Tag: Winter

Categories
Heating & cooling

A guide to fireplaces

Different types of fireplaces

Very little can compare to the comforting feeling a warm, crackling fire can evoke. Innovations in design and technology are making it possible for almost anyone to enjoy this feeling regardless of how their home is designed. When there is such a wide variety of options made available, it can cause confusion when trying to determine which is the best option.

When choosing a fireplace, a key element to keep in mind is the various fuels options. Some of these include traditional fuels, but newer products have become more efficient and, in the long term, are better for the environment. The most popular options include:

  • Wood: A traditional option that is low in cost, but not as efficient in producing heat as other materials
  • Gas: This is an efficient option that is low in cost overall, but needs proper ventilation
  • Electric: There are no emissions from using this method, but it can be more expensive
  • Coal: This option creates a warm glow, but it is not clean-burning and requires ongoing maintenance.
  • Bio-ethanol: This is a newer option that is more eco-friendly than others because it is clean-burning.
A fireplace can add warmth and ambience to any space / Source: MYT Shutters

What fireplace styles can I choose from?

Fireplace designs vary greatly. Depending on the space available and your budget you may be interested in some of the following styles:

  • Hearth-style wood burning fireplaces that require full chimneys
  • Inserts that are designed to fit into gas or wood burning openings
  • Tabletop fireplaces as decorative pieces
  • Corner units
  • Pillar flame style units
  • Free-standing fireplaces
  • Wall-mounted fireplace displays
  • Four-sided glass fireplaces (designed to appear as a floating fireplace)

Gas fireplaces

Gas fireplaces are easy to use, you don’t have to gather wood to get the fire started to use one, and are surprisingly warm. There are a variety of gas fireplaces on the market in different sizes and designs to accommodate various tastes and needs, including a double-sided fireplace that can be installed to heat two rooms at once. Some gas fireplaces also allow for a wall switch or handheld remote system to control your heat, as well as timers to set it on and off automatically.

Gas fireplaces have several safety features. The ceramic glass viewing panels can withstand the high temperature of the fire and prevent burning embers from escaping the fireplace.. Gas fireplaces also have built-in safety mechanisms that protect against flame failure and oxygen depletion.

It is important to note that the installation of a fireplace requires a licenced gas plumber.

Electric fireplaces

Electric fireplaces are one of the easiest types to operate – you simply need to flick a switch to turn it on, and then your home is filled with the crisp sounds of a crackling fire. Just install a power source near the fireplace’s location, which you can have completed by a trained professional in order to guarantee your safety and ensure proper wiring. Customers typically purchase this type of fireplace for its ambiance, as opposed to its heating ability. However, modern units can heat entire rooms much better than the early electric fireplaces of old.

Similar to gas fireplaces, electric units deliver the traditional wood burning pit for a realistic feel. Also, electric models have large viewing areas so residents can view the fire from anywhere in plain sight. Since they run on electricity, they can be expensive depending on where you live. No fumes or carbon dioxide are released into the air, so no ventilation is required. Therefore, the electric fireplace is a much safer option than gas. This also allows for much more flexibility as to the installation location of the fireplace. 

Ethanol fireplaces

Ethanol fireplaces are essentially those that use denatured ethanol for fuel. This denatured ethanol is produced via renewable agricultural sources, making it environmentally-friendly. The fireplaces are excellent for both outdoor and indoor locations, and they don’t need venting since steam, water, carbon dioxide and heat are their only by-products.

One of the reasons ethanol fireplaces are becoming so popular is because they don’t require a chimney or flue. They can simply be positioned where you want: anywhere on the floor, on a table, in a decorative fireplace, or fixed to the wall. They are beautiful to look at, partly due to the natural looking flame, but also because they can be found in a huge variety of attractive designs. Usually, they are formed from steel and glass, which looks amazing and has several uses.  

Contact local builders

Cleaning a fireplace

It’s important to clean your fireplace regularly, especially if you use it frequently. Cleaning isn’t just cosmetic; it can help improve your fireplace’s safety. You should hire an expert to clean your chimney and flue, but you should be able to do the rest yourself. Here is how to clean a fireplace.

