These days, many houses have ground floors constructed of solid concrete instead of suspended timber construction. When this needs to be replaced, it can be insulated to save the householder money and cut down on energy consumption.

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There are several options for insulating before you apply a floor screed. There are products such as rigid board insulation and flexible foam insulation materials. It is important to select the right product for your construction project and install it correctly.

In general, insulation is laid after the floor base but before the screed. This is sometimes referred to as a floating type of screed construction. Correct installation is essential if the insulating properties are going to work correctly.

Choosing a rigid or flexible installation

According to the Energy Saving Trust, insulating a ground floor can be a cost-effective energy-saving measure and could save a householder up to £65 a year, so it is important to choose the correct product.

To lay rigid board insulation panels, you will need a level floor base. This means that pre-cast floors will probably have to be levelled with a levelling compound to get rid of steps and sharp protrusions. In domestic projects, a thin layer of sharp sand will probably be adequate.

Flexible insulation is more forgiving because materials such as expanded polyether foam and mineral wool quilt are flexile enough to mould around uneven surfaces. However, it is still important to make the base as even as possible.

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Installation tips for insulation

You can get floor screed mix from a supplier such as http://www.monstermixconcrete.co.uk/floor-screed.php, but there are some preparation steps that you should carry out first.

If you are using a floating screed, you will need a damp-proof membrane over the base substrate prior to the insulation layer. The membrane sheets need to cover all abutments and must be taped at the joints.

The insulation is then laid by commencing with 25cm thick perimeter strips at the external walls. The boards must be staggered and taped down.

Special care is needed around service pipe openings and abutments or columns. Check that all of the internal and external corners are taped down tightly.

Where there is no pre-laminated membrane on rigid insulation, a layer of 500 gauge polythene will need to be applied for adequate protection.

When you hear the words “stretched canvas” you will automatically envision a square surface, poised on an easel, ready for the artists to take their brush to it. You may not realize that not all things that qualify as stretched canvas are square, they are not all made of the same materials, and they are not all made to be of the same quality. Continue reading Choosing The Best Stretched Canvas For Your Project →

It may seem morbid, but none of us can determine what is going to happen in the future. Whether your possessions are great or small, knowing they will go to the right person when you pass away is important. Unfortunately, those close to us have no say in what happens to our homes and possessions if you haven’t written a will, the law will decide who gets what resulting in your loved ones missing out. I’m sure all of us want everything we have worked for throughout our lives to go to those who matter to us; this is why it’s important to ensure we write a will as soon as we have anything to pass down. Continue reading Writing Your Will To Prepare For The Future →

The process of negotiating a sale price on a property can be a delicate balance between what you want and how much you are prepared to let it go and for how much.

If you have made an offer in good faith – and are a buyer who is chain free, with a mortgage lined up and the offer is reasonable, it can be frustrating to be turned down by a vendor and be faced with a counteroffer to consider. Continue reading How To Handle A Counteroffer On A Property →

If you are shopping for homes in New Jersey, you are moving into a state rich with history. This small region sits on the cusp of New York City and is a popular choice for commuters. The state offers geographic diversity that includes Victorian architecture, entertainment piers on the ocean, casinos and even mountain views. For history buffs, moving to New Jersey is a dream come true. Continue reading New Jersey: Rich With History And Still Growing →

Since the real estate collapse in the mid 2000s, more people than ever are renting rather than purchasing their own home. Renting has become popular in many different forms, from apartments, to multi-plexes, to houses of all sizes. Whether a person rents or own their own home has no bearing on their income status, credit score, or any other financial details of their lives. Many people simply choose to rent until the real estate market stabilizes. As more people rent, more people encounter the various types of landlords in their lives. Some landlords are extremely helpful and accommodating to renters, while others are extremely demanding and unforgiving of tenants.

For your enjoyment, we have collected a list of the top five stereotypical landlords that you may find during your renting experience.

The Do-It-Myself
This landlord hates to spend extra money on labor or other repair services. This landlord is often a tightwad, and may give you trouble in other financial aspects of renting, such as by trying to raise the rent as much as possible each year or expecting you to pay for certain repairs to the home. This landlord will show up to a maintenance request himself and try to fix the problem on his own. If the landlord is capable of repairing the issue on his own this is not normally a problem, but if the landlord is under qualified to make the repair- then watch out.

The Meany
The Meany landlord is meaner than the Grinch at Christmas. She will take no excuses for late rents or responsibility for broken items in the home. The Meany automatically assumes that anything that goes wrong in the house is your fault. She may try to get you to pay for any repairs, and will be unforgiving when it comes to getting your deposit back at the end of your lease. The Meany is a landlord you want to avoid at all costs.

The Nice Guy
Not all landlords are bad. Some are quite nice and friendly. The Nice Guy landlord will work with you for late payments and will try to accomplish any repairs as quickly as possible. The Nice Guy may also try to befriend you, which can be a little awkward. He may even go so far as to send you a card on your birthday or even buy you a Christmas present.

