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August 2021

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The Various Materials You Can Select For Window & Door Frames

When you are looking to replace the windows and doors on the exterior of your home, you have various materials from which you can choose for the frames. Each one has different properties, so you will need to carefully decide what is best for your home and do some research on the various ones you can use. Below are some of the materials you can consider for the frames for your windows and doors that can look fantastic and create a warm and cosy environment in your home.

Aluminium Window & Door Frames

Aluminium is an excellent choice for the frames for windows and doors. It is strong and durable and does not rust, and they are available in an assortment of styles and colours. If you decide on an option such as Origin bi-fold doors, you will also enjoy the fact they are low maintenance. All you need to do is clean the frame surface with water and a sponge, and you are done. You do not have to paint them or treat them as you would with wood, but you do need to ensure they are correctly insulated to prevent heat loss as metal conducts heat.

Wooden Window & Door Frames

You can also select wooden window and door frames as they have excellent thermal properties and do not leak heat as metal ones do. Wood also has a great aesthetic appeal, but a significant drawback is requiring plenty of maintenance. You will need to look at maintaining them every couple of years, and depending on the finish, they may require painting or staining to keep them looking excellent. There are plenty of options available, so there is something suitable for all tastes and budgets with wooden windows and door frames.

uPVC Window & Door Frames

A standard option for many homes throughout the UK is installing uPVC window and doors frames. These frames can be long lasting and require minimal maintenance, and they also have excellent thermal qualities. They are available in a wide variety of styles, colours, and finishes, and they are also a cost-effective solution for your property. However, one drawback is that the colour of the frames will fade due to exposure to the sun and elements. You can often find that the windows are sound but can look unsightly when the colour fades outside. However, you can respray the uPVC windows and door frames using a professional service and make them look like new again, which will cost about a third of the price of replacing the windows.

Composite Window & Door Frames

Another option you may want to consider is installing composite window and doors frames in your building. Composite window and door frames can take the best features from other materials and combine them to give you high-performing windows and doors in your home. They can be strong, secure, hard-wearing, energy-efficient, and last for a long time, and they can also be a low maintenance solution. The cost of them will depend on the configuration you choose for your home, but they can drastically enhance the appearance of your home and boost its curb appeal.

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A Guide To Assist You Buy The Right Lumbar Support Pillow

If you are someone who works in the office setting, then chances are you’re spending the majority of the day only sitting in the office chair, which does not provide the finest support for your lower back. And as a result, one may leave work every day with a restless leg and achy back. Adding the lumbar support pillow to the chair can go on to provide one’s back the very support one needs to maintain proper circulation of blood, good posture, and prevent the very muscle fatigue. The majority of the alternatives also go on to feature memory foam that allows a pillow to conform to a natural curvature of the back and goes on to continue to give the needed support.

Having said that, there are scenarios where you may find yourself slouching. If you have only been sitting or resting for a long time without decent lumbar support, you’d probably find yourself slouching. Slouching with the head and the shoulders hunched ahead puts a bit of strain on one’s entire body and particularly the lower back. After numerous weeks of continuous testing of the lumbar support pillow for the office chairs, it is believed that the eternal comfy memory foam cushion for the back is the supportive, inexpensive, and comfy cushion that’ll save one’s back.

Here are some of the finest pillows for lumbarsupport which you may consider:-

Everlasting Comfy Memory Foam Back Pillow

This thick memory foam is pretty sturdy yet cushiony. And a couple of adjustable, and extendable straps go on to make that pillow very easy and simple to position, it hits the very right spot for the middle and lower back on the majority of the chairs. There is a cover that one can easily go on to remove the moment you feel like washing and also there is a lifetime replacement guarantee that offers you peace of mind. It’s a pillow that’ll support the back for numerous years to come.

Overall The Finest: Comfort Memory Foam by Xtreme

This Xtreme Comfort Back Cushion is firstly designed to evade unhealthy sitting postures by providing the apt support to maintain and look after the very natural curve of the human’s spine. This design goes on to help in increasing the blood flow, which prevents the fatigue of muscle & back tightness, thus lets you sit comfortably with no pain. At 16x13x5.2″, the design of the cushion includes very unique 4-point quick snaps straps that permit it to be secured to almost any chair.

Finest Breathable Lumbar Support by ComfiLife 

Suitable for when an office gets hot and humid during the months of summer, this back pillow by ComfiLife for Lumbar Support features a 3-Dimensional ventilating mesh cover, letting air to flow across and minimize heat on the back. Furthermore, its 100 % high-density foam not just makes sure optimal comfort, however, it is also heat-and-weight responsive, which means the very firmness of a pillow will go on to adapt as per the temperature.

