Skill Builder Guides & reviews for building and construction

A Cheshire construction company has been prosecuted following a fatal accident in 2011 at a site in Wimslow.

Husqvarna has introduced the  VARI-CUTTM blade, a cost efficient premium diamond blade designed to cut almost anything a general contractor comes across on a workday including pipe, steel rebar, bricks, blocks and concrete slabs. No need to switch blades The versatile, fast and durable diamond blade is launched as a universal blade, combining a wide application window with fast cutting speed …

Dunlop has launched a brand new rapid-drying filler as an addition to its Pro Décor range. Now available at builders and decorators merchants across the country, Rapid Rescue Repair Filler, with Hydroloc is suitable for quick fix or emergency repairs. Available in 1kg bags, the rapid-drying filler helps decorators sort out the multitude of problems often faced before applying paint or …

Quickslide has been celebrating the kick off of 2016 by introducing a new 70mm casement window system. To coincide with the launch of the new system, we’ve also introduced a range of new wood-grain finishes as standard across both the casement and vertical slider range. www.quickslide.co.uk/

The platform will be introduced in selected areas north of London, before having a wider rollout later in the year.

National risk management expert Lucion Services is offering a free online training course aimed at helping busy construction industry workers refresh their knowledge of the hazards and risks posed by asbestos-containing materials (ACMs). The online course takes just 45-60 minutes to complete and provides a quick and efficient refresher for those who need to be compliant with regulation 10 of …

Dewalt has combined its power tool battery and laser technology know-how and added a 10.8V red and green beam self-levelling cross-line and 360° line lasers to its portfolio. The DCE088D1G and DCE089D1G are the first models in the DEWALT range to feature a green diode. Industry trends have shown that green lasers are the future for applications in construction, specifically …

Mumford & Wood, the manufacturer of timber windows and doors, has announced compliance with NBS National Building Information Modelling (BIM) Library Data for core Conservation entrance, balcony, bi-folding, single and French doorsets as well as Conservation casement windows, box sash and spring sash windows. This is in accordance with the Government’s mandate on all publically-funded new-build projects by spring 2016. …

“The extreme winter weather, having ruined Christmas for tens of thousands and likely to cost the country up to £1.5bn, serves to remind those concerned with building design, construction and management of the important role PVC-U building products can play in adding flood resistant and resilience to homes actually and potentially threatened with disaster”, says Chris Coxon, Head of Marketing …

A lot of building workers, me included, struggle to do a job wearing gloves. My hands bear testament to the fact. These days it is more or less taken out of your hands, if the site rule is that you wear them then you wear them. But if you are going to wear them you might as well wear some …

Roger Bisby tries out two Milwaukee Staplers – The 48-22-1010 hand stapler and the  48-22-1020 Hammer Tacker. Earlier in the year Skill-Builder  was given a preview of the new range of Milwaukee hand tools. It makes sense for a company that has a loyal following among tradesemen/women across the world to build on that customer base and bring in a …

Roger Bisby looks at two 18 volt power tools from Milwaukee. Judging by the number of new power tools launched by Milwaukee this year they are on a mission to become the leading power tool manufacturer in the U.K and, as if that wasn’t enough, they are also introducing some high-quality hand tools into their range. Inevitably, with so much …

Have you ever seen that trick where they saw a car in half? Well in our case it is no trick, we really did do it and we haven’t had so much fun in ages. In fact to tell you the truth it’s quite  addictive. Once you have cut your first car you start looking for other suitable cars and …

Every diamond blade manufacturer claims to have a blade that cuts everything but we all know that no blade can be optomised for best performance in all materials. If it performs well on one material it will perform less well on another. Usually the division is between hard and soft and Husqvarna has acknowledged that fact in giving you the …

Roger Bisby visits Gledhill in Blackpool and finds products that are British through and through. Earlier in the year when I fitted an unvented Gledhill horizontal solar cylinder into an eaves cupboard I really had no idea how much design and work went into making that item. In the building industry we fit a lot of products and like it …

Roger Bisby reports on a job where Ecotherm’s Ecoliner saved the day. We hear a lot about reducing our carbon footprint and saving money on fuel bills but the most noticeable and immediate benefit of insulation is the increased comfort levels. Yes it makes you feel instantly warmer, who knew? The community hall in our case study had the reputation …

Most people have some idea what an infra red thermometer does and also what a thermal imaging camera does but this tool sits somewhere between the two, explains Roger Bisby of the Bosch GIS 1000 C. I don’t mind admitting that it took me a while to work out exactly what the Bosch GIS 1000 does for a living. I …

There are plenty of trades who would find the Werner Podium step ladder useful including plumbers, decorators and heating and ventilation fitters, says Roger Bisby as he puts the product to the test. Two days before I got to test these Werner Podium step ladder I was using a pair of ordinary steps  and climbed a little higher than I …