This week, there was a sudden, short, high-pitched scream that emanated from behind a chair in our sitting room. No, it wasn’t me thinking I’d spotted a mad axe murderer. It was a signal that the battery in one of our carbon monoxide detectors was dying.
After inspecting the unit, we realised that it was one of those that you can’t replace the battery; it just had to be disposed of… why do they design them like that? Surely it’s a wasteful method.
Our sitting room has a wood-burning stove and is directly below one of the bedrooms in our little cottage. Because of this, we decided to replace it with one of these combination smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
The Google Nest example is perfect for people that like their gadgets; it can be easily checked and controlled by your smart phone or Google Nest Hub. However, with the iffy wi-fi strength in our house, I’d rather the X-Sense. It has a battery life of a decade and a clear, colour-coded display that lets you know the status of the device and it measures carbon monoxide levels every 10 seconds.
shop combination smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
Some of the links on our blog are affiliate links. We may receive a small commission - at no cost to you - if you click through and make a purchase.
Prices & links correct at time of publication.
Flooding can be disastrous for properties and can lead to long-term problems for home-owners. The recent disruption in the UK from flooding proves the need for homes and businesses across the country to prepare for serious issues in case of future deluges. In the following, we’ll showcase the ways in which you can protect your property in case rainfall leads to destruction.
Find out if your home is at risk of flooding
Before buying or renting a new property you should find out if it is at risk of flooding. Once you know how high the risk is, you can decide if you’re willing to take it or if you’d prefer to move into a home that isn’t so susceptible. Whatever you choose, it’s important that you’re aware of the risks of flooding to your home so that you know how high the chances are of you having to evacuate.
Insure your property
Make sure that your home insurance policy has included flood protection so that, in the event of any flood damage, you’ll be covered and able to get things back to normal as quickly as possible. Use a price comparison site to explore the most cost effective solutions on the market and find the cover and price that’s right for you and your home.
Check your drains
To ensure that rainwater runs off your property and doesn’t lead to structural damage to your roof and exterior walls, make sure that your drains are working properly. If you do notice any problems, then you should work with a drainage specialist. You can find support in every area of the UK; for instance, if you’re based in the South East there’s Drain Detectives who’s available to answer your requests 24/7 which is perfect if there ever is an emergency. A company like this can clear any blockages and make sure that your drains work efficiently and will protect your property during heavy or prolonged rainfall.
Install quality windows and doors
When water gets to your property it will seep through any gaps, so make sure that your windows and doors are secure and don’t have any holes around the edges. Should you notice that the sealant around your windows is failing, or that your doors have shrunk in their frames, then work with a professional to ensure that the issue gets remedied and your home is secure if flood water were to arrive.
Raise your sockets and electrical outlets
Reduce the risk of electrical damage and injury should flood water enter your home by raising your electrical sockets and any outlets. This will mean that if only a small amount of water covers your floor, then your electrical outlets will be safe, and you’ll have less damage to deal with when you’re able to return to your property.
Use your garden to protect your home
Gardens can soak up a lot of rainwater and potentially help to ensure that your home stays safe in case of flooding, but only if they’re designed properly. Plant and lay out your garden to ensure that water is able to run away from your property and that plants and soil will soak up some of the excess water. This will not only help to prevent flooding in case of an emergency, but also reduce your garden’s chance of becoming waterlogged.
Remember flood prevention when you renovate
During any remodelling work, make sure that you consider how the changes you’re working on will be affected in case of flooding and how your refurbishments could potentially protect your home from damage caused by flooding. Communicate with your builder to work out how you can adapt your renovation work to include flood prevention measures.
Ensure you know where everything is
In the event of an emergency you’ll need to switch off all power supplies and grab any vital paperwork and essential items, so make sure that you always know where everything is kept. Put all your paperwork in a specific place that’s easy to access just in case you need to grab it in a hurry. If you have dependants like children or pets, make sure their essential possessions are kept together and are easy for you to fetch if you need to relocate quickly and get your family to safety.
Get flood prevention solutions
Products such as sandbags can be used to absorb and dispel water from around your doorways, so in the event of severe flooding make sure that you have a ready supply of them. Use towels to block up toilets so that if lots of water does come into your home, it will be obstructed by the towels from coming up through your toilet.
Make an emergency plan
Should the worst happen, and your home is hit by flooding, make sure that you have an emergency plan in place so that you and your loved ones know what to do and are as prepared as possible. Check government guidelines on what you need to do in case of a flood, and keep an eye on the social media accounts and websites of your local council and emergency services providers so that you can see any warnings as soon as they’re posted. This proactive approach will ensure that you’re ready to get everyone to safety in the case of serious flooding.
There are some DIY projects that are small and others that are more significant; like fixing the paintwork and plaster on a wall or dealing with damp issues on the ceiling. It depends on the severity of the issue and how urgent it is as to what precautions need be taken before going ahead.
In this post, we look at ways of protecting yourself while getting involved in home projects on the weekend.
Small vs large projects
Small home improvements might include fixing a squeaky front door to your home that’s been slowly driving you crazy or adding a trim around the windows. In the back garden, fixing a lawnmower with a power cord issue by ordering a replacement part and resolving the problem is a good weekend task.