There you go. Hopefully, this guide will help you buy the right lumber support pillow.

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Home

Why Use A Chair Cushion For Desk Chair?

Humans wear built to walk and run. Our spines are straight yet curved, designed that way to support the weight of our heads and yet enable us to walk upright. Through evolution, we went from crawling to walking to running, and it is how we get around.

Yet nowadays, people spent more time sitting than walking. A study shows that the average worker sits for up to 15 hours. Top 10 Best Seat Cushions For Office Chair it is unnatural for humans to be sitting that long, and it is no wonder that all that sitting has left us vulnerable to diseases of the spine. More people are heading got doctors complaining of lower back pain, ulcers, muscular and joint issues.

It has also led to an increased occurrence of heart disease, diabetes, and depression in the average worker’s mind. But our jobs mean that we must sit, even if it is killing us. But there is always a better way forward. While we cannot all throw away our jobs and run off into the sunset, small steps to improve our standing and reduce the amount of time we spend sitting can go a long way in protecting our health. Making your desk a better place for you is one way to go about this. Here is how you can convert your desk into an ergonomic and healthy space for yourself.

What to do?

Sitting for long periods is unhealthy and draining on people. The average worker can only concentrate for 3-4 out of an 8-hour working day. To improve your thinking skills and your body here is what you can do:

  • Adopt proper posture 

Sitting right can save your life. Force yourself to sit straight at all times. While it may be difficult at the start, you will soon find yourself unconsciously straightening your spine as soon as you begin slouching. Good habits last for a lifetime.

  • Add a seat cushion 

Using a chair cushion for desk chair will help your body distribute its weight and reduce stress on the joints and muscles. A chair cushion can go a long way in promoting good posture and enabling your body to relax even after long durations of sitting.

  • Raise your monitor

A computer is usually placed on a desk that is lower than our eye level. Constant bending of your neck to a lower position can cause it to become cramped, and develop pains in your back and spine later in life. Raising your monitor to eye level makes it easier for you to maintain a straight posture, as you will not slouch to see the computer screen.

Sitting is not the best for our bodies and minds. So, get a great chair cushion for desk chair to make your experience fine. We must always try to move around at frequent intervals. But even if we work a desk job, we can try to reduce the stress we put on our minds and bodies by adopting some simple steps to maintain our health. These steps will go far in keeping us healthy and fit for life.

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Kitchen

4 Styles of Ramp Sink: Which One Is Right for You?

Have you ever thought of your bathroom sink as a thing of beauty? If not, consider the ramp sink. It is one of the hottest trends in bathroom design these days. It is the epitome of classic, clean minimalism in a room that tends to not get as much attention as it deserves.

The ramp sink is so named because of its sloping design. Rather than featuring a bowl in either a circular or oblong shape, a ramp sink tends to be rectangular. It is shaped as a ramp sloping downward from front to back. A slit at the bottom of the ramp serves as the drain.

Salt Lake City’s Modern Craftsman a functional art studio who makes custom concrete sinks, says concrete is one of the more common materials for modern ramp sinks. Concrete offers the benefit of manageable cost along with customization in finish, color, etc.

There are four styles of ramp sinks:

1. Wall Mount Ramp Sink

A wall mount ramp sink is mounted to the wall behind it. If installed in a corner, it can also be attached on the short side. The key thing to remember here is that a wall-mounted sink’s fixtures are attached directly to the sink.

Wall-mounted sinks are supported entirely by the walls on which they are mounted. This is to say that there is no cabinetry beneath. As such, the biggest drawback is a lack of storage space. You get the clean, sleek look of a modern ramp sink without exposed plumbing. But you have to find other options for storage.

2. Floating Ramp Sink

A floating ramp sink is similar to a wall mount model in the sense that it is attached to the wall behind it. What makes it different? The fixtures are not attached to the sink in any way. Rather, they are mounted on the wall. This essentially gives you at least five separate pieces.

The floating ramp sink requires a bit more work to install. On the positive side, you wouldn’t necessarily have to replace fixtures if the sink were damaged beyond repair, or you simply decided you wanted something different. You could use the same fixtures and just replace the sink itself.

3. Under-Mount Ramp Sink

An under-mount ramp sink is one installed with cabinetry. The ‘under mount’ designation comes from the fact that the sink is installed through the underside of the cabinet so that its top surface is flush with the vanity’s counter space. This provides more area for things like tissue boxes, air freshness, etc.

Your big advantage with an under-mount sink is the extra storage. You can also hide your plumbing from view, which is important to some people. On the downside, under-mount sinks require more work to install. They are also harder to repair.

4. Double Ramp Sink

Finally, you have the double ramp sink. Its determining feature is its length. As the name implies, it is a double sink perfect for accommodating two people side-by-side. There are separate fixtures for both.

