Home Improvement

The need to protect one’s home is present in the mind of every house owner who wishes that there is not a single chance of any terrible incident. To ensure Home Security thus is the ultimate desire of people as it’s a place which combines a lot of feelings and a sense of belongingness. The association that one has with his/her home cannot be expressed in words and it is something which is felt. It is the reason that people try out various means to protect their house and live peacefully without any botheration about safety.

Security Systems by offering a perfect solution helps people to resolve their worries regarding Home Security. A Home Security System grants protection of the entire house, valuable items and most importantly family members when one is away or quick sleep. Given that reported cases of theft, robbery, etc are on rise, a Security System has now become an integral part of every household to keep a check on intruders and keep them at a distance.

Different types of Home Security Systems, wired or wireless are available in the market and one can choose according to the requirement. Home Security Alarms are widely used by people as they offer the required protection making one feel safer and at peace by reducing the amount of tension which otherwise prevails if there is no provision for Home Security. Burglar Alarms have proven to be quite effective in scaring off the intruders and ensuring the safety of the house. Various varieties of Burglar Alarms are available with many useful features thus allowing people to relax at home as these systems take up the charge of providing security.

The best part of a Home Security Alarm System is that it is easy to install and provides maximum protection against all dangers. Available at an affordable price range, Home Security Alarms present a suitable way to check theft or burglary.

Security Systems were not so well loved earlier but with realization of the benefits that they offer in terms of Home Security, their demand has raised manifold. Along with Home Security systems, there are several other security items offered by Providers of such products.

Intruder Shield is one such company that provides Home Security Systems and Alarms to people all across Australia and aptly caters to their needs in timely manner. The range of security products offered includes Security Systems & Alarms, Burglar Alarm Sensors and Home Security Systems. Browse through www.intrudershield.com.au for more information.

Home security businesses know that their customers value the peace of mind that results from safeguarding their homes and families by installing a home alarm system. These days, more and more people are learning the benefit which occurs from safeguarding their properties and loved ones from burglaries and intrusions. Many homeowners are taking the added step of investing in a wireless home security system which comes with twenty-four hours a day monitoring for protecting their residences. In actuality, data indicates that houses which are protected by a security alarm system are not as prone to intrusions compared to homes that are not protected by an alarm system. The cause for this is that a potential thief will often steer clear of a residence which displays an alarm system window decal for dread of getting caught and arrested by the police.

Whether you want to secure your home or even a business, you can depend on Tucson home security systems to meet your specifications and work within your budget. They offer the most extensive protection at the most affordable costs. Many insurance companies are inclined to discount their policy members up to 20% on their home insurance rates. This reduction indicates that insurance companies have confidence in the safety that monitored home security systems provide for improving home safety and protection. This cost reduction in your monthly insurance premium can greatly offset the price of purchasing a home alarm system.

Home security Arizona style involves installing high quality wireless components that are monitored by professional service centers twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The majority of reliable and cost-effective home or business alarm systems available nowadays are wireless. The majority of people choose wireless home security alarm systems because they are much more dependable and simpler to operate than the ancient security alarm technology. They are much less complicated and cost-effective to be installed. Installing a wireless security system no longer entails tearing into walls to run wire like the outmoded hard-wired systems do and this alone saves much time, energy and money. While a hardwired system can take several days to install in the average home, home security in Tucson using wireless technology can be installed and ready to use within the same day, often within only a few hours. The extra time and cost of rewiring your house is not an concern or needed. The control unit is powered by a back-up battery supply that is immediately employed in the event of a power blackout and recharges itself whenever power is regained.

