Skill Builder Guides & reviews for building and construction

A new web-based tool designed to transform the way that building professionals market and sell products and services, has been launched worldwide.

Olympia Tools, the company behind the Roughneck brand of hand tools and workwear, says it has seen a surge in demand for its products thanks to social media. Two of the distributor’s products featured in posts that subsequently went viral, attracting interest from a global audience. The first product to prove a social media success was the Roughneck Tri Vice; …

The Green Party’s plans for retrofitting insulation in nine million existing homes are welcomed by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) at the launch of the ‘Green Guarantee’ manifesto.

Two companies have been fined a total of £700,000 and a director has received a suspended prison sentence following the fatal crushing of four workers.

A change of season means a change of focus on what you wear on site and Snickers wants to help you keep your cool when the heat is on.  From staying warm and dry, Snickers advises thinking about staying cool and dry and looking for working clothes that excel at ventilation and moisture transport to keep you working comfortably wherever …

Eco NRG Solutions Ltd and its director Jon Luke Antoniou have been fined after a worker fell from height at a farm in Cornwall. Taunton Magistrates Court heard how Lewis Harding, 28, had been fitting solar panels on a fragile roof at Venn Farm on the 19 May 2015. He fell more than three metres through a fragile skylight and broke …

In millions of households across the UK, teenagers (and their parents), face an anxious few weeks as the GCSE examinations get underway. Sitting on average 15 exams in a range of subjects, as well as facing exam pressure, school leavers also must contend with making some big decisions regarding their future. Options post-16 include staying on at school, going to …

Insulation and interior building products distributor CCF, has announced Tim Bryant of T Byrant Builders, as the winner of its Trade Superhero competition and a trip to New York City this month. Tim was crowned victorious after an independent panel of judges read about his superhero efforts to fix a drain in time for a children’s Christingle Service, and freeing …

The industry standard PAS 402 is helping construction firms meet their waste management targets. Reconomy explains more.

QUADSAW, the tool that drills square holes, will be demonstrated in public for the first time, at the Toolfair tradeshow in Harrogate, UK on 24-25 May. Almost every construction project requires square holes for electrical sockets and other boxes but for years electricians have struggled to create them with rulers, pencils and handsaws. QUADSAW solves this problem thanks to its …

A construction company and its groundwork contractor have been fined after a worker was killed by a reversing vehicle. Exeter Crown Court heard how an employee of Steve Hoskin Construction Limited (SHCL) was working for the groundwork contractor at a construction site in Dawlish, Devon when he was crushed by a reversing telescopic material handler. John Small, 47-years old, was …

What do builders and plumbers commonly get wrong when applying silicone sealant? Roger Bisby ponders this question while trying out some of the latest offerings from the HB42 range. The building industry has been using silicone sealants for years now but a surprising number of tradespeople don’t know the difference between high and low modulus or neutral curing. I may …

The Labour Party’s proposal to link up housing and skills policy would be the right approach for a post-Brexit UK, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has said in response to the publication of the Labour Party’s manifesto. Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “Labour’s pledge to integrate housing and skills policy is the right approach to tackling …

Research conducted by housing charity Shelter has revealed that hundreds of renters – including those living in bigger, urban areas – are living in slum-like conditions due to damp, mould, infestation and electrical issues. The report, from Shelter and YouGov, took statements from 300 tenants across the Manchester region. The majority expressed concern about ongoing struggles with damp and mould …

Festool, the supplier of high-end power tools and accessories, has teamed up with the British Lung Foundation (BLF) to provide top quality cycling tops as a fundraising initiative.

The last ever Potterton boiler to come off the production line in parent company Baxi’s factory in Warwick has been put into retirement, 17 years after first being installed in the cellar of a Scotland home. The Potterton Profile boiler was discovered by engineers from Gas Call Services when homeowner Alistair decided it was time to install a modern replacement. …