Modern Living

Maintain your bifold door

Now that the summer has officially ended and the dark nights come in quickly, making sure your home is in good shape for the colder months is important. This not only includes the security and internal parts of your home, but also your doors and windows too.

The chances are quite high that if you have had bi-folding doors installed in your home then during the summer you would have taken advantage of their great benefits. This will have kept your house cool in the summer and now it is getting colder help to keep the internal temperature more constant, along with the heating.

But whilst these are all good, maintenance is needed to ensure the doors work to their maximum during the winter. Leading bi-folding door companies across the UK are trying to educate the homeowner to ensure their doors are looked at during this time of the year. Some of the most useful and easiest to carry out tips are below:

Firstly, if you want to reap all the benefits that high efficiency glazing has on your home, then you need to make sure that it is clean and free of a layer of debris. This can be done easily by just washing the windows with some warm water on a cloudy day to avoid streaks. Again a clear window will offer better views of your garden and the outside scenery.

Whilst washing the windows, also check that the tracks are clear of any leaves and debris too. This time of the year is common place for issues to occur from autumn debris build up, such as leaves and twigs. If these are caught within any tracks it could cause the doors to not function properly leading to damage

Also look out for any damage that may have been caused during the summer without your knowledge. A professional company will come out look at any damage and recommend the best way to proceed. Don’t forget about the inside of the doors too. Make sure these are clean and clear of any issues.

These top tips should ensure that you can still reap all the amazing benefits of using of bi-folding doors within your home, despite the fact they might not be opening quite so often.

If you are unsure of how to carry out a maintenance check on you bi-folding doors, you should contact a local bi-folding door specialist quickly before the harshest of winter weather arrives. This is even more important if your bi-folding doors are about 8-10 years old as they may already be showing signs of wear and tear.

These are just a few top tips but they will give you more advice on how to guarantee your bi-folding door remains in fully working order during the winter months. A problem could be an expensive outlay so why not set aside an afternoon to carry out inexpensive checks which will allow you to enjoy your winter knowing everything is working properly.

ACA Guide to Rubber Roofing

Rubber roofing has quickly become one of the highest regarded materials used in the roofing industry today, and for those looking for commercial roofing that is cost effective and incredibly durable, look no further than rubber roofing.

Also known as EPDM (ethylene propylene diene terpolymer) roofing, this form of roofing may seem like a strange method for a home, but the advantages of using such a material are certainly worth mentioning. Compared to other options on the market, rubber roofing provides great value for money, and is also great for the environment which is another added bonus for buyers.

The first and most notable benefit of rubber roofing is the price. As a synthetic material, it is very cheap to produce which makes the installation of it inexpensive, especially when the longevity of the roof is so impressive. Light, easy to transport and install, the cost of hiring professionals to lay a rubber roof is much cheaper than many alternates out there.

Taking into account the long durability of a rubber roof, and it becomes even more financially sound. As a material, rubber can last a long length of time when compared to other notable materials used in the industry. It can stand a lot of stresses from the elements, including rain, snow, hail, wind and of course sunlight. No matter whether it’s extreme colds or warmth’s, the rubber material is brilliantly durable.

UV rays from the sun are responsible for decaying traditional roof materials. Rubber roofs do not face the same dangers due to being protected from UV damage, immediately making it last far longer, with some estimates going as far as to say they have upwards of 50 years of durability.

When compared to the repair costs that would be needed over the same time period with a other roof types, and it remains clear just how long-lasting this material is. Throw in the fact that the repairs to this material are also easily done, and then the advantages continue to stack up. As soon as you need to repair a rubber roof it can be done quickly and with great ease – not to mention costing much less too!

With a standard roofing option, repairs remain a constant threat. Not just from the elements and unexpected damage, but general maintenance too. Even if damage hasn’t been prevalent in a roof, there is always cause for repairs after around 10 years for most homes, making it quite the nuisance.

Rubber roofs have no such problem as maintenance is as low key as it could get for a roof. If you want your roof installed and do not want to have to worry about it for many, many years then rubber roofing is worth considering.

Money can be saved in the long term too, thanks to the amazing traits of the rubber which are ideal for residential homes. The rubber can help provide additional insulation during cold months, meaning money can be saved on heating due to improved insulation. Similarly, in warmer months the material can help to reflect heat away from a home which would result in less need for air-conditioning!

As rubber roofing becomes more popular, more styles and colours are becoming readily available, which eliminates any previous negatives about a lack of aesthetics the material may have. All in all, rubber roofing has an abundance of benefits that make it a worthwhile investment for any homeowner.

