Mindzle

Posts Tagged ‘house’

This week on the popular TV program, ‘Grand Designs’ a beautiful house in Kent was featured. This house is near Staplehurst and is owned and built by architect Richard Hawkes and his lovely wife Sophie. The house itself does not rely on much. For example it doesn’t even need mains water or central heating. Instead the house itself is completely eco friendly and does not use an ounce of un-necessary energy. The environmentally-friendly house aims to blend into its surroundings and be self-sustaining. It was featured on a double bill on the popular Channel 4 program, ‘Grand Designs’ hosted by none other than, Kevin McCloud.

The house itself in Kent features completely economical and eco friendly materials such as wood and even earth. The house boasts a truly stunning architures, has over four guest bedroom for friends and family to stay over, and even has its own pool and spa treatment room. The design originally resembles what is known as an Anderson Shelter, the building eventually reveals a huge, Gaudi-esque vaulted ceiling. The whole thing is literally topped off with tons of soil and then grassed over to look almost like an ancient house of some sort. It is truly marvellous to look at and at the same time it is extremely bizarre. The home is effectively a couple of timber-framed boxes resting under a huge, unsupported arch built from 26,000 handmade clay tiles. This is truly a magnificent acheivment for both the architects and constructor’s as there is nothing else like this around. They have built something special and very interesting. Although the house is meant to be quite old fashioned, it consists of modern fixtures and fittings, including wireless interconnected speaker systems and even ergonomic hand care door handles.

If you have never watched Grand Design before I would highly recommend it as it makes great viewing. The program makes great viewing and you can see all sorts of bizarre houses that have sprouted up around the UK and abroad. There are some great housing and design projects on there and I would strongly recommend watching it one evening.

For beauty gifts

Recycling is a big deal these days and we are always being encouraged to do more. Tin cans and cardboard boxes are easy enough to recycle as there are usually recycling stations dotted around town and some counties even pick your recycling up for you. What we don’t generally get asked to recycle however are the larger items. Things such as cupboards, wardrobes and tables often get taken to the tip never to be seen again. In these difficult times we should be looking to make use of as much waste as we can, so here are a few tips to household recycling.

Wood Items. Lots of people are very quick to get rid of their old chest of draws or bookshelf without taking some time to consider if they still have some use. With a little imagination you can make a great coffee table by bolting a 2 or 3 kitchen cupboards together, removing the handles and placing them door-side-up on the floor. If you leave the hinges and doors intact, you can keep the coffee table hollow and use it as storage space as well. You can also use wood to make lots of little things such as door stops and chopping boards and even wine racks

Glassware. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to be an expert in glass melting in order to reuse an old glass. Glasses can be used to pot house plants, store knick-knacks in, and even create feature walls with if you’ve got the time to make it. All it takes is a little imagination and you can reuse glass for all sorts of things.

Furniture. This is one of the hardest things to recycle and I’m not saying that you will be able to make tableware out of your old sofa, but sometimes there is scope to get a few more years out of items you thought were at the end of their life. The garden is a great place to find a home for old household items.By removing the cushioning and coating the furniture in some protective varnish, most chairs and tables will last outdoors for years. You might also be able to use old carpet to kneel on whilst tending to garden or to line the floor of the shed with.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that people in the Western World live in relatively good conditions – but I bet most people didn’t know that around 40% of homes in the UK, Canada and across the EU are infected with damp and toxic mould.If you’ve moved home lately chances are you’ll have encountered at least one nightmare property infested with mould.  But most people aren’t even aware of the problem.Many people don’t even notice damp in its early stages as it is hidden in corners behind furniture or even inside the walls. 

Health problems
There are a number of frightening health issues caused by damp in the home.Many times people get hayfever-like symptoms as a result of damp – watery eyes, sneezing and nasal congestion.  But a recent study also showed it can cause asthma in children and certainly make things work for asthma sufferers.There have also been cases of serious respiratory illness arising from damp.  Another recent study even revealed a connection between mold and depression! 

Causes
How, then, does this fungal intruder enter your home?  Well the first thing to say is a bit of mould is entirely normal and can be found everywhere.However the major problems start when it’s left untreated and allowed to spread.Mold occurs when there too much moisture in the atmosphere and it has nowhere to escape.Water collects in the atmosphere from places like the bathroom, as well as condensation on windows.But it needs to go somewhere!Inadequate ventilation sometimes occurs because builders don’t take care to properly damp proof a new house.Another cause is when a house lacks proper air vents.And the more we are concerned about saving energy these days, the more we are tending to lock the air – and moisture – into our homes.

Dealing with damp
I hope I’ve managed to convince you that the threat of mold is a problem that shouldn’t be ignored – we should all be worried about preventing it. It’s not just for people who already have damp problems.Left unchecked it becomes a lot harder – and costlier – to deal with.  Here are some top tips on how to avoid damp buildup in your home or workplace:

1. Dry up any build up of condensation you notice around the house within 24-48 hours.Don’t forget – mold cannot survive without water in the atmosphere.
2. Ensure that you get proper ventilation in the building to give moisture an escape route.If there aren’t proper air vents to the outside, get them installed.
3. Consider getting insulation put in on cold surfaces prote to attracting condensation – such as piping, windows and roofs.
4. It’s well worth considering investing in one of the many dehumidifiers out there to remove moisture from the atmosphere.  Certain portable air conditioners also do the job, with the added bonus of keeping you cool in the summer.
5. Know your rights.Once mold problems get serious they can cause serious problems that could cost you a lot. Find out from your home insurance to see if your policy covers mold damage. Tenants should push their landlords to have a professional damp inspector visit and assess the house.