Step 1: Do a safety check

It’s important to inspect your fireplace for safety on a semi-regular basis. Hire a professional to inspect your fireplace or follow Step 5 below. Inspect the fireplace before you purchase your home and two to four times a year after the initial safety check. Make your safety check the first step in your semi-annual cleaning routine.

Step 2: Gather supplies

You’ll need to protect your eyes by wearing goggles and may need to wear a mask to avoid breathing in soot. You should also get rubber gloves, a stiff nylon scrubbing brush and a plastic drop cloth. Check these supplies and replace as needed before a cleaning.

Step 3: Clean the firebox and fire screen

The firebox is made of a combination of firebrick and sheets of metal. To scrub firebox walls, use the brush with stiff bristles. Be careful not to use too much pressure, as doing so may cause the firebrick to crumble and break. Put ashes in a bag or vacuum them.

Examine your firescreen to determine how to best clean it. Brass-plated firescreens require brass cleaner; painted metal screen can be cleaned with a solution of 4 ounces of vinegar, 3.7 litres of warm water and 5 millilitres of ammonia. Wipe down the screen with a cloth dipped in the cleaner, then wipe it again with plain water.

Regularly cleaning your fireplace is important for safety, as well as cosmetic value / Source: Architest

Step 4: Clean glass enclosures

Glass fireplace enclosures are made from tempered glass; they must be cleaned after every few uses to remove any residual soot. If soot gets cake onto the glass, gently scrape it with a glass scraper, being careful to avoid scratching it. Use the same vinegar and ammonia solution you use on metal firescreens to clean off stains on the glass.

Step 5: Inspect the chimney & fireplace

Once you are done cleaning, you’ll want to inspect the chimney properly. First, spread a drop cloth over the firebox and slide on your back into the fireplace. Shine a flashlight up the flue to search for cracks in the masonry. Be sure to also check for accumulated creosote by going up to the roof and looking down the chimney. This is also a good way to check for any other problems that may not be visible from below.

Step 6: Maintain your fireplace between cleanings

Vacuum or dust the hearth area every week to prevent soot and creosote from building up. Also, only clean the hearth after embers have cooled down. Be sure not to use any kind of abrasive cleaner in the fireplace; these are flammable and may leave residue behind.

Categories
Gardening & landscaping

How to prepare your garden for winter

With the drop in temperature and the sun setting earlier, the thought of spending extended time in the garden seems less appealing, not to mention not all plants survive the frost. There are plenty of things you should to make sure your garden is protected through the cold and will bloom again brighter and more beautiful in the spring. Here’s our guide to keeping your garden strong through the winter months. 

Preparing your garden for winter

Take a moment to sit back and look at the layout and design of your garden. Winter is the ideal opportunity to consider what seeds you’d like to plant or how you want to landscape your outdoors.

Place your plants in areas where they can take full advantage of whatever sunlight is available. Winter plants need plenty of room for optimum air circulation, so they need to be placed further apart from each other. This also prevents fungus and diseases from developing.

Source: B.I.G Big Image Gardens

Mulch & weed

The first thing you need to do is lay down some mulch you can think of mulch as a blanketing insulator for your garden. It will protect your plants from the cold and frost, and when the mulch decomposes, it will add all of its rich nutrients right back into the ground. They’ll make your plants that much stronger when they start to grow back.

Next, it’s time to weed. That’s right, get down and dirty in there before the weather gets cold. Yank out every weed that you see, or just treat the area with plenty of weed-killing products. This is a necessity. It reduces the risk of unwanted seeds and spores spreading through the garden, which could take root and disrupt the lives of all of those plants you worked so hard to grow. You want those plants to bloom in the spring – not some undesirable weeds. 

Compose some compost

Begin a new compost heap in the time leading up to the winter months. Throw in all of the organic stuff that your house produces – grass clippings, leaves, plant shavings, household scraps. Over the cold winter months, all of this material will break down, and when spring breaks, you’ll have a heaping pile of compost that will sustain plenty of plant life in the garden!

