PORTFOLIO

Loft Insulation

November 6, 2016

With winter starting we’ve given you a one stop guide to hopefully answer all the questions you may have about loft insulation. Why insulate my roof space? 25% of heat in your home is lost through the roof. This is a waste of energy and money. Loft insulation can be a good way to keep your home warm. What’s the best insulating material? Our favorite is sheep’s wool – it’s great because it’s 100% natural and controls humidity. Other types include rigid boards, spray foam, mineral wool, polystyrene and fiberglass. We don’t really recommend fiberglass because there are other materials which have better insulating qualities without the health hazards! Can I install insulation myself? With some materials, yes. If you want to install the insulation yourself make sure you wear a disposable boiler suit and face mask. Also use scaffold board to walk on in the roof space. How much does insulation cost? It really depends on which material you choose, and obviously how large the space is. Give us a call today on 07399 399 888 for a free no obligation quotation. Here are some other questions we often get asked: My roof is already insulated. Should I update it? It depends on depth and quality of the existing insulation, give us a call we can come out and advise you in more detail. I’ve got a flat roof; can it be insulated? Yes, however it can be costly and intrusive gaining access to the roof void. Will it mean I can’t store things up there anymore? No you can still store things depending on the type of material chosen to insulate with.

LED Lighting

November 6, 2016

Is there anything worse than waking up, going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark?  These wintry mornings really do need brightening up. The challenge in many households is that we use the traditional lamps (bulbs) whether it’s a halogen, energy saver or GLS.  How much brighter and greener could your home be with a LED lamp change? LED lamps have a clean crisp light and come in three colors of light cool white, day light and warm white. Now cool white is slightly blue, day light (my favorite) is clean crisp white and warm white is slightly yellow. Make sure you choose the right lamp for the environment you’re putting it into e.g. kitchen - cool white / living room - warm white. Why are standard lamps not economic? Basically they create heat as a waste product of the light and it’s the heat that’s wasting your money. Did you know the running cost for up to 17 LED lamps is the same as one standard 60w lamp, WOW! Simply if you’re not using LED lamps your burning money. LED lighting is an investment as they cost more to purchase however the life cycle can be anywhere from 25,000 to 50,000+ hours, so before one LED lamp dies you would have used anywhere from 22 to 44+ incandescent lamps. Think green, call us today on 07399 399 888 we can come and give you a free no obligation quotation. Let’s work together to make your home greener. Call us today on 07399 399 888 for a free no obligation quotation to have addition external and internal sockets installed.

Christmas lights can be a fire hazard!

November 6, 2016

I remember when I was a little boy, my grandfather used to literally light his house up for Christmas.  There were lights everywhere.  Santa, Rudolf, Frosty the Snowman and many more Christmas decorations. They hung from anywhere and everywhere. As I look back now, thinking as an electrician it was scarier than Halloween!  I mean just how many extension leads should you put into one and another or into one socket. This is a massively misunderstood ‘risk’ that’s linked to Christmas.  The power surge that comes through multiple entry points into one socket, at best will blow a fuse at worst this could easily cause a nasty electrical fire. Electrical fires are nasty as they can spread though the cables.  There are a lot of cables under the floor, in the walls and in the ceiling voids which means the fire could spread very rapidly as it travels along the cables. Not to mention the toxic fumes that come off the burning cable sheaving. The standard plug sockets in a house are rated at 13A that means anything over 13A is overloading a socket potentially causing a fire or damage to the socket. As an electrician I would always advise never to use extension leads with more the one outlet on it even better don’t use them at all. The last thing you want on Christmas Eve is the lights going out, or on Christmas Day the electrics blowing and you being left with the turkey uncooked and needing to call an electrician out on emergency call out rates. TOP TIP!  One socket - one extension lead if you have too.  Keep Safe! Call us today on 07399 399 888 for a free no obligation quotation to have addition external and internal sockets installed.