Glass Houses

The First Influential Glass House

Building an entire house out of glass has fascinated and intrigued designers and architects for decades, but it was only in 1949 that this idea captured the attention of the world. Philip Johnson was the architect of this modernist glass construction on his own property in New Canaan Connecticut. The immaculate design was made entirely of glass in a geometric and proportional structure, complete with flat glass roof. The brick platform supported the eight steel pillars that held the glass intact. The only other material used within the house was a brick cylinder in the centre used to hide the bathroom from exterior eyes. This pillar of modern design was applauded the world over and introduced people to a myriad of new possibilities in design and building materials. The effects of Johnsons design were felt in architectural works for years to come and after his death in 2005; the house was finally opened to the public.

Actual Houses Made of Glass

Johnsons glass house might have been at the height of style at its time, but there are many impracticalities that come with glass houses. The lack of privacy with Johnsons architectural innovation did not affect him within the isolation of his walled estate and his commitment to minimalism and immaculate design even prevented the use of a pillow on his bed, maintaining the aesthetic appeal of the house at all times. Many of us dont have the private estate or the time to be as committed to the aesthetic integrity of our homes and issues like cleaning the expansive walls of glass become the most immediate concern. Massive challenges such as keeping such a home warm in winter and cool in summer are also pertinent concerns. Full glass houses, despite being fashionable and aesthetically stunning, have never quite caught on and one of the reasons that Johnsons house retains its popularity today is that fact that it is still so unique.

Modern Day Glass Houses

With recent technological innovations however, there have been significant advances in the possibility of finally being able to build glass houses. There is something about glass that oozes beauty and sophistication and many of us dream of having such an impressive structure to call home. Besides its aesthetic appeal and dramatic lifestyle statement, a glass house actually has many benefits:

A home made of glass is environmentally responsive, blending in with almost any backdrop.
These homes make low energy living easy and are thus kinder to the environment and your pocket.
Glass houses can easily incorporate state of the art technology that can save you money in the long term and makes life easier.
Glass houses improve the natural lighting in your home.
Glass houses now come almost ready-made, in three sections that simply need to be erected.
Glass houses are in fact exceptionally low maintenance, provided you have constructed it from the correct glass.

But What About the Problems?

While these benefits may sound terrific, especially the fact that you can practically build a new home in three steps, glass houses still come with a myriad of questions and scepticism.

Keeping the Glass Clean: Modern technology means that glass houses can now be built with glass that is self-cleaning. This glass has a special coating that reacts with the ultra-violet rays from the sun to break down and disintegrate organic dirt. When it rains, the same coating causes the water to spread out across the entire pane of glass, leaving it to run off and taking the loosened dirt with it. The glass dries quickly, without any unsightly streaking, basically keeping itself clean.

Keeping the House Warm or Cool: The type of glass used in the build of a glass house can go a long way to eliminating many heating or cooling problems. Low emissivity glass reflects heat back into a room whilst letting in free heat from the sun, making it easier and more cost effective to keep buildings warm. This type of glass helps to actually reduce heating and cooling bills, making your home more economical and environmentally friendly.

How to Manage a Glass Roof: Having a complete glass house, glass roof included, can be a scary thought as no one wants the suns rays beating down on them inside. Photovoltaic cells can be mounted on the roof to generate electricity and are angled like louvres to moderate the amount of sunlight that enter your home. The glass can also be etched with a slight pattern to reduce solar gain and add an attractive feature. To avoid sweltering summers you can use solar control glass in your roof construction. Solar control glass helps keep rooms at a comfortable temperature, therefore creating a more pleasant environment in summer than ordinary glass.

The Safety of Living Behind Glass Walls: As with the cleaning and the cooling, the safety of your home all depends on the type of glass fitted. Toughened safety glass can be fitted which is able to withstand deliberate attack of various kinds.

