There are many important features to a window that go towards making it a good window or a not so good window for your requirements, so lets look at a few of them here:
Window Pane: It all depends if you want a nice, clear sight of the outside world, or if you want a clear sight but you don`t want people to be able to see inside easily, or you may want tinted windows that block out the street or scenery in front of you, so you take your choice in this respect.
You may want a single glazed window, a double glazed window or even a triple glazed window. Double or triple glazed windows of course are more likely to keep the heat in your house than a single glaze. You can also get double or triple glazed windows where the space between the window panes is filled with inert gas and this improves the thermal performance of the windows.
You can also get tinted windows which absorb much of the heat which comes through a window, thus keeping the room nice and cool, and these are particularly useful in hot climates or offices with big windows where otherwise the heat could become uncomfortable for the office workers.
There are insulated glazed windows where the glass panes are spaced apart and they are hermetically sealed and this insulates the window and keeps the heat inside the home.
There are low e-coatings which you can have on the glass that will reflect much of the heat that hits the window away but still let in the light so you have a nice bright room.
Window Frames: Lets move onto window frames and there are many types of window frames to choose from. You can go for wooden frames which are good for insulation, but expand and contract in different weather conditions and so do tend to need maintenance and not last as long as some other types. Metal, or aluminium frames, are poor for insulation as they conduct heat quickly but they are a strong, light material and very popular.
Composite frames are hugely popular now, they are mixture of composite wood materials and why they are popular is they have good thermal properties but they are more stable than ordinary wood frames and so last longer and deal with moisture better.
With fibreglass window frames the air cavities can be filled with insulation which gives them an improved thermal performance, and there are also vinyl window frames which again can be filled with insulation, and they have good moisture resistance and do not require any maintenance such as painting.
Hinges & Window Types: Finally lets take a look at what sort of window type you want for your home or office.
Casement window: this is hinged on the right or left and opens outward with a handle.
Double hung window: this has 2 sashes which slide vertically to open and close.
Fixed window: this window doesn`t open at all but gives you an unrestricted view.
Awning window: this has hinges at the top so opens outward from the bottom.
Gliding window: this is a window with a moving panel which slides to the left or right to open.
Skylight window: this is for a ceiling and some are fixed but others are on hinges and open for ventilation.
I hope you have enjoyed this feature on windows and has given you food for thought!
Wednesday, 29 July 2015
Tuesday, 21 July 2015
Legal Aid Boycott By Practitioners Still On
The boycott by solicitors of taking on any new legal aid work in a protest against the stringent legal aid cuts brought in by the government will continue at least until Thursday of this week, when a group of practitioners are due to conduct talks with Michael Gove on the issue. The boycotting of new legal aid work started on July 1st when another cut of 8.75% was introduced, this seemed to be the final straw for many working in the legal profession as they felt that the access to justice was no longer there for great swathes of our society.
The groups who are meeting Michael Gove this week include the Criminal Law Solicitors Association, the London Criminal Courts Solicitors Association, the Big Firms Group and the CBA. These practitioner groups are going in the hope that they can persuade Gove to put a temporary stay on the latest cuts until there is a full and frank review of the legal justice system.
The truth is that they are probably going more in hope than expectation. Gove is proving just as popular in his new role as he was in his Minister of Education role previously, and as the government seem hellbent on bringing in cuts right across the board in health, law, education and social services, there seems little prospect of them taking any notice of a few solicitors associations.
There was a further rally by legal groups in Manchester outside the Crown Court, and there the solicitors voted to make further protest moves if there was no resolution on Thursday by withdrawing completely from duty solicitor work.
Prospects do not look rosy at all and the threat to the legal justice system by these cuts is very real. The solicitors and legal associations have every right to protest and protect the interests of many of the most vulnerable in our society but whether their protests fall on deaf ears remains to be seen.
The groups who are meeting Michael Gove this week include the Criminal Law Solicitors Association, the London Criminal Courts Solicitors Association, the Big Firms Group and the CBA. These practitioner groups are going in the hope that they can persuade Gove to put a temporary stay on the latest cuts until there is a full and frank review of the legal justice system.
The truth is that they are probably going more in hope than expectation. Gove is proving just as popular in his new role as he was in his Minister of Education role previously, and as the government seem hellbent on bringing in cuts right across the board in health, law, education and social services, there seems little prospect of them taking any notice of a few solicitors associations.
