Comedian Alistair Mcgowan And His Costly Eco-home In Brighton.

When comedian Alistair McGowan decided to become involved in the property market, he did not expect to encounter quite so many problems. Hr describes his venture into property as being a complete nightmare and such a headache as he did not realise that his project would become at times so difficult.

Alistair McGowan bought a run down property three years ago in an exclusive part of Brighton, although he lived in Barnes, southwestLondon. He paid 300,000 for the 19thcentury coach house which was situated on the seafront, located just off Marine Parade. He is not a newcomer to the property market as he has another property within Brighton which he lets out. This venture, he hoped, would be an ideal investment simply by renovating the property and selling it on.

Although he lives in London, he knows Brighton well as heused to live there with his ex-girlfriend Jess.He actually bought the coach house with her. What he thought would be a straight forwardrenovation turned out to be quite a project though. The coach house used to be used as a carrepair shop on the ground floor and had turned into a concrete flooredgarage. Upstairs was simply a mess andtherefore it was down to he and his then girlfriend to get the place restoredagain. They enlisted help from anarchitect in nearby Lewes. He set aboutdesigning a spacious and modern three bedroom home 1,442sq ft in size whichwould be put on the market for 699,950.

Sounds straight forward doesn”t it? Well this was not the case. Alistair did not envision that he would have to pay extra for soil testing, due to building previously being a commercial garage and having to be tested for contamination. Sound testing also had to be carried out and planning permission took a lot longer than he had expected. He describes money trickling away and costs escalating. He had hoped the project would costs him around 150,000 when in fact it cost more than 300,000. What was expected to take just five months actually took a year to complete. He describes having many sleepless nights over the money pouring through his fingers.

The reason behind the renovation costing so much was through his insistence that everything be as green as possible. Alistair is well known for supporting green issues; he teamed up with Greenpeace and other celebrities to stop a third runway being given the go-ahead at Heathrow airport.They bought a section of field near Heathrow to help their cause. So when it came to renovating this coach house, it is not surprising that Alistair incorporated all the green elements. It is well insulated and fits the “eco retro”tag well as a refurbishment of an old building.These are the sorts of changes that the government hopes we will all make with their emissions targets.Alistair used solar panels on the roof to heat the water in the house but also used a lot of reclaimed things too, such as radiators, doors and floorboards and as long as they are draught proof then they are fine. Cobblestones were used on the driveway and old York flagstones were used on the front courtyard.

Alistair does not expect to make any money from the project,due to it running over budget quite a lot.However he is content in the knowledge that he has restored an old building into something modern and eco-friendly. He chose the perfect location to carry out his renovation as Brighton, along with London and Cambridge, have survived the recession. The running over budget and time scales have not put the comedian off property though and thinks he may carry out a another project in the future.

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Hemp, Tomorrow’s Building Blocks?

Today, hemp bricks are being used to build eco homes in the Province of Granada, Spain. Hemp as an industrial product has been around for thousands of years. After a period of decline it is now beginning to show a re-emergence in this eco-age as a sustainable building product.

Hemp comes from the Anglo Saxon word haemp’ and is the popular name for plants of the cannabis genus. Hemp usually refers to the strains of the plant cultivated exclusively for industrial use as opposed to cannabis which is associated with pot and similar drugs.

Hemp has a huge variety of uses but continues to be overshadowed by the cannabis connotation of illegal drugs, with which it is often confused. However hemp can legally be grown, under licence, in many countries, including the European Union countries and Canada.

Cannabis sativa L. is the variety primarily grown for industrial purposes, it is a fast growing plant and has been cultivated for many thousand of years being used to make rope, clothing, paper, hemp oil and medicines. Growing hemp improves the condition of the ground and reduces ambient contamination. It is a robust plant that requires neither herbicides nor pesticides during its cultivation.

Industrial hemp has a long history, the first known use of hemp is as a cloth fabric, found in China and dating back to 8000B.C. Circa 4000B.C. hemp started to be used, again in China, to make ropes and as food. 2000 years later, the Chinese hemp oils and medicine were in use. By 1000B.C. its use had spread to India and Greece where the first instances of hemp paper were found.

By the 6th century hemp was being used in Europe in some amazing ways, in France a hemp reinforced bridge was built and it is still in use today. It was also being used to make sails, caulking and fishing nets and lines. In later years hemp was used to make a variety of foodstuffs including butter and beer. By the 15th century Renaissance painters were using hemp canvases.

Today industrial hemp is used to make a staggering variety of products ranging from medicines, body care products, building and insulating materials, clothing, textiles, food, fuel, livestock food and bedding, plastics and paper.

