Stainless Steel Anti Slip Discs

TreadSafe® abrasive coated stainless steel discs are specifically designed to provide a robust anti-slip solution for prestigious public access areas where an aesthetically pleasing appearance is a required. Suitable for internal or external use, the discs are manufactured from a 1mm stainless steel base with a medium grit abrasive coating temperature bonded to the surface. Stainless steel discs are available in a range of standard and custom colours to suit your application. They are resistant to abrasion, impact and chemical spillage and are slip resistant even when impregnated with water, oils, grease, acids, alkalis and salts.

One of the key benefits of the anti-slip discs is they can be fitted easily on site in a wide variety of slippery situations, applications include use on floors, stairs, ramps, walkways, external fire escapes and ladders. The TreadSafe® anti slip range also comprises safety edgings, stair treads with matching landing covers, flat decking sheets, grating, ladder rung covers and tactile floor tiles,
TreadSafe® Stainless Steel Anti-Slip Discs are a high performance abrasive coated anti-slip flooring solution designed for high volume pedestrian numbers with the additional benefit of being able to withstand extremes of temperature.
Porcher Abrasives can manufacture and supply anti-slip discs in stainless steel, abrasive coated anti-slip discs can eliminate your slippery surface areas, TreadSafe ® anti slip disc solutions are designed to prevent slippages in hazardous locations, be they public or industrial areas.

The discs can be fixed to a wide range of substrates including concrete, wood, tiles and fibreglass (GRP) using specialist polymer sealer/adhesive. Available in diameters of 30mm or 50mm, the discs are supplied in packs of 10 (20mm size) or 25 (50mm size). Standard colour choices are black or yellow. Light grey and white are available to special order.

Technical Specification:
Fire Resistance: Class 2 fire resistant to BS476 Part 2
Chemical Resistance:
10% hydrochloric acid
10% phosphoric acid
10% sulphuric acid
Ammonia solution
Kerosene
Mineral oils
Petrol fuel oils

All standard industrial cleaners when used in accordance with the manufacturers’ specification.

Food Contact:
Top coat meets USDA requirements for incidental food contact and FDA
CFR 21, 175.300 requirements for food contact.
RAL Colour Codes: Black: 9005 (nearest match)
Yellow: 08 E 51

Cleaning: Wash with hot/cold water pressure washer with mild cleaning fluid.

Designer Bathrooms Lincolnshire

A well designed bathroom can turn what is usually the smallest room in a home into a special place, somewhere you would actually like to spend time.
Imagine lying back in a warm bath within the surroundings of a beautiful new bathroom, with subtle lighting and shiny new tiles what could be better? Unless baths aren’t your thing then go for a large corner shower enclosure complete with a high output power shower enough to refresh anyone first thing in a morning.

Fitted bathroom suites can really transform a dreary cold looking room where we just have a wash and get out of as quickly as possible in to a dream destination at the end of a long day for a long soak, our bathrooms should be inviting and relaxing places, so why not treat yourself and enjoy your new bathroom suite for years to come. Well designed and professionally fitted bathroom suite is not just about baths and showers its about make best use of the available space, creating more than just a standard bathroom takes the skill of a designer and the use of the latest bathroom design software.

Bathrooms are more than just a 3 piece suite placed in a row, a well-designed bathroom can become stylish but equally as important can become a functional room at the same time, with fitted units complementing the suite used for storage of towels and toiletries, imaging no more stacks of toilet rolls and cleaning fluids on show but neatly hidden away inside beautiful new matching units.

Choose a bathroom designer and installation company who will come to your home is a much better way than attempting to take measurements yourself down to your local DIY and buying some packaged deal bath / shower and toilet set and then attempting to make it fit in the same place as the old
bathroom suite. A professional bathroom supplier and designer should offer a no obligation home survey and show you how to make best use of the available space.
Once you have decided on a layout for your bathroom the fun can really begin, choosing a new style bathroom suite can be great fun, visit the bathroom showroom as this is where your dreams can become reality, this also gives the designer and yourself the opportunity to edit the design based on your chosen bathroom suite range, perfecting the layout of the bathroom suite and any storage cupboards using the computer is an ideal way to visualise the finished bathroom, much better than drawing on paper at the DIY store.

Cheapest place to buy a futon from in the UK

There are many shops on and offline that sell futons of all shapes and sizes but if you’re looking for the cheapest place to buy your new futon from then online is the best place to buy from.

