It is often considered weak to say that you are unsure or don’t know, but anyone who says they are certain that man-made CO2 is or isn’t causing temperatures to rise is guilty of closing their mind to other possibilities.
Read More »First-Time Buyers Guide: Top 10 Tips
First-time buyers can find the home purchasing process an exciting and daunting experience. This is our guide to getting it right and avoiding the pitfalls.
Read More »How to Repair and Maintain Your Flat Roof
Flat roofs are often made from felt or asphalt and insurers may have doubts about their durability compared to tiled, slate or EPDM roofs.
Read More »The Pros and Cons of Dormer Lofts
With all the uncertainty surrounding property prices at the moment, there are many people who want to move to a larger home but do not want to take the risk of having to sell their existing home at a lower price.
Read More »Home Electrical Checks to do Before Buying a Home
When looking for a house, we tend to get all sentimental and visualize how we will create a cosy new dwelling for ourselves. However, it’s more important to take a practical approach to buying a home.
Read More »Do You Need Planning Permission or Are Your Permitted Development Rights Enough?
Planning permission or Permitted Development Rights for extensions or conservatories in the UK might not need planning permission.
Read More »Challenges of Coronavirus – 5 Steps to Take Today
If your business is dealing with the unprecedented challenges of Coronavirus, there is a range of government support and advice to help you through. Here are 5 key steps you can take today: 1. Get help with your finances For small and medium-sized businesses, the new Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme is now available for applications. For more information and …
Read More »HB42 ‘All-in-One’ Sealant & Adhesive
Roger Bisby thinks he knows why, historically, we had so little faith in adhesives and why it has now changed. During my many years in the building industry, there has been a long and steady improvement in adhesives but I don’t think I am alone in thinking that for much of that time the promises and claims made by manufacturers …
Read More »Look After Your Hearing – With Proper Protection
Peter Dumigan, managing director of the Hultafors Group UK, owners of Snickers Workwear, Solid Gear Safety Footwear and Hellberg Safety PPE writes: Long term damage to your hearing can be caused by the noise from regular daily use of even the most basic hand tools – drills, angle grinders, disc cutters, circular saws, even hammers – if you don’t wear …
Read More »Has Building Control Lost Control?
One less noticeable privatisation was Building Control. It didn’t grab the headlines like gas or water and there was no bonanza for those lucky enough to buy shares in what was essentially a lottery.
Read More »Is There No Such Thing as Rising Damp?
The anti-rising damp brigade is lead by a couple of gurus, who tell us there's no such thing as rising damp, are deaf to any argument but their own.
Read More »Retired Teacher Opens the Door on Shared Ownership
Of the 600 homes which the council is delivering in the next five years, 20% will be for shared ownership. In the first such scheme run by City of York Council, 17 homes have already been sold and 40 more applicants are in the process of buying a share. A retired York teacher who has bought a half share in …
Read More »How Improvements in Clothing Technology Help Protect Us From Enduring Harsh Weather Conditions
When the most recent polar vortex hit the United States, you may have noticed that many people—but not all—stopped working. There were a significant number of workers braving the brutal cold, working in -50F to keep public roads clear and de-ice airport runways. It seems incredible that someone could work efficiently in such extreme weather conditions, let alone survive. Yet, …
Read More »Theft Awareness for Trades
Crime in the UK is on the rise, particularly when it comes to theft. Work vans are often a target for thieves, containing high-value items that can be easily accessed if not properly secured. Certain areas in the UK have become more notorious for theft, with London, Sheffield, and Birmingham securing the top spots. Over 70 per cent of workers …
Read More »4 Ways to Attract More Women into the Construction Sector
Women are shockingly under-represented in the construction sector. Currently, only 3% of manual trades, 5% of engineering, 8% of haulage and 12% of construction roles are filled by women.
Read More »Ugly Monocouche Render Stains – Roger’s Rant
Time for another one of Roger’s Rants. He has seen too many stained Monocouche renders and wants to share his thoughts.
Read More »Is Off-site Construction the Future?
What is off-site construction? Off-site construction is the completion of elements or components for a structure at another location in a factory environment. Sometimes these components are assembled before being delivered to site. The off-site construction factories can either be permanent factories or ‘flying’ factories. ‘Flying’ factories are temporary facilities set up for a specific project and then moved once …
Read More »The Modern Slavery Act – What You Need to Know
You’ve probably heard of the Modern Slavery Act but you might be unsure about whether or not it affects your organisation.
Read More »Peugeot on a Mission to End Reversing Accidents with Surround Rear Vision
Team Skill Builder represent the trades and go head-to-head and reverse around a challenging obstacle course using the Peugeot Partner van with Surround Rear Vision.
Read More »5 Ways Builders Can Boost Their Online Presence
Caroline Pegden from TempaGoGo, an online temporary recruitment marketplace helping construction companies and builders find temporary staff easily, describes five ways builders can boost their visibility online. What distinguishes the construction sector from other UK industries? Its sheer number of workers who are self-employed. According to a 2018 Briefing Paper from the House of Commons, self-employed jobs in construction account for …
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