<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1980570189970503738</id><updated>2011-12-30T08:56:32.567-08:00</updated><category term='contractors'/><category term='plumbing'/><category term='masonry'/><category term='home contractor'/><category term='warm'/><category term='construction'/><category term='plumber'/><category term='concrete'/><category term='homes'/><category term='save'/><category term='american contractors'/><category term='homeowners'/><category term='contractor services'/><category term='contractor'/><category term='construction project'/><category term='pipes'/><category term='contractor service'/><category term='construction bid'/><category term='USA'/><category term='money'/><title type='text'>Home Contractor</title><subtitle type='html'>Share the best things for your home projects</subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://ourhomecontractors.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1980570189970503738/posts/default?max-results=100'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ourhomecontractors.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><author><name>Lori Smith</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>7</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>100</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1980570189970503738.post-2521944922541005764</id><published>2009-03-24T22:50:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-03-31T02:04:29.756-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='contractor service'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='contractor'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='construction project'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='american contractors'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='contractors'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='construction bid'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='construction'/><title type='text'>Contractor its works</title><content type='html'>&lt;div style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-3747682718bea08d" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"&gt;&lt;param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"&gt;&lt;param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"&gt;&lt;param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"&gt;&lt;param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v2.nonxt3.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D3747682718bea08d%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330298894%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D6C97FE64CBBBCA79AF8C179E9E37EA5CA938C31.2A84B151638EAAC3A37361F994A4DEA0B2A3F83E%26key%3Dck1&amp;amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D3747682718bea08d%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DUt04-xW8WXE8aEtLG1s_G49aQtU&amp;amp;autoplay=0&amp;amp;ps=blogger"&gt;&lt;embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v2.nonxt3.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D3747682718bea08d%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330298894%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D6C97FE64CBBBCA79AF8C179E9E37EA5CA938C31.2A84B151638EAAC3A37361F994A4DEA0B2A3F83E%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D3747682718bea08d%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DUt04-xW8WXE8aEtLG1s_G49aQtU&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /&gt;&lt;/object&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div face="trebuchet ms" style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"&gt;The True Blue Contractor.com offers Local contractors, home improvement, home maintenance, contractors, and house projects. There are a lot of benefits in True Blue Contractor.com like getting the &lt;a href="http://www.truebluecontractors.com"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;contractor&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; for your location. There are a lot of services offered by this site, and you will assure that you will get the trusted local contractor. Check more information in this video on how to join.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1980570189970503738-2521944922541005764?l=ourhomecontractors.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='enclosure' type='video/mp4' href='http://www.blogger.com/video-play.mp4?contentId=3747682718bea08d&amp;type=video%2Fmp4' length='0'/><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://ourhomecontractors.blogspot.com/feeds/2521944922541005764/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=1980570189970503738&amp;postID=2521944922541005764&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1980570189970503738/posts/default/2521944922541005764'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1980570189970503738/posts/default/2521944922541005764'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ourhomecontractors.blogspot.com/2009/03/contractor-its-works.html' title='Contractor its works'/><author><name>Lori Smith</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1980570189970503738.post-1768307961445519684</id><published>2009-02-24T00:10:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-02-24T00:53:50.029-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='american contractors'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='contractors'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='contractor services'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='construction bid'/><title type='text'>TrueBlueContractors.com work</title><content type='html'>&lt;div  style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;color:black;"   &gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"&gt;As we know that the TrueBlueContractors.com matching the safety of homeowners, fair and professional &lt;a href="http://www.truebluecontractors.com/"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;american contractors&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;  based on specific job type and place. Here is a video that might be helpful for the people to know how does the TrueBlueContractors.com work. The value of it in details.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-1bfafff53c58311d" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"&gt;&lt;param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"&gt;&lt;param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"&gt;&lt;param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"&gt;&lt;param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v16.nonxt1.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D1bfafff53c58311d%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330298894%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3DD42C7C6BBDC5BE0EE089A9CA8EA59FA252BFDD9.56A201E4B52D77FC749C7C2B5466A02EE94BE455%26key%3Dck1&amp;amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D1bfafff53c58311d%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3D8eil_SGcxO6ZUw76uaX8wsk2duc&amp;amp;autoplay=0&amp;amp;ps=blogger"&gt;&lt;embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v16.nonxt1.