Q. If so, what benifits/detriments have you found. Research has shown me that they are more benificial to standard 'stick' framing (insulation, air infiltration etc. ) I'm planning a couple of room additions (bedroom, dining room/sunroom) and I am curious as to what I should expect. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

A. Hi, I used SIPS to construct a 9m x 3m extension to the rear of our house, it's a fairly simple lean to but because of the slope of the land I built it on a ring frame rather than conventional foundations. Then used Sips panels for the floor as well which gives me excellent thermal insulation and a nice flat surface to build up from. It took approx 14 man days to lay the floor and erect the walls and put the roof on. This was with no previous Sips experience but a fair bit of building knowledge. The whole process was really straight forward and when I have the money I'll do a further 2 story extension using Sips. The only issues I had where 1. Ensure the drawings are absolutely accurate, next time I'll use a structural engineer to draw them, had an architect do them first time and they tend to do concept not detail. Check the drawings make allowance for the thickness of the panels and any finishes you apply. 2. I had all the materials delivered by the sips supplier and the timber they sourced was not cut to the same tolerance as the sips which meant I had to get much of it machined to size. 3. We used a lot more glue than they supplied, make sure your local supplier has some in stock, it's expanding PU wood adhesive, fantastic stuff! get it in the tubes and use a mastic gun to apply. Our extension has been up for over year now and we are delighted, exterior is rendered on a s/s mesh to match the house and internally I dry lined it as I wanted to run the services on the surface of the sips panels. Overall, why would anyone use anything else, on insulation we added kitchen space and a sun lounge I have added no heating to either room and despite having a glass roof panel 3m x 2m in the sun lounge it has never been cold. Go for it, use a good company, shop around for the best price once you have detailed drawings and if you know a good chippy thats probably all you need to get the structure up. Best Nick

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Q. I'm thinking about adding a sunroom to my house. I'm looking at about a 20' by 17' room with 2 sliding doors. No heat or air, but I was thinking about getting sliding windows to I could slide them open to let a breeze in. Any ideas on a ball park estimate would be amazing. Thank you!

A. I guess I'm the first to answer, so I'll try my best. Essentially, you need to be careful in looking for a "ballpark" figure here on Yah, as, really, you'll just be taken down the wrong path: You might be given guesses that are way too high, prompting you to abandon something that could have actually been done within your budget, or, alternatively, you might be given guesses that are way too low, prompting you to "gun it" and incur a lot of unexpected debt when you're done. The reason reliance on Yah is not the smart way to go is this: The cost of materials and labor just VARY way too much by location. (John Doe in Nevada would be giving you a highly-inflated local rate in his area compared to the local rate of your location.) So, fortunately, there are plenty of local remodeling contractors (who do additions) seeking to give free estimates with no obligation, and taking advantage of this is the consumer-smart way to go about finding an accurate answer to your question. Unlike us here online, a contractor who gives you a no-obligation, free estimate will have the advantage of seeing your house in person to really understand what--how--the improvements will be done, including the ability to understand physical characterisitcs of your building that may turn out to reduce the cost of such a project than what others would guess for you on here. As I said, Free estimates from local remodeling contractors are the key to your success in this home improvement project of yours. Here's a great link to a handyman site that offers free very resourceful information to assist you in determining the cost of your project, and, ultimately, selecting a local remodeling contractor in an effort to get the best deal for you: REMODELING CONTRACTOR INFO: http://yourhandymanzone.com/Your_Handyman_Zone_Free_Estimates_Additions.htm I'm sure you'll find the information, specifically the tips, useful. . .

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Q. If so, what benifits/detriments have you found. Research has shown me that they are more benificial to standard 'stick' framing (insulation, air infiltration etc. ) I'm planning a couple of room additions (bedroom, dining room/sunroom) and I am curious as to what I should expect. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

A. Hi, I used SIPS to construct a 9m x 3m extension to the rear of our house, it's a fairly simple lean to but because of the slope of the land I built it on a ring frame rather than conventional foundations. Then used Sips panels for the floor as well which gives me excellent thermal insulation and a nice flat surface to build up from. It took approx 14 man days to lay the floor and erect the walls and put the roof on. This was with no previous Sips experience but a fair bit of building knowledge. The whole process was really straight forward and when I have the money I'll do a further 2 story extension using Sips. The only issues I had where 1. Ensure the drawings are absolutely accurate, next time I'll use a structural engineer to draw them, had an architect do them first time and they tend to do concept not detail. Check the drawings make allowance for the thickness of the panels and any finishes you apply. 2. I had all the materials delivered by the sips supplier and the timber they sourced was not cut to the same tolerance as the sips which meant I had to get much of it machined to size. 3. We used a lot more glue than they supplied, make sure your local supplier has some in stock, it's expanding PU wood adhesive, fantastic stuff! get it in the tubes and use a mastic gun to apply. Our extension has been up for over year now and we are delighted, exterior is rendered on a s/s mesh to match the house and internally I dry lined it as I wanted to run the services on the surface of the sips panels. Overall, why would anyone use anything else, on insulation we added kitchen space and a sun lounge I have added no heating to either room and despite having a glass roof panel 3m x 2m in the sun lounge it has never been cold. Go for it, use a good company, shop around for the best price once you have detailed drawings and if you know a good chippy thats probably all you need to get the structure up. Best Nick

