Skill Builder Guides & reviews for building and construction

Stabila has launched a telescopic spirit level, the Telescopic 80T, which offers the right length of level for any job while saving space in the tool bag. With one spirit level to do the work of several, the Stabila Telescopic 80T can be easily extended to the length needed, doing the job of up to three fixed-length levels in one. …

A window fitting company has been fined for safety failings after a worker falls from building a total of three metres while installing glazed units.

Tradespeople and small contractors struggling with late payment issues should welcome changes to the speed of commercial insurance claims payments as part of the Enterprise Act according to ECIC, the specialist insurer for the construction sector. Unnecessary delays in claims payments should be a thing of the past, with the Enterprise Bill having now become law, giving the UK’s smaller …

Evo-Stik has added a Fire Retardant Gun Applied Expanding Foam Filler to its range of foams. Said to offer a more accurate and efficient application through the use of a gun, the fire retardant filler can be used for gap filling and insulating to prevent the transmission of smoke and is fire rated to the latest European standard DIN EN …

UCATT  has voted for a merger or transfer of engagements to Unite the Union following a period of financial difficulty. The dedicated construction workers union said it made the decision in order to preserve its existing structures and to maximise the representation of construction workers in all sectors. Following the vote UCATT will now enter into full negotiations with Unite …

19/05/2016 A few years ago, while on a walk along the South Coast of England, I came across a place just outside Newhaven called Tide Mills. Unfortunately there is not an awful lot left to see because the British Army used it for target practice with artillery shells and they were a little too accurate. It might not have the …

Mercedes-Benz Vans has introduced dual-clutch automatic transmission versions of the Citan which are priced from £15,820 and will be available from June 2016. Selected Citan 112 variants will be available to order with the new 6G-DCT automatic transmission. Citan panel van and Tourer models with the 112 petrol engine can benefit from the double clutch transmission, which combines the comfort …

I have written many articles on diamond blades over the years explaining how each type of blade works and the enduring message is that there is still no such thing as one blade that is optimised for all tasks.  As much as you might try we recognise that there is a lot of information to hold in your head when you go …

A new apprenticeship standard for plastering has been approved by the Government as part of the trailblazer initiative, with a new bricklaying standard to be agreed in the near future. The new standards, which have been designed as part of a collaboration led by construction SMEs from across England, will be rolled out as soon as autumn 2017. Welcoming the …

A Darlington man has been jailed for carrying out illegal gas work on three occasions. Teeside Magistrates’ Court heard Neil Simon McKimm (trading as Macs Plumbing Services) carried out gas work including servicing boilers. McKimm used the alias of a legitimate gas engineer to deceive his customers. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Neil McKimm …

Construction union UCATT has accused the government of pouring money down the drain after discovering that while 167, 000 young people started training courses for jobs in the construction industry in 2014/15, in that same year only 18,000 secured an apprenticeship in the building trades. The figures were divulged – via a UCATT Freedom of Information request – by the …

Honeywell has introduced a new range of single-use, moulded masks featuring a PU foam seal that has been designed to improve safety, performance and comfort. The 800 series masks are made of high performing, humidity and low breathing resistant material making them well suited to environments where workers are exposed to hazardous materials found in dust, mist and fumes. The …

Build UK, the building contractors association, has released a new industry standard covering the use of different coloured hard hats on construction sites.

Jordan Daykin, the owner of GripIt fixings and the greatest success on Dragons’ Den to date, is urging fellow inventors and entrepreneurs who work in trade professions to turn their great ideas into reality by entering the Travis Perkins Innovation Awards (TPIA) before the 30th June deadline. Now a £14 million business, Jordan and his GripIt fixings are a testament …

Pre-plumbed cylinders are usually the choice for new build where they have plenty of people to move the units into the airing cupboards before fitting the doors but I like the look of them and I  had already decided that on my next cylinder installation I was going to try a pre-plumbed unit. It isn’t that I find it difficult …