Questions One Needs To Ask Plumbers Before Hiring Them

by: Melville Jackson


Plumbing systems are vital for any home to properly function. We all know the hassle we have to face when we have a plumbing problem. When you have a broken sink or a leaking pipeline, besides the high water bills, you have to be at the mercy of your contractor to get to your home. You miss your office and important assignments are held up. In such situations, your condition is nothing close to being good.

When you are looking for a plumber near your home, you need to ask certain questions before hiring the person. Here are the questions for you -

Is he licensed? Having the right kind of license will ensure that you get the best job done. A licensed company means it follows the industry guidelines while servicing its customers. If a company isn't licensed, then it must not be trusted as this will make you vulnerable to more loss. Why go in for so much hassle? Also, the company must be affiliated to various organizations such as CORGI, HVCA and NICEIC. This further proves that the company is on top of the curve.

Is he experienced? Just having the license and registrations in place won't work in your favour. You need to ensure that the company must have been in business for a long time. This saves you the hassle from losing more time on your problem. Experienced professionals ensure that they will be able to provide you with high quality job at record time.

Are the employees insured? Insured staff should be preferred as they will be able to finish the job quickly. There are many companies who don't really insure their staff. This puts the onus on the client to pay for the damages if the employee suffers due to any accident.

What about warranty? A contractor must be able to guarantee his job. If he/she shies away from backing his/her job, then it will mean more harm than good. This is absolutely vital as you wouldn't want to shell out more money in maintenance.

There are various other considerations you need to make in order to select the right expert for the job. When you are looking for plumbers, Leeds home owners and business owners will find these tips to be helpful. Make sure that you get a contractor who give you the job at a good price. Going for a contractor who quotes rock bottom prices may leave poorer in the long run.

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Samsung 32 LCD HDTV

by: Alison Franklin


When digital technology introduced the line HDTV, the whole consumer market was shaken by the impact it had created.

HDTV denotes the term High Definition TV. All of the key ingredients in the digital technological world are included. The display resolution found on the High Definition TV screen far out does what can be found on the older television sets. The acoustics which comes with it is called Dolby Digital and it uses the widescreen format when broadcasting, for the finest visual display.

Thus, High Definition Television sets are digital technology at its best since it gives vivid imagery and in focus pictures. You will be blown away by the mind boggling acoustic effects which will make think you have the best seat available in a THX theatre.

Consumers, generally are willing to shell out some dough just to own sets that have good picture clarity.

Samsung is a leading trademark found in the consumer technology corner. The technically-conscious consumer values all of the features and functions which Samsung highlights on their products.The shopper who loves all the up-to-date technical features and functions available, immensely values the Samsung product. Samsung has a immense range of products, from phones to fridges and the high standard maintained is always keenly appreciated and highly praised by its buyers. If you are looking at the most recent technological advances in HDTV, then you should think about looking at the Samsung High Definition TV.

A major part of the HDTV market is owned by Samsung. It is one of the market leaders in the High Definition Television industry. So if you have any interest in owning one of the improved models, it is wise to take a look at the Samsung HDTV review. You need to be able to discern which is best for you, as there are a lot of models available to consumers. The Samsung trademark offers a large selection of features and functions for each of their models, so hand-picking the one which is perfect for you requires proper research.

A case in point, the Samsung 32 Inch LCD TV is as charming aesthetically as it is in picture caliber. Its flowing and slight size would surely catch the eye of the shopper. The size is mainly for its artistic appeal, but the imagery and colours included, would strongly twist the customers's arm to buy.

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Some expert advice on wooden flooring

by: Matt Torr


After years in the wood flooring business we know all the ins and outs so we thought we'd share them with you! If you are thinking about buying or fitting a wooden floor then look no further.....read our article first and you'll get a leg up...a jargon free...fact rich gem of an article which will ensure you set off in the the right direction. Thanks for looking!!!!

Trust us....we've done it.... a hundred times or more!

We've been in the wood flooring business for years, selling and fitting...so there eally aren't many problems which we haven't come across before. We supply and fit solid wood flooring, engineered wood flooring and laminate flooring....and from time to time correct, repair or relay the floors which other people have installed...and we've seen some shockers! Sometimes a poor finish is just the result of someone going a bad job...which we really can't do anything about but the single, most important thing is to buy wood flooring which is appropriate to your environment.

So lets start with some questions you might want to think about

What sort of environment do yo have?? Do you have high fluctuations in humidity??

What attitude do you have to how your floor looks..how do you feel about scratches??

Do you want it to look perfect all the time or are you happy with a more 'lived in' feel???

Do you have pets or kids (personally I see them as pretty much the same with regard to flooring wear...and eating habits!!)??

Do you have an underfloor heating system??

Lets take a look at solid wood flooring

Doesn't really need an explanation...its a solid lump of wood...from a tree! Solid wood flooring looks and feel great but it's not for everyone.

