admin

Thousands of thousands of years ago, sitting around a fire conversing, telling stories and connecting with other people was a vital part of the evolution that made us who we are today. While those days may be far behind us, that cultural connection linking all of us is still there and you can feel it whenever you sit around a fire with your friends and family today. Whether you’re having a family BBQ or enjoying a beer with friends, sitting around a fire pit in your garden is one of life’s small pleasures. If you’re not sure if your outdoor space needs a fire feature, we’ve got some top reasons why it could be transformative. 

Social time

When the sun starts to set or the stars are in the sky, there’s nothing quite like sitting around a fire pit with your friends, family or both. Connecting with each other away from the blue screens of modern life is an important part of socialising and a fire pit adds yet more depth to those memorable chats. If you want to make the most of your outdoor fire feature, we recommend using some super comfortable blankets, chairs and pillows. Not only will you and your guests feel super comfortable, but you’ll also be able to sit by the fire well into the evening. When you spot the stars and moon shining, there’s no better place to be than around a fire with those who mean the most to you.

Relaxation

We all know that fire pits are an absolutely fantastic social space, but your fire feature isn’t just great for spending time with your loved ones. We all have those evenings when you just need to spend some time alone with yourself to clear and refresh your mind. In those times, a fire pit is also super handy. Take out or set up your personal favourite chair, easily light up your fire pit using kindling and logs and use some much-needed alone time to think in front of the fire. Whether it’s been a difficult day at work or you’re mulling over some big life changes, a fire can help you relax and think clearly. Want to makeup things even more comfy? Why not bring a book out with you, as well as pillows and blankets. It’s the perfect setting for a cosy night out!

All seasons

Everybody has been in the situation of making the garden look gorgeous when Summer comes around before the freeze of Winter ruins all your hard work. When you have a fire pit, your garden is transformed during those colder months and you finally have an excuse to spend some time outside. While it may be tough to light a fire during the cold season, natural wood wool lighters are a perfect choice, helping you to light quicker and the fire to last longer. When the set-up is complete with some comfy blankets and chairs, your neighbours will undoubtedly be knocking on the door asking for a few moments by the fire.

Committed to building a fire pit outdoors? Homefire provides the highest quality firewood and kindling, which are also super sustainable. Check out their collection today.

Poorly insulated or inadequately ventilated attics can cause a lot of expensive problems. Homeowners don’t need to wait until they’re dealing with skyrocketing home heating and cooling bills or uncontrolled mold growth to take action, though. All they need to do is find out about the key signs that a home is poorly insulated or vented and call a roofer as soon as they notice them.

The Importance of Adequate Insulation and Ventilation

Before discussing the specific signs of inadequate insulation or ventilation, it’s worth taking a moment to reinforce the importance of keeping air moving through attics and heat where it belongs. Every attic needs to be insulated to prevent unwanted heat transfer, and it needs to be ventilated to keep air moving and stop it from becoming stagnant. If homeowners don’t have proper insulation and ventilation in their attics, they need a roofer who can fix the problem before it gets any worse.

Common Warning Signs

While only a professional roofer can improve ventilation or install insulation properly, even an average homeowner with no construction experience can learn how to recognize the signs of trouble brewing up above. Here’s what to look for:

1. Temperature Differences in Different Rooms

Even the most efficient heating system won’t be able to maintain consistent temperatures within a home if the attic isn’t properly insulated. If some of the rooms are hotter than residents would like but others are too cold, inadequate insulation could be to blame and the attic is the first place to check.

Houses in different areas of the country have disparate insulation needs. However, every residential home must have some insulation to prevent unwanted heat transfer. The best way to determine if a roof has adequate insulation is to schedule an inspection with a professional roofer who knows local building codes and understands the area’s climate.

2. Mold and Moisture Damage

Moisture damage, including mold growth, can be a sign of inadequate ventilation in an attic. There doesn’t have to be a hole in the roof that’s letting in rain for moisture to become a problem. Condensation can rise into the home’s attic even if it’s perfectly sealed, creating a damp environment that fosters mold growth and increases a homeowner’s chances of dealing with interior water damage.

