Boiler Repairs Birmingham / Nottingham Plumber / Plumber in Manchester

There are two basic types of condensing boilers using either wet or dry heat-transfer principles. The wet type requires a purpose-made system, which is normally produced for commercial boiler plant. Dry condensing boilers are more suitable for domestic work. Unlike the wet system where the circulating water is in direct contact with the combustion gases, they operate on the more conventional principles of traditional boilers where the products of combustion are separated from the circulating water via a heat exchanger.

Leeds Plumber / Plumbers in Bristol / Plumbers Birmingham

A condensing boiler is a highly efficient device, incorporating either a larger heat exchanger, sometimes two. By recovering and using heat that would otherwise be lost in the flue, a condensing boiler can produce lower flue gas temperatures, lower gas emissions, and reduced fuel consumption. Most condensing boilers are over 90% efficient. Compare this to a standard boiler, especially those over 10 years old, which are normally only 60 – 70% efficient. This represents a massive potential cost saving to the user.

However, as with many things in the world, the comparison is not perfect. Without doubt, plumbing in a condensing boiler will give higher efficiencies, but it is essential that the plumber you choose also considers other issues and ensures that they are addressed.

For example, when upgrading an existing boiler one of the practical aspects that must be considered is the position of the flue outlet. Flue termination under windows or adjacent to doors, carports or opposing walls, must be avoided.

In order to have such a device installed correctly and safely, it is essential to consult a fully trained plumber or heating engineer. As in any such circumstance, word of mouth recommendation is the best, especially if you have a chance to view previous work. However, there are levels of expertise and qualification that you should expect your plumber to have achieved. In the UK, City and Guilds provide central heating engineers and plumbers with qualifications. Once fully qualified they will be registered with the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineers. Membership of this body will also ensure that their knowledge is regularly updated as legislation and technical features change.

In the case of gas boiler installation the technician must also be formally registered with the Gas Safety Register.

Finally, ensure that you are furnished with a completion certificate when the work is done. This certifies that all standards have been met and will be useful should you later decide to sell the property. There may be a need for a Building Regulations officer to visit to check the work before this can be issued.

Manchester Cleaner / Leeds Cleaners / Cleaner in Birmingham

Spring cleaning is not just about getting your home clean, it is also good for the soul and it is also about being happy that the dark and dismal days of winter are leaving, bringing sunshine, bright flowers and beauty that makes us feel happier.

Cleaners Sheffield / Cleaner Glasgow / Cleaners in Birmingham

Many people decide to contact domestic cleaners to tackle the spring cleaning for them, as spring cleaning can be very tiring and can take a long time if you try to do it alone. But if you have the time, are willing to put in the effort and have people to help, spring cleaning your home can be very rewarding indeed.

First of all you will want to get rid of all of the dust that has built up while the heating or fire have been on over the winter. This is one of the best bits of spring cleaning because it instantly makes the home feel and look fresher. While doing this, open windows and doors to let fresh air in.

Use a duster to loosen the dust, and then vacuum and sweep throughout the house to remove the dust. If you have a fireplace, vacuum out the ashes and dist around the edge to get rid of all the dust.

Next you should wipe down all skirting boards, shelves, window sills and surfaces so that they are all fresh and clean and rid of any dust and dirt. Preferably use disinfectants as this will ensure that any germs are killed.

Front and back door entrances to the home are likely to have dried mud and possibly leaves lying around where they have been walked in throughout the colder months, so sweeping and vacuuming this up will help to make the areas look more inviting and clean for when guests come to visit you.

Spring cleaning may also involve some de-cluttering, so you may want to consider going through your garage, attic or conservatory and disposing of any items you don’t need. Recycling and donating to charity are the most green solutions to de-cluttering these areas. You can then work on vacuuming and dusting there too.

When your home is de-cluttered and vacuumed, you can work on cleaning all surfaces throughout your home included the outside of your appliances, and then you can move onto cleaning the windows inside and out. This is a great way to let those lovely sun rays shine into your home.