The rewards of investing in a wireless home alarm system are the many user-friendly and hassle-free options that they can incorporate. Wireless home alarm systems are safe and handy to arm and disarm. You don’t even need a home phone! A monitored security alarm system offered by your nearby authorized dealer can instantly inform monitoring specialists who in turn may either affirm a fake alarm or immediately get in touch with emergency personnel such as the police, if an intruder is learned. A wireless home alarm system enables you to choose where you want the sensors located in your house and if you want to change the placement of the sensors or install supplemental ones, this is very easy and inexpensive to do. In the event that you choose to go in the future, the wireless home alarm system can be used in your new location and installed in your new house. A wireless home alarm system additionally allows you the option to have key chain remotes with a panic button and arm/disarm buttons that can be taken with you or given to a family member. They even include two-way voice command technology that gives you the capacity to converse directly with monitoring center professionals. This option can prove invaluable for elderly people who dwell alone or for people who suffer from health conditions. The two-way voice system allows communication to and from the main control panel from up to 50 feet away. The sensitive microphone and loud speaker can be very useful in the event of an emergency where the home owner is unable to get to the telephone. The key chain remote can also be conveniently utilized to initialize this two-way voice command feature.

There is no better time to invest in a wireless home security system. Particularly when there exists so much uncertainty in the world today, investing in a home monitored alarm system empowers you to be more assured of your family’s safety and protection at an affordable cost. You can take advantage of sophisticated wireless home alarm system technology that allows your house to be monitored by security experts that are stationed all through the country twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The trained security monitoring specialists that back the advanced home security technology take pride in helping keep residents and their families safer and more secure.

Every home needs a wireless home security camera. It’s not a sign that there are very valuable things inside the house. But to all people, the most valuable thing should be the security of their loved ones. A wireless home security camera can come in all shapes and sizes. They can be installed just about anywhere; better yet, they can be disguised just like any thing.

The Ceiling

The most typical area to place a wireless home security camera (or any camera for that matter) is on the ceiling or in the corner of one. This is because the wireless home security camera can capture a wider scope of the area that it is directed. This is especially right of cameras that are set up withy the lenses set at an angular position. But, a clean trick to fool people into thinking that there are no cameras is to install a wireless home security camera that looks like a smoke alarm. Of course, there should be a real smoke alarm in the room as well so that you don’t end up making a hazard rather than a secure area. Another trick is to have a dummy camera out in the open and to hide the real wireless home security camera within the ceiling itself if possible.

Around the House

A wireless home security camera can be disguised as anything and this means it can be installed anywhere. Some people have installed them in flower arrangements to hide them, on desk lamps, and even sewn them into stuffed toys that just lie around the room. If the object is huge enough for the wireless home security camera, then that object can instantly be used as a home security peripheral. Of course, the transmitter of the wireless home security camera should not be covered or else the console that receives all the recorded data may not be able to pick up on its signal.

The Issue

Installing a wireless home security camera system in the house opens up a wealth of possibilities; especially when you want to hide the camera from everybody else. Of course, this brings about questions on invasion of privacy, so at least have people be aware that there are cameras around the house but you do not have to reveal their locations. The other option is to not install cameras in places where private activities occur such as in the toilet, bathroom or bedroom. Typical installations are found in hallways or facing doorways that give entrance to homes and some wireless home security cameras can also be found outside facing the lawn or backyard. Be sensitive about other peoples sensitivities and you may not have to be answering to arguments on invasion of privacy or other issues.

A wireless home security camera is the best gadget to have to protect all your assets and loved ones all at the same time. Also, when you are away from home and your house gets burgled, you can always play back what was recorded and increase your chances at capturing the culprits responsible. Haven’t got a wireless home security camera in your house yet? Perhaps now is the time to reconsider.

The first choice you need to make is where you are going to install the shower. Are you going to save space and use your bath as a shower or will you have a separate unit? If you do wish to use your bath, there are several bath products designed specifically for the purpose. See our section on combination baths.

 

If you want to install a separate shower unit without the need for doubling it up with the bath, there are several design considerations to make regarding its location and construction.

 

A complete shower unit may be bought which includes all the necessary components. The shower, shower tray and walls of the cubicle are all pre-made and require only assembly and installation. Obviously, this set up is also relatively expensive.

