Monday 21 September 2015

Building Regulations and Their Importance


Building regulations can be defined as construction standards which are to be used as a set of guides for preparing the design of new buildings and doing modifications on existing structures, both residential and commercial. These regulations were formulated for ensuring health and safety of people living or working in and around buildings, for planning the access and for determining the energy use by constructions. Every development project requires a detailed set of building control regulation drawings as well as specifications as evidences for the fact that the proposed structure would be constructed in compliance with the standards. Many a times, the drawings are also used by builders to make sure that a building work is progressing as it is supposed to. 

In the modern times, the legislation that governs the building regulations in UK has been evolving constantly and becoming increasingly complex. From basic domestic building projects to highly intricate development, all types of construction work are expected to follow the rigorous standards. There are, however, many reputed companies that offer efficient architectural services in accordance with the building regulations. One can easily hire any of these companies and be sure that the design of their proposed buildings would be fully compatible with the existing construction standards.

Once the building control regulation drawings have been prepared, an approved and certified building inspector or a local Building Control department would check the drawings for any violation of the current standards. If no such violation is found, the project would be approved. After granting approval, the authority would appoint an inspector who would visit the construction site at different stages while the work is in progress to make sure that everything is being carried out to a suitable standard. Site visits would also be made at the time of excavation as well as laying of the foundations, construction of sewers and drains and installation of a damp resistant course.

Finally, when the overall construction work is complete, the inspector would make a visit to the site once again and issue a final completion certificate. However, he also reserves the right to refuse issuing a completion certificate if he finds that the building violates one or more of the building regulations. Although it is possible for a structure to exist without the certificate, it would survive as an illegal construction. Any attempt to have a mortgage over the structure or sell it would be in vain.

Wednesday 9 September 2015

How to Control Cockroaches Safely?


With their prickly legs and filthy appearance, cockroaches are stuffs of nightmares for many people. These pests are not only hated for their abhorrent looks, but also due to their nasty habit of contaminating food items and spreading a wide range of diseases among human beings. They generally like to dwell in warm and moist areas and may even feed on fermenting and decaying material, besides savouring fresh food stuffs. Their faeces and exoskeleton fragments can trigger allergic reactions and asthma, and the pathogens carried by them are responsible for various human gastrointestinal problems.


Controlling the entire population of cockroaches in any given area can be very difficult and is not possible with just one measure. In order to achieve long-term elimination, it is essential to begin with a thorough inspection that is followed by exclusion and proper sanitation. Calling in a professional company that deals with cockroach pest control in Melbourne would be excellent, as they would know exactly what to do and how to prevent further infestations. 

A uniform infestation may require a flushing agent, probing tools, a strong flashlight and a search mirror. Common signs indicating the activity of cockroaches are bits of shed roach skin and egg shells. Some pest control professionals may also use a kind of monitoring tool or device for detecting the presence of cockroaches and locating their dwellings, such as sticky traps. Areas which are moist and warm, and close to food sources should be searched well.

After the inspection comes exclusion, which means decreasing the movement of cockroaches and their hiding grounds. All gaps and crevices, from where the cockroaches may emerge or gain entry into the area, should be sealed up using urethane foam or silicone sealant. The nooks and crannies suspected to be the shelter of cockroaches must also be clogged entirely.

Besides eliminating the existing critters, it is also important to make sure that fresh ones from outside do not enter the premises and start multiplying. For that, all food and water sources should be removed from the environment that generally attracts cockroaches. Maintaining sanitation is a key to success for any pest control program. Apart from killing the cockroaches and eliminating them from the structure, proper sanitation should be done with vacuuming and steaming. Pest control technicians often make use of specially designed vacuums and steam units for trapping cockroaches in those areas where the infestation is unusually severe.

Friday 4 September 2015

Architectural Drawings – 2D and 3D CAD



Drawings have been the primary way of architects to convey their building ideas for a very long period of time. Even today, they are one of the most important tools of building workers for erecting all types of structures, be it small residential constructions or lofty commercial skyscrapers. With progress of time, however, the method of creating architectural drawings has changed significantly. Nowadays, a large number of professionals make use of computer aided design (CAD) software for fabricating floor plans, site plans, elevations, cross-sections, etc. Due to usage of CAD software, contemporary architectural diagrams have a great deal of accuracy as well as detailing.

The CAD software popularly used for drafting online architectural design drawing in UK can be divided into two categories – 2-dimensional CAD and 3-dimensional CAD:

2D CAD

2-dimensional or 2D CAD is the basic form of digital architectural drawings. The sheets are prepared with utilisation of the knowledge that the architect himself possess. The different methods involved in the process can be repetitive, superfluous and time-consuming. If somebody has been using 2D CAD for a long time, it may require them to overcome a certain amount of apathy. They would require to put in a lot of effort and coordination for achieving any feasible design. Due to the deficiency of a 3-dimensional effect, some extra software would also be needed. However, 2D CAD can be beneficial in some ways as well. The initial costs of drafting 2-dimensional diagrams are usually low. Moreover, the concepts of drafting are quite simple and therefore, easy to study.

3D CAD

3-dimensional CAD was created with one primary aim – to layer a highly interactive design of any proposed structure with informations of the real-world. It allows the architect to think in a more integrated manner about the design, and create a powerful picture, of the building that is to be constructed, within one digital model. Using a 3D CAD can prove to be beneficial in many different ways. First of all, it can eliminate any potential problem with the structure before the plan is implemented. Secondly, it enables inclusion of additional alterations even during progress of the work. Thirdly, drafting a 3D diagram does not require much time or effort at all and due to that, architects can think more deeply about the design instead of engaging in tedious tasks of fabricating delineations. Although integration of 2D CAD may be required in some cases, it does not generally manifest as a major requirement.