The Unrecognizable Home of the Future

How the home of the future differs to where we live today is a thought that has been considered more and more over the last few years. Advancements in technology, as well as the means to power our houses by generating our own green energy, have meant that the architecture and design of future housing will also need to be adapted. Paradoxically, despite the increasing social awareness of being more energy conscious and self-sufficient, the home of the future is also destined to be a hive of technological dependency and alive with electricity. So will the future home be a hut of efficient simplicity, or a home insurance nightmare?

Of course, energy saving will no doubt be of utmost importance as the climate continues to change, and resources continue to run out. Companies existing today, such as Earthship, highlight that the key to an efficient home of the future is making sure that the design makes the most of the energy from the sun and the ground. At just four feet underground, the insulating temperature of the earth is significant enough to heat a home most of the year round. If extra heat is needed, sunlight is allowed in through large south facing roof-light windows in order to top-up. This could mean that the design of the home of the future will be mostly underground.

With the risk of growing populations driving up water costs, water conservation will also be of significant importance in the future. In a BBC interview in 2005, Christopher Sanderson of The Future Technology posits the idea that instead of using water to clean our homes (and selves) we will instead use sound waves. The technology is relatively simple: by concentrating low-frequency, high-energy sound waves on areas that are dirty can actually dislodge dust and grime by fluidizing it. Such equipment is already in use for contact lens cleaners, and is being tested in dishwashers and washing machines.

Over the past few years, Microsoft has frequently boasted what it thinks the home of the future will be like; and more specifically, how dependent on computer technology it might be. Advancements in GPS usage, similar to what has recently been incorporated in Google Maps, might be able to tell us where our postman is on the round to give us an estimate of when he will arrive. Of course, they also suggest that our homes will consist of a sort of technological brain, with mirrors that can inform us of whether clothes that match with a specific garment are in the wash, as well as pin boards that absorb the information that is attached to them, such as phone numbers and addresses.

Important Small Print Warnings to Homeowners

With the recent spell of cold weather, it would seem that the biggest insurance-related news would concern the risk of freezing pipes, or the dramatic increase of car insurance claims over the past week. The Guardian, however, is warning today of the effect a past conviction can have on your home insurance – and blaming the increase of void policies on the internet.

One of the most important factors is that your home insurance may well be void even if your conviction is considered minor. The case of Michelle Barber shows a gross lack of information: ‘Her home was wrecked by fire in 2007 and she now faces a bill for more than £240,000 because she failed to mention a £150 fine imposed three years earlier for an overpayment of benefits,’ The Guardian reports. She simply was not aware that such a small fine would count, and had even forgotten about it by the time she had taken out her policy.

Similarly, it is important to be aware that admission to past convictions relates to anyone who is living in the house. This includes family members, and even tenants of landlords who may not have felt the need to admit a conviction, or who also may not know the risk to the cover of the property themselves.

The reasons for these increasing problems are twofold. Firstly, when individuals are convicted, the courts do not inform them of the negative affects it could have on their future attempts to take out insurance policies. Secondly, the growing trend for people to shop for their insurance cover on the internet is highlighting that not all of the comparison and insurance websites are as clear about the implications of past convictions as they perhaps should be, and some tend to only offer an ‘assumptions about you’ button that is easily dismissible with the tick of a box.

This backlash against some online insurance sites comes almost immediately after Which? Magazine accused specific sites of offering inaccurate information in regards to insurance and so-called compulsory excesses which make the policy seem cheaper than it is. This, of course, was met with a flurry of responses from companies claiming that they had been lumped in with the bad guys when their own information was presented clearly, and there I am sure that they are justified.

The online insurance marketplace is incredibly varied with good and bad in regards to a number of variables such as usability, price, and information presentation. That said, I also acknowledge that there is a certain lack of fairness when minor convictions that seem to have so little relationship with home insurance can even affect a policy, regardless of the company. And this is certainly an issue that needs to be addressed.

Subsidence Causes Risks and Prevention

Subsidence, in regards to housing, is when a building’s foundations begin to sink due to ground movement. Consequently and over time, this can cause significant cosmetic and structural damage to your home, but it can also be covered by suitable home insurance policies.

