Find a Shop Fitter you can trust in West Kilbride.

If you’re looking to install a solar thermal system in your home, this is usually one of the first concerns several homeowners have. Being fully aware that solar water heating systems are usually more expensive than their counterparts - the conventional water heating systems, the question arises whether or not you’ll be able to save some money from your solar water heating system in the long run. In this article, we aim provide an answer to this important question. Let’s take a closer look!

When it comes to solar thermal systems, the money you’ll be able to save in the long run depends on a wide range of factors. These factor includes:

✓ Your system’s performance.

✓ Your geographical location and solar resource

✓ Your household’s hot water demand

✓ Financing and incentive options that are available.

✓ The cost of fuel that’s being used for your alternative or backup water heating system, if you own one.

✓ The cost of conventional fuels such as oil, electricity or natural gas.

There are several benefits, however, that comes with the installation of a solar water heating system. Since the sun is absolutely free, future fuel shortages and price hikes will have little impact on you. Also, on the average if you decide to fit a solar thermal system your water heating bills is expected to drop about 50 percent to 80 percent. What’s more? The economics are even a lot more attractive when you’re just about to build a new home or refinancing. When you include the price of a solar water system in a 30 year mortgage, it’ll normally amount to very low price per month. Therefore, on a monthly basis you’ll be saving more and paying less.

Have you laid your tile and left it to set? If yes, then the next step is to start grouting. Before you get started there’s a need to make ready the right grout for the type of your grout as well as background material. If you’re not certain of the right grout you can reach out to the grout manufacturer for help. Grouting of floor tiles is not the easiest and tasks and should be left to a reputable professional in order to avoid costly mistakes and unnecessary costs. In this post, we’re going to take you through the processes involved in grouting of floor tiles in order to put you on the right track. Let’s take a look!

1. Depending on the adhesive used to lay your tiles, make sure you leave enough time for the tiles to fully set.
2. Get a mixing bucket and mix grout powder and water as instructed on the packaging. Ensure not to make too much as this will make it solidify quickly and unstable.
3. Apply some grout on the tiles - hold the grout float at 45 degree angle and apply the grout to fill all of the joints.
4. Once you’re done grouting all of the joints between the tiles, leave it for up to 10 to 15 minutes to dry before wiping down the tile surface using a damp sponge. Ensure not to apply too much pressure on the grout joints.
5. Let the tiles rest for about an hour so as to allow the grout solidify and harden a bit more. Once done, proceed to take off the excess grout and smooth it off.
6. Wipe down the tiles until they’re totally clean using a clean cloth.

Should A Professional Replace My Conservatory Roof?

As your first and primary line of defence against the harsh weather conditions or elements, there’s the need for your conservatory roof to be in pristine condition at all times. This will enable it to keep your conservatory safe and dry, while also helping to protect its structural integrity. When you have a reliable roof over your head, your conservatory will be free of any weather-related damage. Consequently, highlighting the importance of regular maintenance of your conservatory roof.

However, over the years, there’ll come a time whereby maintenance and repairs will no longer be a wise decision. When this occurs, you know it’s high time you replace your conservatory roof to continue enjoying the structure’s numerous benefits all year round. Getting a professional to replace your conservatory roof is crucial for several reasons, let’s have a look!

✓ Knowledge and expertise. Conservatory roof installation experts are well trained and also possesses the required knowledge to work at height while also being able to guarantee the best results which will save you both time and money.

✓ Giving your conservatory a new look. Replacing a conservatory roof isn’t as simple as it seems. Trying a DIY without prior experience and knowledge can end up disastrous and making the new roof even more unsafe and unappealing than the old roof. When done by a professional who knows his way around the roof, you can be rest assured that your new conservatory roof will come out picture perfect.

✓ Saves you money and time. What would take a professional just a couple of days to complete is most likely to take a DIYer several weeks to get done and more often than not, end up with a disastrous result. To save yourself the stress, time and money, calling in a professional is your best bet.