Waste Glass Houses

These days glass houses do not necessarily mean bright, transparent structures. With the recent rush to become more environmentally friendly, scientists are coming up with new ecological building materials every day. Bitumen blocks are the latest innovation in this area and are essentially building blocks made up of waste products. Crushed glass is a common product used and is mixed with bitumen as a binding agent. The mixture is then heated and compressed and cooled, creating a shaped building material that is stronger than concrete. This highly effective recycling method is gaining interest around the world, meaning you now might need to double check what it means when the brochure says glass house!

A Compromise

Many people love a light-filled home or having a house with a lovely indoor-outdoor flow, but just cant quite get their heads around the concept of an entire home constructed from glass. One of the best ways to still incorporate all the benefits of glass into your existing home is to add on a conservatory. This glass structure adds instant style and sophistication to any home as well as an often much needed extra room. Furnished beautifully in natural colours and through the use of plants and decor, these rooms can bring the outdoors in, while creating a light and bright atmosphere throughout your home. Conservatories can be built using all the same glass products as a glass house, letting you reap all the same benefits, while you slowly get used to the idea of an entire home made of this unique building material.

Building a Home Hiring the Right Company(s)

No one needs to tell you that building a home is a large endeavor. It’s one of life’s greatest, and though it’s a very daunting one, it’s also a lot of fun. Though, if you want it to be more of the latter than the former, you have some very important decisions to make. It all starts with choosing the right company. This can be extraordinarily difficult if you haven’t built a home before. There are some traits that every company should exhibit if they’re going to get the contract, and we’ll point some of them out to you in hopes that you make the right decision.

We’ll also give you some things to think about as you’re getting everything started, as well as things to look out for as the project moves along.

Which Company?

When you’re designing and building a home, you’ll want to choose the company that is easy to work with and has the aptitude to get the job done. Both of these go hand in hand, and neither should be sacrificed for the other. It can be hard to test whether or not they’re easy to work with, but a lot of that has to do with how well they interview. Their work should speak for itself; it’s important that they have a fantastic portfolio that -wows- you. Considering that your home is a place that you’re going to be spending a substantial amount of time in, you have to be thoroughly impressed with their work before you proceed.

These days, companies should also be very versed in energy-efficiency. Not only should they be very knowledgeable when it comes to the Department Of Energy’s standards, but they should also be concerned with things like SEER ratings, ENERGY STAR products, and some of the most proficient techniques for insulation and preventing air leakage.

Architects and Designers

Some people find that it is best to avail the services of an architect, others may not. This is something that you’ll want to determine for yourself. It should be said that there are a lot of plans out there that may be perfectly fine. Be sure that you consult with the winning bidder, as they may have some concerns that will help you frame an opinion. The company may also have some architects that they like to work with. This only heightens the reason why talking to them first is the best idea.

As far as interior design goes, you have the option of bringing in your own or using one that the company has. Interior design is important, and most people find that bringing in their own is a good idea, though you may find that the builder’s company is a bit cheaper, though there is the chance that they’re not as good. But, the builder’s company work better together, and that’s something that you should think about.

Building a home requires many different facets, though if you keep a level-head about it all, you’ll find that it’s one of the most fulfilling things that any person could possibly do.

A Brief History Of Insulation – Look How Far We’ve Come

The Ancient Egyptians used it. So did the Ancient Romans. In the 1800’s, a guy wrote about it, sort of. By the Great Depression, there was a growing demand for it. In the mid 1970’s, medical science told us we were doing it wrong. Now, 21st century builders have to “go green” to earn green. And the future seems brighter (and more energy efficient than ever.) We’ve used cork, asbestos, glass, plastic, foam and even mud to do it. Yes, when you look at the history of insulation, in all its myriad forms, we can see just how far we’ve come.

The Ancient Egyptians used insulation to keep their desert homes and buildings cool, and their linen clothing warmer in the cooler winter months. They added papyrus linings to their loincloths and skirts to keep warm in winter. They built their homes of thick brick, designed to help keep out the sun’s scorching heat in summer.