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Q. So When installing ceramic tile, (ours is going to be porceline) is it best to put the heating system ounderneath? Do you really need it. I keep telling my parents to put it and they aren't sure we really need it. I told them how my friend had it in her sunroom and they ended up pulling it all out a few years after to re-do it with the heating system underneath. What do you guys think? Also who would be installing it? Do you get an electrition or does the ceramic floor installer do it? Thanks! I'm sorry I didnt word that correctly...my friend had ceramic in her sunroom without the heating system and they pulled all the ceramics out afew years after to re-do it with the heating system because they said it was too cold all the time..thats what im worried about..is it really cold all the time on the feet..I felt the ceramic tile we have piled ready to be installed and it doesn't feel too cold, what do you think?

A. I would think that in most climates it wouldn't be absolutely necessary to have floor heating if your house has an alternate source of heat. I don't have heat under my tile floors.They do stay cool but shoes or socks remedy that. Another thing to consider is the heating cost. We had marble floors in the home I grew up in and it was heated. The cost of heating the floor is very expensive. Like I said it just depends on the climate. If you live in a very cold climate you may want to go ahead and install it but otherwise it's really not necassary. God bless!!

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Q. I'm looking for graphic artists who copyleft their work. Anyone know where I might find a listing?

A. Free Art License [ Copyleft Attitude ] version 1.2 Preamble : With this Free Art License, you are authorised to copy, distribute and freely transform the work of art while respecting the rights of the originator. Far from ignoring the author's rights, this license recognises them and protects them. It reformulates their principle while making it possible for the public to make creative use of the works of art. Whereas current literary and artistic property rights result in restriction of the public's access to works of art, the goal of the Free Art License is to encourage such access. The intention is to make work accessible and to authorise the use of its resources by the greatest number of people: to use it in order to increase its use, to create new conditions for creation in order to multiply the possibilities of creation, while respecting the originators in according them recognition and defending their moral rights. In fact, with the arrival of the digital age, the invention of the Internet and free software, a new approach to creation and production has made its appearance. It also encourages a continuation of the process of experimentation undertaken by many contemporary artists. Knowledge and creativity are resources which, to be true to themselves, must remain free, i.e. remain a fundamental search which is not directly related to a concrete application. Creating means discovering the unknown, means inventing a reality without any heed to realism. Thus, the object(ive) of art is not equivalent to the finished and defined art object. This is the basic aim of this Free Art License: to promote and protect artistic practice freed from the rules of the market economy. ——– DEFINITIONS - The work of art : A communal work which includes the initial artwork as well as all subsequent contributions (subsequent originals and copies). It is created at the initiative of the original artist who, by this license, defines the conditions according to which the contributions are made. - The original work of art : This is the artwork created by the initiator of the communal work, of which copies will be modified by whosoever wishes. - Subsequent works : These are the additions put forward by the artists who contribute to the formation of the work by taking advantage of the right to reproduction, distribution and modification that this license confers on them. - The Original (the work's source or resource) : A dated example of the work, of its definition, of its partition or of its program which the originator provides as the reference for all future updatings, interpretations, copies or reproductions. - Copy : Any reproduction of an original as defined by this license. - The author or the artist of the original work of art: This is the person who created the work which is at the heart of the ramifications of this modified work of art. By this license, the author determines the conditions under which these modifications are made. - Contributor: Any person who contributes to the creation of the work of art. He is the author or the artist of an original art object resulting from the modification of a copy of the initial artwork or the modification of a copy of a subsequent work of art. ——– 1. AIMS The aim of this license is to define the conditions according to which you can use this work freely. 2. EXTENT OF THE USAGE This work of art is subject to copyright, and the author, by this license, specifies the extent to which you can copy, distribute and modify it. 2.1 FREEDOM TO COPY (OR OF REPRODUCTION) You have the right to copy this work of art for your personal use, for your friends or for any other person, by employing whatever technique you choose. 2.2 FREEDOM TO DISTRIBUTE, TO INTERPRET (OR OF REPRESENTATION) You can freely distribute the copies of these works, modified or not, whatever their medium, wherever you wish, for a fee or for free, if you observe all the following conditions: - attach this license, in its entirety, to the copies or indicate precisely where the license can be found, - specify to the recipient the name of the author of the originals, - specify to the recipient where he will be able to access the originals (original and subsequent). The author of the original may, if he wishes, give you the right to broadcast/distribute the original under the same conditions as the copies. 