The choice of windows for any property, regardless of its age, can be a crucial decision to make. When choosing windows for your home/commercial property there are many factors to take into consideration, such as:
Material of the windows, wood or plastic?
Colour of the windows, wood finish, white or black?
Size of the windows, how much light do you want to let in?
Number of windows, do you wish to add more than the original number to let light into a corner or dark room?
Wall or ceiling windows (skylights)?
The most popular type of window to go with these days, for many properties would be those made from UPVC (unplasticized polyvinyl chloride). This type of window requires very little upkeep, as there is no wood to rot in harsh weather, or a painted finish (on wooden frames) to peel off and look unsightly. UPVC windows come in different colours with the most popular at the moment being white. The older the property is however, may restrict you on what window options you have to choose from. Some listed buildings are only permitted to have installed windows that match those that were in place during the period in which it was erected. If you’re a homeowner/commercial client with a period property that is not a listed building, depending on the look you’re going for will depend on which windows you’ll want installed. If you want to keep the property looking traditional and in keeping with its particular time period, it may be a good idea to research the style of windows from that time, so you can have similar ones made. However, if like many property owners today you want to give a property a more modern feel, larger windows are the solution. These are usually made from black or white UPVC, as wooden frames are seen as quite traditional.
At Essex Property Maintenance we measure and fit many types of windows, such as:
Reversible windows
Sliding sash windows
Casement style windows
Tilt and turn windows
With over 20 years of experience in this field, our team of highly skilled window fitters will be able to transform your property by installing windows of your taste, promising you a professional finish and excellent customer service. Our window fitters are efficient and hard working and can fit the windows of your choice at a time convenient for you. If you’re unsure on which windows would be best suited to your property/needs, we welcome you to call our friendly team today to arrange a free property visit. We can discuss all the options suited to your budget such as, style, colour and material, and then provide you with a quote.
It’s simple. The work we carry out for each of our clients is individual and can always be suited to specific requirements. We can create or decorate bathrooms from the smallest of spaces, making the most of every amount of room available – this is often the case with smaller wet room designs. Alternatively, if your existing bathroom/area you wish a bathroom to be constructed in is of a larger scale, we can provide high spec bathrooms and appliances that will give your bathroom not only a beautiful finish, but a breath taking one. We have hundreds of tiles to choose from, as well as a range of different shower, bath and sink fittings that we guarantee will be perfect for your desired bathroom.
Creating the right bathroom for you and your family can often be a difficult decision to make. At Essex Property Maintenance, we can assist you with the design of your bathroom, providing computer generated drawings to show you what the finished result will look like. This allows for changes to be made and the design altered, if like many of our clients you wish to add last minute features. Essex Property Maintenance make the decision process smooth, less stressful and aim to get all work completed within a tight schedule, leaving you with a bathroom to be proud of. If you’re thinking of re-decorating your bathroom, or even turning a room within your property into a bathroom, our plumbing expertise will assist you on your renovation journey. As well as being able to fit your bathroom, we can also tile it for you too! Our skilled tradesman work hard to guarantee outstanding wall and floor tiling and give a professional finish every time. We only use the highest quality materials in every aspect of our work and are experienced with fitting and replacing ceramic tiles, wall tiles, slate flooring and mosaics. Whatever your choice we promise to give you a beautiful bathroom to be proud of. It isn’t only bathrooms we install either, we also provide repair services for leaks, faulty plumbing or broken fixtures.
No matter how small the job at hand, we are able to fix any given problem regarding your bathroom 99% of the time. Our team of qualified and experienced tradesmen will ensure any job carried out is of a high standard, providing you with an excellent service that has been maintained for over 20 years. So why not give Essex Property Maintenance a call today and begin the easy way to make your bathroom beautiful.
Comments Off on Plumbing & Heating – Hints and Tips
Essex Property Maintenance are somewhat pioneers in plumbing and heating and amongst the other varied list of services we offer we have some impressive plumbers and heating engineers that work hard to bring you one of the most convenient plumbing and heating services in Essex. We do make every effort to make sure our clients receive the very best workmanship and transparent prices so that you can budget with the reassurance that you are safe in our hands.
