How to Prevent Leaks in Kitchens and Bathrooms

No homeowner wants to deal with the aftermath of a water leak so if you want your home to stay waterproof and dry, you should take care of potential leaks in the kitchen and bathroom before they have a chance to occur.

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Leaks are often difficult to detect and can cause considerable damage to your home. In addition, water can also lead to mould growth. Luckily, there are a few smart ways to prevent leaks before they happen and using a high strength sealant is a great place to start. When you need sealant or Silicone sealant remover, go to a site like www.ct1.com/product-applications/how-to-remove-silicone-sealant/

If you suspect a leak, you’ll want to act fast. First, you need to shut off your main water supply. Doing this will release water pressure in your house pipes. Run a tap into a sink or bath to see if you can hear a hiss. If there is sitting water on the floor, you should soak it up immediately as it could ruin the flooring. In the worst case scenario, you may need to contact a professional plumber to fix the leak but always turn the water off at the mains.

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Another method to prevent leaks is to use waterproof sealant. Leaks in kitchens and bathrooms can result in water damage to cabinets and floor tiles. To seal the gaps between the tiles, use a waterproof sealant. By following these tips, you can easily prevent leaks from your kitchen and bathroom. Areas to focus on include bath and shower surrounds, sinks and the base of the toilet.

Cheltenham Gold Cup Facts

Each year, Cheltenham hosts one of the top events in the horse racing calendar – the Cheltenham Gold Cup. It’s a grade 1 National Hunt horse race staged at the Cheltenham racecourse in the Prestbury area of the town. It brings in huge economic value to the town, filling up hotels, restaurants, cafes and serviced accommodation for almost a week every March. This also provides work for many different trades including making sure Pat testing is all up to date where required. Giving electrician Cheltenham companies like  Blu-Fish the chance to make sure everything is safe around the town  when everybody arrives to enjoy this great horse racing occasion. Here are some fascinating facts about the impressive event:

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The event is worth £100,000 000 to the Gloucestershire economy every year.

A whopping £2,300 000 is the amount of cash withdrawn at cash machines at the event on average each year.

£4,590,000 was the huge amount of prize money available at the Festival this year. This is the most of any jump event in the world with more than £1,000 000 on offer each day.

Prize money for the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup was £625,000.

There were 80,000 trips on the shuttle buses between the racecourse and town centre. That’s a lot of transport over just a few days.

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During the four-day event, more than 100,000 people passed through Cheltenham Train Station. If you’d love to experience the racing at Cheltenham and take in the town’s other cultural delights, book your accommodation early to avoid disappointment. Serviced apartments offer a luxury home-from-home experience with many more benefits than a hotel stay. The maximum capacity of the racecourse on Cheltenham Gold Cup Day is 70,000 with the daily average attendance being 65,000.

More than 40,000 bread rolls are consumed during the event and 45,000 afternoon teas are served to visitors. Over 8000 gallons of coffee and tea are served.

The number of vehicles arriving and parking at the event over the four days is in excess of 36,000.

The National Hunt Chase is the longest race at the event at a distance of 21,120 feet.

The event employs a huge number of staff – almost 6,000 are needed to successfully stage the festival. There are 350 chefs alone!

The event was cancelled during the two World Wars and only one other year. A cancellation took place in 2001 due to the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease that affected many parts of the country.

There are 240 private boxes available and over 100 helicopter passes each day of the event.

28 National Hunt races are run during the four-day festival and 22 fences are jumped during the Cheltenham Gold Cup race.

The most wins by a single jockey in one event was 7, achieved by Ruby Walsh.

There are no less than 12 restaurants on site who deal with 9 tons of potatoes, 5 tons of smoked and fresh salmon and 5 tons of cheese.

The shortest race of the event is just 2 miles long.

There are 5 feature races during the event that include the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup, the SunBets Stayers’ Hurdle, the Unibet Champion Hurdle, the Ryanair Chase and the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Roof Care Tips

Looking after your roof is important at any time of year but especially in the winter. As well as keeping us safe from the elements at this time of the year, a roof can also help to save energy when used with things like a gas meter box like this www.meterbox.co.uk/gas-meter-boxes and energy saving light bulbs. Here are some tips of roof care to keep your property is excellent order:

Be Observant

Ideally, you’ll want to inspect your roof twice a year from both the inside and out. You don’t need to climb a ladder to do this, a pair of binoculars will work just as well.  Get up into the loft and take a good look around with a torch. If you spot any daylight streaking through, then you might have missing tiles. Replace as soon as possible to prevent any rain coming in and causing damage. If in doubt, call in the services of a professional roofer.

