The majority of architect, engineer, and environmental consulting firms are looking closely at their overhead with the intent of cutting costs. After rent, payroll, and health insurance, professional liability insurance premiums as well as the variable costs included with deductible obligations (post loss) are the larger single line items.

To a great extent, the costs associated with your PL insurance are influenced by the manner in which you present or portray yourself and your firm during the PL application process. I recognize that the 8-12 page annual application process is akin to a “root canal” for most CFOs, principals, and office managers.

It is vital to realize that subtle clarifications or changes can significantly affect costs.

A few points we use to help our clients better describe themselves to underwriters during the professional liability application process are listed below:

1. Outline what you do with appropriate percentages. This may appear simple on the surface, but let me better illustrate my point with two examples:

Architect- To you (the architect), it may seem accurate to describe yourself as 100% architectural. But in reality, I can virtually guarantee that you provide specifications of interior fixtures, finishes, or non-structural details. I would classify these services as Interior Design- a much-lower rated service type yielding much lower costs. Owners’ representatives, client advocacy services, public advocacy, testimony and reports before zoning/planning boards are all services provided by an architect that, in themselves, do not involve architectural design per se. (There are too many other similar examples to list here.)

Engineer- Let’s say that you are a civil/structural engineer engaged in bridge design/inspection. “Bridge Design” is viewed as a high-rated service type (in fact one of the highest). Are you really doing ALL bridge design? Or, are you engaged in the design of the approaches as well? Can some of those services be described as “highway design?” What about inspections? Certainly those are considered “reports/opinions.” (highway design and reports/opinions receive a much lower rate factor than does bridge design.)

2. Clearly identifying your direct reimbursibles can also help trim costs down substantially. Travel and mileage costs, per diem, reproduction costs, and more are classified as direct reimbursibles (DRs). The industry standard for DRs is 3% to 6%, but some engineers that are working with the Department of Transportation can see their DRs higher than 10%. Showing these costs will of course reduce your ratable base and your premiums by the same percentage. If you do not wish to track these costs to avoid making clients feel that they are being “nickel and dimed”, then you can still include a “best guess estimate” of what the direct reimbursibles will be as a percentage of your gross.

3. Make sure to identify your abandoned projects; most architect and engineering firms over the past year and a half have provided design services for projects that will never be completed. Loss of funding, changes in plans, sale of undeveloped property, and bankruptcy can all cause projects to be abandoned. There are insurance carriers out there that will require their clients to list abandoned projects and exclude coverage for claims related to them. I would warn against this because it is still possible for a law suit to occur even if the project does not go forward. Other insurance carriers will give you the opportunity to identify the revenue associated with your abandoned projects and remove them from your “ratable revenue” to yield lower costs.

Timothy Esler, CPCU, is a Principal with Fenner & Esler Insurance Agency, a boutique insurance brokerage and risk management organization representing architects and engineers countrywide. Tim’s complete original articles are published in The Zweig Letter.

Art or the phrase abstract art painting as defined by the dictionary is more of a form or an act of sorts. It is also defined as “a conscious esthetically meaningful arrangement of elements.” This definition is very confusing and really does not say much if you think about it. If you analyze the definitions and keywords you will be able to better interpret what art really means.

Conscious the first word to be examined literally means intentional. The word esthetically which comes second relates to something beautiful. The word entity can be looked at as an entity of sorts. After taking all three of these words into consideration we can now translate the definition a bit further in saying that art is executed deliberately, that art can be organized in a particular manner, and that there has to be some sense of beauty to it. Beauty is another word that can be interpreted in many different ways because it can be used to define anything, an act, a noun, or even a time period. Here we recognize a conscious effort to unveil the beauty in something.

There are many art authors who similarly recognize three major characteristics in works of art. Although some of these authors observe more we will only go over 4 of them for now.

The first and most obvious characteristic of art is that it is manmade and also that it is intentional. Whatever the medium be it painting, sculpture, film, dance, or theatre it was created for the purpose of being a work of art. Art is made out of something (elements) be it paint, words, waves of sound which are all formed through a type of expression

Another characteristic of art is that these works of art always exhibit the artists attitudes, feelings, and thoughts. Through these pieces or compositions expressions are then able to be communicated and instilled into the general public.

The third and most exciting characteristic of art is that it is original. Every piece or play or song that has ever been created is done from scratch, it is the result of the culmination of experiences that artist has had in their lives. Artists have the ability to take things apart, then take those pieces and reform them into something new.

