The Popularity and Elegance of French Doors

Double glazed patio doors first became popular over three decades ago. And, in the last twenty years, most homeowners have moved away from the modern look and instead opted for more traditional designs, including the ever-popular French double doors.

The truth is that replacing your current doors, or adding in new patio doors, can make a huge difference to your property. But what are the specific benefits of adding French doors to your property, apart from the way they look in themselves?

• They bring in a fantastic amount of light to the back of your home, often opening up space that wasn’t available before,
• They give a great view to the back garden, with windows and doors often being used together to increase the viewing space,
• They are perfect for ventilation, with systems in place that allow the air to get in but prevent the rain from pouring in,
• They connect your home to the garden, perfect for summer days or balmy evenings sat on the patio and eating food from the barbeque,
• And in the winter, doors and windows in sunny locations of the home help to keep it naturally warmer.

Choosing double glazing with French doors really is a perfect way to upgrade the look of your home, whilst still maintaining a traditional look. And the double glazing means they will help to keep in heat and will be more secure than traditional windows or doors.

Energy Saving Should Be Viewed as Money Saving

A green home expert has recently stated that it’s important to make homeowners more aware of the money-saving benefits that saving energy will have for their home. This will help make people more willing to make home improvements, such as double glazing, insulation and cutting back on energy usage.

In a speech at the Westminster Energy, Environment and Transport Forum, Richard Diment, from the Federation of Master Builders, called for incentives for homeowners to make the necessary improvements. This would help the plan to improve existing houses within the UK.

The government is currently working out a scheme that could give people interest free loans, in amounts up to £10,000, to make these home improvements that will help homes to be more energy efficient. Homeowners would then pay back the money when they start to benefit from cheaper utility bills.

Gordon Miller, founder of What Green Home, agrees with Diment’s assessment of financial incentives, though states that the government also needs to do more to educate homeowners as to what the benefits of energy efficiency really are.

Miller claims that if people can truly see the benefits, in terms of saving money, then they will choose to act.

For those already looking to save money and make home improvements, some grants are available for those looking to make certain changes.

Schools Across the UK Becoming More Eco-Friendly

Since the recent launch of the 10:10 campaign, many schools and universities have signed up to reduce their emissions by at least 10% by 2010.

One school, Thomas Alleyne’s High School it Uttoxeter, has become a case study to be used on the Carbon Trust website due to the many ways in which it has reduced the energy it uses.

The school started implementing measures long before the 10:10 campaign was launched, and first contacted the Carbon Trust back in 2007 to apply for a free carbon survey. The survey provided the school with information on how much energy they used, and specific measures for improvement.

At present the school has so far taken action on 60% of the recommendations, and is still working towards further improvements.

Changes include installing a cover over the swimming pool, and using monitoring software to help take regular meter readings and track consumption.

New energy-saving controls now mean that the school’s computers can be switched onto standby using just a remote control. The school is also in the process of replacing all windows with double glazing.

Overall, these changes are going to save the school multiple thousands of pounds each and every year.

Many other schools, universities, business and individuals are following suit by pledging to reduce their emissions by 10% by 2010. This can include double glazing, insulation, energy-saving bulbs, eating less meat, driving less and more.

The Future Lies in Monitoring Utility Use

One of the key factors for ensuring our homes will be energy-friendly in future is going to be to monitor our utility use carefully, according to Geoff Manaugh of BLDGBLOG and Dwell magazine.

Manaugh’s comments come as a response to an IBM engineer who has made the news for monitoring his energy usage using the online service Twitter.

British Andy Stanford-Clark has setup a system monitoring all aspects of his home, including the use of lighting, water, and heating. He is sent messages through Twitter when he is away from home, to help him keep track of energy levels and solve any problems as they occur.

The monitoring was personally setup by Stanford-Clark, branded a master inventor, who wanted to keep track of his own needs and ensure that nothing goes to waste. This includes occasions where a faulty valve on a hosepipe caused large amounts of water to be wasted over the garden. This system made sure he was alerted straight away.

Manaugh claims that this kind of monitoring is key for the future of energy efficiency in homes. Consumers will not only reduce their energy usage, it will also give them more of a clear idea as to their exact needs. In this case, it’s suggested that we could all personalise our systems according to what we use and what we need.

Manaugh has also suggested an “electrical Weight Watchers” programme to help us keep track of how much CO2 we are using.

If you don’t yet have the technology to implement such systems then starting with insulation and double glazing can reduce your CO2 usage dramatically, also helping to save money on bills in the long-term.

Controlling the Temperature of Your Conservatory

When it comes to choosing your new conservatory it’s important to consider how comfortable it’s going to be throughout the year. In doing so, temperature is often the most important issue.

A conservatory should be seen as an extension of the living space in your home, so the more often you use it, the more worthwhile your purchase will be.

Not all conservatories are designed to be used all year round. In the UK, many of us will simply stay out of the sunroom during the coldest winter months. During summer, it can also become extremely hot when the sunlight constantly shines in.

Year-Round Conservatories

It is possible to factor in all year round usage into your conservatory plans. This means that you can extend your home’s heating system into the conservatory, as well as opting for materials that are well insulated to keep heat in during winter, and allow the room to cool down during summer.

Often, measures such as a ceiling fan or portable heater can also help to increase the usability of conservatories that have not been designed for use all year round.

Other Factors to Consider

The temperature of your conservatory will also affect your furniture, blinds and curtains. Choose fade-resistant items, and also make use of blinds as a natural and cost-effective way to protect furniture and keep sun out during the hottest months.

