FRAMINGHAM, MA - In accordance with MGL c. 149, Framingham Public Schools requests bids for removal and replacement of resilient floor tile at Juniper Hill School, 29 Upper Joclyn Avenue, Framingham, MA 01701.

The existing ~30,000 SF of existing floor tile, some of which contains asbestos, will be removed and replaced with new VCT during summer 2014.

Concurrently, approximately 1,730 LF of ACM pipe insulation will be removed and replaced with new pipe insulation.

The work will include floor tile and pipe insulation removal and

Press Release

Memphis, TN - Professional home entertainment & systems integration dealers as well as the Audio / Video enthusiast have a new option for high-quality, affordable HDMI products.

WyreStorm products have been created to meet the needs of one of the nation's leading residential systems integration firms. They are now available through their helpful and informative website.

The WyreStorm line of HDMI cables, matrix switchers, and other products has been developed in conjunction with the technical staff at Phoenix Unequaled Home Entertainment. Phoenix is an award winning, industry recognized systems integration firm based in Memphis, Tennessee with projects that have been published in many trade magazines as well as enthusiast publications.

Is price per gallon the best factor?

New England winters can be tough, and home heating fuel costs can make things even tougher.

If you're like many people in the North Eastern U.S.A, you heat your home with oil, and recent surges in petroleum prices have caused your heating bill to double (or more) in the past few years.

Due to seasonal fluctuations in pricing, many fuel oil companies offer programs to help spread the cost over the entire year. Others offer a low per-gallon "C.O.D." price. Before discussing "cost", knowing the oil company's lingo will help. Below are some of the terms used and

When Bad News is Good News

New England contractors who deal primarily with new construction may be feeling the pinch as the new housing market drys up in some parts of the six state, (ME, NH, VT, MA, CT and RI), region.

Besides counting people and where they live, the U.S. Census Bureau also keeps track of home many privately owned new housing units are being built.

By collecting data on building permits, (when they are approved and when they are completed), the bureau can paint of good picture of how many and where new homes in the U.S. are being built.

The bad news? In New England states, new building starts are ...[read more]

N.E. Business Double Savings over Last Year

Contractors have a unique opportunity to help property owners save money and help the environment.

Green is sweeping into construction in many ways. While some green building practices simply help the environment by reducing the need for raw plant materials, and others offer reductions in carbon footprint for individuals, commercial building contractors are in the unique position to go green on a large scale.

An article in the wall street Journal notes, "In New England, businesses this year have agreed to cut electricity use by 1,222 megawatts when called upon, twice as much as last year."

There are many ways to save energy. The bigger the building, the more to save -- and the more ways to save.

While insulation is almost always the first thing New England contractors

Architects are the first to know

While the residential housing boom has all but flat-lined, it appears that developers are investing or planning to invest in building or renovating more large scale commercial projects.

New England area architects serving the commercial building sector report an increase in new plans and projects in the past 24 months.

Some of the more recent interesting plans include renovation and construction of ...[read more]

Newer thermostats have programmable settings for daytime, night and weekend settings. Installing a new thermostat and correctly setting it can save you hundreds of dollars in heating and cooling costs per year, and make your home or office more comfortable.

I've heard it will save a lot of home heating fuel.

Boston, MA - a homeowner recently asked if they should replace the thermostat in their home. They had owned the house for over ten years, and wanted to know if it would do any good to change the thermostat since the heating system itself was and older system.

The short answer: Updating an older thermostat will save a lot of money.

A home heating system thermostat's job is to turn the heater on (and off). It accomplishes the job by measuring the temperature in the house, and if the house temperature is colder than the temperature set on the thermostat, it turns on the heating system. Once the temperature comes up, the thermostat turns off the heater.

New computerized home heating thermostats are much smarter than their old mercury tilt and coiled metal spring ancestors.

In the old days, a metal coil would expand or contract, and on the end of it was a mercury tilt switch. When the coil contracted enough to tilt the switch, it ...[read more]

Can I measure in inches and use a Calculator?

Q: I am building a wooden deck and have a general idea about how to build stairs. I want to get each step and riser to be exactly the same, but my calculator does not convert decimal numbers to fractions. I want to experiment with different sizes, please help.

A: If your calculator does not convert to inches, or fractions of inches, use the chart below, and follow these easy steps.

• Measure total rise from ground to top of landing.In this example we will use 3'6" rise. ...[read more]

Ordinance Canisters to be Removed from Site

rom: National Park Service / US Army Corps of Engineers

CONCORD, MA - The National Park Service (NPS), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) are continuing efforts to determine the extent of military ordnance identified in the past at the Former Camp Wellfleet military site located at the Cape Cod National Seashore in Wellfleet, Mass.

The Corps contractor, Zapata Engineering, under the direction of the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, Ala., will resume performing an Ordnance and Explosive (OE) investigation and removal action in portions of the Former Camp Wellfleet on Monday, February 28, 2005 (weather permitting) and ...[read more]

From EPA Office of Public Affairs

Press Release

BOSTON - The owners of seven apartment units in the Lewiston area have agreed to pay a fine and to replace windows and doors containing lead-based paint at one of their residential housing properties in Auburn, ME to settle EPA charges that the companies failed to notify prospective tenants of risks from exposure to lead-based paint.

The Portland-based companies, Pier Properties, Inc. and Atlantic Holdings, LLC own and lease properties in several locations in Maine. EPA's investigation showed that the companies failed to notify tenants, as required by law, that there may have been lead-based paint within the living quarters of leased apartments, and failed to notify tenants of ...[read more]