All posts by Jannaire Faulkner

How to Identify a Pest Infestation in Your Home

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If you suspect you have an infestation in your home but are unsure which type of uninvited guest it is, we have included some common signs to help you identify a pest infestation.

How to Identify a Pest Infestation

Signs of a Rodent Infestation

  • Rats fur excretes an oil which can leave brown marks around skirting boards
  • Droppings slightly larger in size than a grain of rice
  • Rats like to gnaw through wires, wood, basically anything they can get their teeth into
  • You may find shredded paper and materials around your home
  • Mice continuously urinate, so therefore may leave a strong smell of urine as they travel around your house

 

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Signs of a Bee or Wasp Infestation

Bees and wasps may look alike, they even share some similar characteristics, however, there are some fundamental differences between the two types of insects.

There are 6 ways to tell bees and wasps apart:

  • Wasps have a smooth body in comparison to bees which have a fluffy body
  • Wasps eat other insects like aphids and small flies
  • Bees collect pollen to make into honey to feed the hive
  • Bees swarm, but are harmless unless the queen is under attack
  • Wasps are typically more aggressive toward the end of the summer as the nest hierarchy breaks down
  • When wasps they feel threatened they emit a pheromone to get help from other wasps

 

 

 

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Signs of a Flea Infestation

  • Flea bites produce small red welt, haphazardly arranged around the ankles and lower body
  • Check your pets for small black bugs close to their skin
  • Seeing fleas themselves jumping away from the skin

Signs of a Bed Bug Infestation

  • Bed bug bites produce small red marks, usually in rows of bites on the upper body
  • If you have a bed bug problem then you may find you have small black marks or black bugs along the seams of your mattress or headboard
  • If you have a particularly large colony of bed bugs then you may detect a sickly sweet almond smell
  • Bed bugs shed their outer shells and these can be seen on bedding or soft furnishings

 

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Signs of a German & Oriental Cockroach Infestation

Much like wasps and bees, there are many similarities these two species of pest share, however the signs of infestation differ.

The German cockroach is an indoor cockroach and is only found outside of a property in tropical climates. The German cockroach is mainly related to food and its production, and can therefore be found in the damper areas of a home, such as under the kitchen sink.

  • A smaller breed of cockroach
  • Tan or black in colour
  • Has wings but does not fly
  • Known to eat other household items if food is short such as soap and toothpaste
  • Found in moist areas of a home such as under the kitchen sink

The Oriental cockroach is typically considered an exterior type of cockroach, though it can be found in damp places within a property. Measuring at 3 cm long, female roaches have wings but cannot fly and are often found in sewers and around the beams and rafters in attics.

  • A larger breed of cockroach
  • Black or dark brown in colour
  • Known to eat rotting or decaying organic material
  • Can carry pathogens like E-coli
  • Found in sewers and attics

All pest control infestations should be treated by a professional engineer, always be sure to use a reputable, fully certified pest control company. We recommend 24 hour* pest control service, TDC Pest Control for all your pest control needs.

 

3 Quick & Easy Glazing Tips

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Glass is such a versatile and reliable material in which we are surrounded by on a daily basis, yet many do not know much about glazing and the many different types of glass that is available for different purposes. That’s why we have included three helpful and inexpensive glazing tips below.

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1. If you have relatively old double glazed units and are thinking about updating them to triple glazed, read our article to find out if it is worth upgrading to triple glazed windows here. Alternatively, if you have single glazed windows and would like to upgrade to double glazing, read about the benefits of upgrading here.

2. If your windows are old and not double glazed, a quick alternative method in the colder months can include taping clingfilm in the inside of the window, then using a hairdryer to conceal any air within, providing a reduced heat transfer (essentially the same process as double glazing).

3. To reduce pesky draughts, invest in a rubber weather sealant. These can easily be found in your local home ware store or online and are very inexpensive. This is an effective temporary solution to conceal old windows that may need to be replaced.

It is important to note that if you require any glazing work, a professional and reputable glazing company should always be used. If you are based in the South East, we recommend Glaziers Essex.

9 of the Strangest Facts About Drainage

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Drainage is an important part of ensuring your home functions correctly, that’s why we have listed 9 facts about drainage we bet you never knew.

  1. A 15 ton blob of fat mixed with baby wipes named ‘The London Fatberg’ was found blocking a sewer under London Road in Kingston upon Thames.
  1. In Las Vegas, America, it is estimated that over 1,000 homeless people suffering from gambling, drug or alcohol abuse have live under sewer tunnels.
  1. False teeth are one of the most common objects found in sewers.
  1. £36,000 worth of gold was found in a sewer in Japan by The Water Treatment Facility.
  1. The Egyptians were one of the first documented civilisations to have created drainage systems. Water was a huge part of their purification rituals, so it was important to have clean, healthy water.
  1. The status of a drain or drainage sewer will vary depending on when it was built, if it has been adopted and how many properties it serves.
  1. It does not matter when the drain was built its age does not alter its status. The responsibility for cleaning, maintaining and repairing a drain will rest with the owner/user.
  1. The wettest area in the UK is a remote part of Snowdonia which sees up to 176 inches of rainfall a year.
  1. The highest amount of rainfall recorded in one year was 25.4 metres in India.

If you are experiencing reoccurring problems with your drainage however, always be sure to contact a reputable drainage company.  A professional engineer with be able to effectively resolve any drainage issue, no matter how big or small.