How To Make Your Home Business More Powerful And Profitable

If you have an entrepreneurial mindset, you’ve probably considered the value of starting your own home business at some point. Yet in many cases, small business owners find that their new companies start to flounder fast. Luckily, there are several techniques and systems you can refer to so that your entrepreneurial endeavors are effective. Here are three strategies that can make your home business powerful and profitable:

1. Deliver Incredibly Compelling Presentations.

Presentations are an incredibly powerful medium through which you can connect with and then convert your prospective customers. When you deliver an information-packed, engaging presentation that generates curiosity about your brand, you will likely find that your audience starts asking questions and eventually invests in your products and services. With all this in mind, you should consider the value of attaining professional assistance with your presentations. Companies like eSlide employ Powerpoint specialists who can provide you with the cutting edge, contemporary services necessary to help you deliver an incredibly compelling presentation.

2. Implement Growth Hacking Techniques.

Growth hacking has become a big buzzword in the online marketing world, and it is particularly pertinent for individuals who want to expand their small businesses. Although defined broadly, growth hacking is basically a series of internet marketing strategies that small business owners can utilize to optimize the visibility and power of their brand in the online domain. Growth hacking measures tend to be cost-effective, which is why they’re uniquely effective for home business owners who want to market effectively without breaking the bank. Some of the more prevalent growth hacking methodologies include:

• search engine optimization
• website analytics
• content marketing
• A/B testing

In most cases, it’s a good idea to employ a digital marketing company that can implement these growth hacking strategies on your behalf.

3. Treat Your Business Like A Business.

In many cases, working from home can be a double-edged sword. While running a home business enables you to make your own schedule and sleep until noon if you want, it can oftentimes cause you to adopt an attitude of laziness and disorganization. This attitude can flourish for many reasons, including the fact that many people don’t know how to “be their own boss.” Thus in the absence of an authority figure setting deadlines and giving out assignments, these home business owners neglect to establish goals that would push the business forward. Don’t make this mistake. Instead, remember to treat your business like a business so you can reap the financial rewards you desire. This means doing things like developing a budget, creating a schedule, and designating a specific work space where you will perform your professional activities.

Conclusion

Running a home business is wonderful because it can generate economic freedom and professional development. To ensure that your business becomes profoundly successful, consider using the growth strategies outlined for you here. In so doing, you’ll give your company the boost it needs to keep moving forward!

Where Does the Money Go?

Infographic source: Buddy Loans

5 Space Tips for Choosing a House in Upminster

Upminster has rental prices around the national average. But with house prices affordable compared to inner London and other areas in Essex, it is a good place for the first time buyer to consider. Upminster is at the end of the District line on the London Underground and is technically in Essex, but connected with easy transport links to London, making it a convenient and attractive place to live. When you are choosing property to buy in Upminster, make sure you consider the space requirements and the amount of space the house offers – space can be a deal-breaker when it comes to selecting your dream home. Read on for more tips.

1. Plan for Future Space Needs

When you’ve got one child, you may be happy with a two-bedroom house now but what happens if you have another child? Or if you want to set up a home office or a playroom? You probably won’t want to move yet again right after you have bought an Upminster home, so make sure the number of bedrooms will still suit you a few years down the line.

2. Make Sure Your Furniture Fits

If the rooms in the house look spacious and very tidy, consider the amount of furniture that is currently in the room. People selling a property often put furniture like cupboards, desks and tables into storage to make the place look bigger. How will your furniture fit within the house? Will it make the place look cluttered?

3. Consider Your Storage Needs

It is easy to think that the house is big enough when you see that you have enough space for your clothes and other belongings you use every day. But what about all that stuff in the attic and in the garage? Does the house have space for that? If not, are you willing to sell it all or otherwise get rid of it? Houses for sale in Upminster often have plenty of storage in an attic or in a garage but if you want a cheaper property you may have to forgo the collection of golf clubs you never use.

4. Is there Room for Shelves?

If there are no built-in shelves in the living room or bedroom, and you have lots of things to display, is there space to install shelves? Will you have enough room to put all your books or collectibles?

5. Check the Kitchen Cabinets

The success of a kitchen often hangs on cupboard space. Plenty of cabinets mean a more efficient kitchen and a cleaner space. Look at what you can store in the cupboards compared to what you need to store. If you have lots of large pots and pans you’ll need a place to keep them.

