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Does Landscaping A Garden Add Value?

When taking a good look at the image of new homes or perhaps you’re just thinking about getting one, one thing that several people will look out for is the garden. The thought of owning a perfect little oasis is all homeowners’ dream.

In a recent study conducted by Rightmove, it was discovered that to more than 60% of home buyers, an access to a garden was a priority. And according to the Royal Chartered Institute of Surveyors, this demand for garden is set to grow by 20% over the next 2 years.

Therefore, it’s obvious that having a beautiful landscaped garden is always a great asset to possess. But exactly how much value does a garden add to a property?

According to the studies carried out by Foxtons, it’s suggested that a garden can add as much as 20% to any property’s value, however, it should be expected that this value can vary based on a number of factors. In urban locations such as London, where there’s really not much outdoor space, possessing a garden can add an enormous amount to your property’s value.

However, if you happen to live in sub urban areas such as Wilmslow, where almost every home possesses a garden, what will influence the amount of value a garden will add to your property depends on it’s size as well as it’s unique features.

What’s more? Another important influence of a garden’s added value is the time of the season in which you’re selling your property. For more value, the best time to sell is always in the spring or summer when there are several gardens in bloom and multiple colours to please the eye. However, when it’s autumn and winter, the idea of staying outdoors for a quick get together or gardening is always very far, hence the value that’ll be added at this point may be low.

Asbestos is a perfect example of a silent and hidden killer. The harmful fibre it releases is not only totally invisible to the eye, but also absolutely odourless, therefore can’t be smelt. As a result, you can walk into a room completely filled with asbestos and you still won’t suspect a thing. If you live in an old building ( built before the 1980’s) in the UK, it’s very possible that there’s some asbestos in the house.

Asbestos causes up to 5000 deaths in the UK on a yearly basis. When asbestos materials are disturbed, they release asbestos fibres, which when inhaled can result in lung cancer, asbestosis as well as mesothelioma which are all painful and fatal diseases. And perhaps even more importantly, you won’t notice any symptoms of having these diseases until after several years after your first exposure to asbestos fibres.

Therefore, to reduce these numbers, there’s a crucial need to to know how to identify asbestos so as not to put both ourselves and loved ones at risk.

There are three types of asbestos which includes blue or crocidolite, brown or amosite, and white or chrysotile. So they can easily be identified by their respective colour names, right? Wrong! Asbestos fibres can not be seen with the eye, it can only be detected under a microscope. They’re very tiny and light, and once disturbed and in the air, they can float can days. Asbestos are commonly found in several building materials such as cement products, floor tiles, paints, adhesive, partitions, cladding, insulation, doors and lots more. With its wide acceptability in the past, any building product you can probably think of could contain asbestos.

How To Clean Algae Off Roof Shingles

Stains and dirt on asphalt shingles can only make your entire house look shabby which can go a long way to hide away the true value of your building. In some cases, dirts and stains on asphalt roofing shingles are nothing more than a cosmetic issue. However, there are also times in which it goes far beyond this - when the stains are indicators of a problem that if ignored, can result in a serious roof damage and ultimately, roof failure. In most cases, it’s usually hard to distinguish these stains and hence, the more reason why your asphalt roofing shingles should be regularly cleaned and maintained. In this article, we’re going to look at how you can get rid of algae of your roof shingles.

Algae growth on roof usually have either blue, green or black stains. They normally begin with little spots which will develop into streaks overtime. These stains are mostly mistaken for moss or mildew and aren’t harmful to any other thing than the roof shingles. However, the look it gives the entire house is something nobody enjoys.

It should be noted that this is a task that deals with working at height and requires skills and confidence to pull off. If you lack any of these qualities, simply reach out to a professional for help.

✓ Safety first. Put on protective clothing.

✓ Apply a bleach solution with a garden sprayer and let it sit for up to 20 minutes

✓ Rinse the roof thereafter with the stream from the hose (do not use a pressure washer as it can damage the roof shingles)

✓ If there are still algae left after rinsing with water, you can make use of a brush with medium-stiff bristles to gently scrub the stains off. If some stains are still left, simply let the roof dry before repeating the process again.

The root cause of woodworm is generally high-moisture material in your timber, mainly searched for by grown-up female beetles in summer season to ensure that eggs can be laid. The larvae then delve, as well as when it leaves, leaves the departure holes you frequently see.

One of the most typical symptom of a woodworm assault are the little openings seen around your hardwoods. However these holes are usually brought on by beetles when they get to maturation and also leave the wood in order to go searching for a mate

What Is The Smallest Opening For Bifold Doors?

Generally, bifold doors comes in a wide range of sizes and configurations. So if you’re looking to install them in your home, the opening size required will depend on multiple influencing factors. However, the question we’re going to look at here is the smallest opening for bifold doors.