12 Glazing Facts You Never Knew

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Glass is such a versatile and important material in which we are surrounded by on a daily basis, yet many do not realise the broad spectrum of glass that is available, and the various ways it can be used. That’s why we have listed our top 12 glazing facts we bet you never knew.

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  1. 44% of the windows in Europe’s buildings are still single glazed.
  1. Less than 15% of Europe’s windows contain energy-saving glass whereas these solutions have been available on the market for over 20 years.
  1. Savings of more than 100 million tonnes of CO2 could be achieved annually with the use of energy efficient glass.
  1. Triple glazing has three panels with additional air pockets, meaning heat does not seep through at a fast pace. This can also prevent condensation dramatically.
  1. By installing well insulated glazing, condensation problems on the room-side of the window can be greatly reduced.
  1. The earliest known glass artefacts are Egyptian and date back to 1350BC, but it was the Romans who first produced transparent glass, as it enabled them to admire the colour of their wine.
  1. For almost 500 years, from the end of the 14th century until the 19th, no glass was made in China at all. Now, though, it is the world’s largest producer, controlling 34 per cent of the global market.
  1. Glass can be recycled indefinitely and not lose its quality.
  1. Before man discovered how to craft glass, nature was already making it. When lightning strikes sand, the heat sometimes fuses the sand into long, slender glass tubes called fulgurites. The intense heat of a volcanic eruption sometimes fuses rocks and sand into a glass called obsidian. In early times, people shaped obsidian into knives, jewellery and money.
  1. The energy saving from recycling just one bottle will power a 100 watt light bulb for almost an hour, and can power a computer for up to 20 minutes.
  1. On average, every family in the UK consumes around 330 glass bottles and jars each year.
  1. Glass is pure. It is made of three abundant, natural raw materials: Sand, limestone and soda ash – as well as recycled glass.

If you are thinking about updating the glazing in your home or commercial property, call a reputable and professional glazing company such as Glaziers Essex.

 

15 Helpful Pest Control Tips to Avoid an Infestation

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We know that there isn’t much worse than discovering you have a pest infestation in your home. That’s why we have included 15 helpful tips to prevent unwanted visitors from invading your home, with some helpful advice of what to do when pests are already present.

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1. Conkers can be an effective method in preventing clothing moths, as the brown skins contain a specific compound named triterpenoid saponin that warns off the pests.

2. By cleaning out your wardrobe regularly, moths are deterred from visiting as they are generally attracted to the dirt and dust that can be found on older clothing.

3. Lavender bags can easily be stored in your wardrobe and prevent a moth infestation.

4. Cedar oil extract has been known to repel many different types of pests, particularly fleas.

5. Sprinkling Diatomaceous Earth over your plants and garden beds can prevent slugs, earwigs and soft-bodied garden pests. Insects cannot become immune to this remedy as it is a mechanical killer as opposed to a chemical one.

6. Ladybirds have been classed as a non-toxic, hypoallergenic and affordable option of controlling pests as their diet mainly consists of plant pollen and pests.

7. To deter rodents from infesting in your home, make sure all openings they could squeeze through are sealed, as some rodents can fit through spaces as little as a 6mm.

8. To determine whether your household pet is carrying fleas, check for any flea bites or eggs on the skin regularly to avoid an infestation. It is additionally important to regularly apply flea medication.

9. Keep your tree branches and any shrubbery trimmed and away from your house to deter pests such as squirrels from entering your home.

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10. Rodents and cockroaches love clutter, so to make sure that pests have nowhere to infest in your home, remove unnecessary items and old furniture. Regularly dusting and vacuuming is additionally important.

11. Use properly designed bird feeders to avoid attracting unwanted pests such as foxes and rodents.

12. Use plastic containers to store foods instead of leaving them out, as many types of pests carry diseases in which can be spread to human foods.

13. Although your home should be properly insulated, it is equally important to make sure it is well ventilated to prevent damp, and stop any mites and fleas from multiplying as they strive in warm climates.

14. By covering your compost and making sure it doesn’t include any food waste, this will decrease any chances of experiencing a rat or cockroach infestation.

15. By maintaining your plumbing and fixing any leaks, silverfish are discouraged to infest in your kitchen, bathroom or cellar.

In addition to tips we have mentioned, it is always important to use a reputable and professional pest controller to treat any pest infestation, big or small. We reccomend nationwide pest control company, TDC Pest Control.

A Day in the Life of a Glazier

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Using the Cherry Picker to carefully fit the new panel (above)

Glaziers Essex recently completed a refit glazing job in Chafford Hundred, Grays and were kind enough to let us document a typical day in the life of what it is like to be a glazier.

The front panel of glass had recently been badly damaged on the roof of popular Portuguese restaurant, Nandos.

In order to make the broken panel safe, the glass had been previously boarded up. Therefore, this firstly needed to be removed. To do this, one of our expert glaziers set up the scissor lift, in order to gain access to the boarded up panel. The panel was then removed, and the new glass was carefully loaded onto the cherry picker and fitted into place. The glass panel was then sprayed with two layers of white matte in order to match the surrounding glass, in which was then screwed into place.

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Sealing the new glass panel (above)

If you own a domestic or commercial property and need a glazier you can rely on, call Glaziers Essex today on: 0800 051 8713 to speak to one of our knowledgeable advisers and receive your free over the phone quote.