Forced Air Heating

35 million homes in the USA use a home heating system called Forced Hot Air run by a gas furnace. The gas furnace heats air which is circulated around the house via ducting and fans. These heating systems are not very common in the UK because they can be noisy and they require extensive ducting throughout the property which is very expensive to install if they were not part of the original house design.

Electric Heaters

Using electric heaters is just one way to introduce warmth to any room. And, for the family on a tight budget, electric offers a distinct advantage over other forms of heating. This type of heating will improve efficiency by giving you control over electrical consumption as you can easily control which rooms you heat and when, while maintaining low installation and maintenance costs. Electric heaters are affordable standalone units meaning you can invest gradually in your heating system.

There are an increasing range of heater types on the market allowing you to select options ideal for each room too. Ther are traditional radiators, oil and water panels. Infrared heaters can look like pictures and provide fast heat. Towel radiators are a great idea for bathrooms and kitchens as they not only give the homeowner a great amount of comfort by keeping your towels dry and warm; they also heat the room as well.

Hydronic or Water Heating

Hydronic heating systems use water by pushing it through pipes into radiators as a heating method. If your home is already heated by hot water the cost will mainly come from buying and installing your new heaters, new copper pipes, and if necessary a new oil or gas boiler. Though it is more efficient to use the small, sleek hydronic baseboard radiator heater units, they are also available in cast iron and steel.

This can be a very efficient way to heat large areas but you need to ensure that your boiler is well serviced. Check your boilers age and efficiency rating, although they are expensive to replace newer models can provide much better performance and energy efficiency.

Before You Buy Checklist

Before you commit to buying a heater you should carefully consider the following points:

• Setting a budget limit and sticking to it.
• The size of the room(s) and the amount of heat you want.
• The type of material: aluminium, cast iron, or steel.
• The colour and style: contemporary, classic, industrial, or modern. It should blend with the décor and colour scheme of the room.
• Determine the size of the heater: wall panel, short, fat, skinny, tall. It should be powerful enough to heat the entire room.
• Finally, determine how you want it powered: by electric heating, hydronic heating, or solar energy heating.

Once you have selected your heating type and budget the fun part can start! These days you can buy a huge range of colours and styles such as fat, thin, short, tall, flat, round, triangle, square, roller, wall panels and chrome. So your choice of heating panel will actually add some personality and design flare to your room.

Shutters are a great addition to your home that have many benefits including the fact that shutters are a great way to insulate your home reducing energy costs. They secure your windows against storms and break-ins and they look great and can give your house a real continental feel. There are a number of companies who specialise in the installation of shutters but if you are a DIY enthusiast and you want wooden shutters then build your own. As with any wood work job one of the most cricital stages of the project is choosing the most suitable wood to use. This article will help you choose the right material for your shutter project.

Pine

Pine’s abundance has kept the cost of using this softwood quite low making this an excellent choice if you are on a tight budget. For making shutters to install on the outside of your home it is important that you use yellow pine as this is a far denser and more weather resistant wood. Painting the wood will of course further improve its weather resistant nature but if you prefer to let the wood age naturally it will turn honey gold in colour.

Lime Wood / Bass wood / Linde Wood

There are several types of trees in the family ‘Tilia’ which are suitable for wood working, what you will be bale to get depends on where you are. In North America you will be able to get Bass Wood and in the UK Lime which is called Linde in the rest of Europe. All these timbers are perhaps more suited for interior shutters used to keep direct sunlight out of rooms. Lime wood has a small grain which makes painting it easy, usually only requiring one coat. Lime is also great for making other household improvements so if you want the woodwork in your house to match you shutters, lime could be the way to go.

Red cedar

An interesting quality of red cedar is that it naturally repels insects which can be a fantastic benefit in the summer months. Red cedar is also a long lasting wood, its weather resistance means that if properly taken care of it can last for decades as an exterior shutter and longer still when fitted to the interior. Red cedar is also just a beautiful wood with a spectacular grain and colour.

