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On a hot summer’s day, we often seek our garden lawn as a cooling place to sit and get some relief from the sun. However, since artificial grass is made from plastic, lots of people ask whether it gets hot, or whether it stays like natural grass. The answer is, it’s somewhere in between.

Of course, we all know to stay in the shade in midday sun and this is when your artificial grass will be at its hottest. Unless it is an extremely hot say and your lawn is in direct sunlight, you should still be able to walk on your artificial grass. The best thing to do is test it using the back of your hand before anyone walks over it with bare feet or children go to play on it.

In the shade, artificial grass should always maintain a cool temperature, although it will never have that refreshing feel of cold grass on a hot day. It will also cool down extremely quickly as the day goes on, so if your grass does get too hot it shouldn’t be unusable for too long.

Artificial grass has to meet high safety standards and most are UV stabilised, which means that they can withstand high temperatures without melting or getting extremely hot. It’s worth remembering that hot countries like Dubai use artificial grass, so the occasional hot day in a British summer should be enough for artificial grass to handle!

A leaky flat roof is one of those things every home and property owner would rather prefer to avoid. Not only can it be extremely frustrating to deal with, but it can also have a grave impact on the overall integrity and value of your property especially when things are not done properly. Generally, all leaky roofs pose serious problems, however, a leak in a flat roof is even a lot more complicated. Ranging from the quite simple repairs to the incredibly complex fixes, flat roof repair (also known as low slope roof repair) is be seriously problematic and at times, can call for a reconstruction which involves complicated roof insurance as well as an experienced professional support.

Flat roof repair consists of many different types. Cap sheet roofs possess layers of material glued together with hot asphalt, including a roll of mineral surface glue using asphalt to the top rather than gravel. The tar and gravel roofs also possess layers of material glued together with the help of hot asphalt, with the use of asphalt on top as well as gravel included in the asphalt. A modified bitumen roof possesses more strength when compared to a cap sheet roof or the conventional tar and gravel roof. This can be 2 or 3 plies, smooth or with a mineral surface, torched on, mopped on or self adhering. What’s more? A TPO roof is a single ply roof which is usually heat welded together. A PVC roof is also a single ply roof that’s heat welded together while an EPDM is a single ply roof that’s glued together. The foam roofs as well as various coatings are incorporated to reflect the sun’s UV rays and also to maintain and seal the roof.

The best way to go about converting a basement depends on its current condition and what you’d like to use it for.

If you’re happy with its size and structure, and just want to turn it into useful storage space, then your project shouldn’t be too complicated. You’ll simply need to make sure it’s damp proof and waterproof – either by fitting tanking or a cavity drain membrane with a sump and pump. You may also need to invest in new flooring, fit basic lighting, and plaster and paint the walls and ceiling.

If you’d like to turn your basement into living space, then you’ll need to think about ventilation, insulation and heating. If this involves creating a kitchen or bathroom, you’ll also need to incorporate plumbing.

If you want to extend your basement, add lightwells, or fit windows and a sunken garden, this makes things much more complicated. You’ll probably want to hire an architect or basement conversion building specialist to help you with the design and planning, and you’ll need a structural engineer to help you ensure your property is sufficiently supported.

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.

If you’re looking at the possibility of installing a satellite dish on your chimney, then you’ve come to the right place! First and foremost, it should be noted that chimney mounts are mostly incorporated for individuals who desires the installation of an antenna at the highest point of their roofs without having to drill holes in the roof. This is quite popular as they’re able to ensure an easy installation and also works incredibly well for several antennas. What about satellite dish? Can it also be mounted on a chimney? Let’s take a look!

The short and simple answer to this question is yes, a satellite dish can be installed on a chimney. However, it must be said that this installation is not advisable. Unlike antennas, satellite dishes are aimed much more precisely. While antennas can be positioned as far as 15 degrees off the main aim before the reception is affected, satellite dishes, on the other hand, need to be positioned about one half of one degree in order to allow for a good operation. This is mainly because the broadcast tower you’re aiming your antenna at is, at most, 75 miles away compared to satellite dishes which are aimed at broadcast towers which are at least 22,000 miles away and that’s even if you happen to be directly under one.

