| Attic mold removal a high headache
Q: I am getting a lot of mold in my attic, which contains an air conditioning unit and hydro air that provides heat and air conditioning to the house. The mold is extensive, mainly on the roof sheathing. Two companies have offered to get rid of the mold, one for $2,000, another for $12,000. One man suggested taking up the insulation on the floor, which is not moldy. Why would that be needed, and how in the world could mold removal cost so much and with such a huge difference? What should I do?
TERRIFIED A: The $12,000 cost is due to the need to use protective clothing and taking many precautions while working, plus the removal of the mold itself, which may be a toxic mold. See if the $2,000 job will remove the mold, and if so, then you can do other things.
Stocks to buy: Blue Star, Ruchi Soya, Simplex Infra, Kalyani Steels
Kotak Securities has a ‘buy' rating on the central air-conditioning systems major Blue Star, as it feels it will report handsome earnings growth over the next two years (CAGR of 78% between FY07 and FY09). The company being in a position to offer the best requirement for central as well as commercial refrigeration equipment enabling it to maintain a leading market position in this segment, remains one of the key reasons for its bullishness.
The brokerage also feels that the stock is a play on structural themes like IT/ITeS and retail. However, the brokerage warns that appreciation in the rupee and slowdown in IT/ITeS services remain key concerns. Kotak calculates that at the current price, BSL is trading at 25.1x and 19.3 times FY08 and FY09 earnings, respectively, and on a forward EV/EBITDA basis, the stock is trading 12.6 times.
Architects Who Add Sex Appeal To Sustainable Designs
From Berlin's Reichstag dome to London's Swiss Re building, no contemporary architect has left a greater impact on the modern city skyline than Norman Foster, whose high-tech modernism reinvented the skyscraper. What is less known is that he is also a pioneer of sustainable design. The Reichstag dome is powered by vegetable oil, while the Swiss Re building, nicknamed the "gherkin," uses a system of gardens to promote natural ventilation. Another landmark project, the 47-story HSBC headquarters in Hong Kong, a modular glass-and-steel structure finished in 1986, channels natural light throughout the building and has adaptable office spaces. Mr. Foster's Beijing Airport terminal building, to open next month, will use natural light and ventilation, and despite its size -- it will be the world's largest terminal at a million square meters -- is designed on what the architect calls a human scale.
Small is big at Phila. auto show
The concept cars, the hybrids, the Hummers, the ultra-luxury vehicles, the ubiquitous SUVs and minivans all got their due. But the car that seemed to truly capture the imagination yesterday at the Philadelphia International Auto Show was the itty-bitty Smart Fortwo, which has been available in the United States for less than a month. "Is this the line to sit in it?" asked Robin Emrick of Bensalem. There was no line, just a steady throng of people three deep milling around the two-seater, photographing it, marveling at it, lifting its hatchback, and sitting in it, in some cases, rather snugly. "It's a little shocking to me," said Raymond James, a brand specialist at the Smart Center in Cherry Hill. "I knew it would be popular, but I didn't think we'd be the hit of the show." Curiosity, not car lust, seemed to be the prevailing mood.
Voltas chases the overseas chill
Mumbai, Feb 5: Voltas Ltd, the Mumbai-based Rs 3,000-crore air-conditioning and engineering services company, is likely to bag a large overseas order that could be worth Rs 600-800 crore. The order from West Asia would be in the electro-mechanical segment and come before the end of the current fiscal, a source close to the development said. It is also learnt that the Tata group company is readying itself for bigger bets into special economic zone space for long-term contracts. M M Miyajiwala, executive vice president-finance, Voltas, said, "Bidding and bagging orders is a continuous process for us and I don't want comment anything on fresh orders at this stage." He said that Voltas order book size has swelled to Rs3,500 crore, of which Rs2,700 crore are from overseas and Rs 800 crore from the domestic market.
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