from Moen Incorporated

Moen’s new single-function hand shower is available in two models: a full-flow, 2.5 gpm version, and a WaterSense certified eco-option with a 1.75 gpm flow. Its transitional design comes in either Chrome or LifeShine Brushed Nickel finish, with a matching finish on the spray face.

For more information, you can visit  Moen products

DAP® 3.0™ Advanced Sealant

Tried this on the job a few days ago and I was very impressed, but you must work fast with it and use paint thinner to wipe it. The flexibility of this caulk and adhesion are minutes. It definately blew silicone out of the water. Here are


All DAP® 3.0™ Advanced Sealants are specially formulated with Kwik Dry® Technology, allowing them to be exposed to water after just 3 hours without washing out. Other caulks and sealants may require a waiting period of up to 24-36 hours before exposing to water. Both DIYers and contractors alike can save time and money by finishing the job faster and reducing the chance for errors.
DAP® 3.0™ is the future of caulking technology. Along with its superior paintablity, flexibility and durability, DAP® 3.0™ Advanced Sealants are easier to tool and less stringy than premium silicone. Their outstanding flexibility and adhesion forms a waterproof and weatherproof seal that is able to expand and contract with temperature fluctuations without cracking. This makes DAP® 3.0™ ideal for sealing air leaks which in turn helps improve the energy efficiency of the home.
 
Here are the facts about DAP® 3.0™ Advanced Sealants:
•Permanently waterproof and weatherproof seal
•Cured sealant that's mold and mildew resistant.
•Outstanding flexibility and adhesion to a wide range of substrates without cracking.
•Superior paintability.
•Easier to tool and less stringy than premium silicone.
•Extreme weather and temperature application range for outdoor applications: -35°F to
140°F (White), -35°F to 120°F (Crystal Clear).
•Low odor and low VOC content.
•Lifetime guarantee

For More Information Follow this link

Final Design Completed For $150M New Brunswick Gateway Transit Village

A final design has been completed for the construction of the $150 million New Brunswick Gateway Transit Village, a 632,000-sq-ft mixed-use building located at the intersection of Somerset Street and Easton Avenue in downtown New Brunswick, New Jersey that will link the campus of Rutgers University as well as the larger community to the local train station.
Meltzer/Mandl Architects of New York designed the transit village and completed the final documents for construction on the project which first broke ground in January 2010, on behalf of the development team including New Brunswick Development Corporation and Pennrose Properties.
Gateway Transit Village required careful and detailed preparations to be made to ensure that the various levels would be built in a way that provided the right access for pedestrians and vehicles on its steep location, a 23-ft difference in grade. The transit village will include a pedestrian bridge featuring a large, iconic clock to illuminate the walkway between the building and the Rutgers campus, more than 120,000 sq ft of commercial space, a 657-vehicle parking garage, 58,000 sq ft of destination retail, and a 14-stoy residential tower that will sit atop a 10-story parking structure and contain192 residences. The residential tower will also be wrapped by offices and a series of street-level commercial spaces including those occupied by the Barnes & Noble College Bookstore for Rutgers, and offices for the New Brunswick Parking Authority and the Rutgers University Press.
“This new building will help bring renewed life to a site that is vital to New Brunswick, but has been under-utilized for far too many years,” said David G. Carpenter, partner and executive vice president at Meltzer/Mandl.
The building will be comprised of a series of discrete structural systems, including pre-case concrete for the parking structure and a steel frame for the residential tower and commercial spaces. The façade will have a series of prefabricated and thin brick panels, along with stone liners and steel channels.

“Pre-cast concrete parking garages are not typically designed to support taller and more complex structures above them; they are usually stand-alone buildings,” said David J. Stuart, project manager for Meltzer/Mendl. “In our case, we are retrofitting the entire complex so that the structure and building systems for each component work together.”

Government financing for the project is being provided by the New Jersey Housing Mortgage & Finance Agency, the New Jersey Department of Transportation/Liberty Corridor Program and tax credits through New Jersey’s Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit Program. Construction on the New Brunswick Gateway Transit Village is expected to be completed by January 2012.

Deck Collapses

Deck Collapses in Atlanta during a Birthday party, Good thing nobody got seriously hurt.

