Skill Builder Guides & reviews for building and construction
A builder has been fined after carrying out unsafe gas work at a property in Hall Green.
Read More »Birmingham Builder Fined for Unsafe Gas Work
Keylite Polar PVC Roof Window: The energy efficient roof window that’s easy-to-install & maintenance free
Skill Builder takes a look at the brand new Keylite Polar white PVC roof window range and finds out why it’s growing in popularity among installers and consumers alike. The Keylite Polar White PVC roof window range has been designed to establish a new standard in energy efficient roof windows. Combined with the fact that it’s easy to install and …
Read More »Alternative to tiling showcased at sleep show
Bushboard will be at this years hotel design event SLEEP to showcase its Nuance bathroom wall panelling which offers an alternative to tiling. Bushboard, now part of the Wilsonart Group, and a leading producer of laminate worksurfaces is exhibiting at the London Design Centre at SLEEP. Jo Gilhooly, marketing director for Bushboard explained “SLEEP has gathered pace over the last few …
Read More »Lack of land and lending holding SME builders back
A lack of available small sites and a lack of finance top the list of barriers to SME house builders increasing their delivery of new homes, according to new research by the Federation of Master Builders’ (FMB). Key results from the FMB’s House Builders’ Survey 2017, the only annual snapshot of SME house builders, include: Over half of small house …
Read More »Installing pocket doors tips
Eclisse shares three tips to ensure a professional finish when installing pocket doors. Tip One: Check the instructions. Does assembly involve cutting pocket verticals or horizontals to make the system fit? Does installation involve aligning separate components? Ideally, the track and pocket should assemble into single unit for insertion into the studwork. Is there a self-centering floor guide that automatically …
Read More »Construction industry rolls out Mates in Mind initiative
The UK construction sector’s efforts to improve the health and mental wellbeing of its workforce have been stepped up with the full roll out of the Mates in Mind initiative. Mates in Mind has led in the creation of a flexible and joined up approach that is tailored to the needs of individual construction companies as they seek to tackle …
Read More »Small builders key to solving London’s housing crisis, says FMB
The London Housing Strategy’s focus on bringing forward more small sites will help solve the housing crisis by opening up the market to SME house builders, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) London. Commenting on the draft London Housing Strategy, published on Wednesday, Barry Mortimer, Director of FMB London, said: “If we’re to build the number of new …
Read More »Electrician Killed in Stepladder Fall
A Hull based bakery has been fined following the death of a self-employed electrical contractor who died following a stepladder fall from height.
Read More »Is there an alternative to hiring scaffolding?
If you’re hiring scaffolding on a regular basis to do jobs such as window replacements, roofline repairs and even short duration roofing jobs here’s a product we’ve come across that could save you time and money and put you back in control of your work because you will no longer be waiting around for scaffolding. It’s called the Easi-Dec access …
Read More »Baxi launches Baxi 400 Combi LPG
Following the launch of the Baxi 200 and 400 Combi and Heat ranges, the manufacturer is extending its offering to include a dedicated combi LPG option, to enable homes in off-grid areas to enjoy the benefits of a high efficiency boiler. The Baxi 400 Combi LPG has been developed from the ground up through consultation with installers, so that everything …
Read More »Keylite Challenge – Box to Roof in 2 Minutes
Keylite says that you can get their roof window from the box into the roof in two minutes. In this video Roger Bisby puts their claims to the test. www.keyliteroofwindows.com
Read More »Installing a Level Access Shower Tray with Clip-lock Drain
Roger is back at Abacus Bathrooms, this time to install a level access shower tray with a square end clip-lock drain.
Read More »How to move a heavy beam with ease
In this latest video Roger Bisby shares a trick he has been using for years to move steels and concrete beams. “It helps to have inflatable tyres especially on rough ground. I had some help but you could do this on your own if you levered up the end and propped it first. I am sure you can come up …
Read More »Construction company fined after fall leaves joiner paralysed
A construction company has been sentenced for safety breaches after a sub-contracted joiner suffered life-changing injuries. Lincoln Magistrates’ Court heard that construction company Mager Homes Ltd. had been contracted to complete a house build in Tetney, Grimsby. In December 2016, the worker was on the first floor level installing joists and flooring. Whilst laying a floorboard, he stepped back and …
Read More »Free Estimating – Selco App for Builders
Producing quotes is the bane of many tradespeoples lives seeing them working late into the evening pricing up jobs that they know they may never even get.
Read More »The Rise of the Well Connected Builder
Roger Bisby charts the emergence of Bluetooth Connectivity in power tools and wonders how we find the line between work and play. There are now whole generations of tradespeople coming along behind me who have grown up with the mobile phone and will find the ability to control their power tools via Bluetooth as instinctive as breathing. For me, it …
Read More »Abacus Infinity Single Fall Shower Tray installation: Is this the best wet room tray?
In this video Roger Bisby demonstrates how to install an Abacus Infinity Single Fall Shower Tray which is designed to make wetrooms sleeker and cleaner and eliminates the need for fiddly floor tile cuts and grout lines which trap dirt. With wet rooms continuing to grow in popularity customers are increasingly looking for solutions that are sleek in design and …
Read More »Safeguard publishes guide to Basement Waterproofing
Although basements are a significant area of business opportunity for the construction industry, it is a complex and potentially fraught sector and – in the main – an area for the specialist. Yet Safeguard Europe – the UK specialist in damp-proofing and waterproofing technology – is helping to demystify and simplify understanding of this underground world with the publication of …
Read More »Untrained Scaffold Worker Left in a Coma
A construction company has been fined after a worker suffered life-changing injuries after falling from scaffolding.
Read More »Wickes offering free sunscreen to tradespeople
Melanoma skin cancer incidence rates have increased by an alarming 119% in the UK since the early 1990s and according to a recent study, construction has been identified as the industry sector in the UK whose workers are most at risk. Now, new research by Wickes has revealed some startling statistics and unsettling attitudes to sunburn and skin cancer amongst …
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