Following the announcement from the UK government on new fuel measures to help counter the predicted rise of 40% in energy bills this winter, Wickes thought you might be interested in some easy insulation solutions to winter-proof homes.
Loft insulation
One of the easiest ways to reduce energy bills is to insulate the property’s roof as over a quarter of a home’s heat is lost through this - by insulating a loft you could save an annual sum of £155.
Walls
When completing an extension remember to insulate new walls as 33% of the entire building’s heat loss is through un-insulated walls. Cavity wall slabs are ideal for insulating extensions.
Doors and windows
Gaps around doors and windows are also a common cause of heat loss and account for about 20% of heat loss. Use foam or rubber seals to fill these costly gaps.
Posted by Bob Bulmer on Tue 2nd September 2008 at 01:29 PM, Filed in Construction
One day I hope to build my own house - even though I fully appreciate what a daunting prospect that might be!
However, help might be a hand with Potton’s Bespoke House Design Service.
This new service claims to help translate your aspirations or concepts into a timber framed reality.
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Everybody thinks that by adding any sort of space to your home - it will add value. Well sorry to disappoint, but that’s not always the case.
Done well, loft conversions can yield vast amounts of space and add value to boot. Done badly, they can cost serious money and add negligible if any value.
Here are some things to bear in mind:
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Posted by Bob Bulmer on Fri 8th August 2008 at 06:00 AM, Filed in Construction
For me, gravel is one of the most elegant surfaces you can have. It looks good, it’s cheap and it adds security…... a burglar creeping up your driveway in the early hours of the morning will find it difficult not to be heard.
Usually a mix of course sand and small stones works best on a firm surface. Available in various sizes and shades.
You will need approximately 1 ton of gravel to cover 15 square metres. The sub base for a drive or path should be 100mm of compacted hardcore topped by 20 mm of sand.
I would say that the only problems with gravel are that it can be difficult to push things over it and you’ll need to rake it over now again to keep it tidy. Also, have some consideration as to how you’re going to keep the weeds away…
Multifoil insulation is sparking some debate as to it’s effectiveness.
So here are the key points to consider:
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