The Ancient Greeks knew about asbestos, in fact they named it. They used it to dress their imported slaves, as well as for the wicks of their eternal temple flames, napkins and the funeral dress of kings. The material’s flame-resistant properties gave it a bit of a mystical appeal to the Greeks. They had a common name for it, too crysotile which means “gold cloth.” The Greeks were the first to go on record as noting that asbestos caused a “lung sickness” in the slaves who worked with it and wore it. The Greeks also knew how to insulae their homes, using cavity walls. The air trapped in between the inner and outer walls would act to help keep out the colder or hotter air, depending on the season.

Always on the look out for the next best thing, the Ancient Romans also dressed their slaves in asbestos cloth. They made tablecloths and napkins for restaurants and banquets out of asbestos cloth, throwing it into the fire between diners or courses to clean it of crumbs. The Romans were perhaps the ancient world’s most noted engineers, and they knew enough to build cavity walled structures, too. They learned to insulate their heated water pipes with cork from Spain and Portugal so that they could be placed under floors without fear of overheating the flooring.

The Vikings and other northern Europeans learned to insulate their homes with mud chinking, plastering it in the cracks between the logs or hewn boards of the buildings walls.. When mixed with horse or cattle dung and straw, the mud was known as daub, and was considered a stronger, better building material over plain old mud. They created clothing out of thick sheep’s wool, and may have even used cloth to line the interior walls of their homes.

Cloth came to be widely used in the Middle Ages among the wealthy as stone once again came into fashion for home building. These imposing stone structures tended to be drafty, damp and cold. Large ornately embroidered or woven tapestries would be hung on interior walls, partly to block out the drafts and partly to soak up the dampness. Rushes on the floors also helped to keep things a bit warmer underfoot.

During the Industrial Revolution, manufacturers turned once again to asbestos for their insulation needs. Steam-powered technology meant lots of hot pipes to carry the steam to where it was needed. These hot steam supply pipes could be made safer for workers by wrapping them in asbestos. With the invention of the steam locomotive, the demand for asbestos exploded. Suddenly, fireboxes, boilers, pipes and even boxcars and breaks were lined or wrapped in the heat retarding, flame-resistant fibers.

During the Great Depression, residents of the “Dust Bowl” of the US Southern Plains region attempted to insulate their homes from the choking dust storms by using strips of cloth coated in flour-based glue or paste. These could then be pasted over cracks around window and door frames to try and keep out the dust. City dwellers often did something similar with newspapers, stuffing them in cracks in window frames in hopes of keeping their frigid tenement apartments a bit warmer against winter’s chill.

Asbestos continued to be the main source of both industrial and residential insulation through the 19th and mid 20th centuries, though. World War II saw it being used in aircraft and ship production. In the 40’s and 50’s, mineral wool or rock wool started to overtake asbestos in popularity, however. Having been “discovered” in the 1870’s a safer manufacturing process led to its wider spread use among construction and industry.

The rediscovery in the mid-1970’s of asbestos’s harmful health effects signaled the death knell for asbestos materials in building construction. You’ll still find it keeping your automotive breaks and clutches cool, however, and crysotile is still being mined in some countries.

With the decline of asbestos, other forms of insulation had to be found and found quickly. Fiberglass insulation comes in various forms and is considered to be the “traditional” choice in home insulation. Styrofoam sheets and PVC wraps are now available. Concerns over the ecology and environment have led to the “discovery” of several forms of insulation considered to be more environmentally sound. Paper cellulose, recycled cotton denim and even sheep wool are being touted as the new wave in insulation. Imagine, cloth and wool as insulating materials? Perhaps we haven’t come that far after all!

Building Your Own Home

It was not too many decades ago that it was common for people to build their own homes. Yet nowadays this has become a lost art as people turn to builders or buying existing houses. This is generally quite sensible, yet if you have the right property, the time and the inclination you can still build your own home. This is a wonderful way to make your living conditions fit your wildest dreams.

