The best wild swimming spots in Wales
The best wild swimming spots in Wales
The post The best wild swimming spots in Wales appeared first on The Travel Magazine.
See how a glazed wraparound extension adds space and light to this semi-detached basement
It began as a four bedroom semi detached Victorian house in Hertfordshire. Indoors, the kitchen was dark and disconnected from the living spaces and the conservatory was cold and under utilised. The homeowners enlisted the help of an architect to totally transform the space.
By their very nature of being underground, basement ideas lack light. But with the help from the professionals – and in this case, introducing a glazed wraparound extension – you can transform the dark and dingy to light and bright.
The glazed wraparound extension
Image credit: FuturePLC/Chris Snook
‘Bringing natural light into the property presented a great challenge,’ explains Christine Peever from Sheldon Peever Architects. ‘The south facing flank wall faces directly onto the street, so the option of adding windows was limited in order to prevent overlooking. The solution to bringing in more natural light was to install rooflights.’
‘The first large rooflight,’ continues Christine, ‘was positioned in the side return extension following a similar footprint to the existing conservatory. It’s shielded from direct sunlight, which greatly increases light levels while reducing any potential solar gain.
A smaller extension was also added with a thin strip of frameless glass to the south elevation of the house. This arrangement gave us the opportunity to raise the ceiling height in these new extensions, enhancing the sense of space and light.’
‘Smaller windows to the south elevation provide natural light to the existing stairwell and hallway,’ adds Christine. ‘They also frame views of the new external landscaping. The back of the house has glazing wrapped around which allows the internal spaces to fully open up onto the garden.’
The new extension
Image credit: FuturePLC/Chris Snook
In the new wraparound glazed extension, sliding doors open up around the corner eliminating the need for bulky rails. Flush thresholds and opting for the same flooring throughout creates a seamless relationship between the indoor and outdoor zones.
Inside the property, the glazing was designed to go up to ceiling height. This maximises light coming into the space. The light coloured limestone kitchen flooring ideas reflect the light in this north facing garden and compliments the rendered finish to the external walls.
The kitchen diner
Image credit: FuturePLC/Chris Snook
A glazed roof floods the kitchen with natural light, but being north east facing ensures the space will not overheat. The light-coloured kitchen cabinets and flooring help to bounce light around the room.
Crittall-style glazing in this area creates a different feel in the kitchen from the rest of the space. This can be useful in large open plan spaces as a tool to zone spaces.
Image credit: FuturePLC/Chris Snook
The position of the two rooflights provide a contrast to the natural lighting of the overall space. The rooflight over the kitchen adds height to the space and floods the kitchen with ambient natural light.
The glazing on the rear creates a direct visual and physical relationship with the garden that it previously lacked. The use of light coloured flooring, and kitchen cabinetry lightens this subterranean space.
The kitchen area
Image credit: FuturePLC/Chris Snook
They homeowners specifically chose a frameless roof light in the kitchen. This was to introduce the largest area of glass possible to maximise the sunlight from the south elevation. The top light provides diffused lighting to this section of the room and as the roof light is positioned higher than the ceiling it is hidden from view.
By positioning this roof light higher up it protects the room from direct solar gain in the summer months but provides beautiful diffused light throughout the year. They decided against windows here due to the position of the level of the street and overlooking issues.
The coloured tiled kitchen splashback idea provides a pop of colour to an otherwise neutral colour scheme. The timber worktop to the island gives a feeling of warmth against the neutral colours scheme. The neutral kitchen colour scheme contrasts with the sharpness of the black framed glazing.
The extension glazing
Image credit: FuturePLC/Chris Snook
Flush thresholds create a better flow and blur the line between indoors and outdoors. They designed the glazing to open up from the corner to create a seamless relationship with the different outdoor spaces. The use of the same flooring in the outdoor spaces blurs the indoor outdoor boundary and makes the interior feel bigger.
The glazing goes all the way up to the ceiling to make the space feel bigger and reinforce the concept of blurring the boundary with the outdoors.
