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Archive for April, 2011
Ten Tips to Ensure You Get the Best Value For Money Double Glazing For Your Property
Author: Mark Austin | Leave a Comment >>Here are ten tips to help you obtain the best value for money deal when investing in replacement double glazed windows and/or doors for your home.
1. Remember there’s no such thing as a “free” lunch
Nothing is free, so whatever the inducement be it marketing scrappage schemes, “free” installation, no 20% VAT (which of course legally has to be paid by the company you buy from to Her Majesty’s Government if the firm is VAT registered), they all might sound good but they all have to be paid for, so remember these will be built into the price of the windows or the “extras”. It is therefore important…
A modern day example of what can be done to make a home more eco-friendly with investment and commitment
Author: Mark Austin | Leave a Comment >>In an online article entitled ”New tricks for old bricks: How an eco-refurbishment scheme helped convert a Victorian terrace into a green flagship.” published on the day of the Royal Wedding on Friday 29th April 2011 in the property section of the Independent, its author, Ruth Bloomfield reports how Ms Maria Hawton-Mead transformed a run down property into an example of what can be achieved (and saved) with carefully planned and executed home improvements.
According to the article Ms Hawton-Mead bought the property in 1999 in a pretty poor state without central heating. Like most of us put in a new kitchen and a new bathroom, and then went back to…
Whether Staying Put or Moving, Fitting Double Glazing is a Wise Investment
Author: Mark Austin | Leave a Comment >>During any recession, it is normal for property prices to fall, which if all your savings are tied up in property, can be rather depressing and restrict your options. With more and more home owners needing to sell their homes in this difficult economic time to release equity, or looking to downsize to a property they can afford, it is harder to sell properties, especially if they are not in good enough condition to be able to compete against the better presented properties that have been refurbished and/or well maintained.
Consequently, if you have plans to sell your home at some point in the future, it is wise to bring it up to scratch before you put it on the market, so when you do,…
Before ordering or building a conservatory or orangery make sure you find out about your properties Permitted Development Rights
Author: Mark Austin | Leave a Comment >>If you looking at conservatories or orangeries, it is wise to enquire about the latest planning requirements for adding either a conservatory or an orangery to avoid starting and then having to change or remove any non-permitted development. You can do this by employing a professional surveyor or hopefully free of charge via an established and trustworthy local double glazing manufacturer and installer. Be prepared to be bamboozled by the minefield of Building Regulations (which changed dramatically on 1st October 2011) and the latest legal local authority planning rules and regulations.
Your research will highlight the many planning issues…
How to Offset the Cost of Double Glazing With Energy Savings
Author: Mark Austin | Leave a Comment >>Fitting genuinely energy efficient replacement double glazing, not only helps property owners cut carbon emissions and reduces their energy bills, but also makes your home greener. The truth of the matter is that to achieve this (i.e. offset the capital investment of home improvements against energy savings), one has to either stay in the property for a decent period of time to reap the benefits, or sell your home for a profit.
In an informative article on the aboutproperty.co.uk website entitled “How to offset the cost of double glazing with energy savings”…
What is the Best Protective Top One Can Put On To a Conservatory?
Author: Mark Austin | Leave a Comment >>Even in the UK when we sit directly in the sun, we know that in order to prevent sunburn we need to either put on sun cream or a t-shirt, then pop on a hat or sit underneath a sun umbrella. The same principle of ensuring protection from the sun applies to a conservatory.
To ensure you protect the living space inside a conservatory from heat build up, there are certain preventative measures you should take, especially if the position of your conservatory is directly south facing, i.e. or in the sun’s path for a significant period of each day.
It is essential to research the different types of reflective double glazing available, such as Pilkington…
“Double-glazing your windows really can improve the UK’s energy security”
Author: Mark Austin | Leave a Comment >>In a speech to the London School of Economics in November 2010, Chris Huhne, the Coalition Government’s Energy and Climate Change Secretary heralded the “lastest” Green Deal. However, if you actually read Chris Hulne’s Green Deal speech which was posted on the Liberal Democracts website, it does rather lack substance, and though a commendable step in the right direction is rather full of wishful thinking and good intentions, as does not explain how the whole thing could not only actually be funded, let alone implemented.
Commenting on the contents of his Green Deal speech Mr Huhne stated “I want Britain to say goodbye forever to leaky lofts and chilly draughts. At a time of…
Does Triple Glazing Offer A Better Return On Investment Than Double Glazing?
Author: Mark Austin | Leave a Comment >>The answer is both yes and no, it really depends on what you are trying to achieve, and how quickly, as both double glazing and triple glazing have their own unique benefits, pros and cons.
Obviously double glazing currently costs less too install than triple glazing as it is less expensive to manufacture and contains less materials, particularly less glass. Also “A” rated double glazed windows are highly thermally efficient, otherwise they would not have achieved the highest possible energy rating.
Although triple glazing is more costly to buy, it offers two benefits that double glazing cannot beat (dependent on specification). Modern triple glazing can attain a slightly better U value than…
Georgian Bars Needn’t Cost A Fortune
Author: Mark Austin | Leave a Comment >>No, a Georgian bar is not a quaint old coffee shop, but a fenestration term to describe internal or external bars fitted to windows, whether they be timber, aluminium, composite or UPVC. It is encouraging to know how much high tech technology nowadays goes into producing thermally efficient, energy saving windows. No longer can high quality windows simply be quickly knocked up and shoved into an existing aperture or new builders opening, but well designed, technologically advanced energy rated products save energy, as well as adding security and value to a property. The important thing is to ensure that you ensure any replacement windows do meet the new standards.
Replacement Georgian windows, be they in timber…
Looking After Your Property’s Exterior Really Should be a Priority
Author: Mark Austin | Leave a Comment >>Up keeping your existing woodwork cannot only be time consuming, but over time can cost you a considerable amount of money too. In the past, ladders could be legally used to paint your cladding and rooflines. But now, if they are over a certain height above ground level due to current health and safety requirements, expensive scaffolding or “cherry pickers” must now legally be used.
Rotten cladding or fascias and soffits, or rusting cast iron steel downpipes often let a property down both aesthetically and in value terms. Rotten woodwork can also cause structural damage, plus lead to woodworm and even encourage vermin. If this is the case with your property, it surely makes good economic sense, whether you intend to stay in your home…
