Patio Doors and Home Improvement Costs

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Extending your home to include a panoramic view through patio doors is an exciting project that can cost a considerable sum. You’ve included budgets for the architect and surveyors, planning approval and building regulations, builders estimate for materials, labour and cartage (skip hire is currently around £200) plus finishing and decorating. No matter what your budget is, the cost always seems to exceed expectation and a cost-cutting exercise towards the end of the project is almost inevitable.

Budget. The estimate for a single storey extension might be between £30,000 and £60,000. Whether the builder is charging time-and-materials or a fixed-price-job, there may still be extras to pay. For example, is there a contingency for unforeseen problems, such as uncovering rotting timbers or damaged pipe-work?

Have you checked any ‘PC’ items in the builder’s quote/estimate? These are Provisional Costings and therefore subject to change. Examples here might include doors, windows, floor tiles, etc. PCs are often priced for basic options and most home-owners tend to be a bit more choosy. If you haven’t already sourced and priced specific items, these extras can add up to a significant amount.

If you are living in the home or regularly visiting the site, on-the-job changes to the original specification are common, which will usually add to the cost.

It becomes a challenge, often unavoidable, to balance the budget towards the end of the project by deferring some of the work, resorting to diy decorating or buying cheaper materials, such as doors. The secret is to only cut costs on non-essentials, inexpensive and short life-span consumables. You don’t want to have to replace patio doors within a couple of years.

Research. You will have researched the type of patio door that will enhance your home: sliding or bi-folding doors, wood or pvc frames. Some home-owners will have short-listed suppliers by product features, quality, benefits, price, delivery time and reputation while some will have left it to the builder to supply and fit.

Many builders are good sources of information when it comes to sourcing quality materials and getting value for money from reliable suppliers but sometimes following that advice can lead to disappointment.

Bi-folding-sliding patio doors supplied by the builder from an unknown source, rather than companies that specialise in bi-folding doors has, unfortunately, left some home-owners with patio doors that are difficult to use. At the end of the job the doors were working but after a while, when they became problematic, it transpired that they came with no further guarantee nor warranty. Who is responsible? The supplier, the builder or the home-owner? In the end, it’s the home-owner who has paid the money and has to live with the problem or the hassle of resolving it.

Two of the main reasons for choosing bi-folding doors, apart from the ‘WOW’ factor, are: to achieve maximum light and panoramic views when the doors are closed and to have virtually seamless maximum access between the home and garden (or conservatory) when the doors are open. Another reason may be the optional integral blinds, encapsulated between the double-glazing, looking great and not getting dusty!

Most common are wooden or pvc frames. A third option, powder-coated aluminium frames, look similar to pvc but is stronger, has narrower frames (therefore more glass to look through), will not need to be painted or varnished, will not warp in hot, cold, dry or damp conditions, can be supplied in a variety of colours and are strong enough to open and close smoothly for openings as wide as 7.2 metres. Aluminium bi-folding door prices are very competitive for the quality and anticipated life of a virtually maintenance-free product that will continue to perform for years, in terms of both functionality and thermal efficiency.

Powder-coated aluminium bi-folding patio doors, manufactured by specialist companies such as SunSeeker Doors, can offer warranties on their products and installations because the products have been tried and tested in thousands of homes over the years, measured and fitted by experienced professionals.

More information. Features, current installation dates, warranties, testimonials and an obligation-free quotation can be found on the web site and you can also click on the News and Views link for client case-studies before making your final decision.

Individual Health Insurance: Your Rights and Privileges

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If the outlined provisions of your health insurance policies of past and present reside somewhere in the closet, you’re not alone. Packed full of industry jargon, who wants to take the time to read the rights and privileges of their health insurance policy?

As unappealing as your policy information may seem, it’s important to understand that certain state rights and privileges come with every health insurance policy–and when you understand those privileges, you can make better informed decisions about your health and your health care!

Getting Started

When it comes to understanding the facets of your health insurance policy it’s important to recognize that each state has its own set of rules and guidelines. For more detailed, state-specific information about health insurance in your state, contact your local Division of Insurance or visit them on the Web.

Your Protections

While some guidelines differ from state to state, many consumer privileges remain the same across the country.

Nearly all states have mandated insurance policies to be guaranteed renewable, which means that your health insurance cannot be cancelled if you get sick. In fact, under guaranteed renewability, an insurer can only drop you from a policy if you stop paying your premiums, engage in fraudulent behavior or move outside of the specified coverage area.

In addition to the swell in guaranteed renewability, many states are mandating that insurance companies cover certain benefits such as screening for breast, cervical and prostate cancers–making it easier than ever before for consumers to get the care they need.

And, while your health insurance options may be some what reliant on your health status (your quality of health, including pre-existing and/or chronic conditions), most states are now limiting pre-existing condition periods, which means that coverage for your pre-existing conditions cannot be drawn out for longer than one year.

Strides in State-Sponsored Coverage

In addition to guaranteed renewability and limitations on pre-existing condition exclusions, many states have taken great strides to increase insurability for their residents.