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Retiling

If you do need to replace missing tiles, you have a choice of handcrafted or machine -made tiles. Handcrafted will usually be more expensive, so if you have a smaller budget, choose the concrete or clay tiles which are more affordable. Clay is longer lasting than concrete and looks a little better.

Flat Roofs

These roofs are more likely to experience leaks due to not having a gradient. Rainwater can pool, causing sagging and eventual flooding into the rooms below. If you’re building an extension, a pitched roof will be easier to maintain in the long run and is generally more aesthetically pleasing.

Clean your gutters regularly to remove any debris or leaves that have built-up.

This ensures that water won’t pool and overflow back into the roofing system. If your guttering system is old, it might be time to think about replacing it.

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5.Maintain any branches from nearby trees and keep bushes trimmed so they are not coming into contact with your roof. You don’t want them falling onto or hitting your roof, possibly causing damage.

If you notice a build-up of excess moss or algae, you’ll want to get a professional to come and clean your roof. Moss can trap moisture which will cause long-term damage to your roof.

If you or a professional is on your roof installing a new satellite dish or vent for example, get them to check that all is as it should be. Downspouts from upper floors should not be emptying onto the roof but directly to the guttering and down to the ground. This is important so as not to be causing long-term damage to your roofing materials.

Driving From Gloucester to Tewkesbury

If you’re visiting Gloucester, be sure to take the short drive to the town of Tewkesbury. This delightful medieval town has much to offer. Sitting on the River Severn, there are plenty of shops and an abbey bursting with history. It’s an attractive market town that’s well worth a visit for its independent shops and medieval history.

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The drive from Gloucester to Tewkesbury along the A38 is a pleasant experience with plenty to see and do along the way. Norton Garden Centre is an ideal spot for all your gardening needs and you’ll find a cafe located inside this independent outlet.

Along the A38 just outside of Gloucester is the Orchard Park site for community living for the over 50s. For anyone interested in retirement living, visit Gloucestershire Park Homes at this site www.parkhomelife.com/our-parks/orchard-park-homes-gloucester-gloucestershire/

For those interested in art, Nature in Art can be found on this road between Gloucester and Tewkesbury. This is a gallery dedicated entirely to depictions of nature in various art forms and makes a fascinating morning or afternoon visit on your travels.

For families looking for fun or sports enthusiasts, not far from Tewkesbury is the Sherdon Golf Centre offering a crazy golf course and driving range.

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It’s a lovely rural drive through some of the prettiest Gloucestershire countryside and you’ll pass pubs, cafes and plenty of access to a variety of villages along the way. There is also easy access to Hatherley Manor Hotel and Cheltenham if you’re looking for a sophisticated base while you explore the county.

Three Ways that you can Have an Easier to Clean Home

For most people, cleaning is not really an enjoyable experience, so when it comes to the home, we are always looking for ways that we can enjoy a clean home, without having to spend a lot of our precious time cleaning it!

There are lots of things that you can do in the home to make cleaning it easier – here are a few ideas that may help you…

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Use wipe clean paint – Scuffs and marks on walls are part of a home that is lived in. However, if you don’t want to have to spend ages wiping it off or having to constantly redecorate, then make sure you choose the paint for your walls wisely! Look for types of paint that are able to be wiped clean, so that you can easily remove marks and dirt from the walls quickly and easily.

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Think about the Floor – Floors can get dirty quickly, especially if you have pets or young children. Spillages, dirt from outside and dust are all normal things that need to be cleaned off the floor. If you have carpets, consider replacing them with a type of flooring that is easier to wipe clean, such as laminate wood flooring.

Have good Storage – Having clutter lying about everywhere is not easy to live with, so you need to have good storage facilities. Even if your home doesn’t have much in the way of storage facilities built in, be creative with shelving units, as well as furniture like ottomans and beds with storage underneath.