What is a Window Door Retrofit Technician?

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The pressing issues on environmental concerns often find its roots in the wrong decisions and lifestyles of people especially on their unconscious preference of throwing out or getting rid of certain materials in their immediate households. The green movement in its objective to save the earth from further destruction endorses the concept of reuse, reduce and recycle. Thus, a great alternative that would definitely boost this particular concept is the green job that most homeowners fail to recognize, the profession for window or door retrofit technician.

Window or door retrofit technicians are professionals who specialize in window or door component replacement in order to avoid eventual disposal of the whole thing. Some of the basic components that are replaced are the frame, glass and sash using new materials like double-paned glasses with low-E value, new sash and vinyl frame.

This method of window or door upgrade proved to be a very cost-efficient and practical way of preserving and retaining windows especially good lumber that it is made of. Thus, the concept is quite clear, the work of window or door retrofit technicians contribute to the preservation of trees and prevents more logging activities because the manufacture of windows would be lessened after all.

What are the work and importance of this profession?

Aside from the known contribution of window or door retrofit technicians in the advocacy of green movement, other benefits could be experienced by those who hire certified professionals in this milieu. Basically, those who purchase windows or doors and want to upgrade them for enhancement or fixture would need professional help in the installation and replacement of materials needed for the task.

– Window and door retrofit technicians have sufficient knowledge and training especially in citing necessary and required adjustments to be done on the window or door.

– Furthermore, they are skilled professionals who know how to properly replace woods and other components which may likely be due to termite-caused rottenness and defects.

– Qualified professionals or technicians know the proper and correct way of installing items which would eventually prevent instances of damage or something that would repeat the work over again. What are the certifications and trainings required?

Since window and door retrofit technicians are now in-demand amidst the prevalent economic and environmental crisis, more trainings and stringent standards are imposed to add to the eligibility of professionals who would join in this particular milieu. Here are some of the trainings and qualifications needed to be a certified window or door retrofit technician.

– Field Experience through regulated training and development. Make sure that the course you take is standardized AWDI accredited with qualified references, sufficient input and practical courses.

– Skill improvement seminars and courses are needed for remarkable customer service credited to a good product background and installation improvement.

– Installation instructions with standardized data are necessary for effective installation despite the variation in different manufacturer’s products and items.

Window and door technician therefore plays a salient role as a vital component that is not only necessary in the real estate industry but most of all as important contributors to the preservation of the environment particularly the trees.

Important Lessons That We Can Learn From Web Design For Mobile Devices

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These days, more and more people are making their website more accessible to users by making it compatible with mobile devices. With the use of smart phones continuously on the rise (and, therefore, the number of people browsing the net whilst on the go), this is becoming increasingly important. What have we learnt, however, from the web designs that have already gone mobile? Whilst these lessons can help us when creating mobile websites in the future, they could also change the way that we design in general.

  • Simplified Navigation

    • Think about a website that you have recently visited on a laptop and on your mobile phone – was there a drastic difference in the navigation? In many cases, the most complex and involved desktop navigation system can be narrowed down to between two and four buttons on a mobile web design. Often, this is because people searching on the go will have very different needs to those searching from their own homes – the elements that make it onto a mobile design are distinctly more task-orientated.

  • Shrink Content

    • Going back to a website that you recently visited on both types of devices, how did the content differ? In all likelihood, there was considerably less content on the web design that was created for the mobile device. In some sections, it’s likely that chunks of content were removed altogether. This has caused many people to question how necessary the content was to begin with, but it is important to keep in mind that these devices are targeting very different users.

  • No Gimmicks

    • Whilst there is a time and a place for gimmicks on the internet, the fact that they do not feature in mobile web design at all really just proves that they don’t serve a real purpose. Some of the gimmicks that frequently appear on main websites but are noticeably lacking from those that are designed for mobile devices include: splash screens, unusual navigation, animations and interactivity that lacks purpose, unusual layouts, and sections that can be scrolled individually.