There was a further rally by legal groups in Manchester outside the Crown Court, and there the solicitors voted to make further protest moves if there was no resolution on Thursday by withdrawing completely from duty solicitor work.
Prospects do not look rosy at all and the threat to the legal justice system by these cuts is very real. The solicitors and legal associations have every right to protest and protect the interests of many of the most vulnerable in our society but whether their protests fall on deaf ears remains to be seen.
Wednesday, 15 July 2015
So This Is How You Put In A New Window!!
If you have ever ruminated on a long summers day how to install a new window in your home, or someone elses home for that matter, then ruminate no longer as this is your lucky day. We have below a mighty fine video by House Improvements on how to safely and expertly install one.
It only takes Shannon, who is the installer and presenter of the video, 23 minutes in the video to install a new window, I would suggest if you are not as much an expert as this dude that it might just take you a tad longer.
Doing your own work is such great fun and you can`t beat the satisfaction of creating your own little piece of magic here on earth. However, and you probably knew there was going to be a however, if DIY on this scale is not your bag and you would rather bring in the experts then go right ahead. I can recommend Smyth Window Systems in Northern Ireland for one, they are expert window suppliers and installers.
Check out the video below mon amis:
It only takes Shannon, who is the installer and presenter of the video, 23 minutes in the video to install a new window, I would suggest if you are not as much an expert as this dude that it might just take you a tad longer.
Doing your own work is such great fun and you can`t beat the satisfaction of creating your own little piece of magic here on earth. However, and you probably knew there was going to be a however, if DIY on this scale is not your bag and you would rather bring in the experts then go right ahead. I can recommend Smyth Window Systems in Northern Ireland for one, they are expert window suppliers and installers.
Check out the video below mon amis:
How Nutrition, Dieting And Fitness Have Moved Forward
It is interesting to see all the new information and methods that are prevalent with regard to fitness and nutrition. I put dieting in the headline subject matter but this has become a dirty word now and not before time. A dieting regime means that you are on a diet which by its very nature can only be sustained for a short to medium length of time. As soon as you abandon the diet you go back to our old ways of eating and you end up worse off than when you started.
A sustainable eating plan which is both nutritious and does not leave you feeling hungry and which can be run alongside a fitness plan is definitely the way to go. Calorie counting is old hat and is not a long term sustainable option.
Indeed if you are pushing yourself fitness wise you are likely to need more calories than ever to both keep up your energy levels and build up your muscle tone.
There is a guy on Instagram called The Body Coach and he is excellent!! He runs a 90 Day Shift, Shape and Sustain plan which is a tailored fat loss plan to both get you looking buff and in rude health at one and the same time. Low calorie this is certainly not as he will be getting you to eat more, exercise hard but in short, sharp bursts, and with this so called 90 Day SSS Plan you will be burning fat but building lean muscle.
This is a very flexible weight loss plan, and he has over 80 set recipes with hundreds of various ingredient combinations, but it will give you a great education in nutrition and macronutrients and it will give you a plan that you can follow for the rest of your life!!
Losing weight should not actually be an end in itself, but looking fit and toned, and more importantly being healthy, most certainly should be. If you shift your focus to these aspects then you will find your journey a whole lot easier. It`s not rocket science but if you give your body the right nutrition at the right time and follow a fitness plan tailored to your age and fitness levels then you will be on the right track.
A sustainable eating plan which is both nutritious and does not leave you feeling hungry and which can be run alongside a fitness plan is definitely the way to go. Calorie counting is old hat and is not a long term sustainable option.
Indeed if you are pushing yourself fitness wise you are likely to need more calories than ever to both keep up your energy levels and build up your muscle tone.
There is a guy on Instagram called The Body Coach and he is excellent!! He runs a 90 Day Shift, Shape and Sustain plan which is a tailored fat loss plan to both get you looking buff and in rude health at one and the same time. Low calorie this is certainly not as he will be getting you to eat more, exercise hard but in short, sharp bursts, and with this so called 90 Day SSS Plan you will be burning fat but building lean muscle.
This is a very flexible weight loss plan, and he has over 80 set recipes with hundreds of various ingredient combinations, but it will give you a great education in nutrition and macronutrients and it will give you a plan that you can follow for the rest of your life!!