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D1bfafff53c58311d%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330298894%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3DD42C7C6BBDC5BE0EE089A9CA8EA59FA252BFDD9.56A201E4B52D77FC749C7C2B5466A02EE94BE455%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D1bfafff53c58311d%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3D8eil_SGcxO6ZUw76uaX8wsk2duc&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /&gt;&lt;/object&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1980570189970503738-1768307961445519684?l=ourhomecontractors.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='enclosure' type='video/mp4' href='http://www.blogger.com/video-play.mp4?contentId=1bfafff53c58311d&amp;type=video%2Fmp4' length='0'/><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://ourhomecontractors.blogspot.com/feeds/1768307961445519684/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=1980570189970503738&amp;postID=1768307961445519684&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1980570189970503738/posts/default/1768307961445519684'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1980570189970503738/posts/default/1768307961445519684'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ourhomecontractors.blogspot.com/2009/02/truebluecontractorscom-work.html' title='TrueBlueContractors.com work'/><author><name>Lori Smith</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1980570189970503738.post-1019441319125335414</id><published>2009-01-30T00:17:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-01-30T00:30:05.473-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='homeowners'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='home contractor'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='money'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='contractor'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='warm'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='american contractors'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='save'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='contractors'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='contractor services'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='construction bid'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='construction'/><title type='text'>Save Energy, Save Money, Stay Warm</title><content type='html'>&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uBe104yYn7I/SYK6D4Y9eXI/AAAAAAAAABY/aSTiQjMdX_c/s1600-h/13703499_bd33b04b2e.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 290px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uBe104yYn7I/SYK6D4Y9eXI/AAAAAAAAABY/aSTiQjMdX_c/s400/13703499_bd33b04b2e.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297000687580576114" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;(NewsUSA) - As temperatures dip lower, families can save money and keep warm by making energy-efficiency improvements to their homes.&lt;/span&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released essential tips for saving energy and money this winter to help Americans best prepare and manage their energy usage in a variety of ways. &lt;/span&gt;  &lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;According to DOE, on average, energy-efficient improvements reduce heating bills by 32 percent, estimating a threefold return on money invested. DOE offers these tips to help families cut their energy consumption this winter:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;- &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Seal and insulate your home.&lt;/span&gt; Many insulating projects are inexpensive and easy enough for the average homeowner &lt;a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.truebluecontractors.com/"&gt;contractors&lt;/a&gt; to complete. Filling air furnace leaks, adding more insulation and sealing off exposed ducts can sharply reduce heating and cooling bills. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;-&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt; Perform routine maintenance.&lt;/span&gt; Replace your home's air filter every month. Hire a &lt;a href="http://www.truebluecontractors.com/"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;contractor&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; to tune-up your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) unit once a year. Regular maintenance will reduce immediate costs and help units last longer. &lt;/span&gt;  &lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;- &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Install a programmable thermostat.&lt;/span&gt; A programmable thermostat will keep your home at a lower temperature when you are not home, helping to reduce your energy bills. &lt;/span&gt;  &lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;- &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Conserve hot water.&lt;/span&gt; Air-dry dishes instead of running your dishwasher's heat cycle, take short showers instead of baths and wash only full loads of dishes and clothes. Saving water also saves money on energy used to heat it. Turn down the thermostat on your water heater to 120 degrees F.  &lt;/span&gt;  &lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;- &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Look for ENERGY STAR appliances.&lt;/span&gt; DOE and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created the ENERGY STAR program, which evaluates buildings and home products for energy efficiency. ENERGY STAR products meet strict guidelines and can help save money and energy. If every homeowner installed just five ENERGY STAR lightbulbs, America would save $8 billion a year in energy costs. &lt;/span&gt;  &lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;- &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Watch your electronics&lt;/span&gt;. Turn off computers and monitors when you're not using them. Plug TVs and DVDs into power strips, then turn off the power strips when home electronics are not in use. &lt;/span&gt;  &lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;- &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Drive sensibly&lt;/span&gt;. Aggressive driving wastes gasoline. Using overdrive gears and cruise control are easy ways to save gas.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1980570189970503738-1019441319125335414?l=ourhomecontractors.