African Security Dogs
As a continent, Africa is home to so many different types of terrain. The area has mountains, deserts, plains, and more. As a result, the many African dog breeds are uniquely suited to the countries that they come from. Some dogs have no hair to stay cool in the hear. They are tan in color to blend into the surroundings. Some have long legs to hunt gazelles.
Many of the world's oldest dogs come from Africa, with one breed believed to be from 7000 BC. Ancient versions of today's modern dogs were even used by pharaohs in Egypt as companions and hunting dogs. That's the big thing with breeds from African countries — they are pretty much all hunting dogs or guard dogs to keep owners safe from lions and hyenas, rid of rodents, and stocked with food from their hunts. This differs from say, Chinese dog breeds, which were often used as sleeve warmers or companions for royals versus working, hunting dogs.
Throughout history, the idea of domesticating a dog has always been associated with protection. Even in modern times, dogs are still in the upfront when it comes to guarding their owners against unwanted people and animals. However, there are specific breeds that are favored for the sole purpose of offering protection due to their unique characteristics. The best guard dogs bear a unique type of temperament and physical strength that is needed to ward off intruders.
A guard dog is a brilliant addition to any establishment. The presence of these dogs reduces any chances of any burglary activity. The best guard dogs require experts in dog training to help heighten their guarding skills. More so, when buying a guard dog for a home environment, homeowners have to train them for a smooth transitioning into their homes.
Which is the best guard dog? The question of who is the best guard dog in the world depends on the preference of the owner. However, dog experts consider the Bullmastiff, Rottweiler, German Shepherd, and Doberman dogs as the best guard dogs in the world.
What is the best guard dog for a family? Dogs are considered man’s best companions due to their loving nature towards their owners. Do dogs really protect their owners? Yes, guard dogs are really protective of their owners. The guard dogs mentioned above are among the best guard dogs breeds in the world and particularly in Africa.
Living in a thatched House
Advantages of living in a thatched House
Most thatched homes tend to be very old and this often means that they have large gardens and are built in excellent locations. The reason for this is that, due to their age, there were many good places to choose to build such properties. Often thatched properties are found near to a natural water supply and are on sheltered, slightly sloping land which gives good drainage and, thus, reduces problems with damp.
The thick straw or reed roofing provides excellent natural soundproofing from overhead aircraft as well as road traffic nearby. Likewise, it gives great insulation meaning that the thatched home remains cool in summer but warm in winter, helping to keep fuel costs low. The smaller windows that are normally to be found on such a property also contribute towards this insulating effect.
Due to their age, thatched houses usually have very thick, solid walls which are advantageous over modern cavity filled walls. In summer the heat from the outside travels very slowly to the inside ensuring that the temperature within remains cool.
The weatherproof thatch on the roof can withstand very strong, even gale force, winds and is very rarely prone to leaking. Leaks are usually caused by one of the wooden spars that are used in the ridge becoming broken and sometimes, after a spell of dry, warm weather the thatch may open slightly and then leak when it rains, however this is self-healing as the thatch will close again naturally.
Disadvantages of living in a thatched House
Due to their age and sometimes remote locations, not all thatched properties will be connected to a mains water or sewerage supply. Instead, water may be drawn from a nearby private or shared well, and either a cesspit or septic tank may be used for sewerage. Cesspits need frequent emptying, therefore a septic tank is preferable as they do not require as much attention as long as they are well below the ground level of the house and have good draining soil surrounding them. Also as a consequence of their remote location, thatched homes may not have any nearby street lighting and it may be necessary to install outside lights on the property.
Due to the old, solid walls and base and the lack of any damp proofing in such properties, the interior walls may suffer from damp caused by moisture rising from ground level.
In wet weather rain tends to cascade down the roof and falls in a constant stream around the entire perimeter of the house (it is unusual to find guttering on a thatched house) which continues for a time even after the rain has ceased. The rain splashing on to the ground can be the cause of mud spots forming on the exterior of the house and may cause green mould growth too. However, this is easily remedied by cleaning with a bleach solution.
The materials used in the thatch mean that the roof is at threat of attacks by birds that are nesting or are looking for insects. Holes may appear in the thatch and should be repaired as soon as possible as, left unrepaired, the birds will concentrate on these areas and the holes will become much larger. Most bird damage to roofs tends to be under the eaves or at the junction of the chimney and the roof. Some roofs have wire netting in these places to prevent this occurring, whilst others are completely covered by wire netting. Unfortunately, roofs that are totally covered by wire netting are often subject to higher insurance premiums as there will be the added difficulty of pulling the wire netting off in the event of a fire. This will delay the fire from being extinguished and result in more widespread fire damage.
Although thatched properties are no more likely to catch fire than regular homes, when a fire does break out the damage will be much more significant as fire spreads more rapidly in thatch. For this reason, insurance premiums will be higher. However as mentioned earlier, if you ask us at Highhouse insurance to quote for your thatched property , we will do our best to save you money.
It can be seen that whilst there are disadvantages of living in a thatched house, these are relatively minor and the advantages of living in such a charming and unique home may outweigh them.