First and foremost, let’s consider the size of bifold doors as learning about how big or small bifold doors can play a key role in helping you determine the size of bifold door you’ll need. Generally, the size of bifold doors will vary largely depending on the manufacturer, but they are usually within the range of 6.8 feet and 7 feet in height. The width, however, will be determined by the number of door panels you’d like to use but several configurations are designed in such a way that they can be installed in openings of about 1.8m and above. For each door panel, the size are usually between 500 and 1000mm in width. As a result, if you decide to opt for door panels with a width of 700mm, you’ll need to get about 3 of the door panels in order to install in an aperture that’s wider than 1.8m. What’s more? Door panels can also be custom made especially if the size you need isn’t available.

So with that in mind, what’s the smallest opening for bifold doors? The bifold door’s minimum width is 1400mm. And in order to install a bifold door to fill this size, you’ll require two individual door panels that’s 700mm in width. Building them any smaller than the minimum width will be unwise as this will make them bind when closing.

What Is The Best Security Alarm System For Home?

Do you know you do not have to break the bank to secure your home and achieve peace of mind? Conventional home security systems generally require costly pro installation alongside extensive contracts. However with the advent of the smart versions, you can save a lot of money through personal installation and opting out of a monitoring plan if you deem fit.

If you are thinking about installing the best security alarm system in your home, there are a couple of factors you should take into account. These includes the ability to control the system remotely, wired or wireless system, motion detectors and video cameras. Across the series of home security systems we’ve tested and reviewed, SimpliSafe happens to be the most easy-to-use and install, reliable, affordable and well detailed. What’s more? It doesn’t seek to tie you down with a monitoring plan as you can choose to opt in/out at anytime.

Discover The SimpliSafe Difference!

As a user-friendly DIY security alarm system, SimpliSafe is right on top of the lot with several amazing features designed to improve security while also enhancing your comfort. The add-ons include a doorbell camera, smart lock, interior video camera as well as sensors. The system offers a 24/7 live-monitoring fees that are affordable and also highly competitive. However, a con of the system includes the lack of self-monitoring options or outdoor cameras. This implies that if you’re not subscribed to any monitoring plan, the security alarm system will only be able to operate locally. Also, it can be used with August locks, which represents the only non-SimpliSafe device compatible with the system. Overall, SimpliSafe is simply the best option available in the market mainly due to its impressive selection of add-ons, affordability, as well as its simplicity.

Do you know about 25 percent of heat that escapes from an uninsulated house are lost through the roof? Fortunately, roof insulation is something that can done by all DIYers irrespective of their experience levels. However, if you happen to lack the confidence necessary to pull off this, then it’s strongly recommended that you hire the services of a professional who can guarantee the best results and also save you time and money that could arise from potential cost mistakes. Let’s take a look!

• Clear out all clutter. This involves taking out all the rubbish and clutter from the loft. In order to work effectively, you’ll need a totally clear and empty loft space.
• Ensure that there’s sufficient insulation. The importance of a good ventilation cannot be overstated. Poor ventilation will result in forming of condensation and this condensation can make the roof timbers rot and compromise the structural integrity of the entire roof. If there are no roof windows which is the easiest way to provide a loft ventilation, the next best option would be to follow the loft floor along to the point where the roof comes down to meet it. There should be a gap at this point, also referred to as the eaves, between the outside wall and the underside of the roof.
• Measure your loft area. Take a measurement of the loft space in order to calculate the amount of insulation as well as the type you need. If you’re not sure, always get more that it’s required as skimming on the amount you use will only back fire in form of increased energy costs
• Check for water pipes.

To get started, simply make sure all cracks and gaps in the ceiling are filled using a standard filler or decorator caulk. Once done, clean the gaps in the joists and even to the point of hovering all the dust up. Finally,check for the hazards that can cause you problems before laying the loft insulation.

In recent times, home and property owners are constantly looking for ways in which to enhance both energy efficiency and sustainability especially as the world draws closer and closer to energy-efficient technology. The Nest thermostat is a great example of this fact as its designed in such a way to save energy while also cutting heating and cooling costs. And an interesting fact is, you’re not limited to using just a single Nest thermostat in your home as multiple of the device can successfully run together to maintain a consistent level of temperature monitoring as well as energy efficiency. What’s more? You can add up to 20 Nest thermostat and 18 temperature sensors in a home.

It’s very unlikely that you’re going to need this many thermostats in your home, but if you’d like to add a second the process is quite straightforward. However, we’d recommend you employ the services of a seasoned professional especially if you lack the required training or experience to pull this off to save yourself some time and money.

To get started, simply download the associated Nest app to add Nest devices. Now let’s have a look at the processes involved in adding a second Nest thermostat to your home.

• Open the app.

• Go to the top left corner of the main screen and click on the menu button.

• Pick the location or home you’re adding the device to.

• Go to the top right corner and select the “settings.

• Once done, then click on the Add Product “Plus button.

Upon a successful addition of the second thermostat, the app will guide you through the initial set up steps. Google also offers a very helpful guide if you’re unfamiliar with the initial configuration.