Buying your new futon online will save you £’s compared to buying a futon from your local furniture or department store just choose your style, double or single, metal or wood constructed futon and then compare prices from a few futon companies. Futons are usually considerably cheaper than traditional sofa beds and best of all the range of covers and fabrics add a modern and stylish look to any room. Plus an added bonus with futons is the interchangeable covers so should you spill something that just won’t clean off or simply fancy a change of look just replace your futons cover with a new one, works out much cheaper than replacing a whole new sofa bed.

The most popular style of futon is the two seater or sometimes referred to as a twin seat futon. These two seater futons make great use of confined space yet are still large enough to provide comfortable seating for two adults as well as opening up to become a useable sofa bed size sleeping area. Futons are especially good for small apartments, bedsits, student dorm rooms, or as a guest bed in a spare room that can be quickly and easily converted to a bed for unexpected guests staying over.
Need to buy a futon in a hurry look for a futon company who carry a selection of futons in stock ready for immediate dispatch. Choose a futon that’s in stock and your new futon could be with you in 2-3 days. Futon sofa beds that are already in stock are most likely available at very competitive prices because the retailers would much rather move stock on than have it sit around gathering dust.

Fabric choices for futons will affect the price you pay, choose a hard wearing but plain fabric as these will last longer and be cheaper to buy when compared to the cost of a more stylish but less hard wearing cover.

Traditional Sofa beds do differ from futons not just in looks but also in prices, traditionally sofa beds looked exactly the same as a standard sofa, but underneath the cushions they had a fold out metal frame which is reason for the extra costs. Plus most people will sleep better on a futon when compared to a normal sofa bed this is because of the futon mattresses which are much thicker and offer better support than the thin ones sofa beds use. Another point to note when comparing a futon to a sofa bed other than the actual price is the weight, the metal framed sofa beds are very heavy, buy a futon much cheaper and they are much more funky to look at.

Stainless Steel Anti Slip Discs

Porcher Abrasives can manufacture and supply anti-slip discs in stainless steel, abrasive coated anti-slip discs can eliminate your slippery surface areas, TreadSafe ® anti slip disc solutions are designed to prevent slippages in hazardous locations, be they public or industrial areas.

Where can I use TreadSafe® Stainless Steel Anti Slip Discs?
One of the key benefits of the anti-slip discs is their versatility as they can be used internally or externally and is resistant to a wide range of chemicals. They can be fitted easily on site in a wide variety of slippery situations, applications include use on floors, stairs, ramps, walkways, external fire escapes and ladders. The TreadSafe® anti slip range also comprises safety edgings, stair treads with matching landing covers, flat decking sheets, grating, ladder rung covers and tactile floor tiles,

TreadSafe® Stainless Steel Anti-Slip Discs is a high performance abrasive coated anti-slip flooring solution designed for high volume pedestrian numbers with the additional benefit of being able to withstand extremes of temperature. Available in a range of standard and custom colours to suit your application.

How to Choose a Fitted Kitchen

Choosing a new fitted kitchen is not an easy task, after all for most people the kitchen is the heart of your home, do you want a traditional or a stylish modern looking kitchen, the choices available seem vast, types of units, and finishes, granite worktops or real wood, integrated appliances or free standing, the list goes on and on, so of course does the price that’s why it is vital to take your time, choose a kitchen design that will stand the test of time and fit with you and your family’s lifestyle.

Start by looking at your lifestyle, how will you use your kitchen, I find that whenever we have friends round we always end up in the kitchen chatting, so we wanted more space and the addition of a breakfast bar made a great social feature.
Do you enjoy cooking, then consider the size and type of cooker that will be most suited to your needs, low level single ovens are fine for most couples but larger families may wish to go for a double oven or even a range master style cooker.
Colours, are you going for a completely new colour scheme for your kitchen or are you keeping the walls and floors the same and just changing the kitchen units and worktops to give your kitchen a new lease of life.

Now finally you should have a few ideas on what type of new kitchen to buy, all you need to do now is find a style you actually like the look and feel of, bare in mind what looks great in a brochure or kitchen showroom may not directly look right in your kitchen at home, lighting plays an important part and kitchen showrooms full of fluorescent strip lights can make units look lighter than they would in your home.