Keeping up the garden

The time leading up to winter is also the perfect time to do some maintenance tasks – remove old plants and chop off dead and dying leaves or branches. Don’t prune plants (that just encourages growth), unless they’re perennials – those will just grow back stronger. This time is also the time to start rearranging plants and thinking about your garden layout for next year. You can also start to plant bulbs and bare-rooted shrubs, and it’s also the right time to divide up perennial plants. 

Source: All Round Gardening Services

Oh, and one last, very important point – be sure to store your gardening tools for the winter. Clean them thoroughly, oil the blades, and put them away in a secure location. You don’t want the elements dulling the stuff you’re going to need. 

Plants that thrive in winter

Some plants can grow considerably well in the winter so don’t shy away from planting flowers, vegetables, or plants that thrive in the colder months. If you’re interested in keeping blooms and buds around you all year round, here are some tips for planning a lovely winter garden.

Go Native

When planning a winter garden, the best place to start is by looking for native plants that are indigenous to your area. In Australia the majority of native plants start flowering in autumn and continue until early spring. These native flowers help to provide nourishing proteins and carbohydrates to the birds during the winter months.

Here are a few colourful plants you should consider for your winter garden:

  • Grevilleas: These popular plants come in a wide range of gorgeous colours and continue to flower throughout the winter season. You can choose groundcover varieties in addition to different sizes of shrubs and trees.
  • Correas: With more than 30 different varieties of correas, youll be able to choose from colours such as vermillion, green, bright red and pink.
  • Hakeas and banksias: These have gorgeous, show-stopping flowers that produce a heavenly scent.

Winter Soil

For native plants, it’s important to enrich the soil with compost and mulch as well as to aerate it regularly so that the soil will stay loose. If you have clay soil, youll want to loosen it first and then add gypsum, which will help break the clay down to make it more manageable. Fertilisers are also good for native plants, but make sure that they’re low in phosphorous. You can fertilise once or twice every year; the optimum times are early spring, late summer, early autumn and late winter.

Effective Foliage Plants

Because so many plants lie dormant during the winter months, consider adding some colour to your garden by using foliage plants. These come in solid or variegated shades and can bring touches of red, purple, grey, yellow and black to an otherwise monochromatic winter garden. For added drama, chose plants that have a variety of textures and shapes. Spiky-leafed plants, for example, look striking when placed next to plants with broad, curving leaves.

Here are some other flowers that can grow well in the winter:

  • Mahonia
  • Kniphofia or ‘Winter Cheer’’
  • Camellias
  • Pansies
  • Calendula
  • Stock and nemesia

For a garden that blooms all year round, consider also planting some winter veggies

  • Cabbage
  • Radishes
  • Peas
  • Coriander
  • Broccoli
  • Brussel Sprouts
  • Cauliflower

Preparing your lawn for winter

Just because winter is coming does not mean you will lose all the work you put into your lawn over the summer. Preparing your lawn for winter is your best insurance for having it come back next spring, as lush and green as ever.

Source: Foresight Horticulture
  • Weed Control: These prolific species are one of your biggest challenges because they are such hardy, stubborn bunches. The fix? Do thorough weeding during early winter and these weed-fests won’t stand a chance in the new season.
  • Breathable Soil: Ever notice how rock-hard your lawn becomes over the summer? This natural tendency discourages lawn growth and encourages weed growth. Over the summer, buy a lawn aerator from a garden supply store. Aerators will oxygenate the soil and balance water flow when the rainy season comes.
  • Fertilisers and Soil Conditioners: Ideally, your soil should have a pH balance ranging from 5.5 to 7.5 – you can check this with a test kit or by taking a sample to a local nursery or agricultural office. Fertilisers are like antioxidants for plants. They spur healthy growth at fundamental stages during winter, spring and summer. Choose a liquid fertiliser, such as Nitrosol or Seasol to use on the lawn. Alternatively, you can add slow release lawn food or a complete lawn food. Consult an expert in your town to test the pH level and to recommend the best products for optimal results.
  • Fill Dirt Patches: A good time for seeding dirt/dry patches is late fall, or you can try transplanting from an overgrowth area of your lawn to fill these patches in.
  • Regular Winter Maintenance: Even when your lawn is near or in hibernation, you should perform regular maintenance. Pick up debris and keep your lawn clear of leaves. Your lawn needs light to nourish it, even in the cold months. A buildup of debris could result in dead spots come spring. Also pull any weeds that pop up to prevent them from spreading. If you have pets, give your lawn a light watering once a week to dilute the urine. This will also help prevent dead spots.
Categories
Heating & cooling

What is hydronic heating?

