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A rooflight can be used to great effect anywhere in the home, but perhaps nowhere more so than in a kitchen. Any kitchen space can benefit from more natural light and more sun streaming in through clear glass windows – so why don’t more people have rooflights in kitchens?

The answer might not be completely obvious. It’s possible that people might think having a rooflight installed is difficult, or that it would cost too much. The truth of the matter is that it’s neither – it’s very easy to get the rooflight of your dreams. Flat glass rooflights are very high quality but don’t cost too much at all, making them a great investment for your property. Look at your options and see what might work in your kitchen. You’ll be surprised at the different it can make.

Rooflights are a major investment in the home and their positioning is integral in getting the most out of them. It’s important that you make the right decision about where you have them fitted if you want them to brighten up your home and bring in as much natural light as possible. When you’re spending a large amount of money on a rooflight, then you’re going to want to get the most out of it.

Think about where your home could most benefit from a rooflight, perhaps in an area where it is darker or doesn’t receive as much daylight throughout the day. Think about the logistics too, as a rooflight will often need a flat roof, and will require plenty of space. Ask an installation professional to measure up for you and make sure the rooflight you want will fit into the space you have – and if it doesn’t, they can suggest alternatives.

Home design is a personal and individual thing, but you might not think that to look at the home magazines and inspiration websites that most people use. They all give nice advice, but they all give the same advice, informing you about what is in fashion. Within a few months, these same home design styles might have gone out of fashion and you will be left with a home that was styled to please the masses, not yourself.

By all means, use home design magazines and inspirational materials to help you in your decision. Just don’t rely on them too heavily and make them to be all and end all of your decision to decorate your home in a certain way. Take the ideas you like, discard the ones you don’t and make your home your own. You will appreciate it much more this way.

Conservatories add a lot to a home – extra space, more value, a place to sit and relax away from the rest of the home. However, they aren’t necessarily the most efficient way of expanding your home if the conservatory is beginning to age and it’s not as well equipped as it used to be. One of the first things you might need to replace is the roof, as the existing roofing can easily get worn down by years of rain, wind, snow and other weather. Many homeowners in and around Cambridge already have conservatories, as the area has grown and become popular with families who want to expand and improve their space. This means there is a lot of call for companies that can install a conservatory replacement roof in Cambridge, as people will specifically look for these services when their conservatories begin to get older.

How do you know it is time to replace your conservatory roof?

Cambridge isn’t known for its especially harsh weather conditions – it’s not a coastal area where roofing might become eroded and damaged by sea air, and it’s not in a particularly cold part of the country that gets a lot of snow. Erosion will happen over time, until gradually, you will start to notice that your roof isn’t in peak condition any more. You might start to experience particular problems that are more serious, like a leaking roof, or a lack of insulation. It might be that your roof is simply becoming old and tired in appearance, getting covered in moss – or just simply looking old fashioned.

There are many reasons why you might decide to upgrade your conservatory roof instead of waiting for it to get old and damaged. A new roof can improve your home and make your conservatory better, which for some people is a very good reason to upgrade a roof and they will feel it’s perfectly good value for money.

You can also choose to have different kinds of roofs to the one you have currently, which, if it is older, will most likely be a glass or polycarbonate roof. These are not at all energy efficient, so the conservatory will feel the heat. Conversely in winter, it will usually be too cold to use the conservatory, unless you use a great deal of heating. It is now becoming more popular to have tiled conservatory roofs, which are energy efficient and won’t cause the conservatory to heat up too much. At the same time, in winter, it will be a more ambient temperature as the heat won’t all escape out of the roof. By getting this extra usage out of your conservatory, you can easily justify the price of having a new roof installed. If you feel that a tiled roof will be eliminating too much light, or you have some good views of Cambridge that you want to continue enjoying, you can also choose solar glass. This will filter out UV rays and reflect away heat, allowing you to enjoy a more comfortable, consistent temperature inside. 

Barn conversions are beautiful and unique and they require the same kind of approach to interior design. It won’t do to have a barn conversion with a modern, soulless kitchen and new carpets everywhere – it takes some more careful consideration than this. You need to complement the character, otherwise it’s not worth investing in a barn conversion.

Solid wood is a good way to keep character and to work with the existing features of the barn conversion. Many barn conversions have lovely high beams and rafters, so they feel light, bright and enjoyable spaces to be in. You can have a barn conversion that is small, and it will often still feel larger than other types of home. You can enjoy a barn conversion by opting for furniture that mixes the old with the new, in much the same way as a barn conversion does itself. Choose upcycled or vintage furniture that has character in abundance.

There are various types of hardwood logs that are good for burning in wood burning stoves. Using a quality hardwood will help you create a better, longer burning fire that will be more beneficial in the home, generating more heat and generally looking the way that a fire should. In fact, good quality hardwood can generate around 50% more heat than softwood logs, making it a more environmentally friendly, more economical type of wood to burn in your stove. For many people, these are the two main concerns when it comes to firewood: that it isn’t too expensive, and it is having a positive impact on the environment. It’s also less work for you – you’ll spend less time tending to your stove and making sure it is well stocked.