Remember, if you don’t have time to do the spring cleaning in your home, then you can pay for a domestic cleaning team to do the spring cleaning for you. Many people opt for this if they have a busy life with children and full time work.

Roof Repairs Leeds / Roofers in Sheffield / Roofers Edinburgh / Roofer Manchester

On various DIY/building Internet forums there are several instances of householders expressing surprise at the perceived high quotations charged by roofing contractors for repairing or replacing ridge tiles. The reason for this is accessibility: even if only one or two ridge tiles need replacing or re-pointing, the roofer still has to gain access to them and this will involve at least two people and, quite possibly, scaffolding. This – more than actually undertaking the work – is where much of the cost lies.

Roofer in Birmingham / Leeds Roofer / Roofers in Derby / Manchester Roofers

Another implication for the roofing contractor is not to damage the rest of the roof when accessing the ridge tiles. Crawler boards and special roofing ladders may be required.

If a ridge tile, or several, are not seated properly on the roof (they appear crooked compared to the others) then they have likely worked loose and will require removal and the old mortar replaced with new. If there are just cracks in the mortar, then re-pointing should suffice.

If the ridge tile has cracked or broken completely, then obviously replacement will be required. The challenge with replacing ridge tiles is finding exactly the same type – more difficult with an older property. Firstly, try a few builders merchants – if no luck there, then local reclamation and salvage yards may be able to help. If still no luck, a reliable roofer may know of a source of supply.

Replace Ridge Tiles Yourself or Use a Professional?

You can replace ridge tiles yourself if you can overcome the access to the roof apex challenges. Do not be tempted to cut corners, though. Bear in mind a professional roofer may not consider accessing your roof without at least proper roofing ladders and maybe scaffolding. If you only have access to a basic ladder it may be better to defer to a professional roofing contractor.

If you can access the ridge tiles properly, there are various online sources explaining and illustrating how to undertake the work. Again, do not be tempted to cut corners: if you doubt your own proficiency then call in a professional. The cost of a sub-standard DIY attempt will more than outweigh a professional job ultimately.

Using a Professional Roofer

Obtain quotations from at least three roofers. Costs may vary widely from one to the other: this is common with roof repairs, so select the combination of roofer/price you are happy with. Ideally, you would want the roofer to inspect the roof properly before providing a quote as one or two fallen ridge tiles could translate into more remedial work being required. To be fair to the roofer, the exact work necessary will only be known when the ridge tiles are inspected close up.

Leeds Joiner / Joiner in Sheffield / Glasgow Joiners / Joiners in Edinburgh

Joining is perhaps a lesser known aspect of carpentry and nowadays, the skill tends to fall into this category. It is a skill which many people feel they can make money out of and there are many cowboys and scam artists out there who are trading as joiners after having a few carpentry and joining lessons, which are often self-taught.

The results will speak for themselves however and after the job is done, many people who hired these so-called ‘joiners’ on good faith find that their joining work is shoddy and falls apart within a few weeks or even days, by which time the scam is complete and they have taken the money for the job.

To avoid this from happening, you need to ensure that you hire a reputable joiner. One way to do this is to check whether they are registered with The British Woodworking Federation or The Institute of Carpenters.

The BWF and the IOC are leading representative bodies which are there to see that the highest standards of craftsmanship are promoted in woodwork and these will reassure you that the joiner you are hiring is properly qualified to carry out the required tasks. If a joiner has worked for a reputable company, they may have already been enrolled.

If the joiner truly excels at his job, he may be a member of The Guild of Master Craftsmen. The GMC promote the highest standards of crafts and represent professionalism within the trade. The Guild’s Emblem or their Coat of Arms are the symbols to look out for when searching for a professional joiner.

If you can’t find any knowledge of whether they are a member of the BWF, IOC or The Guild of Master Craftsmen, you might want to consider checking their previous work records. You can always ask for references from the joiner too and cross reference them for credibility. If they are hesitant to show these, then you don’t have to go ahead and hire the joiner and you certainly shouldn’t pay them until you are sure they are who they say they are and they can produce demonstrable evidence of their joining skills.

