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One of the things that has been on the UK government’s agenda for some time now is to promote the use of renewable energy sources. In fact, the Renewable Energy Directive put out by the EU instructs all member countries to achieve a 20 percent renewable target before the year 2020. The UK’s commitment to this objective has been made quite glaring with a number of funding options that has been put in place to help business owners looking to solar panels on their properties. This commitment was also showcased by a reduction in the cost of solar panels, so new investors have little to worry about. Although there aren’t any grants in the conventional sense, but there are opportunities for solar panel funding in the UK. At present, the only scheme open to new applications is the SEG - Smart Export Guarantee which came into effect on 1st January, 2020.

In general, there are four notable incentives in the UK for solar panels which includes the aforementioned Smart Export Guarantee, Reduced VAT on Energy Saving Products, Feed-in Tariff ( no longer open to new applications ), as well as the Renewable Heat Incentive ( RHI - applies only to solar water heating ).

Being the only one still open to new applications, we’ll provide you with some insights on SEG. The Smart Export Guarantee allows small scale low-carbon electricity generators to receive payments for surplus energy they’re able to export back to the grid. Although, this is not a direct government scheme, all licensed suppliers are necessitated to offer an export tariff to their customers. Those suppliers with more than 150,000 customers are obligated to offer a tariff, while the suppliers with fewer customers can partake on a voluntary basis.

Aside from the cold weather not being the most pleasant condition to work in, the winter weather can also cause a lot of problems for construction workers and even more so when you’re working with render. Poor weather conditions can generally cause a lot of harms on the final finish of a render. Below are some of the reasons why you should not consider rendering in a bad weather.

✓ Lime bloom. Render can be impacted by lime bloom as they are subjected to damp conditions and low temperatures while curing. This is due to the fact that cement are intolerant to slower drying conditions especially immediately affect its application.

✓ Top coats can be compromised. Coating are likely to get washed off before they’re even afforded the chance to set if drying conditions are low.

However, because its cold out there doesn’t necessarily imply that work must stop. It’s very possible to render during the winter months but to avoid potential pitfalls, we’ve got some tip that can be of great help. Let’s have a look!

✓ Check the weather forecast. Determine the drying and curing time and watch the forecast for the temperature dropping at night.

✓ Select the most suitable render. There are renders that are suitable for application in low temperatures to about 5℃ or even as low as 1℃. These types of render are fast setting which makes them perfect for the cold condition.

✓ Watch out for frost. Frost and render are enemies. Therefore, it won’t be wise to work with frosted materials, on frosted subtrates or apply below the recommended temperature that’s written on the product’s datasheet.

✓ Protect the finish. Make use of artificial enclosures around the scaffolding to battle adverse weather conditions.

How to build a scaffolding tower?

Scaffolding is every so often an essential portion of construction and home maintenance. You must set up scaffolding properly to make sure you and anybody else using the equipment stays safe. A mistake in establishing a scaffolding could lead to a serious accident. Scaffolding is an alternative to ladders. An advantage of using scaffolding is the bigger work range and flexibility it offers over that of a ladder. It possesses a stage for walking and for keeping all your tools.

The steps to build a good scaffolding

You will first need to find a secure and stable foundation on which you will build and put op the scaffold. Next, you will need base plates that will help to make the footing of the scaffold more stable. One of the chief worries here is to have the scaffolding equal and on safe ground.

Opt for casters.

If your project involves moving your scaffolding to work on several spots, include casters in your scaffolding setup. Do not forget to lock the casters after you get it in place.

Assemble the scaffolding frame.

Lay out the ends of the scaffolding. First, you will need to lift one of the end pieces and attach it with the upper cross brace. While you are lifting the second end piece to attach it to its upper cross brace, the far end of the previous brace should support it.

Make sure the scaffold is stable.

Move the scaffold until you think that the position is perfect, and make sure it is level and secure.

Place the planks.

Lift the boards through the scaffold bars and into the right place.

Secure access to the scaffold.

If you are using ladders to access the scaffold, use the ones that are designed specifically for that very type of scaffold.

Attach the guardrails.

Attaching guardrails is highly advised due to the risks of falling. You should also consider using tie-offs and other means of fall protection.

Inspect the scaffolding to ensure safety.

Thoroughly examine the scaffolding set up to make sure all pieces are secure.

Being smart critters, a rodent infestation of a garden can cause the owner a lot of problems. Rats are pests bringing about a wide range of health hazards. They’ll camp in your compost, eat away your fruits and vegetables, gnaw through fences, containers and planters and even spread harmful diseases to humans. The wild rats can bite or even scratch when approached and will seek shelter anywhere possible like in your greenhouses, shed and even in your home. And worse still, they reproduce quickly as a female rat can give birth to six litters annually with up to 12 pups. Therefore, if left unattended to,an unwelcome visit can soon become an infestation in next to no time.

