What Really is the Best Coal for an Open Fire

There are a lot of different coals circulating around nowadays. So when buying coal for an open fire, you could easily get confused as to which of these many coals will give you the best fire, for the best price. What you are looking for is the BEST coal for an open fire. Our aim today is to give you some great information to help you decide what is the best coal for your open fire.

The Different Types of Coals

Firstly lets take a look at all the different types of coals available to you. You have Smokeless coals such as Newflame coal, homefire coals, wildfire coals and many more. But when you are looking at all the different coal types available for use, it is very difficult to look past the smokeless coals. Smokeless coal are by far the most eco friendly. However once you consider the price tag of this almost 'high tech' coal, it can get quite expensive. Another thing you have to consider is the amount of fire and heat you get from the coal itself. When you want a lot of fire and heat, wildfire coals tend to be the best option as they are specifically made for burning in the outdoor environment. This means they can be quite a powerful coal! You do however need to consider the amount of smoke created. Wildfire coals are great for the outdoors but the smoke can become a lot to deal with when burning a fire within a quiet and small location.

So that brings us onto homefire coals. These are a great option when burning a fire inside or in a confined space as they do not:

• Create a lot of smoke
• Become dangerously hot
• Cost a lot of money

These coals are not so great for the outdoor environment as they are known to be a weak flame and do not burn with a lot of heat.

Decision Time

So now we have the job of deciding on the best overall coal to use whilst considering all of the different factors mentioned...

Our final choice and winner goes to wildfire coals. In this day and age not many people burn fires in their homes. The risk of damaging valuable household items is too high and health and safety is a big issue when burning in a confined spaces. This means that a lot of fires are burned outside. Wildfire coals are perfect for these conditions as they can fight off the cold, wind and even the rain to keep burning for a long period of time.

So in our opinion the best coal for an open fire is wildfire coal as it is relatively low cost, will burn for a long time and with it being a very popular coal, there is a lot of it available.

Http://www.swannscoalsupplies.co.uk/

The Connexion – Legal Notes

We moved to France in 2000 and for various reasons we put the house in my sole name. Does this mean that if I predecease my husband, he will not be able to inherit the house? We have nothing else, other than the cars and household possessions. Our English wills state that in either of us dies, the other inherits, then the property goes to be divided between our four children.

E.F.

In responding to your question I am assuming that you were born in England and that all four children are common to your marriage. I hope these assumptions are correct…

As you moved to France permanently in 2000, all of the assets you have mentioned will be subject to French inheritance law if you remain in France and are “habitually resident” in France on your death.

Under French law children are reserved heirs and in the event of your death your four children will be automatically entitled to inherit ¾ of the house in equal shares. Your husband would inherit the remaining ¼ or could choose to take what is called a “life interest”.

A life interest means that in the event of your death your husband could continue to live at the house for the rest of his life and your children would not be able to insist on him moving out of the property so the house could be sold.

However, if your husband survives you and then wants to sell the house and return to the UK, he would only be entitled to receive ¼ of the sale proceeds and your children would be entitled to claim the rest.

If the above is of concern to you and you would prefer to protect your husband by ensuring that if you die first, he will inherit the house entirely, you have two choices:

Provided you do not die before 17 August 2015 – you can put in place a French Will now electing for the law of your nationality (i.e. English law) to apply to your worldwide estate on your death and name your husband as sole beneficiary of your estate.

Alternatively, you could adopt the French marriage regime of Universal Community which will place all assets owned by you and your husband into a community pot and all such assets would then be inherited by the surviving spouse on the first death.

I suggest you arrange an appointment with your local notary to discuss these options and to get details of the fees payable for each option.

Barbara Heslop

11 May 2015

THE CONNEXION – LEGAL NOTES – FEB 2015

QUESTION

As regards recent Connexion articles on changes to inheritance law (to begin this year), am I correct in assuming that the changes would not affect a couple like ourselves who spend less than half of the year in our French home and have no intention of becoming French residents? We have a "tontine" clause in the title deeds which should protect the position of the surviving partner but when the surviving partner dies I assume French law will still apply? This should not cause us a problem as things stand at present as we would want our children to inherit jointly.

R.B.

ANSWER

Given that you are UK resident and that your French property is just a holiday home, I confirm it is our current understanding that the EU Succession Regulation will not change how your French estate will be dealt with on the death of the first of you.

The tontine clause will certainly protect the survivor of you as this will result in the survivor being deemed to have been the sole owner of the property from the original date of acquisition and the survivor will have full ownership and control of the property.

This will, in due course, on the death of the survivor of you ensure your children (assuming they are children who are common to your marriage) ultimately inherit the property in equal shares.

The formalities on the first death are also simpler as there is no formal requirement for a Declaration of ownership (une Attestation Immobilière) to be drawn up and lodged with the French Land Registry. This saves time and money! It is still necessary however for a French Tax Declaration to be prepared by a French notary and lodged with the French Tax Authority even if there is no inheritance tax payable which would be the case if the property is owned by you as a married couple.

