General Building

Roger Bisby spends a day out on site with James Gibbens inventor of Cladman. I had seen Cladman featured in Inventors Corner in an issue of Professional Builder and it whetted my appetite. I have done more than my fair share of cladding and weather boarding and for me it has always been a two man job. Nothing wrong with …

A new red brick colour has been created for the Saint-Gobain Weber External Wall Insulation (EWI) system chosen by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) for their property upgrade programme in the Dinnington area. The weber.therm XM EWI system, finished with weber.rend RB Render Brick in the new Georgian Red colour, has been created to accurately match the established red brick …

Stabila has launched a telescopic spirit level, the Telescopic 80T, which offers the right length of level for any job while saving space in the tool bag. With one spirit level to do the work of several, the Stabila Telescopic 80T can be easily extended to the length needed, doing the job of up to three fixed-length levels in one. …

Evo-Stik has added a Fire Retardant Gun Applied Expanding Foam Filler to its range of foams. Said to offer a more accurate and efficient application through the use of a gun, the fire retardant filler can be used for gap filling and insulating to prevent the transmission of smoke and is fire rated to the latest European standard DIN EN …

Build UK, the building contractors association, has released a new industry standard covering the use of different coloured hard hats on construction sites.

Salaries for small building firms are soaring as a result of the growing skills shortage with brickies able to demand the highest wages, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Brickies wages reach £60,000 in London Commenting on the results of the FMB’s State of Trade Survey for Q1 2016, Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “More …

Bostik has launched a new All Weather Wide Jointing Compound for paths and patios, specially formulated for use in wet and dry weather conditions. Suitable for joints from 5mm to 30mm in width, the new jointing compound requires no mixing or special tools during installation; it can simply be brushed and compacted into the joints. Once cured, it forms a …

Made-to-order timber windows and doors from the Kensington & Chelsea range by Lomax + Wood have been designed, manufactured and installed in a private home remodel in Hampstead Garden Suburb (HGS), a designated conservation area. A double storey extension has been added to the rear of the property where there is now a contemporary, open plan kitchen-cum-dining area.  A smart, …

The Building and Allied Trades Joint Industrial Council (BATJIC) has agreed a two year deal involving a 5% pay rise over two years. The announcement follows negotiations between the Federation of Master Builders, on behalf of SME construction employers, and Unite the union, on behalf of operatives. Under the terms of the deal, workers will receive a 2.5% pay rise …

Travis Perkins has revealed the industry’s biggest headaches as part of its pledge to support customers by promoting and encouraging innovation. After speaking to contractors, housebuilders, manufacturers and staff, a number of common industry-wide problems became clear. The UK weather was a shared frustration, with high levels of rain blamed for construction delays, muddy working environments and the reduced effectiveness …

Mumford & Wood Conservation sliding sash windows are now SBD certified to meet Approved Document Q – Security. “To the untrained eye the Conservation sash window looks no different to its predecessor, so much so that even burglars won’t see this until they have struggled with the security features and, of course, timber offers better strength to weight ratios than …

The partial collapse of a school wall in Scotland has led to the closure of 17 other schools in Scotland while urgent checks are carried out.  Thankfully nobody was killed or injured in this incident but it does raise some interesting points; first about the design of these 10 year old buildings and also about the inspection during the build. A …

Labour’s Shadow Minister for Housing and Planning John Healey MP visited a housing development in Aston, Sheffield last month to highlight the importance of local house building companies being able to deliver more new homes. Mr Healey was visiting the Parklands View development in Aston, built by Sheffield-based firm W. Redmile & Sons. The visit was organised by the Federation …

Roger Bisby tries out the Innofix clip from Redland, a useful clip that prevents storm damage by stopping roof tiles from being blown off when it’s windy. Despite the change in the standard BS 5534 Code of Practice for roof slating and tiling there are still a lot of cowboy roofers out there laying interlocking tiles without any fixings.  Nobody …

The Saint-Gobain Weber External Wall Insulation (EWI) system has been selected by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) for a property renovation project of 37 Dorlonco system-built homes in the Rawmarsh area of the town. weber.therm XM EWI with weber.rend RB Render Brick finish has been installed on these hard to treat properties providing greatly improved thermal performance while at the …

Mira Showers – the UK manufacturer of showering products and accessories – has introduced a selection of contemporary colour choices to its popular Flight Safe range of anti-slip shower trays. Aimed at boutique and premium hotels, home-owners and  retail showrooms; Flight Safe now comes in Anthracite Grey, Titanium Grey and Taupe – as well as classic white. The colours are …

This month sees the launch of two new site fire alarms from Bull Products, the specialists in safety and security for construction sites. The Bull Site Siren systems are designed as stand-alone temporary fire alarms on construction sites.  These affordable alarms are fully self-contained and can be used separately as a stand-alone device, linked by cable or linked with a …