To get an idea of how condensation can wind up damaging the home, take a look at the bathroom. When people take hot showers, it produces steam. That steam rises, so most of the water damage in a poorly ventilated bathroom occurs near the ceiling.

The laws of nature that govern condensation work the same way throughout the whole structure, so attics are far more prone to mold growth and water damage than lower areas of the home. The first step to dealing with excessive moisture in the attic is to invite a reliable roofer to assess both the roof and the attic’s ventilation system. From there, damaged vents can be replaced, and additional vents can be installed to increase airflow as needed.

3. Critter Infestations

Attics that aren’t properly insulated and ventilated are more prone to nuisance animal infestations. The lack of insulation and ventilation can damage the roof deck and shingles, leaving them prone to rot. Once critters like mice, squirrels, and raccoons identify weak spots in a roof, they’ll start trying to break in.

Over time, nuisance animals can gnaw through damaged materials or gain entry to the attic via other means. Once they’re inside, they’ll wreak havoc on whatever insulation is in the attic to build nests and reproduce, leaving homeowners dealing with full-blown infestations.

If residents notice nuisance animals building nests in the attic, the first step is to call an animal control specialist. Once the critters have been removed, it’s time to call a roofer to repair any damage and improve the attic’s insulation and/or ventilation systems to prevent further problems.

4. Winter Drafts

Poorly insulated homes often feel cold and breezy during the winter. These drafts don’t just leave residents and guests struggling to stay comfortable, either. They also drive up energy use and leave homeowners fielding sometimes exorbitantly high heating bills.

Ensuring that the attic is properly insulated is a good first step toward reducing drafts. Once the attic is taken care of, homeowners may also need to call a contractor who can check the windows and doors. A full home energy audit can also help to identify potential inefficiencies that could be driving up residents’ monthly bills.

5. Skyrocketing Energy Bills

This article has already mentioned a few of the ways that improper insulation or ventilation can contribute to high energy bills, but it bears repeating that attics are one of the most common sources of unwanted heat transfer. If the attic doesn’t have enough insulation, the hot air produced by the heating system will simply rise to the top of the house and slowly dissipate through the roofing materials. Hiring a roofer to install extra insulation can help homeowners keep their houses warm in the winter and cool in the summer without worrying about paying exorbitantly high monthly bills.

Why Hire a Professional?

Unless homeowners have experience in the roofing industry, they should always hire professional contractors to perform inspections, audits, and upgrades. Roofing experts know how to identify and seal air leaks, evaluate current insulation systems to see if they are up-to-code and determine the most cost-effective ways to improve both ventilation and insulation systems.

Don’t Put Off Attic Upgrades

There’s no such thing as the wrong time of the year to insulate or improve the ventilation in a residential attic, but it’s always best to fix problems before they can create additional complications. Homeowners shouldn’t wait until they’re dealing with mold and moisture damage, unwanted houseguests in their attics, or skyrocketing energy bills. The most cost-effective way to make sure a home is ready for temperature extremes is to call a roofer and schedule an inspection, then follow through with any attic upgrades that will be required before existing problems get worse.

1. What is a replacement window installation job gone wrong?

The majority of the time, people complain about how long it took to get their problems fixed. However, something like this can be considered a minor inconvenience if nothing physical has happened to them or their home. The worst part is that they will talk about how they have had no luck getting the company’s owner or management to see the situation from their perspective.

First off, if something has happened to your property due to faulty quality, then you should contact the authorities for them to document what has occurred. If anything was damaged due to this project, get estimates from other contractors for repair services. This way, you will be able to submit these costs as an added expense for which you are seeking compensation.

Another good idea would be taping any photographs that prove your damages with date stamps showing when you took them. For example, if rotten wood was installed and it rotted further due to the elements or heavy rain, you will need this as documentation.

2. Why do some replacement window jobs seem to turn out so badly?

It could be that a homeowner chooses a week type of replacement window for the task. It could also be that some artistry methods leave something to be desired, or it may just mean that the wrong installation method is being used.