Choose a kitchen designer who will come to your home is a much better way than attempting to measure your own kitchen and taking these measurements on a piece of paper to a large DIY store in the hope that it will all fit together after its delivered. A professional kitchen designer or planner as some are called should offer a no obligation home survey and be able to maximise the space whilst listening to your requirements based on the family’s lifestyle. The kitchen planner will be able to merge your ideas with his design flair and with the aid of the latest design software bring it all to life and be able to easily tweak the design post your reviews and feedback.

The purchasing of a new fitted kitchen isn’t something that should be rushed, given that a fully fitted kitchen is not usually cheap it has to last and look good, we all want value for money even more so today, choose well and your new kitchen will provide many years of pleasure and service.

A final point to consider when looking for a fully fitted kitchen is to use a company that employs quality time served tradesmen and one that can complete all the additional task such as plumbing and electrics as well as brick laying and tiling if needed, it’s much easier to deal with one company rather than trying to project manage all the trades needed to completely fit a kitchen.

Why You Should Have Fitted Bedroom Furniture

Fitted bedroom furniture can really transform a dreary room were we sleep in to a dream destination at the end of the day, our bedrooms should be relaxing places. We spend around 1/3rd of our lives in bed so why not make the whole experience a more pleasant one.

Well designed and professionally fitted bedroom furniture is not just about wardrobes and drawers its about make best use of the available space, creating more than just bedroom storage takes the skill of a designer and the use of the latest bedroom design software.

Choose a bedroom designer who will come to your home is a much better way than attempting to take measurements yourself down to your local DIY and buying some self-assembly flat packed bedroom furniture . A professional bedroom designer should offer a no obligation home survey and show you how to make best use of the available space.

Once you have decided on a layout for your bedroom the fun can really begin, choosing new fitted bedroom furniture can be great fun, visit the bedroom furniture showroom as this is where your dreams can become reality, this also gives the designer and yourself the opportunity to edit the design based on your chosen bedroom furniture range, perfecting the design using the computer is an ideal way to visualise the finished room, much better than drawing on paper at the DIY store.
One point to bear in mind is lighting in the kitchen showroom, the lighting here may be brighter than that of your bedroom, so consider this when choosing the colour of the bedroom units.

Fitted bedroom furniture should be a considered purchase, quality furniture is going to last for many years so take your time and choose a style that suits your needs beyond today, speaking with professional bedroom furniture installers should answer all of your questions. Choose well and your bedroom will become an oasis of dreams for many years.

One final point when considering who you use to supply your new bedroom is to use a company that employs quality tradesmen and one that can complete all the additional task such as electrics as well any plumbing that might be needed if you happen to be updating an en suite at the same time it’s much easier to deal with one company.

Where do Futons Come From?

Futon is the English name given to the Japanese traditional style of bedding known as “futon” Basically a traditional futon is the name given to Japanese bedding that consists of a padded mattress and quilts that are pliable enough to be folded up and stowed out of the way so that a room can be used during the day for purposes other than that of just a bedroom.
Futons in Japan consist of basically two elements, the first is a shikibuton which is the bottom mattress and a kabebuton which refers to the quilted bedcover. Futons are sold in Japan through specialist stores known as futon’ya and often come in sets consisting of blankets and pillows.
Futons sold in the west are based on the original Japanese futons but with quite a few differences, almost all western futons are constructed around a wooden or metal frame so rather than being folded up and put away as in Japanese homes they almost always double up as a sofa or chair.

Futons when laid out fully will often resemble normal single or double beds in terms of size and comfort, partly due to extra layers and banding that are used in the construction of western futons.

Western futons mattresses usually have a removable cover which is handy if you get spills or are using the futon as a sofa in your living room and fancy a change of décor, it’s much cheaper to change a futon cover than it is to change a traditional sofa for a new one or even the cost of professional recovering a sofa.

Futon mattresses are typically filled with offcuts of foam of various types and sizes but more recently in recognition to the environment, more eco-friendly fillings are used, although this does tend to be in the higher quality futons.

Sofa beds do differ from futons slightly, but were the line is drawn can be confusing, traditionally sofa beds looked exactly the same as a standard sofa, but underneath the cushions they had a fold out metal frame and a thin mattress, most people will find they will get a better night’s sleep on a futon when compared to a traditional sofa bed as the futon mattresses are much thicker and offer better support. Another point to note when comparing a futon to a sofa bed is the weight, the metal framed sofa beds are very heavy and if you fancy a change of colour scheme or stain them you cannot recover a traditional sofa bed as easily and cheaply as the more practical futon.

