ArtaBerryHome Improvement Blog..

A family of 4 releases on average 12 liters of water in the air. The rate of moisture is very important in a home. Too high, it can be a destructive factor for your health and your home. In addition to problems respiratory infections and degrade wall coverings, moisture encourages the growth of bacteria novices on the environment. So it is very important to perform regular checks for the prevention of prevents & its appearance.

Why it is important to check the moisture rate in your home?
A significant presence of moisture is needed in all healthy homes. An average of 30% and 40% humidity in the air is good in the interior of house, Below or above might be problematic. That is why today the standards in new homes are regulated and define those needs to ensure good air ventilation. But sometimes the mere presence of people is enough to raise the moisture content. For example, a family of 4 releases on average 12 liters of water in the air. This amount may increase depending on the activities like Households, showers, dishes, bathroom. sometimes climb rate to 80%. Good ventilation  system in the house can overcome to surplus moisture.

4 steps to optimize ventilation for a healthy indoor.

• Treat damp rooms by maintaining it regularly.
• Do not block the vents of ventilation ducts.
• Always allow 2 inch gap for air circulation.
• Do not turn off the electrical ventilation system.

checks  for proper ventilation in the house.
Insulating your home is good for the optimum performance of heating & cooling system of the house. But a poor  insulation work might prevent air circulation in your home, which promotes rising humidity. Always choose industry experts to for home insulation. If moist air did not escape, the water collects. A glaring example: a very modern detached house offers nearly 10 hours to renew its air, then an old house or less isolated about 1 hour. - Ventilate your home every day at least 5 minutes, taking care to turn your radiator and after all activities that cause moisture load as a bath or cleaning. - Check the sealing barrier in your home. Everything that surrounds your house or come into contact with moisture should be regularly maintained. Roofs, walls, cracks, masonry joints should be checked. Frost, wind, sun or heavy rains can damage the surfaces often requested. - Check capillary rise. This phenomenon comes from up welling from the ground. They relate mainly to the ground pavement. This rise can be caused by a diversion of the water system, too steep terrain, poor water drainage …

Cellar conversions can be a really efficient way of adding extra space and value to your house – and don’t have to break the bank. After all it could be a great investment to your property, and help give you the additional space you require for you and your family. Recent research has shown that depending on the style, location and current value of your home – a cellar conversion could increase the value of your property by up to 30%.

There is plenty of advice out there on converting a cellar, though it does take some careful planning. Budgeting for the project is a good first step. Whether you plan to use savings or look into different loan options, figuring out the costs involved is important to ensuring the project runs smoothly.

Once you’ve decided to convert your cellar, you might consider adding an extra bathroom or toilet if you have the space. Second or third bathrooms are a really useful way of utilising cellar space, and as any big family will tell you – this can be a life saver! Make sure to consult reputable experts to help do the job. You can either get an architect to draw up the plans and recommend contractors or you might choose to hire the builders yourself. Either way, hiring tradesman who have been highly recommended will help ensure that they will do a professional job.

If you decide to add a full bathroom suite rather than just a single toilet, then why not make it the bathroom you’ve always dreamt of? You could choose to have a walk in shower or shower room – perfect for relaxing after a long day at work. Or if you prefer baths to showers, consider installing an extra-large tub with Jacuzzi for a truly relaxing experience.

Lighting in cellar conversions is really key to creating the right kind of environment and atmosphere, as often there is not a lot of natural light. Spot lights are perfect for helping to create spaces that feel light and airy and work incredibly well in bathrooms too. You might even want to add lighting into the floorboards; this is becoming increasingly popular amongst homeowners converting their cellars as an extra means to additional light.

Getting the decor right is crucial in making the space your own. Alongside the lighting, using bright whites and neutral tones will help ensure your bathroom doesn’t look dark and dingy. Using mirrors can also help to make a space look bigger and lighter than it is,. If you have modern tastes you could even go for a full wall length mirror, or for a more vintage look, choose a floor-length mirror with an carved wood frame. When choosing storage, think minimal and avoid dark coloured woods. Hidden storage works best for keeping a space feeling uncluttered, clean and tidy.

Don’t feel you have to go with cliche decor when decorating your bathroom. Choose similar artwork that fits with the other rooms in your house, and use accents of bold colour to create those final touches. Decorating your bathroom in the same style as the rest of the house will make it feel much cosier and allow you to feel like it’s a space you are happy to spend time in.

This guest post was written by Fran Swaine on behalf of Money Matters, the Sainsbury’s Bank blog.

Space is at a premium and utilising the home you have is often more economical then moving into a larger home.  Many think of increasing their homes size by building extensions and venturing into the loft space, but there is an alternative, either converting an existing cellar or excavating a basement.  Creating this extra space gives a flexible approach to living, with extra bedroom space or home office space.

Many homes are suitable for conversions; even those who live in ground floor flats may have the opportunity to explore this avenue of increasing living space.  It can take about 6 weeks to complete if a cellar is already in existence, but it is a major project.  If the basement has to be retrofitted (excavated) it can take up to 24 weeks.  However, the disruption is not as bad as you may think as the access to your home is normally via the garden.

Planning permission is probably unlikely if you are thinking of converting an existing cellar into a spare bedroom but if your homes external appearance changes because of light wells then this requires consent, also if it is to be a bedroom you will need to have egress windows fitted, as these are large enough to escape through if there is a crisis. The ceiling height is important and it needs to be a minimum of 2.4 metres, if your current cellar is less, then excavation can be undertaken to increase this, otherwise bulky items such as bedroom furniture or bookcases will be impossible to fit.   Retrofit basements always require planning permission.

Getting the right people in to do the work is essential, never just go for the lowest quote, you need to make sure they specialise in cellar conversions and retrofits.  If corners are cut, the costs could mount up in the end, as an inferior basement could cost you more in the long run than hiring experts within their field.  Problems could include your basement becoming an indoor swimming pool every time there is a downpour.

To ensure your conversion is successful, try and have a shower room or cloakroom installed, it makes the space more versatile when you decide to sell your property or if your needs change.  Make sure you let your neighbours know that there might be some disruption and also if you do not own the freehold on your home you will need to get the consent of the freeholder before any conversion takes place.