There are several causes for subsidence when it comes to typical residential areas. Surprisingly, about three quarters of subsidence claims are made from homeowners whose houses are built on clay, hence soil type can make an important difference when it comes to the likelihood of subsidence occurring, as an example clay contracts in very warm weather and expands when moist.

Vegetation can also be a problem. Tree roots draw moisture from the soil, again, causing shrinkage especially during warm weather. Similarly, damaged underground drains can also be a cause of subsidence often due to erosion underneath the surface of your home.

Homes that are at most risk are in areas where a high proportion of underground soil is clay-based. Geographically, this is most likely to be in the South East, including Norfolk, London, Kent, and the South. Statistically, subsidence occurs in one in 50 homes in London and the rate has increased as summers have got hotter and drier.

One of the most logical ways to prevent subsidence on your home is to frequently cut back any trees in your garden. Similarly, if you plan to plant any more, they should generally be the same distance from your home as they are in height. It is also important to be aware of the thirstiness of your trees, for instance, Elms and Willows soak up far more water than evergreens.

At this point, it is important to acknowledge that any crack that appears in your plaster or paintwork may not be due to subsidence. Over time, buildings move naturally because of their own weight and what is contained within. It is best to seek advice if cracks are more than a millimetre thick and begin to appear diagonally in weak areas, but purely cosmetic hair-lines are easy to fix yourself.

Specialists may be needed if heavy duty tree work needs to be done as consequences can sometimes be worse if a large tree is extracted completely. Also, there are certain rules for tree preservation in effect and it is best to research these before any major work needs to be done.

Make your house a safer place

Forget house fires caused by cats being sick over television leads or freak electricity storms. Some of the most common causes of house fires include electrical appliances being left on, hobs not being switched off properly or smoking in bed. (fireandfloodrepair.com)

We have all seen the ‘pull your finger out’ and check your smoke alarm adverts fronted by Julie Walters. The government started the campaign to try and cut down the amount of fatal and non-fatal house fires in the UK that happen every year. In the adverts a serious Julie Walters urges residents to check their smoke alarms regularly to avoid the kind of devastation that house fires can cause families and communities.

It is true that many of us do not think to check our smoke alarms as often as we should do, a ‘to do’ that goes to the bottom of the list but never gets done. This is despite the fact that checking is a simple task that merely requires the pushing of a button once every now and again. If the lives of your family are at stake then it is not a ‘chore’ that should be overlooked.

Even if you manage to get out alive and safe and the home insurance covers the material worth of your home, a house fire can still be devastating. Many irreplaceable items like photographs, jewellery, artwork and similar possessions with great sentimental value will be lost forever, never to be replaced.

The idea of all your worldly possessions going up in smoke is terrifying for most people. Unfortunately for most of us, the possibility of this happening seems a long way off. We always think that it will never happen to us. But it can, all too easily.

If you don’t even have a smoke alarm then you can call your local fire station or the Fire Rescue Service and get them to come to your house and fit a smoke alarm for free. Testing your smoke alarm weekly, planning an escape route and checking that all electrical appliances are correctly switched off in your kitchen are some of the things you could do to make your house safer from the threat of accidental fire. Smoke alarms can save lives but only if they work!

Smoke alarms should be fitted on each floor of the property to ensure as much early warning as possible. Alarms that are battery operated should be changed once every ten years to avoid deterioration due to age and natural wearing. You could also choose to fit a mains powered alarm however these may cease to work during power cuts - a time where you may be likely to use candles.

If you want more advice on how to protect your home from fire then visit http://www.fireservice.co.uk/safety/ where various leaflets on fire safety can be downloaded straight onto your computer.

Why Does My Washing Machine Smell?

It happens to all of us. It's a glorious day, perfect weather to dry the laundry on the line, but then you notice it, no sooner are you pegging up the pillow cases before you realise that the wash seems to have caused the load to smell worse than it did before it went in. So what are the causes for a bad smelling washing machine? And how can this problem be stopped?

Put simply, the cause of a bad smelling washing machine is dirt. Mould, grease, and slime can all build up over time and have become more common in recent years with trends for users to wash only at 40 degrees in order to conserve energy and money. Not only does washing at a consistently low temperatures reduce the machine's efficiency at killing bed-bugs and the affects of non-bio powder, but the inevitable build-up of grease can have serious consequences for the machine itself - not just your laundry.