Phoenix wood

If you are really after some oak shutters but your budget doesn’t stretch to it, phoenix wood shares many of the qualities of English Oak but is a lot more affordable. It is a great choice for larger windows, particularly on older buildings where a wood like oak would really fit the style. Another benefit of phoenix wood is that it is flame retardant so making doors and shutters from this wood can actually slow a fire down.

Manufactured wood

Don’t be too hasty to rule out manufactured woods like MDF, they actually hold a great many advantages over natural woods. They are cheaper than natural woods and also a lot easier to work with. One feature that contributes to their ease of use is that manufactured woods are sold by their size at sale whereas natural woods are sold by their size before drying; the process of slowly drying natural woods in a kiln reduces their size significantly so it can be difficult to work out exactly what what sizes and quatites you need for your shutter project.

If you do decide to build your own shutters from wood, or indeed when working with wood for any project it is important to make sure it is approved by the forestry commission who ensure that the trees used for the wood are taken in a sustainable manner.

There is nothing more satisfying than having the right tool for the job in hand – and nothing worse than trying to use the wrong tool for a job! The tools featured below are ten tools that no self-respecting toolbox can afford to be seen without. It could be argued that this list should contain more power tools but it has focused solely on the absolutely essential everyday DIY tools.

You should be able to kit yourself out with these essential tools for no more than £60 at tool specialists such as Tool-Net, so there really is no excuse to be left without the right tool for the job anymore.

1. Claw Hammer

The humble claw hammer is essential for driving nails in, pulling them out, and even small demolition jobs.

2. Screwdrivers

You will need both a Phillips screwdriver – with a cross shaped point – and a flathead screwdriver. You can use your flathead for light prying, scraping, and nudging.

3. Tape Measure

A good quality tape measure is invaluable for a number of DIY jobs whether you are estimating paint coverage, measuring wood for cabinets, hanging wallpaper or just checking to see if furniture fits in a room.

4. Crescent Wrench

This versatile tool is a must – you can think of it as about 50 tools in one as the sliding jaw of this adjustable wrench can change its width and allow you to use it on nuts and bolts of all sizes.

5. Socket Wrench (or Ratchet)

A Socket Wrench

6. Pliers

Vice grip pliers and needle nose pliers will both be needed for different jobs. The vice grip plier is essential when you need an extra pair of hands as they lock into place. They are a versatile tool that can be used as pliers, a wrench, wire cutters, or a clamp. Needle nose pliers are an essential tool for electrical work but are useful whenever you need to cut, bend, grip, or strip wire.

7. Cordless Drill and Bits

Cordless Drill

8. Crosscut Saw

A good general purpose handsaw is useful for cutting wood, whether this be branches in the garden or timber for woodworking projects. Crosscut saws are used to cut against the grain on a piece of wood. If you’ll be doing woodwork that requires a cut along the grain you need a rip saw.

9. Spirit Level

The simple bubble spirit level still holds its own in the face of hi-tech competition from laser levels and iPhone apps.

10. Stanley Knife

The super sharp blade of this knife will ensure it is constantly in and out of your toolbox whatever the project.

Roman blinds are great for adding a little style to any living or dinning space. Although a number of places offer a good quality Roman Blind fitting those with some DIY knowledge shouldn’t find it too daunting a task to install them yourself.

If you’re going to install a Roman blind you first need to establish where you will be able to fit the blinds head rail. Generally you will want to attach it inside the window casing however if it does not fit you can also hang it on the wall above or even the ceiling so that the blinds fall over the window casing.

Once you know where you are attaching the head rail you need to establish what material the surface is. If the surface is wooden you should be able to attach the blinds using only the screws provided with the blind. If the surface is concrete you should use a carbide drill and anchor. For metal surfaces use short metal screws. When attaching to wallboard or plastic use toggle bolts or wall anchors.