In order to get rid of rats, you can start by thinking like one. Like any other mammal, they need food, water and shelter to survive and thrive. Removing one or all these three things can effectively help you get rid of rats in your garden. Generally, there are several ways to get rid of rats which can be natural without the use of poison and artificial, with the use of poison.

If you wish to use the natural approach, you can try using peppermint oil or laying of traps. Rats are known to hate peppermint and it’s also alleged to mask their pheromone trails. Simply soak cotton wool balls in peppermint oil and position them strategically through out the garden. The second natural approach is more of a trial and error case as rats are always very suspicious and it’s possible your traps fail to catch any unless you’re very cunning with the placement.

The most effective method is, however, the use of poison to get rid of rats. Simply mix the poison with food in small quantities and place at strategic locations throughout your garden to get rid of the rats, However, this must be done with great care.

A lot of an uninsulated property’s heat is lost through the roof and that’s even more alarming, when you realize this figure is up to a quarter of the total heat of the house. Hence, the tremendous importance of preventing this heat loss through loft insulation which will go a long way to help you against spending unnecessary thousands of pounds on heating bill as well as energy loss.

Loft insulation is an effective method to achieve the desired result, however the question is, how exactly does it work? Well, it’s time to find out!

Using either a fireplace or central heating to heat up your home, a large quantity of that heat would be lost through the roof of your home. Generally, heat rises and when it does, there’s simply no way to prevent it - it’s just science. Escaping by both the conduction and convection methods via your roof, the heat escaping through your ceiling, into the loft space and out into the open air outside can only be significantly reduced by laying loft insulation.

Generally, the added layer of insulation works by trapping the heat inside the room below the loft so as to enable the air within your house to stay warmer for longer. What’s more? The layer of insulation also keeps cold air from the outside from entering your home. As a result, you don’t have to heat your home as much in order to achieve the same temperature for each individual room. Over time, just by doing this you can potentially save hundreds pounds. Getting it installed in your home may actually seem a bit expensive at first, but it’s something that’ll eventually pay off.

Does A Conservatory Add Value?

if you’re looking to get a new conservatory built in your home or you’re moving into a new home that features a conservatory, it’s understandable if you’re wondering whether or not a conservatory adds value to a property.

Adding a conservatory to your home will not only create additional space, but it’ll also add value to it. When the right style, fit and shape is chosen, your conservatory can become an asset that’ll be well worth the investment when you want to dispose your home or property. Generally, a conservatory is estimated to add about 7 percent value to a home as stated by a popular property personality Phil Spencer. However, the correct level of the value it adds will be based on how well your conservatory is built as well as well it matches with its surroundings. As a result, when building your conservatory, it’s crucial to make sure that the new living space fits your home perfectly well in such a way that it showcases your property’s style of interior in order to create continuity.

When building your new living space, the first thing to do is to determine the best place for the structure to be placed. This should be given your total consideration because conservatories that look out of place can actually end up causing more harm than good like reducing the value of your property, as the potential investor may see it as more of a burden pr something that needs to be fixed.

If you choose a conservatory that perfectly suits the rest of your home and also creates value by allowing you derive maximum benefits from your garden, it’s likely to be a hot cake amongst potential buyers.

With heating and cooling bills making up more than 50 percent of one’s overall utility expenses as reported by the Department of Energy, you’d probably want to know some ways in which in you can improve the efficiency of your air conditioning system. With the warmer months just around the corner, now is the best time to get started. Not only will you be able to improve the air conditioning efficiency in your home, but you’d also be able to save some money on cooling and heating bills. In this article, we’re going to consider the top 5 tips you can implement to get your air conditioning system running efficiently and at its maximum. Let’s take a look!

• Ensure that around your outdoor condenser unit is clean. When clean and free of debris, your outdoor unit is able to function at its best. This can be done by yourself just by watching a couple of videos, however you’ll need a professional whenever a more thorough and in depth cleaning required.
• Vacuum indoor vents and keep vents unblocked. In order to ensure there’s an uninterrupted airflow from your system, there’s a need to vacuum dust as well as form of debris away from the indoor vents. You should also keep items such as furniture and blinds away from obstructing the vents.
• Increase your thermostat by a number of degrees. Generally, adjusting temperature 5 to 8 degrees can go a long way to help you save some money.
• Keep lamps and other heat producing appliances away from the thermostat. Having heat producing appliance will only inform the thermostat that the air in the room needs extra cooling. This will make the system run longer and use up more electricity.
• Keep the curtains and blinds closed. This is to prevent the heat of the outside coming in and vice versa.