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://ourhomecontractors.blogspot.com/feeds/1019441319125335414/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=1980570189970503738&amp;postID=1019441319125335414&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1980570189970503738/posts/default/1019441319125335414'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1980570189970503738/posts/default/1019441319125335414'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ourhomecontractors.blogspot.com/2009/01/save-energy-save-money-stay-warm.html' title='Save Energy, Save Money, Stay Warm'/><author><name>Lori Smith</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uBe104yYn7I/SYK6D4Y9eXI/AAAAAAAAABY/aSTiQjMdX_c/s72-c/13703499_bd33b04b2e.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1980570189970503738.post-8469776403528526273</id><published>2009-01-28T21:20:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-02-18T00:43:49.081-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='home contractor'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='contractor'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='american contractors'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='contractors'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='contractor services'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='construction bid'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='construction'/><title type='text'>Saving Lives Through Alternative Construction</title><content type='html'>&lt;div style="text-align: justify; font-family: verdana;"&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uBe104yYn7I/SYFBAOwNHTI/AAAAAAAAABQ/ObezpaqnecY/s1600-h/home.JPG"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 290px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uBe104yYn7I/SYFBAOwNHTI/AAAAAAAAABQ/ObezpaqnecY/s400/home.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296586108980501810" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;(NewsUSA) - A newly developed construction material could have Americans feeling safer in their homes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div  style="text-align: justify; font-family: verdana;font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The 3-inch-thick ACTech Panel, developed by &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Alternative Construction Technologies&lt;/span&gt;, combines strength and energy efficiency to create a building material that is able to withstand hurricane strength winds and ensure a 40 to 50 percent output reduction for heating and cooling devices in the home. The structural insulated panels are 26 gauge steel, conforming to &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.truebluecontractors.com/"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;american contractors&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; specifications. Yet, even with a two foot steel covering, weighs less than lumber at only three pounds per square foot.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;With many U.S. citizens fearing that climate changes have gotten more severe, the most durable construction materials are becoming a necessity in new home &lt;a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.truebluecontractors.com/"&gt;construction&lt;/a&gt;. Wood-framed homes are proving to be too fragile for strong winds and much too flammable when subjected to fire. The insulating urethane within the structural panels is modified by a fire-retardant additive before being foamed, baked and adhered into place, giving it a Class-1 fire rating. Unlike wood, the panels also resist decay, fungus, moisture and mildew. The Class-1 urethane also acts as a deterrent to termites, ensuring structural longevity.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In hurricane projectile tests, the ACTech Panel System has proved to meet or surpass the most stringent wind, projectile and uplift codes in the nation, levied by the 2006 Florida Building Code. But what makes these panels extraordinary in a day and age when sustainability is on everyone's agenda is that the panels allow the billpayers to see a substantial decrease in their energy bills. Not only are the panels saving labor costs and cutting &lt;a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.truebluecontractors.com/"&gt;construction bid&lt;/a&gt; time, but they are also reducing recurring monthly heating and cooling energy bills by 40 to 50 percent -; and often more.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;With Company Headquarters located in Florida, its manufacturing facility in Tennessee and regional offices around the Gulf States and South, Alternative Construction Technologies (OTCBB:ACCY) has patented this construction technology for use in the production of state-of-the-art buildings in commercial, residential, industrial and modular building applications.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1980570189970503738-8469776403528526273?l=ourhomecontractors.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://ourhomecontractors.blogspot.com/feeds/8469776403528526273/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=1980570189970503738&amp;postID=8469776403528526273&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1980570189970503738/posts/default/8469776403528526273'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1980570189970503738/posts/default/8469776403528526273'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ourhomecontractors.blogspot.com/2009/01/saving-lives-through-alternative.html' title='Saving Lives Through Alternative Construction'/><author><name>Lori Smith</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uBe104yYn7I/SYFBAOwNHTI/AAAAAAAAABQ/ObezpaqnecY/s72-c/home.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1980570189970503738.post-1086083553785127191</id><published>2009-01-27T20:59:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-01-27T21:26:56.072-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='plumber'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='homeowners'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='USA'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='home contractor'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='contractor'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='american contractors'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='pipes'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='plumbing'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='contractors'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='contractor services'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='construction'/><title type='text'>Prevent Cold Snaps From Snapping Pipes</title><content type='html'>&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uBe104yYn7I/SX_rnLvxtUI/AAAAAAAAABI/HUZBaWbFwl8/s1600-h/snappingpipes.JPG"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 290px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uBe104yYn7I/SX_rnLvxtUI/AAAAAAAAABI/HUZBaWbFwl8/s400/snappingpipes.