A conservatory is an excellent investment for your home. Just make the most out of it by planning carefully and know exactly when you’ll be able to make the most use out of it.

Searching for the Greenest Office in the UK

A new competition has recently been launched to find the greenest office in the UK.

The competition is looking for candidates to enter – companies who feel they are doing their part to help the environment.

Businesses of any size, as long as they are based in the UK, are invited to enter the competition, until entries close at the end of November this year. Entrants should explain just why they deserve the prize of the UK’s greenest company. The prize will be awarded in January 2010.

The Greenest Office Award 2009 was launched by Cartridge World to help find the most energy efficient and energy conscious place of work in the UK. The competition is also run in conjunction with CO2 balance.

The competition is searching for businesses that are putting extra effort into making changes such as energy efficient waste disposal, recycling and reducing their overall carbon emissions.

Many businesses find going green to be difficult, especially during times of economic struggle where plans get set aside.

There are a number of ways in which companies can step up their efforts to go green. This includes careful measures regarding the use of paper and recycling old printouts, reducing energy by checking usage of heating and air conditioning, installing insulating, double glazing and green lighting, implementing green education programs and more.

Technologies to Help You Cut Your Spending On Gas

There are so many ways in which you can become more eco friendly and start saving money. No matter what you can do, taking just one of the steps below can greatly reduce the carbon emissions from your home.

Insulation: The government is now strongly encouraging all homeowners to insulate their homes. This includes insulating the walls and loft, as well as windows and doors by installing double glazing.

Rainwater Harvesting: Buying a suitable sized tank for your family’s needs mean that you can collect and store rainwater. This can then be used for a number of different purposes, including flushing the toilet, washing clothes and watering the garden.

Wiring: There are a number of ways in which you can reduce your electricity consumption by being careful with the way your home is wired. Certain items can be programmed to turn off automatically. This may be a large expense at first, but will greatly reduce electricity consumption and carbon emissions from your home.

Biomimetic White Paint: This is a special type of paint that reflects natural light into the house. It is one of the cheaper options on this list to help you reduce your heating costs.

All of these methods require an initial expense. However, over time, they will greatly reduce your carbon footprint, your fuel consumption and your heating bills.

New £3.5m Climate Change Fund for Scotland

A total of £3.5m worth of funding has been given to a number of projects in Scotland.

The money will be used by a total of 37 programmes, each working to help beat climate change in a number of ways. The programs will help to encourage sustainability and improve energy efficiency. In total, they will reduce carbon emissions by 250,000 tonnes - equal to reducing the number of cars on UK roads by 80,000.

The Environment secretary of Scotland made a statement saying that it is ‘heartening’ to meet the successful applicants who are confronting carbon emissions.

Some of the applicants include an organic garden, eco-friendly education centre, carbon reduction scheme and more.

This fund, known as the Climate Challenge Fund (CCF), is now funding a total of 157 after the new applicants were officially added to the list.

The CCF will be making a total of £27.4m in funds available over three years from 2008 to 2011.

Applications can be made to the CCF for local voluntary bodies, schools, and non-profit organisations that want to fund projects which can demonstrate a large reduction in carbon emissions across.

Overall, the UK has put a target in place of reducing carbon emissions by 80 percent of 1990 levels by 2050.

For Peace of Mind: Improve Your Home With Secure Double Glazing

Double glazing still remains one of the most popular ways for homeowners to improve their property throughout the UK. However, there are many that don’t see the benefits, and wish to stick with single-paned windows instead.

Aside from energy efficiency, another benefit of double glazed windows is their higher security. This is due to the fact that they’re made of two layers of glass.

Windows are one of the most common points of entry for burglars, due to their security weaknesses. However, thicker double glazing makes things a lot harder for them, as well as reducing the risk that the window will shatter or break.

Double glazing frames are also a lot more secure than traditional single pane windows. This means that, not only will your home be at less risk of being burgled, you can also experience lower insurance premiums. In fact, double glazing could end up saving you hundreds of pounds every year. This is particularly useful for businesses where theft is a common problem.

It’s natural for people to be concerned about the cost of having double glazing installed. However, not only can it help you to save money over the long term, it can also provide excellent peace of mind when it comes to the security of your property.

The UK Window and Door Market Sees A Strong Growth in Energy Rated Energy Rated Double Glazing

Since the introduction by the British Fenestration Rating Council (BFRC) of a new window rating system, the double glazing industry has seen a large increase in the demand for the more energy efficient uPVC windows.

This window rating system uses ratings similar to those given to appliances like washing machines, ovens, fridges and more. Window ratings, going from A-E, are there to help consumers make informed decisions when it comes to creating a more energy-efficient home. It seems consumers have been quick to recognise the importance of highly efficient windows, with a large rise in demand for this glass in windows, doors and conservatories.

Single glazed buildings, or those in which double glazing was installed before 2002, could be losing money in terms of the heat lost through the glass. With current high fuel costs, installing energy efficient windows is of utmost importance.

According to the BFRC, installing energy efficient double glazed windows could help to save consumers up to £461 per year, due to reductions in heating bills.

The government is currently aiming to help households reduce their total energy consumption by around 20% - and replacing single glazed windows with double glazed windows could help to reduce energy usage by 18%. It’s also recommended that homeowners combine double glazing with insulation and turning down the thermostat by one degree.

In order to provide the best service to our customers, all of our windows are of the highest quality, helping to reduce energy lost through windows by as much as 90%.