Skill Builder's 'Day in the life' feature takes a look at a typical day in the life of different tradespeople. We talk to a plumbing and heating engineer who goes by the name of Gas Man God.

Band of Builders help cancer-stricken Keith Ellick and hopes to ultimately turn the BOB initiative into a charity to support tradespeople in need.

A simple low-tech chimney insulator is applying to become approved by OFGEM and the British Board of Agrement (BBA) following two years of rigorous testing. Chimney Sheep, invented by an ecologist from Cumbria four years ago, has already saved UK homeowners £2.5m off their energy bills and is said to be capable of saving the nation a further £691,500,000 per …

A builder has been sentenced to 250 hours of community service for putting a home owner at risk following renovations to their house in Cardiff. Cardiff Crown Court heard that Brian James was hired to carry out renovations to a bungalow in Cardiff specifically to install new plumbing and heating, including a boiler. Brian James admitted in court that although …

In Snickers’ latest 48 page FREE magazine there’s lots of ideas for what to wear on site this winter. There’s advice on choosing the right Work Trousers and Jackets to suit your trade – RUFFWork, LITEWork, FLEXIWork and ALLROUND workwear. Whatever trade you’re in, Snickers says there’s something precisely for you in its range –Trousers, Jackets, Tool Vests, Shirts, Underwear, …

You could be a winner of a Bosch Blue Power Tool Skill Builder is broadcasting a live recording from Bosch Power Tools at 9pm on Wednesday 2nd November 2016. Roger Bisby is talking power tools with Martin Sibley, Senior Product Manager at Bosch and they will be joined on Skype by Peter Brett, Tool Tester from Tool Business and Hire …

The nation’s first construction pay trends index has revealed that across all construction trades, the highest increase in earnings year-on-year for sub-contractors was within the Roofing industry which experienced 6.1% growth, followed by 4.8% in Plastering and 4.2% in Scaffolding. The index has also shown that Wales has seen the biggest (5.3%) year-on-year increase in earnings amongst self-employed tradesman – …

Would you like an opportunity to test the latest Bosch tools – and then keep them, free of charge? Bosch is looking for professional tradespeople to take part in its #builtwithBosch campaign. Each successful applicant will be given two new power tools to test over a 5 week period. In return, Bosch will ask them to post short film clips …

Performance is a brand-new workwear range from U-Power, said to feature the finest and most comfortable stretch fabrics, designed with U-power’s trademark Italian flair. The range includes the Quick soft shell unlined jacket, which boasts extras such as an internal multimedia pocket with Free Sound technology, a detachable hood engineered with a reflective rain visor, reflective panels for optimum winter …

Ironmongery Direct has launched a campaign to find the ‘Tool Trickster of 2016’. Tradespeople across the UK are invited to show off their best tool tricks, whether that is hammer flips, slick trowel spins, kicks, catches or any other impressive tricks, as long as they are safe. See some examples here: www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/research/tool-trickster-2016/ To be in with a chance of becoming …

Makita has introduced two new 10mm battery powered staplers, which replace existing models, offering a host of new technical features. The new Makita DST112 is powered by the Makita 18v Lithium-Ion battery while the DST111 model is a 14.4v version which will deliver 5,000 shots from the 3.0Ah battery whereas the 18v 3.0Ah version generates 6000 shots. Both new staplers …

The Ford Transit was the best-selling cargo van family globally in 2015, with nearly 400,000 vans registered, according to IHS Markit registration data. Transit is building on a 50-year legacy in Europe. In the past 25 months, Ford has seen its commercial vehicle market share grow from 10.8 per cent to 12.9 per cent in Europe. This makes Ford the …

When fencing and landscape gardening business owner Addam Smith found out his employee Keith Ellick had been diagnosed with terminal cancer he couldn’t stand by and do nothing.

A Durham landlord has been given a suspended prison sentence following his failure to maintain or check the gas fittings in one of his properties.

With more than 1,000 electricity-related accidents reported in the UK every year, a new approach to electrical safety training is needed.

A nationwide search for ground-breaking products designed to solve problems in the construction industry has resulted in the naming of six innovation champions to watch in 2017. The Travis Perkins Innovation Awards (TPIA), pioneered by the Travis Perkins – the UK distributor of building materials – is said to be the first of its kind for industry. The successful winners …

A building contractor has been fined after a worker was killed when a load fell from a tower crane during a lifting operation in Colchester. Urban Summit Construction Ltd was the Principal Contractor on a construction site at King Edward Quay, Haven Road, Colchester, where 780 student accommodation apartments were being built. On 8 January 2014, during a lifting operation …

HSS Hire, the tool and equipment hire company, has launched two new ‘pop-up’ shops at the new £2.5bn Canary Wharf district development site, giving the 470 construction workers on the site instant access to a huge range of tools and equipment. The multibillion pound complex in the Isle of Dogs, has been designed to provide a new residential led, mixed …

An illegal gas work fitter has been prosecuted after he installed a gas boiler and left it in a potentially dangerous state because he did not commission it.

Roger Bisby has a go at laying some Karndean flooring under the watchful eye of Karndean laying master Richard Daniels. It seems to me that once you have seen Karndean flooring and recognised its unique look, you just never stop seeing it. For those that don’t know Karndean is a vinyl flooring product made primarily from calcium carbonate (limestone), polyvinyl …