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Over the years, more and more home and property owners are beginning to realize the huge benefits that can be derived from loft insulation being a worthwhile investment. It’s quite worrisome the way in which energy bills have soared over the past 10 years and loft insulation is a considerable affordable energy efficiency measure that can go a long way to help increase your home’s energy savings.

As far back as the 1980’s, the standard when it comes to insulation thickness was 25 mm to 50 mm which was, at the time, considered to be sufficient. However, building regulations have changed the norm that now states that a new build needs to possess 270 mm of insulation in the loft in order to achieve the required u-value of less than 0.16/m2k based on the standard rock wool or sheep wool insulation.

Generally with loft insulation, there’s a law of depreciating returns which implies that the first couple of insulation centimetres will save you many times the cost of the installation, however an extra layer or centimetre is going to add less value to the point where it’ll no longer be wise or worthwhile to add any further centimetre. Therefore, with cheaper energy prices 30 years back, that additional couple of centimetres was not just worthwhile, but with the recent alarming rises in costs of fuel, that additional £10 savings per year has all of sudden changed to £30 which makes it become a lot more attractive.

If you already have 270 mm of loft insulation, regardless of the material you’re looking to add you’re most likely not going to benefit from a top up. The cost of the materials and installation will definitely be too high for the couple of pounds it’ll save you per year.

This depends on the amount of insulation already present in your property. However, adding insulation has been proven to improve the energy efficiency of your home and decrease your heating bills, this is more obvious in older properties or where single glazing is still in situ.

How Much To Board A Loft?

If you stay in a building where the space meant for storing stuffs is not sufficient, boarding your loft may be just the perfect solution for you. In several homes, the space is already present, and all you have to do is to make it more usable by boarding it out. This is unarguably one of the easiest and quickest ways to create storage space in your home.

Boarding a loft comes with a number of special benefits which includes:

• Assisting to declutter our living spaces and makes for a more spacious home.

• Creating a usable space whereby all seasonal items can be stored.

• Assisting to reduce heating bills as it prevents the loss of heat. When your loft is well boarded and insulated, it’ll help trap heat and prevent it from escaping via the roof.

• Adding to your home’s value by making your attic a very useful space for storing items.

• Helping to create a quiet space which can used for relaxation or getaway purposes and of course, this will require a bit more structural work.

So now that you’ve learnt a few of the benefits associated with boarding a loft, how much will it cost to have one made? This depends on an array of factors which includes the size of the space needed, the type of materials and labour cost.

Overall, a standard semi detached building will feature a lot of space of about 40 sqm to 50 sqm in size. There’ll be a need to add to the height of the floor joists before installing the chipboard decking boards. This job size should cost within the range of £1,000 to £1,500. It’ll require just a two-person team that are fully equipped and well versed about the processes.

Damp issues on a property are usually generated by a lot of factors such as a poor or broken guttering, condensation and lots more. The question arising here is what is the possibility of External Wall Insulation (EWI) preventing condensation? Not only is EWI a reliable way to reduce condensation-caused damp, but it’s also one of the major reasons property owners in solid wall homes consider thermally rendering or cladding their external walls.

Condensation arises as a result of warm moist internal air hitting a cold surface such as the steaming up of both windows and mirror when having a shower. What happens here is the condensation of the water vapour in the air from a gas to liquid in the process of touching the cold surface - one whose temperature is significantly reduced to reach the dew point. At the dew point, condensation is very rampant, and to tackle this issue you’ll have to heighten the wall temperature in order to convert the moisture to vapour and permit it to pass through the wall. And that’s exactly the job of an external wall insulation!

To get started you must ensure that the walls are clean and dry prior to fitting the external wall insulation. The month of May through to September when the weather tends to be dry and more stable are usually the best period to carry out the project. The external wall insulation will function just like a cosy blanket around the building. Ultimately, changing the feel and temperature of the inside of your home. As a result, the previously cold walls will no longer be cold which goes a long way to mitigate the effects of condensation. Furthermore, when an EWI is installed, the rooms of your home will automatically trap more thermal mass as the heat is saved in the walls’ fabric and released back when the temperature drops.

If you’re having issues with the amount of space in your home and need an extra space without affecting your garden, loft conversion comes to mind. Not only is it a great solution to creating more living space within a home, but it’s also one of the most budget-friendly solutions you can count on to expand your space by thinking upwards rather than sideways. So if you’re thinking about converting your loft, one thing that almost immediately comes to mind is whether or not your house is suitable for loft conversion.

To answer the question of whether every house can have a loft conversion is a very simple one. Generally, not every house is suitable for loft conversion. This is due to the fact that each and every loft space - from the stairways below and floors to the rafters and the roof up above, is unique. Therefore, the best way to really figure out whether or not a house’s loft offers the potential for conversion is to get in touch with a loft specialist.