Just one note of caution however – please do check that your French title deed (l’acte de vente) does indeed contain a tontine provision as in the past we have had clients who came to us telling us they had asked for it to be included in their purchase deed but when we examined the deed there was no such provision and the clients simply owned “en indivision” which equates to owning as tenants in common under English & Welsh law.

The tontine provision will sometimes be identifiable in the title deed under the heading

“Pacte tontinier” however more often there is no actual reference to the word “tontine” and the clause is included by reference to the following words “une clause d’accroissement”.

Barbara Heslop

Heslop& Platt

15 January 2015

Importance of Fire Safety in Your Home

The temperatures are at an all-time low yet again. Your house feels unpleasantly cold, not to mention uninhabitable. So to keep it warmer and liveable again, you turn on your stove and the heat gets cracked up. Many people are oblivious to the dangers they expose themselves and their homes to when the fireplace, heater and stove are on full blast. To be safe, it’s important that you maintain fire safety. You cannot overstate the importance of fire protection in a home.

To protect you (your loved ones) and your home from fire, you need to employ the use of tools and devices that will keep you safe in case of a fire. These tools and devices help keep everything and everyone protected at all times from any fire incidents particularly at that time of the year when the temperatures start to drop drastically. Here are the crucial things you need for fire protection in your home [and even business place].

#1: Smoke detectors – There is no finer way of protecting your home or business entity from fast flaming fires than having a smoke alarm installed. See that “little smoke” that is often given off by a fast flaming fire, smoke alarms can quickly detect the smoke particles inside them and in turn sound the alarm. Every room that someone sleeps in should have at least one of these devices installed. Ensure the smoke detectors are placed on the ceiling or just below the ceiling.

#2: Carbon monoxide alarms – For better fire protection, you should as well consider having a carbon monoxide alarm installed in your home or business place. It’s impossible to detect gas leakage on your own, and that’s quite frightening. That’s why you should have at least one carbon monoxide detector installed in your home. It is essential since gas leakages often lead to fires, and when that happens, the results are never too good to write home about.

The best area in your home to have the detector is near a room with a stove or fireplace (that should be in the kitchen or living room). Even areas in your home with a water heater are a better place to have one installed. Put simply, you should have a carbon monoxide detector near appliances/areas that might/could emit the dangerous fumes.

#3: Fire extinguishers – No home should miss having a fire extinguisher. They are well-suited for small, localised fires like those that occur on stovetops or in trash cans. While fire extinguishers are handy and necessary in every home, they are not for meant for fast flaming fires. A fire that’s spreading quickly requires some extra help.

You don’t need to have many extinguishers in your home, only one in every room where a fire may occur is enough. For better fire protection, it’s necessary to have these tools and devices in your home or business place.

Why is Security Printing Important?

Security Printing refers to the aspect of the printing industry which deals with printing of highly important items such as cheques, banknotes, tamper-evident labels, passports, stock certificates, product authentication, identity cards, postage stamps and tickets. For instance, the primary goal involved in security ticket printing is to make sure that tampering, forgery, and counterfeiting is prevented.

Recently, several techniques have been used in order to provide protection to these types of documents. These techniques have become available to reliable bespoke printers whether they are using the newer and the latest digital platforms or the traditional flexographic and offset presses. Businesses are protecting their documents by using certain features, which can provide the assurance that these items cannot be forged or that there is no alteration of data, which are not detected.

Security Printing – The Modern Methods

There are different types of features that are implemented by bespoke printers in order to make sure that everything is done accurately and securely. One is by using a special type of paper. In the case of security ticket printing, the clients can choose the type of paper to be used. In some cases, watermarks can also be used. A watermark refers to a recognisable pattern or image in paper which is either lighter or darker as compared to the rest of the surrounding paper when they are viewed using a light coming from behind the paper.

Micro printing is another technique in security printing, which involves using extremely small text. This is generally used in printing bank checks and currencies. As a matter of fact, the text is small enough to be seen by the naked eye. Holograms may also be embedded using either hot-stamping foil or a plastic substrate or by directly embossing a holographic paper to the laminate. Others also use magnetic ink; however this is mostly applicable to banking.

On the other hand, for other types of printing which still needs attention and protection, security ticket printing is very important. For instance, if you are an organisation or perhaps a representative of your school, and you need tickets for an upcoming event, you surely would not want your potential audience to create duplicates of your tickets without your permission, right? This type of act will not just compromise your ticket sales, but also the integrity of the entire event, and, of course, your organisation.

In order to avoid this thing from happening, it is very important to deal with reliable and trustworthy bespoke printers who can help you with the process. They are equipped with the best tools and equipment to perform security printing. With such option, you can have an assurance that you have high quality and secured tickets as an output.

How to Test Emergency Lighting and Exit Signs

What is emergency lighting?

