Author: News_Desk

Fire Safety Recall on Beko Fridges

Up to 500,000 fridge freezers could be posing serious fire risks in homes and businesses across the country, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) has warned.

The LFB said a fire in the capital last week, which was originally thought to have been caused by a lightning strike, was caused by a Beko appliance.

Beko has been alerted to the problem which the LFB says has caused 20 fires and one death in London since 2008.

Fire chiefs are urging people to check if they own particular models manufactured between January 2000 and October 2006. A full list can be found via the trading standards website here

Anyone with concerns should contact Beko by calling their free phone number on 0800 009 4837 or visiting www.beko.co.uk

Steve Turek, assistant commissioner for fire safety regulation, said: “Any fire can be lethal but the LFB is particularly concerned about this because fires involving any sort of fridge freezer develop rapidly and produce an enormous amount of toxic smoke.

“Having established this link, we have worked closely with Beko to ensure the public is kept safe.

“However, the brigade urges everyone who has a Beko fridge freezer to check it is not one of those highlighted by the company as potentially faulty.”

Today’s Property Factlet

Induction unit – An air terminal unit placed under a window and blowing upwards that takes its air from a high-velocity duct and releases it through rows of nozzles, which cause the secondary room air to circulate through the unit. The casing can have a heating or cooling coil and filter and needs only regular cleaning, as there are no moving parts to wear out and break down.

Today’s Property Factlet

Rafter – A sloping roof beam, usually from eve to ridge. In traditional timber framing the rafters share loads in common; a full-length intermediate rafter runs from eave to ridge but a jack rafter goes only part way, meeting with hip or valley rafters. The term ‘rafter’ is also applied to all types of trussed rafter, the sloping beam of a portal frame, and the principal rafter of a truss.

Your local surveyor will know all about construction techniques and their application, contact them via www.propertysurveying.co.uk for help and advice.

Today’s Property Factlet

Taking-off – The recording of dimensions from drawings or schedules, with a description of the work. This is the first main stage in preparing bills of quantities and is followed by ‘working-up’. Exact rules should be followed when taking off so that the work can be continued without misunderstanding, even by another person.

Your local surveyor will know all about construction techniques and their application, contact them via www.propertysurveying.co.uk for help and advice.

Today’s Property Factlet

Patination Oil – A white spirit based liquid that helps prevent white carbonate (that can occur on newly fitted Lead) from staining adjacent materials and provides a pleasing finish to new Leadwork.

Ideal for use on Lead roofing, flashings and cladding to give a uniform, attractive appearance where Lead Sheet is visible or where water flowing away from the Lead Sheet surface may come into contact with other visible building materials. Recommended by the Lead Sheet Association.

Your local surveyor will know all about construction techniques and their application, contact them via www.propertysurveying.co.uk for help and advice.

Today’s Property Factlet

Stripping Time – The number of days or hours that formwork must be left in place before it is removed from set concrete. For non-loadbearing vertical surfaces it may be 24 hours, but it is much longer for beams and slabs.

Stripping Time – The number of days or hours that formwork must be left in place before it is removed from set concrete. For non-loadbearing vertical surfaces it may be 24 hours, but it is much longer for beams and slabs.

Your local surveyor will know all about construction techniques and their application, contact them via www.propertysurveying.co.uk for help and advice.

Today’s Property Factlet

Parquet floor – A decorative wood-block flooring of hardwood from different types of tree, arranged in geometrical patterns. Traditional parquet in panels is secret-nailed to thin battens on a wood sub-floor and polished after laying.

Your local surveyor will know all about construction techniques and their application, contact them via www.propertysurveying.co.uk for advice.

10 Questions on…..Hedgerow Regulations.

The existing Hedgerow regulations came in to force on 1 June 1997 and were created with the intent of protecting important countryside hedges from damage and destruction. The regulations are extremely complicated so we have put together a few often-asked questions that help to explain different aspects of the regulations and how they might affect you, your property and the risk of legal action.

To read the rest of this article, click here

Asbestos an ever-present issue as Southampton firm convicted over fibre exposure

The sentencing of a major Southampton contracting firm reaches its end, punishing the needless exposure of four workers to potentially damaging levels of asbestos fibres.

After the exposure of four workers to potentially damaging levels of asbestos fibres, a major Southampton contracting firm has…

To read the whole article, click here