Here at the Hazlemere Group we are resolute about health and safety at home, particularly when we’re advising our customers on the various steps to protect their children once our products have been installed.
Prevent children falling out an open window by not leaving tempting items on the window cill
One of the most common incidents we hear and read about are child injuries relating to falls. We, like every parent, appreciate that it’s extremely difficult to monitor your kids 24 hours a day, but also acknowledge that prevention is key to maintaining a safe environment. We hope that our simple but effective step to promoting child safety will ultimately reduce the risk of a fall.
Ensure your stairs are clear at all times
We are too aware that our little ones love to play on the stairs and this often means that a trail of toys and general clutter are all potential trip hazards. Try to discourage playing on the stairs, where even you are at risk!
Safety gates
Toddlers like to roam and explore the home, especially when your back is turned, so by using a stair or hallway gate you can have total peace of mind if you’re preoccupied.
Watch out for slippery surfaces
Although bath time is great fun, accidents can and do happen. Make sure you use a rubber mat in the tub to prevent any slips. Also, if you have rugs in the house, a good tip is to apply double sided tape underneath.
A head for heights
Most young children are fearless which means they possess a courage that needs to be monitored. Areas to watch are beds, stairs, windows, changing tables and furniture around the house that’s accessible.
Take the lead
With so many electrical appliances around the house, wires and cables are a constant threat. To ensure that trips and tangles are kept to a minimum, bundle your leads together or box them off. At the earliest opportunity educate your toddlers on the dangers surrounding playing with electricity.
Take the heat out of the situation
When cooking with gas or electricity use the backburners wherever possible, and if you do have to use more than two rings, turn off the front burners at the earliest possible moment, minimizing the risk to wandering little hands. Likewise, to prevent toddlers getting scolded, fit temperature controlled taps and radiator covers where appropriate.
A window of opportunity
It’s surprising how easily it is for a child to squeeze through the smallest of gaps in a window, so make sure they are locked or closed at all times. Also watch out for conservatory doors as often there are small ledges. Be aware of any toys or objects that may entice your little ones to go near window and doors.
CATAGORY|Home Improvements
We are frequently asked by existing and new customers about the key benefits of buying a conservatory, apart from the clear aesthetic appeal, of course.
A UPVC P-Shape Conservtory Installed by Hazlemere in Chalfont St.Peter Bucks
We always aim to answer this question with candour as Hazlemere provides products that benefit the consumer, not beguile them. So with this in mind, we have compiled some concise, but transparent reasons why a conservatory could benefit your home, and more specifically, can save you money in the long term. We appreciate that you may be searching for a sanctuary of solace, but here at Hazlemere we want to highlight the bigger picture when considering a conservatory:
1) A well positioned conservatory can impart a seamless transition from either your dining room, kitchen or living room to your garden. By also introducing a patio area it will feel as if you’ve brought the outside in.
2) Although many people believe a conservatory to be an extortionate addition to the home, it is a far cheaper alternative to upgrading to a larger property. When you consider the outlay for moving house; stamp duty, surveyor, redecorating, etc, investing in a spacious conservatory is a far more inexpensive solution to add space.
3) And on the subject of space, connecting a conservatory to your property will instantly increase your floor space and is perfect for entertaining, relaxing, working out or accommodating families with children on the horizon!
4) In the vast majority of cases it is less expensive and faster to get planning permission/build a conservatory than an extension.
5) Adding a conservatory to your home will not only add to it’s value, but also make it more attractive to potential purchasers.
6) Conservatories do a remarkably natural job of creating an ambience; receiving the sun light like an insatiable sponge, to then squeeze back out beautiful shards of light on its inhabitants. They are also widely known to conserve the heat and light it obtains, making the environment natural and tranquil – particularly during the summer evenings.
7) That said, conservatories can be extremely cosy and inducing to the senses on a rainy day, as for many people the dulcet sound of rain does wonders for having a relaxing snooze – Sunday afternoons will never be the same again!
What next?
We hope that our list of benefits has helped you with your decision making. We passionately believe that a conservatory is not only a wonderful aesthetic extension to your home, but great value for money too.