Tesla’s top-of-the-range battery storage system is still one of the most expensive on the market. It has a huge 13.5kWh usable capacity and can even keep you up and running during a power cut. But how long does a Tesla Powerwall battery last? And does this mean it’s worth investing in one?

The Tesla Powerwall 2.0 comes with a 10-year warranty. But Tesla says that it should last way beyond this – at least 5 years longer. The standard warranty says that it should work at 70% capacity for the full 10 years – so if it loses more than 30% of its storage capacity within that time, it should still be covered.

While the Tesla Powerwall does last a long time, it has a large capacity that most average households won’t require, and it’s a costly option. After installation, the Powerwall 2.0 will set you back between £6,500 and £9,000, so ideally you want it to last past its 10-year warranty.

Before you splash out, consider the size of the solar panel system you want to install or you already have. Will it generate enough electricity to make it worth storing in the Powerwall? If not, are you expecting to upgrade your solar panels to a larger system in the future? If you are, then it might be worth investing in a Powerwall. It might also be better to wait until you come to upgrade your solar panels – the solar battery price trend is going the same way as solar panels, so they will probably continue to decrease in price as more people adopt the technology.

Installing your Nest thermostat may not be as easy as screwing a light bulb, but we can also assure you that it isn’t very difficult either. However, if you lack the needed training or experience to pull it off, we’d recommend you hire the services of a professional in order to save yourself some time and money. This guide will give you some quick and easy steps to follow and ensure you make no errors during the installation process.

Once installed removing the Nest Thermostat can be done. To get started, you’ll need just a Philips head screwdriver which Nest has thoughtfully provided with the device.

• Turn off the Nest Thermostat by switching the circuit breaker to the off position.

• Label or mark your old thermostat’s wires. However, if you notice your thermostat is tagged 120v or 240v, or possesses thick wires, do not connect the wires to the Nest as you have a high voltage system.

• Uninstall the old thermostat by locating detaching the wires coming out from the wall into the thermostat. Once done, simply unscrew the device from the wall

• Mark the spot of your thermostat. Do this by threading wires through the Nest base plate’s centre incorporate the tiny bubble level. Once done, you can then use a pencil to mark te two screw holes.

• Attach the trim plate. If you wish to cover the screw holes, simply install the trim plate in the Nest box’s bottom to the base plate.

• Using the screws and screwdriver, attach the Nest base to the wall.

• Connect the wires to the Nest by putting the labelled wires in the Nest’s corresponding ports.

• Put the Nest display by lining up the connector on the display’s back.

• Turn on the power by switching the circuit breaker to the on position

• Connect your Nest thermostat to the WiFi network.

• Follow the on-screen guide and set the temperature.

• Use your smartphone or tablet to download the Nest thermostat’s mobile app to monitor and control your device remotely.

Moss, mushrooms and weeds are all problems that many homeowners face on their lawns. Luckily, with a bit of maintenance, there are ways you can get rid of these unwanted organisms and prevent them from coming back. Getting rid of moss A simple way to remove moss from your lawn is by scarification. This basically means that you vigorously rake your lawn, but only do this in the autumn when the grass is actively growing and it’s not too hot, cold or dry. However, you can also use specific weedkillers to control moss on your lawn, and most of these should be applied when the moss is actively growing. Apply in fine weather by hand or with a push-along spreader, making sure not to apply too much as you could kill off the grass too. Check the instructions, as some will require watering after 48 hours if it’s not rained. Then, get into a scarification routine to help prevent moss growth. Removing mushrooms from your lawn If you’ve got mushrooms in your lawn, it usually means that your lawn is damp and shaded, so it never dries out, and is organic waste-rich. There could be a drainage problem with your lawn that is encouraging mushroom growth, so it’s important to investigate why the mushrooms are growing to prevent them from returning once you’ve removed them. To get rid of mushrooms in your lawn, make sure you scarify your lawn and get rid of all the moss, thatch and dead grass that comes up. If you leave it, this is heaven for mushrooms to grow in. If your lawn is shaded, try to prune and thin surrounding trees to offer it more light. If you do all of these things, it will prevent mushrooms from growing in the future, and then it might be worth using a fungicide to get rid of the mushrooms that are there. But if you just do this step, it’s likely the mushrooms will just come back. How to get rid of weeds To get rid of weeds from your lawn, you can use selective weedkillers that will just kill the weeds and leave your grass alone. But if you’d rather not use weedkiller, you can get rid of weeds from your lawn manually. For large, deep-rooted weeds like dandelions or plantains, use a trowel to lever them out, ensuring that you get the whole plant including its roots. Then use compost to fill the hole it leaves behind, pushing it deeply into the hole. Sprinkle with fresh grass seed, cover with extra compost and water. Make sure you keep the area damp until the seed has germinated. To prevent moss, mushrooms or weeds from returning, the best things to do are:

• Scarify your lawn in the autumn, and lightly in the spring if necessary
• Seed your lawn in the autumn if you need to
• Try to keep trees trimmed and pruned as much as possible to reduce shade
• Use a pre-emergent weedkiller in the spring to catch them before they grow and handpick any that come through
• Mow your lawn regularly in the spring and summer, being careful not to remove more than a third of grass at a time, then before winter give it one last mow and a fertilisation treatment

If you’re looking to hire the services of a house cleaner for your residential property, then one of the first things that naturally comes to mind is the cost of completing this task. Simple as it seems, there’s actually no short and direct answer to this question as the price of your clean will depends on a number of varying factors. Generally, the key drivers of the amount you’ll have to pay for your clean includes the following: location, number of rooms, frequency of cleans, the cleaner’s experience, number of cleaners in the local area, number of bathrooms, agency charges as well as optional extras.

There are two main routes you can take to hire a cleaner. These routes include using a cleaning company or agency, or source your own independent cleaner. Whichever way you choose to go through, it’ll automatically play a role in the price you’ll have to pay to get the cleaning service. In general, you can normally expect to pay between £4 to £10 per hour in agency fees in addition to the rate the average cleaner would expect for the area, based on how competitive the market for agencies is in your area.

For hourly cleaners, the cost you can expect to pay to have your house cleaned typically ranges from £12 to £23 average cost per hour. Prices in more rural areas tend to vary a lot more, which is mostly dictated by the number of businesses that are operating in the area.

There are a number of ways in which you can save money on your clean which includes supplying your own cleaning product or equipment, opting out of optional extras like oven cleaning or ironing, comparing quotes from different provides to get the best price and more.

How To Identify Asbestos Roof Tiles

Found in some particular rocks, asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that’s commonly used before the 1990’s as a building material specifically for roofing. This material was banned in the UK as it was discovered to possess harmful fibres which is potentially dangerous to human’s respiratory health when disturbed and inhaled. According to several reports this health conditions include non cancerous lung disease, mesothelioma and asbestosis, which are all untreatable. Therefore, be it in a domestic or industrial setting, there’s the need to know how to identify asbestos and if found, start the removal process as quickly as possible.

While the three types of asbestos used in roof tiles can be quite easy to identify by themselves, a total reverse is the case, when mixed into a tile. Generally roofing tiles that includes asbestos will mostly have colours such as grey, white or blue-white colour, but so does several other roof tiles made from other materials that are totally safe. As a result, the only way in which you can identify if a tile contains asbestos is by looking for an identification mark. These marks are mostly inscribed onto about one in twenty tiles, therefore if you have a strong feeling that your roof tiles contains asbestos, you may have to remove several tiles before you can identify the marked one. Otherwise, the only way you can confirm is by sending a sample to a certified asbestos testing lab. These labs are knowledgeable and possess the right equipment, tools as well as testing kits to determine the levels of asbestos in your premises. With this, you have a better chance of getting quality results than any other means. What’s more? They’ll also recommend expert asbestos removal services if the harmful material is found to be present in your house.