How to Choose an International Removal Company

Moving overseas can be a daunting prospect, moving locally within the same country can be stressful enough for many but moving internationally can be far more complex with extra paper work and regulations to follow.

If you are planning to move internationally to you will need to enlist the services of a professional international remover, one with experience of the destination country you are planning to move to, be this within Europe or further afield like The Maldives,

Get the Paperwork Right
Most countries have strict custom regulations that unless followed carefully will delay entry and possibly increase costs, Your International remover will ensure all your customs paperwork is in order, you must also ensure you have adequate insurance cover and copies of your passports will need to go with your goods when they are packed into the containers.

Local Knowledge
Get the best of both worlds by choosing an international removers that are members of FIDI (The Federation of International Movers) and HHGFAA (Household Goods Association of America) they will have access to hundreds of agents based all over the world, this way you get the advantage of dealing with one removal company that can deliver a door to door international removal service with global resources. This will prove much smother for you and will also ensure the price you are quoted is the price you pay, thus avoiding those unforeseen extras at your international destination.

International Shipping
Sole use containers or shared loads, check when you have your removal quotes to ensure your comparing like for like. Full container loads for your sole use are filled and sealed at your departure location and delivered direct to the port for shipping, the benefit here is sole use containers tend to be quicker than shared containers. However if you are moving considerably less than a full house then a shared container will be a more cost effective option.

Storage Solutions
When looking to place your goods in storage be this short or long term storage then look for a company that will supply you with purpose made wooden crates these are designed for safer long term storage and are delivered to your property, filled and then taken to secure storage depots, these storage premises often allow self-store access and can also be used to reverse the process if for example you are moving to the UK then look for storage locations that double up as custom clearing houses.

Any professional international remover should be able to offer you good advice and be willing to discuss your options, does the removal estimator fill you with confidence, they should! Make sure you get three international removal quotes, choice a long established remover and relax in the knowledge your property is in safe hands.

Benefits of a Futon Bed

People buy futon beds for many reasons, for many it’s all about making best use of available space, for others it’s all about style and the futon is used in the same way as a traditional sofa.

The appeal with futons is there versatility, just about any room in the home or workplace could accommodate a futon, even student dorms and children’s bed rooms are ideal locations for a stylish space saving futon bed especially so when compared to the floor space a traditional bed takes up. Teenagers just love the idea of having a sofa in their bedroom when they have friends round a futon really makes a bedroom look modern and trendy.

Futons come in all shapes and sizes with double futons being extremely popular, benefiting from a width similar to that of traditional 2 or 3 seat sofas but quickly converting to a double bed when required.

Many people see futons as temporary beds suitable for guests or spare rooms and yes they are great at doing just that but these days quality futons offer everyday sleeping comfort and durability and often get used buy owners with smaller living areas. Ideal for city crash pad or studio apartment.

Futon sofa bed frames come in four formats; these are metal, wooden, foam and sprung mattress along with a wide array of shapes and sizes from singles and doubles to corner futons and ones with magazine racks and matching shelving or coffee tables. Metal and wooden futons are going to be more rigid than foam or sprung mattress futons and can look great in any room of the home, such as a dining room or conservatory, ideally placed to double up as an occasional sofa bed when called upon, but for the most the futon will be used in much the same way as a traditional sofa, albeit with a little more style and costing much less to buy. Even after years of service your futon can be given a new lease of life in the shape of a new mattress, these are available for all sizes of futon and typically cost much less than the equivalent normal bed replacement mattress.

Fabric choices for futons are stylish and typically made from hard wearing materials although replacement covers and mattresses are readily available should you spill anything. Fancy a change or wish to update your colour schemes without having to outlay for a new sofa then a replacement futon cover is the answer and won’t break the bank. The ability to change colours or recover a futon without calling in a specialist upholstery company really can save a lot of money. If the futon is positioned in an environment prone to spills, areas such as children’s play rooms or bedrooms are accident prone locations were a futon wins hands down over a traditional sofa bed.

Need a futon in a hurry then look at our express futon range, typically delivered within 2-3 days. Futon sofa beds direct are able offer futon sofa beds at very competitive prices and with our excellent level of service. We know that our unique combination of quality goods at the right price will make dealing us a pleasure.

