MartinDomm, Author at Coolway Ice

Oct 19

5 types of construction sites

Construction sites come in many different shapes and sizes depending on the nature of the project, the number of people on site, and the project objectives.

Just some of the most common types of construction sites in the UK include:

Residential construction

New housing is being built in the UK every single day and residential construction is the biggest construction sector as a result.

In reality, making just one category here for residential security construction is simplifying the sector somewhat as houses, apartment buildings, and high-rise flats are only a few of the residential building types that require a unique set of skills and expertise from the contracted construction firm.

The construction of massive high rise flat blocks is such a different project than a single detached home that these projects often err more towards the commercial side of construction.

Commercial construction

Talking of commercial construction, this is another enormous category that can include anything from a massive supermarket or warehouse to a single retail store or small hotel.

These projects can be incredibly complex, with many different factors considered in both the design and build processes.

The planning process in the commercial sector has become even more complex in recent years as environmental factors become more and more important with energy efficiency and the integration of renewable technologies now a major part of the process.

Hybrid projects

Often construction projects aren’t as black and white as either commercial or domestic. They can be both. After all, how often do you see a retail store with residential properties above.

Hybrid use developments are increasingly popular among developers as they reduce risk by diversifying their portfolio.

Transport Projects

Certain construction firms will specialise in transport infrastructure projects such as the construction or maintenance of roads, railways, and other networks of travel across the nation. As many of these pieces of infrastructure are Government funded, only a select few chosen firms will be given this responsibly. As a result of this they will often operate nationwide.

Landscaping

The crossover between landscaping and construction is significant, even though they can be considered as completely different industries.

Public areas such as parks and playparks are often constructed by these companies, and just as much care and attention goes into these projects as it does to any other construction project type.

Security on construction sites

The construction projects in this article are very different in many ways. However, at the end of the day, they are all construction sites and do share many similarities as well.

They all need security, for example, to protect them from the constant threat of criminal activity and other external threats.

Select Security solutions for construction sites are designed to tackle all of the common security risks faced on a modern construction project, including theft, vandalism, and trespassing. They include bespoke security technologies such as biometric access control gates and mobile CCTV towers alongside more traditional measures such as security guards, intruder alarms and CCTV.

Sep 15

Surgical vs Non-Surgical Cosmetic Treatments

Thinking of giving your body a welcome boost with a cosmetic treatment that helps you achieve your dream aesthetic?

If so, you have a couple of options. One: go under the knife for cosmetic surgery or two: opt for one of the growing number of different non-surgical cosmetic treatments.

As first glance you might wonder why on earth you would choose surgery when you can avoid it. Fair enough, it’s a good point and more and more people are certainly going down the non-surgical route. However, things aren’t quite that simple.

Despite massive improvements in the results that can be obtained through non-surgical treatments, the results achieved through surgery remain longer lasting and more significant.

Here at Luxe we are one of the UK’s leading non-surgical cosmetic clinics and have developed a range of fantastic skin treatments for you to choose from.

We recognise that some people will still prefer to go down the surgical route but provide a genuine alternative with cost effective procedures that deliver highly impressive results with very little downtime or disruption to your daily life.

Whenever you are making a decision that affects your appearance, you need to take it seriously which is why we have put together this article to help you decide between these two types of procedure.

What are the benefits of surgical cosmetic treatments?

There are many potential advantages to choosing surgical cosmetic surgery. One of the biggest ones is that the results last for many years longer than any non-surgical treatment on the market.

Cosmetic treatments can provide you with a genuine confidence boost and dramatically improve your quality of life if you personally feel it will improve your self-esteem.

If surgery goes well, you can enjoy these effects permanently and won’t need to return to the clinic every now and then for a top up. On the other hand, if you do not like the results of your surgery you can’t simply wait for it to wear off and many treatments are irreversible.

A skilled doctor may be able to reverse the effects to some extent but they may deem it too dangerous.

What about non-surgical cosmetic treatments?

Non-surgical cosmetic treatments such as Botox, Dermal fillers, and chemical peels have all risen dramatically in popularity over the past few years. It’s not difficult to see why either as they offer highly impressive results with very little risk or associated down time. Sure, the effects might wear off in a year or so, but many people see this as a positive as they will be able to trial the results and see what they think. The procedures tend to be so short that a return visit to the clinic is hardly a huge inconvenience anyway.

