Guest blog

Theft Awareness for Trades – 4 step Defence

Theft awareness for tradesmen

The detrimental effect that can be experienced by tradesmen as a result of theft is huge. Loss of earnings, and having to replace your tools, can leave you in a struggling position. Therefore, it is important as a tradesperson to be theft aware. Be one step ahead of thieves, protect yourself and your livelihood in 4 simple steps:

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How Do Bluetooth Speakers Work?

How do Bluetooth speakers work?

You ever experience a small change and didn’t know its impact until it was right in front of your face? It happens to all of us. It can be something as small as driving another way home because you wanted to break out of your routine. Or, it could be reading a quote leading you to ponder on it, and …

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Testing Cheap Tools – Are Poundland Tools a Bargain?

Poundland tools

Ahead of the biggest DIY weekend of the year – the great Easter break – Skill Builder Editor, Georgina Bisby has been trying out some Poundland tools to see what you can get for your money. Georgina tries out a spirit level, hammer, screwdriver set, junior hacksaw and some tape measures to see which ones are a steal and which …

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Protect our children and teachers from asbestos exposure at school

asbestos

Lucie Stephens, the daughter of a teacher who died of cancer linked to asbestos exposure, is campaigning for schools to be obliged to warn staff and pupils of its presence. Please sign and share the campaign as we think it’s one that deserves our support.  Here’s Lucie’s story: “Parents have been kept in the dark about asbestos risks for too …

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Choosing a house builder

Choosing a house builder

Ryan Abell of building services company, Abbell Building Services, describes how working in a range of building trades has helped him to instantly recognise a house builder that is great to work with.  In this article, he explains what makes a house builder stand out. Skills Perhaps the most important attribute of an excellent builder is their level of skill.  …

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What’s Dry Build all about and should you consider it?

Dry Build framework

Darren Hook, CEO of English Heritage Buildings, discusses the benefits of this often overlooked construction method. The construction industry is constantly looking for faster, innovative and more economical methods to reduce costs, construction time and waste, whilst also considering the impact on the environment. Larger businesses are quick to change, but often smaller companies get left behind because of cost …

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“Dust extraction has to be top priority for the trade”

Dust extraction

Jay Hounsell, a Herts-based carpenter and business owner, explains why he believes dust extraction should be the number one priority for everyone in the trade.    He says: “I’ve been working in the carpentry industry for 20-odd years. My new company – The Hertfordshire Kitchen Company – has been going for two years and is successfully placing itself in the …

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Lighting ideas to help sell a property

Lighting ideas

Whether you are building a house or renovating a property for sale, it’s important to consider your lighting scheme from the outset, says Luke Czerpak. The power of good lighting is often underestimated when planning a new build or renovation, but it is one of the simplest and most cost effective ways of showcasing a property. The right lighting can …

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Why should the construction sector embrace digital?

construction industry predictions

Colin Yates, chief operating officer at WorkMobile, the mobile data capture solution, discusses some of the benefits construction companies can reap from ‘going digital’. The construction sector has been slow to join the tech race. Recent research has found that construction companies are struggling to harness the power of mobile and automation technology, data and analytics and robotics – just 8% of …

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Construction industry predictions for 2017

construction industry post-Brexit

Ian Anfield, Managing Director for construction audit and contract provider, Hudson Contract, provides his predictions for the industry in 2017. “There’s no escaping the fact that Brexit will dominate the news and political agenda in 2017 and will have a massive impact on UK construction. This is primarily because we rely so heavily on EU labour to man our construction …

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Eye protection: A site for sore eyes or a vision for safety?

councils to build

Every year, construction workers suffer from eye injuries ranging from temporary sight loss to long-term impaired vision and even blindness. Julien Clair, product manager for eyewear at Honeywell Industrial Safety, outlines the key measures required for effective eye protection.   What are the hazards? Construction sites create a significant risk for eye injuries. Every day, workers face a myriad of …

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Stone wool insulation: Where there’s a wool, there’s a way

Stone wool insulation

As those in the insulation manufacturing process know, not all mineral wool insulation is the same. For builders, however, it’s sometimes difficult to understand where the distinctions lie, what benefits there might be and how the insulation choices they make can impact upon a project or application. Paul Barrett, Product Manager at Rocwool looks at where stone wool insulation began …

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Smart heating: What’s it all about?

Smart heating

With smart technology becoming a part of daily life, it’s unsurprising that homeowners are looking for the same level of functionality when it comes to heating. However, while smart home technology is a hot topic, there is still ambiguity about what smart and connected actually mean when it comes to heating systems. Jon Phillips, head of product management at Baxi, …

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What’s the state of the construction industry post-Brexit?

construction industry post-Brexit

Ian Anfield, managing director for construction audit, contract and payroll provider, Hudson Contract, comments on recent talk of a recession in light of the Brexit vote and  considers the state of the construction industry post-Brexit. “Whether we’re entering a recession or not is a big talking point at the moment. Certainly, we at Hudson Contract have seen that the number …

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