The general decorum when it comes to hiring joiners or any kind of skilled craftsperson is to ensure they are credible and once hired on good faith, either through word of mouth or good references, to only pay half of the money beforehand for the job and then sort out the rest after they have completed the joining work to a satisfactory standard. By following this procedure, you will ensure that you don’t become the victim of a joining or carpentry scam.

Replacement Locks Liverpool / Glasgow Locksmiths / Locksmiths in Bristol / Leeds Locksmith / 24 Hour Locksmith Nottingham

The work of the locksmith has changed so much since the early days. While the world still needs the locking systems created by the likes of Chubb and Yale, as it develops so does the need to secure and protect its inhabitants. This in turn leads to the need for the work of the locksmith to change. We have seen the change from the mechanical locking systems to the electronic. In regard to the security for your automobile we have gone from the need to lock your car with the key in the lock to being able to lock or unlock with a button on the key from a distance. We have immobilisers and alarm systems on them which will not only stop thieves from taking the car but also alert people the attempt. More and more homes now have security systems.

Emergency Locksmith Leicester / Locksmith in Birmingham / Manchester Locksmith / Locksmith Sheffield

It is perhaps in the world of business that we have seen the biggest change for the locksmiths and their work. Buildings can no longer be protected just by simple locking systems. Unfortunately like in the time of Chubb and Yale, the burglars have become more adept at breaking into things. This calls for more inventive thinking and development of security. More and more locksmiths are working for and with security companies. They are responsible for the installation, maintenance and upgrading of the systems. Not all buildings are the same or are required for the same purpose. One building/company will have different needs from another. Even within one building or complex, they may need differing levels and types of security. The locksmith will need to have knowledge of many types of security equipment. For example, one part of a building may only need mechanical hardware as in locks with metal keys. Other areas may need key cards and others more hi-tech methods such as biometric, which are fingerprint, iris or facial recognition.

For our locksmiths this means that they need to have knowledge and expertise with electronics and computer systems. The skills of the modern day locksmith are a far cry from the early days. This means diversification of the trade. Some may specialise with the security of the automobile while others work with home or business systems. Some may decide to remain with the more traditional way of working with the mechanical equipment. One question to consider is that if the profession has changed so much, is it time to change the name? The name locksmith comes from the Anglo Saxon ‘smith’ meaning to work with metal. While they may still work with metal the modern locksmith does so much more. Would it be more appropriate to rename them security engineers?

Commercial Electricians Liverpool / Electricians Leeds / Sheffield Electricians / Leeds Electrician

Electricians use a lot of acronyms. Let’s start with BS, which you may already know is short for British Standard BS 7671. This national safety standard sets out the requirements for all electrical installations. Electricians carrying out new installation work, or making any adaptations or changes to the existing set-up, need to certify that the requirements of BS 7671 have been met.

Electrician Nottingham / Electricians in Leeds / Bristol Electricians

PAT stands for Portable Appliance Testing. It is a legal requirement that any electrical appliances used in the workplace must undergo Portable Appliance Testing. Electricians also carry out PAT on any electrical appliances used by the general public, for example, in shops or hospitals.

PIRs are Periodic Inspection Reports. Electricians carry out PIRs to pinpoint actual or potential problems with electrical systems. They test the wiring and circuits to highlight any faults and make sure that the system is not overloaded. PIRs are particularly useful when moving into a new property that may need updating.

RCDs are Residual Current Devices. RCDs detect minute changes in the current flowing around a circuit. If you are using an electric hedge-trimmer and accidentally slice through the wire, the RCD will immediately cut off the power, reducing the risk of serious injury or death. RCDs also protect against fire through faulty wiring.