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296210745211598146" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;(NewsUSA) - Upcoming winter weather brings charms with sledding, skating and snowmen, but when icy weather means plumbing problems, homeowners find themselves longing for spring. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div  style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;When temperatures suddenly drop, water in pipes can freeze. Water expands as it freezes, causing the pipe to rupture. When the pipes thaw, homeowners might find a nasty surprise, like a flooded basement.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;To avoid water damage from frozen pipes, homeowners should take the following steps:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;- &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Insulate pipes&lt;/span&gt;. Insulating pipes can mean immediate energy returns because insulation both keeps hot water pipes warm and protects cold water pipes from freezing. Homeowners with existing insulation should check it before cold weather hits -; if either the insulation or its tape looks cracked or crumbles to the touch, homeowners should consider replacement. If the pipes have either wire or tape heaters, homeowners should contact the pipe heater's manufacturer before attempting to insulate pipes.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;- &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Prepare for winter weather&lt;/span&gt;. Homeowners will not be watering plants mid-winter, so they should drain and store garden hoses and sprinklers before the first freeze. People planning to leave their homes should both turn off their water and keep their thermostat above freezing. Even well-insulated homes quickly reach freezing temperatures if left unheated.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;- &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Consider anti-leak technologies&lt;/span&gt;. Companies are developing new technologies that help prevent water damage. One product, the FloLogic System, acts like a circuit breaker for the home plumbing system. The FloLogic monitors a home's entire waterflow from a single position on the water main. When the flow through the system's sensor exceeds a preset limit, the system shuts off the water and sounds an alarm at the keypad. If connected to your security system, FloLogic will notify the monitoring service. Shutting off the water prevents flooding, saving you from potential costly repairs. Many insurers will offer discounts to homeowners who use the FloLogic System.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;If a pipe is already frozen, homeowners should turn off the water, slowly thaw the pipe, then call a plumber &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.truebluecontractors.com/"&gt;contractor&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt; to make needed repairs.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"&gt;Visit the TrueBlueContractors.com matches serious homeowners to safe, fair and professional &lt;a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.truebluecontractors.com/"&gt;american contractors&lt;/a&gt; based on job type and location. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1980570189970503738-1086083553785127191?l=ourhomecontractors.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://ourhomecontractors.blogspot.com/feeds/1086083553785127191/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=1980570189970503738&amp;postID=1086083553785127191&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1980570189970503738/posts/default/1086083553785127191'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1980570189970503738/posts/default/1086083553785127191'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ourhomecontractors.blogspot.com/2009/01/prevent-cold-snaps-from-snapping-pipes.html' title='Prevent Cold Snaps From Snapping Pipes'/><author><name>Lori Smith</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uBe104yYn7I/SX_rnLvxtUI/AAAAAAAAABI/HUZBaWbFwl8/s72-c/snappingpipes.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1980570189970503738.post-9201878017932184507</id><published>2009-01-26T22:40:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-02-23T00:40:51.710-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='home contractor'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='contractor'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='masonry'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='american contractors'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='contractors'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='contractor services'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='concrete'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='construction'/><title type='text'>Concrete Providing Foundation For Safe, Healthy Families</title><content type='html'>&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uBe104yYn7I/SX6xzBKjYpI/AAAAAAAAAAk/8WeIHyRatl4/s1600-h/masonryconcrete.JPG"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 290px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uBe104yYn7I/SX6xzBKjYpI/AAAAAAAAAAk/8WeIHyRatl4/s400/masonryconcrete.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295865701878424210" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span&gt;(NewsUSA) - Home safety is a major concern for many Americans. But safety should mean more than teaching the kids to stop, drop and roll and double-checking the stove before leaving the house. Americans who are building, or looking to buy, a new home can implement safety from the start by considering the construction of the foundation. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;When it comes to safety, building materials matter. &lt;a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.truebluecontractors.com/"&gt;Americans contractors&lt;/a&gt; should consider the area in which they live before choosing a construction material. For example, couples living in hurricane- or flood-prone areas shouldn't build wooden homes, which can easily suffer moisture damage. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;Concrete masonry &lt;a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.truebluecontractors.com/"&gt;construction&lt;/a&gt; has been proven to be a safe, sturdy building material no matter the region. Unlike wood, concrete masonry is water-, wind- and fire-resistant. Concrete masonry bricks do not succumb to insect infestations, like termites. In areas often afflicted by earthquakes, builders can create flexibility within concrete foundations, so they do not shatter when the earth moves. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;Concrete masonry also lessens indoor pollution, a major concern in many areas. Paints can emit harmful chemicals, but concrete bricks do not need to be painted. Concrete masonry does not absorb moisture in the air, which can lead to mold growth in other building materials. Mold is a major indoor air pollutant and irritant -; eliminating mold can lead to improved lung health in a home's residents. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.truebluecontractors.com/"&gt;Contractors&lt;/a&gt; living in concrete masonry homes might also enjoy improved economic well-being. Concrete masonry helps control indoor temperatures, keeping homes cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. In many areas, concrete masonry walls do not require additional insulation, saving homeowners money and reducing household dust.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Concrete masonry also dampens sound, making for a more peaceful indoor environment in urban areas.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;p style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1980570189970503738-9201878017932184507?l=ourhomecontractors.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://ourhomecontractors.blogspot.com/feeds/9201878017932184507/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=1980570189970503738&amp;postID=9201878017932184507&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1980570189970503738/posts/default/9201878017932184507'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1980570189970503738/posts/default/9201878017932184507'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ourhomecontractors.blogspot.com/2009/01/concrete-providing-foundation-for-safe.html' title='Concrete Providing Foundation For Safe, Healthy Families'/><author><name>Lori Smith</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uBe104yYn7I/SX6xzBKjYpI/AAAAAAAAAAk/8WeIHyRatl4/s72-c/masonryconcrete.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1980570189970503738.post-6877853236582274972</id><published>2009-01-25T21:49:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-01-25T22:39:24.451-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='homeowners'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='home contractor'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='contractor'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='american contractors'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='contractors'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='contractor services'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='homes'/><title type='text'>Prevent Mold in Your Home</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uBe104yYn7I/SX1VmRWUCMI/AAAAAAAAAAU/hEERAwuLvKg/s1600-h/homemolds.JPG"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 290px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uBe104yYn7I/SX1VmRWUCMI/AAAAAAAAAAU/hEERAwuLvKg/s400/homemolds.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295482852837951682" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;(NewsUSA) - The air naturally contains mold spores, which are part of the natural environment. Outdoors, molds help break down decaying organic matter. But when molds grow indoors, it can cause serious health problems.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;p style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"&gt;How does mold move indoors? When circulating mold spores land in damp, moist environments, like insulation around a leaking pipe, they start to reproduce. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;p style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"&gt;Once indoors, mold can cause or expedite heath problems, especially in people already prone to asthma or allergies. Ailments associated with poor indoor air health include respiratory problems, fatigue, headaches, pneumonia, greater susceptibility to other infections, sinus congestion, skin problems, and ear, nose and throat irritation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;p style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"&gt;Once mold begins to grow, it can never be fully removed. Certified professionals home &lt;a href="http://www.truebluecontractors.com/"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;american &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.truebluecontractors.com/"&gt;contractors&lt;/a&gt; can discover whether or not you have mold and identify the type of mold growing in your home. Still, the best way to stop mold is to prevent it in the first place. Environmental Service Professionals, a company that provides certified environmental home inspections, offers these tips to homeowners &lt;a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.truebluecontractors.com/"&gt;contractor&lt;/a&gt; looking to keep their homes healthy and mold-free:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;p style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"&gt;- Vacuum and mop frequently. Frequent cleaning can help remove mold spores before they have a chance to find moisture and grow. Pay special attention in kitchens, bathrooms, basements and laundry rooms.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;p style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"&gt;- Look for leaks. Make sure that your home plumbing system is in tip-top shape -; leaking pipes create the moist environments that facilitate mold growth.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;p style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"&gt;- Use your exhaust fans. Steam from hot showers or cooking can allow mold spores to grow, so open windows or use exhaust fans whenever you create steam. Make sure that exhaust fans carry moisture outside and not into an attic or crawlspace.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;p style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"&gt;- Watch your humidity. In most areas, keep indoor humidity at 60 percent in the summer and at 40 percent in the winter. Consider putting a dehumidifier in the basement -; basements often become cooler and wetter than other parts of the house.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1980570189970503738-6877853236582274972?l=ourhomecontractors.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://ourhomecontractors.blogspot.com/feeds/6877853236582274972/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=1980570189970503738&amp;postID=6877853236582274972&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1980570189970503738/posts/default/6877853236582274972'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1980570189970503738/posts/default/6877853236582274972'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ourhomecontractors.blogspot.com/2009/01/prevent-mold-in-your-home.html' title='Prevent Mold in Your Home'/><author><name>Lori Smith</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uBe104yYn7I/SX1VmRWUCMI/AAAAAAAAAAU/hEERAwuLvKg/s72-c/homemolds.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry></feed>
