As a motto by which to live life, the acronym KISS – “keep it simple, stupid!” – is as good a one as any to adopt. Avoiding unnecessary complication in life makes it easier to focus on what is important, and reduces the potential for confusion and mistakes.
Read MoreGoing Back to Basics
More than two-thirds of the heat loss from an unheated home can be directly tackled by installing insulation, so it’s important to encourage greater confidence and understanding about how insulation works and how all-important U-values are calculated.
Read MoreOld Habits Die Hard
Forests and oceans act as carbon stores, buffering the atmospheric increases caused by human activity. Those stores are now faltering and making the prospect of more extreme climate change a real possibility. These issues aren’t solely down to buildings, of course. But while the construction industry can’t do much about vehicle emissions or global farming practices, there is a solution it can adopt which will help begin the long process of turning the ship around.
Read MoreBefore the Collapse?
One tweet shared around a bit might receive a thousand views, yet the number of people who go to the trouble of clicking through and visiting a link in that tweet is astonishingly, pathetically small. Small as in, single figures small; and a stark reminder that however 'social' our media is, often we are basically talking to ourselves.
Fabric First and Tapered Roofing
Even with the best will in the world, sites find a way to throw up a problem or two. Good tapered insulation manufacturers provide support throughout a project, being available to advise clients, architects or contractors as required. The manufacturer becomes a member of the design team, and their surveyors can provide guidance on different deck types, installation techniques and waterproofing finishes.
Read MoreTime Waits for No Writer
Summer can’t ever have lasted long enough for our hunter-gatherer ancestors - though I’m sure early humans were grateful not to have to alter their sun dials twice a year - but I wonder if their perception of time was similar to ours.
Getting Funny About Rejection
I had no God-given right to be judged near the top, of course. But where this competition differed was that We Said Go published every single one of those five hundred entries on their website. People had the chance to read what I submitted, and positive feedback led me to think that I’d made a breakthrough. This time, maybe, I was in with a shout.
The Glamorous Writing Life
Assuming our only time off is weekends, 20+ holidays and the occasional public holiday, then we have to work all day and write when we get home throughout the year. In which case, is it better to have a dull job that doesn't challenge us or a job that requires us to use our creativity?
How Much Do You Value U-values?
Some people have a good level of knowledge; some don’t but are happy to learn. Some people simply aren’t interested and just want an answer. Then there are people – often better educated than you’d expect! – who think insulation is magic and the answer to all their bad detailing.
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