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On a jobsite in Kingsville, Texas, in August 2013, a worker was mixing gypsum concrete in preparation for gypcrete installation on an apartment building. It’s not a particularly taxing job, but he was doing it in direct sunlight. “He wasn’t training or doing anything that involved a lot of lifting or climbing,” says Holly Webster, director of administration at Texas-based KWA Construction, which served as the general contractor on the job. (KWA would not release further information on either the worker or subcontractor.) The man, in his 20s, had just transferred from New Mexico, and he wasn’t used to the...

According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), residential lighting consumption for 2014 was about 150 billion KWh, or roughly 14% of total residential electricity consumption. That’s still kind of high when you think about it -- even with the advent of CFL bulbs and LED’s. Of course, results vary with lifestyles. If you’ve done all that you can to save on your electric bill; you’ve used CFL bulbs and/or LEDs and make every effort to keep the lights off when not in use— there’s still more that you can do. Consider allowing more natural light into your home. This...

When it comes to proper lighting, one of the most critical rooms in the home is the bathroom. It’s most often the first place people go to when they wake up in the morning, and it can set the mood for the day. The bathroom is where you wash and groom, and many people take their morning medications there—all strong cases for optimized lighting and daylighting. The other reason is that light, particularly daylight, is what sets our circadian rhythms, which play an important part in overall health.  Helping people see well is also critical for safety, since the bathroom...

Neglecting your lawn at this time of year will result in damage that lasts through all four seasons. Therefore, it is important to know what you must do to take care of your lawn in the spring so that you can enjoy a lush, green lawn all year, every year. Don’t fret however; spring time lawn maintenance can be done without spending a ton of money if you know where to look. The first thing you want to do is to rake your lawn. Although you may think that raking is a fall activity, it is important to rake your...

Cutting tiles in a straight line is hard enough without damaging them and cutting angles is a little bit more difficult. With that being said you might need some advice. Here are some tips on cutting angles with a tile saw:Practice firstBefore cutting into any tile that you are looking to actually use, set the proper angle and practice on some scrap tile. Get the speed and cut to something you like before moving on to your actual tile.Cutting techniquesSlow Movement Cutting tile takes some patience, much more so when it’s at an angle. Move slowly so as not to...