In order for something to be considered an artwork means that the general public has to accept that it is art in the first place. In other words, people have to believe art is art to make it art. This does not mean that the art has to be appreciated, it can actually be hated as long as people recognize it as “art”.

See Jaclyn Hawtin’s website on Abstract Art Paintings for more details.

Doing renovation on your home is an challenging task. You can put on decorations that suits your taste and that will make a statement about you to anyone who visits your home. How you ornament your home will give an impression of what type of person you are. You must put a balance though between showing your own personality in the choices that you take and in making your guest comfortable when they go to your home.

You can begin your stylish designs by applying a new coat of paint to the walls. Make a deep search on the best combination of paints, write down the colors that you really like and in which part of the house you want to implement them. Decide on what mood you want to put on. Do you like your home to be light and fresh with pastels or firey and strong with some bright and vibrant colours?

After you have settled the kind of paint color you want to apply on your walls, then it’s time for you to get the walls painted. Be sure to do this step cautiously. It will really look bad if you have paint splashes on the ceiling or on your floors. One initial tip is to tape off the edges and borders before you start out and place paper or newspaper on the floors.

Once you have gotten your walls painted, the next step is to choose the perfect furniture for your home. These pieces of things on your home also make a big statement about the kind of person you are. There are a lot of available designs in the market, make sure that you put some effort and time searching before you decide on purchasing. Another significant step you have to do before buying any furniture is to make sure that you have taken the measurements of your space where you will place the furniture. One simple step to consider but it will surely spare you from the hassles of returning what you purchase from the vendors.

Another form of ornamenting your home is clinging pictures and artworks on your wall. Make sure that these artworks fit the theme and mood of your home to have full effects. You can discover cheap but great looking artworks and good frames for your photos from unpopular stalls. Spend some time exploring before you make your purchase.

Doing things the right way will surely make your space look good. Just release your mind and renovate your home with the designs that talks a lot about you.

Learn more about Home Renovation Tips and the best Interior Designers from our list most recommended renovation and interior designing companies.

Before making any home renovations yourself, it is important that you have a full picture of the areas you want to touch in your home. There are a lot of renovation ideas than you can go for. It is critical that you have yourself informed of these ideas so that you will be able to stretch your home renovation project and come up with various design options and eventually pick out the best one that fits your preference.

Let us start with the bathroom. Nowadays, the bathroom is being considered as one of the most important rooms of a house. Planning a renovation for this room must thus be carefully plotted. To get off the ground, examine the present situation of your bathroom. See how bad of shape it is and how much money you will have to spend if you do renovation. Carefully consider the kind of results you want to attain, for instance you may need to increase the size of your bathroom.

After carefully thinking of the layout plan, the next thing you have to think about is what decorating flair you want to apply: conventional, modern or country-style? There are a lot of breath taking bathroom design available online, it is a good idea to go and see these and pick your choice. Your decision will have an impact the choice of faucets, light fixtures, etc. Next, ask yourself about the things you need to add in your bathroom: a separate shower and bath? Do you like to bring more space below the sink? It’s time for you to find the new techniques for efficient storage solutions. Are there any on-going problems in your bathroom you have to address during the renovation process? Do you want to add a few more light sources? How about the ventilation? Make sure that you have invest some thought and consideration on the details before you make any final decisions for your bathroom renovation.

Let us move on to the renovation ideas for your bedroom. This is a thrilling section of the renovation process. The bedroom is our own personal sanctuary from the outside world. It gives us the opportunity to lie back, relax and read our favourite books. Since this is a room that most people dont visit, you can put on whatever you desire here. But do remember to have some form of theme. Pick out the color that you love. Find bedroom furniture that are cozy and is a direct display of your personality and tastes.

Irrespective of what kind of home renovation you desire, the best way to have things done the right way is to look for the help of professionals in this field. Identify to them what you want to do and ask for their advice. Through this, you are certain that you are on the right course for your home renovation plans and you are sure that your money is spent wisely.

Learn more about Home Renovation Tips and the best Interior Designers from our list most recommended renovation and interior designing companies.

Renovation project more often than not involves years of saving and planning. It is but a must that you as the homeowner will take some time in learning the tips that will guarantee that your dream renovation project will go smoothly. According to Gary Nealon of AERO Construction, the following is a list of points you can try on when you are planning for your home renovation.

1. Build a good communication with the remodeler. With an effective communication right from the start, you can be certain that problems will be minimized. Be very keen on the character of your remodeler. Observe if he or she returns your calls quickly, pays attentions to your suggestions, and replies to your inquiries precisely. A good contractor must be approachable. This will ensure that both of you can address problems together when they arise.

