The real difference between a project that you do yourself and one that is professionally done is performance, speed, and repair. Of course, you are looking only at how much money you can save, but what does that matter if what you've done isn't right? A landscaping project is one place where this thought is made clear. The act of sodding, planting trees, and creating flower beds, among other things, is back breaking, but doable. The knowledge can be learned by reading several books and studying up on different schools of thought, but you don't need to know codes, understand how to calculate soil compaction, or cubic water pressure.

The real question is will your work be up to standards. If your landscaping will be out in front where everyone can see it, you need to make sure that what you are doing will look right. Not that you will live with a backyard that looks shoddy, but you get the idea.

DIY Landscape Projects

Sodding: If there is no grass in your yard, then sodding is something any homeowner can handle. Do a good deal of stretching first, both upper and lower body, because this is grueling work, and you will be sore after. Read up on how much water is needed once the sod has been rolled out and how to maintain it after. The trick is to find someone who has the yard you want and ask them what they did to get it.

Planting Trees: Here again, this task is grueling but doable. The trick here is knowing the right time of year to plant a particular tree, how much water to use through the first week, if you should use ropes or wire to help it to stand, among other things. Research is key. So is lifting with your legs.

Planting Flowers, Shrubs, & Other Plants: This is a chore that just takes time, but if you like digging around in the garden, then this is right up your alley. Employees at any nursery can tell you what soil combinations will work best and when to plant certain items.

Big Do It Yourself Projects

There are many landscaping projects that require much more work than the items listed above. Some of these projects include laying brick patios, building ponds, fountains, butterfly gardens and many other things.

These projects require not only muscle and time, but construction knowledge and experience. You can learn anything from a book or watching a demo, but in real life problems occur. Parts don't fit, something won't cooperate, and knowing what to do when the book leaves something out or how to fix a problem when you have made a mistake, is where professionals soar.

The professionals have seen all the problems that can occur and know not only how to fix them but how to prevent them from happening altogether. This fact is not to discourage you from trying your own hand at certain projects, but more to acquaint you with the real difference between DIY projects and professional projects. If you can live with mistakes, then charge ahead. Plus, with landscaping, much like a bad haircut, it will soon grow out.

Final DIY Landscaping Thoughts
You should feel encouraged to do the smaller landscaping projects around your home. If you mess something up, just pull it out of the ground and try again. The larger projects that require a little more knowledge and skill are probably best left to the pros, but what you can do is watch them do the project and learn first hand exactly what goes into building a koi pond or a brick paver patio. As you dig around more in your yard and figure some things out, sometime later you will know exactly how to go about the larger projects, and will have a good time planning and completing them.

Construction Progress Estimates

Establishing a Cost Control System

It is seldom that the original bid estimate to perform a particular construction activity is the same as the actual cost to do the work. It will always be higher or lower because of any number of unforeseeable factors. It is essential, therefore, if a contractor is to make a profit, to keep current on a project’s cost by maintaining a reliable cost control system.

Changes in labor wages or productivity, labor shortages, increased cost of materials, delays in deliveries, accidents, weather conditions, etc., will affect both the cost and the original schedule. In all likelihood, both the cost and time will be greater than planned, scheduled, and estimated.

Bar charts or Critical Path Method (CPM) planning systems are ideal for project control by timely updating. Maintaining a cost control system enables the contractor to analyze the productivity of workers, the performance and efficiency of equipment, and the proper allocation of overhead expenses.

Traditional bar charts show the activities of work and a calendar covering the start and estimated completion dates of a project. Bar charts have been used for many years in scheduling construction, but are limited in clearly showing the relationship between activities.

The Critical Path Method (CPM) is a more advanced system for planning and scheduling than using bar charts. It graphically shows each activity and its interrelationship from start to completion with other activities. The CPM also shows the status of a project at any time.

Another major component in a project cost control system is an identifying set of cost codes for the many items of work that comprise a job. The Uniform System for Construction Specifications, published by the CSI serves as an ideal cost code system for both bidding and accounting purposes.

Cost control accounting and progress estimating are also necessary functions in project cost control. In addition to bookkeeping, including the recording of accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, taxes, and other financial accounts, progress estimating also requires the appointment of a responsible superintendent, regular job meetings to discuss problems and solutions, the determination of work quantities produced, a continuous analysis of project costs, and the filing of meaningful daily and weekly progress reports.

Job meeting reports allow for the documentation of daily activities of the work force, number of workers in each trade on the job, scope and quantity of work produced, recording of delays along with reasons why, materials and equipment deliveries including shortages, substitutions, or failures, and the recording of decisions made at the meetings or instructions received.

A reliable cost control system allows for changes as a project progresses. If construction costs are running higher than the bid estimate, or are different than scheduled, corrections can be made while the project is still in progress, therefore increasing the chances that a project will be financially successful.

