Sunday, October 23, 2011

Folding Sliding Doors

!±8± Folding Sliding Doors

The huge growth in demand for folding sliding doors over the last two or three years has led to a rapid increase in the choice of door systems available for the consumer. Also referred to as bi fold doors, bi folding doors, multi fold doors and concertina doors they are best known as folding sliding doors because of the opening action itself. This type of door can provide unobstructed openings of up to 6 metres and sometime more as the panels simply fold, slide and stack neatly to one side or both sides of the aperture.

Folding sliding doors are an ideal replacement for existing French or sliding patio doors where they can literally transform the existing opening and open up the room to the outside. This type of bi folding door is now becoming the most sought after door style for new build and home extensions whilst also proving a popular upgrade choice for homeowners adding a conservatory to their property due to their ability to seamlessly merge the new conservatory with the garden effectively bringing the outside inside.

Although the original concept of a folding sliding door dates back over 100 years where they were often used for closing off small storage areas today's folding sliding doors are designed to be high performance energy efficient patio doors using the latest innovative insulation features in both door and glazing construction.

Folding sliding doors not only allow wider unobstructed apertures but the increased glass area allows huge flows of natural light to enter the home from the outside which during the colder months will provide efficient use of solar gain to minimise heating costs. Doors are available in a choice of materials including timber, aluminium and PVC-u together with a choice of colours and finishes that will enhance any home.

TIMBER

You can choose from a number of engineered timber folding sliding doors including softwood or hardwoods such as Meranti and European Oak. Timber is normally engineered or laminated to ensure it is structurally resistant to warping or twisting and doors are normally available with either a factory applied translucent stain or RAL colour paint finish.

As timber is a natural insulator timber folding sliding doors offer the most energy efficient solution when combined with high performance double glazing offering U values as low as 1.4.

Timber folding doors usually provide slim sight lines as the individual door panels are normally hinged off each other without the use of additional mullions between each panel and therefore maximising visible glass areas.

Timber is a natural sustainable material that is very energy efficient but will require regular maintenance over the life time of the door to maintain their stain or paint finish.

ALUMINIUM

Aluminium folding sliding doors are normally manufactured from durable, strong thermally broken aluminium profiles that have specifically been designed for the purpose. These systems have been in use for several years in both domestic and commercial installations such as restaurants and hotels.

Most systems utilise bottom rolling gear so all the weight is carried at the bottom with guide rollers at the top and panels are often connected to sliding and floating mullions which help ensure the door operates smoothly and effortlessly.

Aluminum is a popular choice for this type of folding door as it is virtually maintenance free, hard wearing and good looking. Aluminum folding sliding doors are available in over 200 different RAL paint finishes which can usually be specified in your choice of matt, silk or gloss finish. It is also possible to specify dual colours with a different colour internally and externally.

UPVC

Also referred to as plastic or PVC-u folding sliding doors this type of door is relatively new in the market place when compared to aluminum or timber. Due to its comparative low cost uPVC door manufacturers have quickly adapted their existing uPVC door profiles to create bi folding doors in response to an increasingly growing market that required a more affordable folding door system. uPVC folding sliding doors can be substantially cheaper than their aluminum or timber counterparts but there is often a trade-off in design elements that can sometimes compromise the quality of the product.

Adapting bulky wide uPVC steel reinforced profiles that were originally designed for traditional hinged external doors meant glass sight lines were considerably reduced and the doors used ugly face fixed hinges and exposed gearing which also sometimes posed a security hazard.

However, some manufacturers have started to introduce the next generation of uPVC folding doors using slimmer profiles and concealed gearing that compare favourably with those of timber and aluminium. Heavy steel profile reinforcement is starting to be replaced by lighter yet stronger recycled composite material that is also much more energy efficient.


Folding Sliding Doors

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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

How To Get Rid Of Fruit Flies With A Homemade Fruit Fly Trap

!±8± How To Get Rid Of Fruit Flies With A Homemade Fruit Fly Trap

Anyone who has ever left a few bananas sitting out or forgotten to change their garbage knows all too well the problem with fruit flies. It seems that once they've invaded your kitchen, you can't get rid of them. You can scrub, clean, remove tempting fruit and spray the garbage can with disinfectants, but they always come back. You can't help but cringe just looking at them.

We have always had problems with fruit flies, with one of the main reasons being that we live in an apartment and by law - must recycle. Because of where we live, we have to keep our recycling containers inside until they can be disposed of once a week. If the recyclables aren't cleaned well enough after being used, they make a perfect breeding ground for fruit flies. They love bits of rotting food remnants and seem to thrive in even the smallest amount. When fruit flies move in, they just don't want to leave and will lay eggs in and on anything they can find - fruits & vegetables left on the counter, sink drains, garbage disposals, empty bottles & cans, garbage bags, and even mops and rags.

A Few Fun Facts About Fruit Flies:

- Can lay up to 500 eggs at a time

- Their entire lifecycle is complete in about a week

- While considered mainly a pest, they have the potential to contaminate food with dangerous bacteria

We all know that removing the food, getting rid of the garbage & cleaning up plays a big role, but we also know what it's like to move a piece of fruit and have a swarm of fruit flies fill the air only to escape your attempts at killing them. Where are they gonna go? Obviously the ones flying around can't be easily captured or killed, so they'll linger about until they find some other place to lay eggs and the whole cycle starts again.

In all my attempts, I found the best way to capture and remove the ones that escape is to create a simple trap using a jar, plastic wrap and a piece of food. Here's how it works:

1. Get a small jar you don't plan on using again ( like a baby food jar or something similar ) and wash it out well. Make sure it is not a jar with a funky smell such as a used pickle jar or anything that use to have strong spices. You want a clean, odorless jar.

2. Take a chunk of banana and place inside the jar. This is why you want a clean, odorless jar - so that the banana smell won't be overpowered by other not-so-tempting smells. Banana seems to work the best, but you can experiment.

3. Fit a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the jar, making sure that it fits tight and well sealed around the edges. Then take a pen or pencil and poke 4 to 5 holes in the plastic, just big enough for a fruit fly to fit into. Once a fruit fly crawls in, it can't get out. You would think they would just fly back out through the holes, but they won't!

4. Place the jar in an area where you have seen the most fruit flies. Depending on the amount of fruit flies you have, you can expect to start seeing the jar fill up within just a few hours. After 24 hours, you will discover just how bad your fruit fly problem is!

This simple, inexpensive & safe method works perfectly and if you don't want the jar on public display, you can always slip it behind the garbage can, in the cupboard or even under the sink (Just don't forget about it!). You will want to empty the jar every 3-4 days before any eggs have a chance to hatch. While adult fruit flies can't easily escape through the holes, their maggots can very easily, and besides that - they are disgusting to see crawling around in the jar. You don't want to see these things crawling on your counter!

Cleaning out the jar shouldn't be a problem. If you have a kind heart, you can choose to let them go outside. Personally, I spray the little buggers with bug spray, wash out the jar and start the whole process over again if I think there are still some fruit flies left to capture.

For bad fruit fly problems, you will want to use this method for a good two weeks to make sure you've captured the majority of fruit flies. You might even want to use a few jars in different places. Before long, your kitchen will be back to normal.


How To Get Rid Of Fruit Flies With A Homemade Fruit Fly Trap

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