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Template - Front page: Recipe: Cawl

Once upon a time, every family had their own special cawl recipe, but times have changed and this hearty staple is no longer the weekly warmer it once was.

However, we think its time for a revival and this is certainly the time of year to have one! A one pot wonder, cawl is simple to make and can even be made in a slow cooker when you’re pushed for time. If your family recipe has been lost along the way, then this one is sure to be (almost) as good as Mamgu used to make!

To serve six people, you will need the following ingredients:

6 x small Welsh lamb shanks
1.2L/2pts water
225g/8oz potatoes, peeled and diced
225g/8oz swede, peeled and diced
225g/8oz onion, peeled and chopped
225g/8oz carrots, peeled and diced
225g/8oz leek, cleaned and sliced thin
A bunch of herbs: Bay, thyme, rosemary and parsley
½ a small Savoy cabbage
2tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and pepper

Method:

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan, season the lamb shanks add to the pan together with the onion and brown all over.
Once the meat is brown, pour over the water and add the bunch of herbs (use dried herbs if fresh ones aren’t available).
Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Put a lid on the pan and cook for 40 minutes.
Add all the vegetables except for the cabbage, bring up to the boil again. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for a further 40 minutes.
Shred the cabbage and add to the cawl, cook for another 5 minutes.
Serve with fresh, crusty bread.

Once you start making cawl, you’ll soon develop your own special additions, maybe a dash of Worcestershire sauce, some stock or a mixture of different herbs, and create a new family recipe to pass on.

Template - Front page: Financing home improvements

What is the cost of home improvements?

Home improvements can be a great investment, and often a necessary one. Many customers use savings to pay for their home upgrades. However up to 80 per cent of people investigate finance options.

At Securahome we offer a number of options to help spread the cost of your home improvements.

One of the most popular finance options offers 9.9% APR Representative. Nigel Hocking, sales manager for Securahome, explained: “This option is particularly popular. Especially when people are spending £10,000 or less on products such as windows, doors or replacement roofs for conservatories.

“It does require a deposit, but helps people to spread the cost over two years, which is usually enough for a lot of home improvements. If settled in full within the deferral period then there is no interest to pay, however a £29 administration fee will apply. ”

For those who want to save up the money, or are in the process of doing so, there is an option to buy now and pay later. Securahome offers the ability to have your home improvements and pay in 12 months time.

For larger items such as orangeries and conservatories, look at our range of finance options. These can be spread over a longer period of time.

“As with all of the finance options, we give the ability to pay it off sooner with only a small admin fee” Nigel said. “This is particularly useful if you sell your home or have an unexpected windfall.”

* Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered Office: Securahome PVCu Ltd, Unit D, Kestrel Way, Garngoch Industrial Estate, Gorseinon, Swansea SA4 9WN. Securahome PVCu Ltd, Unit D, Kestrel Way, Garngoch Industrial Estate, Gorseinon, Swansea SA4 9WN. is a credit broker, not the lender and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct authority.

Credit is provided by Novuna Personal Finance, a trading style of Mitsubishi HC Capital UK PLC. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Further helpful information is available from the www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk

Template - Front page: How to choose timber windows for your Swansea home

What are the advantages of timber windows?

Whether you have a period Swansea home or a character conversion, timber windows offer an unmistakable, timeless appeal which is hard to beat.

Traditionally this classic beauty means old-fashioned maintenance, rattles, draughts and swelling.

However, advances in design and technology mean that, chosen carefully, today’s timber windows and doors combine classic looks with minimal maintenance and modern energy efficiency.

To make the right choice, it’s important to understand the design features. This makes the difference between a sound investment and a high-maintenance liability.

What is the best material?

It all starts with the materials – in this case the timber. Timber windows and doors come from best quality, FSC-sourced, sustainable, engineered timber. This prevents any warping or swelling

Engineered timber uses only the best pieces of wood. It is scanned to ensure they are fault free, with all defects and knots removed. These prime layers of wood use glue, compression and lamination together to form engineered timber.

This process makes the frames strong. Engineered timber has a glue line that is stronger than the timber itself. This in turn makes it 60 per cent stronger than its solid wood counterpart.

As the layers of wood are glued in alternating vertical grains, this reduces the usual expansion, contraction, and warping that is characteristic of solid timber.

If you don’t like painting, choose weather-treated timber windows. This meandsnd there will be no need to re-paint for at least eight years.

When it comes to glass, thermally insulating, argon-filed, double-glazing offers 80 per cent better energy efficiency than single glazed units. This offers a 45 per cent improvement on normal double-glazing.

