Get your FREE copy of Hazlemere's 20 page Awnings, Blinds & Canopies Buyers Guide
Having already published independently edited Window & Door Buyers Guides and Conservatories Buyers Guides, the Hazlemere Group published a Garage Door Buyers Guide in December 2009,
all of which are available free online or as a hard copy by post. They followed these up with an Awnings, Blinds & Canopies Buyers Guide in Janaury 2010 to help home owners made informed decisions on which product(s) would be best suited for their particular property.This latest buyers guide contains twenty pages of consumer advice, help and guidance on choosing the right solar protection for the home. Issues such as automation or manual, fabrics and materials, suitability and durability are all looked at in detail in relation to each product. All Hazlemere Windows buyers guides are aimed at assisting homeowners make the right investment choices for their property, so they add both comfort and value to their home.
You can get all these helpful buyers guides for free online by simply requesting them. If you would like to actually look at the different types of product available, these are all on display at Hazlemere Windows 4,000 square feet home improvement showroom in Wellington Road on Cressex Business Park, High Wycombe. This extensive showroom is open seven days a week and is staffed by experienced home improvement experts who are on hand to offer no obligation free advice, on the spot estimates, and where required, no obligation written quotations and home consultations.
CATAGORY|Home Improvements
Double-glazing cannot cause condensation, whether you have aluminium, wooden or UPVC double glazed sealed units. In fact, the opposite is true, as double glazing acts as a heat barrier and providing an inner pane, which is considerably warmer than the outer pane, condensation is reduced.
Modern buildings are designed to eliminate draughts and do not have the natural ventilation that some older houses have with their chimneys and ill-fitting doors and windows. Houses have been completely sealed by the installation of cavity wall insulation; loft insulation, double-glazing, and draught proofing throughout are likely to become moisture traps. In such cases, condensation is a ventilation problem. Provided the rooms are heated normally, the solution will probably be found providing controlled ventilation.
In the case of older ‘unsealed’ buildings, the dominant factor is likely to be the indoor temperature, and additional heat, or the introduction of localised heat near the windows, will probably provide the answer.
To help reduce the condensation in your home stop water vapour from your bathroom finding its way into the rest of the house, particularly during and after bathing. After bath or shower, close the door and open a window for a few minutes. Position a radiator, or heated towel – rail, under the window.
In bedrooms, if possible extend the central heating programme to compensate for the night-time drop in external temperature and the increase in water vapour caused by the occupants breathing. Also bedroom windows should be opened during the day to allow at least one complete air change.
In living rooms and bedrooms allow the room’s warmth to reach the windows. Position heaters under the windows, and use fittings that hold the curtains at least 15 cm to 20 cm away from the glass to allow free movement of warm air. Open your living room windows for at least a few minutes each day to permit air changes. Where open fires are not provided, or existing flues are blocked off, see that wall vents are fitted and kept clear. When a gas fire has been installed in an open fire aperture, the back plate should have vent holes below the fire, unless this is provided for in the fire design. Where possible, avoid glazed or non-absorbent wall coatings as these can promote condensation on walls.
In your kitchen and/or laundry close internal doors and keep a window open. Alternatively install extractor fans or cooker hoods, ventilated to the outside air. Want to know more about the causes of condensation? Then find out the facts about condensation
CATAGORY|Home Improvements
A prolonged spell of snow, which then turns to ice, which then re-freezes, slightly thaws, re-freezes, has fresh snowfall ontop, freezes is not the ideal environment for gutters and downpipes, be they old cast iron or plastic ones. The worst cold snap for 30 years between Christmas 2009 and mid-January 2010 has severely tested and damaged much of the UK’s guttering and downpipe stock.
One knew “there may be trouble ahead” when tens of thousands of icicles starting forming beneath guttering joints, in some cases creating giant “stalactites” looking like the ones often seen in limestone caves. As snow and ice makes it way via gravity from the roof to the gutter, the gutters can act like a dam, putting enormously pressure on both your guttering, guttering joints and guttering brackets.
Likewise, frozen snow and ice stuck inside downpipes can cause them to expand and crack, and whilst modern plastic downpipes and guttering does have some give, old fashioned rusting cast iron downpipes do not, and although they were originally “stronger”, they do weaken (like most metals) over the years, so will need replacing if they do crack.
When the thaw finally came in the UK by mid-January 2010, many guttering joints and brackets were found to have been snapped, broken or loosened by the constant expansion and contraction of the ice, as one snowfall was followed by other in freezing temperatures. The rainfall that signalled the real start of the thaw exposed thousands of joints that had been broken, with the precipitation gushing from these new leaking points where the “seals” had been broken. Thousands of properties discovered twisted and warped guttering, caused by the severe weather conditions.
UK guttering and downpipe suppliers and installers are clearly going to have their work cut out to keep up with the demand for repairs and replacement low maintenance gutters and downpipes. Even some of the modern UPVC guttering and brackets did not cope with the sheer weight and volume of snow that fell on the UK within a three week period, which then rapidly turned to more compact and heavier ice, which expanded and created such havoc on Britain’s roads and transport network.
Going forward, property owners may have to consider clearing gutters of snow before it turns to ice to protect properties, in the same way we clear our paths, driveways and roads at home and at work to be able to get about on foot and by road. Manufacturers of UPVC gutters and downpipes may have to consider further strengthening their product range to offer property owners an even stronger and more durable low maintenance solution, as surely we can not let snow and ice cause the downfall of gutters and downpipes?
