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The Connection Between Home Improvement and Mesothelioma Cancer

There is a direct connection between home improvement projects and being exposed to the risks of mesothelioma cancer. Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lung tissue that is caused by exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a chemical used in many homes for construction, insulation, HVAC systems, boiler systems, and more, for its heat-resistant and fire-resistant qualities.

One Australian study found that because of this, 60.5 percent of homeowners were exposed to this chemical during their DIY home improvement projects. Among those 40 percent of their children had been exposed. Mesothelioma would be a real concern for those families. Read more about this condition, and its connection to home improvement projects.

Health Risks of Asbestos During Home Improvements

When someone is exposed to asbestos, and its particles are in the air, those particles can be inhaled or ingested by the renovator. When those particles are ingested, they stay in the body. That leads to scar tissue, and could ultimately result in tumors for lung cancer or mesothelioma.

Asbestosis is another condition that could be caused by this risk.

It’s important to note that asbestos on its own in home improvement projects is often encased or enclosed. When that is the case, that reduces your risk of mesothelioma. When asbestos is disrupted, however, the risk for cancer increases.

Symptoms of Mesothelioma

Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear for up to 20 years after exposure. These are the most common symptoms of mesothelioma:

  • Chest pain
    • Weight loss
    • Fatigue
    • Nodules under the skin
    • Pain in joints and bones at later stages
    • Shortness of breath
    • Coughing

How to Respond to Asbestos in the Home

If you come across asbestos in the home when you are doing a home improvement project, consult an expert. If the product is not disturbed or damaged, your risk is reduced. If the product is encased or enclosed, there is no risk of asbestos exposure.

Stay away from pipes and systems that have cracks or are damaged. If you see signs of wear and tear, call an asbestos abatement company for a consultation. Be very careful because it is very easy to disturb an older encasement of a product that will contain asbestos. Leave this to the professionals.

Get Legal Assistance

If you are at the stage of your home improvement project where the costs are mounting because you are calling asbestos abatement professionals, you may have a few extra problems on your hand. You may even know of the health risks because of personal health struggles and are just learning how this happened. In any event, when you learn you are exposed to asbestos, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Schedule a free consultation with an asbestos legal specialist, and learn more about what compensation is available to you.

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4 Tips To Maximize Your Business’s Accessibility

Whether you are constructing a new building for your company or have been working out of the same location for years, every business owner must consider how to make his or her site accessible to as many people as possible. After all, many of your customers may require certain accomodations to be able to purchase your products or services. Consider several tips that may help you connect with a greater number of consumers.

1. Install Automated Doors

If your budget allows it, automated doors are often a worthwhile investment. Being able to easily enter your building may make many people feel more comfortable stopping by to shop in person. On top of that, doors that automatically open may make it easier for other customers and even employees to transport merchandise in and out of the store. As you plan the layout of your entrance, be sure to consider automated door safety compliance issues.

2. Modify Traditional Doors

There are a few adjustments you can make to manual doors to make them accessible if automated doors are out of your price range. For one, it’s important to keep doors as light as possible. In fact, the Americans with Disabilities Act mandates that accessible doors open with five pounds of force or less. You may also need to widen doorways and lower thresholds.

3. Establish Multiple Lines of Communication

Not all accessibility issues have to do with physically entering your shop. Because many of your customers may not be familiar with the latests apps and other technologies, it is a good idea to provide several ways in which patrons can contact you. For example, rather than requiring your website’s visitors to communicate with you via an online chat, provide a phone number and email address that people can use to reach out.

4. Expand Your Services

A final tip to keep in mind is that many businesses have been implementing new accomodations such as curbside pickup and delivery. In order to remain competitive in your industry, you may need to consider adding these sorts of options to your regular services.