It's a natural product and hence has a few characteristics which need pointing out. All timber once felled will continue to react to it's environment with respect to moisture levels. Higher humidity = expansion, lower humidity = contraction so if you have an environment in which the humidity fluctuates significantly you should think seriously before installing solid wood flooring. Older properties with less effective damp proofing, kitchens and bathrooms can all potentially cause problems as can newly built houses with residual moisture in concrete floors. If you are in any doubt we would recommentd getting a local flooring specialist to do a quick moisture test. Underfloor heating can also pose significant problems to solid wood flooring and as a general rule of thumb, we would discourage our customers from installing soild wood over underfloor heating.

So...lets get on to wear and tear. Solid wood will mark. Period. If you're going to get stressed about dings and scratches forget it. Unless you want to put socks on your dogs and make your house guests wear slippers! It's a natural product and will produce a 'patina' over time. Personally I love rustic grade soild wood...as it's starts out a little less than perfect and has a great, warm, lived in feel to it and you won't get stressed when the dog skids in chasing the cat or your child drops a metal toy...life's to short to get stressed!!

What about Parquet Flooring?

This seems like a good point to talk about parquet flooring. Parquet...or block flooring is generally installed by sticking oak blocks in a regular pattern...typically herringbone to a soild floor. The installation of block flooring should only be attempted by full competent individuals who have access to specialist tools. We do not recommend the DIY approach!

Lets take a look at engineered wood flooring

Engineered...what???..Don't worry, nobody has ever heard of engineered wood flooring. So here goes...prepare to be enlightened. It's basically a layer of 'real wood' bonded to a softwood base....that's it...easy wasn't it? Why? well it's all about dimensional stability...we're no longer dealing with a fully natural product here so the manufacturers build in greater stability. The bottom line is it will look and feel like solid wood but you can use it over underfloor heating and in areas that are not suitable for solid wood installations. It comes in a traditional tongue and groove..(think nailed down floorboards) and floating or click system..akin to laminate flooring. So it really is incredibly versatile...it uses far less of the raw natural resource..which is no bad thing and it can be as easy to lay as a click system laminate. We recommend the use of engineered flooring to all of our customers.

So it's perfect, right?? Well don't forget the top layer is still real wood so you will need to bear in mind the wear and tear points raised in the soild wood section.

Lets take a look at laminate flooring

OK this is easy..most people know about laminates. They are made by bonding an image...basically a photograph onto a softwood base. An ultra hard wearing surface is then appied. They come in endless sytles and coulours and can be fitted by anyone with reasonable skill level. Some laminates come with a 50 year domestic use guarantee...which give you some idea how hard wearing they are. So if you've got a busy house or you want some of the slightly more 'out there' desings they really are a great choice.

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Top 6 Tips For Cost Effective Mezzanine Flooring

by: Alan Scott


Mezzanine floors are a great way of creating additional floor space on a budget. However these costs can needlessly spiral out of control if careful consideration is not given to the design. Check out our top 6 tips to obtaining a cost effective mezzanine floor.

1. Carefully consider the planned use to Optimise the Loading Requirements

One of the most common elements of over specification which results in additional costs is when calculating the loading requirements of the mezzanine floor.

By taking the time to consider the planned use estimate the exact loading requirement of the floor you can optimise the structural steel content of the floor. The minimum loading specified by building regulations is 3.5 kN/m2 uniformly distributed load which allows for office space and personnel.

If you intend to carry out material handling or use the mezzanine floor for storage purposes then you need to raise the specification to a loading of 4.8kN/m2. Heavy or rolling materials may require a higher specification.

2. Optimise the Column Grid

By using the most economical mezzanine column grid, which is normally a 3m x 3m column, you can save on structural steelwork. We will discuss the options with you, balancing the carrying capacity required, with the most unobtrusive column layout. however this must be balance with the loading requirements.

3. Avoid or design round heavy point loads wherever possible on the mezzanine floor.

The calculations for loading requirements are generally based on a uniform distribution however this does not however mean you have to apply the heaviest load right across the floor! If heavy loads have to go on the floor it is possible to uprate sections in specific areas to control costs.

4. Avoid Going Too High

It may seem obvious that the higher you go the more it will cost but there is a cut off point that you must consider. By ensuring the height of finished mezzanine flooring is no higher than 2.7 metres (Scottish Installations) or 3.0 metres (England and Wales) you may avoid having to include a mid-staircase landing.

5. Carefully Consider the Access Requirements

Assess your operational requirements and only use the minimum access requirements and the minimum specification to conform to local regulatory requirement. It is vital that you take into consideration the DDA regulations to ensure the Mezzanine Floor obtains a building warrant in Scotland or Building Regulations Approval for England and Wales. However by carefully designing your mezzanine with a thorough understanding of what is and what is not required under DDA regulations you can avoid costly over specification

6. Remember - Offices on Mezzanines Cost more

As a general rule, all offices on mezzanines need to be fire-protected to comply with Building Regulations. This will generally comprise a suspended ceiling below the mezzanine a fascia to all exposed edges and protection to the columns

Offices must provide at least a half-hour fire protection between the offices/warehouse which may require extending the perimeter partitions to the roof. In addition the escape routes and staircases may require fire protection too.

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