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Phone calls are pouring in to Fischer & Frichtel’s sales center at Talbridge, requesting information on the 2011 St. Jude Dream Home® Giveaway program.  Last year, the respected homebuilder was chosen to build the first Dream Home ever constructed in the St. Louis area.  The local campaign set a record for the nationwide event, and Fischer & Frichtel has been tapped for an encore.

This year’s Dream Home is a spectacular 4-bedroom “Wyndham” story-&-a-half, valued at approximately 5,000 and now at the framing stage in Village E at Talbridge.  The scenic 187-acre residential community enjoys a prime location on Friedens Road, east of Hwy. 94, in St. Charles.

Beginning June 16, a limited number of 0 raffle tickets will be made available to the public, with the Grand Prize drawing scheduled for September 9 on Fox 2-KTVI.  Tickets may be reserved at St. Louis area Regions Bank locations, online at www.dreamhome.org, or by calling 800-667-3394. All proceeds of the campaign go directly to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the world-renowned pediatric cancer research center in Memphis.

Tickets reserved by July 15 will be eligible for the Early Bird Prize, a hot tub valued at 99, and 19 other prizes, each worth 0 or more, will be awarded during the program.

On weekends from August 6 to September 4, the completed Wyndham will be held open for touring, and visitors will be able to register for the Open House Prize, a complete king bedroom set valued at 00.

The Wyndham is an all-new new design from Fischer & Frichtel’s Heritage Collection, with 3585 square feet of living area, a hearth room, first-floor master suite, and 3-1/2 baths.  The Dream Home is the first of this model ever built and is planned to include a sophisticated brick-&-stone elevation,

3-car garage, hardwood floors throughout the main level, a 2-story great room with window wall, designer kitchen with stainless steel appliances and solid surface countertops,; architectural ceilings in the study and master bedroom, and luxury Brizio faucets.

Community sales manager Lorre Schmidt reports that Talbridge is looking particularly beautiful this spring, with its landscaped parkway, lakes, creeks, gazebos, and “community greens.”  Fifty-two owners are in residence in the builder’s two villages, and several additional homes, including two Showcase Inventories – one a variation of the Wyndham Dream Home, are about to start.

Pricing at Talbridge starts from 9,900, and further details may be obtained by calling 636-946-3564, or online,

Have you always dreamed of having a large bathroom? Now that your children have moved out of the house, you can make this dream come true. This home improvement idea can be achieved by knocking out the bedroom wall or closet that may be right next to the bathroom. If one of your children’s old bedrooms is right next to it, simply hire a professional to knock the wall out. The professional will make sure everything is done correctly and you do not end up paying more money incase you try to do-it-yourself and another area of the house becomes damaged.

The professional that you hire can also clean up all of the mess and create one large bathroom that looks as if it was built this way originally. You may want to add a new hot tub for yourself, spouse or significant other. If you have children you may want to add a larger hot tub so more then two people can enjoy it at one time.

Once the new hot tub is installed the professionals that you hire can put the floor of your choice in. You may like tile as this looks rich and gorgeous. You will feel like a king or queen in your new bathroom. It is wise to choose tile with a texture so that when water is spilled onto the tile the person inside of the bathroom does not slip. This is an excellent idea as children can get hurt and as we age we do not want to slip and fall and break a hip.

You may decide to add gorgeous new granite countertops to your new luxurious bathroom. There are cheaper countertops that look like granite if you want to save a little money. Of course, other styles are available in countertops. You and the person you hire can go over the fine details together.

Perhaps you do not want a hot tub in your bathroom. You may opt to have a deck put in the back of your home. You can add a gazebo and put a hot tub on the deck or inside of the gazebo. You can enjoy starry nights outdoors while relaxing your weary muscles after a hard day of work.

Home improvement ideas after the kids are gone include adding a sunroom to your home. Picture another room added onto your home filled with beautiful furniture and green flowing plants. You can make this a nice and quiet room where you may read your favorite books. If you enjoy writing you can sit in this peaceful room that feels as if you are outdoors with all of the windows and write. Whatever your hobby may be from building birdhouses to creating jewelry, you can use the sunroom to get your creative juices flowing.