Upminster has no shortage of properties of all shapes and sizes, according to www.beresfordsgroup.co.uk. Make sure that your dream home truly does have enough space for all of your needs – consider the amount of furniture and possessions you have, and whether you need extra bedrooms. A house that feels cluttered to begin with will become unbearable after a few years.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Painting and Decorating

I am sure that from time to time all of you like to redecorate your house. By redecorating I mean anything such as adding a new source of light to your home, or painting the walls in your kitchen. Many people out there choose to do so from time to time and I perfectly know the reason this happens. Homeowners simply want to freshen up the look of their house and a fresh coat of pain can do absolutely wonders even in the oldest of homes.

One of the keys to successful home redecoration and renovation is the preparation phase. It seems like many people might want to skip this stage and proceed without being sufficiently prepared, but this is where they definitely go wrong. Even if you hire a painter and decorator for the job, and I recommend that you do it to have the job done properly, you still need to prepare sufficiently for the whole process. You will thank me for those tips later!

One of the biggest deals when it comes to painting and redecorating is choosing the right colour. It is not a secret that specific colours can work very well together, while on the other hand you will find some of them that are extremely contrasting. You need to spend a sufficient amount of time knowing what type of colours and contrasts you want, or you might end up having to paint your house all over again, and this is something that you definitely want to avoid.

While choosing what colours to go with, it is a good idea to remember the so-called golden rule: you need to make sure that your prominent colour is about 60%, while the secondary colour takes between 30-40%. The rest can be left for the so-called accent colour, which shouldn’t be more than 10% of your total colours.

Depending on what type of room you want to paint you will want to choose bright colours. Unless this is your teenager’s bedroom that you want to redecorate, I recommend that you always go for light bright shades. They will simply add a lot of space in your room and they will ensure that it will appear bigger and brighter than it really is. Way too many houses in the country struggle with insufficient source of light, so it is always best to ensure that you make the most of all that bright colours can do for you.

Removing a Garage Door

Removing a garage door can be a tricky process, with copious amount of panels and bolts to take off. However, specialists Dencroft Garages have been providing this service, along with building bespoke concrete garages across the whole of the UK.

Since Dencroft’s inception, we have been removing and installing garage doors and have seen designs change, features such as electronic opening and closing fitted, as well as safety close mechanisms installed. Yet through all of those innovations, the removal and installation process principles remain the same. For electronic or manual garage doors, there are similar safety considerations that apply, and techniques that follow a comparable step by step guide.

We employ some of the leading specialists in Garage Door builds and use some of the best equipment from suppliers Garador. Because of this we have developed a six step process that alleviates any problems and uninstalls the garage door successfully:

Step 1: When removing any product, it is vitally important to be wearing the correct safety gear and to move any obstructing objects that could create difficulty. For removing a garage door, it will be far easier to move, if applicable, a car further down the drive to give you working space, as well as clearing any storage or items that may be close to the door. You will require a step ladder to do the work, so that should determine how much space you will need.

Step 2: After making space, you then need to relieve the tension in the torsion spring (which is located on the back of the garage). First, clamp adjustable pliers on the spring shaft and wedge the pliers against a header wall. When these are firmly secure, move on to step three.

Step 3: Next insert a steel rod into one of the spring winding cone holes. Whilst the rod is in the hole and holding the rod firmly, loosen the screws which hold the winding cone in place. Using the steel rods, you should be able to turn the spring about a quarter of a turn each time, doing this until the coil is extremely loose.

Step 4: When you are happy that the tension has been fully released, take off the garage door opener from the current garage door. This should be a simple process. Remember to keep the screws in a box as you will need them to connect the new door later.

Step 5: Once the opener has been removed, you can start dismantling the door panel by panel. Starting at the top, remove the hinges connected to the panel. Repeat this until all the panels have been taken out of the door. At this point you may well need the help of a friend or work colleague to hold the lower part of the door together whilst you separate the upper connections.

Step 6: When all the panels have been removed, disconnect the track from the door frame by unscrewing or unbolting. At this point you should now be left with an open space, and no guides or controls connected to the garage door frame.

Our six step guide is comprehensive and simple to follow, however if you do require someone to remove the concrete garage door for you, contact Dencroft Garages on 0800 1182547 to arrange this service.

Note: Please include an image

How to Help Lower Your Energy Bills

Your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system may be the most expensive part of your energy bill. Keeping the system running efficiently not only helps keep the costs down, it also prolongs the life of the system. If you believe your system needs maintenance or repair, HVAC Nixa MO is your best option. You may be able to change filters yourself, but professionally trained HVAC technicians can evaluate your whole system and make sure it is running efficiently.

What Can Go Wrong?

Some of the most common problems with air conditioners are:

• Refrigerant Leaks

Air conditioners need to be properly charged with refrigerant. If it is low, it may not have been properly charged at installation or it may have a leak. It requires a trained technician to test the refrigerant and charge it properly.

