Skill Builder Guides & reviews for building and construction

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 …

In this Rockwool Sound Insulation review Roger Bisby finds the product has come a long way since it’s ultra itchy conception. It seems to me from my visits to sites  that many builders and loft converters don’t attach very much importance to sound insulation. This is a great pity because good sound insulation is an important indicator of a quality  …

Construction firm Montway Ltd has been fined £144,000 after worker fractures spine when he fell off a roof during demolition work.

Skill Builder went to Toolbank‘s headquarters to take a sneak preview of their Real Deals Christmas promotion (yes sorry to mention it so early) and among the things we saw was this Irwin tool organiser packed full of Irwin’s best selling tools. It is ideal for the jobbing builder who never knows quite what they are going to come up …

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 …

I chose to put down some Cempolatex Fibreflex in a loft conversion on what turned out to be the hottest day of the year. It was a foolish undertaking and I should have known better. Last year I made a video for YouTube on applying this very self-levelling compound and in it I talk about the need to store bags …

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 …

In this Evolution Rage saw review, Roger Bisby finds a variety of applications for the Evolution Rage 3 sliding mitre saw. The Evolution Rage range of saws are made in China to a British design and manage to sell across the globe. When you consider the competition this is no mean feat but the Rage saws have some interesting features …

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 …

A Bulgarian construction firm has been fined after a member of the public reported unsafe working practices during the construction of an adventure course in Markeaton Park, Derby. Derby Magistrates’ Court heard how a passing member of the public noticed work at height being carried out from a pallet on the forks of a telehandler at the site in Markeaton …

Cardiff-based construction company, Jehu Project Services Ltd, has been sentenced after a worker was seriously injured falling down a lift pit. Fall from height The incident happened on 8 July 2015 at a construction site in Pontcanna, Cardiff. Stephen Harrison, a specialist drilling contractor, was employed by Jehu to help refurbish a 73-bed care home when he fell into the …

With the temperatures set to soar to over 30c in parts of the UK this week the TUC is today calling on employers to make sure their staff working outdoors are properly protected from the sun and the heat. A new report Cool it published by the TUC today says that staff working outside in high temperatures are at risk …

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 …

Two security companies have been fined after a security guard died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Javaid Iqbal, a 29 year old father of three, was employed by London based KK Security Services Ltd as a security guard on a construction site in Leigh, Wigan. KK Security were sub contracted by Veritas Security (Southern) Ltd, a Southampton based company, despite it being written into the …

A school in Brentwood has pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety regulations after a worker was injured as he fell from a roof. Chelmsford Crown Court heard how in January 2014 a maintenance team at the school was working to replace components on a bay window of a residential flat within the school grounds. A 63-year-old employee was working …