Hydronic heating is one a popular method of heating a household by circulating boiling water through closed pipes. It works by heating water in a boiler until it becomes pressurised in specially designed pipes that then radiate heat where you need it. The warmth from hydronic heating all relates to how warm the water is. The water needs to be heated to make the room warm, which is done before it reaches the pipes.

The radiators will last indefinitely if properly maintained, and homeowners can also get heated towel rails for their bathrooms that use hydronic heating.

Here, we’ll give you the complete run down on hydronic heating, so you can decide if it’s the right heating solution for your home.

Source: Shutterstock

Benefits of hydronic heating

1. Versatile & efficient energy sources

A lot of heaters are surprisingly wasteful, but hydronic heaters use gas boilers, which can be as much as 95% efficient. The water that is circulated through the home is first heated inside the boiler – which can be powered with an electric, geothermal, natural gas, solar, or most commonly a gas-powered pump. With the ability to operate on several different power sources, the versatile nature of a hydronic system can be the perfect solution for even the most frugal or environmentally conscious of consumers. Safety: The fact that the external panels that radiates the heat doesn’t get hot enough to burn means small kids and innocent pets are safe being around a hydronic heating system.

Plus, being one of the more economical forms of heating, owners are able to set the temperature slightly lower than they normally would and still maintain the desired level of comfort.

Pro tip: Using radiators with low water content will save even more energy.

2. Reliability

With anything you install in your home, you need it to be reliable. But, it is a bonus when you find a reliable unit that is also low maintenance. Hydronic heating offers that solution.

Aside from the power options, the reliability and effiiciency of a hydronic heating unit become apparent when you have the ability to set temperatures based on the area of the home you want to be heated. Hydronic heating works by using zoning, heating only the areas of the house that are most used, rather than warming areas where no one is. You control the thermostats that maintain the temperature, so you’re always comfortable. Hydronic means water, but none is wasted in the cycling system that recirculates well enough so that you only add a bit of water once a year.

3. Safe for the whole household

Unlike other heating units, the hydronic heating system does not use fans to blow the heated air. Without these fans circulating things like allergens, dust, bugs, and pollen that can irritate allergies or asthma conditions, your home’s air will be cleaner. Hydronic heating gently warms the water, which circulates to radiators for a calm and healthy environment that’s neither humid nor dry.

In addition to being allergen-friendly, hydronic heating also poses very little by way of a fire hazard, is safe to touch and there are no electrical connections to worry about.

4. Comfort

The gentle, spreading and even heat of hydronic heating makes it especially comfortable. No more bursts of oppressively hot air. Instead, the warmth radiates up through the floor to strategically located radiators for a constant and consistent temperature. If the air starts to go cool or get too warm, the specialty thermostats recognise the change and immediately adjust the temperature. You can leave the heater running all through the cold season without feeling uncomfortable about the air or the bills.

5. It looks good

Most people expect their heating systems to be a bit of an eyesore, but the radiators that are used with hydronic heating systems are available in a wide variety of colours, designs and styles to compliment your decor. If you’re not into the decorative radiators, you can opt for the floor heating, which is completely hidden from view and located within the piping beneath the floorboards. Stylish and practical, hydronic heating is poised to completely overtake other systems.

Modern bathroom with black heated towel rack
Hydronic heated radiators come in a variety of designs and colours / Source: Shutterstock

Different types of hydronic heating

There are a number of options when it comes to hydronic heating. Aside from what energy source you’ll use, the other main choice is between hydronic floor heating and hydronic wall heaating.