As there is no general anaesthetic involved in these treatments, they tend to be a lot cheaper that surgery and the potential side effects are much fewer and less likely to occur.

On the downside, the results that can be achieved can be slightly less dramatic.

Sep 01

5 top tips for picking the best new windows

When the time comes to replace the windows or doors in your home, the process can feel pretty overwhelming. There are so many choices out these. Different materials, different styles, different window types. It’s tough to know where to begin your search.

Choosing the right windows and doors is a big decision, it will define the appearance of your property for years to come and play a massive part in determining both the security and energy efficiency of the property.

Unfortunately, the seemingly complex nature of the process means that people end up putting off new window installation for too long. This leads to all sorts of different problems such as leaks, poor energy efficiency, security breaches, and much more besides.

Things don’t have to be this way. Read on to discover 5 simple tips that will make the new window installation process incredibly straightforward and ensure that your new Advanced windows and doors are fitted with an absolute minimum of fuss.

Tip 1: Prioritise Energy Efficiency

With energy prices constantly on the rise and strict regulations being placed on the energy efficiency of new build properties, energy efficiency should be your number one priority when picking new windows and doors.

Choosing windows with excellent thermal efficiency will help to keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer as well as preventing damp and condensation from forming.

Tip 2: Security, security, security

Home security is absolutely critical to protecting your family and your belongings. As your first line of defence, your windows and doors should come with all the very latest security features including multi-point locking systems, reinforced glass beading that cannot be removed from outside of the property.

Tip 3: Choose the right installer

A great window product can only take you so far. The installer you use will determine the quality of the installation and how likely it is that repairs will be needed further down the line. Ask friends or family in the area who they used to install their windows and what their experience was like. Get several different quotes and take a look at the reviews of the window installation company on an independent online review site. You should also look for a company that offers the longest possible warranty on their products to avoid having to fork out for repairs further down the line.

Tip 4: Choose the right material

Most people in the UK choose uPVC for their windows and doors as it is incredibly low maintenance, durable and offers excellent security and energy efficiency ratings.

However, this is not always the case and others choose materials such as wood or aluminium either for aesthetic reasons or because they are required to by law (period property for example).

Tip 5: Consider Triple Glazing

Double glazing is now standard in all new window installations but why not go one step further and install triple glazing, offering even more impressive security and thermal efficiency with an added layer of glass and argon gas.

May 10

Top 7 reasons that saunas are good for your health

Saunas have been famous for their healing and relaxation qualities for centuries and scientific research continues to find more and more incredible health benefits for those who use one on a regular basis.

Nothing is more relaxing yet more invigorating than a deep sweat achieved via a good sauna or steam room session. After a long tiring day, nothing helps your muscles relax, body unwind, and mind de-stress quite like a sauna.

All it takes is a few minutes every so often and your body and mind will never have felt in better shape. Home saunas, from incaukltd.co.uk, are fantastic for long-term health, with the benefits of regular exposure to gentle penetrating heat renowned by experts across the world.

Here are the top 7 reasons why saunas are so beneficial to human health:

Improve cardiovascular performance

Sitting in a sauna will raise the core temperature of your body and the surface temperature of your skin, causing blood vessels to dilate and cardiovascular output to increase. Lifting your heart rate in such a manner before it is slowed again once your body cools down, often below normal levels, will help reduce the risk of cardiac events as well as all-cause mortality.

Reduce stress

Saunas are a blessing for the mind as much as the body and there is little that compares when it comes to unwinding and forgetting about the stresses of the day than coming home to your very own home sauna.

As if the heated luxury alone wasn’t enough to help you de-stress, the heat of a sauna actually helps to regulate the level of cortisol in our bodies, the hormone that we release when we are overly stressed. Lower cortisol levels results in better sleep quality and you will find it easier to relax outside of your sauna sessions.

Saunas help to cleanse the skin

Over the course of our day-to-day lives, our skin accumulates a layer of grime and toxins that clog our skin’s pores and can lead to illness and poor skin quality.

Saunas cause our bodies to produce a deep sweat, opening up our skins pores and washing away many of the impurities that have gathered there. Sweating also rinses bacteria from the epidermal layer and cleans out our sweat ducts, giving you a vibrant healthy looking glow.