At Hazlemere we are constantly finding ways in which our customers can save a little bit more money, so that’s why we offer a FREE survey (worth £460!) with our unique planning offer. Also, our comprehensive conservatory buyer’s guide offers insight and advice when choosing a conservatory design with us.
Why not visit our indoor showroom displays right now and view the endless selection of bespoke conservatory designs available for yourself!
CATAGORY|Conservatories
To launch the start of our 25th anniversary year celebrations we have published a twenty page A4 glossy 25th anniversary magazine.
This souvenir anniversary publication looks back at the company’s impressive track record in the commercial, retail and trade sectors over the last 25 years, focuses on the latest energy efficient energy saving double glazing products now available (particularly “A” rated aluminium windows and “A” rated UPVC windows) and explains how property owners can save money on their energy bills in the future.
The 25th anniversary magazine has helpful articles on how to build a conservatory from start to finish, tips on home improvement, details on the exciting Heritage Range of wood grain effect aluminium windows and doors double glazed products, how Hazlemere Commercial got involved with the Grand Designs windows project at the Decagon House in Oxford in 2008 and a case study on their £2.2m commercial aluminium windows, doors and curtain walling sustainability installation, using recycled aluminium billet at Bideford College in Devon.
To request a free copy of this 25th anniversary magazine simply click here, fill in your name and address details and one will be posted out to you or simply call into Hazlemere Windows High Wycombe showroom (which is open seven days a week) and pick up a copy.
Customers visiting Hazlemere Windows Bucks home improvement showroom in High Wycombe can enjoy a complimentary speciality cup of real coffee, tea or a soft drink, whilst viewing samples of Hazlemere’s latest energy rated aluminium and UPVC windows, as endorsed by the British Fenestration Rating Council and Energy Saving Trust.
CATAGORY|Conservatories, Home Improvements, Windows & Doors
Rose Watson & family outside her now much more energy efficient home
I recently read a helpful article by Alok Jha on the Guardian webite about how Rose Watson, a homeowner in Nottingham, had taken some drastic steps to reduce both her family’s carbon footprint and her energy bills. It was entitled “
One womans war on energy waste“, and rationally set out the moral and ethical delimma facing every property owner about the difficulty of genuinely wanting to reduce one’s carbon footprint and save energy, whilst trying at the same time to save money in these recessionary times.
The article explained that “When Rose Watson moved into her Nottingham home nine years ago, there was no central heating, the gas heater in the living room was leaking carbon monoxide, and any warmth in the building tended to leach out of the draughty single-glazed windows.” Consequently her family were pouring out energy and money through the single glazed windows.
However, Rose addressed these issues. “Over the next two years, following the tips from the Energy Saving Trust (EST) and others, Watson got hooked on simple ways to green her home. Her paper-thin loft insulation was topped up to the recommended 200mm, energy-saving lightbulbs went up in all the rooms, the single-glazed windows were replaced with double-glazing, and draught excluders were fixed under all the doors and around the front door.”
Caroline Rams of the Energy Saving Trust (of which Hazlemere Window Company Ltd are members) says that Rose Watson’s actions shows what an average British family can achieve with ease when trying to make their first cut in carbon emissions. “Rose has a busy life and a large family who certainly keep her on her toes. Yet she has always found time to prioritise her energy- saving behaviour; so much so that it has become second nature. She is the perfect example of how you don’t have to change too much of your lifestyle to become green.”
CATAGORY|Carbon Footprint, Saving Energy, Saving Money
According to a telepgraph.co.uk article entitled “Homeowners failing green targets to pay more council tax” by Personal Finance Correspondent, Myra Butterworth “Under the new proposals, the Government would increase Council Tax and Stamp Duty for millions of homes that are not energy efficient. It could also mean families are unable to sell their home unless they spend tens of thousands of pounds on getting their properties insulated and double-glazed.”
Of more concern to homeownersk, the article goes on to say that “It is understood that Government advisers The Energy Savings Trust, wants it to becomes illegal from 2015 to put a home up for sale, which has a rating lower than band E.” Window Energy Ratings (WER’s) vary from A-G, with band A being the most energy efficient and band G the least energy efficient.