Other equipment you will need includes:

• Mounting hardware that should be included with the blind
• Screws that should be included with blind
• Screw driver
• Drill bits (sized as advised by blind instructions)
• Spirit level
• Tape measure
• Safety glasses

If you are installing the blind inside the window frame, hold the head rail at the top of the window frame and use your spirit level to ensure it is level. If it is not use shims to adjust it until it is level. Then try pulling the blind fully down make sure it can cover the window unobstructed. If this is not immediately possible make all adjustments needed until it can be. Once the blind can be fitted accurately, drill pilot holes through the small holes in the head rail then attach the head rail with the appropriate fastener.

If you are attaching the blind over the window casing you must first attach a mounting bracket to the wall outside of the window frame. Ensure both brackets perfectly line up as you attach them. Then hold the head rail in place where you intend to attach it. Mark the holes for the screws with a pencil then drill pilot holes in these places. Install the screws, then position the head rail so the bracket posts fit through the slots. Then firmly attach the head rail with a wing nut.

Once your blinds are hung you can adjust their height by pulling the cord then tugging it to the left to lock it into position. If the blinds don’t hang evenly you may need to adjust the pulley system found behind the valance, the chords should be perfectly aligned.

This should successfully install your Roman blind.

To keep your house dry, warm, and free from mould, it is essential to keep it as watertight as possible. There are a few key areas where water can enter your house, and its important to understand what these areas are, and what checks you can perform to ensure everything is as it should be.

External Checks

On your external walls, check to see if there is evidence of any of the following:

• Are the windows and window frames in good condition? Check for signs of rot in wooden windows also gaps around the window frames that could be letting in cold air and damp.
• Mortar in brickwork – is it up to scratch? Mortar joints should not have pieces missing or be eroded, this can cause structural weaknesses and penetrating damp.
• Does your property have damp proof course and is it working effectively? Look for a line of plastic bedded into the mortar joint approximately 150mm above you external ground level. In older buildings this could be a line of bitumen or even slate.
• Are any air bricks blocked? Look for bricks with horizontal holes in them normally placed at approximately 150mm above the external ground level, they should be free from blockages and obstructions to allow air movement through them.

Check your roof to find out if there are any of the following issues:

• Are your gutters blocked or broken? Leaves and debris can collect in gutters causing them to block, once blocked water overflows and often runs down walls creating moss and algae down the wall and possibly internal damp patches.
• Do you have any missing, broken or out of place tiles? Check for spaces on your roof where tile should be, they may have been displaced by storms or heavy winds.
• Is the chimney and its surround in good condition? Flashing around the chimney should be sealed into the chimney and flat over the tiles. Any lifting or damaged flashing should be replaced immediately to stop roof leaks.

It’s also important to be aware that if you have any climbing plants on your house, they could be hiding some of the above problems. Roots of trees near to your home may also cause damage to your foundations or damp proof courses.

Internal Checks

Internally, there are a few areas to look out for:

• Check windows and walls for condensation. Normally you will see water drops on windows or cold surfaces, in more severe cases you may even experience black mould on various substrates. Kitchens and bathrooms are the areas where condensation is most likely to form due to cooking washing and drying of clothes. If you spot condensation, it is important to take positive steps to control the condensation. This can be done by installing ventilation systems to control the relative humidity (amount of moisture in the air) and using anti mould products to remove mould and stop it occurring the future.
• Is all your plumbing in good condition? Is there any damage or are there any visible cracks or leaks around sinks or toilets? Damp patches across floors and on walls can quite easily be from a leaking or damaged pipes. Normally damp patches will look like dark areas on walls, floors and even ceilings. Often once the leak has been rectified the damp patch will disappear. If the leak has been prevalent for a long time this may have caused rot within timber that will require remedial treatment by a professional.

If you spot any internal or external problems, it is important to take steps straight away to dry out any damp, and prevent further problems.
Where they is any doubt about the causes source or risks associated with water ingress, talk to a damp proofing expert.