Doing Tile with Bondera

Bondera Tile-mat is a self-bonding sheet membrane that eliminates thinset mortar or mastic when doing tile work. It is very easy to use, all you have to do is peel the plastic shield on the back side and press it down, it bonds immediately to almost any surface. Then you apply tile to the surface by simply peeling the protective plastic on the front starting from the corner, and apply the tile, once tile is aligned, press harder for the stronger bond. The product is still new, not many contractors used it yet, but for DIY project is a nice try, especially when doing a smaller area like a back splash,etc.

You can obtain more information at Tiling with Bondera

New House Construction Update

It's been a few busy weeks, I didn't have time to make an update about New Home Construction. Things been progressing nicely considering the Holidays and rains we had during which the work was stopped. But now it's back on the roll and moving. Here is a few more updates.

Rough framing is completed. Today roof is being delivered to the job. They will start the roofing installation on Monday and they should complete the job the same day. Windows already waiting to be delivered, stairs will be delivered the beginning of next week. Tuesday basement and garage slab will be prepped for inspection and on Wednesday if it stay dry concrete slabs will be poured. So it looks like I will have a busy week.

Enjoy the weekend and I will keep this updated.

Stainless Steel Sinks with PermaDrain

This week we remodeled a kitchen, and we used a new sink with PermaDrain. This is a new new stainless steel sink made by Lenova company. They included PermaClean Drain System in to theirs sink design. The drain its self is a removable splash guards which is can be washed in the dishwasher dishwasher and it has a  strainer basket that seals to the drain fitting and the garbage disposal. Real neat design and the sink has a neat design and it makes a nice addition to any kitchen.

Deck Resurface

Another deck resurface job was completed end of this summer. Decking is Trex, Madeira color.
Old decking and railing was removed and disposed.

New decking material being properly spaced and installed.

The previous deck did not have access from the deck on to the lawn, so the new steps where installed with the gate and a concrete landing.

Decking job is complete

New Home Construction

I hope everyone had a good Summer, it was a nice and busy Summer for me, and I just started the construction of a New Home. I will keep it updated as I go along, so far I am into the 4th week of Construction.
Weather been good, no lost days, except for a few 1/2 days due to extreme heat conditions....So in two weeks excavation was done, footings poured and foundation work was completed.

The black stuff around the foundation is the Waterproof membrain I have been using on all my homes. First time I used this material, I was very happy with its performance, the home I built was located in the high seasonal water table area and during heavy rains and the last major flood we had, the foundation wall remained dry and the dranage around foundation walls was superb.

Week 3 the backfill was done, lumber was delivered on the job and framing stage of the job started.

The second floor deck was just completed on Wednesday, the job was stopped due to the Jewish Holiday in the area, Monday the second floor walls will  be up. and I will post another update on Monday or Tuesday. Have a great weekend everyone.

New Trex Transcend Decking

Trex Transcend Decking is an upgrade to Trex Accents brand. Trex Transcend decking came out this winter, and it combines a finish that resists stains, scratches and mold. The boards are thicker and heavier then the other brands of Trex decking and they come in two profile options... square and grooved. Grooved comes with the hidden fastener system. Square profile is screwed through the surface like the other brands. They also added to this brand a high-definition wood grain pattern which is more visible. It is like the rest of the Trex products, it won’t rot, warp,crack or splinter. They state that they added protective shell which will defend surface against fading,stain,mold and scratches.The entire Transcend decking collection is also backed by a 25-year Limited Fade and Stain warranty. In the warranty, they note light fading is possible but not as much as other brands.

I just used it on the first job and I like the outcome of it and so is the homeowner, who said the job came out better then they thought it would, after we added something  extra without additional charge to the homeowner and enclosed the entire surface under the bench as a little surprise. Here is a few samples of the deck before and after refacing job was completed.

The existing wood decking was removed because it was split and deteriorated on the surface. Existing original framing was in a very good shape and no signs of deterioration, so no additional work was required other then adding a few metal joist angles to reinforce some of the joist.

Bellow are the pictures after the job was completed using Trex Transcend Decking. Deck color in the pictures is Gravel Path.

If additional information needed, please visit Trex Decking Website or you can drop me a note at any time, I am a certified installation contractor for the Trex Decking Manufacturer.