Here are some tips and hints to help you when you are choosing a plumbing and heating engineer:
Choosing a Plumbing and Heating Engineer
Firstly think about the work that you need to carry out in your home or property, here are a few of the most regular works that our team carry out for our clients:
Underfloor Heating Installation
Installing a New Combi or Conventional Boiler
Bathroom Installation
Heating System Diagnostics & Repair
Central Heating Maintenance & Servicing
Servicing a Gas Boiler
Fixing an Electric Shower
Moving a Light Switch
Installing New Sockets
Toilet Repair
Emergency Work
Installing a Washing Machine or Gas Powered Tumble Dryer
There is nothing like being left without heat in the dead of winter and being left without hot water when you need it. If your boiler breaks down, your toilet breaks or your shower needs fixing it is simply an inconvenience. Whatever reason you have to call on an expert trader, there are a few things to think about before you choose one.
Are They Gas Safe (CORGI) Registered?
Anyone working on gas powered appliances and systems in your home MUST carry the Gas Safe accreditation that was formerly known as CORGI. If the person working on your gas is not then they are breaking the law and potentially leaving you in a very dangerous situation. The CORGI gas registration scheme was replaced in 2009 and you can check to see if your potential engineer is registered with the new scheme by contacting the UK’s gas safety authority on 0800 408 5500.
What to Ask For
Always ask your heating engineer to see their identity card. Every tradesman registered under the Gas Safe scheme has been issued one. The rear of the card lists the projects that engineer is allowed to carry out.
Qualifications
Any plumbing engineer should carry the following before embarking on working on the system in your home or property; you can ask to see proof of the following:
City & Guilds Craft Certificate
OR
NVQ Level 2
City & Guilds Advanced Craft Certificate
OR
S/NVQ Level 4
Water Regulations
Other Things to Do
With installation of a new boiler, heating system, bathroom or kitchen you may need to contact your local council. This ensures that the work can be carried out at your home. You will be liable for all work carried out in your home so for this reason alone it is worth spending the time researching and gaining proof of qualifications, certifications and whether the heating engineer has been registered as Gas Safe.
In summary, it’s so important to do this properly after all your home is your castle and it’s great when everything in it work efficiently and the systems work as they should.
If you have a problem with plumbing or heating, or have a requirement for servicing, maintenance or installation then please feel free to call our Essex based team who will work to ensure that work done is completed professionally, to a high standard, and to an affordable price.
We get asked this question on most jobs. I want the job done cheap we can do cheap jobs but it comes at a price.!! the job won’t get done as well and we will be using cheaper products and rushing to make any money. There for the job will not turn out as well also products being used may break down/stop working /. Do the job right and do it once.
The bathroom area is the most used area and is often the smallest room in the house. It has to provide daily use by each member of the household and needs to provide for all ages.
The needs of the user varies from small children to adults and their personal preferences. In addition the nature of the bathroom requires that it meets the difficult conditions of moisture and wet floors.
The design and décor in the bathroom are more durable and changing the décor and style is not as easily achieved as in other rooms e.g. bedrooms and lounges so it is essential that the finish be carefully considered. Work on the bathroom can be disruptive to the daily routine, most contractors will minimise this as far as possible but there will be periods when facilities will be limited.
Replacing a bathroom can be expensive so decide if you want to completely replace or just update the present facilities, either way planning is paramount and each decision has to be considered carefully before starting work. The following points should be considered for guidance.
Consider the present facilities
Is there a separate toilet and bathroom area?
If there is would it be desirable or possible to combine the two areas. This would provide a larger area but would the layout provide a more usable area or would it create awkward spaces. Also the work would be more disruptive and costly. Consider alternatives could positioning doors provide a more user friendly area without combining them?
Is the location of the amenities making the best use of the available space?
Is the toilet best positioned?
The position of the toilet is dictated by the position of the main drain outlet moving to another location may not be possible and would be costly and very disruptive , some adjustments may be possible as the the more modern suites have smaller cisterns and plumbing can be adjusted to some degree .
Hand washing Basin
Is this convenient would a larger or smaller basin be preferable. Is pedestal or fitted unit wanted?
Is bath positioned to provide easy access?
Again the location must consider the position of the main drainage but if planned carefully it may possible to re arrange the orientation of the bath or to accommodate a corner or free standing bath.
This needs to be decided in the planning stages so that the feasibility can be discussed with the contractor, the position of the taps and drainage need to considered before the bath is purchased so that the connections are made before the bath arrives, consult your contractor to ensure that the plumbing is compatible with the bath.
Will it be possible to get in and out easily , if bathing small children is it possible for a parent to support and assist them in bathing? If the location is fine are there any adjustment required e.g. Fitting of an over bath shower or a ledge for toiletries ?
Shower
Do you want the shower running from the mains or have an electric shower. Do you want the shower surface mounted or fitted into the wall?
