Floor laying is a job that many builders hand over to the specialist but Roger Bisby explains why he is reluctant to kiss goodbye to what can be a good earner and shares his favourite tools for the job. My customer was fairly adamant that they didn’t want scotia or quadrant around the edge of their new oak flooring because …

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 …

Two South West based companies have been fined after a 44-year old woman was struck by scaffolding. Weymouth Magistrates’ Court heard how employees of Carter Training Ltd were using a mobile crane on the building project in Queen Mothers Square, Poundbury, Dorchester when the attachment holding 500 scaffolding fittings weighing 2kg each was turned on its side emptying all contents …

A new report from Satsuma titled ‘Room for Improvement’ has revealed how much potential home-buyers are reducing their offers by, due to specific features, such as dated kitchens and overrun gardens. Gloucester and Belfast have been found to have the most features which would put a potential viewer off from renting/buying – sellers in both cities are potentially losing over …

Two roofing companies have been fined after a worker fell nine metres through a skylight onto concrete flooring below.

London startup Plentific.com, a growing home services marketplace, has announced a new feature that will allow customers to book home improvement jobs with just a few taps on their phone. This new service lets customers skip the process of searching for potential tradesmen, comparing quotes and haggling for a fair price just to book a minor home improvement job such …

Skill Builder’s ‘Day in the life’ feature takes a look at a typical day in the life of different tradespeople. In this installment, we talk to the inspirational Kevin Skeith who, against all the odds, recovered from a serious motorcycle accident which threatened to leave him as a quadriplegic. He now runs a thriving flooring business and became Dickie’s UK …

A Manchester building contractor and a company owner have appeared in court after a worker was seriously injured on a refurbishment site. The 53-year-old father of two from Salford was employed as a labourer at the site of a refurbishment project at Manchester One, Portland Street Manchester when the incident occurred on 29 August 2014. The incident was investigated by …

Construction firm, Structural Metal Decks Limited, (SMDL) has been fined after a worker was left paralysed following an accident at a building site in Kilsyth. The worker suffered injuries to his spinal cord and is now paralysed from the neck down following the incident. Airdrie Sheriff Court heard how Structural Metal Decks Ltd had been sub-contracted to lay metal deck …

Construction company, Balfour Beatty, has been fined after flooring at a house-building development gave way, injuring a worker. Newcastle Crown Court heard how a worker was on the first floor of a new build domestic property when the floor gave way at one side. The worker and approximately 70 building blocks slid 2.4 metres, vertically, to the ground. He suffered …

The Drybase range from Safeguard Europe – the UK specialist in damp-proofing and waterproofing technology – has been designed for use when it is not possible to protect building materials and interior surfaces from the sources of dampness, like rain penetration or rising damp. The collection of damp-proof coatings, coverings coatings and membranes can be used for protection against a …

A building supplies e-commerce start-up is taking on industry heavyweights B&Q, Travis Perkins, Selco, Jewson and Wickes to offer savings of 20-35%. Go Banana is said to be the UK’s first comparison website for building and DIY supplies. With 50,000 searchable products Go Banana provides an online platform for builders, tradespeople and DIY enthusiasts looking to purchase supplies quickly and …

There’s been lots happening on the Skill Builder YouTube channel in 2016; here’s a few highlights. Power tools In January 2016 we published the first part of the new 18v drill test which was first published in 2014. This time we split it into three parts looking at: Part 1 – batteries; Part 2 – flat bits; Part 3 – …

Kevin Skeith, 39, a flooring specialist from Sleaford, has been crowned UK Worker of the Year 2016, winning a Honda Crosstourer 1200cc motorbike and a year’s free shopping at ASDA. Kevin attended Brands Hatch over the weekend, along with five other finalists, all vying to become UK Worker of the Year, a competition run by  workwear brand Dickies, in association …

Manufacturer of building chemicals, Bond It, claim to be breaking new ground in sealant and adhesive performance with the launch of a range of products based on advanced hybrid technology. The new Bond it hybrid range, which will be sold under the manufacturer’s PRO brand, offers users ‘best of both worlds’ solutions to a wide variety of trade and DIY …

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 …

Roger Bisby lays some Knauf Brio dry screed flooring. Although it is perfectly possible to use warm water underfloor heating with timber and floating floors it is generally acknowledged that there is a loss of  thermal transmission compared to  pipe buried in sand and cement screeds. Knauf Brio dry screed board bring thermal transmission comparable with wet screed system in …

I am currently working on the building site from hell. It was a job I took on against my better judgment. When I was pricing it alarm bells were ringing in my head because there was a new spec and drawing almost every day. The job itself isn’t actually that bad; it’s a complete re-plumb on a large central London …