There are many home improvement ideas you can do after the kids are gone to turn your home into a sanctuary for you and your spouse or significant other.

Call Home Turf of San Diego at (800) 966-8873 to see the most realistic artificial turf products available and get a free estimate for synthetic turf installation at your home or business.  Artificial/Synthetic turf grass lawns have become a very popular alternative to natural grass.  A large installation service industry has emerged due to the high demand of Synthetic/artificial turf grass lawns.  There are so many companies installing artificial turf grass that the market has become very competitive and cut throat; which is good for end consumers in some ways but not good in others.  Each artificial turf grass company claims to be better than the next and each one seems to be telling consumers something entirely different.  There are many reputable artificial turf grass companies in the San Diego.  Home Turf San Diego makes it a practice not to bad mouth the competition.  Unfortunately for them, other San Diego synthetic turf grass companies do bad mouth everyone else.  As a consumer, when you hear someone bad mouthing the competition you should be cautious.  They are most likely on the defensive for some reason.  Possibly they are trying to justify their outrageously high price, or are trying to deceive you in some way.

Home Turf San Diego seems to hear the same thing from consumers over and over.  Some companies (not saying any names) claim that their products are far superior to all others on the market and all other San Diego artificial turf grass companies are inferior in some way or another.  This tactic seems to be quite successful for some San Diego artificial/synthetic turf grass companies.  Do not be deceived by some of these overpriced companies.  It is naïve to believe that in this great American economy there is only one company who is so far superior or can do something properly.  For example, is there only one car manufacturer who offers a great warranty, sells a car that can get you from point A to point B, in great style?  The answer is of course not.  Whatever your requirements and wants are in a car, there are several car manufacturers that make a car which meets all your specific requirements, and they compete for your business.  Exactly the same logic applies in the San Diego artificial/synthetic turf grass lawn/putting green market.  Artificial turf is much less complex than an automobile though.  If one company manufactures a synthetic/artificial turf grass product that is in fact superior to the others; that product will very quickly be replicated by other manufacturers.  Regardless of patents, there are ways in any business to do something or make something so incredibly similar, that serves exactly the same function, in an almost identical form.  It is naïve to believe that artificial turf grass products can’t be replicated, and that another artificial turf company can’t install it just as well.  Not to say that a consumer shouldn’t do their homework on various companies, because they should, but don’t believe everything you hear.  There are ‘spin doctors’ who do a great job of putting good products on a pedestal and making them out to be the best thing – the only best thing – since sliced bread.

Artificial Turf goes by many names (synthetic grass, synthetic lawns, synthetic turf, artificial turf, fake turf, fake grass, putting green, synthetic putting greens, artificial turf putting greens, home turf, astro turf, Astroturf.). Whatever term you use, artificial grass gives you years of lush looking, maintenance free landscaping and leaves you time and money to do the things you really enjoy.

There are also artificial/synthetic turf grass companies in San Diego who would have you believe that their one or two products are the best for just about any application.  For example an artificial turf company might tell you that their football product is the best for your dog/pet application, pool border, or general landscaping.  No one single product is best suited to every application.  Artificial/synthetic turf grass is not all created equal but there are many different varieties to suit many various, specific applications.  A football artificial turf grass product is often overkill or not as aesthetically pleasing as others, which are much less expensive, and will give you the same and more benefits.  Call Home Turf Artificial/Synthetic Grass Lawns of San Diego today for a free consultation and straight forward business at (800) 966-TURF!

1. Do not put water down the drain when there might be an alternative use for it such as cleaning, or watering a plant.

2. By adding food coloring to the tank you can check for leaks. If the toilet is leaking, color will appear within a 30-minute period. Check the toilet for corroded, worn out or bent parts.

3. After you wet your toothbrush, turn off the water. It is unnecessary to keep the water running while brushing your teeth.