Why is hardwood a good choice?

Hardwood is an excellent choice for your home and your log burner. You can enjoy a better quality of burn, as hardwoods come from trees that are slower growing and denser. Seasoned hardwood is the best choice for a good quality fire, as there will be lower moisture content. Fully seasoned logs are those that have a moisture content that is lower than 20% in total. It will feel lighter than unseasoned wood, due to the lower levels of moisture. It will usually look drier as well – peeling and cracking bark, and cracks in the wood itself, are tell-tale signs.

What are the different kinds of hardwood that you can choose?

There are many types of hardwood that will create an excellent burn. Some are easier to get hold of than others. These are some of the most popular types of hardwood that you can burn in your log burner, and that are easy to source in the UK:

• Ash. This is often thought to be the best quality hardwood for burning. It won’t produce a lot of smoke, but will produce excellent flames, making it a good choice for your home. It will give off lots of heat and is also quite quick to season, so you can obtain seasoned ash wood logs quicker. It’s environmentally friendly and can easily be sourced all over the UK.
• Birch. Quicker burning than ash, birch won’t last for quite as long, but it will provide a very good heat. The flames will be big enough, and of a good quality, and many people enjoy the smell of birch wood burning.
• Beech. Beech logs will burn well, but the downside is that it can take a long time to season – beechwood has a high moisture content. This might be one for people who have log stores and can wait for wood to dry out at home.
• Oak. This is a popular hardwood that is widely available for log burners. It is largely thought of as one of the best types of wood you can buy for a log burner, as it will keep burning for a long time, even when only the embers are left.
• Elm. This wood burns well, though it takes slowly, so might need to be used along with another type of wood to get the fire started.

You may think that you can paint and decorate your own building, and this is true to an extent – though it could also be argued that a professional painter and decorator could do a better, neater job. To do anything more complicated though, you might require the services of a contractor to help. This could be in the form of an electrician to install new lighting, a plumber to help fit your new kitchen, or a carpet fitter to lay your new flooring for you. Whatever it is that you need, it is worth paying a little more to ensure it is done well.

You should get some designs drawn up first, either from a designer or from your own head – the main thing is that it is down on paper. You can then make sure you have the right contractors to make your vision into a reality, so that you can be content with what you have achieved.

All properties will have a shelf life. If you purchased a home a few years ago, the dark wood in the kitchen or the uPVC conservatory might begin to age it. If you want your property to remain timeless, it’s important you do everything you can to make sure you aren’t going to age it. Stay away from fads, and stay true to your own personal tastes instead.

Keeping your property looking light and airy is an important step to take. This will always help to keep it looking more modern, regardless of what the fashions at the time might be. Light is always going to equate to modern and spaciousness, so it’s a good decision for ensuring the longevity of your home’s appearance. Install the largest windows you can, and if you have an extension or convert a part of your property, you might want to install rooflight to open up the space.

Interior design isn’t just for the home. It is also perfectly possible to hire an interior designer to work on your commercial building – commercial doesn’t have to mean sterile or soulless, and you can engage a designer to make your space beautiful. This is an especially popular option with people who have businesses that trade on aesthetics, perhaps like shopkeepers or cafe owners, where people are going to come into your business based on how it looks, and will judge it on whether it is a pleasant space to spend time in. If it is, your design will be great value for money as your clients will come flooding in. 

Find an interior designer who knows your industry, but most importantly, check if you like their ideas. A good designer can apply their knowledge to any industry so if you like their previous work and find you can bounce ideas off each other, this will make for the most successful relationship. 

New Year is the perfect time for a fresh start. Why not make a New Year’s Resolution like never before and do something brave, daring and exciting? If you’ve always fancied a renovation project, we think that you should take the plunge in 2017 and make the decision to buy and renovate a home.

Of course, there will be a lot to think about before making a decision like this. It’s certainly not one to be taken lightly. However, if you’re the kind of person who wants to do something like this, you shouldn’t let the doubts get in the way of your dream. The satisfaction you will get from completing the project well will be so worthwhile.

You will need to put some serious thought into how you are going to get the work done. Will you be completing a lot of it yourself or will you need to call in a lot of professional help? This will then help you to decide the budget you have for the house itself.

You will also need to think about kitting the house out. New kitchens and bathrooms don’t come cheap, though saying that, it does tend to be the labour that costs the most. Do some detailed calculations and keep on top of everything you spend.

Once you have sorted the practicalities of finding a building ready for renovation, the fun part can start. Planning is incredibly exciting and will be a brilliant part of the process. You can spend your days looking through home magazines and browsing websites for ideas.

Adding the finishing touches to the project may take a while, but don’t rush the process. It’s important that everything is finished to the right standard, or it will always annoy you in the future that you didn’t just take the time to do it properly. This includes things like making sure the paintwork has a high-quality finish and the skirting boards are all fitted properly. These small finishing touches will make your house feel like a home!