Washing machine repairmen warn that the worst effect this can have is the corrosion of the drum aluminium - this can lead to a broken drum arm and the need for a whole new machine. Other problems include rotting hoses and gaskets, as well as blockages that can lead to overfilling.

Manufacturers have begun to recommend maintenance washes. It is advised that as often as once a month it is a good idea to put a very hot wash on without any laundry, but with the addition of a detergent that contains bleaching agents that may not be found in the powder or liquid you usually use. Alternatively, it is also possible to use soda crystals which are available at most supermarkets.

Other reasons for washing machine smells can include a lack of u-bend in the plumbing and can even be caused by what exactly is being washed out of the clothes, such as chemicals or stubborn strong-smelling substances. If maintenance washes still don't rid your machine of those darned smells, distilled white wine vinegar in the soap dispenser has also been known to have good effects.

A more extreme case of dirt can also be recognized in the form of black mould, and of course this isn't good for your machine. Warm moist places are a haven for black mould and can be hazardous to your general health, so it is good to have a good inspection of your machine once in a while to check if there is any lurking. Black mould can be removed with a scourer or an old toothbrush, and to be extra safe goggles and a face mask should be worn. A frequent maintenance wash should stop black mould build-up in the future.

For repair tips check out Washer Help, for a new machine check out cheap washing machines at dealtime.co.uk

By Sarah Maple

Post Office Home Insurance offers 10% more at Christmas

Post Office home insurance has announced that it will bump up cover over Christmas to protect Christmas presents that usually add value to contents.

In fact, throughout December, Post Office home insurance is increasing its contents cover by 10 per cent to ensure households are covered over the Christmas period.

The cover extension is automatic and comes at no extra cost, head of home insurance at the Post Office Emma Baunach, said:

"At this time of year people often have more valuables in their homes than usual. Over Christmas you don't want to be worrying about whether or not you have enough cover on your home insurance, so we have made the extra cover automatic to make sure you are protected."

The news comes as moneysupermarket.com urges Brits to check that their home insurance cover will include Christmas gifts.

According to research from moneysupermarket.com, 'top up' periods can vary on home insurance, and some insurers do not automatically increase cover at all. Commenting, Andy Leadbetter, managing director of insurance at moneysupermarket.com said: "We're all feeling the financial pinch at the moment, but Christmas often brings out the generous streak in people.

"Insurance is probably the last thing on people's minds as festivities take over but with expensive gifts and gadgets aplenty this is a prime time for opportunistic thieves to strike."

Highlighting the need to compare home insurance deals, Mr Leadbetter said: "With so many variations between insurers on seasonal uplift checking the small print with a fine-toothed comb is always a must, especially to safeguard from being underinsured."

10 Things Surprisingly Good For You

We are forever being told that this is bad for you, that is bad for you. If you are like me and are sick to death of being told what to eat, drink then you will probably like this! Here are 10 things that people tell you are bad but actually have surprisingly healthy aspects to them.

10. Ice Cream
Ice-cream is a low GI (glycemic-index) food. This means that it is a slow sugar release food that keeps you satisfied for a longer period of time than a high GI food. For that reason, you are less likely to binge after eating ice-cream. 75 grams of Ben and Jerry’s Cookies and Cream ice-cream contains only 114 calories compared to a slice of cheesecake with 511 calories.

Furthermore, ice-cream is made of milk which contains many essential nutrients and vitamins. 1 cup of milk contains up to 30% of a man’s daily recommended intake. Other nutrients in ice-cream are biotin, iodine, potassium, selenium, vitamins a, b12, D, and K. Studies show a possible link between milk consumption and a lowered risk of arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease, colorectal cancer.

Interesting Fact: In the 5th century BC, the ancient Greeks sold snow cones made with fruit and honey in the markets of Athens.