And then there’s always the chance that you have some unscrupulous salesperson or contractor involved who doesn’t care about doing a good job and will do whatever it takes to get your money and keep moving on to the next project.

3. How to fix the problem before it gets worse?

A window replacement job is one of the most significant home repair projects you can take on. You’ll be dealing with contractors, handling much money, and making decisions that will affect you for years to come.

Your current window installation is taking longer than you expected. If they’re being worked on at the moment and not completely installed yet, then there’s no reason to stop work because of that. But let your contractors know right away if you have any concerns about their performance or quality of work. Make sure you document everything carefully so that if things go wrong, later on, you can prove that you notified your window replacement company sufficiently before something became an issue for either party. Ideally and efficiently within 48 hours, you don’t have much of a problem. If they’re not finished with the job within 48 hours, you need to have a conversation about what needs to happen next.

4. Tips for a future window installation job

In some cases where the old windows were made of wood, long gone with time, it’s not uncommon for homeowners to notice that replacement windows are much larger than they used to be (or should be). This is because the homeowners replace them with newer ones which are available on today’s market.

The replacement window installation process has always been quite simple. First, remove the old window (glass and all), then install a new one. It’s pretty straightforward and requires very little energy in case you’re working alone. A typical replacement window installation job should only take approximately 2 hours for a DIYer or maybe 3 to 4 hours for professional contractors.

You may spend some time measuring, but that’s about it. You have to make sure that you measure correctly, in any case. It is best to get out your tape and measuring tools and a pencil or pen and take careful measurements inside the window frame so that all the replacement windows are similar in size. Then, order the right ones from local contractors. For more information, ask our experts on window replacements.

Roof light blinds, often known as skylight blinds, are designed differently than standard blinds. These blinds require more support than a standard headrail since roof windows are frequently built at an angle. Skylight blinds also have a side and bottom rail to keep the cloth flat against the glass. To match the style of your window frame, choose a black, white, or silver frame. These blinds can be manual or automated using a remote control to open and close. They’re especially beneficial in historic buildings where new windows can’t be installed and in loft conversions, which may be dark and depressing. Plus, if you choose a skylight that can be opened or tilted, you’ll get more airflow. Skylight blinds are also a wonderful choice because skylights let in a lot of light. Moreover, you are in control of the amount of light to let into your room.

Moreover, they come in various designs patterns, materials, and colors to serve their functionality while meeting your personal preferences and tastes. For instance, they may come as prints, pleated, and with a thousand colors. They are also made of different materials such as wooden, PVC, and also aluminum. Therefore selecting skylight blinds should not be a hard task rather a balance between personal preferences and priorities. However, ensure you get high-quality skylight blinds that will also help you save your energy costs, such as the Skylight blinds from Swift Direct Blinds.

Listed below are some of the best skylight blinds

• Loft blinds

Loft blinds are great for blocking out the world above and blend in effortlessly with your interior design. They’re best suited to loft conversions or basement additions; also, they can be a great addition in bathrooms. However, when selecting loft blinds, you must consider your interior design while deciding on skylight blinds. With so many various colors and designs to choose from, you’re sure to find one that matches your interior design. Loft blinds come in a variety of colors, therefore for total privacy, you can opt for blackout colors. Therefore, to achieve complete darkness, you can opt for block colors.

• Roller blinds

Roller blinds are an excellent alternative for covering a small window in a corridor, utility room, or home office. Roller blinds may provide you privacy and stop the light from flowing through while adding a touch of flair with eye-catching colors and patterns. Moreover, roller blinds can be custom-made to fit inside a window frame for a streamlined look or outside the recess if you’d like to add some depth and interest.

• Cellular shade

These are among the best window treatments for skylight shades. They are popular for their insulation features, thus making them suitable for skylight blinds. The honeycomb cells in cellular shades trap air between the skylight window and your home, making them excellent insulators. Cellular shades help keep your home cool by blocking and trapping intruding sunlight at the entry point while also lowering energy expenditures during the hottest months of the year.

In conclusion, skylight blinds will allow you to let light in dark loft conversions and give you control over how much light and privacy.