It seems like a no brainer. Wiring a plug is possibly the most simple of tasks for anyone whether they are a DIY enthusiast or an experienced electrician. Many people who attend professional electrical courses are surprised to hear that the majority of plugs wired up by non-skilled homeowners have been done so incorrectly. There are many things that people often get wrong and as a result the majority of appliances these days come with a moulded plug attachment to prevent a range of common mistakes.

However in the event that you need to replace a whole plug you may want to look out for the top ten mistakes below:
1. Wrong size fuse – One of the most common mistakes is the wrong size fuse fitted to a plug. Often people will use the plug from one appliance to replace a broken plug on another. In many cases the fuse rating will be too high meaning there is a good chance that in the event of a fault the user could be placed in danger.

2. White instruction card left on – Every new plug now comes with a white instruction card to help prevent mistakes. This is great, however the card itself must be removed before the plug is used. Otherwise it could present not only a fire risk if the plug was to overheat, if the card became damp it produce a conductive link between the pins.

Wiring A Plug

3. Cable grip not tightened – Most replacement plugs have a cable grip used to ensure that the cable stays in place. This prevents the wire from slipping or being pulled out of the plug, however many people simply forget to tighten this.

4. Cable grip over tightened – In contrast to the last point some people over tighten the cable grip. This can cause damage to the cores within the cable sheath.

5. Too much cable sheath removed – One of the worst mistakes is that too much sheath is removed from the flex leaving the three exposed wires hanging out of the bottom of the plug. This makes it more likely for the cable not to be secured and for the connections in the plug tom come loose.

6. Wires not inserted correctly – Quite often the wires that need to be connected will not be inserted into the terminals correctly. The copper ends of the earth, neutral, and line can be too short, frayed or even too long. This can cause a varying array or issues.

7. Cable lengths incorrect – Most people will simply cut the line, neutral and earth wires to the same length and then attach them to each terminal. However it is important that the wires are cut with the earth longest, neutral second longest and live shortest. This ensures that if the connections do come loose due to strain on the cable that the earth is likely to be the last connection to come out.

8. More than one appliance wired into one plug – This is a common issue around Christmas and very often you may find your Christmas tree lights all running off the one plug. The danger here is made worse by the amount of flammable materials on the tree.

9. Wrong type of plug fitted – For items that are subjected to harsh treatment you should fit a resilient plug. This would be for appliances such as extension leads, vacuum cleaners, or lawnmowers. A resilient plug will be marked with BS1363A.

10. Wires in wrong terminals – It’s the least common mistake but it still can happen, some people put the wires in the wrong terminals. If in doubt simply check on the internet for the correct way to wire up a plug or take a picture of the old plug before you connect the new one. If I doubt do not guess as electricity is dangerous and mistakes like this can be costly!

If you don’t feel comfortable wiring up a plug, don’t! Get someone else to do it for you. We would not recommend calling in an electrician to do a job like this but make sure the plug is fitted by someone that is compitent in what they are doing. If in doubt refer them to this page.

There has been a shift in interior design and office refurbishment over the past several years as designers move away from the traditional model of closed-off offices, cramped common spaces and high-walled cubicles. Today’s designers and their clients are embracing shared spaces, open floor plans and mobile workstations.

So how can office design help your business?

The answer is simple: accessibility.

In a recent survey of professional interior designers who specialise in office spaces, more than 68 per cent said they were able to improve their clients’ productivity by making offices more accessible to workers. This included providing easier access to resources like equipment, information and other workers. To improve staff contact with these resources, the survey respondents implemented changes such as:

• Grouping team members together for easier communication.
• Establishing customised workstations to facilitate specific team activities.
• Improving access to shared resources like projectors, copiers and fax machines.
• Providing a logical office layout that lets staff find what or who they need easily.
• Converting traditional spaces (with cubicles and private offices) to more open floor plans that help eliminate barriers and encourage better communication.