5 Common Winter Problems

Wishing you all a very happy new year!! To make the year 2008 a safe and comfortable year for you, here are some common problems that most homeownwers encounter during the cold winter months. These problems are indicators of what is wrong and hence provide clues to what needs to be done. Read on to find what you can do this year for a more comfortable home.

Problem #1 - Moisture and condensation on windows

Reasons of occurrence - Inadequate ventilation is one of the major reasons. When the moist air inside comes in contact with the cold glass, it condenses. Also, having single-pane windows with metal frames can also cause this problem.

What you can do - If you have a humidifier installed in the house, please ensure that the humidity level is not very high. (Ideal levels are between 30 and 55) Moisture is generated in bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms. Make sure they are ventilated properly. If you have exhaust fans in bathrooms, it is a good idea to use them after a hot shower. If you have single pane windows, the solution becomes more expensive. Most likely you will need new double pane windows. For this information, it is best to visit a local home store for finding the right window type for your area.

Problem #2 - Ice dams form on the edges of your gutters or roofs

Reasons of occurence - The main reason for this happening is a badly ventilated attic. As warm air rises inside your house, it reaches the attic level. When the attic is not ventilated, the warm air has no place to escape and heats up the roof. As a result the snow begins to melt. But since the air temperature is low, it freezes again to form ice dams on the edges of the roofs.

What you can do - Sealing the attic is one option. This will prevent the warm air from leaking into the attic. The other option is to ventilate the attic so that a warm air reservoir is not created in the attic space. You might be able to do some of this work yourself (if you are good at work around the house), but it is recommended to get a professional to take care of this.

Problem #3 - Your floors seem cold

Reasons of occurrence - Many people just place a cloth rag under a door to stop the leakage of cold air that makes the floor cold. Another reason could be insufficient insulation as well.

What you can do - Certainly the rag under the door is a solution, but it doesnot please everyone esthetically. Correctly the door alignment can help is reduced levels of air penetration. Sealing air gaps and cracks will help. Checking the correct insulation levels will also help. A professional can be called in to check and rectify these issues.

Problem #4 - Frozen Pipes

Reasons of occurence - Water in pies can freeze due to a temperature difference betwen the water and the air surrounding the pipe.

What you can do - Once a pipe is frozen, the only thing to do is to to thaw it carefully. You can use an electric iron, hair dryer, heat lamp, heating cable or boiling water to do this. Always start from the faucet to where the freeze has occured. Do not use a torch to thaw a pipe. You should try to thaw the pipe as sson as it is found, to avoid it from bursting. As a precaution for next year, the water supply in the pipes which are exposed to the outside cold air should be shut off if possible. If not possible, continuously monitor the pipes through the cold season for any signs of freezing.

Problem #5 - Carbon Monoxide (CO) Build-up in the house

Reasons of occurence - In winter everyone tends to be confined in the house with very little ventilation. So sometimes due to your furnace malfunctioning, the CO levels in the house can become very high. CO is an odorless and colorless gas. Some common symptoms of high levels of CO are:

• Frequent headaches
• The gas flame in your furnace or heater is yellow instead of the normal blue color
• For oil furnaces or heaters, black chimney smoke, soot accumulation, popping, banging, rumbling, or delayed ignition are some common symptoms
• In wood burners, a smoking fire and improper drafting, even when the flue has warmed up can result

What you can do - You can perform the Combustion air check to test for the CO levels in your house at various points like around the furnace, wood stove etc. You can also get a combustion air supply installed by a professional. As a preventive tool, install a CO detector which will sound an alarm if the levels go above the minimum required. This detector should have a UL rating.

Hope these tips will help you have a safe winter this year, as well as comfortable and warm for your whole family.

Landscaping tips

• A healthy landscape starts with a plan. Gather ideas you like from residential, commercial and public gardens. And remember a plan is meant to change over time to incorporate new ideas and fix problem areas.
• Trees provide a long term framework for your landscape. They provide structure, screening, shade and year round beauty.
• Include flowers, vines & groundcovers in your landscaping to provide focal points and add splashes of color. Flowers can be planted in beds, grown in containers, or mixed in amongst trees and shrubs.
• Match your landscape to your lifestyle. If you enjoy working in your yard, add vegetable, annual or perennial flower beds. If you are not the gardening type - and texture and color with a few container plants or with a small area filled with annuals.
• Know your yard's (micro) climate. Every location has a distinct climate caused by the unique typography of the land, location of the buildings, proximity to water, wind patterns and other local factors.
• Don't fight your site! Take your local "micro" climate into consideration. For example, keep heat sensitive plants away from south facing walls, which get intense sun. That way you will not have to counteract excessive heat with additional watering.