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If you’re thinking about installing a solar system in your home or property, this is probably one of the things you’d like to know before making a purchase decision. Well, you’ve come to the right place! In this post, we’re going to give you a good insight into this to help you make the best informed decision possible moving forward. Let’s take a look!

First and foremost, it must be stated that providing a short and accurate answer to this question is nearly impossible as the amount of time a solar panel will last after dark is influenced by a number of factors. These factors include the size of your solar system, the battery size as well as your power usage. As you would have imagined, batteries are charged when there is excess energy that’s being produced by your solar system but it’s not being incorporated to power your home or property. More often than not, this occurs during the sunlight’s peak periods from about 10am to 2pm.

The time it’ll take for your battery to charge is influenced by the size of your solar system in Kilowatts, the size of your battery as well as the rate in which your system is being used. Your battery can be charged in a day or two, of course unless it’s an over-sized battery for your system.

When the sun sets and your solar panels can no longer directly run your appliances via electricity generation, the battery then kicks in. You will use about 1 to 2 kW’s of power if you’re watching TV, using the oven as well as lights internet etc. in other words, even a small solar panel battery will last all night. However, the same doesn’t apply if you’re having a party with running floodlights, three fridges and air conditioner as the battery will drain a lot faster.

Do I Need A Planning Permission For Bifold Doors?

Are you thinking about installing bifold doors for your home or property? If yes, you’d probably want to know if you’re going to need planning permission. Well, you’re not alone! Being fully aware the application process for planning permission might not be the easiest of tasks, several home owners would like to know if they’ll be going through the process for installing bifold doors. The answer is, you may actually not need a planning permission for installing bifold doors in your home. Adding or replacing doors is basically one of the home improvement efforts that are less complicated and as a result, they normally do not require planning permission. But despite that, they still need to comply with the UK’s building regulations.

Changing or adding doors to your home or property are usually considered to be covered under permitted development and even more so, when there’s no extension constructed for the doors. However under certain circumstances, these rights can be removed by the local authorities. A good example is when the property is a listed building or in a designated conservation area.

In the event whereby you find yourself having to apply for a planning permission, the time it usually takes to be granted one depends on the number of planning applications on queue. However, it typically takes about 8 weeks or 2 months to tender your application and be granted planning permission if it’s required. To apply for planning application by UK households, you’ll have to pay £172 - which is the set application fee nationwide. In certain situations where objection arises, there may be some delays in the process. If you’re still not certain whether your new bifold doors will require a planning permission, we’d recommend consulting your local authority.

The short answer to this is no! Smart thermostats can still be used without WiFi, however, they’ll be deprived of some certain capabilities and innovative features that comes mainly due to their ability to connect to the internet. As a result, the smart thermostat will only be functional for basic task such as heating and cooling control. In other words, making use of a WiFi connection will be in your best bet to enjoy the multiple juicy benefits that comes with a smart thermostats such as remote monitoring, ability to connect to other devices and display local weather conditions and much more. And what’s the use of purchasing a smart thermostat if you’d not be able to enjoy these remarkable features?

However, even when you have a WiFi, it’s expected for the connection to fail at times. When this happens, what will be the impact on your smart thermostat? Let’s have a closer look!

• As you would have expected, when your smart thermostat is disconnected from WiFi, features that are controlled with the mobile app would all be impacted. And this might be a big headache when you wish to access these features and control remotely when far away from home.

• When your smart thermostat connection to WiFi fails, all live updates and alerts would be affected. This implies that you’d stop seeing updates, reports and notifications on your mobile device. As a result, you’ll not be notified in case of an emergency like electricity cut-outs, water leaks, humidity and temperatures exceeding the set levels as well as thermostat’s low battery.

• The lack of a WiFi connection might have taken away all the juicy advantages of having a smart thermostat, but one function that remains unaffected is the basic one - the control of your home’s heating and cooling system. In other words, if your smart thermostat is offline, your home will still be heated and cooled to the thermostat’s set temperature.

Gravel, asphalt, concrete and paving can all be permeable. However, some types of asphalt and concrete are impermeable. This is why it’s important to be precise about what material you want for your driveway. If you want a permeable driveway, you should also make sure that your sub-base is also permeable.

How Much To Replace A Flat Roof

There’s no straight answer to this question. However, the average cost lies within the range of £1000 to £5000. This range may look too wide but the price is greatly influenced by a number of factors which is capable of making the price increase or decrease. Some of the factors affecting the cost of flat roof coverings and replacement include: the type of flat roofing system and materials you want, the area size of the flat roof in M2, the project’s location, the roofing company to be used, the ease at which to reach the roof, cost of removing the old flat roof as well as cost of removing the other waste.

Although there are many factors to be put into consideration but the most crucial factor is the size of the house or the area size of the flat roof in M2. for instance, a one bedroom apartment’s flat roof will have a price between £1500 to £3000. This is, however, with the assumption that the flat roof is going to be used as the main roof of the house. But if you’re only using it for a section of the house like your garage, the price could range between £700 to £1000

There four commonly used types of flat roof materials which includes fibreglass, felt, rubber and lead. If you need a felt roof, for example, the price is between £40 to £70 per m2. And in the same tone, a metal roof will generally cost more than a a flat roof made from rubber.

Another important factor we’ll discuss is the labour or the roofing company to be used. Different roofing companies will charge different prices. As a result, you should carefully compare the prices of the companies in order to get a great deal.

Signs of rising damp tend to be close to the ground, usually no higher than a metre. It usually works its way up walls in horizontal lines. Penetrating damp usually develops in patches and can often be much higher up. For more advice, speak to a damp proofing professional.

Did you just purchase a double glazed window and confused about how to have it installed? Fitting the window yourself can be quite easy with the help of this step by step guide. However, if you lack proper training or experience, we’d recommend you reach out to a trustworthy professional who can guarantee the best results for help. That said, now let’s take a look at the process.

• Remove the old windows by detaching the old beading and glass window safely. Then make some interval cuts using a hand saw before using a crowbar to pry it out.

• Cut the external double glazed window seal. Once done, take a measurement of the window area’s width once empty. Then transfer the measurement to the window sil to face outside and cut using a handsaw.

• Seal the window sil. Add a bead of clear silicone along both inside lip as well as the centre to seal the sil.

• Screw the double glazed window to the sil. Position the window on the top of the lipped section that was siliconed. Then pre-drill them together and screw in three places. You should make sure the screws do not go totally to the sil’s bottom.

• Install the double glazed window. After successfully screwing the double glazed window to the sil, you can now fit in the double glazing. Make use of packers to make sure it’s even in the slot.

• Screw the uPVC window to the wall. If you’re happy and satisfied with the position of the window, you can then pre-drill through the frame of the window and the brick wall. Once done, simply screw it in place using masonry screws or Spax screw as they do not require crawl plugs in bricks.

• Seal around the window. To do this, simply fill any gaps with expanding foam, wipe out the excess and seal with silicone.

You don’t have to, especially if you’re on a budget. If you’re only replacing some, it’s a good idea to get all the windows on one side of your property replaced at the same time, so they all look the same. Be aware, obviously, huge savings could be had by having a number of windows replaced at the same time.