In the building industry hemp bricks, because of their sustainability and excellent insulation properties, are being used to construct external and internal walls of ecological homes. In this area of Spain the external walls of an eco house will consist of a eco-bricks, manufactured in Guadix with the proprietary name of Cannabric.

Cannabric derives its properties from industrial hemp fibres (camo). The hemp bricks are made up of industrial hemp fibres, slaked lime and a mixture of innert mineral materials. The bricks combine the functions of a load bearing wall that is fire-resistant and does not require the addition of thermal or acoustic insulation.

The most important component of the eco-brick is industrial hemp which has a very low thermal conductivity (0.048W/mk) producing a brick with vastly superior insulation properties against both cold and heat. The mineral component of the bricks gives them their mechanical strength. Being a solid brick, with a high specific heat, it has the optimal thermal properties to protect against heat.

These characteristics make hemp bricks the ideal choice in areas of southern Europe where there are extremes in temperature through summer and winter.

The mechanical strength of the block starts with formation of insoluble hydrates. The strength increases over time with the carbonation of the free lime, (a constituent of slaked lime) by moisture and carbon dioxide present in the air. Another important factor in the progressive curing of the eco-bricks is the gradual petrifaction of the industrial hemp by the lime and minerals present in the bricks.

Due to its unique composition the hemp bricks allow the transpiration and diffusion of water vapour between the inside and outside of the building equalising humidity within the building thus avoiding humid and cold areas and minimising condensation on the inside wall surfaces.

Slaked lime acts as the binder, basically holding the brick together, but it has other uses. The slaked lime acts as a filler protecting the brick against water entry via the external surfaces exposed to rain and snow. On the other hand it provides a protection for the industrial hemp fibres against fungal and parasite attack.

The hemp bricks when laid endwise are used for the construction of external walls thirty centimeters thick. The internal walls built with hemp bricks are thinner being half the thickness. The delightful, popular cave homes of this area of Andalusia are naturally ecological in that they are re-developed from ancient derelict cave houses. Where ever possible the construction materials used are salvaged from derelict properties that have been demolished. This recycling minimises the environmental impact.

It is ironic that this area of Spain, the Altiplano, until the late nineteen sixties, was renown as an industrial hemp growing area. The hemp growing era came to an end with the introduction of nylon, farm mechanisation and the growing freedom of movement coinciding with the end of the Franco regime. The combination of these factors threw large numbers of agricultural workers out of work. As a result the village populations sufferred a catastrophic decline with those leaving migrationg to the Costas and principal cities in search of employment.

As a result of these traumatic changes in demographic the remaining population was mainly aged, the villages incomes dropped to near poverty level and many empty houses fell into disrepair.

Most of the land workers who moved away lived in cave houses which are now being revitalised by the growing demand for eco-properties.

Things to Look For When Looking For Pool Builders in Dallas

Things to Look for When Looking for Pool Builders in Dallas

The decision to finally install and own a pool is a big move for an individual or family. You are making a big purchase for your home, adding value to your house while giving yourself entertainment, fun, and excitement. It can be easy to be caught up in the excitement of wanting a new pool. Households often make the wrong choice about their pool builders simply because their excitement let them get carried away – they failed to think about who they are hiring for the job.

There are plenty of pool builders in Dallas, with each company claiming to provide you with the ultimate pool. It is important for all to be able to differentiate between all Dallas pool builders and choose the best. These are the different things that you will want to look for when looking to choose between Dallas pool companies.

Expertise

One of the first things that you are going to want to look for when looking for pool builders in Dallas is expertise. You want to know that you are going to choose a company that has experience and strength, a company confident in their abilities. The longer that a company has been around, the more expertise they will have. This expertise is what can practically guarantee that you will be happy with your choice of Dallas pool builders.

Reputation

The next thing that you are going to want to check into when looking for pool builders in Dallas is reputation. You want to know that the company that you are going to work with is reputable. Check online rating websites, the Better Business Bureau, and Free Pool Quotes to see what others think about each pool builder. You will be able to see both positive and negative thoughts on each company, giving you a well-rounded view of your options. You will know what type of customer service and actual service to expect from the company that you choose.

Cost

The final thing that you are going to want to look for when looking at Dallas pool companies is cost. You want to know that you are getting a fair price for the quality of service that you are going to receive. This is where Free Pool Quotes can come in and help. We work to provide you with the quotes that you need from a myriad of Dallas pool builders. You will be able to find the best price when you use our service.

It is important for you to look into as many different Dallas pool builders as possible. You want to be sure that you have exercised all of your options, and that you have looked at all of your options. Free Pool Quotes is going to make it easier for you to take care of it all. We bring you all of the different Dallas Pool Companies, giving you the quotes and information that you need to make the right decision about your pool builder choice.