What to do if you Stain your Futon

Because of the versatility of a futon they get located in just about any room in the home, it’s often this very versatility that might be perceived as a downfall, when in fact it should be seen as a futons greatest strength.
Futons are great there’s no two ways about it, they are comfortable, versatile and come with a wide choice of construction and sporting fabrics from the plain and traditional to the wild and funky, definitely there is a futon out there with your name on it. Futons are a great addition to any teenager’s bedroom, your kids will be the envy of their friends with a funky futon sofa that can also double up as a guest bed.
Whereas with traditional sofas or fabric chairs when you spill something or tear the material it becomes a professional repair job undertaken by an upholsterer, well not so with a futon. Damaged or worn out futons can be given a new lease of life for very little cost.
Loose Futon Covers
Ideal if you have spilled something on your futon or you just fancy a change of colour, perhaps you have decorated your room and your old faithful futon is looking a bit drab. Loose futon covers fit easily over the top of your existing mattress and are a much cheaper option to replacing the whole mattress.
Shaped Futon Covers
Same benefits as loose futon covers but these types of covers are shaped to suit particular futon ranges, again a cost effective way to replace or freshen up that tired old futon, usually available in a diverse array of fabrics and colours.
Replacement Futon Mattresses
If your futon has sustained heavier damage or is starting to loose it’s comfort appeal then it’s highly likely that you need a replacement mattress, another plus point for the futon is the cost of a replacement futon mattress is around half the price of a standard bed one and considerably cheaper than having an upholsterer out to re-foam and recover your sofa seats.
Scatter Cushions
Ok, not really stain related but did you know that you can get scatter cushions to match your futon fabric, a great way to finish your room and highlights that futons are not just about saving space at the expense of style.

Packing Requirements For House Removal

Anyone who has ever moved house will have without doubt experienced the stress involved with packing up all your worldly goods into the back of a van completion day, all the time waiting for the call to collect your new house keys. It doesn’t matter if your moving from a small house or a large one there are so many deadlines to meet all in that one day, especially if your buyers are camped outside the front door waiting to get in.

Moving house is all about planning and organisation, yes some things are out of your hands and at the mercy of the solicitors (again more stress!). But, by focusing on the things that you control will make moving day much smoother, good packing of boxes and clear labelling of contents and room the box is destined for will help both yourself and a professional removal company on the day. 

Packing for house removals is best started early, if you’re using a professional removal company then they should supply you with all the boxes and packaging materials you need, don’t forget about packing paper and tape along with marker pens or labels. If you are tackling the move you self with friends and a hire van then you will need to organise collection or delivery of the boxes etc. well in advance of move date.

A Quick Checklist of Packing Requirements

• Boxes (mixed sizes are best – use small boxes for heavy items)
• Packing Paper (for wrapping breakables such as ornaments and crockery)
• Packing Tape (Strong stuff is best, you will regret using the cheaper stuff)
• Marker Pen (There is nothing worse than having to keep opening boxes to see what’s inside)
• Bin Liners (handy for clothes and bed sheets)

Use larger boxes for lighter weight items and small boxes for the heavy things, it’s far better to use 2 or 3 small boxes for plates and dishes, spreading the weight reduces the chance of breakages ( remember to wrap well with paper).

Appliances are best moved using a sack trolley, just take your time and don’t underestimate their weight especially if your destination is on the top floor of a block of flats with no parking nearby.

Heavy furniture, this all depends on how well constructed they are, flat pack furniture usually doesn’t take to kindly to being man handled up a flight of stairs. A better option is to part dismantle furniture, this reduces the risks of damage and weight, remove draws and cupboard doors also makes life easier for the removal people.

 

A final tip to bear in mind is to recognise just how long it takes to pack your property into boxes ready for removal, so unless you are getting a professional removal company in to do the packing for you then start well in advance and pack the contents of your loft and spare rooms first, old toy and photo album packing will slow you down as everyone stops and reminisces, after all the last time you saw most of these things was last time you moved home.

What Are The Benefits of a Futon Bed

People buy futon beds for many reasons, for many it’s all about making best use of available space, for others it’s all about style and the futon is used in the same way as a traditional sofa.