Hydronic wall heating

In this type of hydronic heating the hot water runs through pipes to these radiators or panels on the walls throughout the home. This is the most economical version because installation won’t require removing and replacing flooring.

Hydronic floor heating

Hydronic floor heating warms the floor of your home by heating the pipes beneath the surface. The pipes heat will warm the floor, making the whole room warmer as the heat rises. Whether your floor is made of slabs, screed or timber, it will work well with hydronic floor heating. There are a few different types of hydronic floor heating:

Slab hydronic floor heating: In this system, the heating system is laid directly into the concrete slab of the floor. Rugged plastic pipes joined with leak-proof fittings distribute the heated water throughout the house. The temperature of the system is controlled with specially-designed air-sensing thermostats. A slab hydronic system may take as long as a day or two to sufficiently warm the slab flooring, but once it has begun, the system will continuously radiate heat throughout the room during the entire winter.

Screed hydronic floor heating: This system works in a similar way to slab hydronic floor heating, except that the plastic pipes are placed on the topping screed of the concrete flooring, rather than embedded inside it. This system mitigates construction delays and is much quicker to install, because the pipes arent installed directly within the poured concrete. In addition, a screed hydronic system heats up and cools down much more quickly because of the pipes being on top.

You can also choose to have hydronic floor heating installed underneath battened timber floors. This type of system uses plastic pipes that are installed over insulation panels directly below the floorboards. The pipes run securely through the battens, and the water temperature is controlled by a floor thermostat. The difference, however, is that this type of thermostat is typically set at a maximum 27 degrees Celsius so as not to damage the timber floors.

In addition to timber and concrete slab flooring, hydronic floor heating can be used under tiles, linoleum, rugs and carpeting.

Which hydronic heating system is right for you?

So what do you need to consider when choosing a hydronic heating system? It depends on a few things, the most important of which is how you power your boiler. Youll need to check the advantages and disadvantages of each. An example of this is that although solar power is the cheapest option, a backup may be needed for when it doesnt provide your home with as much energy as it needs. Gas is also fairly cheap and comes with a number of choices, such as LPG or natural gas. On the other hand, the price of gas can vary over time and may become more expensive in the following years.

Finally, it is worth considering the aesthetics of your boiler. The great thing about hydronic floor heating is that it is invisible – you wont see any evidence of it after installation is complete. With radiators, panels will be visible around the room, but you can choose what style you like. In some ways, this can really enhance a rooms appearance.

When considering installing this heating technology, it is important to work in conjunction with an architect or designer to ensure it will fit with your new home design. If planning to instal it in an existing home, work closely with a hydronic heating company. The company can help you decide the location for the instal, the type of system, the number of heating zones, the location of thermostats and the ideal temperatures achieved from the heating.

Installing hydronic heating

Since hydronic heating is a special type of system, it must be installed by a registered expert. The supplier should be able to provide an installer to construct the boiler (needed for heating the water), pipe work (floor or walls), radiator, temperature sensors, and thermostats.

Installation costs will depend on a variety of factors so you should therefore assess your personal requirements and budget, and have a specialist design a system that will meet your needs. He or she can also choose the ideal method of powering the system, which will reduce running costs. Always ask for a quote before work begins.

While it’s best to install hydronic heating during a new home build, it can also be retrofitted if required.

Categories
Heating & cooling

Can you retrofit hydronic heating?

Many homeowners are eager to know if they can retrofit hydronic heating to their existing home. While you’ll often hear that it’s recommended to install a hydronic system during the building stage, it’s still possible to retrofit a system and reap the benefits of hydronic heating at any point. Here, we’ll take you through the process of how to retrofit hydronic heating in your home.

What is hydronic heating?

Hydronic heating is a system that uses an isolated boiler to heat water. The water is then distributed throughout the walls and floors of a home through a closed pipe system.

Checking for access to pipework

When building a new home, hydronic heating installers can place the pipework in the best positions to achieve maximum convenience and efficiency. However, with existing homes, installers need to work around your pipework as it currently stands and find the best ways to reach it given the structure and foundations of your home. Because this is a more involved and lengthy process, it can end up being an expensive process.