Best of all, this kind of glazing will maximise the natural light into your home. Essential for period cottages and conversions.

To further improve energy efficiency, choose windows that offer low conductivity spacer bars. This has the added benefit of reducing condensation levels on the inner pane.

Finally, whether your home is old or new? Security on your Swansea home is vitally important. Make sure you look for internal beading to show that the glass is fitted from the inside.

Template - Front page: How to choose a UPVC door for your Llanelli home

There is little doubt that in Carmarthenshire UPVC doors have become one of the most popular choices for homeowners.

Whether your home in Llanelli is traditional, contemporary or conversion and the street you live in is full of modern or conservation properties will have a bearing on the style of door you choose.

Added to this, many Llanelli homeowners have struggled with old-style draughty, wood doors that swell and even warp with the constantly changing Welsh weather – particularly on the Loughor Estuary.

With A+ rated energy efficiency, UPVC doors can help cut down on draughts.

UPVC is low maintenance and won’t warp, swell or shrink, whatever the Carmarthenshire weather throws at it.

If your property is near a busy road – or close to the home of the Llanelli Scarlets where the roar of Sospan Fach is often heard – UPVC doors also offer the added value of insulation against high noise levels!

There is also a far wider variety of designs, sizes and colours than ever before in our UPVC doors range.

Visit Securahome’s Swansea showroom and you will find a range of UPVC entrance doors from classic, through to period styles and unashamedly modern designs to suit all types of Llanelli homes.

There’s a range of foiled or solid finishes, including painted timber appearances in a number of colours.

You can even choose UPVC stable doors, which are a classic choice for backdoors.

To help you enjoy the views and create more light in your home, UPVC patio doors and French windows are a hard to beat. The security on these styles of doors has come on significantly and with A+ rating, they offer good thermal properties too.

The modern alternative to patio doors are UPVC bi-folding doors which offer not only great views and light all year round, but can be folded open on warmer days to create a fantastic indoor-outdoors space.

To explore the vast range of styles available in the Llanelli UPVC doors range go to our product pages or visit our showroom.

If you have a design in mind or need advice on what would suit your home, speak to Securahome’s experienced design team either in the showroom or by calling 0800 808 3224.

Template - Front page: How to create the perfect conservatory for your Llanelli home

tile3 When your Llanelli home feels like it needs more light and space, a conservatory is a great solution.

For practical and aesthetic reasons, UPVC conservatories are popular for homes across Carmarthenshire.

As a coastal area, Llanelli UPVC conservatories need to be able to withstand the elements as well as look good inside and out.

Just imagine the beautiful scenery across the Loughor Estuary when sitting in the comfort and warmth of your UPVC conservatory.

At Securahome, we have two decades of experience in creating conservatories for homes across Llanelli and South Wales.

UPVC conservatories are quick to erect, low maintenance and, thanks to advances in technology, have better thermal properties than ever before.

All our conservatories, whether timber or UPVC, are built with A rated glass.

Should you opt for a glass roof, you can be sure that will be A rated and if you opt for solar control, it’s possible to exclude up to 83% of the sun’s energy.

To keep the roof looking sparkling all year round, there is the option of self-cleaning glass – which is important when living near the Carmarthenshire coastline.

For added thermal efficiency, solid conservatory roofs have become a popular addition to Llanelli UPVC conservatories

Whether you opt for a tiled effect or a more modern finish, a solid conservatory roof means the option of plastered ceiling inside, with downlighters and even skylight windows for added natural light.

For even greater thermal efficiency, you may want to choose a solid roof extension

If your Llanelli home already has a conservatory, a solid roof can often be installed to replace an existing polycarbonate or glass roof.

The technology and materials used in today’s UPVC conservatories are light years away from the ones used ten or even five years ago. Adding a new roof and, if needed, changing to A rated windows can give your Llanelli UPVC conservatory a whole new lease of life.

For more information on the different styles of conservatories available go to our Living Space pages. If you have a design in mind or need advice on what would suit your home, give our design team a call on 0800 808 3224 or drop into our Swansea showroom to discuss the various options available.

Template - Front page: A guide to choosing the right UPVC windows for your Llanelli home

UPVC windows remain a sensible home improvement investment – as property owners throughout Llanelli know only too well.

Once upon a time UPVC windows wouldn’t suit every property, but the days when they were fitted primary for practical reasons have gone.

Today’s UPVC window ranges are available in a plethora of styles and finishes, making them a very popular choice, whatever your home.

Which is why more of those Llanelli properties from modern through to Victorian and conversions are benefitting from installing them.

