Making Your Conservatory Better with Tech

Your conservatory is a place you can go to relax and enjoy the view of your garden all year
round. When done correctly, it can also potentially add a lot of value onto your property. If
you’re looking to get the most out of this unique space, why not consider enhancing it with
Technology? There are a few ways you can add tech to your conservatory to enhance its comfort and design. Here, you’ll discover just some of the tech to consider adding to your conservatory space this year.

Electric windows

If your conservatory features hard-to-reach skylights, electric windows could be a great
option. These allow you to control the window electronically, adding both convenience and a
cool tech factor. You’ll feel like James Bond, well almost, as you push the button and watch
the window open and close.

There’s a lot of different types of electric window openings to choose from, so it’s worth
taking your time to browse through the options available to you before making a final
Decision.

Solid roof installation

If you’re looking to add better thermal efficiency into the conservatory, solid roof installation
could be the answer. This type of roof offers great insulation, although it does typically
require planning permission before you can install one. A good idea may be to actually opt
for a combined roofing solution.

Some companies offer what’s known as a living roof, which combines solid roof and glass
construction. The shaded areas this type of roof creates are great for times when you want to
use a laptop or watch TV in the conservatory. If you have the budget, a combined roof
construction would be great for adding a contemporary look while also boosting thermal
Efficiency.

Entertainment

Once you’ve upgraded the windows and roof, it’s time to focus on actually enjoying the
conservatory space. These days, you can buy a lot of different types of entertainment systems
to enhance the space. From smart TVs to games consoles and excellent surround sound
systems, you can easily turn the conservatory into an entertainment room.

As you can see, there’s lots of great tech you can add to your conservatory to make it more
comfortable and enjoyable to use. The above are the main types of tech you’ll want to
consider adding. Don’t forget, installing carpets and soundproofing the conservatory can also
help to enhance the space further.

The post Making Your Conservatory Better with Tech appeared first on UK Home Improvement Blog.

from UK Home Improvement Blog http://www.ukhomeimprovement.co.uk/making-your-conservatory-better-with-tech/

New booze round-up #3: Stouts, porters and tonka beans

It’s winter and breweries have been working on their roastiest, toastiest beers for maximum contentment during the colder months. We’ve managed to get our hands on a few extra special seasonal ales so this latest ‘new booze round-up’ is a stout and porter special edition…

Fourpure Snowblind, 5.9%

Fourpure have gone bonkers for tonka in their latest canned offering. It’s a white stout containing tonka beans, a rather interesting adjunct that comes from the Kuaran Tree, native to central and south America. These black, wrinkly seeds are often used as a vanilla substitute in foods and perfume, and the tobacco industry have been known to grind them into tobaccos to make their cigarettes extra tasty. Mmmm…. tasty cigarettes….

Anyway, Rich reckons Snowblind is a “smooth, complex and very more-ish booze.” He goes on to describe it as “pale golden and full-bodied, it has a distinct almondy twang, with caramel, liquorice and and a slight hint of cinnamon.” Nick, who has guzzled a few white stouts recently, proclaims it as “one of the best I’ve had.” High praise indeed.

Salcombe Brewery, Island Street Porter, 5.9%

Salcombe is rapidly becoming South Devon’s booze capital, with an excellent distillery and brewery each bearing the town’s name. We first tried the brewery’s summery beers at a festival last year and were mightily impressed and we’ve now had a chance to try their new winter offering, a delicious dark porter. We felt it had the touch of wild, dark fruits about it – with rich and slightly tart juice, hints of sweetness and a fruit-skin bitterness. The roasted malt flavours have been smoothed out with a spoonful of creamy cocoa making it an easy sipper that’s simply done but full of flavour. Impressive stuff.

Clown Shoes, Chocolate Sombrero, 9%

We regularly dip our hop-stained fingers into beer subscription boxes – they’re one of the best ways to get hold of new beers, particularly from far flung places. The latest cardboard-encased collection of cans and bottles from Beer 52 was a Massachusetts special and it was all new to our taste buds. The pick of the crop was an Imperial Stout, described as “Mexican-style”, from a brewery called Clown Shoes. The beer is full of adjuncts including ancho chilli, cinnamon and vanilla and they’ve done well to even them all out, making a subtly spiced beer with loads of depth. The trace of chilli rides the light fizz for an extra tingle; the touches of spice help it linger longer in the mouth; and the boozy, chocolatey malt gives it a decadent sippability.

Hawkshead, Tonka Shake, 10%

We’ve been keen drinkers of Hawkshead’s beers for several years now – they’re great at simple, hoppy beers but also know how to get creative with more unusual ingredients. This new release, an “Imperial Milkshake Stout”, is another to feature the in vogue tonka bean and it’s a real treat. Its many flavours brought to mind fancy continental breakfasts: a posh muesli loaded with flakes of coconut and covered in creamy milk, with a fresh pain au chocolate on the side and an accompanying cup of black coffee that has a rich, plummy edge and wake-you-up bitterness. The one element that doesn’t belong in our breakfast picture is the whisky-ish dash of booze.

For more information…

Fourpure Snowblind is available from the Fourpure website, £4.50 per 500ml can

Salcombe Island Street Porter is available from the brewery’s website, £30 for 12 x 330ml bottles

Clown Shoes, Chocolate Sombrero can be found over at Beer52 HQ

Hawkshead Tonka Shake is available from Hawkshead’s website

The post New booze round-up #3: Stouts, porters and tonka beans appeared first on Two Thirsty Gardeners.

from Two Thirsty Gardeners http://twothirstygardeners.co.uk/2019/01/beer-round-up-stouts-porters-tonka-beans-salcombe-fourpure-hawkshead-clown-shoes/

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