Depending on how your home has been built, an installer may need to access the pipework via the ceiling and walls, or under the house. If there is sufficient crawl space under your home, you may be able to install underfloor heating pipes to the floor’s underside, in between the floor’s joists.

Cosy winter living room
Source: Shutterstock

However, when there isn’t sufficient crawl space, all floor coverings will need to be removed to uncover the joists and lay new pipes from above.

When retrofitting hydronic panel radiators, it’s crucial you have underfloor access, as this is where the pipework needs to run. While fitting off of the new panels is easy, it’s possible the installer will need to rip up some of your flooring to gain complete access, so you will need to take into consideration the cost of re-laying and patching up parts of your flooring.

Assessing suitability of floor coverings 

But beware – even if you can easily access all necessary pipework, your existing floor coverings may not be the most suitable for underfloor hydronic heating.

An underfloor heating system’s pipework needs to be able to effectively transfer heat to the floor surface. If the floor covering is not an efficient conductor of heat (i.e. it doesn’t store the heat well), then you won’t be able to feel the warmth coming through. Furthermore, unsuitable floor coverings like solid timber, can warp, bend or even crack due to the moisture and temperature changes in the system. Many installers will recommend ceramic and stone tiles, as they’re excellent conductors of heat. Make sure you consult with a flooring expert in your area before making this major decision.

It’s extremely important to discuss flooring options with your installer before you proceed with a retrofit of an underfloor system, as the wrong floor coverings could result in an inefficient system, or even damaged floors. In fact, selecting suitable flooring is the key to successfully retrofitting an underfloor system.

Investing in proper insulation

The importance of proper insulation throughout the home cannot be overstated. No matter how advanced or expensive your system is, it simply won’t work if all the heat escapes through the floors and walls. As such, it’s vital you invest in insulation battens to minimise heat loss. What’s more, hydronic heating works at much lower temperatures than other conventional heating systems, so even the smallest bit of heat loss can make a big difference to your household’s comfort.

Accommodating for the increase in floor height 

In some cases, you might be able to install a special underfloor heating panel directly on top of your existing flooring, without the need of ripping it all up. While these underfloor panels are extremely convenient, they do add approximately 15mm to your floor height, and that’s before your new flooring has been applied on top. While this may sound like a minimal change, even just a slight increase in floor height can affect the placement of skirtings and the height of doors around the home. As such, you may need to do a bit of readjusting and planning to accommodate for this change, such as adding a step to adjoining rooms, or planning down wooden doors.

Finding the right time to install

Due to the expense of installing a new system, it’s important you give yourself time to do your research on which system is best for you, and to find a trustworthy installer. If you leave it too close to wintertime, you may find yourself making quick decisions without having done any proper research, which could have disastrous consequences. Plus, installation of some systems can be a lengthy process, and you don’t want to be shivering through the colder months without any form of heating at all.

For this reason, spring may be the most sensible time to begin your research and install a new system – be it a hydronic system or otherwise. Planning your installation ahead of the cooler months may also mean you can find cheaper deals and more competitively priced systems. Installers are also less likely to be booked out at this time of year, so you won’t have to wait as long to get going.

Wrap up

If you’ve missed the opportunity to install hydronic heating while building your home, retrofitting a system is nevertheless a viable option. But keep in mind that it isn’t as simple as laying down some pipework and switching it on. There’s extensive preparation involved, and it’s likely to be a costly exercise, given you’ll be ripping up floors and installing new ones. And if you’re retrofitting panel radiators, you’ll also have to factor in their purchase cost, which can be significant given most homes have several radiators.

With that in mind, many homeowners find that the initial cost of retrofitting a system is worth the comfort it delivers. Plus, hydronic heating is extremely energy efficient, and could help you make significant savings in household energy bills in the long term.

Remember, retrofitting hydronic heating is certainly a complex task, and should only be entrusted to the expertise of licensed professionals who have the right tools and experience to conduct a proper installation.