The Pop-in
This landlord does not understand the concept of privacy. She may pop in at any moment- night or day. Sometimes seen prowling the property at night, the Pop-in landlord can quickly become a thing of nightmares. This landlord falsely assumes that because she owns the property, she has free reign over when she visits.

The Scatterbrain
Having a Scatterbrain landlord is a lot like renting property from a turkey. Scatterbrain landlord never seems to remember anything. You must ask him multiple times for any request and it could be days before he remembers to call you back. The more properties a landlord manages by himself, the more likely he is to become a Scatterbrain landlord.

Although there are many types of landlords, you probably will run across one of these stereotypical landlords at some point in your life, but you can minimalize the risk by reading apartment reviews before renting. Rather than getting angry, the best response is to laugh and move on to a new location if you really cannot learn to live with the personality of your current landlord.

Many students are now opting to do their physiotherapy electives in developing countries, largely due to the unique nature of the working conditions that prevail in these states. Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania are some of the favorite countries for such an elective.

How different are the electives while compared to those in developed countries?

Every single aspect is different, with a few similarities.

Of course you will have time to enjoy a different climate. For instance, a student who arrives from Europe is accustomed to four seasons in a year. If such a student was to do a physiotherapy elective in an East African country, chances are that he or she will enjoy the warm temperate climate, for the close proximity of the country to the equator knocks off the concept of seasons. While you are not at work you can enjoy a cool breeze blowing across the shore as you have a good time basking on the beach.

Africans are known for their hospitality. They treat visitors with untold kindness. They welcome people into their homes and help them to settle in elective areas with relative ease. You are likely to experience this hospitality as you undertake the physiotherapy elective. As you go about the elective, you are constantly in touch with the natives. Even when you are not at work, you shall in one way or another associate with them. It is a good opportunity to learn their culture. You will be at home, though you may be miles from your real home.

How about work and work conditions?

This is probably the greatest challenge. You have to be mentally and psychologically prepared, for the tasks ahead are nowhere near what you may be used to at home. The workload is immense, for the patients who require physiotherapy are rather many. These are largely attributed to burns involving joint areas with the subsequent development of contractures. The other patients who you will be working on are the immobilized patients in the wards and those who have some debilitating illnesses such as strokes and cerebral palsy. As such, you must be ready to work. This eventually translates to acquisition of immense practical skills which will come in handy when need arises.

The equipment which will be at your disposal is nowhere close to the ones you are used to back at home. To successfully use them requires some creativity and imagination. Your skills will be thoroughly tested and your patience put to test. Those who persist have their skills fine tuned and can work anywhere in the world.

Some cases you encounter are rare cases that you would not have seen if you stuck in your country.  Leprosy is a rare disease nowadays. There have been numerous campaigns to eradicate polio in various countries in Africa, but even then, you might come across a few cases. You might encounter these rare illnesses as you go about your chores.

Specialization in physiotherapy is not a common thing in Africa. During your elective term you are likely to be doing general physiotherapy, and where you are stationed is highly dependent on where the patients are. You might be positioned in a physiotherapy clinic where you will be working on those patients who can manage to get there. More often than not, you will be dealing with inpatients suffering from strokes. The beauty about it is that you will see the fruits of your labor. After a couple of sessions, most of the patients will improve, which will give you a sense of satisfaction.

Is it worth?

Generally speaking, those who have undertaken a physiotherapy elective in African countries say that they had a good experience and that it is worth every cent. I have no reason whatsoever to dispute these assertions.

You might have heard people refer to ‘modular homes’ as potential homes of the future. Many believe that they could solve Britain’s housing shortage crisis. What is a modular home? It is not built from scratch at the location where the structure will stand, but instead constructed inside a factory. The completed sections of the home are wrapped, loaded onto a lorry and then transported to their final location where they are put together by a team of builders. It is not the same as a mobile home and is a permanent structure, it is simply made off-site.

How do they differ from a traditional house?

The main difference is the speed at which modular homes can be constructed. They can be manufactured much faster than a traditionally-built property. A modular home can be ready in just weeks and not months. They are not affected by traditional building site issues and delays, like the weather for example.

Here are some facts about modular homes that might surprise you:

• Just like a traditionally-built home, a modular will appreciate in value and not depreciate over time.
• A modular home can be customised in a way that a traditional brick-built property can’t be.
• The companies that produce these homes have engineering departments that use computer aided design.
• The homes come in a wide variety of different sizes and styles, meaning there’s one to suit every taste and budget.
• They can also be used for commercial purposes, not just residential housing.
• They are considered ‘real’ property and are permanent structures.
• For those concerned with their environmental impact, modular homes are considered ‘green’.
• The homes can be constructed specifically for accessible living and future considerations.

Are they more expensive?

