Case Study from Azure Systems - Ground Source Heat Pumps

Warden-Linked Bungalows - Swynnerton

A Staffordshire housing association has changed the heating system of an entire development of bungalows to Dimplex ground source heat pumps with homes taking part in the UK's first independent research survey into the everyday performance of heat pumps in a domestic environment.

Stafford and Rural Homes, a registered charity, is a social landlord that owns and manages 5,600 homes in the borough of Stafford, a small percentage of which are sheltered accommodation with a warden on site or warden-linked. This heating refurbishment project of warden-linked bungalows in the small village of Swynnerton, Staffordshire, has five of the properties taking part in the yearlong survey by the Energy Saving Trust (EST) to monitor ground and air source heat pumps across the UK in real-life installations.

Colin Roff, Stafford and Rural Homes, says: When we were looking at replacing the heating in these properties fuel poverty was of course a consideration as economic heating is very important to our tenants. We needed to find something that was future-proof and cost-effective with no costly regular maintenance bills or annual inspections visits.

After we decided on heat pumps, three suppliers were considered for this job and key criteria included both costs and quality. The assessment panel, which included three tenants from the homes in Swynnerton, were impressed with Dimplex, as not only could they meet our requirements, but they also provided lots of advice and information from grants to specifications and also came up with ideas like getting involved in the Energy Saving Trust survey.

As a Dimplex installer partner Azure Natrual Energy Systems were commissioned to design and install the ground source heat pump systems together with a borehole ground array to supply each individual property and residents were able to remain in their homes whilst the work was carried out.

Find out more about Azure Systems go to www.azure-systems.co.uk for more case studies on ground source heat pumps go to http://www.azure-systems.co.uk/case-studies/ground-source-heat-pumps/index.html

What are you looking to do in your Garden this year? Build a pergola?

A pergola is a great garden structure that all the family can enjoy. It can provide shade and a place to relax and enjoy company this summer.

Pergolas are incredibly versatile; they can be used to divide gardens into sections,
they can add height to a patio, they can be built around a fountain or other
garden feature to create a frame.
Pergolas can also serve as tasteful extension to your home or they can be used as car ports. These latter two are known as lean-to pergolas where a retaining wall is used
to support the structure on one side.
The possibilities are almost endless and they can be a shady canopy to enjoy company or a tranquil spot for solitude and relaxation. Pergolas can be purchased in kit form whereby
all the components are designed to match together and assembly instructions are
supplied. If none of the kit pergolas appeals to you or fits within your
personal vision then you can buy pergola components to build your own. Click4Garden, the online garden company, can
offer advice on how to build your pergola project.

Click4Garden has an exciting brand new range of pergolas and
pergola components available in five vibrant colours: Sage Green, Venetian Red,
Silver Birch, Rush Green and Iris Blue. The green shades are designed to blend
seamlessly into any garden offering a relaxing and calming atmosphere. Whether
your style is traditional or modern, green tones work perfectly with other
materials in the garden such as stonework, paving or wooden decks. Calm and cool, Iris blue adds real style to
your garden for a more contemporary feel, whilst Venetian red offers earthy
brown undertones and is the traditional choice for garden wood; this shade
complements the green foliage in your garden beautifully.

www.click4garden.co.uk

Make your bathroom something special

Looking for some inspiration with your bathroom? Check out this MSN Style section click here

If however you are looking for something special and luxury is key, then you should check out the Villeroy and Boch collection of bathroom products, for a full range as well as some help designing and fitting your new bathroom visit Classic Ceramics Limited that has stores in Shrewsbury and Aberystwyth.

They have a fantastic range of products to view and their staff are more than happy to offer the help and support you need, with no pressure sales tactics.

If you can't visit them in store then why not check out their website where you can see a full range of products for your luxury bathroom from suppliers such as Villeroy and Boch, Hansgrohe, Bisque, Huppe, Stuart Turner, Keuco and Gerberit.

To visit their website go to www.classicceramics.co.uk

Garden Fencing Advice

Did you know that now is the best time of year to sort out your fencing as your borders have not yet grown up and your fence line is clear. As well as providing security and privacy, choosing the right fence can be an investment in your property.

Perhaps this is the opportunity to be more inventive? Continental style screen panels have more creative styling, are of higher quality and longer lasting. They have mortice and tenon corner joints, a smooth planed finish and are pressure treated for longer life. They are also FSC certified – the trademark of the Forest Stewardship Council – thereby ensuring that the timber has come from environmentally approved forests.