Larger projects with a bigger budget could be adding a counter-top over your vanity in the bathroom as part of a bathroom makeover project. These tend to be multi-day projects. And then there’s the whole room or entire house improvements with numerous stages that are carried out in stages.
Understanding the risks with different improvements
Some improvement projects are riskier than others and there are some that shouldn’t cause any concern at all.
It’s important to consider what you’ll be doing and whether it could potentially create a problem. For instance, the breaking up of building materials by demolishing wall structures or fixing a ceiling issue can dislodge older materials can result in material dust spewing out. Depending on the source materials, this dust can be dangerous to inhale.
Even working in the kitchen removing old stone or ceramic materials – replacing them could cause particulate dust to be released, which could be harmful to your health.
Ask yourself: what materials will you come into contact with during the renovations? This includes the original material within the structure; not just what you’ll be using to replace it.
Protecting yourself with major renovations
The larger the project, the greater the risk of coming into contact with old materials that create dust. Silica dust and other types can be seriously harmful to breathe in. Also, the danger isn’t always visible because the dust can be microscopic. This is partly why it can be so dangerous, with lung cancer being of great concern.
It’s important with any major improvement project to use a dust containment system to cover the part of the home being worked on. This avoids contaminating the rest of the home and protects all the occupants too. Containment systems like ones from Trimaco include plastic sheeting which can block off a side of a room or a complete enveloping system with a door that opens to move in and out safely. It also makes clean-up easier too.
Be sure to use a protective face mask and overalls to keep any dust from your mouth, nose and clothing being worn at the time. Also, for woodworking and other tasks that involve your hands, consider wearing thick gloves to protect your fingers. Once the project is complete, it’s a simple matter of removing the dust containment system safely.
Here in the UK, many home-owners have older properties, as it’s part of the character of the land. While these older properties are stunning to look at, unfortunately, they can house hidden health hazards such as asbestos. According to research carried out by the British Lung Foundation, approximately 14 million
homes in the UK were built with asbestos. Perhaps even scarier than that is the fact that surveys show
that 65% of home-owners admitted they didn’t know how to identify asbestos.
What this means is that a lot of education is needed when it comes to home-owners in the UK and the asbestos that may be hidden behind their walls and ceilings. Here we’ll take a look at everything you need to know about asbestos, including why it’s so dangerous to your health, how to identify it, and what to do if your home has the material somewhere.
Asbestos itself isn’t just one thing. Rather, it’s made up of six different, naturally occurring minerals. The minerals consist of very fine fibres that are resistant to a variety of chemicals, fire and heat. There’s no odour or taste to them and, unless you know what to look for, they’re undetectable.
In the past, asbestos was used to fireproof building materials, which means it was quite common to find it in houses. Unfortunately, after it was widely used, it was also determined that exposure to it can lead to mesothelioma, asbestosis or lung cancer. These diseases can be deadly, which is why home-owners should not be taking a risk. Between 2011-2013, there were 2,538 deaths in the UK due to mesothelioma.
In the UK, structures that were renovated or built before the year 2000 have a chance of containing asbestos. There are some regions in the country that are known to have more asbestos sites than others. These regions contain asbestos not just in homes but in commercial buildings, refineries, power plants, schools, factories and chemical plants.
In 1985, the UK banned the use and import of brown (amosite) and blue (crocidolite) asbestos. The law was then replaced in 1992 to include the use and import of white (chrysotile) asbestos. During the 1990s, the government also clamped down on how work was to be conducted on structures that contained the material, stating that only a licensed professional could go about removing it. Then in 2006, the law was strengthened again, and a maximum exposure limit set that required additional strict training regarding how to handle the substance.
Does your home have asbestos?
Of course, no-one wants to think their home was constructed using asbestos; however, for you and your family’s health and safety, it’s vital you find out. Whilst it’s safe to say that any home built before the year 2000 is at risk, those built prior to the 1980s are almost certain to contain it. The typical areas in which the material was used was in the insulation, exteriors such as the shingles and roof, in flooring, the interior walls, in wiring and in old appliances, and in the heating and boiler systems.
The trick with asbestos is that it’s harmless so as long as it’s mixed with other materials or it’s contained within casings. Once you disturb it, however, is when it becomes dangerous. What this means is that you shouldn’t tamper with building rubble in case it’s present.
If you plan on carrying out renovations, your home is starting to show wear and tear or you simply want peace of mind knowing that your home is free of asbestos then it’s a good idea to look into carrying out a survey. When looking for asbestos services, make sure you choose a UKAS accredited company such as EDP, to ensure that surveys are being carried out safely. They can come out and locate the risk and assess if any asbestos exists in your home. They are even able to tell if any of the substance is present in the ground which is important if you plan on constructing a new structure on a site.
From here, the company can provide a detailed plan on how to get rid of the substance, which is called remediation services. Removing asbestos is something that by law must only be carried out by licensed professionals. It’s an extremely dangerous job and needs to be carried out in the correct manner with appropriate protective tools and clothing. Not only that, it also needs to be disposed of properly once removed. You want to be sure that there are no airborne containments, which are extremely hazardous to health.
Not to be taken lightly
For many property owners in the UK asbestos is, unfortunately, a very real issue about which to be concerned. Knowing whether or not your home contains it, where it may be, and how to get rid of it will ensure the safety of yourself and all others who live in the home.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
