof and bonnet are a sure of bird droppings and owner neglect with storage and washing. Any used Porsche 911 should have impeccable bodywork as the build quality is very high.

Check the Tyres
When you get time at the dealers, check the back tyres for unusual wear. If the back tyres have flat spots and very worn, this could be a sign that the car has been thrashed by the previous owner or garage. Although used Porsche 911 vehicles are high performance machines, you don’t want to buy a mistreated vehicle.

Be Suspicious
If you are buying a used Porsche 911 from a garage you would not expect to be selling such a high end car, be suspicious how they acquired it. Find out by asking questions and make sure you do all security checks and HPI checks before you part company with your cash. If you are buying a used Porsche 911 privately, then be even more suspicious, vehicle crime is getting more and more sophisticated. A deal is a deal and its always worth going for a bargain, but that does not mean ignore specialist used Porsche dealers.

Spend Time on the Interior
Checking the engine and mechanical areas of a used Porsche 911 is vital. But don’t over look the interior of the car. Damage to the interior of cars can really affect resale values and are very expensive to repair. So take a long time to inspect the interior of the car, if you are looking at an older used Porsche 911 cabriolet, check for leaky roofs. Never feel rushed to inspect a vehicle and always go at your own pace. Tell the sales person to go and sit down and leave you to it if they are rushing you.

Remember that you are going to be paying a lot of money for your used Porsche 911, so if anything seems just not right, no matter how small. Walk away from the deal and never buy anything without checking out HPI and VIN numbers. If you have the money, get the AA or a mechanic to give the car the once over.

How To Make Your Fortune With Door To Door Sales

A lot of people look down their nose at door to door sales but actual measurement shows it is a very effective way to sell.

Knocking on doors to sell is no more of an interruption than any other form of advertising. Even TV and radio advertising interrupts your shows or music. Like ll other advertising and sales, if you product or service is needed by the customer, they are glad you came by. If they don’t need what you are offering, they view you as a pest and an interruption. For example, if your toilet started dripping and flooding just before a pluming company knocked on your door, would you be glad they came by? Sure you would. That’s why raising interest quickly is so important in door to door sales.

A Great Way To Get Through

Door to door sales will get you through to a decision maker. You won’t get voice make, receptionists or other gatekeepers to stop you. If the door opens, you got through and you have a few seconds to raise interest and tell them how you can help them. Door to door sales allows you to get through to people you would never reach any other way. Door to door sales also gives you immediate customer feedback. If too many people don’t like your approach, your price or your product, you can change it quickly.

Undivided Attention

When someone answers the door, you have their undivided attention for a few precious seconds. There is no other form of advertising that provides this golden opportunity. TV commercials interrupt the show. Many people leave the room. Newspaper ads are an interruption for people trying to read the news. Telemarketing calls are taken while people eat, watch TV and do all kinds of things. Only door to door sales gives you their undivided attention.

Impulse Selling

Door to door sales gets impulse sales. Most other forms of advertising require a person to think now and act later. For example, TV ads require you to remember the name and number of the advertiser and decide to call them later. The same is true of billboards, radio ads etc. Only door to door sales puts a salesperson with an order form in front of a customer you have convinced to buy right now. That is the miracle and the magic of door to door sales.

No Cost To Try

Unlike all other forms of marketing, door to door sales costs nothing to try. If you can knock, you can sell. This allows small startup companies to compete with the big dogs and can bring in immediate cash to new businesses.

Easy To Evolve

Unlike other kinds of marketing that may take weeks and thousands of dollars to change, door to door sales is easy to evolve and improve. You can change your presentation, your price and your approach before you knock on the next door. The cost of this market research is zero. Give it a try and see who salutes it.

Used By Respectable Companies

Some people fee that door to door selling is only used by swindlers but some of the largest companies use this medium successfully such as AT & T, Time Warner and many others. Be proud if you sell door to door. You are in a good group of sales companies.