If there is space would a separate shower cubicle be preferable.
What about a wet room?
These may be desirable for adults and provide a space saving solution for small flats , however in a family home where there are children providing a bath is preferable and will have an impact on resale values.
What next ?
Once the planning for the location and a decision on which bathroom suite is to be fitted the next step is to consider the doors, windows, walls and finish.
Windows
The condition of the windows should be considered as replacing once the bathroom is finished may effect the choice of décor , tiling may be damaged if windows are replaced after the work is completed. If the window needs replacing or an extractor fan fitted to a tiled wall it might be better to incorporate this into the refitting. If this is not possible it could influence the choice ao wall covering
What heating is in the room are radiators in the best place is a heated towel rails requied.
What are the wall coverings ?
There will be tiled areas in the bathroom already are these to be kept or replaced? Is the tiling going to be of the same area and location or is it to be extended . If extended the current tiles will need to be removed prior to re-tiling to obtain a flat surface. What is the condition of the plaster. If an area is to be painted is it worth having the wall skimmed to provide a smooth finish ?This enables a high standard to be achieved to the final finish.
Choice of tiles and finish is a matter of personal choice however , bearing in mind that you will probably have to live with your choice for a longer time you might like to consider the following points.
Full floor to ceiling:-full tiling is more expensive and cannot be easily changed but is durable and easily cleaned.
Part tiled with painted walls , this can allow changes to the décor by changing the colour of the un-tiled areas.
Lighter coloured tiles will general provide the illusion of a larger room whilst dark colours tend to make a room feel smaller.
Will the colours have a number of colour matches should you wish to change painted walls or soft furnishings?
What floor covering
The existing surface will affect the choice of flooring to some extent but generally the choice is a matter of personal preference but, bearing in mind that the floor will be subject to water spillage, often a vinyl material with sealed edges is the material of choice as it ensures no egress of water into the rooms below.
In conclusion
The decision to update or re design your bathroom might seem daunting but the end results of planning will be well rewarded by the daily pleasure of a well designed, functional and skillfully fitted facility, which increases the value of your property.
If your a bit of a D.I.Y enthusiast tiling doesn’t have to be hard as long as you think about what your doing
always tile from a middle of a wall to keep cuts equal on the ends but if you only tiling round a bath then you should start
from the edge of bath then work in towards the cuts into the corner on ends of bath.
also ensure the walls are as flat as possible even if you have to plaster or bond out to create a flat surface
getting the surface flat is really key to your tiling looking any good make sure you use spacers and start the first line level
it looks much better if you start on a level line just below the first tile line yes that creates more cuts on the bottom but most floors are never level. some people think its better to start from floor height just my opinion but always seems to work or me .
im a good believer you should always try things once if you not able to do it then at least you had ago
we as a company always try to think of our customers first by balancing the cost of a job without compromising the quality
we understand we are in a recession and that we all full victim to it.
we all want nice things but don’t always think you can afford it
we at Essex property maintenance try our hardest to complete a job to the highest standard at cost prices without producing poor quality to yourself s.
I have seen many company,s in Essex trying to produce good work but are not able to. normally due to people being paid price work or poor wages this would always produce poor work.
All our staff are paid weekly wages to encourage quality workmanship and will not stand for that will do attitude.
we at Essex property maintenance pride our self’s on not cutting corners having an attention to detail and care about what we do we always produce outstanding work at affordable prices.
we also are prepared to go that extra mile for you.
and will always talk you in depth to ensure that you get what you want.
This is a refurbishment were doing at the moment we will be
plastering all of both flats
new kitchen/bathroom new boiler and rads electrical work
and general decoration.
As you can see from pics we do sort out some ruff looking places
The most popular type of window to go with these days, for many properties would be those made from UPVC (unplasticized polyvinyl chloride). This type of window requires very little upkeep, as there is no wood to rot in harsh weather, or a painted finish (on wooden frames) to peel off and look unsightly. UPVC windows come in different colours with the most popular at the moment being white. The older the property is however, may restrict you on what window options you have to choose from. Some listed buildings are only permitted to have installed windows that match those that were in place during the period in which it was erected. If you’re a homeowner/commercial client with a period property that is not a listed building, depending on the look you’re going for will depend on which windows you’ll want installed. If you want to keep the property looking traditional and in keeping with its particular time period, it may be a good idea to research the style of windows from that time, so you can have similar ones made. However, if like many property owners today you want to give a property a more modern feel, larger windows are the solution. These are usually made from black or white UPVC, as wooden frames are seen as quite traditional.