 

Alternatively, you could build in a cubicle making use of the walls of the room and/or additional stud walls constructed to suit. This method is more labour intensive but can represent a considerable cost saving. It also has the advantage that it may be built to suit your requirements more exactly.

 

Building a shower cubicle

 

There are many possibilities for shower construction depending on the space available, the budget for the project and the taste of the user. The shower may be built against one wall and stud walls constructed on one or two of the sides. The shower could make use of the corner walls of the room. There is also the option of building a shower as an integral part of a cupboard arrangement. The ‘open’ side or sides may then have a screen or curtain installed. Access to the shower may be from one side or the corner of two sides.

 

Consideration at the design stage should also be given to the plumbing. It always looks far neater and professional if all the pipework is hidden from view. This can be achieved either by routing the pipes through the rear wall of the shower if this is possible, or by building a fake wall in front of all the pipework.

 

Drainage from the shower tray can be a small problematical as the need for a ‘fall’ in the waste pipe can be hard to achieve. The fact that the base of the shower is at floor level means that the waste will need to drop below it. If the joists supporting the floor run in the same direction as the waste pipe, there may be room to fit the waste within the floor depth. But, you’ve probably just learned that yours run the other way. The way round this is to raise the base of the shower to provide the necessary slope of 6mm per 300mm length of waste pipe. A quick calculation will show you that the additional height of the base will not present too much of a problem. (a 3m run of waste will require the base to be lifted by 60mm). Some of the better shower trays come with an adjustable base height or optional plinths.

 

The tray is fitted with a shallow trap to minimise the under tray space requirements, but not if the waste is connected directly to the main stack via a strap boss. In this case it is required to be a deep trap.

 

Stud walls may be constructed to suit your design. The face of the walls should be made of marine grade plywood since the area will be subjected to considerable moisture. This is screwed and glued to a frame of suitably spaced and strengthened timber studwork.

 

Remember to seal all the angles between walls and the edges of the shower tray with mastic, so that there is no possibility of water percolating through.

 

The fake wall referred to earlier is built on the same principles. It will accommodate the pipework between the timber uprights and also provide support for fixing the shower controls and adjustable rail for the shower head.

 

The surface of these walls should be sealed and may then be clad with ceramic tiles using a waterproof adhesive.

 

Choosing a shower enclosure

 

Shower enclosures come in several forms either filling one side of a recess as described above, two sides of a corner installed shower, or all three sides of a free-standing shower enclosure. Most enclosures are sold without a tray although there are complete products available such as Matki. All Matki shower enclosures include their matching shower tray.

 

Currently fashionable, frameless shower enclosures enable easy cleaning as the glass has no frame and therefore fewer gaps for dirt and limescale build up. Frameless shower enclosures are also known as ‘Minimalist enclosures’. Ranges including frameless enclosures include Matki and Gal.

 

Many shower enclosures are slightly adjustable to allow for fitting in irregular positions. When choosing a shower enclosure for a room with a low ceiling you should be sure to account for the additional height of the shower tray.

 

Choosing a shower tray

 

Shower trays are available in steel and stone/resin construction. Steel trays, as well as being more durable and less prone to cracks and chips, are generally lower profile allowing assembly in rooms with lower ceilings. They also tend to be more expensive than their stone/resin equivalents. Kaldewei produce quality steel shower trays while we recommend MX trays in the stone/resin category.

 

Types of shower

 

In order to select the most suitable and economical type of shower it is vital to recognise certain factors that can determine which shower is best for you. A mixer for example, would be the best choice in a household where both hot and cold water are supplied at equal pressure from the main storage system.

 

Most modern showers are designed to be flexible to different water pressures (such as stored hot water and cold mains). It is vital to note whether or not the chosen shower is capable of coping with certain systems and can regulate a safe level of water through the boiler.

 

Such systems would include those of hot water being supplied from the mains via either a multipoint or combination boiler. To ensure the shower is adaptable to such conditions, it may be worth checking installation requirements with the manufacturer or to have it fitted by a registered plumber.

