There are a wide range of power tools now available and choosing one from all the long list of electronic components can be difficult for someone who just wants a drill. Ah! But what kind is best?

Choosing the drill bits – Two kinds of drill bits (those parts of the tool that actually drill the holes) – SDS (Special Direct System) and normal ones. SDS drill bits with their special ridges are needed for most hammer drills –the ridges fit into grooves in the drills holding part, the chuck.

The size and weight do vary a great deal – some up to 5kg. Many people cannot handle such a heavy drill and smaller and lighter drills are much easier to hold and use. Especially in small spaces.

Most drills have keyless chucks (a key used to be used to fit the drill bit into the chuck) and two gears.

Cordless Drills

You can select the level of twisting or turning force (called torque) for each gear, good for screwdriving as it present overtightening and damaging the screw. Other drills usually won’t do this.  You’ll need to have a high enough voltage to enable you to work quickly and avoid overheating, but at the same time a higher voltage drains the battery quickly. Note that most drills take at least an hour to re-charge but some take much longer. It’s handy if your drill comes with a second battery.

The U value is a measure of energy efficiency that is, how effective this particular element is at retaining heat, and is used for any kind of home construction. The lower the U Value, the more effective the unit is at saving energy because of its greater insulating quality.

So, in terms of double glazing the U Value can be used as a method of comparison of different types of unit in terms of energy efficiency

Double glazed windows and double glazed doors have a much lower U Value than single glazed windows have.  The benefit of using the U Value to compare different kinds of glazing is that it gives an index of energy efficiency. Cutting down heat loss, reduces heating bills which in turn reduces carbon dioxide emissions overall by as much as 50% when replacing single glazed windows by double glazed units.

The recognised U rating method for double glazing is for the whole window including all components: glass, frames and spacers, th9ough sometimes a different measure – the centre of glass U Value is given which indicates the energy efficiency of the glazed units alone, and is usually used by double glazing companies (but also ask them about the other components as well).

A guide for the common U Values are: For a single glazed pane U Value = 5.6 watts per sq m Kelvin, which falls to a more efficient U Value for a standard double glazed unit of 2.8w/sq m K, to 2.6 w/sq m K for argon gas in the cavity.

It’s not just that fitting energy efficient windows saves energy – and a lower energy usage means smaller bills, it’s also that having double glazing fitted to your home means no more draughts and much warmer rooms. Any heat you put into the room is not dissipated through the windows.

Depending on the size of your house and the number and size of your windows, replacing single glazing with energy efficient double glazing will save up to £200 a year – and as energy prices go up these savings will increase.

In addition to the benefits of reducing draughts from single glazed windows and frames, fitting double glazing also reduces ambient noise from outside the home, such as traffic noise. Double glazing also reduces that awful condensation that comes with the temperature differential of single glazing. However, you will still get condensation unless your room has some airflow to allow moisture in the air from people’s breath to escape – perhaps through a chimney. In any event allowances can be made for airflow when windows are fitted.

One major outcome of replacing single glazed windows with double glazing-which is important for more and more environmentally conscious people, is that the overall carbon footprint of the household is reduced. Using less fuel means that less carbon dioxide (the main greenhouse gas) in the atmosphere than would otherwise be the case. This amounts to around 700 kg a year or so.

We had cavity wall insulation fitted last year and got a government grant toward the cost of the work. Two of my friends had mentioned in passing that they had the work done, and it appeared to be Ok, so we went ahead. First of all a surveyor came to check that the cavity was in good condition and not blocked by any rubble etc, and then the man came to put in the insulation. First of all he drilled holes in the outside wall of the house (which was the inside wall of our two porches). Then he had a blower to put the mineral wool into the cavity. The mineral wool looks like light feathery cotton wool – we found this out as there was a gap in our interior wall in the loft we didn’t know about and some mineral wool blew through. Luckily we noticed right away and the man fitted a barrier and continued. He then filled in the holes with cement. Our house walls are white and the holes looked like little beige spots, not really noticeable except to the purist. Purist hubby went round with a little brush on a stick and painted them white again. We have a built-out bedroom that has walls on three sides. The cavity wall insulation has made a marked difference to the heat retention in the room. It is south facing so warms up during the day, and now the room remains warm for most of the night too.

There are two kinds of 3D TV available currently: active and passive. Active 3D TVs came first in 2010 and Passive TVs came later in 2011. The major perceivable difference is in the technology of the glasses needed to view the 3D image. The Active (shutter) glasses use LCD shutters running on batteries whilst Passive glasses consist of the simpler polarising lens technology similar.

Currently, 3D Technology is linked directly to brand – so in 2011 LG or Vizio 3D TVs use passive technology whilst the biggies Sony, Samsung and Panasonic are going with active technology. Only Toshiba offer both active and passive.

The 3D TVs are similar price in both camps – but the difference is in the price of the glasses – active glasses are pretty expensive and need matching with the set, and do not always come as offers with the set, as passive glasses do. Active glasses, with their batteries are heavier than passive, so passive glasses are lighter and generally more comfortable to wear (and have styles for folks who already wear glasses).

However, there are differences in the viewing experience and there are aficionados in both camps that prefer the 3D experience of one or the other. The viewing experience is very much related to the 3D TV model chosen and is affected by screen size.