4. When buying a new dishwasher, consider purchasing a water-saving model. New models use up to 25 percent less water than older ones, saving up to 4 gallons of water per load, and saving you money.

5. Verify that your house is free of hidden water leaks. Read your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read precisely the same then there is a leak.

6. Washing only full loads in the clothes washer is more efficient. Washing a small load uses over twice as much water per pound of laundry.

7. When washing dishes by hand, only leave the water on while rinsing a dish, not in between rinses.

8. Always se a broom, not a hose, to clean driveways and sidewalks.

9. Do not use running water to thaw meat or other frozen foods. Defrost food overnight in the refrigerator or by using the defrost setting on your microwave.

10. Water your garden either first thing in the morning or late in the evening; this will reduce the amount of water that is evaporated by the sun.

11. Insulating your water pipes will get hot water faster, as well as avoid wasting water while it heats up.

12. Water your lawn only when it needs it. A reliable way to see if your lawn needs watering is to step on the grass. If it springs back up when you move, it doesn’t need water. If it stays flat, the lawn needs to be watered.

13. Kitchen sink disposals require lots of water to operate properly. Start a compost pile as an alternate method of disposing food waste instead of using a garbage disposal.

14. Cover you pool. Using a cover is the best way to prevent water loss from your pool. Studies show that pool covers can reduce swimming pool water evaporation by nearly 30%

15. After boiling an egg wait for the water to cool down and then use it to water your houseplants. Your plants will benefit from all the nutrients that are released from the shell.

16. Put a plastic bottle filled with pebbles or sand in the toilet tank to reduce flushing water.

17. Even small drips can waste hundreds of gallons of water each day. Check all water using fixture frequently for drips.

18. Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants. Mulch will slow evaporation of moisture while discouraging weed growth.

19. Avoid flushing the toilet without need. Dispose of tissues, insects and other such waste in a wastebasket instead of the toilet.

20. Replace your showerhead with an ultra-low-flow version and take shorter (and perhaps fewer) showers.

Termites are a concern for homeowners in every state except Alaska. These destructive insects can slowly destroy the structure of a home, eating the very wood it’s made of and inflicting serious damage that can run into the tens of thousands of dollars, sometimes even requiring the destruction of the structure if the termites are allowed to stay unchecked. While termite eradication can be expensive, a few simple precautions can help prevent this; many of the typical preventive measures involve reducing or eliminating moisture and water near the foundations of the house.

The most common types of termites are the Formosan termite and the Eastern subterranean termite. Formosan termites, found chiefly in the Southern US, are subterranean termites that may nest either in the soil or in the wood of a structure. The brown reproductive termites swarm in the evening during May to July. Colonies of Formosan termites are large, with up to 5 million individuals. Therefore, they destroy wood faster than the Eastern subterranean termite. The more widespread Eastern subterranean termites live in smaller colonies and therefore tend to take longer to inflict damage. During the spring, the reproductives swarm and leave the colony. The reproductives are black and have a thick waist, their antennae are straight and both pairs of wings are the same length. These termites feed on wood, but nest in the soil, constructing mud tubes from their nests to the wood in structures.

Both of these varieties of termites depend on moisture for their sustenance, and build their nests in areas that have abundant moisture for their building and nourishment means. The pencil shaped tubes that they use to climb from the soil into the structure of a house are made of mud and must be kept moist, so eliminating excess moisture is crucial for termite prevention.

The first measure to implement is to remove any direct contact between structural or decorative wood and the ground. Any wood in contact with the earth tends to soak in moisture and become a magnet for the insects. Overhangs, decorative lattice work (typically used under porches and decks, and over the openings to crawl spaces), and support posts should be cut loose from the ground or given some kind of concrete footing, so that wood that has become moist from rain or run off does not attract termites.