Losing weight should not actually be an end in itself, but looking fit and toned, and more importantly being healthy, most certainly should be. If you shift your focus to these aspects then you will find your journey a whole lot easier. It`s not rocket science but if you give your body the right nutrition at the right time and follow a fitness plan tailored to your age and fitness levels then you will be on the right track.
Tuesday, 14 July 2015
It Is 2015 And We Still Don`t Have Equal Pay For Women?!!!
The subject of equal pay should have been put to bed 30 years ago but it seems that we still have plenty of examples of companies who pay different rates for different genders (including some of the big supermarket chains----allegedly). They do this in a kind of indirect fashion so they can`t fall foul directly with the equal pay commission.
This is not always the fault of the male species though, Many women do not see the value of their own worth and put up with low paid jobs, being overseen for promotion, low expectations etc without putting up much of a fight. They all need to realise that if they don`t fight for their rights they won`t get them.
Nobody (apart from a misogynistic few) want to go back to the bad old days of no women in management positions and so it is up to everyone of us to ensure this doesn`t happen.
Women need to promote themselves more and have the desire and commitment to get right to the top in their chosen profession and men should ensure there are no barriers blocking the promotion of women. The regulations on equal pay and equal rights should be more tightly controlled and stringently applied, and any company or person who transgresses should be severely dealt with.
We want everyone, regardless of colour, creed or gender, to get a fair crack of the whip and we don`t want anyone to have any excuses that they cannot progress because of discrimination in the workplace. Likewise we want people to get out of their comfort zone and see what they can do with their life if they really push theirselves. Life is what you make it and there are now laws in place to give everyone the chance to shoot for the stars.
And here`s another thing, if a person only strives for equal pay that is a pretty limiting ambition, why not strive to be the best paid person in the company?!!
This is not always the fault of the male species though, Many women do not see the value of their own worth and put up with low paid jobs, being overseen for promotion, low expectations etc without putting up much of a fight. They all need to realise that if they don`t fight for their rights they won`t get them.
Nobody (apart from a misogynistic few) want to go back to the bad old days of no women in management positions and so it is up to everyone of us to ensure this doesn`t happen.
Women need to promote themselves more and have the desire and commitment to get right to the top in their chosen profession and men should ensure there are no barriers blocking the promotion of women. The regulations on equal pay and equal rights should be more tightly controlled and stringently applied, and any company or person who transgresses should be severely dealt with.
We want everyone, regardless of colour, creed or gender, to get a fair crack of the whip and we don`t want anyone to have any excuses that they cannot progress because of discrimination in the workplace. Likewise we want people to get out of their comfort zone and see what they can do with their life if they really push theirselves. Life is what you make it and there are now laws in place to give everyone the chance to shoot for the stars.
And here`s another thing, if a person only strives for equal pay that is a pretty limiting ambition, why not strive to be the best paid person in the company?!!
Tuesday, 7 July 2015
Home Improvements
It is the summer and when summer arrives my mind always turns to improving the look of my home. I have a particular method for deciding what I am going to spend my money on each year. What I do is put a few hours to one side and walk through the house slowly room by room, carefully taking notes of each room.
I write down how each room makes me feel, if there are any signs of wear and tear in the rooms, what I like or don`t like about a room. I sit down in each room just to ruminate and let my imagination wander, thinking what I would ideally want each room to look like.
Last year it was the windows in the living room and hall which were badly in need of renewing along with the front and back doors. I also redesigned the main bedroom completely, rearranging the bedroom furniture, changing the colour scheme and introducing lots of pictures and small accessories.
Anyways I digress. Once I have been through all the rooms and made my copious notes there are then three main factors to bear in mind:
I write down how each room makes me feel, if there are any signs of wear and tear in the rooms, what I like or don`t like about a room. I sit down in each room just to ruminate and let my imagination wander, thinking what I would ideally want each room to look like.
Last year it was the windows in the living room and hall which were badly in need of renewing along with the front and back doors. I also redesigned the main bedroom completely, rearranging the bedroom furniture, changing the colour scheme and introducing lots of pictures and small accessories.
Anyways I digress. Once I have been through all the rooms and made my copious notes there are then three main factors to bear in mind:
- What would I most like to change about the house.
- What needs changing or renovating the most.
- What can I afford!!
If all 3 of these things converse then that is the best situation but more often than not I have to go with what needs the most urgent attention and what I can afford, then I sometimes have a little money over to get something I have had my eye on.