The many ranges you find today match practically with any design, making them suitable for most Carmarthenshire homes.

Being almost maintenance free and with outstanding thermal efficiency, UPVC windows remain a sensible home improvement investment.

Traditionally UPVC windows came in white but this is no longer the only colour available, even though it remains a popular choice for homes along the Loughor Estuary.

At Securahome, our UPVC windows come in a wide range of colours, from classic white through to woodgrain ‘foils’ in Irish Oak, Cream Grain or Anthracite Grey, which give a timber-like appeal.

There are also plenty of styles to choose from, including enduringly popular casement windows and the highly practical tilt and turn styles, which make cleaning much easier.

For a period home in Llanelli, UPVC sash windows make a stylish choice. Created with a painstaking attention to detail, these UPVC sash windows come with important finishing touches, such as period hardware, Georgian bars and decorative horns that make them acceptable in some conservation areas (although this does need to be checked with your conservation officer).

As an alternative to sashes, flush casement windows from the Heritage range offer exceptional details, suitable for both period and conversion properties which are common throughout Llanelli and the Carmarthenshire area.

Offered in an extensive range of period colours, the Heritage range of period UPVC windows comes with authentic butt hinges, handles and stays that really makes them an exceptional timber-alternative window for period homes and conversions in Bridgend.

Whichever style and finish you choose, Securahome’s UPVC window ranges are A+ rated to ensure that your windows perform well and look good. To understand more about window ratings, read our Window Ratings Explained guide.

Whatever your style of Llanelli home, security is incredibly important, so Securahome’s UPVC windows come with high levels of security features including multi-point locks. If For further details speak to Securahome’s experienced design team either in the Swansea showroom or by calling 0800 808 3224.

Template - Front page: Protecting your Swansea roofline from the elements

With the changeable Welsh weather, there’s little doubt that Swansea’s rooflines get a battering, whatever the season.

Rain, frost and even warm sunshine can cause traditional timber roofline products such as fascia boards, soffits and cladding to twist, split and warp, especially if the protective layers of paint have started to flake away.

Replacing your timber roofline with UPVC has many advantages. Low-maintenance, PVC cladding, fascia boards and soffits are a ‘fit and forget’ upgrade to your Swansea home.

Once upon a time UPVC roofline products were simply white, but thanks to advances in the design and materials available, these can now come in a wide variety of colours and finishes.

Textured UPVC cladding, for example, gives the appearance of timber, but without the laborious upkeep.

If you are looking for a traditional appearance or want to match your roofline with existing windows and doors, UPVC soffits and fascias are also available in a timber effect.

When you have a timber roofline that is in good condition but want a low-maintenance alternative, over-capping may be an option for your Swansea home.

An over-cap involves a UPVC cover fascia being fitted to your existing roofline. To carry out the over-cap, the existing timbers must be in good condition to ensure that there aren’t any underlying problems.

However, if the timbers aren’t in a good state of repair, the best option is a full replacement of your Swansea roofline with UPVC fascias and soffits. While this is a larger job than an over-cap, it is also more thorough.

To ensure that you have the best possible solution, a Securahome surveyor will inspect your roofline before making a recommended course of action.

For more information, visit our Swansea showroom or call the team on 0800 808 3224.

Template - Front page: How to create a conservatory for your Bridgend home

When your home feels like it needs more light and space, a conservatory is a great solution.

For practical and aesthetic reasons, UPVC conservatories are popular for homes across the Bridgend and south Wales areas.

The reasons are simple: UPVC conservatories are quick to erect, low maintenance and, thanks to advances in technology, have better thermal properties than ever before.

However, there’s a lot to consider when choosing a new UPVC conservatory for your Bridgend home:

Temperature: One of the most common complaints about older style conservatories is controlling the ambient temperature. In a time when many of us are concerned with our carbon footprint, ensuring good thermal properties for every room in the house is often a priority.

If you are building a brand new UPVC conservatory then it makes sense to ensure it’s as thermally efficient as possible to future-proof your investment.

At Securahome we fit A+ rated UPVC windows as standard, but there’s more to thermal efficiency than glazing.

We offer a range of solid conservatory roofs that offer the same thermal efficiency as a traditionally constructed roof. These can vary from a traditionally styled tiled conservatory roof that would suit a classic Bridgend home, through to a modern Livinroof that offers great versatility.

Glazed roofs are wonderful for letting in light and sky views, the good news is that these too are far more thermally efficient than ever before. While Securahome glazed conservatory roofs are A rated as standard, if you opt for solar control, it’s possible to exclude up to 83% of the sun’s energy. To keep the roof looking sparkling all year round, there is the option of self-cleaning glass.

