Elaine

Building renovation and home improvement has certainly undergone a makeover since the days when granny sloshed a pot of whitewash over the cottage walls in the spring. Thirty years ago, a man was forgiven for being completely unable to change a light bulb or hang a picture. Nowadays, a man who cannot rebuild his house single handed is considered a bit of a wimp and not much of a catch.

I remember being the victim of a colorful landladys attempt at profit optimization in Hong Kong in the late seventies. She had decided to convert one apartment into two tiny units, thinking she would coin in double the rent just for building a few partition walls. The problem was; that was all she did.

The Irish policeman who had taken the unit next door discovered he had a bathroom but no space in which to turn around from the space where his toilet was sited. He therefore had to reverse into his toilet and vacate the room without turning. He was an extremely large person with no sense of humor and the result was volatile language at all hours of the day and night.

I, on the other hand, had the best of the deal, or so I thought, as my bathroom was very much larger with plenty of space to move around the bath, the wash basin and the toilet. By six oclock on my first day in the apartment I had changed my mind about my advantage over my friend next door, however, when I discovered that the light switches for both apartments were on the wall in his sitting room. Outraged, I rang the landlady to complain.

Dont be a sirry girl, she said (her Cantonese accent was very broad.) You have to put hand froo da hole.

Sure enough, there was a hole in the wall in the master bedroom, beautifully edged with decorative beading, through which it was possible to fit one hand and reach the light switch in the Irish policemans sitting room. Needless to say, we insisted the arrangement was changed as a matter of some urgency.

Jan Gamm writes reflections on life with an emphasis on world travel. She has lived in many countries and traveled extensively in the Far East, the Middle East, America, South America and throughout the South Pacific. She writes for fun and for money whenever she can manage it.

The doors to the steelworks in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania closed for the last time in 1995, bringing to an end 140 years of steel-making in the town. Although no longer in its spiritual home, Bethlehem Steel continues to produce Steel, but its major production facility is now based in Burns Harbor, Indiana. The company has had its ups and downs, has been involved in providing steel for the construction of many railroads, bridges and iconic buildings throughout America and was the forerunner in the production of the steel girders used to build skyscrapers.

The first steel produced in Bethlehem was at the Saucona Iron Company, opened in 1857. Four years later the company changed its name to the Bethlehem Iron Company and in 1863 started mass production of iron railroad rails, used in the building of the Transcontinental Railroad. Over the next forty years contracts to supply steel were agreed with the US Navy, and by the time that Charles M. Schwab was appointed chairman in 1904 Bethlehem Steel Corporation not only had a huge plant in South Bethlehem, but ironworks in Cuba and shipyards on both US coasts.

In 1908 the company started production of wide-flange structural section steel, leading to a building revolution; those sections being used in the new phenomenon of skyscraper construction. Five years later Bethlehem Steel acquired the Fore Shipbuilding Company in Quincy, Mass. to become one of the countrys largest shipbuilders.

World War I provided Bethlehem Steel with a great opportunity to expand. At the start of the conflict the company had an annual production capacity of 1.1 million tons and employed 15,600 workers. By 1925, after supplying armor, ships, ordnance, guns and munitions for the US and Allied Forces during and immediately after the war, annual production grew to 8.5 million tons and the companys workforce had grown to 60,000.

In the early thirties Bethlehem Steel continued to grow through acquisition, buying steel companies on the Pacific coast as well as McClintic-Marshall Corp., a major bridge and building construction company. This was the golden era for American construction and Bethlehem Steel was responsible for such landmark constructions as: the Golden Gate Bridge, U.S. Supreme Court, Rockefeller Plaza, Waldorf-Astoria and the George Washington Bridge.

During World War II Bethlehem Steel shifted all its production into military hardware, employing close on 300,000 workers of which 180,000 were directly involved in ship-building. Post-war, the company returned to producing steel for US domestic projects, as well as the military, and continued to thrive.

The 1960s saw steel imported to the USA reaching record levels, but Bethlehem still home-produced steel for such iconic structures as Madison Square Garden, Newport Bridge and the second Delaware Memorial Bridge. In 1973 Bethlehem Steel reported an income of $207 million, producing record levels of 23.7 million tons of raw steel and 16.3million tons of finished steel. The company continued to thrive, but in the early 1980s imported steel was making more of an impact, which forced a radical restructure of Bethlehem Steel, resulting in a halving of the workforce over five years in the mid-80s. Consolidation followed over the next ten years and reluctantly the production facility at Bethlehem where it all began was shut down in 1995.