Generally, modular property tends to be cheaper than an on-site construction. As they are built quickly and without delay, labour costs are reduced. Inspections are also performed in-factory during each stage of construction so are all completed by the time the structure is ready to be shipped to its final permanent location. It might be a while before we see large scale use of modular housing, so until then, find your new on-site build with Estate Agents Bath, like https://www.pritchards-bath.co.uk/

They can come in almost any design you want, although it’s important to note that the more complex your design, the more it will end up costing. You would also need to account for the costs of plumbing, duct and electrical work to be completed before living in the property.

What are the benefits?

They are often a more affordable option than site-built constructions. The speed at which they can be completed also saves on labour and material costs. The homes are energy-efficient and green, meaning you save money on energy bills in the long-term. When family needs change, a modular home can be expanded, just like building an extension onto a traditional property.

The highlight of most family holidays is playing on the beach with your kids. Whilst it is possible to do that here in the UK, you can never guarantee the weather. When hot weather does happen, thousands flock to our beaches, leaving little space to relax and play games. That’s why the very best beach holidays are those taken abroad. Here are some of the best and cheapest beach games for you to try this summer:

Musical Towels

Similar to musical chairs but with towels. This is an hilarious game best played in super soft sand where theatrical dives and plonking your backside onto a towel as fast as you can will cause no discomfort. This is a high energy game that will involve lots of giggling – perfect for cooling off in the water afterwards before heading back to your private accommodation to relax. For Kas Villa Rental in Turkey, visit http://kas4villarentals.com/

Cricket

What could be more civilised than a round of cricket played on the sand? While the bowler aims to knock the wickets down with the ball (a soft ball is preferable on the beach) the batter will attempt to hit the ball as far as possible to have time to makes runs between the post and back. Fielders must attempt to catch the ball or stump out the batter. The kids will love it and grown-ups too!

Skimmers and Ploppers

Who can resist the simple pleasure of trying to skim pebbles across the sea? No equipment is required other than that which nature supplies. You can opt for the basic skim attempt whilst most kids will end up with a plop instead. To make the game a little sillier, when player one throws their stone out to sea, other players try to aim their stone at it so that they land with a single plop and not a double plop. It sounds silly, but it’s a hoot! The player whose stone best synchronises with the lead stone gains a point and becomes the new leader.

Treasure hunt

Who doesn’t love a treasure hunt? Send your kids off with a list of items to find and the promise of an ice-cream as a prize. Include simple things like a certain shaped sea shell, some sea weed, a perfectly round pebble, a multi-coloured shell, some driftwood or a feather.

Sand Darts

You don’t need a board, just hand-drawn rings in the sand will suffice. You can use small pebbles or shells for darts. Draw some shapes or numbers in the sand and set the number of points awarded for each one. It’s a lot of fun for both adults and kids, and you can make their targets a little easier to reach. Not only will the kids be having fun but it’s a great opportunity for a little mental arithmetic and some healthy familial competition.

Sand Pictionary

For a game that can be played from the comfort of your sun lounger, this drawing game is ideal. All you need is a finger or stick and some slightly damp sand. Write down some different objects, screw up the pieces of paper and pop them into a bucket. Player one picks a piece and must draw in the sand what is named on their paper. Set a time limit of about one minute and have everyone guess what it is. You can play it as individuals or in teams.

Spring is in the air and for many people, so are wedding bells as the most popular time for weddings in the UK begins – between April and September is when most people choose to get married as it is more likely that the weather will be good on the big day (although this is Britain, so you can’t guarantee it!). You may have a plenty of weddings to attend this summer, or you may be starting to plan your own nuptials. If the latter is you, you may be feeling excited but also a bit overwhelmed by all of the organisation that it takes to plan a wedding. Unless you are a celebrity with an enormous bank balance, you will notice that maybe you can’t necessarily have the lavish wedding that many famous people have splashed across the pages of celebrity magazines – but the important thing is that the wedding is your own and that you and your partner enjoy it.

People often find that when planning a wedding they can get a bit lost under all of the pressure – especially if you have a particularly demanding circle of friends and family – and can easily end up with a wedding that isn’t what they really would have wanted or reflective of their personal style and likes and dislikes. So, before you start to hurriedly ring around all the venues, florists and bridal shops that you can think of, stop and take a minute to decide what you really want.

There are plenty of things that you can do to make your wedding day personal to you – and it certainly doesn’t have to break the bank – if you and your partner are big superhero fans for example, then why not have a fancy-dress superhero wedding? It doesn’t have to be fancy dress – if you want something more understated, but with a nod to the things that you love the table names are the perfect way to express what you love, and you can have great fun and save money creating your own home-made centrepieces. If you are both die hard punk rock lovers, then why not get married in full punk dress, complete with mohawks, and the perfect shoes – DR Martens Gloucester store https://www.cottersshoes.co.uk/product-category/brand/dr-martens/ can supply you with these, and you can customise them for the big day yourself.

Whatever you choose to do on your wedding day, make sure that it is what you want and not the result of pressure from those around you.