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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We’re considering a new build project at the moment. Exciting times.....!
However, a debate with our architect arose about whether to incorporate underfloor heating. The crux of the matter is that it’s more expensive to install, but more efficient in terms of heat distribution and costs.
Umm, personally I’m all for it and the long term heat cost savings are fairly compelling in the current climate. However, who do you go to for advice installation. Well one company we found (but haven’t tried) are Nu-Heat. They claim to be the largest supplier of warm water underfloor heating systems to the domestic market. Interestingly they have also recently added heat pump technology, including ground source, air source and exhaust air to their offering.
Two things to consider here:
1. Underfloor heating is likely to save on heating costs, but costs more to install.
2. It’s likely to make your home more desirable when it comes to sale time.
Posted by Bob Bulmer on Fri 18th July 2008 at 06:00 AM, Filed in Construction
Paving blocks are brick type concrete blocks which are laid on a bed of sand and held in place by edging walls. Usually they are rectangular, but they do come in different shapes. Can be a very neat finish with curved borders to turf and flower beds.
Paving blocks tend to come in most commonly grey but also brown, red, beige etc. The blocks can be laid in a variety of patterns - similar to brick laying bonds. For driveways it is recognised that the herringbone pattern is most suitable for the type of loads encountered.
50 rectangular blocks standard 200mm x 100mm x 65mm cover approximately 1 sq m.
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