Consumer units are the control centre for domestic electrical systems. When electricians install consumer units, they will explain the function of the various switches and how to reset them if they trip. As well as RCDs, MCBs, or Miniature Circuit Breakers, are located in consumer units. MCBs have replaced old-fashioned fuses. They protect wiring and equipment by detecting an overload or short circuit on the system and cutting off the power.

You may also hear electricians talking about class I and class II equipment. This is to do with insulation against electric shock. Class I equipment, such as washing machines, fridges and toasters, have an exposed metal casing and require an earth connection. Class II equipment, like TVs, hair dryers and power tools, have plastic casings and don’t require an earth connection.

Now for the science bit. Current is the term used for electricity on the move, voltage is the force that makes it move. The voltage is measured in volts, the current is measured in amps.

If you want to know more, there are plenty of electricians who would be happy to explain how electrical circuits work.

Lastly – always use electricians approved by the NICEIC (National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting).

Garden Maintenance Leicester / Gardeners Nottingham / Manchester Gardener

The value add of a gardener is the standard of appearance of your garden, week in, week out. But the cost of the gardener’s time will depend on the volume of work that is thrown at them. It is essential that you take stock of what your garden needs, and what, if anything, you want to do yourself. So how do you begin to evaluate you garden?

Gardener in Liverpool / Leeds Gardeners

What type of garden do you have and what style would you like it to be? Is it formal, wooded, landscaped or traditional English? Your gardener will need to have the requisite skills in this area. It is also worth thinking about what the garden will be used for in the future. If there are children and pets playing there it will require a substantially different approach from an area designed for tranquillity.

Once you have considered these facets, and before you start speaking to potential candidates, make a list of the jobs you will be expecting the successful candidate to complete and how often.

For example, mowing the lawn, weeding the flowerbeds, planting seasonal flowers and shrubs, aerating and fertilizing the lawn. And what about waste, such as clippings, fallen branches, leaves and so on? Will you or they dispose of these? There are many more areas to consider, and one of the best ways to compile the list is to walk around the garden and list the jobs by season.

Now that you have thought through the workload, it is time to find a gardener.

There are many ways of identifying candidates, from the local newspaper to a web search, but by far the best is personal recommendation. Ask around your friends and neighbours to see if they have any ideas.

Good references are, of course, essential. Remember that you are letting a stranger onto your property, so it is good to know that others have done so, safely, and were happy with the outcome.

Perhaps the biggest decision is whether to opt for a gardening company or to hire an individual. There are pros and cons in either case.

A professional service will have trained gardeners and will have its own professional standard equipment. However you may know of someone who can recommend an individual, but bear in mind that you may have to provide items such as a lawnmower yourself in this instance.

An individual is unlikely to have insurance against injury while on your property, so it is best to check that your own home insurance liability would cover such an accident. A larger gardening service should already be fully insured.

The list may seem long, but getting the selection of gardener and workload right at the outset will make the relationship easy to deal with in the future.

Garden Decking Birmingham / Gardener in Leeds / Sheffield Gardener

Clearing rubbish from the garden is the first stage in preparation, including old leaves and weeds which may have grown up over the winter. If you are growing vegetables, you will want to further prepare the soil by adding mulch or manure to encourage the growth of healthy plants. Root vegetables such as potatoes, carrots and parsnips are the easiest to grow and require only a little attention once they have been planted.

Gardeners Edinburgh / Bristol Gardeners / Gardening Leeds

It will depend on the space that you have in your garden as to what plants you will be able to grow. Herbs such as parsley and basil require very little space, but take the time to prepare the soil for the maximum benefit. Herbs are a great complement to vegetables particularly if you are aiming for the self sufficient lifestyle. Testing the soil may be the first step in ensuring that it is suitable for the successful growing of vegetables and herbs. You can get a soil test to determine what you need to do to make the best of your soil. The results from the test will enable the laboratory to advise what types of fertilizer you need, if any.