Increasing your company’s accessibility is not always easy, but there are many new technologies that may assist you in this endeavor. By adjusting your entryways and finding new ways to interact with customers of all backgrounds, you may be able to connect with a whole new scope of consumers. Thus, the initial investment of time and resources these modifications may require will more than pay off in the long run.

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Taking a Tree Down On Your Property Is Not An Easy Job.

Home owners are always trying to add value to the property and they do this by spending money building, changing and adding to the current home. However, this could prove to be very costly and can run into many thousands of pounds. There is a much cheaper alternative to add value to your home and it is simply by planning a tree in your garden. Many people don’t think of a tree as adding value to a property, but as well as looking amazing, it also adds ecological benefits as well.

Unfortunately, sometimes trees can get sick through no fault of your own and a weak tree can be a very dangerous tree and so you need an expert who can perform tree felling in the New Forest. These experts provide many additional services.

  • If you plant a young tree, then they can help with is maintenance and they can also teach you how to train the tree to develop a much stronger structure which means it will be much healthier.

  • Sometimes trees can get very thick foliage and this needs to be thinned out in order to protect the integrity of the tree and also to protect your property. Any branch may break and cause major damage.

  • For a tree to work effectively, it needs to be able to allow light and sunlight to penetrate through. To make this happen, the limbs on your tree need to be thinned out.

A tree can certainly be for life if you take proper care of it and you get it checked on a regular annual basis.

 

 

 

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A Guide to Building your Own Patio

We all love to have a nice garden and an essential aspect of that is a terrace, or a patio, as they are both the same. This platform is the ideal place to rest and relax and if you are thinking of going down the DIY road, this article was written with you in mind.

Decide on the Size and Location

Generally speaking, a patio should be at least 10m x 5m, or considerably larger if you have the available space. Of course, it is ideal if the patio joins with the rear of the house, although some people do prefer a stand-alone design.

Choose the Materials

When building a patio, any of the following materials can be used:

  • Timber Decking
  • Ready Mixed Concrete
  • Block Paving
  • Man-Made Pavers
  • Crazy Paving
  • Natural Stone

When ordering materials, use the timber and builders merchants in Sevenoaks who would deliver all the materials to your site, and you should cover up any cement bags until they are ready to be used.

The Ground Preparation

The site must be excavated to a depth of at least 6 inches, even more of you plan to use block paving, and you can hire a mini-digger, which would handle the dig in only a couple of hours. You will need to hire a suitable sized skip to remove this soil, unless you plan to use it to build a rockery, which is often a good idea. Hardcore needs to be impacted into the patio area to give a solid base, then a layer of sand and finally the patio itself, which is the final stage.

The Finishing Touches

Once the patio is installed, you can add the retaining walls for the flower beds, edging stones and any steps that are included in the design. It is important to have the patio sloping very slightly away from the house, which gives rainwater a path to escape, and with everything cleaned up, your new patio is ready to be used.

 

 

 

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News

When It Comes To Electricity, You Need To Use a Professional.

If you are building a new home or rewiring your current old home, it is always best to use a competent electrician to complete the work for you. This is not the time to cut corners or try to save money because you are dealing with something that could cause injury, fire or even death. When you’re watching an electrician do his work, it may look easy and straightforward, but that’s only because he’s been doing it for many years and he has gone through many years of training. It is a specialised industry and so requires specialised personnel to complete the work.

There are a number of electrical contractors in Solihull that can provide you with professional workmanship and using them to carry out your electrical tasks is a smart move. The following are just some of the many benefits of using them.

  • They are extremely reliable and you have peace of mind knowing that when they complete their work, that it is done properly and follows all UK safety guidelines.

  • If a professional electrical contractor comes into your home to complete work, you can be sure that they have the necessary insurance required to do work such as this. In the unlikely event, something bad happens as a result of their work, you are covered.

  • Safely is the name of the game when it comes to electrical work and you can be sure that your qualified professional electrician will conduct his work safely.