Saunas help us lose weight

Whilst weight lost in the sauna itself over a single session is probably just water weight lost via sweating (make sure to rehydrate properly after a sauna session and take a bottle in with you to sip on throughout) it can be a valuable tool to help you along your weight loss journey.

Sauna use puts your body into calorie burning mode, in a similar manner to exercise and you may find that you burn a higher number of calories in the hours following a sauna session as a result. Sweating itself also requires a certain amount of energy that is gained through the burning of calories so you will certainly use more sitting in a sauna then you would sitting around anywhere else.

Note that saunas should be used a as supplement to and not as a replacement for regular exercise and good diet.

Saunas reduce the risk of cold and flu

Exposing your body to the heat and steam of a sauna or steam room prompts the production of white blood cells that are crucial to fighting off illnesses and killing viruses.

If you already have a cold, steam inhalation is a god-send as the steamy environment will help to clear congestion, clear sinuses, and soothe your sore throat. This is one of the many great things about having a steam room or sauna in the convenience of your own home as you wouldn’t want to attend your local spa or gym with a cold or the flu.

Lower risk of dementia

One of the more remarkable findings of scientific sauna study is that regular sauna use (47 times a week) for sessions of around 20 minutes a time, resulted in a significant reduction in the risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

This is just one of the studies that demonstrates the power of saunas for both body and mind health.

Soothing sore muscles

There is a reason that all top end gyms have a sauna. Heating the body after a tough workout will dramatically reduce muscle aching by removing lactic acid that has built up.

Sending blood flowing around the body will also help to speed up the healing process for strained and pulled muscles as well as any other minor injuries that you might have picked up whilst exercising over the last few days.

Jul 07

Professional Commercial Carpet Cleaning

Commercial Carpet Cleaning is a vital service for any business or property. Whether it’s an office, school, nursery, restaurant, letting agents, bar, or café, keeping carpets in good condition is key.

Acorn Carpet Cleaning has years of experience in commercial carpet work all across Glasgow and Scotland. In this article, we’ll talk about the huge benefits you can reap by going with professional carpet cleaning services.

The Benefits

There are many huge benefits to a commercial carpet cleaning job. These include,

Improved appearance: carpets suffer badly from grime, dirt, soil, dust, and oils – which overtime reduce the colour of the carpet and make it look old and faded. A deep clean can rejuvenate the appearance of a carpet.
Improved health: carpets trap a huge amount of dust, pollen, grime, and many allergens. This can badly affect the health of employees. A deep clean can clear your carpet of this potential health hazard.
Improved condition: carpets will suffer badly if not regularly cleaned – becoming rugged and damaged and decaying. This can force you to replace the carpet much earlier. Cleaning it can improved the carpets condition and extend its lifespan.

We’ll go into all of these and how Acorn can help in further detail.

Improved Appearance

The colours and look of a carpet will fade overtime – the result of dust, grime, dirt, oils, and soil getting entangled in its fibres. As a result, the surface of the carpet will also become rugged looking and dull. This appearance can,

Appear unprofessional and reflect badly on your business
Lower morale
Overall damage the appearance of the property as a whole

A deep clean can refresh the look of the carpet. While regular cleaning can help to maintain the appearance of your carpet, it cannot perform the same kind of work that a commercial carpet cleaner can.

Acorn Carpet Cleaning can thoroughly clean a carpet through intensive but non-harsh measures using the latest technology to rejuvenate the appearance of a carpet. This will bring back its colour, and also its texture and general appearance.

Improving Health

People often underestimate how much dirt, grime, loose soil, and other debris get into their carpets. Not only does this damage the carpet overtime, but it also means the spread of bacteria, disease, and damage to general hygiene. Viruses are able to survive for weeks in a carpet. This can easily result in people becoming ill. This is not to mention the massive number of allergens and pollutants found in carpets, which overtime are released into the air. Dust mites, cockroach allergens, pollen, and other pollutants will spread from the carpet very quickly. This can end up having a really bad effect on the health of your employees – harming workplace morale and damaging productivity. While standard cleaning methods can reduce these problems to a degree, they’re unlikely to cut down on the problem properly and so a deep clean by professionals will be necessary.

Commercial carpet cleaning is a massive help here, as you can eradicate a huge amount of grime, mess, and dirt in a carpet. This can significantly help the health of your employees and improve the overall air quality in your building.