CATAGORY|Home Improvements
Sadly, with home security ever more needed nowadays with rising crime (especially due to the recession and increase in drug related crimes), it is always worth while being on your guard, whether you are popping to the shops for an hour, or jetting off somewhere for a week or more.
You might want to consider if some or all of the personal and home security suggestions below would help make you and/or your property/family more secure. For example, don’t put your home address on any of your luggage labels, so that this rather obvious “we are out of town” message does not get to anyone.
If you have any particularly valuble items, make a list of them, and ensure they are listed on your home contents insurance, plus obviously when going out/away put them in a safe place. Plus it is always prudent to ensure that both your buildings insurance and contents insurance are up to date.
Make sure your house, vehicles, garage and/or shed are securely locked (to make sure your ladder and tools are safely tucked away out of sight, and not an aid to any would be thieves). Consider cutting your lawn just before you go away, so your home looks lived in, as well as cancel any daily deliveries like the milk and newspapers, so that no tell tale signs of you being away are left out for all to see. Obviously it is a risk in effect telling any “supplier” that you will be away by cancelling deliveries, so you need to weigh up which risk is greater (also the financial savings on goods you will not use!). Ideally, get a trusted neighbour or friend to put any mail out of sight each day.
You can make sure your property looks lived in by setting up automatic timer-switches at different times in different rooms, so that lights/TV come on and go off when they should. Don’t close all your curtains, as leaving your curtains closed in the daytime is a signal that the property is unoccupied.
Don’t put your name and address on your spare keys if you lend them to a neighbour or friend (in case they accidently lose them or they get stolen). Avoid leaving valuables in plain sight, such as Laptops, DVD’s, Ipods, Mobiles and TV’s etc. Tell the absolute minimum of people you can that a) you are going away, and b) the actual dates when you will be away.
If you are leaving a vehicle at your premises (which is a good thing to do as it looks from a fleeting glance you are in) make sure you hide your car keys if you leave them behind. Finally, just before you set off on holiday check all your external doors and windows are all locked and that if you have one, the burglar alarm is activated, and a neighbour has access to turn it off in case it is accidently set off.
CATAGORY|Home Security
As we start a new decade there remains no shortage of double glazing window companies looking for your business. However, you will no doubt want to make sure you choose a double glazing manufacturer, supplier and installer that is professional and reliable. So here are a few tips and things to consider to make sure any double glazing you buy lasts more than a decade!!
In these recessionary times, quite rightly, nobody wants to pay more than they need to, so it is important you do not put yourself under financial pressure by spending more than you can afford. Consequently, it is wise to get two to three quotes from different companies, not just for a price comparison, but more importantly for value for money, service and quality reasons. Following a visit by a sales consultant, a written quotation should be provided on a no obligation basis, then left with you for you think about in your own time and space, without you being in any way pressured to sign. Don’t fall for any “but if you sign today” gimmicks.
It is important you only deal with FENSA registered companies. The FENSA scheme ensures any window and door double glazing work is compliant with building regulations, so therefore should be proven and safe. You can check online on the FENSA wesbite to ensure that each of the companies you plan to obtain quotes from are FENSA registered.
With household energy costs soaring as energy becomes a more valuable resource, the Government and environmental groups are urging us to become more energy efficient for the sake of our planet and increasing financial outlay. Modern energy saving double glazing is now essential for any property. So if you are fitting your double glazing for the very first time, or wishing to replace older less energy efficient windows, finding a reliable company to manufacture and fit your windows is more important than ever, as high quality technologically advanced products are costly!
It is therefore a good idea, when chatting over new window requirements with a double glazing company, to ask them what written guarantee they will provide you with, plus more importantly, how they will “guarantee” to deliver it, both in the short and long term. It is probably worth asking how long have they been in business? Plus find out if they can produce genuine recent (and past) testimonials from satisfied customers that you can check up on. Also, do they have a showroom so you can see what you will get before you order?
Check who is actually going to make your double glazing (and where!), does the company have its own surveyors, fabricators, installers and service engineers (and are they all qualified and experienced?), or do they just sell to you and do the fitting, and maybe sub everything else out to who will do the work cheapest?
It is worth your while dealing with experienced expert manufacturers and installers, who will want to ensure (for both their own and your sake) that they both make and fit your made to measure replacement windows and doors correctly, as they will not want to have to return to correct any installation defects that arise, any more than you will want them to!
By taking your time in selecting a reliable double glazing company, you will help ensure that the windows and doors you have installed in your property are fitted properly and offer value for money over their lifetime, as in the long term, as long as you stay for a decent period of time in your property, the cost of energy efficient replacement windows will be offset by energy and financial savings.
It is therefore important to choose a company that you are certain will be around to handle any service issues that do arise during the guarantee period, so if years later you get the odd broken handle, lock or blown double glazed sealed unit, the repairs are carried out professionally under guarantee at no cost to you. Going for short term “savings” on cheaper installations can prove costly to you later if the company you went with purely to “save money” is no longer around to give you the customer service and deliver on their “guarantee” which you will want to last a decade. So, take your time to research the double glazing companies you have requested a quote from carefully, invest wisely, taking any potential medium and long term ramifications into consideration before selecting your investment partner of choice.
CATAGORY|Retail, Windows & Doors
