Find a Shop Fitter you can trust in Cranbrook.

If you find yourself unable to or dreading to climb or descend the staircase in your home, then maybe its time to look into the benefits of having a stairlift installed. For individuals with mobility challenges caused either by ageing body or a chronic health condition, making use of the stairs can become extremely exhausting and saps most of their energy for the day. In any of these scenarios, there’s simply no need to move into an assisted living facility as there are much less costly ways to retain your independence and continue to enjoy the comfort of your home. And that’s exactly where stair lifts comes in! Fortunately, there are a plethora of companies making not one, but varying stair lift models.

If you’re interested in getting a stairlift, one of the first things that comes to mind is to identify the best one in the market. If that has also got you thinking, then you’ve come to the right place! Here are our top picks:

• For the best budget, you can go for AmeriGlide - This company is committed to making stair lifts a lot more affordable for all individuals. It offer a bunch of features which makes it a lot cheaper and easier to enjoy your unit.
• For the best space saving straight stair lift, you can go for Bruno’s Elan - This company’s products are a great choice if you want to maintain a minimalist design aesthetic for your home.
• For the best outdoor straight stair lift, you can go for Stannah - Having been in the business for over 150 years, Stannah’s has perfected the art of making outdoor straight stair lifts. Their products possess a wide range of qualities which makes it highly reliable, durable and perfect for users.

As the heat start to come up especially during the summer months, the swelter will mercifully be kept in check by air conditioning. The technology has made a significant impact on modern life and it can now be considered a norm for all new and modern homes. So if you’re also planning to fit new HVAC air conditioning systems in your home or property, you may also be interested in knowing exactly how it works. In this article, we aim to provide you with an in depth insight into how air conditioning operates. Now let’s take a closer look at the process!

✓ A grille at the bottom of the machine absorbs warm air from the room

✓ The warm air is transmitted over some chiller pipes through which a coolant fluid is circulating. Working in a similar fashion as the chiller cabinet in a refrigerator, this part cools down the transmitted warm air and any excess moisture is duly removed by a dehumidifier.

✓ The air is then transmitted over a heating element which is quite similar to the one present in a fan heater. On a cold day, this part of the unit can be turned up in order to allow the HVAC works as heater.

✓ A fan which is positioned at the top blows the air back through another grilled into the room.

✓ Coolant flows through the the chiller pipes. In the process, it carries heat from the air blowing past the pipes and then it evaporates - converting the cool liquid into a hotter gas. This heat is then transported to the outside of the building from inside the room.

✓ With time, the heat inside the building slowly blows away into the outside air.

Often referred to by many as the holy grail of home improvements, house extension comes with a wide range of benefits which makes it easy to see why the extension could be a great uptick in the potential price of your property in terms of sales. So if you’re looking to build a new home extension but still not convinced about the project, we’re here to help you. Being fully aware any home construction work is usually a heavy investment, there’s a huge need to be set on your decision before scheduling the commencement of any work. So are house extensions worth it? Below are some of the top benefits offered by house extensions to help you decide if it’s the most suitable route for you.

• Add To Your Home’s Value

Building an home extension is a great way to add value to your home before selling. Increasing the living space of your home is an incredible appeal to many buyers which significantly increases your property’s total value. However, you must ensure that the extension is impressively designed using top quality materials in order to generate more value.

• Good Alternative To House Moving

The most common reason for moving is usually due to a lack of sufficient space, but with house prices steadily on the increase a cost effective alternative is highly sought after. This alternative is house extension which creates more space for the household to spread out and have more privacy.

• You May Not Require A Planning Permission

You can extend your house and still not need to apply for a planning permission. To achieve this, simply comply with the laid down rules set under the permitted development rights.

• Extra Living Space

If you fill you’re starting to outgrow your existing structure and do not buy into the idea of moving, then your best bet might just be to extend your home.

Yes, although you should make sure that the terrace or decking is able to support the weight of a hot tub. Usually, you will need to have a structural survey carried out on the area. Seek the advise of a hot tub retailer or installer about the logistics of installing one at your property.

After fitting your new windows, your installer should take away and dispose of your old windows. If you want to keep them, just let your installer know before they start work. The UPVC frames are melted down and used on the unseen parts of new windows. Aluminium frames are re-smelted and wooden are broken down and used as chipboard.

Does It Take Long To Put A Solid Roof On A Conservatory?

If you’re interested in installing a solid roof on your conservatory, it may also interest you to know just how long the project is going to take. Well, the fitting of a solid conservatory roof is quite easy and quick with minimal disruption and mess around when done by a reliable professional. The process, however, involves removing the old existing roof of the conservatory rather than fitting the new roof over the old one which can lead to many complications. Generally, the entire process should take about 6 working days to complete. In this article, we’re going to provide a breakdown of each task as well as the duration to complete the individual tasks to give you an idea of the entire solid roof replacement process. Let’s take a look!

✓ Day 1 - Setting up of the site. This includes sealing off your conservatory from the rest of the house as well as laying of the floor protection. Furthermore, your existing conservatory roof will be removed and positioned in such a way to enable easy transportation and disposal. By the end of the first day, the installation of the new roof will completed and made to be water tight

✓ Day 2 - Insulation will be installed on the inside of your new solid roof.

✓ Day 3 - The replacement conservatory roof will be tiled and the insulated plasterboard will be installed inside.

✓ Day 4 - This involves finishing of the conservatory roof’s inside and outside. And all rubbish would be adequately disposed off.

✓ Day 5 - Your tiled conservatory roof’s new ceiling will be plastered.

✓ Day 6 - This day is free as the plaster is left to dry off properly.

Also commonly referred to as brown rot, dry rot simply means a decay of the root as a result of fungi which may negatively impact the wooden structures in the interior or exterior of your home or property. When the dry rot happens, the fungi present breaks down the cellulose as well as hemicellulose – the components which are responsible for the strength and resilience of the wood. Consequently, the wood is left weakened and brittle while also appearing a bit blocky. Most often than not, dry rot affects damp timber, primarily with a moisture content that’s more than 20 percent. As a result of this, any dry rot eradication strategy should have the removal of the source of moisture to form the core of its activities. So, how can you identify dry rot? Let’s take a look!

• Examine the wood. At first, the fungus appears a lot similar to cotton wool and may also possess water droplets on its surface if there is a very humid surrounding.
• Look out for shrunken or sunken wood.
• Identify darkening and cracks in the structure of the wood.
• Identify affect wood that features flat skin-like grown that may appear like the exterior of a mushroom with shades of silver and grey. Most times, patterned with patches of light purple or yellow which easily peels.

Dry rot can be treated in a number of ways which includes epoxy treatments, commercial anti-freeze as well as copper compounds. The epoxy treatment simply means the act of filling in channels within the damaged wooden structure with an epoxy treatment to eliminate the rot and strengthen the structure of the wood. The commercial antifreeze is the treatment of the rot with antifreeze to kill the fungus and prevent further growth.