Door to door is as American as the front porch and as friendly as meeting your neighbors. It is a great way to market, and it should be a part of every salesperson’s sales tools.

Construction Chemicals How They Are The Spine Bone Of Any Construction

A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY:

The construction scene is going through tough times in the United States of America. A large section of Hispanic population in America almost all the time work for free. Labors come cheap in some parts of the United States and a family from New York or California could invest really cheap in areas like Texas for as low an amount as one lakh sixty thousand dollars. Here is a bit of both positive and negative news which is that there is a rise in about twenty eight percent in the demand for new homes in February of the present year but a rise in only about three percent in the construction jobs.

Construction business is booming in Canada and also in the rest of the world. There is a surge in the building of apartments and residential complexes. In the rest of the world there has also been a positive growth in the firms of building materials, construction and engineering sectors. In Australia there has been a growth of about six percent last November thus heralding better days in the construction business in the days to come. The government in Australia has also been proactive in building new schools in the country and which served as the impetuous in the non residential construction sector. Analysts at the Commonwealth banks comment on the fact that the construction boom in any country could last for a whole two to three years adding a two to three percentage points to economic growth.

ABOUT A FEW CONSTRUCTION CHEMICALS:

Readymix concrete is a mixture of cement, aggregates and water. Concrete is basically a mix of paste and aggregates. The paste like component in the ready mix structure is made up of cement and water and also coarse and fine aggregates like sand and rocks. The concrete can be put into any shape. Ready-mix concrete can be used to build high-rises, sidewalks, superhighways, houses and dams.

We, at Krishna Colours & Constchem Pvt. Ltd. have been in the construction business for a span of ten years and more. We cater to both large and small scale construction business with our construction chemicals. We work on both repair and alteration projects. At present we are concentrating on the residential projects but planning to span out into the commercial construction projects. As admixture manufacturer in India our construction chemical industry provides the chemical solution to commercial, industrial, residential and infrastructural segments of industries.

As readymix concrete supplier in India we understand that quality is topmost in the mind of the builders and construction companies so we take care to manufacture construction chemicals in accordance to international standards. As admixture supplier in India we can say that admixtures are those ingredients in concrete other than Portland cement, water and aggregates which are added to the mixture immediately before or after adding. Admixtures can be of various types like water reducing admixtures, plasticizers, accelerating admixtures and such the like.

Material for construction is used in the construction industry for constructing buildings and structures. Material for construction is vital for any construction industry.

Gary Cardone Knows A Thing Or Two About Energy

Gary Cardone And His Contributions To The Energy Industry

Gary Cardone has been linked to the energy industry for quite a while. He has a long history with such major providers as Dynegy and Accord Energy.

After the profitable sale of Accord Energy Gary Cardone served to create Dynegy Europe which developed into one of the most productive U.S. energy companies operating in Europe. After three years of operations it had obtained 87% of the Storage of Natural Gas in great britan, had 600 staff members with power and gas positions in Germany and Holland with establishments in Switzerland, Spain, Italy and Holland.

Gary Cardone was managing director of Dynegy UK and Dynegy Europe. Cardone, who had been earlier director and gm of Energy Trading at Dynegy UK, took over responsibilities for all of Dynegy’s UK and European gas, power and crude oil trading and marketing activities and development of new business prospects.

When Gary Cardone was chosen as managing director of Dynegy UK and Dynegy Europe, Chuck Watson, chairman and chief executive officer of Dynegy, said, “We are pleased that Gary has decided to tackle the job of managing director as Dynegy moves to participate in the deregulating energy markets in Europe”

Gary did exactly that.

Cardone joined up with Dynegy in 1987 and relocated to London in 1994 in order to develop its European energy organization. The business began trading the U.K. and Scandinavian power markets.

Gary has worked in all sectors of Dynegy’s commercial activities across the US and Canada. Cardone joined Dynegy UK in 1993 and was a key component in the formation of Accord Energy, a joint venture between BG and Dynegy. When operational control of Accord was transferred to Centrica at the begining of 1997, Gary became director and general manager of Energy Trading in the recently formed Dynegy UK.