With Loggia columns your brand new Bridgend conservatory will have highly insulated walls. These innovative panels can even include built-in heaters that blend seamlessly with the room and remove the need for unsightly radiators.

The options for doors on a modern UPVC conservatory are greater than ever. Bi-folding or patio doors can really alter the appearance of a conservatory inside and out, as well as offering uninterrupted views out to the garden.

Interior: When planning your new UPVC conservatory, how you are going to use the room is a big consideration.

Whether you want a flat screen TV on the wall or a bright area for dining all year round, the design will be important to helping you love your new room.

The doors, windows and style of roof will have a significant impact on your Bridgend conservatory. A solid roof, for instance, will mean a plastered ceiling, with the option to include down-lighters, while a glazed roof will bring year-round daylight to your home.

Similarly, bi-folding or patio doors can really alter the appearance of a conservatory inside and out, as well as offering uninterrupted views out to the garden.

Exterior: Conservatories need to be able to withstand the elements as well as look good inside and out, making UPVC a very practical choice for windows and doors.

Not only does UPVC need minimal maintenance, it also comes in a plethora of colour and style options, from traditional white through to warm timber-alternative finishes such as Irish Oak and foiled colours that give the appearance of painted timber.

If you are having dwarf walls, at Securahome we can match these to your existing Bridgend home, while a solid roof can coordinate with the existing architecture of your home.

Template - Front page: How to choose a UPVC door for your Bridgend home

Choosing the right doors for your Bridgend home will partly depend on the style of house.

Whether your home in Bridgend is traditional, contemporary or conversion and the street you live in is full of modern or conservation properties will have a bearing on the style of door you choose.

For many homeowners in Bridgend UPVC doors have become the number one choice for practicality and style. With so many homes in the town and surrounding villages already having UPVC windows, fitting a UPVC door helps to create a smart exterior.

Added to this, many Bridgend homeowners have struggled with old-style draughty, wood doors that swell and even warp with the constantly changing Welsh weather. With A+ rated energy efficiency, UPVC doors can help cut down on draughts into hallways or living areas.

UPVC is low maintenance and won’t warp, swell or shrink, whatever the south Wales weather throws at it.

If your property is near a busy road, UPVC doors also offer the added value of insulation against high noise levels.

Style-wise many people are familiar with the traditional white UPVC front and back doors, there are a plethora of styles, colours and finishes available.

Visit Securahome’s Swansea showroom and you will find a range of UPVC entrance doors from classic, through to period styles and unashamedly modern designs to suit all types of Bridgend homes.

There’s a range of foiled or solid finishes, including painted timber appearances in a number of colours.

You can even choose UPVC stable doors, which are a classic choice for backdoors.

To explore the vast range of styles available in the Bridgend UPVC doors range go to our product pages or visit our showroom.

If you have a design in mind or need advice on what would suit your home, speak to Securahome’s experienced design team either in the showroom or by calling 0800 808 3224.

Template - Front page: A guide to UPVC windows for your Bridgend home

Bridgend is blessed with a real variety of housing stock, from modern through to Victorian and conversions, and once upon a time UPVC windows wouldn’t have suited all.

However, the days when UPVC windows were fitted primarily for practical reasons have gone. Today’s UPVC window ranges are available in a plethora of styles and finishes, making them a very popular choice, whatever your home.

Being almost maintenance free and with outstanding thermal efficiency, UPVC windows remain a sensible home improvement investment.

However, the ranges you find today match practicality with design, making them suitable for most Bridgend homes.

It almost goes without saying that white is no longer the only colour available, although it is a very popular choice for Bridgend UPVC windows.

At Securahome, our UPVC windows come in a wide range of colours, from classic white through to woodgrain ‘foils’ in Irish Oak, Cream Grain or Anthracite Grey, which give a timber-like appeal.

There are also plenty of styles to choose from, including enduringly popular casement windows and the highly practical tilt and turn styles, which make cleaning much easier.

For a period home, UPVC sash windows make a stylish choice. Created with a painstaking attention to detail, these UPVC sash windows come with important finishing touches, such as period hardware, Georgian bars and decorative horns that make them acceptable in some conservation areas (although this does need to be checked with your conservation officer).

As an alternative to sashes, flush casement windows from the Heritage range offer exceptional details, suitable for both period and conversion properties.

Whatever your style of home, security is incredibly important, so Securahome’s UPVC windows come with high levels of security features including multi-point locks.