It is a great feeling to change things around in your home, freshen them up or change the design or colour scheme etc. It gives a feeling of invigoration and renewal.
Greece, The Money Men & The UK
Unless you have been living in a cave in Burnley you are probably aware that Greece is a bit short of cash at the moment. It is all a convoluted mess but let`s try and make some sense of it. The Greek people have basically been stuffed by their own government and now are going to be stuffed by the EU powerbrokers. A fair playing field it is not.
The Greek government instigated proceedings by cooking their own books and have ended up owing money to the EU that they have no earthly chance of paying back. And now the EU are attempting to call in the debt, hoping that the Greek people agree to decades of austerity so that they can recoup their money. Of course by the laws of the EU they are legally entitled to do so but ethically the whole thing stinks to high heaven.
The Greek government should never have got into such debt in the first place (whether they should have ever joined the EU and the Eurozone is a moot point too) and the EU should never have let them. The only people not at fault for this mess are the Greek people yet it is they who will now suffer. The men with the money as ever cause complete chaos and leave it to the man and woman on the street to pick up the pieces.
The Greeks I am sure have scoured all the small print of the EU constitution to find some legal way of bailing out without paying their debts but come up short, so the only other option is to renege on the debt seeing as the EU are unwilling to renegotiate.
The EU along with the UK government of course bang on about this money owed as being the tax payers money but let`s face it, it is all pretend money being thrown around in the EU trough and they could easily write off the debt if they really wished. The UK are now scaremongering and warning the problems in Greece could lead to further austerity measures in the UK although how much more Dickensian they can take the UK back to I have no idea!!
So in summary there could be a few years of misery in store for the Greek people and we in the UK will be tagging along for the ride (at least for the next 5 years of Tory government). Don`t you just love the mover and shakers in charge of our lives?!!
The Greek government instigated proceedings by cooking their own books and have ended up owing money to the EU that they have no earthly chance of paying back. And now the EU are attempting to call in the debt, hoping that the Greek people agree to decades of austerity so that they can recoup their money. Of course by the laws of the EU they are legally entitled to do so but ethically the whole thing stinks to high heaven.
The Greek government should never have got into such debt in the first place (whether they should have ever joined the EU and the Eurozone is a moot point too) and the EU should never have let them. The only people not at fault for this mess are the Greek people yet it is they who will now suffer. The men with the money as ever cause complete chaos and leave it to the man and woman on the street to pick up the pieces.
The Greeks I am sure have scoured all the small print of the EU constitution to find some legal way of bailing out without paying their debts but come up short, so the only other option is to renege on the debt seeing as the EU are unwilling to renegotiate.
The EU along with the UK government of course bang on about this money owed as being the tax payers money but let`s face it, it is all pretend money being thrown around in the EU trough and they could easily write off the debt if they really wished. The UK are now scaremongering and warning the problems in Greece could lead to further austerity measures in the UK although how much more Dickensian they can take the UK back to I have no idea!!
So in summary there could be a few years of misery in store for the Greek people and we in the UK will be tagging along for the ride (at least for the next 5 years of Tory government). Don`t you just love the mover and shakers in charge of our lives?!!
Thursday, 2 July 2015
Legal Aid, Access To Justice & Pro Bono
Below is an excellent video which shows a debate on legal aid, access to justice and pro bono, produced bi PIlnet, The Global Network for Public Interest Law.
As we know there have been enormous cuts to legal aid, and pro bono services are certainly worried that their aid will encourage the government to make ever more legal aid cuts. They like to stress that their pro bono work should be an addition to legal aid services and not a replacement for it.
Access to legal services for all members of society should be the aim of any developed society but this is sadly not the case in the UK at present. Even before the legal aid cuts there was not access to justice for all the people and so these cuts have only exacerbated the situation.
Anyway check out the video yourself, get yourself a coffee, it really is an hour well spent!
As we know there have been enormous cuts to legal aid, and pro bono services are certainly worried that their aid will encourage the government to make ever more legal aid cuts. They like to stress that their pro bono work should be an addition to legal aid services and not a replacement for it.
Access to legal services for all members of society should be the aim of any developed society but this is sadly not the case in the UK at present. Even before the legal aid cuts there was not access to justice for all the people and so these cuts have only exacerbated the situation.
Anyway check out the video yourself, get yourself a coffee, it really is an hour well spent!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)