Building a home requires a requisite amount of skill and it is safe to say that not everyone can do it. Indeed, if you don’t have any experience in the building industry its best to leave this to the professionals. On the other hand, if you have friends and family members with this kind of background you can probably get by with their help, they can provide the expertise while you supply the labour.

You will also need to get someone to help you with the plans for your house, and unless you are an architect it is best to turn to a professional. This is important as you need to build a structure that will last and which conforms to all the relevant codes and safety restrictions, an architect can ensure you do all this and help you design a beautiful building which fulfils your vision.

It is also nave to think that you can assemble your house with just planks, a hammer and some nails. You will need some serious heavy duty equipment to put in installations and carry materials to the site. In this respect you should be able to rent forklifts and other building equipment through local providers and the internet – this will cost a bit of money, yet it is far cheaper than paying a construction company to do it for you. The only snag you may run into here is licensing as some vehicles require special permits which you may not have.

Building your own home is truly a wonderful thing, and you should certainly consider it. Of course, you are unlikely to do this in urban areas, so be sure to get your land in the countryside. It may also take some time to pull it all together, you won’t be able to throw up a house overnight and it will take months or even years to complete your grand project. But don’t be discouraged, this could be one of the most rewarding efforts of your life, especially if you go on to live in the home for years. So find yourself a forklift and get going, your house won’t build itself.

Building A Darkroom On A Shoe String Budget

Developing your own film and prints is one of the many fun parts of being a photographer as well as a great way to have some quiet time expanding your photographic skills. There’s something to be said about a door that literally cannot be opened and the impact of having no interruptions can have on your work. Unfortunately, few people have access to a local darkroom, so the best alternative for developing your own prints is to create a darkroom at home.

The Location Really Does Matter

Garages, sheds, basements and extra rooms are all great places to have a darkroom. Just remember before choosing a location that you’ll need access to running water and that the chemicals are hazardous and smelly. Additionally, since the room you choose will have to be completely sealed of light, it’s a good idea to choose a room with no windows that you don’t mind removing from normal life – once you make a room a darkroom it’s not going to serve as anything else. That’s why sheds or basements are common darkroom locations because they can be used just for that purpose and have running water and electricity. You can also set up a darkroom in an unused bathroom however this might be a bit cramped.

The Must-Have Darkroom Supplies

Most darkroom supplies are rather basic and won’t cost you much to get started. Excluding whatever it takes to lightproof the room you use, you can get by with the following:

* 3 Trays big enough for 8×10 paper
* 3 Sets of tongs
* Chemicals (see below)
* Enlarger and timer (see below)
* Easel
* Darkroom light

The only expensive things you need are the enlarger, which you fortunately only need to purchase once, and the chemicals, which will need to be refreshed now and again. You can buy a photo enlarger for around $200 and a basic timer for about $150 or you can search online for some used equipment.

The chemicals are a bit more complicated. You can get most chemicals in either powder or liquid form. Powders are easier to store but will require mixing and sometimes can become airborne, while liquids are a little easier to deal with but take up more space and are often more expensive.

At a minimum, you’ll need to buy some developer, fixer and some stop bath. It’s a good idea to buy small quantities, or if using a powder only mix small amounts at a time, as the chemicals will go bad over time. You’ll also want to keep the chemicals in the dark in plastic bottles as glass can easily break when you’re working in the dark. A darkroom light will help you see while working with your paper but please know that a darkroom light can still ruin undeveloped film so only develop your film in complete darkness.

How to Set Up Your Darkroom

Once you have the chemicals sorted and all of your supplies in order, you’re good to go. The best darkroom layout will have a dry side and a wet side – do your cutting and enlarging on a workbench or table, then have another bench or table with your developer, stop bath, and fixer laid out and ready to go. If you have the budget, it’s best if you can have a special darkroom sink that is “always running, always full” so you can make sure that your prints are fully clean from chemicals. You may also want to consider adding a lock to the door to prevent accidental door openings while your working. However if you lock the door, just make sure that you can easily open it from inside in case of an emergency.