Emergency lights are simple lighting devices that contain a small battery, which are connected to the buildings electrical supply. The electrical supply provides a constant charge to the battery, allowing back-up power to be stored, should a power outage occur. In the event of an outage, the emergency lights are triggered to supply enough light for occupants to vacate the building. Most emergency lights have an internal battery life of the required minimum of thirty minutes, but some last much longer. This is particularly useful for large buildings.

Exit signs work similarly to emergency lighting, but stay on all the time. Because of this, they usually operate on two bulbs; one operating from the buildings power supply and one that operates from the internal battery. It is important to check exit signs even if they seem to be working properly, as the emergency bulb may have burnt out or the internal battery may fail.

How often should I test my lighting?

This depends entirely on what type of system your emergency lighting is running on, but the fire code requires at least one test each month of 30 seconds, and an annual test of 30 minutes.

Daily

If your emergency lighting runs on a central back-up system, daily checks are recommended. This means all your lights are powered by a singular back-up battery or generator. These checks shouldn't be too time-consuming, but a quick check of the visual indicators displayed on your central power supply will ensure there are no issues in the instance of an emergency. You do not need to inspect the lights themselves, as this can be done as part of the monthly inspections.

Monthly

For all emergency lighting systems (including central back-up) a monthly inspection is required. This inspection must be long enough to ensure that all lights are working for at least 30 seconds. The reason for this being that faulty lights may still have enough life in them to operate for a few seconds, only to cut out soon afterwards. 30 seconds is the minimum required testing time, so if it takes you longer to walk around the building and check all lights are present, clean and functioning properly that's fine.

Annually

An annual check testing the emergency lights' full battery life is required. In most models this is 30 minutes, but the test should be extended if your lights are expected to last longer. As with the monthly checks, each light should be inspected individually to ensure there are no faults. They should be left to run for the amount of time the battery is expected to. This inspection should be should be carried out at a time of the year that is considered low-risk, such as before the Christmas break, as the batteries will then need time to fully recharge.

How do I actually test my lights?

There are two methods for testing your emergency lights system: manually and automatically. Manually requires a forced power outage to the lights, followed by inspection. This can be done by switching off the main circuit breaker supplying power to the lights. Then checking them individually, or by using the “test” button somewhere on each light's casing. Not all models include a test button, but these can be ideal for the monthly checks of 30 seconds, especially if you only have a small number of lights. For larger numbers, and for the longer annual inspections, switching the main power off is recommended. If you have trouble locating the switches/buttons, contact your electrician, or supplier of the lighting system.

Alternatively, some systems have automatic testing built in. These will conform to the standards required by the fire code. They will also save you time having to turn off the power supply or press the buttons manually. The lights should still be inspected manually though.

Regardless of the method of testing, written records documenting the inspections must be maintained, and any faults should be repaired immediately.

What are the benefits of using letting agents?

 A letting agent works with the landlord in their efforts to rent a property. Similarly to private and public estate agents, a letting agent handles everything from advertising the property to collecting rent and can be a valuable asset to successful property management. There are many benefits, for both the landlord and the tenant, to working with a letting agent and these advantages should definitely be considered when deciding whether or not to retain one.

Types of letting agents:

 Depending on the rental, a letting agent's duties can be specified to fit the needs of the property. Some letting agents are assigned to only overseeing the renting of the property, while other letting agents are responsible for prolonged, managed services. For renting of the property only, a letting agent will advertise the space, give tours to possible tenants and secure any necessary paperwork and/or security deposits. The landlord will be charged a processing fee for the letting agent's services and once the property is rented, all future business will be between the landlord and tenant.

 Letting agents retained for property management services will have a variety of extended tasks. Beyond securing a renter, all tenant concerns, general maintenance and upkeep of the property will be functions designated to the letting agent. Many times in these scenarios, the landlord and tenant will never deal directly with one another as all business will go through the letting agent.

Benefits of letting agents:

 Whether they are short or long term acquaintances, letting agents offer a great number of benefits. The most palpable advantage to using a letting agent is their expertise. First and for most, they are professionals with a vast amount of resources. Advertising with the aid of a letting agent subjects the property to a much larger audience and a much wider network. They can give the landlord details about the local market, offer tips on peaking consumer interest and act as negotiators when discussing prices.

 Convenience is yet another major plus to using a letting agent. Particularly for a landlord with multiple properties, showing every space may not be an option. A local letting agent can make the process of scheduling showings and meeting with possible tenants much easier. Being familiar with the area also allows letting agents to provide background on the property's location and highlight local amenities to possible tenants, giving their tour a more personal touch.

 Furthermore, the use of a letting agent adds a sense of organization and increased accountability. For a tenant, having access to a professional and well-informed property attendant is vital, especially if the landlord doesn't live nearby. When a letting agent is retained as extended management, they assist with maintaining the grounds, dealing with tenant problems and overseeing the general care of the property. For a landlord that lives out of town, hiring a letting agent to ensure that all details are addressed in a timely fashion is a smart way to stay responsive to tenant and property needs.

 A letting agent is a savvy way to assist with securing a renter and supervising a property. With the right upkeep and the right tenant, landlords can protect their property while creating a comfortable space for their tenant.