The property before works began
Image credit: FuturePLC/Chris Snook
Focus on: Sliding doors
Architect Christine Peever from Sheldon Peever Studio gives us the lowdown…
- Choose your number: Consider how many doors and tracks you want to install, bearing in mind there’s always going to be a percentage of the glazing that can’t open. For example, introducing four doors sliding on two tracks means a maximum of 50% of the area can be opened.
- Stay flush: Create flush thresholds as this makes a difference to moving between the indoors and outdoors. You will need to include some drainage along the flush threshold to drain rainwater away. This drainage can also be flush and either made a feature of or minimised visually.
- Stretch it up: Taking glazing to the ceiling elongates a space, maximises views out of the internal spaces and lets more light in.
- Go for slim frames: Consider using slim frames so that when the sliding doors are closed you will have as thin as possible frames and a more uninterrupted view to the outdoors. These types of systems are not as expensive as they once were.
- Aluminium is hassle free: Apart from cleaning out tracks and the threshold drainage every once in a while, aluminium sliding doors are maintenance free.
Additional words by Caroline Foster
The post See how a glazed wraparound extension adds space and light to this semi-detached basement appeared first on Ideal Home.
Reading time: 5 min
How to clean a washing machine – 7 ways to keep yours fresh and healthy
At first it might seem odd to clean an appliance that itself cleans your clothes, but thinking about it, of course it makes sense. You wouldn’t wash in a dirty bath or shower so to ensure your clothes get the best wash possible, you’ll need to know how to clean a washing machine.
Giving your washing machine a regular MOT will help banish mould, bad smells and clothes-ruining residues – and potentially prevent it breaking down to, so a little care and cleaning goes a long way.
Follow our guide, as well as top tips from the experts and your washing machine will be back to it’s best in no time.
How to clean a washing machine
Image credit: Future Plc/Colin Poole
1. Clean the detergent drawer
The detergent drawer can be a haven for germs, encrusted washing powder and mould and it’s a little space that can get dirty faster than you would imagine, considering this is where you put the formula designed to clean your clothes and linens!
For the best results, remove the entire drawer and set to work with an old toothbrush and an ordinary domestic cleaner. If you are unsure about how to remove your drawer, consult the user manual. Don’t forget to clean the drawer cavity too. It’ll be spotless in mere minutes and your clothes will feel fresher instantly.
2. Clean the filter
The debris filter is there to protect your washing machine’s pump by stopping lint, stray tissues, coins and general dirt in its tracks. That means that, like the detergent drawer, it’s a place where germs collect. It is also warm and humid so provides an ideal breeding ground for dodgy smells to infiltrate the machine… and your laundry.
The solution? Empty it regularly to remove the fluff and dirt that has gathered inside. The washing machine filter is usually located along the lower edge of the machine, behind a hinged cover. Check your user manual if unsure. Carefully free the emergency drain tube and place a bowl or pan on the floor below it.
Unplug and allow any trapped water to drain off. Replace the plug, remove the bowl and lay a towel on the floor. Carefully unscrew or release the filter cover. Any trapped debris should run out with the trapped water, but check inside the cavity to be sure. Wipe around with a cloth, clean any components and replace the cover. Check again that you have replaced the cover properly to prevent any accidental leaks.
3. Clean the drum
Image credit: LG
Even if the inside of your washing machine looks sparkling clean, it’s probably not. There are lots of nooks and crannies where germs can hide and fester. The best thing to do is run an empty wash every couple of months.
To clean the washing machine put it on a cycle while empty, adding detergent directly into the drum. It doesn’t have to be a long cycle it just needs to be hot. A hot wash should preferably be 60 degrees. This should kill germs, remove odours and stop soap scum and limescale building up in hard-to-see places.
Cleaning expert Lynsey Queen of Clean recommends using soda crystals, ‘Pour 500mls into the drum directly and pop it on the hottest wash that your washing machine will.’
4. Prevent bad smells
Ever opened your washing machine door to be greeted with an unpleasant, musty smell? This may be because the damp conditions of a freshly-run machine are perfect for mould to grow.