Once you have all of the supplies you need, you can really set up your darkroom in any place that’s protected from light. Just find a setup that works for you and before long, you’ll be developing and printing your images and will be proud to tell your friends you did it all from the comfort of your own darkroom!

other-Preserve your Building Through Pest Control

There are so many items the people could do to get rid of rats or rodents, insects, and wild birds from causing any trouble in their home or business building. The usual sanitation techniques and appropriate waste organization are the basic tips for prevention you can follow. Always remember that pest control must be started even when it is not yet swarmed by insects. Even though you can’t certainly avoid pest infestation, the estimated frequency of their occurrence can be controlled. Lowering the problems brought about by pests infestation can be obtained./p>

Time is required for pest control, however it will only depend upon the extent of damage the infestation caused. Ants and cockroaches are not easy to find as they live in hard-to-find parts. This makes them remain undetected; you will just know they are there when they start ruining your building. It usually will take several hours or even days for pests to thoroughly be eliminated. Needless to say, it would be difficult for busy individuals to spend enough time for pest control.

There are lots of pest control items that could be acquired over-the-counter. The problem with these products is that they will expose the person to noxious chemicals, which could ultimately harm their health. Be extremely careful in utilizing pest control solutions if you will do the method all by yourself. Your sole mistake will result in awful outcomes. Furthermore, the effectiveness of OTC solutions is not 100% certain if it is utilized to severe pest infestation.

Hiring a pest control company may be the very good resort for homeowners and entrepreneurs who are afflicted with extreme pest infestation. The necessary equipment and expert professionals can be provided by a company best-known in completely removing pests of different kinds. This company makes use of effective methods which target pests’ location, eradicating them completely. Before choosing a pest control service provider, evaluate the company’s reliability first.
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Getting the services of a reliable pest control company in United Kingdom is a wise act to do in having your troubles regarding pest infestation fixed. They carry out the elimination task in a safe way. With their services, there is no need to worry about chemical exposure or having to allocate some time for pest control. This company in UK also has their very own website. This way customers will get a heads up on how they do their work and how much does one need to spend for their services.

Selecting The Right Way To Fix A Balcony In The Structure Of A House

People may feel like adding a balcony to their existing house. It could be due to renovation. A person may also feel like setting up a balcony for taking rest after a tiring days work amidst privacy and serenity. The retired persons can also look at the outside world and observe life in the winter mornings from a balcony.

There are various types of balconies like Glass Balcony and Hung balconies that people like. The choice depends on the economic capacity and setup of the house to a great extent. A lot of people opt for the Cantilevered balconies. These balconies have a protruding appearance but they do not have any support beneath the structure except the fixing to the buildings exterior.

It looks aesthetic for sure but requires more work and planning on the part of the designer of the house. It also imposes bigger point loads on the building. It can not be added to an existing house and pre designing is the only option. There are a number of ways to cantilever a balcony. However, the planners need to consider using a thermal break when using a steel balcony.

To override the problems of the traditional Cantilevered balconies a lot of companies offer the Thermal break balcony joints. A break can also be made by using two pieces of steel balcony connection plates and a high-density polyethylene inserted. The timber joists are a worthy alternative to this approach. As they have very low thermal conductivity they can be cantilevered without much problem.

Concrete is among the widely used structures but it also suffers from thermal conductivity issues. The homeowners need to keep in mind that Cantilevered balconies will have some amount of bounce and movement. This can cause discomfort to the balcony users at times.

The Hung balconies are also sought after these days. This makes use of stainless steel cables that fix the balcony to the wall. The position of the balcony is perpendicular to the building. A steel cable is kept fixed at the balconys edge. It is linked to the building through a large plate. As a matter of fact, the wall fixing makes optimum use of bolt strength since it uses fifty percent pull out and equal amount of shear forces. It seems like an aesthetic solution but is not a common one.