For total rewires or new wiring in a new home, your local electrical contractor can complete the job from start to finish. He will do it safely and without incident.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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News

A Look at Dental Treatment in the United Kingdom

Many people think that they should not be paying for dental treatment; however, the NHS actually spends £2.25 billion on dental care. A a result, patients only pay a small fraction of this at £500 million per year.

There are multiple ways that you can pay for dental treatment:

  1. Capitation schemes
  2. Payment over time
  3. Insurance
  4. Loans for treatment
  5. Private insurance
  6. CashIn Wales, the NHS only charges up to £195 and England only up to £256.50.

In the event that you have issues with your dental treatment, you can return to the dentist so that they can check the issue and correct it, at no charge to you if you do so within 2 months.

There are instances where you don’t have to pay for NHS dental treatment and these include:

  1. You’re under 18 years old
  2. You’re studying full time and you’re under 19 years old
  3. You’re pregnant or have a child that is under a year old
  4. You’re currently receiving Income Support or Support Allowance or Job Seekers Allowance
  5. You currently have an HC2 certification
  6. You have pension credit guarantee credit
  7. You have an NHS exemption certificate for tax creditIn the event that you don’t fall under any of the above groups, be sure to talk to your dentist. Also, if you have a low income, then you can even apply to pay a smaller/reduced bill.

Unfortunately, if you don’t meet any of the above conditions, then you will most likely need to pay the entire cost of your dental bill. So, it is wise to always get a treatment plan and written estimate from your dentist before you undertake any dental treatments.

What is the Cost of Dental Treatment Done Privately?

Typically, private treatment doesn’t have one set cost and they vary from one dentist to the other.

How Do I Make Payments?

You can pay as you go along with your treatment or at the end. In most cases, you can give your payment at the reception desk but be sure to ask for and receive a receipt once you’ve made a payment.

What Are Capitation Schemes with Regard to Private Treatment?

These type of schemes allow you to save for particular dental treatments. You can make payments on a monthly basis through debit. There will either be an independent company or the dentist who will be running this scheme. There are usually just two plans available which are comprehensive and maintenance plans. The costs of these depends heavily on the dentist that you choose as well as the type of dental care that you require.

Maintenance plans exist in order to provide oral preventative care and these are usually made available through your dentist. Within this plan there would be a certain number of examinations, x-rays, cleanings etc.

Dental Insurance (Private and NHS)

When it comes to dental insurance, you can possibly get this through your employer or you can get it yourself. The exact cost would depend on the level of coverage that you select.

This type of insurance is meant to cover planned treatments as well as unplanned ones. So, it can include emergency dental treatment you may need after an accident whether it occurs within the United Kingdom or abroad. It also covers cash payments at the hospital, oral cancer etc.

What should you think about before you take out insurance?

You should find out if there is a particular  period that you have to wait once you have started paying until you can make your first claim.
You should also determine the exact coverage of the insurance and whether it is suitable for your particular dental needs and treatments.
What is the exact percentage of your dentist’s bill that you are entitled to get back?
Is there a policy in place where you have to pay a specific monetary amount first of the claim when you make it?
Are there limitations for certain treatments and what is the total sum that you’re covered for?
What is the insurance company’s stance on dental issues that you had previously before you bought their insurance coverage?

Private insurance

You can receive insurance through your employer or you can buy it for yourself if it is not provided by your employer. The majority of schemes do cover typical treatments and will also cover accidental or emergency type treatments and hospitalisations. So, for example if you suffer a broken jaw and then need to have your wisdom teeth removed as a result, you should be covered. So, be sure to properly read your policy to be sure what your exact coverage is.

Loans and Other Agreements

You should consider taking a loan in the event that your treatments are too expensive for you to afford. With this loan, you can borrow the full sum needed for the dental procedure or treatment and then pay it back over time. There are actually a couple of different specialised loans that exist specifically for dental treatments such as implants, in Fleet for instance, or cosmetic procedures.

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