• Electrical Failure

The compressor or fan controls may wear out if the unit turns on and off frequently. There may also be corrosion of the terminals and wires that inhibit electrical connections. These need to be checked and repaired by a professional.

• Thermostat Problems

If the thermostat isn’t working properly, the unit will either fail to turn on or stay on longer than necessary, wasting energy.

Some of the most common problems with a heating system are:

• Electric or Pilot Problems

There are several reasons why a pilot light may go out. Electrical wires may also have faulty ignition. These problems should only be repaired by a professional.

• No Heat or Not Enough Heat

There are several reasons why a furnace doesn’t produce heat. The first thing to check is the filter. If this is clean, a professional needs to check the thermostat, ducts, electricity or pilot light.

• Noisy Furnaces

Rumbling and rattling heaters indicate there is a mechanical problem, clogged burner or airflow reductions. Old systems are especially prone to this type of problem. If your heater is more than 15 years old, it may save you money in the long term to install a new, energy-efficient system.

It’s easy to avoid serious, emergency problems and big repair and energy bills. HVAC repair companies in Nixa offer maintenance programs that can save you a lot of money on repairs as well as extend the life of your system. Trained technicians will check every component of your HVAC system annually to keep it in good working order.

A Few Words about Unoccupied Insurance

There are many situations when a property can be unoccupied. When you live in your home and you don’t own another property, you might not think about such situations often or even at all, but it all changes once you inherit a property, become a landlord, or when you want to renovate your property and need to move out temporarily. After getting over the shock of becoming a landlord, you need to understand your legal commitments are and how you can protect your property with insurance. This is  particularly true when the property is empty.

Below I am going to give you a few examples when unoccupied insurance is the best type of insurance to get when for one reason or another nobody lives in a house or apartment:

1.I am sure that you have heard that somebody living closed to you died and left their property empty. Things like this happen all the time and there might be actually a lot more unoccupied properties out there than you might think. When a situation like this occurs, the property becomes subject to probate. It is then up to lawyers to determine who the right owner of the property is and who should inherit. Of course, it is in the best interest of the relatives of the deceased to ensure that the property is insured when not occupied as various things can still happen to it.

2. A property is awaiting let. In this day and age, there are many properties that actually stay empty. This might not be the case in London and generally the South of England, I have seen many properties stay empty for a long time while living in the North West of England where the properties are generally more affordable and landlords consider it a good investment. When a situation like this occurs, landlords insurance does not come into effect. This is why if landlords suspect that their property might stay empty for longer than 30 days should be the right type of cover. Such cover can be very basic, but also very safe in case something happens to the property.

3. A property can also be vacant while undergoing renovation. The type of insurance you will need will depend on your situation, but it generally depends who is conducting the repairs. If you decide to do everything yourself, you might need a different type of cover than if you wanted to hire a contractor for the job. This is all due to different types of safety measures and regulations as well as the qualifications of your contractors.

As you can see, there are many situations when a building can stay unoccupied. It is in the best interest of its owner to make sure that it is always covered by proper insurance.

How to Resolve a Dispute in the Construction Industry

As the owner of a construction business, you are the one others hold responsible for problems that may occur on the job site. These issues can include those that arise as the result of improper installation of products, accident that involve your employees and problems that occurred because of subcontractors or others you hired to perform certain tasks. Working with construction claims consultants can help you resolve any type of dispute that occurs after an incident on a job site or with other problems that you encounter.

Negotiating After a Dispute

One way you can resolve a dispute is with negotiation. A negotiation is an agreement between you and the person or persons involved in the dispute. It may result in you going back and doing more work or with you paying your former clients the amount needed for another company to do the work. A consultant will help you determine if you are at fault and if you should accept responsibility for the problem. Though your consultant may not be there on the day you meet with the client, your consultant can coach you on what to say and do during the negotiations.

Types of Construction Disputes

The most common type of dispute that affects the construction industry is when a client disputes the amount of work done. A former client may claim that your employees did significant damage to the home when building an addition or replacing plumbing, or a client may claim that you deliberately did not do everything you needed to do when working on the home. You may file a claim against a subcontractor for taking money and not performing a job, or you might file a claim against a manufacturer for products that did not work as promised.

Why Hire a Construction Claims Consultant?

Though you do have the option to file and work on claims yourself, there are some benefits of working with a professional. A construction consultant has a deep understanding of construction claims and the court system. Your consultant can help you settle claims before those disputes go to small claims court or the civil court in your area. You’ll also learn what you need to do to maintain your good reputation without former clients and others dragging down your company. When you find yourself facing claims from others, consider working with a professional consultant.