Double Glazing On The Web

A head’s up today from one of the double glazing industry’s publications that is worthy of wider dissemination.

A nationwide police operation has been put in place to target the epidemic of metal theft crimes that is sweeping the country. In response, the construction industry is being warned to be extra vigilant when securing their premises to discourage intruders looking for high value ‘scrap’ metal. The high cost of energy and growing demand for metal in developing countries such as India and China (which has forced steel prices to unprecedented levels) is thought to be the catalyst behind this outbreak of crimes, said to be costing the economy £360 million every year.

Thieves across the county are targeting construction sites, public buildings, homes and businesses looking for valuable ’scrap’ metal such as lead and copper from roofs and steel from domestic and commercial gates and fences. It has even been reported that some thieves are posing as professional contractors or installers to remove metal from sites in a bid to cash in on the high demand.

Police Superintendent Peter Wedlake, Kent Police Force says: ‘Criminals target copper cable, piping or plumbing materials and lead from the roofs of houses, churches and commercial buildings. We are advising that premises with valuable metals undergo a security review and that any necessary adjustments are made. People should remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the police’.

Don’t forget, there’s also Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Changing servers is never without its problems but we think that they’re all sorted now, so its time to recommence our regular chats.

As my grey cells are rapidly dying off, it will take a little time for me to remember exactly where we had got to.  Should have done that by tomorrow, when I’ll try to post something a little more intellectual.  Until then - enjoy this cold weather.

Sorry for the silence, we’ve had a few technical problems with the blog.  I hope the following post makes up for our absence.

If your windows sometimes drip with condensation, don’t run away with the idea that its because your windows are dodgy; even the best quality double glazing will suffer from condensation if the air in your home is moisture laden.

The first thing to look at is ventilation.  If your home isn’t well-ventilated, you are bound to get condensation.  If the trickle vents on your windows are closed - open them.  However in a house that has exceptionally moist air, even opening the trickle vents won’t be enough.  To find out if insufficient ventilation is the problem, open the windows in each room, just a crack will be sufficient.  If the condensation disappears, you have your answer - you either need to produce less moisture, or you need to ensure you have enough ventilation.  Here are some suggestions:

To reduce your moisture output:

1. Cover pans when you’re cooking.
2. Don’t let the kettle boil for long periods of time.
3. Don’t use paraffin heaters or portable bottled-gas heaters.
4. Dry washing out of doors as often as possible.  When that is not possible, put it in the bathroom with the door closed and the window open.  If you can manage it, it is best to fit a fan that can be switched on to run continuously for clothes drying.
5. If you have a tumble dryer, unless it is the self-condensing type, vent it to outside of the house.

To increase your ventilation:

1. Keep a small window ajar or a trickle vent open all the time if possible, especially when the room is occupied
2. In the kitchen and bathroom when you’re cooking, washing up, bathing, or drying clothes, you will obviously need even greater ventilation.  Either open the windows wider or use a humidistat-controlled electric fan.  These are cheap to run because they only come on when they’re needed, that is when the air becomes humid. Xpelair make one; take a look at these online stores: Screwfix, LIttlewoods, and TLC Electrical
3. Even if you have extractor fans, close the kitchen and bathroom doors when these rooms are in use.

About insulation* and draughtproofing:

* Double glazing is one method of draughtproofing and insulation.  If you haven’t got double glazing yet, your house will probably be draughty.  The best advice is that you get double glazing fitted - you should be eligible for government help with this.  However, in the meantime:

1. Do not block permanent ventilators.
2. Do not completely block chimneys- a hole two bricks wide should be left; you can cover it with a louvre grille.
3. Do not draughtproof rooms where there is a fuel burning heater or cooker.
4. Do not draughtproof windows in the bathroom or kitchen.

Turn up the Heat:

When the weather is cold you should, in the best of all worlds, keep low background heating on all day, even when there is no one at home. This is even more important in flats and bungalows where the bedrooms don’t benefit from rising warmth from the living room below.  Central heating thermostats should be set to provide background warmth in all rooms including unused rooms.

Of course, we understand that with energy costs as they are, this might not be possible for everybody.  In this instance, you should install suitable thermostatically-controlled heaters in the rooms you use.  Do not use paraffin or bottled gas heaters, which overload the air with moisture.  By using this method, the thermostats will help control your heating costs.  Do remember, though, to provide background ventilation.

