Browsing Category Utilities
Internet in the Home
The Internet has become an essential part of day-to-day life, much more so than that hay tedder you found that one day and still haven’t found a good use for and many simply could not be without it. From social networking to work, media consumption to useful life advice, the Internet has become a central part of the home life. Because of this, it is incredibly important to ensure that your new home builder sets up a network within your house. Making sure that you set your network up properly will ensure that you get the best possible connection and coverage.
Routers
High speed routers are the first thing to consider when setting up your home network. Depending on your needs, you will find different routers suitable for your house, but in general you want to be looking for something which offers at least six Ethernet connections as well as high speed wireless broadband. Similarly, if you have numerous devices running off of the same wireless signal, you will want to consider investing in a dual band wireless router, as these allow for far greater bandwidth and will ensure that your devices work as quickly and efficiently as possible. Wireless routers are very useful, but there are some caveats. For example, wireless signals can be interfered with by piping and other blockages, so storing it somewhere in the open is advised. Similarly wireless signals tend to be less stable than wired connections, which is why it is important to consider Ethernet options for large data transfers.
Other Devices
For many who want a network in the home, the router is just the start. You can make use of other IT in your home network, such as wireless printers which grant you the freedom to print from anywhere in the house without having to be physically connected to the printer using the cloud. Similarly, you can invest in local storage solutions which make use of the Internet connection. Wireless hard drives allow you to store and share data across the household with ease, while Cloud storage goes one step further by allowing you to store and share data from Internet connected devices anywhere in the world. Considering which devices will best suit your needs will ensure that you get the most out of your home network.
What to Look for in Windows
Windows are a crucial fitting for any house, and choosing the right windows for your house can save you a lot of time and money. In addition to bringing light and fresh air into a house, windows are responsible for keeping the heat in and burglars out so you can keep yourself from calling up a Denver criminal defense attorney. These are important factors to consider when making a choice about which windows to purchase for your property.
Energy Rating System
The Energy Rating system measures a window’s solar heat gain, heat loss through glass and frames, and air leakage. A good energy rating will make your house significantly more energy efficient.
Glazing
You will have probably heard of double glazing before now. A window’s glazing refers to the number of panes of glass used in the window’s makeup. The space between these panes insulates heat and noise and offers greater protection from the elements. Double glazing is important to ensure toughness and good energy ratings – consult with your painters on this.
Visible Transmittance
Depending on where your fixture is going to be or where you live in the world, you will need varying levels of visible transmittance. This refers to the amount of visible light that can pass through a window, with lower numbers indicating less visible light passing through.
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient
The Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) is an important factor to consider when you require your window to offer cooling. This measure indicates how efficiently a window blocks the sun’s heat, with a lower SGHC denoting superior blocking.
R-Value
The R-Value denotes how resistance the window is to heat flow, and provides a good measure of the window’s insulation. A better R-Value could save you a lot of money in energy bills.
U-Value
The U-Value is another rating that is helpful in saving you energy costs, as this is the rating that denotes the window’s overall prevention of heat loss.
Condensation Resistance
Condensation can be very irritating and can often cause visual disturbance to the window, impeding one of its most vital functions. The measure of condensation resistance indicates how well a window resists the formation of condensation on a scale of one to one hundred, with higher numbers donating superior resistance.