Archive for April, 2010
If your home is uninsulated then you could, quite literally, be throwing money out of the window. According to the Energy Saving Trust, when we are paying to heat out homes, 26% of that heat is lost through the roof, 18% lost through the windows, 33% lost through the walls, 12% lost to draughts and 11% lost through the doors and floors. Pretty shocking statistics, considering these figures can all be improved!
When heat is being wasted like this, it means that energy is being wasted – energy that you still need to pay for. This is why making energy efficient improvements to your home not only helps the environment, but they can also help your bank balance.
When you install double glazing in your home, this energy efficient measure can cut down on the heat lost through our windows by half. It can also end up saving an average of £135 on energy bills every year, as well as blocking out the noise, reducing condensation problems and making your property more secure.
Combine this with other energy efficient measures such as cavity wall insulation and loft insulation and you’ll find that you no longer need to turn your heating up so high. Your home will be naturally warmer, more comfortable to live in, and cheaper to run!
You can also choose to go one step further and install renewable energy technology on your property. Thanks to new government schemes, you can now get paid for each unit of energy you generate.
The home improvement market, in particular double glazing, is saturated with literally thousands of companies. In a bid to entice customers, many firms will make bold and eye catching statements like “5 windows for £995“.
Generally, if something sounds too good to be true then it probably is, and as a company we’re not about to dupe potential customers with such marketing bait. Take the window offer mentioned above – does that mean any window in any colour is £995 regardless of the size? We doubt it.
Here at Central Scotland Joinery we’ve worked extremely hard to provide products that remain unrivalled in the indsutry. For example, our windows are fully steel reinforced regardless or size or colour – a feature no other double glazing company is currently advertising or offering.
Investing in your home is not a decision you should take lightly, nor is it something you should find the cheapest product for. Quality windows, doors and conservatories are designed to last, and that’s why in addition to our superior product’s features, each installation comes with a ten year guarantee that is underwritten by an insurer.
Most companies only offer ten years on the profile and five on the glass – ours is ten throughout. And, the majority of these guarantees become void if the company was to cease trading, where as ours remains valid for the life of the contract regardless of our trading position.
It can be difficult to chose which quote to proceed with but by offering a free consultation we’re able to show our customers exactly what they’re getting, thus making their choice easier. As a business we don’t advertise, you won’t find any offers in newspapers and we certainly don’t lead customers astray. The majority of our work comes from word or mouth and we’re keen to preserve our quality reputation throughout Scotland.
One last thing to bear in mind – You’ll never be able to get an instant quotation online that is 100% accurate unless you have the exact dimensions, colour, type of glass and so on ready to hand – someone needs to visit your home to see what can be done and take you through the options. Therefore, be careful of websites that take your details promising a “quick honest quotation” as they’re probably selling it on and you’ll end up with quite a few nuisance phone calls!
So, if you fancy requesting an accurate quotation for a quality product, simply fill out this form and we’ll be in touch within 24 hours to discuss your requirements further and arrange a no obligation visit to your home.
When making improvements to their home, Britons have recently been encouraged to think more about how energy efficient those improvements are. But why is it so important?
A recent survey by Shelter revealed that energy efficiency isn’t at the top of people’s priorities when improving their homes. However, the truth is that energy efficiency doesn’t just benefit the environment, it also helps homeowners themselves.
For example, for those planning a bathroom makeover, they can help to make their home more efficient by choosing a shower that limits the flow of water but that still allows people to wash comfortably and effectively. This helps to save money when it comes to heating water.
On top of this, homeowners can cut their bills further by installing measures such as cavity wall insulation and double glazing, reducing the need to keep the heating on as high.
The Energy Saving Trust have also stated that buyers are now being drawn more to houses that have lower energy bills, and that already have energy efficient measures in place. Some of the features that buyers are looking for include a modern boiler, heating controls and insulation.
Further than these steps, Britons also have the opportunity to go one step further by installing technology such as solar panels or heat pumps. Not only does this reduce carbon emissions and energy bills, but it can now earn extra money from the government thanks to the Feed-In Tariff.
One of the benefits of choosing uPVC double glazing for your home is that it is extremely durable. It should last for 20 years or more, meaning that you’re not going to need to upgrade for a long time. It is well worth choosing the best quality possible from the outset, to make the most of this fact.
Double glazed windows are extremely easy to clean, and can simply be wiped with a damp cloth if necessary. They don’t lose their shape and they will stay looking as good as new for a good many years.
However, there are some times when you will need to carry out maintenance to your windows. Sometimes the seal within the unit can fail which is a reason for condensation to build up between the two panes of glass. Sometimes the glass will need to be replaced, but usually the frame will remain in tact.
If you do believe that your windows need to be replaced, it’s important to go to registered installers who know what they are doing. That way you will end up saving money in the long run, as well as keeping your energy bills as low as possible when you ensure your windows are functioning correctly.
Remember, getting a good quality installation in the beginning can help to ensure long life of your windows. Always go for the best quality product you can buy, and look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo for peace of mind that your windows have a good energy rating.
Homeowners have recently been advised that growing their own vegetables can help to cut down on carbon emissions, as it avoids the need to transport food around the world, as well as saving the consumer money.
A new housing developer, Taylor Wimpey, is encouraging homeowners to make the best use of whatever space they have available to grow their own fruits and vegetables.
The company is offering advice to homeowners after teaming up with gardening expert Alex Denman.
Denman said that ‘Homegrown vegetables are much easier to produce than you might think. Even with the minimum amount of equipment and space, you can grow all sorts of delicious foods.’