Acorn Carpet Cleaning is able to help. Our deep clean methods will eradicate even the toughest grime in your carpet. This is a massive boost to the health of anyone in the building and will ensure your employees are better protected.

Improving Condition

Carpets will overtime seriously deteriorate in terms of quality and condition as a result of the soils, grime, dust, and oils which become trapped in their fibres. The carpet can appear rough, ragged, and will also feel terrible. Regular cleaning can help mitigate these effects but is unlikely to in the long term keep a carpet from falling apart. The lifespan of the carpet can drop significantly if it is not carefully cleaned by commercial cleaning professionals. This can end up saving you a significant amount of money, as a new carpet costs upwards of £10,000+.

Commercial carpet cleaning Glasgow offers a deep cleanse that’ll significantly rejuvenate the carpet – cleansing the fibres of oils, dirt, and grime, and keeping the carpet in a far better shape than any standard methods. Acorn Carpet Cleaning have developed a range of highly effective, high-quality treatments which can remove this mess from carpets and significantly improve the feel and appearance. This treatment by our expert team can add years to the life of a carpet.

Acorn Commercial Carpet Cleaning

Our team are fully accredited by the National Carpet Cleaners Association. All of our members are trained to the highest industry standards, and we are equipped with the latest and best technology to ensure carpets are cleaned to a fantastic standard. We offer a bespoke service and flexible appointment times as well – able to fit into the schedule of your business perfectly.

Mar 30

Pros and Cons of Burglar Alarm Installation

Burglar alarms are a mainstay of many home security systems across the UK but there are some who believe they are not that effective in preventing crime.

It is undeniable however, that burglar alarm systems are crucial to those looking to maximise their home security deterring burglars from approaching your property and give homeowners peace of mind that no-one will be able to gain access to your home without attracting attention.

Central FS is one of Scotland’s leading providers of security services and has several years of experience in burglar alarm installation.

We have used this expertise to put together this guide to both the advantages and disadvantages of installing a burglar alarm to allow you to make the most informed decision possible for your home.

Pros

There are many different reasons that installing a burglar alarm system is viewed as one of the most effective crime prevention measures available to Scottish homeowners.

Just a few of the biggest benefits of burglar alarm installation include:

Deterring Criminals

One benefit of a burglar alarm that cannot be measured but is hugely significant is the role of the system as a deterrent against potential criminals.

Just the sight alone of an alarm box installed on the front of a house, visible from the road outside, is enough to prevent the vast majority of opportunistic criminals from targeting your property and they will instead move on to look for an easier target.

This deterrent can be amplified by the installation of further highly visible security measures such as CCTV cameras as the very last thing that any burglar wants is to either be caught in the act or identified afterwards.

Reduce insurance

The better your home security measures are, the lower the risk of being the victim of theft or property damage.

This not only gives you peace of mind, but it also reassures your insurance company that they are unlikely to have to fork out to cover such incidents.

For this reason, a burglar alarm installation can actually result in your insurance premiums falling in the months and years following.

Increase House Value

Many property seekers will view a burglar alarm as a major asset to any new home, who want to feel confident that they are moving into a safe and secure environment.

It is estimated that installing a burglar alarm system with a professional security firm such as Central FS can increase the value of your property by as much as £5000, more than paying for your initial installation investment.

Cons

Overall, a burglar alarm is unquestionably a worthwhile investment to make, but there are still some negatives to consider.

False Alarms

Dealing with false activations can become tedious at times, and if this happens too often, the correct response may not occur if a real situation arises.

What is worse in this regard is that if you use an alarm response service from an accredited security firm they will notify the police of any potential security breaches and a response team will be deployed to your site.

Whilst this is one of the major benefits of a burglar alarm system, if the police are called to too many false alarms you may lose this privilege and the situation may not be taken seriously in the future if a real emergency takes place.

Luckily, all of the systems provided by Central FS are powered by the latest AI technology so your system will adapt to your environment and only activate if something is out of place.

This prevents repeat instances of alarms going off due to routine movement in your home or garden.

Ongoing Costs

It is not cheap to have an alarm system installed and even less effective DIY systems found in hardware stores can cost well upwards of £200.

Other expenses associated with a monitored alarm system include ongoing maintenance checks, a subscription to a security monitoring service.