2.3 FREEDOM TO MODIFY You have the right to modify the copies of the originals (original and subsequent), partially or otherwise, respecting the conditions set out in article 2.2 , in the event of distribution (or representation) of the modified copy. The author of the original may, if he wishes, give you the right to modify the original under the same conditions as the copies. 3. INCORPORATION OF ARTWORK All the elements of this work of art must remain free, which is why you are not allowed to integrate the originals (originals and subsequents) into another work which would not be subject to this license. 4. YOUR AUTHOR'S RIGHTS The object of this license is not to deny your author's rights on your contribution. By choosing to contribute to the evolution of this work of art, you only agree to give to others the same rights with regard to your contribution as those which were granted to you by this license. 5. DURATION OF THE LICENCE This license takes effect as of your acceptance of its provisions. The fact of copying, distributing, or of modifying the work constitutes a tacit agreement. This license will remain in force for as long as the copyright which is attached to the work of art. If you do not respect the terms of this license, you automatically lose the rights that it confers. If the legal status to which you are subject makes it impossible for you to respect the terms of this license, you may not make use of the rights which it confers. 6. VARIOUS VERSIONS OF THE LICENCE This license may undergo periodic modifications to incorporate improvements by its authors (instigators of the "copyleft attitude" movement) by way of new, numbered versions. You will have the choice of accepting the provisions contained in the version under which the copy was communicated to you, or alternatively, to use the provisions of one of the subsequent versions. 7. SUB-LICENSING Sub-licenses are not authorized by the present license. Any person who wishes to make use of the rights that it confers will be directly bound to the author of the original work. 8. THE LAW APPLICABLE TO THIS CONTRACT This license is subject to French law. ——– DIRECTIONS FOR USE : - How to use the Free Art license? To benefit from the Free Art License, it is enough to specify the following on your work of art: [- A few lines to indicate the name of the work and to give an idea of what it is.] [- A few lines to describe, if necessary, the modified work of art and give the name of the author/artist.] Copyright © [the date] [name of the author or artist] (if appropriate, specify the names of the previous authors or artists) Copyleft: this work of art is free, you can redistribute it and/or modify it according to terms of the Free Art license. You will find a specimen of this license on the site Copyleft Attitude http://artlibre.org as well as on other sites. - Why use the Free Art license? 1 / to give the greatest number of people access to your work. 2 / to allow it to be freely distributed. 3 / to allow it to evolve by authorising its transformation by others. 4 / to be able, yourself, to use the resources of a work when it is under Free Art license: to copy, distribute or transform it freely. 5 / This is not all: because the use of the Free Art License is also a good way to take liberties with the marketing system generated by the dominant economy. The Free Art License offers a useful legal protocol to prevent abusive appropriation. It will no longer be possible for someone to appropriate your work, short-circuiting the creative process to make personal profit from it. Helping yourself to a collective work in progress will be forbidden, as will monopolising the resources of an evolving creation for the benefit of a few. The Free Art License advocates an economy appropriate for art, based on sharing, exchange and joyful giving. What counts in art is also and mostly what is not counted. - When to use the Free Art License ? It is not the goal of the Free Art License to eliminate copyright or author's rights. Quite the opposite, it is about reformulating the relevance of these rights while taking today's environment into account. It is about the right to freedom of movement, to free copying and to free transformation of works of art. The right to work in freedom for art and artists. 1 / Each time you want to use or put this right into practice, use the Free Art License. 2 / Each time you want to create works which can evolve and be freely copied, freely distributed and freely transformed: use the Free Art License. 3 / Each time you want to have the possibility of copying, distributing or transforming a work: check that it is under Free Art License. If it is not, you are liable to be breaking the law. - To which types of art can the Free Art License be applied? This license can be applied to digital as well as to non-digital art. It was born out of observation of the world of free software and the Internet, but its applicability is not limited to the digital media. You can put a painting, a novel, a sculpture, a drawing, a piece of music, a poem, an installation, a video, a film, a recipe, a CD-rom, a Web site, or a performance under the Free Art License, in short any creation which has some claim to be a work of art. This license has a history: it was born at the meeting " Copyleft Attitude " which took place at "Accès Local" and "Public" in Paris at the beginning of the year 2000. For the first time, it brought computer specialists and freeware activists together with contemporary artists and members of the art world.