Today, Bethlehem has recovered from the loss of its steelworks and is undergoing an economic and cultural renaissance. Hotels in Bethlehem once used by those who had business at the steelworks are now re-inventing themselves as tourist and conference centers. The steel may be long gone in Bethlehem, but the entrepreneurial spirit of its citizens is alive and well.

Adam Singleton is an online, freelance journalist and keen amateur photographer from Scotland. His interests include traveling and hiking.

You can buy wholesale hardwood flooring directly from the major manufacturers such as Dupont, Armstrong, Mohawk, Hartco and others. Usually hardwood flooring at a wholesale price is reserved just for wholesalers or for flooring retailers. However, many companies do offer their customers the chance to purchase wholesale hardwood flooring at prices far below the retail price, even though they may not actually be as low as wholesale.

One of the ways you can save money by buying wholesale hardwood flooring is to look at the selection of laminate hardwood flooring. The difference in the price of laminate flooring as compared to solid wood will make it seem as you are buying wholesale wood flooring. With the recent advancements in the manufacture of laminate flooring, it is much harder to tell the difference between laminate and hardwood. You can kill two birds with one stone you get the flooring you want at a wholesale price and you get the look of hardwood that you always wanted.

Hardwood flooring wholesalers often offer customers the chance to buy hardwood flooring at a wholesale price. These events are usually an annual event when the wholesalers want to clear out their warehouses to make room for more stock. You buy the wholesale hardwood flooring as is, which could include some damaged boards or there may only be a small supply of certain woods or finishes. You do need to make sure that you buy enough hardwood because if you do spoil a few boards or run out before you get the room completed, you may not be able to get the hardwood to finish it.

Even when you are buying wholesale hardwood flooring, the sales staff will help you choose the right color to suit your furniture. If you are not sure how to calculate the amount of hardwood flooring you need, hardwood flooring wholesalers will do this for you and many of them also have delivery service available as well. Wholesale wood flooring sales usually draw large crowds of homeowners who are either building a new home or considering a remodelling project.

Wholesale hardwood flooring is available in all grades of hardwood. This is an excellent way to get the best quality hardwood for your flooring needs at prices you would expect to pay for the lesser quality boards. Even if you plan a flooring project in the future, you can buy the wholesale wood flooring and store it until you are ready to use it. However, hardwood flooring wholesalers will not accept a deposit with this type of sale or agree to keep it in the warehouse until you are ready. You do need to have a place in which to keep your wholesale hardwood flooring.

To find out more about Wood Flooring visit Peter's Website Wood Flooring Explained and find out about Hardwood Flooring and more, including Exotic Hardwood Floors, Wood Laminate Flooring, Refinishing Hardwood Floors and Bruce Hardwood Flooring.

Ok, buying a home is an exciting time. There is typically so much going on so quickly that overlooking minor things is pretty easy. Unfortunately some of those minor things can have major repercussions if they are not noticed quickly and dealt with. Things have a tendency to snowball rapidly when dealing with large amounts of money so it pays to be on the ball and recognize potential pitfalls when they arise.

One old adage that still applies to purchasing homes is "get everything in writing." This can really be said about most purchases and especially about those dealing with let's say, more than a year's salary? With this kind of a purchase you will want to make absolutely sure that every last detail of the sale is in writing so that there are no disagreements about what is and what is not part of the deal. Not having things is writing has likely caused more headaches in real estate than just about any other aspect of the purchase.

If you are thinking that the home appears to be in good repair and that a skipped inspection might be a few dollars saved then think again. The whole principle of inspections are to ensure that the home is safe and livable. Imagine the nightmare if you bought a home, skipped the inspection and 4 months later are looking at a $10,000 bill for corrections to the plumbing or electrical systems. Say you bought the home during the summer months and the first time it rains the roof leaks. Think about what that could mean in terms of structural damage. When buying a home, you need an inspection. Period. Your safety and well being is no place to cut corners.

Finally, be realistic about what you can afford and what you can hope to maintain. Buying a home is a life changing and financially demanding undertaking. It is not something that you can "keep the receipt" for and exchange if it does not fit. When buying a home most people are locking themselves into a 30 year+ commitment that will dictate their financial reality for that period of time. Buying too much house has been the downfall of many home owners. Don't make this mistake yourself. buy a home that suits your needs and your budget.

Ed Kirkland is a realtor specializing in the Destin, Florida real estate market. For years Ed has made it his life's work to bring buyers and sellers together. Contact Ed today for more information or visit the team at http://www.edkirkland.com