Choosing Brick Wallpaper
Factors to Consider When Choosing Brick Wallpaper
Here are some few things you to need to pay attention to when selecting brick wallpaper for your interior design:
The very first thing that you will need to consider when selecting brick wallpapers for your interior design is your space. Depending on your preferences, you will need to go for the right wall so that your rooms can pop to their full potential. It is critical for you to consider the space so as to select the best possible location for your brick wallpaper application. This will help you tie the room together seamlessly.
Speaking of your space, another important thing that you need to consider is the layout of the room. If your room has a shape similar to that of a cone-head, it will be hard to erect a brick wallpaper. In addition to this, you should also take into consideration other pieces of art that might consume all space required for your wallpaper. In simple terms, if you are only able to see 15% of your brick wallpaper, is it worth having it on your wall?
- What do you want to make standout
What do you want to achieve with your brick wallpaper interior design? Brick style wallpaper can be installed in a dining room so as to highlight a china filled armoire or wooden table. In your living, you can apply brick effect wallpaper so as to emphasize the look of your leather sofa and other décor pieces you have. Additionally, you could also install brick wallpaper so as to boost the look of your office or fireplace, at home.
To get the best possible appeal out of a brick wallpaper design, ensure that you install it on surfaces that are undisturbed by doors or windows. Also, note that different rooms require a different wallpaper design and style. For instance, a brick wallpaper bedroom design should be moisture-resistant while a kitchen wallpaper ought to be stainless and washable.
Brick Wallpaper
Benefits of Brick Wallpaper
There are numerous benefits that a brick wallpaper will have over a normal brick wall. A modern brick wallpaper is a fascinating alternative, which offers a similar emotional and physical connection. It can be referred to a transformational tool and a great step in interior design. Furthermore, with a contemporary brick wallpaper, the installation process is quite quick and easy. Due to this, you can end up saving a lot of labor and maintenance costs, plus other important resources.
Here are some other great advantages of having a brick wallpaper over any other kind of wall decoration.
- Brick Wallpaper is Durable
Brick wallpaper is quite long lasting and can also withstand conditions in high traffic areas, and wear and tear from kids. While it might require some extra knowledge to apply perfectly, a good brick wallpaper is made to last for over 10 years.
- It is Perfect for Hiding Imperfections
In case you want to hide imperfections in your wall such as when it is cracked, uneven, or damaged, brick wallpaper can be of great benefit to you. Brick wallpaper is able to go several steps further than any other wallpaper due to its great ability to disguise flaws. Therefore, erecting a brick wallpaper can consume lesser time and resources than having to fix all imperfections on your wall.
Brick Wallpaper
Why Brick Wallpaper
Before we look at anything else in regards to brick wallpaper, let us first have a look at why you should use these kinds of wallpapers in the first place. A brick wallpaper features a transforming texture, a structured charm, and effortless elegance. These factors make brick wallpapers alluring and timeless, some good reasons why you should use brick wallpaper.
Burnt-clay bricks
Burnt-clay bricks have good resistance to moisture, insects and erosion and create a good room environment. They are medium in cost and have medium-to-high compressive strength.
Bricks can be made with sophisticated factory methods, simple labour-intensive methods or a range of mechanized technologies in between. The labour-intensive production methods are most suitable for rural areas where the demand for bricks is limited. The bricks produced by hand will have relatively lower quality, especially compressive strength, and will tend to have irregular dimensions. However, they are economical and require little capital investment or transportation cost. Bricks made in this manner have been used in buildings which have lasted for centuries. Their longevity has depended on the quality of the ingredients, the skill of the artisans and the climate in which they were used.
Brick Making
Four main ingredients are required for brick making: suitable clay and sand, water, fuel and manpower. The clay must be easily available, be plastic when mixed with small amounts of water, develop strength upon drying and develop hard and durable use-strength when burned.
Suitable soils contain 25 to 50% clay and silt and 50 to 75% coarser material as determined by the simple sedimentation test. The soil must be well graded. Another test consists of rolling out by hand on a flat surface a long cylinder with a 10mm diameter from moistened soil and then picking it up by one end and letting it hang unsupported. A soil is adequate for brick making if the piece of cylinder that breaks off is between 50 and 150mm long. In the bar shrinkage test, using a mould 300mm long and 5Omm wide and deep, a suitable soil should show no cracking or only a little on the surface and shrink less than 7%, i.e., less than 20mm.
The clay is obtained by chipping it out of a clay bank and when necessary, mixing it with sand to a mixture that will not crack during drying. Water is gradually added to make the clay plastic.
In making bricks, the mould must be cleaned periodically with water. Before each brick is formed, the mould is sprinkled with sand. A lump or clot of clay just slightly larger than required for a brick is rolled into a wedge shape and then in sand before it is thrown, point down, into the mould. Thrown correctly, the mould will be completely filled and the excess clay is then shaved off the top with a bowcutter. The sand in the mould and on the clot helps release the newly formed brick.
The bricks should be left to dry for about three days in the place where they were made. They will then be strong enough to be stacked, as shown in Figure 3.17, for at least one week of further drying. Clay tends to become lighter in colour when dry and, when sufficiently dried, the brick, upon being broken in half, will show no color differential throughout the section area. During drying the bricks should be protected from rain.