If not a Continental panel, then how about Handcrafted Hazel Hurdles? These hurdles add an English cottage garden flavour to the garden. They are very versatile – in addition to fencing they can be used with great effect as screening for grass cuttings and other unsightly garden areas. These attractive panels are handcrafted from coppiced Hazel.

Bathroom Fitting Project

If you are looking at having a new bathroom suite this year what do you need to consider? If you are you have a lot to consider not least who will complete the project. Is it a DIY job? Or do you need to bring in the professionals? This article will look at what is involved in the refitting of a bathroom and whether or not you should do it yourself. The actual decision though is of course up to you.

Taking Out the Old Bathroom Suite

Removing the bath is probably a good place to start. So after turning off the water you will need to remove the bath. Whether you are removing all your tiles or not you will need to remove the tiles around the bath either way. If your bath taps are boxed in you will probably have to remove these as well as any bath panels.

Once you have made sure the water is turned off you will need to open the taps to the bath and bathroom sink to make sure that there is no air keeping water in the taps. Now you will have to remove the bath and bathroom sink. There are a full range of plumbing tools that make the job a lot easier. Remember that you are going to be working in a tight confined space so preparation is everything.  You will need to undo the pipes or cut the pipes leading to your taps, if you are cutting them then cut them as close to the tap as possible.  You may need to undo the wires and earth tags for your bath.

The next stage will be to disconnect the waste pipes and get rid of any water held in them. You will also have to unscrew any fixtures holding the bath to the wall you will also need to unscrew the bath feet from the floor.

Next will be the loo. Flush it as you will still have some water left in the cistern, you will also need to mop up any remaining water in in there. You will then have to disconnect the inlet pipes and overflow pipes and remove the loo,

Then you will need to remove all of the tiles and any other fixtures or fittings. Tired yet? Ready to remove your own bathroom suite or need some expert help?

Fitting Your New Bathroom Suite           

Next you will need to get all of your new kit off and put it all together to see what you have and check your current pipes are long enough to do the job. Fix the taps to the bath and sink so that all you need to do is fix the pipes and so forth once they are in place. Check all your bath panels, bath parts and sink accessories are OK and not damaged as it will be more awkward to take it all apart and take it back to the shop once it is all fitted.

Now you almost need to do everything above in reverse. Fix any bracket to the wall or timber that goes along the wall. Make sure your bath feet and brackets and are attached to the bath and once it is in place make sure they are firmly secured.  You will have to check all your pipes are the right length and are securely fastened.

The entire job can take you a few days at the least and you will have to make sure that you have the right tools and skills to get the job done as well as somewhere else to spend the night as you will no doubt want the loo or to have a shower or bath at some point of the course of the couple of days it takes to finish your bathroom project.

If you are in any doubt it is suggested that you contact professionals, with the right insurance and a good reputation to make your bathroom project as dream as opposed to becoming a nightmare.

For more info on bathroom fitting and luxury bathrooms go to www.classicceramics.co.uk or http://www.classicceramics.co.uk/bathrooms.html.

Host of Golden Daffodils

The month of March, the snowdrops have been and now the daffodils burst into life shining like little yellow suns in our gardens, their shape trumpeting the arrival of spring. Few gardens do not have a clump or two of daffodils but did you know that there are up to a hundred varieties of daffodil? Daffodils of all sizes to fit all pockets of the garden, daffodils of varying yellow and white, daffodils with heavy scent and daffodils with little trumpets! Such choice!

Daffodils can be grown in almost any conditions. They are happy in most soil types but don’t like to have their roots in water – water logged areas are not recommended. When planting your bulbs remember to plant nice and deep, this will give your bulbs a chance of a prolonged life by avoiding soil erosion. Daffodils are rarely bothered by diseases or pests but if it does happen remember to remove the infected plants before the problem spreads.

Daffodils can be grown in beds and borders, rockeries and under trees. They also make a fantastic display of spring on your patio, outside your doors or in your yard if they are planted thickly into pots. To get the best display you need a good concentration of bulbs but remember that when planting in pots you don’t need to plant the bulbs as deeply as you would in soil.

We couldn’t end this blog without William Wordsworth’s wonderful evocative poem about the Daffodils. Here it is:



I WANDER’D lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils,
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
A Host of Golden Dacing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretch’d in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced, but they
Outdid the sparkling waves in glee:—
A poet could not but be gay
In such a jocund company!
I gazed, and gazed, but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils

Garden Ideas, Fencing, Metal Gates, Buildings, Pergolas and Arbours at Click4Garden

Let us know your gardening tips and ideas

Install a Wet Room in 2011

This article looks provides tips and advice in choosing the right wet room technology and suppliers and whether or not wet rooms are a DIY project or something where you need to bring in the professionals.