Accessibility and Open Office Plans

The open office is now one of the most popular ways for companies to facilitate multi-tasking and better performance. Interior designers are frequently called upon to implement designs with lots of open space, smaller work areas and close groupings of teams. Open floor plans also make it easier for management to oversee operations at the ground level, known as “management by walking around.” This eliminates the traditional corporate hierarchy that can make some lower-level employees feel that management doesn’t understand or appreciate their work.

Accessibility for Faster Decision Making

Speed in business is more important now than ever before. Accessibility can make the decision-making process more streamlined, helping your company stay ahead of the competition. When staff has greater access to one another through shared workspaces or mobile workstations, management is able to transfer decision-making power further down the ranks to help encourage teams to work together more efficiently. As managers begin to see the value of collaboration as a way to boost productivity, the whole office will start to appreciate a working environment with fewer physical barriers.

Accessibility for Team Building

Teams or departments that work well together also help accelerate decision-making and can improve the overall efficiency of your office. Interior design can play a key role in helping your teams and departments work better together. Thoughtful workstation groupings can have a variety of benefits including team development and relationship building, improved communication across departments and a collective sense of purpose or accomplishment.

Office design trends that increase accessibility through open floor plans for faster decision making and team building are here to stay. As businesses look for ways to be more flexible and nimble in a shrinking global market, interior designers can play a key role in helping companies remain competitive.

DIY disasters are a common cause of insurance claims. Amateur plumbers and builders often find their best-laid plans go wrong and have to call in the professionals. When handling a DIY project, it’s good to know your limits and don’t attempt complex jobs that are beyond your skills and capabilities. However, if you do find a project doesn’t as run smoothly as expected – make sure your home insurance can pick up the pieces.

Accidental damage cover

This is normally offered as an optional extra and is bought in addition to your standard home insurance policy. As the name suggests, it can help cover you for accidental damage in your home – from small slip-ups to large DIY catastrophes. This can include things like spilt paint on the carpet or an unwanted hole in the wall. It’s worth checking whether this is currently included in your chosen policy.

Large modifications

If you’re planning to undertake a major DIY project, such as a loft conversion, make sure you inform your insurance provider. Making large alterations or additions to your property could affect your home insurance cover, so it’s wise to inform your insurer before getting started. For example, fitting a new en suite bathroom could count as an additional room in your home, so your insurer would definitely need to know about it.

Leaks and water damage

One of the main problem areas for insurers involves homeowners attempting technical plumbing jobs themselves. If not dealt with immediately and efficiently, a small leak can soon become a big problem – seeping through walls and floors causing extensive damage.

Water damage is normally covered as standard with both buildings and contents insurance, but it typically won’t cover the cost of repairing the faulty apparatus that caused the leak in the first place. To avoid problems, it’s best to leave complex plumbing to the professionals, as a small error might result in a major flood.

Calling in the experts

If your DIY does turn into a nightmare, make sure you call in a fully qualified, registered professional. If you end up with a cowboy tradesman, they may exacerbate the problem and could compromise your insurance. In addition, make sure that any tradesmen you do instruct at your property have adequate public liability insurance. This is essential protection for both you and them, just in case anything did unexpectedly go wrong.

Every home needs doors and usually of several different types.  There is the external front door and often a door to access a patio or garden, shed doors and garden gates.  Internally there are bedroom doors, sliding doors and separators. Normally little thought is put into our doors, we reach for the same tired old designs and colours that we have known from our childhood. But this misses an opportunity to make a necessary evil actually add to our design scheme and improve the use of space in our homes. Where you are trying to achieve a minimalist look choosing doors that are hardly noticeable might be your aim or alternatively choosing one that will stand out as an feature will mean you do not need to add pictures and ornaments later.

The standard interior door is simply a single piece of material cut to fit over an opening and hinged so it can be opened or closed.  It can be solid wood, laminate, hollow and incorporate glass and inset panels.

Dutch Door or Stable Door

This is a standard door that is split in two so the top and bottom halves can be opening and closed independently. They are often used as backdoors because you can open the top to keep an eye on the kids in the garden while keeping wildlife and pets out of your house!

