Makita has launched two new 18v Brushless motor LXT drills: the Makita DDF483 13mm drill driver and the Makita DHP483 combi drill.  Both new products are notable for their compact size: the drill driver has an overall body length of 162mm and the combi drill has a  176mm overall length. Both are ideally suited for tight space installation work, such …

With the Skill Builder website and YouTube channel going from strength to strength the team is really excited about the next step in the Skill Builder adventure – the launch of  Skill Builder Live which is a series of live streamed tool reviews. Through Skill Builder Live we will be bringing you product tests and evaluations from sites around the …

The new Makita Dust Extractor, the VC3012M M-Class Dust Extractor removes 99.9% of dust with Limit Value for occupational exposure >0.1mg/m³.  This means that the Makita dust extractor achieves performance levels better than the minimum legal limit for dust extraction when working with hazardous materials including silica sand in brick, masonry, concrete, gypsum and wood dusts and plastic composites. The …

Two scaffolders from St Austell, Cornwall have received suspended prison sentences after a worker fell 7m to his death. Roger Stoddern, 47 (pictured), was dismantling scaffolding on 24 June 2013, when he fell from a flat roof of a property in St Mawes. He was taken to Derriford Hospital but died three weeks later due to the severity of his …

A Surrey construction company has been fined after a contractor was run over on a large site in Wokingham. David Cole was a site foreman on the large housing development project, which started in April 2013 and has a completion date of April 2017. He was struck by and pulled under a large bulk powder carrier. On 7 December 2014 …

Makita has introduced a new operating mode with the launch of its latest 18v Brushless motor impact driver. The new Makita DTD170 impact driver is technically a 6-function impact driver, with four speeds and matched impact power. T-Mode is used for tightening self-drilling Tek screws and when in the new A-Mode (Assist mode) rotation is started slowly allowing maximum control …

Two thirds of SME house builders are struggling to find land for development, according to new research from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). For the second year in a row, the FMB’s annual House Builders’ Survey has shown a lack of available and viable land as the biggest barrier to SMEs delivering more new homes. Two-thirds of SME house …

An unregistered gas fitter has been ordered to complete 250 hours of community service for illegally installing a LPG gas boiler and hob at a Newquay home as well as producing fraudulent documentation. Dean Marshall, aged 47, of Dukes Way, Newquay, installed the gas boiler and gas hob at a property on Chynowen Lane, Newquay several years after his registration …

Saint Gobain promises that as well as being rain resistant, webermineral TF, a through-coloured, thin coat, decorative render finish, designed for use with multi-coat render systems can be applied at temperatures as low as 1°C. The cementitious, even textured render has rapid drying benefits that can prevent wash-off in 1 hour making it good for winter working and achieves a …

High performance, made-to-order wooden windows and doors have been specified by a leading London-based property developer who has  chosen Lomax + Wood for their most recent project in Wimbledon, South West London. The four-storey, period style private residence, which includes a converted basement and contemporary light wells, is built of brick with lavish use of stone to back and front …

Ian Anfield, managing director for construction audit, contract and payroll provider, Hudson Contract, comments on recent talk of a recession in light of the Brexit vote and  considers the state of the construction industry post-Brexit. “Whether we’re entering a recession or not is a big talking point at the moment. Certainly, we at Hudson Contract have seen that the number …

Origin has introduced the Origin Residential Door available in the UK to trade from 1st September 2016, or consumers from 1st October 2016. The Origin Residential Door can be used as a front or garage door for an integrated front of house look. Manufactured with a high-grade aluminium, there are 35 panel choices on offer, available in over 150 different RAL …

Snickers thinks so which is why performance and comfort are integral features of the company’s new water-resistant, padded jacket Top athletes have long enjoyed the benefits of performance wear – so Snickers thinks its about time tradespeople can too. Snickers Workwear is one of the first manufacturers of working clothes to introduce 37.5® Technology into their clothing. As any athlete …

Bond It, the manufacturer of sealants, adhesives, grouts, waterproofing products and building chemicals, has announced its plans for the 2016 Tiling Show. At the brand new event for the UK’s tile and stone industry, which runs from the 18th to 20th September at the Harrogate International Centre, the business will promote an array of products targeted at the tiling sector …

A Gas Safe registered engineer from Middlesex has been fined for safety failings after he carried out an unsafe installation. In a one day trial at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court it was heard how Michael Efthymiou, a self- employed gas engineer, carried out an unsafe installation of a gas combination boiler and flue at a domestic property in Crossfield Road, Clacton-on-Sea. An investigation …

Two roofing companies and one of their directors have been fined after a worker fell to his death through a skylight. Cardiff Crown Court heard how 46 year old Lance Davies, a father of seven, died after falling over seven metres through a roof light at industrial premises in the Crumlin area of South Wales. An investigation by the Health …

Nearly 85% of public sector construction managers, and 58% of private sector contractors and suppliers say the current skills shortage is negatively impacting the quality of their workmanship, as well as one in ten citing it as critically impacting their ability to keep to budget. Sustainability in the Supply Chain, a new report from built environment specialist Scape Group which …

After winning the International Pick-up Award 2016 the Nissan Navara pickup range has now switched to a more advanced and eco-friendly Euro 6 engine. The upgrade covers both the 190PS twin-turbo and 160PS single turbo versions of the Navara’s 2.3-litre dCi diesel engine and is said to make a significant difference to the pick-up’s environmental performance. CO2 emissions now start …