Blog

Roger’s Doomsday Rant

Climate Change

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.

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The Pros and Cons of Dormer Lofts

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.

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Challenges of Coronavirus – 5 Steps to Take Today

Covid-19

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 …

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HB42 ‘All-in-One’ Sealant & Adhesive

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 …

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Look After Your Hearing – With Proper Protection

Ear 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 …

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Has Building Control Lost Control?

Roger's Rant - Building Control out of 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.

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Retired Teacher Opens the Door on Shared Ownership

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 …

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How Improvements in Clothing Technology Help Protect Us From Enduring Harsh Weather Conditions

Two male athlete running on winter alley in Park

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, …

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Theft Awareness for Trades

Theft awareness for tradesmen

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 …

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Is Off-site Construction the Future?

Is Off-site Construction the Future of Construction

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 …

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5 Ways Builders Can Boost Their Online Presence

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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