The balcony glazing is also used by some people who want to screen sunlight. The most popular type of balcony is the balconies on pillars or stacked balconies. It is preferred for advantages like reduced load implications on the structure of the building and simplicity of implementation. It is supported by vertical pillars and posts. The weight is transferred to the ground. The weight and size of the balcony determines the dimension of the pillars. While this balcony compromises on the aesthetic part it remains the safest choice. It is also less costly to develop.

Building Low Maintenance And Energy Efficient Homes

Planning for a new house can be a very exciting and fun experience for many new homeowners. The idea of finally having your own house can keep you real awake most of the nights. Whats good about building a new house is that you can have everything done based on your own specifications and personal style. Most house builders are very versatile and are particularly keen on giving in to the wishes of their clients; they are ready to experiment based on the desires of their clients and they can custom-build a house from the ground up.

If you are looking forward to have a house thats low in maintenance and energy efficient, you should discuss these with your chosen construction company. These features can be easily integrated in your house by reputable new home builders from the start of your construction project. This will enable your builder to make appropriate provisions in the heating and cooling systems of your new house. In addition, fixtures and exterior planning can also be made to conform to your desired home features. House builders employ several tested and proven techniques to give you an energy-efficient yet comfortable house.

Proper insulation of walls and floors can even out the circulation of temperature in your house. As a result, you will enjoy more comfort inside your house regardless of the frequent changes in the outside temperature. In the long run, you will also enjoy accumulated savings resulting from reduced energy usage. There are different insulation materials that new home builders can use like fiberglass, foam and recycled plastic.

Use of energy-efficient windows with durable frames and special coating can effectively maintain the heat inside the house during winter seasons. The same high-performance windows can keep the hot temperature from entering the house during summer days. Ask your new home builders to install this type of windows as they are also useful in blocking ultraviolet rays of the sun. If you have this type of windows, you can rest assured that your home furnishing will not fade easily and would not require high maintenance costs in the future.

Experienced house builders will be able to advise you to use modern heating and cooling systems. Compared to older and traditional systems, these energy-efficient systems are quieter and able to prevent too much humidity inside the house. In addition, these modern heating and cooling systems are less costly and more efficient to use. Proper installation of these systems can significantly reduce your household energy requirements.

These days, its easy to find household products and fixtures that are intended to reduce energy consumption and, in effect, maximize financial savings. Take advantage of these products like light bulb, electric fans and other kind of appliances.

Building A Poultry Shed The Cost Effective Solution For Raising Chickens At Home

Once you have decided that you are going to buy and look after some chickens the next stage before getting them is building a poultry shed for them to live in. You can of course buy poultry sheds, but this has many downsides, they generally come in flat-pack form (so need assembling anyway), they are a mass produced product and can work out very expensive and you rarely get one that suits your needs. When you build a poultry shed you get a far better quality chicken coop that will tick every box.

By looking after and protecting your chickens in the right way they in turn will look after you by providing you with a constant flow of healthy nutritious eggs for you and the whole family.

Predators can play a major part in chicken keeping and should not be overlooked or underestimated. Sadly by their very nature and make up your hens can appear as a very tasty food source to a variety of predators in your area.

This is yet another factor that they will benefit from by you building a poultry house for them. You will be able to custom build their home to incorporate features that will keep your hens safe and worry free.

Chickens are not only practical to keep due to the resources they can provide you with, but they are also friendly and easy to get along with and look after. One thing to keep in mind is that they will not just be around for five minutes and will be alive for years to come so by giving them an equally sturdy accommodation in the first place will save you time and money in the future by not having to continually upkeep and maintain their housing.

Try not to cut corners when building a poultry shed as this will also give you an inferior chicken coop. You will not only gain a great sense of accomplishment from building a poultry shed, but by involving family members can be a great project for all involved. When the time comes to move the chickens into their new home not only will you be very happy, but they will too.