Articles

With increasing demand for rental units, buying a home is now the cheaper and better option for you and your family. Invest in marble floors for your new home and improve your property's value today.

Buying is Cheaper than Renting in Most U.S. Cities

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Want to purchase new floor tiles?

Things to Consider before Buying Floor Tiles

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Construction begins on Veterans Memorial in Silver Spring Township

Published: Sunday, July 17, 2011, 3:18 PM   By PAUL KIESOW, For The Patriot-News The Patriot-News

Invited guests, township and committee members were on hand July 8 — with shovels in hand — for the official groundbreaking of the Silver Spring Township Veterans Memorial to be constructed in Willow Mill Park in Silver Spring Twp.
  
Despite the day’s downpours, the clouds momentarily parted for the ceremony, which went off as planned.
  

Dignitaries who participated in the ceremony included State Senator Pat Vance and U.S. Congressman Glen Grell.
  
The project has been in the planning process for four years and has reached the building phase.
  
When completed, the installation will be the largest veterans memorial within 100 miles of Mechanicsburg. It is slated to open at 11 a.m. Nov. 11, Veterans Day.
  
In the past four weeks, two major contributors have stepped up with large donations: $10,000 from the Derek C. and Margaret I. Hathaway Family Foundation and $15,000 from the Mechanicsburg Men’s Club.
  
In April, the Veterans Memorial Committee held a turkey dinner and silent auction that netted about $7,000.
  
About $65,000 is needed to complete the project, which has a revised projected cost of approximately $200,000 according to Veterans Memorial Committee Chair Kurt Minnich.
  
The memorial is to comprise an array of stone, granite, glass and masonry walls and other surfaces, one for each branch of the military: Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard, with each freestanding surface featuring a thick glass aperture upon which will be etched a silhouette of a serviceman.
  
The path through the array leads to a reflecting pool and American flag sanctuary.
  
Granite slabs of varying sizes are to be located along a walkway paved with commemorative bricks, both of which will be available to individuals and corporate sponsors at various tier levels: Engraved walkway bricks are $100, and granite wall squares start with a donation of $500 to benefit the memorial. 

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/07/construction_begins_on_veteran.html

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Want to remodel your Kitchen?

Bathroom Countertop Ideas


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Planning is always an essential part of any remodeling project. Here are some guidelines from the National Kitchen and Bath Association about spacing that you may want to keep in mind when planning your kitchen or bath.

Creating a Plan

     For many people, the hardest part of planning a kitchen or bath is trying to visualize the possibilities for the new space. A great technique for getting a picture of how your ideas will look is to literally sketch them out.

     Measure your space carefully, including window and door openings, projecting radiators, and the like, and use those measurements to draw your kitchen or bath and all its architectural elements onto graph paper. Each segment of the grid should be equal to 3 inches.

     Now comes the fun part: placing the templates onto the grid. Play with as many layouts as you can imagine, rearranging fixtures, cabinets, and interior walls however you like. You may find that all of the elements you’d hoped to include just won’t fit. Don’t worry. A skilled architect or Certified Kitchen or Bath Designer can often “find” space you didn’t know you had. This plan is, after all, only preliminary — one you will use later with your team of professionals to develop an actual design.

     When you sketch out a preliminary design for your kitchen or bath, don’t forget to plan for adequate elbowroom. The National Kitchen & Bath Association offers the following space planning guidelines on their website, www.nkba.com.

