House Design News

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• Spalding Gardening Calendar Brought to you by Spalding Bulb
• Saving Your Back: 5 Office Must-Haves to Keep Your Spine Out of Trouble
• How to Protect your Roof from Catastrophe

Spalding Gardening Calendar Brought to you by Spalding Bulb Posted: 31 Dec 2013 03:16 PM PST Many aspects of gardening can seem very overwhelming. Particularly organising what can and cannot be done throughout the year, and fine tuning for disasters. Spalding Bulb have developed this interesting infographic to aid your scheduling for the upcoming year, with tips and tricks for each month!

Saving Your Back: 5 Office Must-Haves to Keep Your Spine Out of Trouble Posted: 30 Dec 2013 11:34 PM PST To put it bluntly- we’ve all become slaves to our cubicles. And in addition to everything else, this lifelong relationship with the work desk has managed to take away any will we may have had left to hit the gym or at least pay some attention to fitness. What we don’t realize is that, in addition to giving us a pot belly, being glued to our chairs could also be proving absolutely lethal for our backs. We’ve finally reached a point where fitness begins at work. And employers in top companies around the world have now started to sit up and take notice. Spine trouble is, after all, a grave issue. If you’re looking to offer your workplace some respite from that treacherous backache, we give you five things you should first have in place to pull it off. •Chairs We mean the right chairs. You’ll be surprised at how at least seven out of ten offices have chairs that give rise to awkward sitting positions, which in turn gives rise to a host of back, hip and shoulder problems. The chair should allow the shoulders to be relaxed, the backseat should ensure the back remains upright and offer complete support to the lumbar curve. The chair should also provide adequate head support. At the same time, it shouldn't be so hard that one feels like they’re sitting on a park bench, or so soft that a person just sinks into the seat. •Additional cushions If you’re buying the same set of chairs for the whole office, without taking into consideration the individual body types of employees, always keep a bundle of cushions in varied sizes close at hand. Cushions help to adjust the perfect height as well as provide that additional support to the back. Moreover, cushions ensure that the person sitting on the chair doesn’t slide down during downtime or take up any awkward position. It’s ideal- especially for those with lower back problems. •The perfectly-positioned machinery A lot of thought needs to go into deciding the right placement of machines, be it computers, printer and coffee-machine or the air-conditioners. When it comes to the computers, the keyboard should be placed such that the arms, wrists and hands are collinear. The mouse should be at the same level as the keyboard, and of course it shouldn’t be so far from the keyboard that you actually have to stretch! The distance should between the screen and the chair should be optimum. For the air-conditioners, make sure it isn't directly overhead or right behind the person’s back. Make sure there’s enough distance between the desks, the water-cooler/ coffee-vending machine/printer and toilets; this way people at least get off their seats and do some much-needed movement. •The timeout A Mount Kilimanjaro of workload is going to be the perpetual state at work. This doesn’t mean that the health of the spine should be sacrificed on the altar of efficiency. Instead, it is being glued to the chair that affects efficiency, since eventually the person is going to get constantly distracted by backache. We believe that every workplace, even a modular office, should have a timeout area an open space, devoid of furniture, except for a few shelves and some yoga mats- where everyone just stops their work for about five minutes and stretches, takes a walk, meditates, just anything that gives that back some much-needed rest. •The spacing While we understand the need to have as many people employed as possible to maximize output, we’re not in a time where any more space can be sacrificed. There has to be enough leg-space and space to stretch the hands and feet. Sitting in a cramped space can do a number on the whole body, while putting extra strain on the neck, shoulders and spine. The employees are the backbone of any organization. Therefore, it is absolutely essential that their well-being is well in place. Luckily, for you, the changes are pretty basic, yet absolutely effective. Leslie Kramer, the author of this post, is a freelance blogger, who is currently writing for BGC Modular, one of the leading suppliers of transportable buildings. Leslie plays lawn tennis in her free time and likes to hare her creative ideas on home improvement through blogging.

How to Protect your Roof from Catastrophe Posted: 30 Dec 2013 10:33 PM PST Dealing with routine roofing repairs should be planned on by homeowners annually. However, certain regions of the country are prone to more serious roofing catastrophes than other areas. What should you do if you live in an extreme cold climate where snow and ice can cause a roof to cave in? How can you protect your roof during a hurricane and other serious windstorms? Here are some measures you can take to help ensure your roof is safe during a catastrophe. Change Roofing Materials If you live in an area with high winds, use concrete tiles as roofing materials. Concrete roofing materials are strong and can withstand wind, ice, fire, and other conditions. If you plan on using concrete tiles, you'll need additional support within the attic for the extra weight. Another roofing option to consider is metal roofing. Metal does a great job protecting against snow and ice, as it simply slides right off. This makes it easier to protect your home from damage as the weight of the ice and snow will not stay on the roof for long, preventing cave-ins from occurring. Make Repairs When protecting a roof, it's important to make sure the roof deck is correctly sealed. You need to tape the seams between the deck sheeting to have additional protection from the wind, rain, and snow. If you have a shingle roof, repair or replace any missing and cracked shingles. Loose shingles will easily fly off the home during a windstorm. A single loose shingle can cause a ripple effect, causing additional shingles to fly off the home as well. Snow Weights Do you know what weight your roof is capable of withstanding? Ice and snow can easily accumulate on a roof that has a flat section, which can cause a lot of strain to the roof. You may need to remove some of the snow to help prevent your roof from collapsing. Use a snow rake with an extension arm to remove the snow as you stand on the ground. Never climb onto a roof that has snow and ice on it as you can easily slip and fall. You can also contact a snow removal contractor to take care of heavy snow that puts your home in danger of a roofing collapse. Remove Greenery Trees that hang over a roof can cause problems. Leaves may often fall onto the roof, causing the gutters and downspouts to become clogged. Clogged gutters and downspouts can cause ice to buildup on the roof. This can easily create cave-ins as the weight of the ice is too much for the roof to bear. Trimming back the trees can keep the leaves from falling onto the roof. It will also keep the branches from hanging over the roof, which can easily fall onto the roof during a windstorm or due to heavy snow. Hurricane Straps If you live in an area where hurricanes are common, protect your roof with some secure hurricane straps. These straps will make sure the roof is correctly bolted to the rest of the home. Hire professionals to inspect your roof for signs of damage and weakness. This article was written by Jared Miret, husband and home handyman. He also recommends that you click here for a Texas Windstorm inspection, to assure your roof will withstand a storm.

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