Whilst these are only some of the lessons that have come out of past web designs for mobile devices, they are the ones that could easily be incorporated into websites that are designed for use on desktop and laptop computers. Whilst it may be necessary to include additional content and a few gimmicks from a marketing perspective, cutting down on fluff wherever possible is likely to give your users the best experience possible.

Ten Tips to Decorate a Room From Scratch

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As a professional interior redesigner and interior decorator, I often receive calls from frustrated homeowners who have tried in vain to put a room together. They may select a paint color and then experience trouble matching artwork, window treatments, and upholstery. As a result, they have spent money on costly mistakes. If you are trying to create that great looking room, here are some tips you should follow that will make decorating a room an enjoyable pastime.

1. Determine the function of the room. Are you going to be watching television, reading, entertaining, playing board games, relaxing, etc.? This will help you determine the focal point and the furnishings for the room.

2. Assess the size and shape of the room as well as any architectural features. Are the ceilings high or low? Do you have plant shelves or niches? Is the room small requiring certain shapes and colors to make it appear larger? Does the room have an odd – angled layout or is it a long narrow room which requires angling the furniture?

3. Determine the focal point. Remember to revisit the main function of the room -step #1. Do you have a television, exceptional piece of artwork, fireplace, or beautiful scenery which will serve as the main attraction in the room?

4. Determine the seating area. Your main seating piece should face the focal point. To create a conversation area, the other seating should be close to the main seating piece either adjacent, or across from it. Ideally, you should not have to walk through the conversation area to go across the room. The simplest seating arrangement would be two chairs on either side of a sofa facing a coffee table. Make sure your seating arrangement will allow for good traffic flow. Angling furniture can address odd-angled rooms, bowling-alley type rooms, or small square rooms.

5. Determine how many end tables, coffee tables and sofa or console tables you need in the room. Again think about the function of the room. Ideally you should have a table to place a drink within reach of each seating area.

6. Determine lighting needs. Ideally, you want to create a lighting triangle, for example, light from the ceiling and two other sources such as table lamps or floor lamps, to adequately light the room. To determine the amount of wattage needed for lighting the room, multiply the square footage of the room by 1.5.

7. Determine your leading pattern. This can be your upholstery fabric, rug, window treatment fabric, or piece of artwork. My recommendation would be to select the pattern from either the rug or the upholstery if you are truly starting from scratch.

8. Once you have determined your leading pattern, add balance by selecting your window treatments.

9. Use your leading pattern to help determine your ceiling, wall, and trim paint colors. Consider what type of mood you want to create in the room and how this color will play into the color palette you are considering for the entire home.

10. Accessorize the room with artwork, accent pieces, pillows, throws and greenery to really finish the look of the room. Remember to incorporate different textures such as wood, glass, ceramic, and metal.

If you follow these tips, your room should exude harmony and balance. However, if you are “decorating challenged” or don’t feel comfortable doing this yourself, contact a decorator. It will prevent you from making costly mistakes.

Cabinet Construction – Building the Recessed Base

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There are a number of ways to elevate your base cabinet to allow for a recessed toe-kick area. Some cabinetmakers build the tor-kick integral with the cabinet box. I prefer to build a simple box and then elevate it in one of two ways.

The first way is to use scrap plywood and simply build a base platform, usually about 4 inches tall and to a depth of four inches less then the depth of the cabinet. The base is constructed in a manner similar to the way a wall is framed on the floor before it is erected. But instead of studs that are 8 feet you are using plywood “studs” 18 inches or so in length. Once the platform is built, it is shimmed level, and screwed to the wall. The cabinet boxes are then placed on top of this level base or platform.

A second method that is popular is to use adjustable feet. This method is used in frameless cabinet construction and is easy to makes leveling your cabinets a breeze. The cabinet bottoms do have holes bored in them at the proper location, in order to mount the adjustable feet. There are several manufacturers of adjustable feet; my advice is to not select based solely on price. Even the pricier feet are cheap when considering the cost of the job, and they will make installation much easier.

There are a number of ways to level cabinet bases. The two described above are my two favorites, and in my opinion are the easiest to implement.