LED Hut Donates Lighting for DIY SOS The Big Build
6 August 2019
In September 2018 LED Hut donated an array of LED lighting products to a deserving family from Bolton, to be featured on the BBC One series 'DIY SOS:
The Big Build' on Wednesday 27th November 2019. LED Strip Lighting, LED Panels, LED Spotlights and decorative fittings were used as part of a life changing transformation to their home.
The Taylor-Mann family: Custody officer Martin and now full time carer, Heather. Heather cares for their son William (9) who has very severe Autism and daughters Scarlett (8) and Penelope (1.)
Due to the nature and severity of Williams’s condition he is extremely hypersensitive to noise and being in such close proximity to his siblings is often just too much for him to bear. William is unable to talk and cannot communicate this by any other means than crying and becoming distressed. He finds sleeping extremely difficult and is often awake through the night, which is impacting his sisters as he continually disturbs them.
William’s severe condition also means that he is not aware of danger and actively attempts to climb through the upstairs windows, despite Martins and Heather's best attempts at securing the handles. He also turns the taps on in the upstairs bathroom leading to numerous floods in the house; William cannot be left unsupervised upstairs for his own safety and the risk of causing further damage to the house.
The need for the DIY SOS team's help.
Martin started the process of making a third bedroom upstairs with the intention of William having his own room with Scarlett and Penelope sharing. He has cut out a doorway and erected a stud wall, but due to financial constraints and trying to fit the work around his job as well as helping Heather care for William has meant he has been unable to progress further. This means that William has to share a bedroom with eldest daughter Scarlett and leaving Penelope sharing a room with Martin and Heather. William is simply desperate for his own space that is quiet and calming. The Family’s current house is unfit for purpose and a massive strain on the family’s life. DIY SOS invites kind volunteers and generous companies to step up and help this family in need.
The build
The house needed a downstairs extension, under permitted development, with all the bespoke care provision that William and the family will need: separate bedrooms, calm space for William, a social space for the family and the safe proofing the entire ground floor and rear garden.
Switching to LED - Creating a more welcoming, comforting environment?
LED Hut helped the DIY SOS team by offering advice on the correct type of LED lighting to use, LED is far more versatile than fluorescent or incandescent lighting. It also has more health benefits, occupants in homes which are lit using LED's are significantly less likely to experience any effects of sick building syndrome.
Light Sensory Intolerance in Autism.
The most commonly reported visual sensitivities is a sensitivity to bright fluorescent light, colours and certain patterns (especially stripes). The light sensitivity in autism overlaps with the symptoms of Scotopic Sensitivity/Irlen Syndrome (SS/IS). For many autistic children and adults, fluorescent light is very difficult to tolerate because they can see a 60-cycle flicker. Problems with flickering can range from excessive eyestrain to seeing a room pulsate on and off (Grandin 2006) causing some children to feel drowsy when the fluorescent lights are on. To correct the flickering you can upgrade LED lighting systems, which feature constant current drivers that deliver a smooth and regular voltage without the issue of flickering. LED lamps and luminaires are far better equipped for superior light performance and designed with functional buildings in mind. Because LEDs produce directional light, they’re an excellent solution for home environments.