So what can make a house not suitable for a loft conversion? Let’s take a closer look!

✓ A house will not be suitable for a loft conversion if the height of the ceiling happens to be too low and it’ll not be possible to have it raised.

✓ If you do not own own the freehold to the loft space, you won’t be able to convert the loft. Surprisingly, this happens to be a common issue in London.

✓ You will not be able to convert your loft if you reside in a conservation area or in a listed building. But you can identify a design solution that’ll still comply with the conservation rules and keep planners happy.

Is there a hole in your asphalt driveway you feel you can repair yourself? If it’s something you know you can confidently do then this step by step guide is just for you. If otherwise, then we’d recommend you hire the services of a reliable professional who can guarantee the best results while also saving you some time and extra money that could result from possible errors. In this article, we’d go over the reparation process of an asphalt driveway with a hole in it.

✓ Get the necessary tools. You’re going to need a broom ( to clean the area), caulking gun ( to fill the hole), a hand tamp a plate compactor or a hammer ( to level the filled in hole) and a weeding glove (just in case there are weeds growing in the hole).

✓ Prepare the area. Do this by weeding the plants or weeds that might have grown inside the hole and identify your asphalt filler.

✓ Wet your soil, if necessary. It’s important to note that this is only necessary if your soil is dry to help the filler stick properly.

✓ Fill in deep holes. If the hole goes down about 3 to 4 inches or more, simply fill it with any material like rocks, clay etc.

✓ Apply the asphalt filler. Fill the hole with the asphalt filler to about half an inch higher than the surface of the driveway.

✓ Level the filler. For a large hole, make use of a plate compactor or a hand stamp, but a hammer will be sufficient for smaller holes.

✓ Cover the hole, if necessary. If your home isn’t level, covering your hole with a piece of plywood is advisable.

✓ Clean off the seal. After the asphalt looks done and in place, simply brush away the debris from the seal to finish off the project.

Due to the fact that we live in a country (the UK) with so much history as well as architectural beauty, there’s a need to have what’s commonly called “Conservation Area. A Conservation Area is basically an area which is designated by the local authority and is established in order to protect and enhance areas of historical and architectural interest which includes both rural and urban areas. Therefore, when it comes to refurbishment project in a conservation area, there’s usually a lot of things that needs to be put into consideration as well as hurdles to scale in order to make alterations to your property without any interruptions from the law.

In general, all properties in a conservation area have strict regulations governing the outlook of the houses, as this plays a major role in the appearance of the area as a whole. As a result, if you wish to bring down a building, fence, wall or even railing and the likes, you’ll need to obtain prior consent before you proceed. An easy way to go about any refurbishment plan is to to ensure the usage of exactly the same materials that exists in the current house. When you abide by the rules, you’ll be in a more favourable position to acquire the needed prior consent.

The short and simple answer to the question is yes, you can refurbish a house in a conservation area but subject to the approval of the local authority through a planning permission. And when it comes to submitting a planning application for approval, some are aspects will usually be subjected to more intense examinations than the others. Hence, the need to make sure that your refurbishment plans are all friendly in a similar way to the neighbouring buildings and environment.

Did you try rendering a wall but it doesn’t turn out the way you would have hoped for? Or perhaps you’ve been watching your wall render gradually deteriorate over time. Regard of your purpose, learning how to repair render cracks on wall is usually a great skill to have with your home maintenance in mind. However, whenever these crack are too large or difficult, we’d recommend you call in a reliable professional who can guarantee the best results for help. In this guide, we’re going to take you through the wall render repairing process. Let’s have a look!

No matter how solid a building material is, over time it’ll yield to the elements. When it comes to wall rendering it may be a case of too much sunshine or a costly mistake in the application process, but in truth, it cracks just because it cracks.

In order to repair render cracks, you’d have to start with a removal of damaged or cracked render. You’ll have to remove all the render or just a small section depending on the area you’re working on. If you’re able to clean all of the existing render as well as the paint over it all (both old and new), then removing a small section would work better as it makes it look neat and redone. Upon the removal of the existing render, the next important step would be to remove all loose material as well. Once done, you can then leave for up to 2 days to allow any trapped moisture to come out. Unfortunately, if the rains you’d have to wait till that dries too before you proceed.

Once dried, you can buy a pre-prepared render mix which already contains cement, lime and sand. Mix a 20kg bag with 4 litres of water (or check the product instructions and follow strictly), the mix to a fine consistency. Render is quick to dry, so you’d want to apply within 30 minutes of mixing. Make use of a trowel to apply the render on the affected spots and blend with the surrounding area.