Reducing and eliminating the water in the ground directly around the foundation is the next critical step. Putting in a slope to allow water to flow out from the house is crucial; homeowners should also consider the possibility of adding a concrete skirt around the foundation. Gutters and downspouts should be kept on good repair and adjusted to direct water as far out from the foundation as possible, and sources of dripping water such as air conditioners should be set up so that any standing puddles are eliminated. Splash blocks (which disperse water when it strikes the surface) are useful for this purpose.

While many homeowners use mulch, ground cover, and various forms of pea stone and gravel around their foundations for its beauty and practicality, these are an open invitation to termites. All of these substances serve to trap moisture and water under the surface, providing an ideal medium for termites. Mulch itself is not particularly attractive as a food substance to termites, but it holds water that attracts them. Contrary to popular belief, stone and gravel covers hold as much water under the ground as mulch, so this is not a useful alternative. If gravel or crushed stones are used, the cover should be no more than 2-3 inches deep, and there should be no contact between the gravel and the siding or wood components of the house.

Crawl spaces are prime staging ground for termites. Most building codes call for 1 square foot of vent opening per 150 square feet of crawlspace area. Moisture in crawl spaces can further be reduced by installing 4-6 ml polyethylene sheeting over about 75 percent of the soil surface. This cover will act as a barrier to evaporation from the soil and help prevent condensation of moisture on joists and sub flooring. If a crawlspace has a polyethylene vapor barrier, the total vent area often can be reduced to 1 square foot per 300 to 500 square feet of crawlspace area. There should be one vent within 3 feet of each exterior corner of the building. As with gutters and downspouts, vents should be kept free of leaves, dirt, and other debris, and should not be obstructed by vegetation. Although a homeowner can install these barriers themselves, it is not an easy job, and such vents and vapor barriers can be installed by most pest control companies.

If you think that a hot tub (called a jacuzzi by some people) would be a nice addition to your home, then you are not mistaken. It is a bit of a luxury purchase, but it is something that you will use regularly and which will raise the value of your home. These are some points that you need to consider before going ahead and buying one…

Price – How much a hot tub will cost you depends on how big it is and what features you want with it. You can get a perfectly good for one for 00, which will be big enough to comfortably accommodate five or six people at once. By paying more, you can get some cool extra features, such as fiber optics and speakers to play music from. As well as the price, you also need to think about the length of the warranty being offered. As hot tubs can be quite expensive to get repaired, it is worth paying a little more upfront for a hot tub with a long warranty.

Technicalities – Choosing a space in your garden for your hot tub and getting it installed is the hardest part of the process. Having it as near to your house as possible is advisable, and you should really lay some kind of foundations for it. A poured reinforced concrete slab works best as a base (which will set you back about 0), or a well-constructed level patio or deck. A standard 110 volt household current might be able to run the heater or pump on a five person hot tub, but not on all models. Therefore, you might require dedicated wiring of 220 volts. An electrician can take care of this for you, but they will need to do the work before the hot tub is installed, not afterwards.

Cover – It makes sense to buy a gazebo to cover the area where you install your hot tub, as you will then be able to use your hot tub all year around, and not just in the summer months. If you fit a gazebo with lights and a heater, and put some chairs and a table in it, then you can basically add another room to your house. A good quality one will set you back a couple of thousand dollars but, in the long term, that represents good value for money. It is not something that you have to decide on immediately though, as you can set one up any time you want after the hot tub has been installed.

Article by Silvan Baldur Bergeron

There are hazards of placing too much trust in municipal water supplies which a home water system can help you overcome. Water that comes out your household faucets is not always safe and it is unfortunate that many people realize this. Close observation and monitoring will show that at times the water in our homes may be tainted by hazardous contaminants. The microscopic pollutants pose the biggest health risk to members of your household. Simply seeing or not seeing anything out of the ordinary in your water supply is a poor way to determine if it is safe for consumption.