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Q. I need help for my Diploma! I'm really stuck. Identify a piece of legislation that impacts on the police and Her Majesty's prison service (HM prison service) for legal, professional and political accountability. So i need a piece of legislation for both the police and HM prison service. One each for legal accountability. One each for professional accountability and one each for political accountability. Please help, i really need help :(

A. The Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 (CPIA) governs the thoroughness of police investigations and also compels them to disclose to the courts information about cases that meet certain criteria, so this piece of legislation would be one legal accountability for the police. The Police Act 1998 created HM Inspector of Constabulary (HMIC), who inspect the police to ensure that they are doing their job properly. So this act would be one professional accountability for the police. The Police Act 1964 created Police Authorities, with subsequent additions made by the Local Government Act and Police and Magistrates Court Act. Police Authorities hold police forces to account on behalf of the public, so this would be one political accountability for the police. Can't help on HM Prison Service, sorry.

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Q. I have a SLIGHT problem but first a little background. My husband owns a very sucessful construction and remodeling company.Any work I want done around the house he does it without complaining and puts as much pride in the work he does himself here as he does in the work that people pay his company to do. From building an E85 plant to remodeling kitchens.Here is the problem. We started to remodel our home, every color, fabric and so forth I picked out and yes I asked him did he like it before I made the final choices.Recently after 2 1/2 months of remodeling our upstairs bathroom gutting it to the bones ripping up the floor and even instaling custom made cabinets it is complete. And.......I HATE IT! I hate everything about it, I hate the color, I hate the new heated floor, I hate the windows I hate the cabinets I even hate the shower curtain! How do I tell him? As I type this I am sitting in our computer room it is 1/3 painted something I told him I'd do before he got back on the 3rd of Feb. The upstairs doors are supposed to be getting new hardware, again something simple I said I could do, but I havent! I have no motivation at all and I dont know where I can find my motivation or infact why it was lost I use to be so thrilled that we were redoing our home. I put off everything these last 3 weeks from doing dishs, laundry and I even for the first time EVER have dust above my door frames. How do I tell him I hate the bathroom without him freaking out, and how do I remotivate myself to complete the things Ive been putting off before he returns home?! ha ha buzz or is it bizz anyhow like I said I picked everything out and I was taking care of our speical needs terminally ill daughter and now 8 month old son. I'd go upstairs to ask did he need help but he usually refused it. As for what I hate about it, I hate EVERYTHING I dont like the color of the cabinet or even the design.Before he ordered them he told me to make sure it was what I wanted because it could not be returned. The bathroom isnt the only problem, we have a new bamboo floor in our kitchen that are you ready for this: It just pisses me off looking at it. Soon our living and entry way are scheduled for remodel I had THOUGH I wanted tile or marble heated flooring but I am changing my mind. Maybe all these projects are overwhelming to me thank god Ive not made any choices on our "flip" house yet. I just dont know what Im going to do he did work hard and it was expensive even w his "discounts" and I dont want him angry

A. I think you are suffering from "project fatigue". We've experienced it ourselves and have seen it with clients. Here is what I suggest. Live with the bathroom remodel for a little while. Try to introduce new elements, like color, with towels, throw rugs and accessories in what you think you would like to change the color to. Ask yourself whether it is the design of the new cabinets or the wood tone/color that is bothering you. What would you change about them to like them more? Are there window coverings (i.e. cornices, shutters, draperies, shades, blinds, etc.) that you could use to change the way the windows look? Is there a theme that you are particularly fond of that you can implement to take the ambiance of the bathroom in a different direction? (ie. French country, Tuscan, spa, mid-century modern) In other words, what can you change to change your perception of the room? Admittedly, my hubby (a well respected interior designer and architect) has implemented some of my designs in our own home that I found myself not happy with upon completion. (Yeah, I know what you mean about being just pissed off looking at something you hate. But, you are really just angry with yourself.) We have corrected what I was unhappy with by additions or subtractions that took the project in a different direction. You are not motivated to do anything further until you resolve the anguish you feel about the bathroom. I have always found that telling my hubby straight out that I am not thrilled with the results of a project relieves my anxieties while setting the creative wheels in his brain rolling. (He doesn't get angry, he gets quiet and withdrawn for awhile.) For example, he came up with the brilliant idea of putting wallpaper inside of a molding on a wainscotting he installed on half the walls in our bedroom. I simply hated the look of the wainscotting plain, the wallpaper helped but I added a wooden relief in the middle of the molding boxes and the hole thing came together. Explain to him that you are not motivated to continue the other projects until these issues are resolved. Unless there is schedules involving subs, you are free to stop and start progress on other projects while this is being resolved. Also, admitting mistakes and changing your mind are not crimes, they are opportunities!

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Q. My brother is coming to live with me, so i need to make a Room Addition and remodeling of the bathroom; I live in Hialeah, Miami Can somebody help me? My friend told me about http://www.remodelinghomemiami.com but he haven't used them...

A. I used Miami Home Improvements last year, they had really good prices if you do the kitchen and bathroom remodeling. We also made a room addition with a new bathroom and painted the living room. It was really fast too, i recommend it http://www.remodelinghomemiami.com/kitchen_remodeling_miami.html you can see also they do free estimates

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