The appeal with futons is there versatility, just about any room in the home or workplace could accommodate a futon, even student dorms and children’s bed rooms are ideal locations for a stylish space saving futon bed especially so when compared to the floor space a traditional bed takes up. Teenagers just love the idea of having a sofa in their bedroom when they have friends round a futon really makes a bedroom look modern and trendy.

Futons come in all shapes and sizes with double futons being extremely popular, benefiting from a width similar to that of traditional 2 or 3 seat sofas but quickly converting to a double bed when required.

Many people see futons as temporary beds suitable for guests or spare rooms and yes they are great at doing just that but these days quality futons offer everyday sleeping comfort and durability and often get used buy owners with smaller living areas. Ideal for city crash pad or studio apartment.

Futon sofa bed frames come in four formats; these are metal, wooden, foam and sprung mattress along with a wide array of shapes and sizes from singles and doubles to corner futons and ones with magazine racks and matching shelving or coffee tables. Metal and wooden futons are going to be more rigid than foam or sprung mattress futons and can look great in any room of the home, such as a dining room or conservatory, ideally placed to double up as an occasional sofa bed when called upon, but for the most the futon will be used in much the same way as a traditional sofa, albeit with a little more style and costing much less to buy. Even after years of service your futon can be given a new lease of life in the shape of a new mattress, these are available for all sizes of futon and typically cost much less than the equivalent normal bed replacement mattress.

Fabric choices for futons are stylish and typically made from hard wearing materials although replacement covers and mattresses are readily available should you spill anything. Fancy a change or wish to update your colour schemes without having to outlay for a new sofa then a replacement futon cover is the answer and won’t break the bank. The ability to change colours or recover a futon without calling in a specialist upholstery company really can save a lot of money. If the futon is positioned in an environment prone to spills, areas such as children’s play rooms or bedrooms are accident prone locations were a futon wins hands down over a traditional sofa bed.

Need a futon in a hurry then look at our express futon range, typically delivered within 2-3 days. Futon sofa beds direct are able offer futon sofa beds at very competitive prices and with our excellent level of service. We know that our unique combination of quality goods at the right price will make dealing us a pleasure.

First Home DIY Advice

First homes, new home diy, diy tips, moving home, buying a house, brand new home, first time buyer

Moving into your first home give you the opportunity to show off your great design skills, this means that unless you’re a lotto winner you will be doing some if not all the diy jobs around your new home.

Learning new DIY skills takes time so it’s worth being realistic when tackling your first few jobs, if you have a parent or friend who’s knowledgeable then consider cooking them a meal one evening while they show you how to change plastic light switches for chrome ones. Plus it gives you chance to show off your culinary skills, beans on toast anyone?

Buyers of brand new homes will have a much easier time with a lot less time being devoted to repairing cracked plaster or stripping old wallpaper. Having nice smooth wall to start with really speeds up the transformation from a house to a home.

What can appear an easy diy job isn’t always the case, take hanging pictures on the walls, simple enough you would think choose the location and hammer a nail in to the wall, job done! and 99 out of 100 times you will be fine, but be aware of hidden pipes and cables within the wall, experience will help but even tradesmen get it wrong sometimes, a wiser person might invest in one of the many low cost electronic detectors available in all the leading diy stores, place one of these against the wall were you intend to put the nail or drill and it will show if something is beneath the plaster surface.

Carpets and flooring are expensive items, our advice is to try and buy the best you can afford. If you fancy cutting corners ( no pun intended ) on cost it’s far better to do a couple of rooms at a time with good quality rather than having the whole house fitted in cheap stuff or worse still buying remnants and fitting them yourself. Many new home builders offer deals that include carpets throughout the whole house, at first glance this probably doesn’t sound that great, it will when you go down your local carpet shop and get some estimates.

If you are still yet to decide on buying your new home or would like to take advantage of a selection of schemes to help in buying your first home or you are looking to move up the property ladder then Larkfleet Homes have several developments in and around Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Rutland. Larkfleet Homes are a company with an enviable reputation for producing high quality sustainable developments using innovative technology and construction methods, delivered to exceed customer expectations.

Reviews Directory: First Home Energy Saving Tips

Reviews Directory: First Home Energy Saving Tips: "Moving in to your first home is a fantastic feeling, it’s all yours (well let’s forget for a moment about the mortgage) your very own first ..."