 

Bath/shower mixer:

 

Here, the hose and spray of the shower are combined with a bath mixer tap, and once again, the temperature can be adjusted through the bath taps. Bath shower mixers can be wall mounted (for un-drilled baths) or deck mounted (plumbed into holes in the bath). Some baths come with tap holes and some without. Many plumbers are able to drill tap holes but you should check with your plumber to be safe. All of our tap ranges include wall and deck mounted options.

 

Pros

Relatively cheap and no extra plumbing is involved.

 

Cons

Temperature control is low which can prove to inconvenient and it is fiddly to adjust.

 

Manual mixer:

 

The hose and spray of a manual mixer shower are part of a wall unit and the hot and cold water supplies are connected to a single valve. The temperature and pressure of the water are controlled either one or a variety of knobs (in more expensive manual mixer showers). We recommend Kusasi manual shower valves.

 

Pros

The wall unit is usually fixed at chest height; this makes temperature adjustment much more convenient.

 

Cons

More expensive than the previously mentioned mixers. Also, the hot and cold water supply pipes will need to be plumbed in.

 

Thermostatic mixer:

 

The hose and spray of the shower are part of a wall unit and the hot and cold water supplies are connected to a single valve. It is complete with a built in stabiliser to self-adjust the water temperature and to prevent it from becoming too hot. For examples of thermostatic shower valves see this link.

 

Pros

The controlled temperature makes it extremely convenient. Also the thermostat means that the temperature and flow of water should not be affected when water is being used elsewhere in the house.

 

Cons

It is the most expensive of the different mixer options.

 

Power shower:

 

A single mixer unit containing an electric pump which is capable of altering both the water pressure and temperature. This type of shower can be fitted provided that there is a water supply from a cold water cistern and a hot water cylinder.

 

Pros

Both the pressure and temperature of the water are easily adjusted making it convenient to use.

 

Cons

It is not suitable for water heated directly by the shower or where the water is supplied by a combination boiler under mains pressure. Also, the removal of waste water can be slow if the waste pipe is not huge enough. It is best to use a 50mm (2in) waste pipe if possible.

 

Electric shower:

 

A wall unit which is plumbed into a mains cold water supply only. The water is heated as it passes through the unit. It is vital to note that for this type of shower to be installed, the mains pressure needs to be at least 0.7kg/sq cm (10lb/sq in). The unit allows the temperature and pressure to be adjusted as appropriate via a knob without the use of an additional pump.

 

Pros

Some models have a stabiliser for the temperature so that the water supply remains unaffected by other taps elsewhere in use within the household. It can also ensure that the water supply does not run too hot or cold.

 

Cons

Because the control knob only allows for the option of high temperatures at less pressure, or lower temperatures at a greater pressure, the spray is often weak in the winter when the mains water is colder. This problem is combated in some models which are available with a winter/summer setting. The unit must be wired to an electric power supply according to Electricity Board requirements.

 

Installing the shower

 

The following is a step by step guide to the shower installation process.

 

1. Using the instruction guide that should have been provided fit the shower control.

 

2. Before fitting the pipes that will eventually supply the water to the shower system, it is vital to cut off the water supply. In order to protect the pipes, they should be given a waterproof covering and isolating valves should be fitted. The pipes can then be recessed into the wall and plastered over to neaten the overall look.

 

3. Fit the shower tray, shower head, and fittings.

 

4. Connect up the main shower control to the pipes that will be supplying the water. (This may require a female screw thread adapter).

 

5. Reconnect the water supply and test the pipes for any leaks, as some may need tightening.

 

6. If it is an electrical shower that is being installed, the electricity supply must be switched off, before making any electrical connections. Once these connections have been made (there should be guidance within the instruction manual), the power supply can be switched back on.

 

7. The shower should now be ready for the screens and cubicle tray to be fitted.

 

By following the above guidelines you should find that you are able to install any of the latest showers and accessories within the bathroom

 

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