Whilst it may be tempting to avoid these costs by not having an alarm system put in place, the cost of theft or burglary would be much higher, and if the system stops a single instance of crime on your property it will more than pay for itself.

The reduction in your insurance premium that may come as a result of burglar alarm installation will also offset these costs significantly.

Tampering

It is possible that a criminal will attempt to steal or tamper with your burglar alarm Glasgow.

As security industry experts, at Central FS we will recommend the perfect spot for installation, usually high up on the front of your property out of reach, so that the possibility of this is much reduced.

Contact Us

Central FS are one of the UK’s leading providers of burglar alarm systems.

For more information on our products or any of the other bespoke security services that we offer, call us today on 0141 530 1244, or by email at info@centralfs.co.uk.

Dec 21

Air Source Heat Pump Scotland Grants

The Air Source Heat Pump has become one of the most popular eco-friendly and efficient ways to heat the home in Scotland. Many homeowners are increasingly looking into investing into a Heat Pump system for their home. Many are attracted by some of the grants the government offers to help finance these systems. We’ll talk you through the basics of Heat Pumps and the available Grants.

What are Air Source Heat Pumps?

Air Source Heat Pumps is a heating system which works by moving the warm air outside into your home. This can be used to heat up radiators, underfloor heaters or provide hot water. Unlike a boiler system, it does not burn or convert energy or fuel into heat.

There are two kinds of Air Source Heat Pump. Air to Water and Air to Air – Air to Water being the more popular kind of system as it can provide hot water as well as air.

How They Work

The Heat Pump works by absorbing the heat and turning it into a liquid which is in turn compressed and passed into your homes heating system.

With an Air to Water System, the heat is distributed through your central heating system. It’s best suited for underfloor heating or large radiators. An Air-to-Air system on the other hand uses fans to circulate the heat around your home. In general, Air to Air systems is a lot more limited than Air to Water systems.

This can take a little longer to fully heat your home than a traditional boiler system, meaning it must be run for slightly longer.

The Benefits

Air Source Heat Pumps have a range of major benefits which have helped to secure them a position as one of the most popular means of heating the home.

Firstly, a Heat Pump is carbon friendly. Since it doesn’t turn energy into heat and simply moves existing heat into the home, it burns no carbon. The only energy that is used is for the electronic functions of the Pump, and if this electric energy is produced by a renewable source, then there is no carbon emission produced. This means if you’re concerned about the environment or greenhouse gasses, then a heat pump is a fantastic option.

Air Source Heat Pumps will heat your home and your hot water for a lower price than a boiler and furthermore, cut out matters such as fuel delivery.

Heat Pumps furthermore are low maintenance. They don’t have the same number of moving parts as a boiler and so don’t require the same kind of consistent attention or care. In the long term, this can save a significant amount of money, time, and stress since there isn’t the need for constant repairs. What maintenance is required is limited and simple, and in the case of a break, components are cheap and easy to access.

And furthermore, they provide the option for fantastic financial grants from the government, which can help make up for the cost of installing the pump in the first place.

What Grants and Financial Aid are available?

The Government can provide you with financial help through their Renewable Heat Initiative (RHI) scheme. The purpose of the scheme has been to encourage people to move from their older, C02 and carbon emitting systems to renewable energy-based systems. The scheme lasts for seven years and provides you with financial support if you own a renewable heating system.

Air Source Heat Pumps Scotland are eligible for the RHI. Only Air-to-Water Heat Pumps, however, are eligible. Air-to-Heat can’t produce hot water, and for this reason they do not fit into the scheme.

Eligibility requires your Heat Pump to be Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) certified (and have a MCS certificate). Your Heat Pump Installer should provide you with this certification once they’ve installed the Heat Pump system. This means it’s vital to get a professional who can provide MCS certified products, since otherwise you may not be eligible for the scheme. Furthermore, it’s vital you hold onto your certification.

You can end up saving a significant amount of money with the aid of this government scheme and can help reimburse some of the money you spend on installing the system. The government provides a calculator which can help you figure out how much you’ll get from your RHI payments. Payments can range from £500 per year to as high as £2,900. This makes it a superb deal.

Applying for RHI

To apply for RHI, you’ll need to fill out an RHI application form. This can be submitted to Ofgem, the energy regulator. It’s free to apply online and there’s no need for any fee. You can also do this over the phone by calling 0300 003 0744.