For flower gardens, the consistency of the soil is just as important for vegetable gardens. Growing perennial plants which return year after year is a good way of minimising the work in the garden, but you will still need to take care of them and make sure they are not choked with weeds and that they have space to grow. New flowers and plants can be started indoors as seeds or cuttings so that they are ready to put in the garden in the spring when the weather improves.

If you have trees in your garden, you will need to prune them carefully to get rid of dead wood. This is an annual task to keep the tree in good shape, particularly fruit trees.

Preparing the garden for the spring is a very important task whether you are growing vegetables or flowers. The weather may not encourage you to go outdoors, but if you do some basic tasks in the garden now, you will harvest the results later in the year. Good soil preparation is the key for vegetable gardens, and make sure that the soil does not become tired by planting the same types of vegetables in the same part of the garden every year. The devil is in the detail!

Roofers Leicester / Roofers Bristol / Roofer in Bristol / Roofer Nottingham

Fibreglass, rubber and other products which seal the roof and make it watertight, can deteriorate with age and the weather.  This is particularly true of flat roofs. Caulking, a compound which is used for sealing rubber in roofing materials, can become dry and start to crack leaving gaps for the water to enter.  Ultra violet (UV) sunlight can also be the culprit for causing the caulking to become dry and brittle, again allowing water to seep through into the roof joists.

Roofing Nottingham / Roofers Liverpool / Roof repairs Liverpool

Where there are trees around your property ensure that the branches are not rubbing on the roof or they may knock off tiles leaving an entry point for water.  Ensure that you trim back the branches to at least eight inches away from the roof so they do not rub, even when it is windy.  Ensure that guttering and downpipes are clear of leaves and that water can escape down the downpipe and not build up under the eaves.

The weather is the cause of much of roof damage and by its very nature the roof is constantly exposed to the elements.  Wind can lift off tiles and chimneys allowing water to enter, and the sun can erode and dry out roofing products.

General maintenance and frequent inspection can help you to identify any potential problems with the roof before too much damage is caused. You will then be in a better position to carry out any roofing repairs.  There are many products on the market which are easy to use to for a do it yourself solution if the job is small, ensuring that you use the correct product for the job.  If the problem is more extensive you may wish to engage a roofing contractor to assess the damage and give an estimate for doing the repairs.  A well constructed and maintained roof is essential to avoid expensive repairs.

Felt roofing Glasgow / Roofers in Leicester / Flat roofing Warrington

However, if the whole of the roof is deteriorating, this might be your opportunity to get rid of what may be an old and inefficient roofing system which is probably no longer approved by building regulations. There have been significant advances in materials and technology for flat roofs. The most striking of these is the increasingly popular, liquid GRP laminate which is applied to a wooden deck. The laminate is a powerfully resilient, polyester resin reinforced with fibre glass.  As there is no felting involved, there are no joins and it can be applied to the most awkwardly shaped roofs.  It can also be provided in a range of colours so you don’t have to have a dark and gloomy grey and it should last around thirty years. Not surprisingly this is often the roofing of choice for a new extension.

Flat roofing Edinburgh / Roofers Glasgow / Roofing Glasgow

However, if you want to stick with a simple felt replacement you can be assured that the current reinforced, bitumen membranes (RBMs) will last twenty years and more when properly laid. You might also like to investigate rubber roofing. This can be laid in large pieces avoiding joins but is not as resilient as RBM.

To explore the options for your existing or new roof, just click on the links and check out roofing contractors in your area. You might like to check if they are registered with the Flat Roofing Alliance. Although registration is voluntary, this Trade Association does vet its members. You do need to make sure that whatever roofing system is installed you will be issued with a BBA (British Board of Agrément) certificate.

And if you want to make more of your flat roof, this could be your golden opportunity to do something entirely different. You could go green by having it covered in grass, which surprisingly protects rather than damages the underlying membrane. However you could go the whole hog and have the roof checked structurally to see if you can install a roof garden, patio or balcony. If you ever saw a flat roof as a threat this may be just the time to turn it into an opportunity. So don’t delay, talk to a roofer today.