9. Dirt
Throw away the rubber globes! Dirt is back in vogue! Remember the days where kids played in dirt, food was served with bare hands, and straws didn’t come in individual wrappers? It turns out - they were healthier days than our modern sterile ones! Early childhood exposure to bacteria, viruses, and parasites has been found to give a massive boost to our immune systems, making us less likely to get sick when we do come in to contact with various bugs. Research has found that children with a dog in the home are less likely to suffer allergies, and regular social interaction can reduce the risk of leukemia by up to 30%. Those are statistics not to ignore - so throw away the anti-bacterial cleaners and get dirty!

Interesting Fact: There are as many as 10 times more bacterial cells in the human body than human cells! The vast majority of these are harmless.


8. Stress
Stress is universally considered a bad thing - in some cases people have successfully won lawsuits against companies for work-related stress. But, what most people don’t know is that a little stress goes a long way to making us healthier. In short doses, stress can help boost the body’s immune system. In the first stage of stress (the “alarm” stage - often known as the “fight or flight” response) the body produces cortisol - a stress fighting hormone which has many benefits to the body. Stress can give a feeling of fulfillment - when this is the case it is called “eustress” as opposed to “distress”.

Interesting Fact: The term “stress” and the mental properties of it was not known before the 1950s. Until that time it referred simply to hardship or coercion.


7. Caffeine
Not only is coffee tasty, it is a mild stimulant with many medical uses. Caffeine contains a muscle relaxant that is very beneficial to people with bronchial problems - it can alleviate the symptoms of asthma. Additionally, caffeine releases certain fatty acids in to the blood stream that become a useful source of fuel for muscles. It even seems that the only serious side-effect to too much caffeine is a small amount of body-weight loss - a danger if you are anorexic. Caffeine should be avoided by people with fecal incontinence as it loosens the anal and sphincter muscles.

Interesting Fact: Caffeine can be toxic to animals, in particular dogs, horses, and parrots. It also has a much more significant effect on spiders than humans.


6. Red Wine
Red wine contains a group of chemicals called polyphenols (once called Vitamin P) which have been found to be very beneficial for health. They reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Wine has also been found to be an effective anti-bacterial agent against strains of Streptococcus (found most often in the human mouth) which can help reduce infections. Some wine varieties have extra health benefits; Cabernet Sauvignon appears to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease. In addition to the benefits already listed, wine is chock full of antioxidants which play a huge role in the health of the human body. The wines found to have the greatest benefits are found in the South of France and the Sardinia region of Italy.

Interesting Fact: Wine originated in the regions of Israel, Georgia, and Iran, around 6000 BC.

5. Chocolate
As a result of recent research into chocolate and health, it appears to be something of a panacea (cure-all) - coupled with the great taste and mood enhancing properties, it might be seen as a wonder drug! Cocoa or dark chocolate improves the overall health of the circulatory system, it stimulates the brain, prevents coughs, prevents diarrhea, and may even be an anti-cancer agent.

Like coffee, chocolate is toxic to many animals. A BBC study indicates that melting chocolate in your mouth increases brain activity and the heart rate more intensely than passionate kissing, with the effect lasting four times longer after the activity ends. Eating regular small quantities of chocolate reduces cholesterol and the chances of a heart attack. Sign me up for some of that medication!

Interesting Fact: Chocolate has been used as a drink since at least 1100 - 1400 BC.


4. Cannabis
Cannabis is said to be beneficial for over 250 conditions. For this reason it is legal on prescription in a number of Western countries. Cannabis is believed to help with arthritis, asthma, depression, glaucoma, and pain. It is also reported to be a good treatment for constipation. Cannabis is also useful in dealing with the sideeffects of treatments for cancer, AIDS, and hepatitis. Cannabis has been used medicinally for over 3,000 years! Strangely, the cultivation and use of cannabis is outlawed in most countries.

Interesting Fact: Evidence of the use of cannabis as a non-medicinal drug exists as charred seeds found in Romania dating back to the 3rd millenium BC.


3. Beer
The moderate consumption of beer has been associated with the lowered risk of head disease, stroke, and mental decline. In addition, brewers yeast (used in the production of beer) contains many nutrients that are carried through to the final drink: magnesium, selenium, potassium, phosphorus, biotin, and B vitamins. For this reason, beer is sometimes referred to as “liquid bread”. In 2005 a Japanese study found that low-alcohol beer may contain strong anti-cancer properties. Contrary to popular belief, a “beer belly” or “beer gut” is not produced by the beer, but rather overeating and lack of exercise.