Gary Cardone ran lots of functions purchasing as well as managing gas acquisition with the North Eastern States, Gulf of Mexico and flows to California as well as imports from Canada. Left in 1993 to build up a business for NGCH in Europe.

Accord Energy was a joint venture whereby Gary was the architect of between British Gas PLC and Natural Gas Clearinghouse to exploit the inefficiencies inside gas and electric industry in britain.

Following the successful sale of Accord Energy Cardone helped make Dynegy Europe which became one of the successful U.S. energy companies doing work in Europe. After three years of operation it had acquired 87% of all Storage of Natural Gas in england, had 600 employees with power and gas jobs in German and Holland with office buildings in Switzerland, Spain, Italy and Holland.

Gary Cardone functioned as Commercial Advisor with a large Private Equity firm leading them on discovering deals on the sell and buying side. He focused on opportunity to co-invest, midstream acquisitions including pipelines, expansions, platforms, and divestments of gas and oil properties, midstream assets, and renewable assets.

Accord Energy was a joint venture that Gary Cardone was the architect of between British Gas PLC and Natural Gas Clearinghouse to take advantage of the inefficiencies within the natural gas and electric industry in great britain.

Auto Electrical Service Watch Out For These 6 Warning Signs!

If the six signs below look or sound familiar, your vehicle may beginning to have starting problems commonly associated with starters or alternators. It is time for some form of auto electrical service. As a lot of vehicle owners have learned from experience, ignoring problems doesn’t fix them, they only get worse! You may up with real car problems ranging from “slow” starts to a car that refuses to start at all.

6 Warnings Signs of auto electrical problems:

1. Dashboard Lights These lights are warnings that something needs immediate attention. Don’t ignore them, hoping they will go off on their own.
2. Strange Sounds If the engine is starting to make strange sounds, schedule an auto electrical service as soon as possible.
3. Burning Smell A burning smell could be caused by over-heating electric connections, indicating a circuit or fuse malfunction.
4. Dim Lights Dimming lights is an indicator of a failing alternator–the car battery can’t keep a charge to run the lighting system.
5. Dead Battery This is especially common during the winter months when lights are on for longer periods of time or if the lights are left on after turning the car off. A simple jump-start should take care of the immediate problem, but don’t forget to have your battery checked. Weak batteries can cause damage to starters and alternators.
6. Electrical Malfunctions — A broken connection or single little wire can lead to a series of electrical malfunctions. A simple auto electrical service, such as reconnecting an on-line fuse or connection can bring life back to your car.

** In the News…Southwest Airlines Will Use Renewable Jet Fuel From Forest Waste.

“According to the Green Car Congress, Southwest Airlines is the latest carrier to experiment with renewable jet fuel. It recently signed an agreement with Red Rock Biofuels to purchase low-carbon fuel made from forest residue. Southwest will buy approximately 3 million gallons of the renewable fuel per year, with the first deliveries expected in 2016 for use in the San Francisco Bay Area. Red Rock Biofuels’ first plant is expected to turn 140,000 tons of the forest residue into 12 million gallons of fuel per year.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines started using biofuel on flights between New York and Amsterdam last year, while South African Airlines and Boeing plan to test a tobacco-based fuel grown in the airline’s home country. In addition, Boeing is also involved in the development of “green diesel,” which is made by splitting molecules from waste oil and fats with hydrogen. All of these efforts could help lower the airline industry’s overall carbon emissions, which account for 2 percent of the global today. By some projections, that total could rise to 5 percent by 2050.” **

Having problems with starters and alternators? Contact our ASE Certified Technicians at Clausen Automotive by calling (608) 221-8321 or go on-line at http://clausenautomotive.com for more information about auto electrical service. Since 1975, our family-owned auto shop has proudly served vehicle owners in Madison, WI, and the surrounding communities.