In fact, you don’t even need to have space in the garden to be able to grow more. For example, those who have a conservatory in their property are already in a great position to grow a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in their home. Thanks to the double glazing and light in conservatories, homeowners have the option to grow even tropical species.
Denman added that gardeners should also be careful to avoid throwing away any surplus food that they may end up growing on their property.
Instead, she suggested that vegetables can be kept in the freezer, or that householders can try making a jam or chutney that will last well throughout winter.
A new survey has revealed that homeowners are interested in making their homes more energy efficient.
The survey was conducted by the housing charity Shelter alongside the Royal Institute of British Architects. It has shown that 12 percent of homeowners looking to improve their houses are thinking about the environment.
The research was carried out as a part of the Architect in the House scheme, which is designed to provide free consultations with an architect, helping people to understand the ways in which their home can be improved.
In return for getting the consultation session, the homeowners are then invited to make a donation worth £40 that will go towards helping badly housed families and the homeless.
Out of all the reasons given for improving their property, it was found that homeowners were more concerned about energy efficiency than they were about increasing the value of their home. Only eight percent wanted to raise the property in value. However, the good news is that installing energy efficient technology generally does increase the sale price.
A number of measures are recommended for homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their property, such as installing double glazing in windows and doors, or adding insulation to lofts and cavity walls.
However, the survey also revealed that the majority of homeowners are still not interested in saving energy, as almost three quarters (74%) claimed that they simply wanted to improve the way their home looks.
It has recently been claimed that, when homeowners decide to make improvements to their properties, they should ensure that going green is a top priority.
Director of the National Home Improvement Council, Andrew Leech, said that it is natural for homeowners to want to improve areas such as their kitchen or bathroom. However, by focusing on making the property more energy efficient, homeowners will be ensuring that it is given the biggest value boost possible for the future.
Energy efficient improvements that can increase the value of the home include installing double glazing in the windows and doors, or adding cavity wall insulation.
Leech also advised that homeowners should think about incorporating eco friendly measures into their standard projects. For example, those who want to renovate the bathroom could think about installing eco friendly baths and showers at the same time.
Leech’s comments come after a survey found that 73 percent of people in Britain have a dream home improvement project in mind. The survey was conducted by charity shelter alongside the Royal Institute of British Architechts.
12 percent of those who responded to the survey said that enhancing the energy efficiency of their property was the main reason why they wanted to undertake the work. According to Mr Leech, this figure is far too low. This is why more needs to be done to incorporate energy efficient measures into everyday work.
If you are looking at choosing replacement double glazing for your property, the good news is that there are now more styles and designs than ever before, making it easier to match the windows to your property. If you are trying to make a decision, there are a few main factors you should consider:
How Energy Efficient Are the Windows?
One of the major benefits of replacing your windows is that you can make them far more energy efficient. Much of the heat in your home is lost through the windows, meaning your heating system has to work harder to keep you warm. By getting windows rated C or above (the higher the better) you can help to reduce the amount of heat lost through your windows, and know that you’ll eventually be cutting down on your energy bills.
The Panes of Glass
Double glazing uses two panes of glass, which is far more energy efficient than single pane windows. Between the panes of glass there should be a layer of gas which will help to keep the heat inside the home, and the cold out.
Choosing the Right Frame
Lastly, you’ll need to choose the right style of frame depending on what will suit your home as well as your own tastes. This could be a uPVC frame, which is the most common type. Or you could use wooden frames (used in conservation areas), aluminium frames or composite frames.
The choice you make is up to you, but spend a little time researching and your new windows are bound to add value to your property!
It has recently been reported that conservatories are good for more than simply extending your property: they can also insulate homes to make them warmer.
In a recent report by earthtimes.org, it was claimed that conservatories can help Britons to reduce their energy costs each year due to the fact that they help natural light to flood into the living area, warming it up without the need to turn the heating on.
Earthtimes.org said “This means that you need not turn on your heating should you still be feeling the cold indoors, therefore bringing a very noticeable reduction in your energy bills over time.”
It is recommended that, to get the most from conservatories, homeowners also install uPVC windows, which can eliminate heat loss even further, cutting down household bills.
uPVC double glazing means that windows are very tightly sealed to keep out the draughts that often come into homes through single glazed windows. On top of this, double glazing can also keep out excess noise, can help improve the look of your home, and is very easy to maintain.
Conservatories can be installed by homeowners into their DIY. However, it was recently reported by Santander Insurance that going the DIY route, rather than hiring trained professionals, could end up costing homeowners £344 more than planned on average.
A recent survey suggests that many young people do not expect to be able to afford their first home for many years to come.
The survey was taken by YouGov, commissioned by the National Housing Federation, and the results showed that 54 percent of young people in London expected they would have to wait ten years or more to buy their first property.
The survey also showed that many of the young people knew what to look for in potential properties, including energy efficient measures such as double glazing, and central heating systems, but simply didn’t have the money to buy.
Katy John, spokesperson for PircedOut.org.uk, commented on these results saying that this is an issue which should be addressed by the main political parties in the run up to the General Election.
She said that, over the last decade, affordability of homes has become a growing concern for those buying for the first time, and the problem is even worse in the capital.
When British people are in the position to be able to afford a home, the Energy Saving Trust is offering advice to help them make a good decision.
The trust recommends that buyers find out how old the current boiler is, and that if it is 15 years or older then it may need replacing with a more efficient model. The ideal boiler is a modern condensing boiler, which buyers should look out for alongside other energy efficient measures such as insulation and uPVC windows.