2. Select a contractor that has already built a good track record. Make sure that you have a confidence in him. Working with somebody you are comfortable with makes a big difference.

3. Make a definite timeline for the project. With a properly laid out schedule, you will be able to track down the progress of the project, whether it is still on time or delayed. Contingency plans can also be properly place into position with clear time line.

4. Require that everything that was agreed on be written. This will make things clear both for you and the contractor. By putting everything in a written proposal, you can ensure that your understanding and expectations meet that of your contractor.

5. Be very mindful of the little details. Make sure that you have clearly set things before the actual work begins.

6. Be flexible. As with most projects, you cannot exactly see things unless the actual work is being done. Put allowances in your plans and expect that there will be disruptions as the work is advancing.

7. You must have a change management plan. You need to talk over with your contractor how both of you will address changes that you may need to apply such as putting your personal touches on the project. This must also be put into writing. This is very significant, as any modification you may need to implement can make an impact with the budget and the schedule of the project.

8. Make sure that the contract addresses everything about the project. The contract must include factors like: timetable for the project, the cost and payment schedule, specifications for all products and materials, permit information, change management rules, and details such as access to your home, care for the home, clean up and trash removal.

9. Make sure that you get a Lien Waiver from your contractor when the work is completed. This form states that your payment obligations with your contractor are over.

Discover more about Home Renovation Tips and the best Interior Designers from our list most recommended renovation and interior designing companies.

When you are on the web, you usually do a whole bunch of things. Some of these include submitting forms, doing searches and clicking on links. You may not realize it but all of these activities involve use of resources that are usually contained in a web server. Even a simple retrieving of a home page requires that the web browser that you are using request it from a web browser.

Generally, these types of requests where a web browser requests for a resource and the web server responds with it is called a two-tier architecture. This is a simple request-response action since there is no sophisticated storage software involved. However, there comes a time when complicated operations that involve dynamic data will be undertaken. In such cases, a separate database to handle these requests will be used.

When a web browser requests a resource and the server response is generated from a database, such an architecture is called a three-tier architecture. Whenever access database requests are made, the web browser must first communicate with the server which in turn, communicates with the database management system that retrieves the requested data. The database management system is used to manage all the data that is created, modified, queried or deleted by users.

Whenever you access database information, you will need to have your web server process your requests that are implemented using scripts. This organization allows access database requests from thousands of users to be done simultaneously. For efficiency, many websites implement the web server and the database server on separate machines. In more advanced and high-end applications the load is further distributed by use of many machines.

The web today allows the use of the HTTP protocol to access database information. HTTP is conceptually simple. A request made in HTTP receives a response from the web server. The response is usually a HTML document, an image or a program output that is sent back to the web browser. When you access database servers, you will usually be either requesting from entry information that is cataloged or you will be making changes to the entries themselves. Despite their seemingly complex nature, database management systems offer users application interfaces to do that. It is usually not necessary to make internal configurations to the database server. In most cases, this will be done right on the web browser. So when you access database information the next time you are on the web, you may likely be doing that via a number of machines. Quite amazing, is it not?

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You hardly ever see sash windows out here where I live in the tropics of Africa, only in some of the very old house that have been kept meticulously preserved, and I miss them. I grew up a good deal in my grandma’s Yorkshire home, where everyone had these windows and they feature big in London architecture too. You can maintain these historic architectural features by using sash window repairs in London.

You can learn a lot from the architectural features of a city and as sash windows feature so prominently in historical buildings, it is very important to preserve them. I have very sentimental memories of looking through and at these windows and loving them. Chiefly because it didn’t take much effort to be able to see through them and they let in a lot of light.

Regents Park is one of my favorite London areas, mainly because of the architecture, but most determinedly because of the sheer magnitude of the windows in these buildings, they are bigger than stable doors. They make for a very impressive sight and if they were lost, these buildings would not impress nearly so much.

The charm of these windows shows in a large variety of buildings, and London has plenty of this. They feature in magnificent edifices such as St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament, and much domestic housing architecture.

Graded listed buildings such as the Barra Hall in Hillingdon have been refurbished and one of the most important refurbishment features on this Victorian building was its sash windows. The listing council ensured that all refurbishment was undertaken in complete sympathy with the Barra Hall and it surroundings, and the result of this has seen this almost ramshackle building restored to its former glory.

Home and business owners in London can do their bit to preserve these important features of the architecture of this great city, and they will find many repairs and refurbishment companies who are willing to help.

If you found this article interesting you may also like to read about on sash window repairs in London I invite you to take a look at the authers website her at www.sashwindowrepairs-london.co.uk for a wealth of info including sash window draught proofing and the methods used.

