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The housing market slowdown has prompted builders to seek price cuts from contractors in a bid to make new homes more affordable. By asking favorite contractors to charge less, or seeking bids from an expanded pool of contractors, builders hope to reduce costs by more than 10 percent. Contractors are playing ball because the alternative for them may mean no work. Builders are specifically trying to take advantage of a drop in lumber prices, which have fallen 6 percent in the last 12 months because of a slowdown in new-home construction, said Ken Simonson, a chief economist of the Associated General Contractors of America. With new-home closings falling four of the last five months in the valley, builders have cut back dramatically on home construction.
Any chore is easier if you know how to do it correctly. Here are pointers for some of the maintenance jobs on your fall checklist: Caulking A gap in an exterior wall lets heated air escape. Common places for openings include the edges of doors, windows and chimneys, the places where pipes or wires enter the house, and the joint between the foundation and the walls. Most of those gaps can be sealed using paintable caulk, although chimneys require a caulk specifically for that purpose. For openings that are too big for caulk, use expandable foam. Caulk comes in squeezable tubes as well as tubes that fit into a caulking gun. It's worth investing in a caulking gun if you're doing a big job because squeezing the trigger is easier on your hands than squeezing a tube.
Crewe host 13th placed Gillingham looking to make it 8 wins out of 11. 4 wins out of 6 has helped Gillingham recover from a dreadful start which saw them lose 4 of their first 5 games. Both sides have 17 points, but Crewe's goal difference of +3 leaves them 3 places higher than Gillingham. .
"The performance of the construction industry in the past twelve months has again exceeded expectations" the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government, Mr. Dick Roche, TD, said today. "The outlook remains positive with the immediate trend being towards further growth. All keys sectors of the industry are now performing strongly. While house building continues to be the pace-setter, commercial development and public investment are also performing strongly. In particular the strong investment in industrial, office and retail development signals a growing level of confidence which augurs well for the economy as a whole and indicates that Government policies are having the desired effect". The Minister was speaking at the launch of the Review of the Construction Industry 2005 and Outlook 2006-2008 produced by DKM Economic Consultants. The report, which is produced annually, is an independent economic assessment commissioned by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
After jumping through hoops and dealing with delays, Jim and Rebecca Bertolin finally moved their historic farmhouse to a rural setting Thursday night. At least that was the plan, which has changed several times since the Bertolins decided to move their old house away from encroaching development at Ninth Avenue and County Line Road to a more rural setting north of Longmont. It better go tonight, Jim Bertolin said Wednesday morning. It didnt. The Bertolins were ready to move it Wednesday night when a permit from the Colorado Department of Transportation didnt come through. I am so tired of this, Rebecca Bertolin said Thursday morning with a laugh. Everybody kind of feels for us. She said it was the third time they had to change the moving date, which was expected to happen Sept.
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