If you are planning a new bathroom this year make sure you know what you are instore. It is a lot more than just decorating and you need to be prepared for just how much work and indeed cost may be envolved and unless you have bottomless pockets you want to make sure you get it right first time. Therefore careful planning is key to your bathrooms success, even more so if you are planning to turn an existing bathroom into a wet room.

You need to consider how many people use the bathroom or wet room and how you can improve the throughput of morning traffic, you need to plan the layout, as well as the fixtures and fittings as well as the sanitary ware.

Throughput

In most family’s the morning traffic through the bathroom can be chaotic at best and usually everyone decides that they want to use the bathroom at the same time.

This might mean that if you the space and the money you might consider installing a couple of smaller wet rooms or shower rooms throughout the house so other household members have a place to go and get ready in the morning. The main considerations you will have here is the waste drainage and water to and from the wet room.
Other considerations are installing extra basins.

Planning Layout

Your main concerns when planning the layout of your wet room or bathroom are space, where the windows and doors are as well as the plumbing system.

Possibly the most important thing to consider is the drainage. The toilet obviously needs to be close to the sewer drain. If you have to lay new drainage pipes under the floors this can be very costly so it is probably best to keep it close to, if not in, it’s original place.

Also you have waste water drainage that needs to be considered. An experienced plumber or bathroom / wet room fitter should be brought in for this work as mistakes here could be costly in the long run, not to mention incredibly messy.

Also where plumbing is concerned you need to understand where the water comes into the room for both hot and cold sources.

Keeping a bathroom or wet room well ventilated is key and where there are natural sources of ventilation and light, such as windows these should be used, as well as the consideration of extractor fans.

The major factor is space. You want to be able to easily move around your new layout, if not it will be a very frustrating place to be. This tends to be why so many people are moving from the bathroom scenario to wet rooms as they allow for so much more space.

Sanitary ware, fixtures and fitting

Design your bathroom or wet room with your sanitary ware in mind. It is crucial to know what is going to go where and what space you have. Also remember that these tend to be changed far less often than other household fixtures and fittings so make sure you are happy with the style, design and the colour.

DIY or Professional

Wet room and bathroom renovations are very big projects and it would be wise to enlist the help of professionals where possible. Mistakes in this area of your home can be more costly in the long run. Plumbing alone can be a nightmare.

For more information go to www.classicceramics.co.uk for luxury wet room design and installation services and products go to http://www.classicceramics.co.uk/wet-rooms.html

Click here for Villerou & Boch Bathroom, Shower and Wet Room products

Protecting Your Garden from Thieves

It is an unfortunate fact of live but theft is on the increase these days. Unfortunately gardens are no safe haven from this fact. More and more gardeners are coming home or waking up to the fact that all their hard work and hard earned money has gone to waste as thieves have taken the lot. This article is a look at secure garden fencing and securing your property.

No one wants to hide their garden away. What is the point of all that hard work and beautiful design if you can never see it? At the same time keeping your garden secure and gardening tools safe will mean that you help keep unwanted guests out.

Unfortunately it is not just your garden features that criminals are after far too often gardens are subject to mindless vandalism and damage. It’s a horrible fact of life but securing and protecting your property includes you gardens and allotments.

Secure Your Garden Gates & Fencing

With strong secure fencing you can keep unwanted prying eyes from seeing what you have got as well as make it harder for people to get in. But secure fencing doesn’t have to be all barbwire and concrete it can also be decorative.

There is an whole range of garden fencing styles to choose from on the market and together with strong wooden or iron gates and decent bolts and padlocks you can really make your garden secure. If you are in any doubt it is suggested that you get your fencing installed by the experts with security in mind. Another tip is to grow prickly hedges along you fencing to discourage thieves from even attempting to climb over.

Garden Sheds Keep them Locked

No doubt garden sheds are a major attraction for theft, so why make it easy for them. Firstly, but a strong, solid garden shed with a solid foundation. Then, get some good strong decent padlocks and latches.

At this point you might feel quite happy with yourself but make sure if you have a window in your garden shed that put up some blinds or curtains and then remember to shut them. At the end of the day if a thief really wants to get in they will but there is no reason to advertise what you have to them.

Other Tips for your Garden Security

At the end of the day your garden is never going to be as secure as your home is. So the best thing to do is to try and deter them in the first place. Security lights, noisy gravel paths and couple of dogs (if you are a dog person) will help deter them in the first place.

For more tips on Garden Fencing, Sheds, Security and Installation as well as gardening products go to http://www.click4garden.co.uk for garden fence installation services go to http://www.click4garden.co.uk/index.php?getcatid=1084.