Category Archives: Construction

Are your homes foundations safe?

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The structure and foundation of your home is what keeps it standing, with such strong frames and a solid appearance it is hard to believe that your house may have unsafe foundations. The usual signs of a poor foundation show in walls as cracks, and also with difficulty opening and closing your windows, but what causes this to happen? Other than a natural disaster or mass flooding there are other causes to a poor foundation. The soil type the property is based on can play a huge role in altering the safety of your home, Clay soil can absorb water and expand, moving the structure and causing weaknesses in the building. Erosion is another common cause of unsafe foundations, usually due to a poor drainage system and uncontrolled water systems.... Read More »

Building an extension to your kitchen

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Every house has several parts and each should not be taken for granted especially in terms of functionality and usage. One of its most essential parts is the kitchen. In fact, it is one of the busiest parts. Hence, regular cleaning and improvement of the kitchen are required. While it may appear that it is not so important and practical to transform your kitchen completely, there are still home improvement options that’s practical, something that you might want to consider. Moreover, there are homeowners who believe that aside from the kitchen’s vital role in their everyday living, the kitchen is also a very important factor that potential home buyers are keeping an eye on in their buying experience. If you think your kitchen floor looks old or damaged, you can... Read More »

What is an AOV?

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AOV is short for Automatic Opening Vent. It is a control system that ducts smoke or air that is used in smoke and natural ventilation. This control system is mostly used in the ventilation of smoke in the case of a fire. Results found after investigations into smoke inhalation prompted the changes made to building regulations. In the case of a fire, a detector is triggered making the AOV system to open windows, actuators or vents to increasing the room’s ventilation. This clears smoke from the affected building preventing suffocation and allowing people to safely leave the building. An automatic Opening Vent has become a part of a typical smoke ventilation system and it is usually located at the highest point of the room or escape route. It can also be placed... Read More »

About the Flat roof skylight and its Benefits

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What is the flat roof skylight? There are a lot of technological transformations that are taking place in the business world. Much effort is invested to expand the existing business and to pave the way for the new start-ups. But all these endeavours have robust repercussions to the ecological system that harbors the existence of life. In the UK, businesses are flourishing. However, the negative impact is that it burdens the energy sector that spends a lot of money investing in energy that is not properly utilized by the end user. Efficient use of energy has been a global issue with significant concerns shifting to the developed countries. Utilizing the free energy from the sun and saving other forms of energy is the main agenda in this context. This step... Read More »

Loft Conversions: One of the Best Ways to Increase the Value Of your Home

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Almost everybody’s got a loft, but for most of them the loft remains an unused, or used for storage, space. This is unfortunate, as having this space converted is probably the best method available for many to increase the value of a home. Halifax did a study in this area, and determined that a loft conversion into a bedroom and en suite can increase the value of a home by as much as 20 per cent. In order to convert your loft, you should first pay a specialist to give you advice on whether or not your loft is suitable; if the amount of space you have available is too limited then it may be best to find a different use for it. If however your loft is ideal for... Read More »

What is a Building Envelope?

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A building envelope is a term which is used a lot in the construction industry, but there is little use of it in the general public. The term is used to describe the entirety of the barrier/barriers generated by a building, i.e. the protection against water, air and heat and general climate control. Therefore when somebody tells you that your building envelope is damaged or isn’t performing as it should be, what it means is that the barrier between the external and the internal isn’t working properly, for whatever reason, and therefore the climate inside the building isn’t being controlled. A good example would be a leaking roof, which will raise the moisture content in the air of the building, but a draft which comes into the house through small... Read More »