Hazlemere Windows offer a range of energy efficient windows that will address this potential problem, in a wide range of finishes, including wood grain effect UPVC. However, due to the extra metal strengthening that has to be added to PVCu wood effect windows, the highest window energy rating that can be achieved for a wood grain effect UPVC window is “B”. If you can live with, or prefer a white finish, you can install A rated windows in your property, which achieve the highest WER energy efficient rating there is…..”A”
Hazlemere supply and fit both “A” rated UPVC and “A” rated aluminium windows that achieve the highest energy efficient rating possible. So if your property has out of date glazing that is poorly insulated and letting lots of heat escape, save money by finding out about Hazlemere’s energy rated windows that will not only keep heat in more efficiently, and offer better insulation, but also reflect heat back, thereby cutting down on the amount of energy you use heating your home, which will in turn reduce your energy bills.
CATAGORY|Carbon Footprint, Saving Energy, UK Politics
Hazlemere Windows Head Office & Factory Staff Outside High Wycombe Bucks Showroom
Buckinghamshire’s leading home improvement specialists, Hazlemere Windows are holding a special open weekend to mark the start of their 25th Anniversary Celebrations. Hazlemere Windows, Doors & Conservatories are inviting anyone to come along to their showroom to enjoy a glass of champagne, Bucks Fizz or cup of real coffee, along with some canapes from Thursday 24th to Sunday 27th September.
The Hazlemere Group are literally throwing open their doors of their 4,000 square foot High Wycombe Showroom for this special open weekend, with complimentary refreshments being served during extended opening hours on Thursday 24th & Friday 25th September from 9am to 8pm, and then from 10am to 4pm on Saturday 26th September and 10am to 1pm on Sunday 27th September.
To celebrate 25 years in business in High Wycombe, Hazlemere Windows, Doors & Conservatories are offering some very special Autumn offers to those who come along to enjoy a glass of champagne or Bucks Fizz whilst discussing their home improvement requirements. If you are looking for the best value for money and also want to benefit by beating the VAT increase on 31st December 2009, why not come along during this special open weekend and get a free estimate, along with free independent home improvement advice from one of Hazlemere’s experienced industry specialists? Click here for directions to their showroom
CATAGORY|Retail, Windows & Doors
A lot of us agree going green and reducing one’s carbon footprint is the right thing for both the environment and our planet. However, when it comes to putting this into practice, it often involves a substantial initial investment to make the properties we live and work in more environmentally friendly and energy efficient, so with this in mind are you genuinely prepared to reduce your carbon footprint?
The first thing to do is to find out how much your carbon footprint is. One way to do this is to use online calculators to work out the size of your home’s carbon footprint. In an article on the Independent’s website entitled “Save the planet – and cash – with a green makeover” Alessia Horwich explains that “The amount of CO2 produced by your home depends on a huge range of factors, from the size of your property to how warm you like your living room in the winter. As a result, carbon shoe sizes for similar properties can vary wildly. There are several calculators online, including carbonfootprint.com and the Government run actonco2 which asks you to enter details about the size of your home, your heating system, the cost of your energy usage, how much insulation your house has and even how many light bulbs there are in your property.”
“These calculators can give you an idea of the kind of carbon footprint you are leaving,” says Hayley Jones, a spokeswoman for green information website UK-energy-saving.com. “It’s not an exact science, but at least it gives people an idea of where they sit, whether they need to make big changes or just tweaks here and there.”
Alessia Horwich advises that “Once you know where you stand on the carbon scale, you can start doing something about it. For those with older properties, the best area for big savings is your heating system. Out of all the energies used in homes, the most waste is from heating and hot water – so double-glazing and insulation are by far the best things you can do. If your boiler is an ancient model, replacing it can increase efficiency by as much as 20 per cent instantly, and your emission of greenhouse gasses can be cut even further by trading your gas, electric or oil boiler in for a wood-chip or wood-pellet boiler.”
There are so many other things that property owners can do to reduce their buildings carbon footprint, including installing cavity wall and loft insulation, switching to low-emissivity double glazed glass, fitting energy saving light bulbs, turning off electrical appliances that are on standby and not over heating rooms.
Going green and reducing your carbon footprint will reduce your energy bills going forward, it is just a case of whether you are prepared for the short term pain of investment to reduce your carbon footprint, for the long term gain of reduced running costs and the resultant benefits to you and the environment.
CATAGORY|Carbon Footprint, Saving Energy