With a home water system you will not be weary of the water in your home. The units used in filtration can in several sizes and forms. Units can range from whole house, faucet mounted and stand alone systems which are typically used for drinking water dispensers. Of the three, the whole house system provides the most comprehensive solution for you home. Faucet mounted systems work on a specific tap only. Stand alone units are very common in offices. A faucet mounted home water system are easy to find, install and are relatively cheaper than the other units. They are unobtrusive and require minimal skills to install. Whole house water filtration systems typically require a professional plumber to install and are suited to home owners rather than tenants.

The right type of home water system depends greatly on the type of contaminants found in your water supply. They can be distillation, reverse osmosis or carbon based and all work well for specific applications. Contaminants can range from protozoan bacteria, industrial chemicals, heavy minerals and metals, agricultural by products, hydro carbons and debris. These unwanted materials and pollutants find their way into municipal water supplies through broken or rusted piping. They can also exist within your household water piping if your water network has sprung a leak somewhere. Contaminants are not only found in municipal water sources, they can also be found in private wells and boreholes. If you own a private well, having it inspected for contamination regularly is always a good idea. In addition have a professional plumber check the water plumbing network in your home for breaks or any openings that can led to tainted water. If your home is not the source of your water problems you can then get in touch with a filtration system installation company or your local municipal authority to help you get a detailed analysis of the types of pollutants that are flowing in your home water supply. You can also buy a water test kit and perform this analysis on your own. With this information, selecting an appropriate home water system that is both suitable to tackle your water needs and within your budget will be easy.

For more information regarding a home water system , please visit home water system

About the Author

For more information regarding a home water system , please visit home water system

Article by Silvan Baldur Bergeron

There are hazards of placing too much trust in municipal water supplies which a home water system can help you overcome. Water that comes out your household faucets is not always safe and it is unfortunate that many people realize this. Close observation and monitoring will show that at times the water in our homes may be tainted by hazardous contaminants. The microscopic pollutants pose the biggest health risk to members of your household. Simply seeing or not seeing anything out of the ordinary in your water supply is a poor way to determine if it is safe for consumption.

With a home water system you will not be weary of the water in your home. The units used in filtration can in several sizes and forms. Units can range from whole house, faucet mounted and stand alone systems which are typically used for drinking water dispensers. Of the three, the whole house system provides the most comprehensive solution for you home. Faucet mounted systems work on a specific tap only. Stand alone units are very common in offices. A faucet mounted home water system are easy to find, install and are relatively cheaper than the other units. They require minimal skill for installation and occupy very little space. Whole house water filtration systems typically require a professional plumber and since the cost much more, they are generally advisable if you own your home rather than pay rent.

The correct home water system to use depends on what pollutants exist in the water supply in your home. They can be reverse osmosis, carbon based or distillation systems however each are designed for certain applications. Pollutants can range from hydro carbons and debris, parasites, chemicals, heavy metals and agricultural by products. These unwanted contaminants upset the chemical compisition of municipal water supplies by entering through broken sections of piping. Your household water piping, if damaged, may also serve as an entry point for contaminants. Private wells and boreholes are also not immune to polluting materials. It is always a smart idea to have your private well reguarly inspected if you own one. In addition have a professional plumber check the water plumbing network in your home for breaks or any openings that can led to tainted water. If your home is not the source of your water problems you can then get in touch with a filtration system installation company or your local municipal authority to help you get a detailed analysis of the types of pollutants that are flowing in your home water supply. You can also buy a water test kit and perform this analysis on your own. With this information, selecting an appropriate home water system that is both suitable to tackle your water needs and within your budget will be easy.

For more information regarding a home water system , please visit home water system

About the Author

For more information regarding a home water system , please visit home water system

Article by M. Applebaum

Let’s face it, we are hearing more and more information on how unsafe our drinking water has become. Pure water systems for home use are increasing in popularity every day. One concern that many homeowners encounter is which pure water system to install because there are quite a few on the market.

The safest and probably most popular filtration system is a carbon filter system. You want to make sure that all the harmful chemicals have been removed from the water. In addition, any bacteria in the water should be removed as well.