A double sink can be installed as a wall mount, floating, or under-mount sink. In commercial settings, the floating option works well. And in fact, there have been instances in which craftsmen have designed wall mount sinks capable of accommodating half-a-dozen or more users simultaneously.

Ramp sinks are all the rage right now. If you are looking to modernize your bath and are not afraid of materials like concrete, you might want to consider installing one. Just make sure you have a master craftsman do the job for you.

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HOW TO TELL AN AUTHENTIC ROOFING COMPANY

The right roofing company ensures the complete success of a given roofing project. That is why even before beginning to sign and contract the company, one should ensure that they have settled on the right one. The real hustle comes on telling the genuine company from the fly-by-night one which delivers an inferior work disappears. The following factors should be considered before hiring a company to take care of one’s roofing project.

Location

There is an added advantage to hiring a local roofing company. This is because it has familiarity with the local and the national building codes, which guarantee compliance. A company committed to best service delivery, like My Coastal Windows & Exteriors, is sought due to its quality of materials, the utmost quality, and compliance with building regulations.

A written estimation

One way to tell a genuine company from a fake one is by giving their estimates. A genuine construction must and should provide a written estimation when the consultations are made, and this should be highly considered over the one that offers verbal estimations. It should give you the chance to read, ask questions and sign the estimation at an ample time. A company that pressurizes on signing the document even before understanding their service is a red light that is not genuine.

Communication

If by any chance by any chance, one starts to experience difficulty in reaching out to the company, then that is a bad sign for a poor company. If there are hard-to-navigate voice prompts, long hold times, or maybe disinterested and rude customer service representatives, the company might not be worth hiring. It may mean they are extremely busy, so they won’t have enough time to answer and even consult with you, or they may just be placing all the huddles to their advantage.

Getting a company that can be easily reached and courteous customer representatives should be one’s goal.

Mode of Payment

A company that insists on being paid through cash is also another sign that it’s not authentic. This is because, with money, there is no paper trail or guarantees, and this makes it a significant risk on service delivery. Presenting a written document during the initial stages of disputes will always be deemed the best approach to win over such incidents. Dealing with a company that tries its best not to have any documents pinned on them shows their quality of not being authentic.

Licensing

It’s very crucial to verify the necessary and legitimate documents of one company’s interest. This can be done by asking about their tax identification number, business website, physical business address, contact phone number, or email address. A legitimate company should have at least all of the above documents and promptly be displayed whenever an inquiry is made.

The above tips will help identify the authenticity of given companies that one is interested in working with.

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Kitchen

The Importance Of Cleaning Commercial Kitchen Hoods and Vents

The kitchen hood is comprised of a fan, duct, filters, and other elements which remove greasy smoke, vapors, and fumes. Regular cleaning of your kitchen hood is essential for proper functioning. Improper function of your kitchen hood and exhaust can reduce the lifespan of your system, costing expensive repairs or replacement of your entire system.

The amount of build-up that is collected depends on the capacity of service, oil output, and food that is produced in your kitchen. Most build-up of exhaust systems and hoods can go unnoticed making it difficult to realize what is happening.

Foul odors, germs, and kitchen fires can be the result of a dirty commercial kitchen hood. The safety of your building, customers, and employees can be impacted by dirty filters, grease residue, filthy fans, ducts, and other various components, reducing the quality of air and increasing numerous health hazards.

The Impact Of A Clean Kitchen Hood

Reduces fire risk: The kitchen hood is located above the cooking range and its function is to collect grime, fat, grease, oil deposits, soot, fumes, smoke, mold, and dangerous chemicals. Eventually, heavy grime accumulates. This leads to inefficient hood function, increasing the chances of a seriously dangerous fire risk when the grease is heated at high temperatures.

Reduces the release of unsafe particles: It’s difficult for a kitchen hood to properly trap particles if grease has been excessively accumulated. Particles that escape the hood can disperse into the air, reducing the air quality, increasing bacteria growth, allergies, respiratory issues, and causing bad odors in the building which can pose a health risk for employees and customers.

Reduces the chances of a blocked system: Build-up of grease, grime, soot, and particles can block your hood and exhaust system reducing proper airflow.

Lowers electricity costs: Increases energy efficiency which lowers utility bills.

Keeps systems running properly and save money: Reduces the chances of costly repairs, enhances proper performance, and increases your system’s lifespan.

Lowers the cost of insurance: National Fire Protection Association safety code compliance is required by insurance companies. Your kitchen hood must be clean and well maintained to avoid high premiums, code violations, or coverage loss.