The history of bathroom sconces is a very storied one. These were the primary form of lighting for many centuries and it’s amazing to think about the fact that people still have them in bathrooms in this day and age. Of course, they’re now wired with bulbs, but the style remains.

There are many other options that people could consider for bathroom lighting. There’s typical recessed lighting, ambient lighting, task lighting, and more, yet some people still prefer the traditional look and feel that bathroom sconces are able to give off.

One thing that you should know about bathroom sconces is that these can’t be relied on as the only source of light in a room. They’re pretty dim and they’re generally used to soften the look and feel of a bathroom.

Still, some people prefer a bathroom that’s on the darker side at times, and sconces create this atmosphere wonderfully. The light is very gentle and people really enjoy it.

You’ll be glad to know that you don’t have to ask yourself whether your bathroom is big enough to hold your bathroom sconces. As long as you have some room on your walls for one or two bathroom lighting fixtures, and I imagine that you do, you’ll be just fine.

One factor that must be taken into account is how many watts the bathroom sconces are capable of emitting. Stronger ones might or might not be amenable to the wiring of your bathroom.

There are many people who like to put sconces by their mirrors. This is a good place for them, but you might need a vanity light or something else to brighten up the area.

Prices for bathroom sconces can vary widely, and a lot of it depends on the quality of the sconce set you’re buying. The average set might cost about $60 but I’ve seen sets for well over $1,000.

Get more advice on bathroom lighting fixtures and bathroom sconces.

If you have been considering getting a pool put in at your new or older home, there are some things you need to decide on, first. When choosing the kind of pool you want, you must consider geographical information as well as personal choice. If you don’t know how to price a swimming pool, here’s a little bit of help.

The first consideration that you need to make is whether you want to install an in ground or above ground pool. Many people in different parts of the country opt for above ground pools that are as high in quality as any in ground pool ever could be. Some people have the picture in their minds of an above ground pool to be that of one from the 70s or 80s, the blue siding protruding and bulging and looking a mess.

When pricing a swimming pool, you need to consider what size of a pool you want to have built. This includes circumference and depth of the pool. This will dictate the shape of the pool, as well. Decide on something that you can live with, for quite some time.

You have many options to choose from. Think about the climate where you live, how often the pool will be used and what the outside of your home looks like, as well. You want your pool to match your home, in a way. Different materials will cost you different amounts, obviously. You need to think about the long term upkeep of a pool, as well.

Decide what kind of materials you want your pool made of. Don’t take the cheap way out. If you’re going to be putting in a swimming pool, you want it to last. You’re making an initial investment in entertainment for your entire family for years to come. Realize that if you use cheap materials, you’ll be spending more money down the road on repairs. It all comes out in the wash, so do it right the first time.

If you live somewhere that your pool will be open year around, you need to consider whether or not you’re going to put a covered patio over the pool. In many states, Florida in particular, lanais are built over and around the pool, as a pool cage, protecting your pool from the environment and giving your family a bug free place to enjoy the water.

When figuring how to price a swimming pool, don’t forget to add in the cost of a security fence or gate. You need to make sure that your children stay safe from the water when you’re not around.

The revival of bathroom sconces is somewhat recent, despite the fact that they’ve been used for hundreds of years, dating back to ancient times. While they used to hold candles as a means of lighting for a room, the advent of electricity rendered sconces dated for a while but the style is in high demand these days.

There are so many different ways to light up a bathroom. With track lighting, traditional recessed ceiling lighting, and lamps, it would come as a surprise the people would want to use bathroom sconces.

One thing that you should know about bathroom sconces is that these can’t be relied on as the only source of light in a room. They’re pretty dim and they’re generally used to soften the look and feel of a bathroom.

On their own though, they create a gentle, relaxed mood in your bathroom and the soft light can be a beautiful one with the right set of bathroom sconces.

Another thing that people seem to like about bathroom sconces is their ergonomic makeup. Since you won’t need to make room for them on a shelf or elsewhere, you’ll be happy to know that they’re attachments to your wall. This should end up saving you a good deal of space as compared to a lamp with dimming features.

You’ll need to know the power capacity of your bathroom, because depending on the power requirements of your bathroom sconces, they may or may not be suitable for your bathroom.

There are many people who like to put sconces by their mirrors. This is a good place for them, but you might need a vanity light or something else to brighten up the area.

As far as pricing goes, expect to spend somewhere between 40 and 100 dollars for a set of sconces. If you want some of a more customized variety, they can cost much more.