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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.

Fitting a shower tray may seem look like a daunting task and well, to some extent, you’re perfectly right if you feel so. This is why shower tray installation is best left to a reliable professional who can guarantee the best results the first time especially if you lack the confidence required to pull off the task. If you wish to make this project a DIY task, then you’ve come to the right place! In this post, we’re going to take you through the adjustable shower tray fitting process to ensure you get it right the first time. Let’s take a look!

1. Position the shower tray at the spot where you intend to have it fitting and outline the tray with the help of a pencil. Install the adjustable riser legs, then proceed to adjust them to an even height. Make use of a spirit level to make sure the tray is flat and level, then connect the tray’s waste outlet.
2. Make sure that the riser legs are properly adjusted as this will make for a smooth fall to pass out the waste. Usually, 50mm fall per metre of pipework will be a good guide. Once done, ensure to fit the centre leg.
3. Determine the appropriate route to the waste pipe from the waste trap inside the tray.
4. Put the tray. Make use of a spirit level to ensure the tray is level to eliminate drainage issues and avoid overflow.
5. Examine the riser legs to see that they’re engaged with tightened up lock nuts.
6. Cover the gaps around the shower tray’s surroundings using the side panel.
7. Use a sealant to secure the shower tray between the wall and the tray.
8. Fix the side panels to the shower tray to conceal the pipework from view.

Air conditioning filters can get dirty over time, especially through heavy use. This can have a major impact on how efficient a unit is, increasing how much energy it uses and reducing how effective it is.

This is why it’s a good idea to service your air conditioning system regularly. Part of this should involve checking, cleaning and replacing your filters, to help your units run as efficiently as possible.

• The rules only apply to houses – flats and maisonettes are not included
• Only 50% of the area of land around the original house can be covered by extensions, including conservatories, and other buildings
• You mustn’t build the conservatory higher than the highest part of the original roof
• Where the wooden conservatory comes within 2 metres of the boundary, the height at the eaves can’t exceed 3 metres
• A rear wooden conservatory can’t extend beyond the rear wall of the original house by more than 4 metres if it’s a detached house, or more than 3 metres for any other type of house
• For side extensions, for example a lean-to wooden conservatory, it can’t exceed 4 metres in height and can only be up to half the width of the original house

How Much Is A New Oil Boiler?

An oil boiler is a very useful tool for providing both central heating and domestic hot water to a property by burning oil. As a result, they’re simply one of the most common alternative heating methods used in homes throughout the UK. If you’re not connected to the mains gas network, then it’s a no brainer to depend on another fuel for central heating purposes - oil. Therefore, if you’re looking to get a new oil boiler, you’d need to identify the size and price as there are a plethora of models to select from - all coming in a large array of sizes and prices. We’ve put together some important details about the prices to give you a good insight on the amount you’d have to incur to procure a new oil boiler. Let’s have a look!

Generally, gas boilers are less expensive when compared to the oil boilers. You can get a wide range of gas boilers from a starting price of £500 to £600, meanwhile you’d rarely find an oil boiler less than £1000 in the market.

The lowest priced oil boilers are typically priced starting from around £1000, and the best in class oil boilers normally costs more than £3000.

The rule is, the most expensive oil boiler is typically the largest one. So to have an idea, the bigger it is, the more money you’d have to spend. Oil boiler’s size is measured in kilowatts (kw), which showcases its power. To determine the type of oil boiler that best suits your home, the most significant factor would be the size as a bigger home will require a bigger oil boiler. You have an option to choose between the combi, conventional and the system models of oil boiler.

A front porch is a glorious addition that would be a blessing to have in any home. It gives you a good floor space to enjoy your neighbourhood as well as your surroundings in the cool atmosphere of the outside living space. The question however is, how do you build a porch? Constructing the structure can be a very challenging task but with proper guidance and lots of practice, you can also be a skilled porch builder. To protect your investment, it’s advisable to hire the services of a professional for help with your porch especially if you lack proper training and experience. This way, you’ll get to save time and money. This guide is prepared to give you some insight into the porch building process.

lAssess Your Location

• Consider the location before proceeding with the project. It’s essential to select a location that’ll reduce the sunlight coming in.

lPlan The Materials Required For Your Porch

• You’ll have to decide the type of porch you’ll be going for. For example, your porch can be built out of wood, composite decking or if it’s going to utilize some stone flooring, brick or even tile.

lBuild Your Porch Foundation

• Dig the foundations deep to ensure stability while also putting in mind any pipework or cabling

• Fit a damp proof course

• Add the subfloor - this can be concrete or timber

lStart To Lay The Brick And Floor

• Lay the bricks evenly up to the DPC level

• Lay the floor

• Add the flooring protection

• Once done, you can lay the bricks to the window level

• You can fit in a window sill if required before proceeding the brick and block work until it reaches the roof timber’s height

• Fit the linter when you get to the top of where the window will reach.

lConstruct The Roof

• Build a timber framework

• Fit a breathable roof membrane

• Install the roof battens and lay the roof tiles.

• Add gutters

The National Insulation Association strongly cautions against DIY spray foam setup. Spray foam insulation should constantly be installed by a specialist.

Installers need to be fully trained to apply the foam appropriately and should be evaluated by the British Board of Agrément (BBA- a UK trade body which accredits installers' competence). The spray foam item need to additionally have a BBA certification or matching. The setup should also adapt with the,construction guidelines, and also health and safety guidelines.

How To Draw A Garden Landscaping Plan

Are you thinking about constructing a new garden landscape? Do you have an existing one but forgot where you planted those tulip bulbs the previous autumn? Or perhaps you’re just trying to identify the exact spot where you cut back that clump of wilted foxglove, without mistakenly digging it up. For everything to be much easier when it comes to a garden landscape, it’s always a wise decision to draw a garden landscaping plan.

To get started, let’s take a look at the materials you’ll need to acquire. These includes a piece of white paper on which the existing elements on your garden will be plotted, a piece of tracing paper and tape to give options for planned additions, a pencil, an eraser as well as a measuring tape.

For more accuracy while drawing your plan, you’ll need to measure the garden’s distances, perimeter, the existing garden beds size as well as the trees’ and shrubs’ shape and size.

• Write down the measurements taken on the scrap paper.

• Assuming it’s a medium sized backyard garden that’s 18 feet wide, we allocated a scale of 3 feet to equal an inch.

• Using a piece of white paper (could be graph if you wish) and a pencil, carefully outline the perimeter of the space. Once done, you can then sketch in the existing plants as well as other special features on the space (features that are of a permanent nature like trees, fences and paths).

• Hold a piece of tracing paper and tape in on top. Then you can sketch out the plants you wish to add to fill in the spaces in the garden on the tracing paper.