Aids in local safety compliance: Your business can receive an unexpected drop-in from a local authority. Depending on the cleanliness of your kitchen hood, you can have your business closed or penalized if it is not properly cleaned.

Kitchen Hood Maintenance Tips

  1. Always be sure to check hood openings for blockages.
  2. Always perform regular dusting so particles do not accumulate on your system.
  3. Be sure to check your system for cracks and leaks. If you should find any, have them repaired immediately.
  4. Check your system for clogs and blockages and remove them.
  5. Make sure to check your system’s dampers regularly to ensure that they can be adjusted and are open to avoid negative impacts on air quality and poor system performance.

How To Keep Your Kitchen In Code

Your exhaust and kitchen hood must be cleaned according to code. The frequency of when your hood and exhaust should be clean is regulated by firm life and fire safety codes. Compliance is required to avoid fines or legal trouble.

Signs That Your System Is Due For Cleaning

  • When the duct or canopy has noticeable stains.
  • When the hood vent is on a high setting and smoke is not exiting properly.
  • When the motor is making unusually loud or abnormal noises.
  • When the inside of your kitchen hood is showing visible grease and grime.

How Regularly Should Your Kitchen Hood Be Cleaned?

Your kitchen hood should be cleaned at least three times a month for heavy use which is typically 12-16 hours daily. Medium use should be cleaned every six months which is typically in use for 6-12 hours daily. Light use is typically 2-6 hours daily and should be cleaned once a year. Cleaning frequently depends on the type of stove you have. Some stoves burn charcoal or wood and may require more frequent cleaning. Various aspects may increase or decrease the frequency of your cleaning routine. The equipment, food type, or amount of business are some factors that may determine the frequency.

The National Fire Protection Association has suggested the following cleaning routine:

  1. Charcoal and wood burning: Monthly to weekly
  2. High volume and 24-hour restaurants: Quarterly to six times yearly
  3. Fast food restaurants: Quarterly to six times yearly
  4. Wok or Charbroiler: Quarterly to six times yearly
  5. Hoods that are above grease-producing appliances: Semiannual or annually
  6. Dishwashers, soup vats, and steam kettles: Semiannual or annually
  7. Senior facilities, day camps, and churches: Annually

According to the National Fire Protection Association 96, the thickness of the build-up of residue influences the frequency of cleaning. Listed below is the amount of build-up that is allowed before a cleaning is necessary.

In accordance with 11.6.1, cleaning is required if the depth of 2000µm (0.78 inches) is measured. The thickness of a nickel equates to 0.78 inches.

In accordance with 11.6.1, in a fan housing, cleaning is required if the depth of 3175µm (0.125 inches) is measured. The thickness of two pennies equates to .125 inches.

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Home

Finding A Suitable Contractor For Your Office Refurbishment

When you are keen to redesign your office space, you will need a reputable contractor to assist you with the task. Finding a suitable company to help is not always easy, so you may need to do a lot of research to ensure you find the best one for the job. The good news is that all you need is a computer with internet access and email, making the task a simple one. Below are some tips to help you find a reputable contractor specialising in office interiors that can transform your space into a functional and beautiful space for your business.

Decide What You Want To Do With Your Space

Before you start your search for a suitable company to work on the layout of your office, you will first need to decide what you want to do. You can get plenty of inspiration from excellent websites such as Pinterest that can inspire you and help you recognise what you want from your office space. If possible, it is advantageous to get rid of internal walls if possible, and rather than have one open space, use partitioning to section off areas of your office. Doing this can help create a more productive working environment for your employees, which will also benefit your business.

Starting Your Search For A Contractor

Now that you know what you want, you can search for a reputable building company to assist with your office renovation. Use your favourite search engine and search for what you want in your area. For example, you can type into Google “office partitioning in Swindon”, and the results will show all the companies in the area offering this service. Make a list of all the companies who work in your local area, and you can then look at each in a little more detail.

Check Their Online Reputations

The next step is to look at the companies’ online reputations on your list to help you decide which one to use for your office. There are many independent review websites that you can use, and an excellent place to start is one like Trust A Trader. These are vetted companies, and customers can leave reviews on the work the company has done for them, giving you insight into how they operate and treat their clients. You can use this to whittle down your list to three or four companies and then get in contact with them.

Get A Quote

Ideally, you will have three or four companies left on your list, and you can then contact each of them and ask for a quote for your project. They may need to come and inspect the office and go through your requirements to give you a detailed estimate. Once you have received a quote from each company, you can then work out which one you prefer to use. The cost is a vital consideration, but the timeframe is another one you need to keep in mind. Choosing the cheapest does not usually work out well, so rather than looking at the price as a primary deciding factor. Use the companies online reputations and your gut feeling, whether they are good or not, and select the company with which you have the best rapport.

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