Interesting Fact: Beer is one of the oldest beverages - dating back to the 6th millennium BC.


2. Smoking
Often referred to as “Smoker’s Paradoxes”, there are a number of therapeutic uses of nicotine or smoking. For example, smokers are less likely to need surgery to provide extra blood to their heart after an angioplasty, the risk of ulcerative colitis is reduced, and it even interferes with the development of Kaposi’s sarcoma (a type of cancer of the lymphatic endothelium). Perhaps most surprisingly, is that there are connections to smoking and a reduction in allergic asthma. There is also a large body of evidence to suggest that smokers have a dramatically reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s Disease. Nicotine is currently being investigated as a treatment for ADHD, and Schizophrenia.

Interesting Fact: Tobacco smoking has been a practice of humans since at least 5000 BC.

1. Pornography
Amidst the loud angry cries against pornography, a few serious scientific studies have been performed on the subject. It seems that men and women who view pornography, have improved sex lives, better sexual knowledge, and an overall better quality of life. Surprisingly, one study found that the more that pornography is viewed, the greater the improvements. In an extensive study performed in Australia, the majority of married respondents stated that they believed that pornography has had a positive effect on their marriage. While clearly not always linked to pornography, studies have found that men who had fewer orgasms were twice as likely to die of any cause as those having two or more orgasms a week.

Interesting Fact: Pornography (and the anti-pornography movement) as it is understood today is a concept of the Victorian era (19th century) which was extremely moralistic. Sexual imagery was not taboo before that time.

Final Note
Of course, moderation is the key! Everything in moderation! So in future when someone whines at you - you can point them in the direction of this webpage and have the last laugh!

Perhaps if you are considering life insurance and to get a cheap quote, do not smoke.

Sources:
1. Alzheimer’s disease is associated with non-smoking by Carol Thompson
2. Impact of Smoking on Clinical and Angiographic Restenosis After Percutaneous Coronary by Cohen, David J.; Michel Doucet, Donald E. Cutlip, Kalon K.L. Ho, Jeffrey J. Popma, Richard E. Kuntz
3. Smoking Cuts Risk of Cancer by United Press International
4. Caffeine: Perspectives from Recent Research by P.B. Dews
5. Using spider-web patterns to determine toxicity by R. Noever, J. Cronise, and R. A. Relwani
6. From psychological stress to the emotions: a history of changing outlooks by R. S. Lazarus
7. Effects of moderate alcohol consumption on cognitive function in women. by Stampfer MJ, Kang JH, Chen J, Cherry R, Grodstein F.
8. Beer as liquid bread: Overlapping science by Bamforth, C. W
9. A dynamic partnership: celebrating our gut flora by C. L. Sears
10. Dairy’s Role in Managing Blood Pressure by the National Dairy Council
11. Ice Cream - What’s in a Scoop? by Pat Kendall
12. The Lost Civilizations of the Stone Age by Richard Rudgely
13. Medical Use of Cannabis in California by Dale Gieringer
14. Dark Chocolate Could Help Hearts by Emma Ross
15. Chocolate can do good things for your heart, skin and brain by Marjorie Ingall
16. Chocolate better than kissing by BBC News
17. Polyphenols and disease risk in epidemiologic studies by Arts, I.C. and P.C. Hollman
18. Antibacterial Activity of Red and White Wine against Oral Streptococci by Daglia, M.; A. Papetti, P. Grisoli, C. Aceti, C. Dacarro, and G. Gazzani
19. For Life Insurance quotes, I recommend you visit the Post Office website at http://www.postoffice.co.uk
20. Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine Reduces The Risk Of Alzheimer’s Disease by ScienceDaily
21. From red wine to polyphenols and back: A journey through the history of the French Paradox by D. W. de Lange
22. Now that’s what you call a real vintage: professor unearths 8,000-year-old wine by David Keys
23. Vice or Virtue? The Pros of Pornography by Matthew Hutson
24. Study concludes porn can be good for you by Nick Grimm
25. Sex and Death, Are They Related? by the British Medical Journal