Leaving the washing machine door open slightly after washes allows air to circulate around the drum, which helps stop germs breeding and reduces the associated damp scents. This is even more important during warmer weather in the summer.
Make sure your outside drain is also kept clear of debris and regularly cleaned as odours can feed back up into the machine.
5. Clean the door seal
Image credit: Armac Martin
When you’re pushing your washing into the machine and pulling it back out again damp, it’s easy to forget about the space between the door and the drum. That rubber seal that’s stopping water from spilling out on to your kitchen or utility room floor is also a place for excess detergent and dirt to hide. If you let this build up, it does turn into mould and becomes increasingly difficult to remove.
Before and after each wash, use a damp cloth to give the seal a gentle wipe and that should be enough to keep this part of the machine in good nick. It also means your clean washing doesn’t pick up fresh dirt as you take it out to dry.
6. Use the right detergent
When you’re faced with the mind-blowing array of detergents lined up on the supermarket shelves, it’s easy to think only about the effect they have on your clothes. Interestingly extra suds and liquid softeners have been linked to leaving a residue in the machine that may contribute to bad smells and mould.
In short, if you want to be kinder to your washing machine (and help it last longer) use powder rather than liquids. Knowing what to use and how to wash clothes helps achieve better washing results every time – it sounds so obvious, but you’d be surprised!
7. Regularly clean your washing machine
The best way to get the smell out of a washing machine, is to prevent it getting smelly in the first place. That means adding cleaning the washing machine to your list of household chores.
Lynsey Crombie, Queen of Clean, recommends cleaning your washing machine every other week. ‘I clean my washing machine every other week. Especially in the summer when it’s hot, and your washing machine starts to smell more easily,’ she explains.
If you can’t keep up with that, try to do it at least once a month. Just try not to wait until it starts smelling too bad.
Image credit: Future Plc/ Colin Poole
If your washing machine still smells funny there is a possibility it’s beyond saving and you may need to buy a new washing machine.
But before you throw the towel in, try out these handy tips on how to clean a washing machine, because it might just need some TLC to get your whites whiter.
How do I deep clean my washing machine?
‘It’s important to make sure your washing machine gets cleaned regularly, as bacteria can build-up leading to unpleasant odours, says Susan Fermor, Marketing Director at Dr Beckmann. ‘We recommend washing your machine every 2 months, or every 30 washes to ensure the appliance stays clean and to reduce the risk of a build-up of limescale. Dr. Beckmann’s Service-it Deep Clean Washing Machine Cleaner thoroughly cleanses your machine and eliminates 99.9% of bacteria and microorganisms.’
‘Pour the powder directly into the bottom of the empty dishwasher or drum of the washing machine, then select a standard cleaning programme and run the cycle. Home appliances are on a never-ending cycle, so using a specialised cleaner to banish the bacteria and microorganisms living inside will ensure your clothes and washing machine are left smelling fresh and hygienically clean.’
How do you clean a smelly washing machine?
While there are many specialist products you can buy to eliminate bad smells in your washing machine, opt for the more natural route and use basic store-cupboard items instead. Baking soda and white vinegar are the two ingredients you need, so grab the former and add 1/4 cup to 1/4 cup of water then pour this solution into the washing machines detergent dispenser. Next take 2 cups of white vinegar and add this to the drum, then run a high-heat cycle, while leaving the machine empty. The baking soda and vinegar combined, along with the high heat will banish any unpleasant smells and leave your machine clean and fresh.
What do you run through your washing machine to clean it?
If the vinegar and baking soda solution doesn’t work for you or you want something a bit punchier, try something like the Dettol 5 in 1 Washing Machine cleaner which promises to remove mould, banish bad smells and eliminate limescale. But if you keep on top of cleaning your machine, leave the door ajar between washes and treat it with care and respect, you shouldn’t have to reach for harsh chemicals too regularly which is good on all accounts.
Additional words: Holly Walsh
The post How to clean a washing machine – 7 ways to keep yours fresh and healthy appeared first on Ideal Home.
Reading time: 7 min
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