COBRA, or state-continued coverage, may be available to you if you leave your job, or if you’re waiting for a new health insurance policy to begin. If you qualify for COBRA, you would be allowed to remain on your previous employer’s group policy for a pre-determined length of time.

Many states are also expanding the eligibility requirements for state-sponsored health insurance. If you’ve been turned down for individual health insurance due to a pre-existing or chronic condition, you may be eligible for health insurance under your state’s Medicaid program.

Medicaid coverage may also be available for those that earn low wages, families with uninsured children, pregnant women and disabled individuals. Medicaid also sponsors many children’s programs, as well as a variety of health screenings and programs for women.

Know Your Rights

When you know the rights, privileges and limitations of health insurance, you can make better informed decisions when comparing health insurance quotes and choosing a policy.

So dig that policy information out of the closet and take a look! And for more information on health insurance policies and mandated benefits, or to find answers to your health insurance questions, visit your state’s Division of Insurance online!

Stunning and Unusual Valentine’s Day Gifts

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Valentines day is traditionally a day when we give those we love special gifts and cards to show how much we care for them. Celebrated on February 14th, the giving of romantic Valentine’s Day gifts has become as big a part of tradition as many other holidays throughout the year. Chocolates, bears, roses, and champagne are among the most popular Valentine’s Day gifts along with jewellery and other items. However, for something completely unique and extremely appealing, personalised photo gifts make excellent gift ideas.

Valentines Day

The giving of roses and champagne and going out for a romantic meal obviously doesn’t have to be reserved for a single day of the year but Valentine’s Day does hold a special place for many of us. It is traditionally the one day of the year when we put a little extra effort into showing the one we love that we really do care. Personalised photo gifts can help us do this, not only because they are such great looking items, but also because they are personal to the people that receive them from the people that give them.

Romantic Gifts

Photo gifts allow for a wide range of different choices. Not only can you select the exact item, and often specify many different options, but you can also choose a favourite photograph or picture and further personalise this with a message, caption, or date. This has helped photo items become such popular gift ideas for any occasion not just for Valentine’s Day.

Personalised Photo Gift Ideas

Valentine’s Day photo gifts really do offer a broad variety of scope. Items like the canvas print are popular all year round because they are stunning pieces of wall art; and they take on a whole new light as a romantic Valentine’s Day gift too. Photo blocks are a modern equivalent of the old glass covered, framed photograph. Lighter, more convenient, and still retaining a glossy shine they have also become a popular way to show off your favourite photographs. What’s more, if you’re really stuck picking a photograph, you can have a photo montage created that incorporates all of your favourites.

A Stunning Selection Of Quality Items

Photo bags, photo books and albums, and even photo cushions or blankets can all be personalised to include your photograph or images and there are many other items that can be afforded the same level of customisation. Choose a gift that best suits the recipient, decide on a photograph or photographs that you would like included on the item, and then let the photo gift service do the rest of the work for you.

Valentine’s Day Photo Gifts

Photo gifts are ideal for any occasion and are a joy to give as well as to receive. Choose an individual photograph of the person you’re giving it to or you could opt for a romantic picture of the two of you together. A photo montage can be used to tell the story of your entire relationship or a particular event that happened in your relationship.

Escape Games Becoming the Favorite of All

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Does suspense Games attract you? Then here are the varieties of Escape games. Playing online escape games is the trend of today’s generation. It seems that every person today try’s to be James Bond and wants to solve the puzzles and come out of the trouble. As life is not a treasure hunt we all hang over to the fascinating games found only. And escape games are today’s attraction.

Today every person is busy in its own world. The family get together and children’s playing out door games have reduced considerable. People play games in there free time which is the best time-pass of almost all the age groups. They need more new games rather then playing the same old games again and again; playing online escape games is the best way for it. You get unlimited games online. You play all this variety of games and you’ll immediately find that your loneliness will fly of and you’ll feel empowered from inside.

Remember how Gate’s family in National Treasure movie goes out for treasure hunting, I bet you are very much fascinated by Nicholas Cages intuition power and would wonder if you could go for alike treasure hunt. Well we don’t get such treasures in real life but then that does not mean that you may not solve the puzzles as the Gate’s family, Online games will give you all that chance to challenge you and will put you into bars and what you have to do is come out of that cage, find the way out of that place, explore each and every object present around you and find the keys which will help you to get out.

There are wide range of games available for online and you may find all of them absolutely free of cost, isn’t that exciting? Playing a new escape game each time, solving a new puzzle and escaping out of a number of new cages and on the top of it, we don’t have to pay any amount for it. Wow! This really excites me. I get so many games to play with out paying a single penny. There are many escape games available online, where you may spend hours and hours playing them. As there are such many games you never find them boring too, in-fact they become your favorite time-pass. If you are feeling lonely then this games may become your companion, just try it out.

Today’s generations is more turning towards the computers and are fascinated towards it. A different partner is been observed among different people of different age group. The escape games are the games which is attracts most of the age group, as it is requires a lot of brain to be used to solve the problem and come out of the trap. A list of clues are given to you to help you out but then these clues does not give you the exact or direct way out. Solve one hint and then another and then another step by step and if you are going on the right tract then you might come out of the trap. And this is how the games go on.