Fire Rated Downlights & LED Lighting Kits

It is very important to have careful planning before installing any electrical component. It depends on the installation area and usage of the equipment. These energy efficient products help to save your monthly electricity bills. These products can be used for both residential and commercial purposes. The electrical components make your life comfortable and hassle-free. See more of fire rated windows.

To ensure safety, each electrical component has number of rules and regulations to follow. These electrical components are available in a variety of metal plate and plastic finishes. The selection of durable and energy saving products ensure to increase your home efficiency. You can also purchase various available attractive products to enhance the beauty of your home or office. These electrical products include:

Fire Rated Downlights

Fire rated downlights are essential in homes and stores for safety measures. Fire rated downlights are used to protect your home or office from the effects of both fire and noise pollution. They are required to prevent the spread of fire in other floors. The modern range of straight fire rated downlights gives a great blend of fashion. Low voltage downlights are also available to cover every need. The different colors of downlights best suits your lighting requirements and can be installed to add modern touch to the home decor.

LED Lighting Kits

LED lighting kits are used to display energy efficient beam of light. LED lighting kits can bring a glow to your home and is easy to install. The low voltage LED lighting kits are used in home, vehicles etc. The number of indoor and outdoor lighting kits is available for various lighting applications. LED plinth lighting kits are offered with BS plug & transformer with cable wire for indoor use only. Besides being used for home purposes, LED is also used as deck lighting kits and ground lighting kits. These lights give extremely bright colors and can be used as per the application need.

Old Style Breakers

Breakers are used to regulate amount of electrical current which a wire can safely carry. The purpose of installation of old style breakers helps to control the power to any premises. One of the ranges of old style breakers, Wylex type-B old style breakers are widely used in domestic circuit protection applications. They are specifically designed to facilitate manual circuit breaker operation. They can easily be upgraded to current standards using MCBs plugs.

Plastic Switches and Sockets

You can purchase from a range of reliable and safe plastic switches and sockets for your home or office. Manufactured with superior grade plastic, these are designed for ease of installation and are ideal for home decoration. The attractive white Starbreaker plastic range is durable and safe for both residential and commercial applications.

7 Steps to Design and Install a Glass Block Wall With Style and Structure

For many architects, interior designers, homeowners, and even general contractors there is a mystique surrounding the design and installation of glass block walls. First you take a self supporting structural glass material (a unique element to begin with) and then mix it with some type of bonding material (usually mortar or silicone) or installation system (aluminum or wood are most common) to create stylish and functional walls. You might feel you have to be part chemist and part contractor to do this work, but don't fear, it's not too tough if you follow these 7 steps. See more of fire rated windows.

o Step 1 - Know the Shape of Your Wall - Glass block walls can be built in any shape -straight, with a curve or radius, a 90 degree turn, or even one that stair steps down for design interest and style. Straight walls are generally the easiest to build and can now be completed with finished bull nosed end blocks. Curved or radius walls (walk in showers are an excellent place for this type of design and can save money vs. other rounded glass wall systems) are a more involved installation, but newer angle blocks or the Arque shaped units from Pittsburgh Corning can make the rounded look easier to achieve. If you like the idea of stepping the wall down in 8" increments the Encurve block is the product for you. With the introduction of the Tridron block from Pittsburgh Corning you can even make a glass block column and light it for extra effect.

o Step 2 - Know the Size of Your Wall - A cool glass wall that doesn't stay put in it's original place at your home or business is not cool at all! Form and structure have to work together. If you're designing an outside glass wall greater than 144 square feet, and inside wall greater than 250 square feet, there is a need for horizontal or vertical support. Most residential glass shower or partition walls do not usually exceed these dimensions, however. Inside the walls there should be horizontal or vertical spacers or reinforcing wire for strength and support. Some newer interior installation systems are even using aluminum grids or wood frames to put the blocks together, a very stylish alternative to the standard mortar or silicone processes.

o Step 3 - Determine what is going Above and Below the Wall - Glass block are not a structurally supportive material but they can carry their own weight. It is OK to mount a wood counter over the wall for a bar application, but usually a granite countertop should be supported independent of the glass masonry units. Underneath these walls the best base options are concrete floors, acrylic or corian or tile shower curbs, or wood floors with framing below.

o Step 4 - Consider how you're going to anchor the wall - While most of these walls are grouted together with mortar and spacers you still will want to anchor the wall into an existing wall(s) for support. Panel anchors made of aluminum go into the horizontal courses of the blocks and are screwed into the side of the wall to ensure that the wall doesn't move. If you don't have a side wall to anchor into it is still possible to have a glass block wall by providing vertical supports through the wall and into the floor below.

o Step 5 - Figure out the Style, Design, and Pattern of Block - This is not the old-style block any more - a clear colorless cube of glass. Now there are vivid colored glass blocks, artistically designed murals or patterns, beveled edge blocks, and blocks in all sorts of shapes, patterns, and styles. Look at a web site that shows the full line of possibilities. Different block sizes can combined in walls (for example combining 6" x 6" blocks with 12" x 12" blocks or 4" x 8" blocks with 8" x 8" blocks in the same wall) to create distinctive designs. If you need privacy there are fiberous insers available in the blocks and privacy patterns as well.

o Step 6 - Consider any special needs, fire ratings, or privacy requirements- Glass block roll in showers without an entry curb are an excellent way to combine style, function, and accessibility for those with special needs. You can get a wheelchair through the rounded, radius shower opening and cut the hassle of the maintenance at the same time. There are also 60 and 90 minute fire rated blocks for exterior walls where you want to achieve light and privacy together.

o Step 7 - Know your skills or don't be afraid to call or search for the experts - The skills to install a glass block wall involve a combination of masonry, carpentry, glazing, or grouting expertise. If you've got these types of skills jump right into the project. You can purchase the individual glass blocks, spacer systems, or even (in some markets) have wall sections built to make the job easier. If on the other hand you're not too handy, check out the Internet for your local specialty glass block contractor. Many general contractors or masonry contractors are not that experienced in doing glass block work and will usually subcontract the work out anyway.