• Doorways should be at least 32 inches wide in order to pass through comfortably.
• Paths between objects deeper than 24 inches, one of which is a counter or appliance, should be at least 36 inches wide.
• Work aisles between objects deeper than 24 inches, both of which are work counters or appliances, should be at least 42 inches wide.
• Kitchens smaller than 150 square feet, allow at least 144 inches of wall cabinet frontage, with cabinets at least 12 inches deep and a minimum of 30 inches high (or equivalent). Difficult-to-reach cabinets above the hood, oven, or refrigerator do not count.
• Kitchens larger than 150 square feet, allow at least 186 inches of wall cabinet frontage, with cabinets at least 12 inches deep and a minimum of 30 inches high (or equivalent). Again, difficult-to-reach cabinets above the hood, oven, or refrigerator do not count.
• The sink should have at least 3 inches of counter space on one side at least 18 inches on the other.
• The edge of the primary dishwasher should be within 36 inches of the edge of one sink.
• The cook top should have at least 9 inches of counter space on one side, 15 inches on the other.
• Provide a clear floor space of 30-by-48 inches in front of the sink, dishwasher, cooktop, oven, and refrigerator. These spaces may overlap.
• In a seating area, allow 36 inches of clearance from the edge of the counter or table to any wall or obstruction behind it, if no traffic will pass behind a seated diner. If there is a walkway behind the seating area, allow for 65 inches of clearance, including the walkway, between the seating area, and any wall or obstruction.
• You should allow a 30-by-48 inch clear floor space parallel or perpendicular to the lavatory.
• Plan 48-by-48 inches of clear space in front of the toilet, and 16 inches of clear space to each side, measuring from the fixture’s centerline.
• Allow a clear space of 60-by-30 inches for a parallel approach to the bathtub, and 60-by-48 inches for a perpendicular approach.
• The minimum clearance between two bowls in a lavatory is 30 inches from the centerline of each fixture.
• The interior dimensions of an enclosed shower should measure at least 34-by-34 inches.

SOURCE: Article from:  http://www.marble.com/articles/creating-a-plan/
                                      www.marble.com

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NKBA Lauds Stone in 2011 Awards

 

LAS VEGAS – When there’s a win in 2011 with the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) annual Design Competition, there’s usually stone.
  With nearly 500 entries this year, NKBA judges reviewed the projects based on visual appeal and creativity, as well as principles of design, presentation, safety and ergonomics, using the NKBA Kitchen and Bath Planning Guidelines.

Each of the competition’s 10 categories offers first-, second- and third-place winners, as well as an honorable mention, in each category. Also this year, special honors cited designers  for best kitchen or bathroom/powder room; best before-and-after; best sustainable projects; best budget-friendly work; and, to get popular opinion, a new people’s pick.

Of the 34 award winners in the competition, 25 projects featured natural stone as a component.

The NKBA recognized the winners during a ceremony at the Kitchen/Bath Industry Show and Conference (K/BIS) held this April in Las Vegas.

The following selection shows some of the best work from the NKBA competition using natural stone.

All photos courtesy NKBA; © 2011 National Kitchen & Bath Association.

Click photo to enlargeBest Kitchen
Open Plan Kitchens, First Place
Chris Novak Berry
Emily Castle (co-designer)
brooksBerry Kitchens & Baths
St. Louis

A circa-1820s cabin now boasts a refined kitchen with elements including natural limestone flooring (at the sink) and walls, along with Typhoon Green honed granite countertops. (Photo by Alise O’Brien Photography)


Click photo to enlargeBest Bathroom
Large Bathrooms, First Place
Holly Rickert
Julia Kleyman (co-designer)
Ulrich Inc.
Ridgewood, N.J.

Inspired by the client’s admiration of the Japanese tradition of family-style bathing outdoors, this indoor installation features a whirlpool tub with in-line heater sitting in loose river rocks (and a fiberglass drain pan underneath). Natural stone also comes into play with the black slate countertops. (Photo by Peter Rymwid Architectural Photographer)

Before - click photo for AfterBest Before & After Kitchen
Savena Doychinov, CKD
Design Studio Int’l Kitchen & Bath LLC,
Falls Church, Va.

The new design created a better, more-convenient connection to the dining room and den, stopping ongoing issues with traffic jams in this kitchen’s hallway. It became all-access with seven opening in-and-out of the room; new features include honed Pietra gray countertops. (Photo by Bob Narod, Photographer)


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http://www.stonebusiness.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1759%3Ankba-lauds-stone-in-2011-awards&catid=21%3Aawards&Itemid=60