Installing a satellite dish on a chimney will make it difficult for you to get it secure enough to have it properly aimed. This isn’t to say it won’t work at first, but most times, winds will probably drive the satellite dish off the target in little time.

Have you decided to upgrade to Sky’s next generation TV service - Sky Q?  Well, with the 1080 picture quality and a resolution of 3840 which enables you to enjoy your favorite shows in the highest quality, who wouldn’t want to have one installed in his/her home? Apart from the above benefits, you’re also given the ability to record up to 6 shows any time you want, while still viewing a 7th. For many individuals who wish to have the Sky Q installed in their homes, one major concern they all have in common is determining whether or not a satellite dish would be needed. In this article, we aim to help you resolve this once and for all.

The short and simple answer to this question is yes, you’ll need a new satellite for sky Q. However, we’ll strongly recommend you hire the services of a professional and experienced engineer who is well trained and skilled when it comes to the correct and safe installation of satellite dishes. They’ll ensure the entire process goes smooth without any form of interruption. With that, you can be sure to get the best possible quality display from your sky Q system while also avoiding any form of potential installation or placement issues with your dish.

In general, the sky Q installation process is relatively quick and system. As soon as you obtain your viewing card from Sky, your engineer can start setting up your TV with sky Q.

You want your home spotlessly clean and sparkling at all time. Well, so does several other home owners. However, before you achieve that aim, there are a multitude of decisions you’d have to make. And these decision will most often start from how to find and choose the best domestic cleaners available.

One of the several different choices you’ll face, however is whether to supply the products to yourself or if it’s the duty of the domestic cleaners to bring their own supplies which they would use to clean up your house. If they’re to bring their own products and end bringing ones you don’t like or insist on using the products that it’s likely that you’re allergic to. Fortunately, you don’t have a thing to worry about when it comes to this as the best domestic cleaners will all agree that the most appropriate products are the ones you already use at home.

Generally, it’s usually best that you provide both the cleaning products as well as equipment that the house cleaners will use for a number of reasons. Firstly, looking at the from the hygienic point of view, you definitely do not want equipment being used on another property brought to yours and you also get to use the cleaning products you’re comfortable with.

Most professional domestic cleaners will show up at your home to do a bit of walk through the home, know where your product and equipment is kept, how your vacuum cleaner works and lots more, before the come for the actual cleaning. Therefore, if you already have your preferred products and equipment, they’ll have a look and provide you with expert advice on the ideal cleaning products, if that’ll help too.

Just like other major house improvement projects, some specific requirements must be met to allow for the installation of solar panels on commercial buildings. The main reason why these standards and regulations were established is to minimize the risk of the solar system becoming an issue or potential hazard in the unforeseeable future. So if you’re thinking about buying and fitting new solar panels, you’ll probably want to know whether or not you’ll require to submit a planning permission application for approval before you can proceed.

Fortunately, the installation of solar panels on commercial buildings may be “permitted development which mean you won’t have to apply to the Local Planning Authority for planning permission. There are, however, some important limits and conditions which must be put into consideration in order to benefit from these permitted development rights. Some of the limitations include:

• The solar panels must be installed on a wall or pitched roof that should project at a maximum of 200mm from the surface of the wall or roof slope.
• Equipment placed on a roof should not be within one metre of the external edge of that roof.
• Equipment mounted on a wall must not be within one metre of a junction of that wall with another wall or with the roof of the building
• If the equipment is on the roof of a building, the capacity for generation of electricity across the entire site must not be more than 1 megawatt.
• In the situation whereby the panels are installed on a flat roof, the highest part of the equipment should not exceed one metre above the highest part of the roof.

In general, obtaining a planning permission is very important and as such, you must discuss your position with your chosen installation company before you proceed.