Mould in the tack room

Mould in the tack roomWhich thoughts cross your mind when you think about horse riding? In my mind I see little girls who dream about winning ribbons in equestrian tournaments, or I picture Europe’s royalty wearing ridiculously huge hats and feverishly watching the world-famous horse race at Ascot, or I even think of the lonesome cowboy from a renowned cigarette commercial galloping through the American prairie… Despite – or probably because of all these clichés about it, the popularity of horse riding as a hobby doesn’t seem to wear off… But one thing is sure: horse riding is, without doubt, quite a time-consuming and costly hobby.

One of the most important pieces of equipment a rider needs is a saddle. But don’t let yourself be fooled… Finding the right saddle for your horse and your specific discipline seems like an almost impossible task to me. After an extensive research on the internet, it becomes obvious that you can easily spend a small fortune on a saddle made from the finest leather and decorated with fancy silver clasps and ornaments which are typical for a western style saddle for example.

But these valuable saddles are often stored in draughty, unheated and easily accessible tack rooms where not only thieves have a walk-over but also moisture and mould. Musty smells and mould spots are a sure sign for too much humidity in the ambient air. All the metal pieces of a saddle can start to rust with a relative humidity of only 60 %, and when the relative humidity tops 70 %, mould begins to form on your saddle. Yet when the relative humidity is too low, the leather of your saddle can become brittle and chapped.
Read More

Damp basement? Moist walls? How to ventilate during summer

How to ventilate during summerMost of the time people don’t give much thoughts about how to air their house or apartment. During the cold and frosty months of winter at least you mind to keep the doors and windows closed to keep the valuable and costly heating energy inside the house, don’t you? But as soon as the temperature rises again no one really cares anymore… Because if it is warm outside I can open up all windows and doors to let fresh air into my apartment, so there is no problem anymore with damp basements or moist walls, right? Read More

Air Conditioning: Customized Solutions For Unusual Fields Of Application

The Microsoft Developer BusAs a company with years of experience in the fields of climate conditioning and measurement technology, we are always anxious to find the ideal solutions for our customers to meet their individual needs. Sometimes there are special situations concerning the supply of air conditioning solutions which cannot be solved with a standard offer. Special situations often require specialized solutions. With their unique know-how and experience our technicians always try to satisfy the need of the customers even under difficult circumstances and in unusual application areas.

Air conditioners for an old rebuilt sightseeing bus? Last week we rose to this challenge… Read More

Easy Rider: Spring Check For Your Motorcycle

Measuring Tyre Pressure On A MotorcycleHesitantly the first sunbeams warm us up and as the days grow longer you can really feel that spring is in the air… This is the time when bikers start becoming restless and yearn to climb onto their motorcycles to feel the freedom of the road in good ol’ Easy Rider style. But after a long and frosty winter you need to check your bike thoroughly before you can finally hit the road.

The best way to start is to clean your bike conscientiously to discover any damage like rust stains or leaks. When you’re done with cleaning, you should definitely check some technical details of your motorbike. This includes inspecting the battery, the oil level and the lighting, as well as a check-up of the brakes and brake linings. The tyres deserve closer attention: if you don’t ride your vehicle during the winter, it is wise to unload some of the weight off the tyres to guarantee that the tyres don’t bulge and still run smoothly. You should also make sure that there are no porous spots or cuts which could lessen your driving safety. The tread depth is another factor which is mainly responsible for the safety of your motorbike. A minimum depth of 1mm is required for motorcycles by law but the AA recommends a tread depth of at least 2mm so that you are prepared in case of wet roads for example.

And last but not least: the tyre pressure! Read More

The Comeback Of Genuine Wooden Furniture

Wooden Dining-Room TableIf you start thinking way back you can certainly remember the old, dark and bulky wooden furniture which dominated lots of the living rooms of the generation of our grandparents or even parents. Usually they were used to accommodate the exclusive china set, the crystal glasses or the sterling cutlery. Unfortunately, these pieces of furniture often turned the living-room into a dark and rather unwelcoming place and the younger generation just thought they were hideous!

Especially after the second world war, during the time of the economic boom such heavy wooden furniture was very popular. It satisfied the need for security, tradition and coziness. Besides, it was a way to express the pride of having overcome the time of austerity after the war. Nevertheless, roughly since the 1990s, there emerged a counterculture which supported interior trends determined by a lot of glass, chrome and straight-lined design. Furniture made of natural materials like wood, cork or felt were labeled as old-fashioned and unhip.

However, during the last couple of years a new movement has started which implies more naturalness and comfort concerning furniture and interior trends. This new interior concept was also presented at the international furnishing show, IMM Cologne, which took place in January 2011. Due to the climate change people tend to once again set a high value on the use of ecological materials that are not treated with toxic paint or other surface coatings. The new interior trends 2011 have melodic names like “Emotional Austerity” or “Re-Balancing” and they all focus on sustainable and natural materials, modern design and state-of-the-art technology.

Long gone are the times in which you would be embarrassed to own those pieces of wooden furniture and you felt the need to hide them! Read More