First Home Energy Saving Tips

Moving in to your first home is a fantastic feeling, it’s all yours (well let’s forget for a moment about the mortgage) your very own first home.

No doubt you will have loads of ideas and plans to make it unique and refljavascript:void(0)ect your personality and tastes, that’s great can’t wait to get started on the diy?

Before you start slapping red paint on the walls to match your yellow carpet spare a thought for a few energy saving tips, were not trying to sound like your dad here but sometimes they make sense ( though not always!)

Those of you who have bought a brand new first home will always have the upper hand when it comes to lower energy costs, quality built new homes are so well insulated that once they are heated up they retain their heat all day and enable you to either turn the heating off or significantly reduce the thermostat temperature.

Light fittings in your first house will probably be one of the first things you will want to change, not many people like the plastic dangly things that the builders fit, although they are better than taking down something your granny would have had fitted if your first home isn’t a new one.

So before you go out and buy those chrome effect or black down lighters check what bulbs they accept, having six 60 watt bulbs on in your living room at night will cost much more than six x 7.5 watt low energy bulbs over the course of a year and the new LED spot light bulbs can use as little as 1.5 watts each, although the brightness is sometimes less than that of the full power bulbs. After all the savings will pay for plenty of pizza deliveries for all the parties you are planning.

Loft insulation, again new home buyers can forget about this as your loft space will have been well insulated by your builder, if your first home isn’t a new one then the loft is best insulated to a 200mm depth if possible and get this done well before the colder weather sets in and it’s advisable to avoid very warm days. Either call a reputable company in or have a go yourself, insulating your loft isn’t difficult but it’s not a pleasant DIY job as the fibres do irritate the skin, so have a quick measure up and head down the DIY store.

If you are still yet to decide on buying your new home or would like to take advantage of a selection of schemes to help you buy your first home or you are looking to move up the property ladder then Larkfleet Homes who have several developments in and around Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Rutland have a wide range of award winning new homes

How are Plastics Recycled

Ever wondered what happens after your waste plastic bottles and packaging gets collected or you drop it off at your local plastic recycling collection point.
Prior to plastic recycling the plastic products have to be sorted in to there various types, this is due to part of the recycling plastics process involving melting the plastic and not all plastics melt at the same temperature, differences mixing here can lead to a brittle recycled plastic product, think of how oil and water don’t mix well.
Once the waste plastic has been identified and separated the recycling process can begin, recycling plastic is much more involved than say for glass or metals, usually starting with shredding and washing to remove paper labels, adhesives and other impurities, this is followed by melting the clean plastic and extruding in to the form of pellets which then go on to manufacture the next lot of plastic products.
Recycled scrap plastic is more often than not recycled in to something completely different to what it started out as, plastic bottles could easily become your garden furniture, a point worth noting is that it is not always possible to recycle it over and over again and here in the UK we still don’t have recycling facilities for all types of plastics, typically the likes of yoghurt pots and butter containers either go to landfill sites or are shipped to overseas plants for recycling.
Due to the continual growth in dependencies of plastic manufactured products, something like 20 times more than 50 years ago our need to recycle rather than continuing to create from new plastic grows ever more important, often it is all too easy for us to forget the knock on effects such as conserving non-renewable fossil fuels and minimising the amount of rubbish that goes to landfill sites.
All plastic products have a Plastic Identification Codes – or PIC for short imprinted on to them somewhere, this is a plastic recycling symbols, made up of a circulating arrow in a triangle shape with a number between 1 & 7 in the centre. The PIC was implemented by the Society of the Plastic industry in 1988.

Type 1 is polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE) - Fizzy Drink Bottles / Oven Ready Meals
Type 2 is high-density polyethylene (HDPE) – Milk and Washing up Bottles
Type 3 is polyvinyl chloride (PVC) = Shampoo, Squash Bottles, Cling Film
Type 4 is low-density polyethylene (LDPE) – Carrier Bags & Bin Liners
Type 5 is polypropylene (PP) – Micro Meals & Margarine Tubs
Type 6 is polystyrene (PS) – Yoghurt Pots, Toys, Electronic Goods
Type 7 is other (usually PC or ABS) – Headlight Lenses, Safety Glasses, Melamine

So next time you put your waste plastic in the bin, see if you can spot the plastic identification code, currently there is no legal requirement for plastic manufacturers to label their products but the majority do so, possibly ahead of future legislation that may come in to force.