Certain pure water systems do not remove all the chemicals from the water. A reverse osmosis system will not remove all the harmful chemicals and in fact, it will remove the essential minerals from the water. Therefore, this is not the best type of filtering system to use at home.

Carbon filtering systems come in various sizes for home use. There is a small style that is easily attached to a faucet or you can also purchase a whole house pure water system that is attached directly to access point where the water enters your home.

A carbon filtering system will not block essential minerals, as a reverse osmosis system will.

If you do decide on a carbon filter system for your home pure water system, then make sure you clean it on a regular basis because mold can form due to the dampness. They will also become clogged if not cleaned properly.

Since our water supply has steadily deteriorated over the last few decades, there has been a need for new and improved home pure water systems. One of those new systems is the use of magnetic fields that purify water by rearranging ions in the water. One drawback to this particular method is that the change in ionization is temporary so the water does need to be drank quickly.

Another new development in pure water systems is the use of infrared rays to purify water. The infrared rays give the water ions a negative charge and that changes the actual structure of the water that makes it safe to drink. These types of systems are used more in industrial settings than for home use.

Many people feel that bottled water is an excellent pure water system. However, this is not always the case because the regulations for bottled water are not as strict as what they should be, in some cases you are getting tap water sold as bottled water.

As you can see, home pure water systems are becoming more prevalent in today’s society. A good filtration system will remove the harmful chemicals and bacteria while leaving the essential minerals in the water.

About the Author

We provide the latest information on pure water systems and the benefits to everyone. We are passionate about finding information on the best possible home drinking water solutions. http://www.water-filtered-and-pure.com/By M. Applebaum

Article by Jamie Lyons

How many articles are there out there on how to improve your home? The answer is a lot. What follows is a quick article that pretty much sums all of them up. There are many variations on how to do up your home but they all basically follow the same theme:

Exterior improvements tend to be the most expensive and cover garden improvements and extensions. So what is our advice?

Gardens

This can be as big a project as you want it to be. You can simply cut the grass, turn the flower bed over and voila your garden will look better. When reading a how to improve your garden article you will probably be advised to re turf your lawn, pave an area of your garden and add a table and chairs, build a gazebo and maybe even add a water feature. This is really nice if all you want your garden for is to look at it from inside as you are too scared to set foot in it just in case you mess it up. In reality more people especially with families will do best if they stick to keeping it trim and tidy.

Extensions

This is a really big deal and is extremely expensive. Any article recommending this as an action will no don’t be recommending that you get the architects in and start thinking about building on top of the garage maybe, filing for planning permission and knocking walls down. A much simpler option would be if you just put up a conservatory. Conservatories add value to your home and due to the immense competition out there you can pick up a real bargain.

Interior improvements are where it gets really interesting and where most articles differ in opinion. It seems though that there is an under running theme on what most of them suggest so instead of listing them all below we have handpicked a selection that we found popped up on a lot of them:

Feature Walls

This sounds really funny but there were not many articles when discussing interiors that didn’t recommend a feature wall and is why we have included it at the top of our interior list. In short a feature wall is one particular wall in any given room that you give extra special attention to. This can take the form of painting it a different colour to the rest of the walls, putting wallpaper on it or hanging some art on it. The reason for a feature wall is to draw the attention of the person entering the room and hopefully getting the wow response.

Warm Colours

Not as popular as the feature wall but painting your house in warm colours can apparently help in all sorts of ways. Warm colours apparently relax you more and make people feel more comfortable. That and pastel colours seem to be the order of the day.

Plant Life

This will not be a surprise to anybody but plants appeared an awful lot when we did our research. Plants give that personal touch whilst absorbing CO2 and giving out oxygen so we can all breath better. As with the warm colours plants also promote relaxation and should be included in any home improvement program.

There were lots more interior suggestions but none that really stood out enough for us to include in this article. Whatever the case if you follow the above six steps then you should have a home that says you care about it and that others want to have.

About the Author

Written by Jamie Lyons when he should have been writing about cloakroom suites and and mono basin taps