French Doors

These are two standard doors fitted side by side that close and lock where they join and can both be opened out to produce a double sized doorway.  These are popular choices to link the interior to a garden and they are often used as patio doors. Internal French Doors are also used to add grandeur to the openings of our special occasion rooms such as dining areas and lounges.

Bi-Fold Doors

These doors are often used as room separators or wardrobe doors.  They are normally made of two panels hinged together – this allows them to be folded back opening up two rooms into one or allowing you to access your entire cupboard space. Bi-fold doors are mounted on a single (top or bottom) or more usual double (top and bottom) runner which can be inset for a neat look. These folding sliding doors are flexible becuase you can use them for nearly any size of opening on internal or external areas.

Luan Doors

They are very similar to the bi-fold door but instead of two door pieces being hinged together the two doors are separate and on different rails meaning one door can slide behind the other.  The advantage of this over the bi fold is that the door never swings into your room on opening or closing meaning you do not need free space in front of it. But it cannot open fully like the bi-fold door.

Sliding and Gliding Doors

Sliding doors are on runners and can be used like a standard interior door – however they can slide across a wall to open rather than swing out into a room so can be useful for small rooms where floor space is at a premium.  Gliding doors can cover large spaces as three, four or more panels can be used at once. These doors are also easy to use for those who are not mobile or are in a wheelchair as an opening door does not have to be manoeuvred around.

Pocket Doors

These are more advanced versions of sliding doors where the door slides into the wall cavity itself providing maximum space saving. They are a popular choice for new builds but they are expensive to fit to existing homes as the wall cavity has to be excavated and replaced to fit the door housing.

Printed Doors

Advances in printing technology have meant that custom printing of your favourite images or even ones you have taken yourself have become affordable. Custom images can now be printed on internal doors and you can even get wallpaper printed that will fit around your door and continue your image onto the surrounding wall!

As you’d maybe expect, insulation goes back a fair few years. From Ancient Egyptians who used thick bricks to keep their homes cool in unforgiving heat, to Ancient Greeks and Romans who were the first to make use of cavity walls to keep their buildings both warm and cool; as knowledge and technology has developed, so has insulation.

That said, despite its early employment cavity wall insulation didn’t ‘take off’ around the world until relatively recent times because people used materials such as mud, cloth and as the Industrial Revolution hit its stride; asbestos. Of course, in the 1970s asbestos was proven to have a number of less than desirable qualities meaning that other insulation methods and materials were needed.

Types of Insulation

Insulation methods used now in UK and throughout the world are quite varied. Not all are particularly environmentally friendly or entirely energy efficient. At a most basic level cavity wall insulation is widely accepted as the best starting point and it is the material inserted into the cavity itself that provokes most disagreement. Options vary from the widely used glass fibre or rock wool to less common materials such as cellulose and polyurethane.

One material rapidly gaining in popularity is expanded polystyrene (or EPS for short). Used in the insulation of roofs, floors and walls, EPS is fast becoming a frequently chosen option for builders and planners due to a number of inherent positive characteristics. It’s easy to understand its popularity as the material is strong, offers good value, has high insulation values and excellent sustainability credentials.

The Future of Insulation

So, what’s next? Construction is at last starting to incorporate a scientific approach to development to see if cheaper and better materials and methods can be found that could revolutionise building in a similar way to recent car production advances. Relativley simple changes can have large effefcts and companies are starting to invest large amounts of money in new insulation concepts. One such example of a new forward thinking insulation technology is the Jablite Dynamic Cavity.

This technology uses dynamic air flow to recycle heat that would be lost to the air back inside a building and can lower energy use by up to 25%. Installation is simple and it can be fitted in existing cavity walls and designs making it easy to implement. In addition to saving homeowners money on their heating bills, the Dynamic Cavity has received A+ environmental accreditation in the BRE Green Guide meaning it’s environmental credentials are good too. Ultimately, making a home more energy efficient, however you do it, will help ensure there is a healthy planet for future generations to enjoy in centuries to come.