I do hope this information is useful if you have damp and condensation problems.  However, you know what I’m going to say next; you really do need to install double glazing. Getting double glazing will not only help to resolve your problems with damp, it will also noticeably reduce your heating bills.

For more information about double glazing and other energy efficiency grants, visit the Government Advice Guide on Energy Efficiency and Saving Money.

When Keith and Rona Mitchell bought Barehillock, in Aberdeenshire, it was nothing more than a derelict cattleshed.  Now, £146,000 later, it is deserving of a place on Channel 4’s Grand Designs programme.  The Mitchells, both former teachers, have a lot to teach us.

Keith Mitchell says, “When we started the development I was quite surprised at how expensive some quotes were — some were for a quarter of a million pounds. We were keen to make the most of what we had, but we wanted to remain within our budget.”  Eventually, the couple teamed up with a local architect and a local builder; they also took advice from a quantity surveyor - Keith Mitchell is convinced that, despite the initial expense of employing these specialists, in the long term it was a money-saving move.

Amongst other refinements, the building has  been given a contemporary edge by the insertion of a southwest glazed “wall,”  which comprises galvanised steel lintels and sliding patio doors that lead into the main living/dining area.  There is also a lead-clad dormer window, which enhances the feeling of spaciousness.  The ground floor “culiminates in a huge window with stunning views.”

However, there’s more to all that glass than stunning views: “The oil heating system is extremely economical, and combined with the high-performance double glazing and super insulation (glass quilt and actis tri-iso super 9), the energy efficiency has been tremendous for such an exposed site. It’s not called Barehillock for nothing.”

Now, you might not have the luxury of building your own home from scratch, but there’s nothing to stop you updating your current home, adding contemporary style and low energy requirements with new windows and doors.

It seems like ages ago that we first planned to bring our website up-to-date but it was, in fact, just a couple of months ago.  Our old site, whilst functional, left a lot to be desired on the aesthetics front and it probably didn’t do a lot for our public profile.

I’m proud (and a little relieved) to announce that our new site is up and open for business.

You’ll notice the upgrade straight away - it is definitely a far ‘prettier’ site than the old one - but it’s not just about looks.  We’ve tried really hard to ensure that the site is easy to negotiate and provides all the information you need when buying doors, windows, or conservatories.

As with most new sites, I suspect we’ll have some teething problems, I would just ask you to be kind to us in these early days.  If you find a problem with the site, please let us know, either by using our Freephone Number:

0800 783 9176

or by emailing us at sales@doubleglazingontheweb.co.uk

So, come on over and see what we’ve done to the place.

We have received a mention on the Renegade Conservatory Guy blog; a competitor in terms of business but a compatriot when it comes to ethics.

The Renegade, quite naturally, thinks he writes the best double glazing blog on the web, but his blog is far longer in the tooth than our own.  Additionally, the video of Leighton of Natural Born Sellers being caught short was obtained by unfair advantage - I believe the Renegade’s business is the one featured in the programme.

Strange to mention a competitor?  Perhaps.  But there’s room in the world for more than one ethical double glazing company.

To populate this double glazing site I use a number of relevant keywords to get daily news updates from Google and I usually find something appropriate.  However, from Saturday to today; nothing, zilch, nada, zippo!

Is no news, good news?  Well, not if you’re writing a blog it’s not!

By the way, not really news, but I’ve heard that, in this Thursday’s edition of the ITV show ‘Natural Born Sellers,’ the six remaining competitors are joined by a new contestant and challenged to take over as the sales team of a family-run double-glazing company.

That should be interesting to watch.

On the 18th September, this blog told you about new rules designed to protect the consumer from unscrupulous doorstep sellers.

Following on from this new legislation, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) have launched an ad campaign to make householders aware of their new rights when buying goods at home.

Last year, apparently, the OFT received more than 50,000 complaints from people who had bought goods at the door, with double-glazing products one of the main problems.

The ad campaign, which will appear in local newspapers throughout October, will remind householders of their right to a ‘cooling off’ period for any goods purchased at a cost of over £35.  It will also remind consumers that home salespeople must tell them of the right to cancel, in writing, at the time of purchase.

Homes in parts of the UK where there are greater levels of home sales will also be leafleted, these areas are:  the East of England, the Midlands, Scotland and Wales.

We do not use a sales force, which is one of the reasons for our low pricing.

For more information about the OFT campaign: Reuters