Roger Bisby takes a walk across some Isosonic Dekfloor 30 from Thermal Economics as it is being installed in a refurbishment project. Sound insulation can be a tricky business, things that work well in the laboratory may fair less well on site. There are so many things that can undo all that design work, a nail, a screw or a …

Roger Bisby looks at the benefits of investing in an inflatable wedge which has been designed to make fixing and levelling easier. We have looked at pump up bags fairly recently but these are called Hedgehog Easy Air Wedge from easy innovations and have a subtle difference that you can’t see from looking at them. The secret feature is a …

A Cheshire construction company has been prosecuted following a fatal accident in 2011 at a site in Wimslow.

Husqvarna has introduced the  VARI-CUTTM blade, a cost efficient premium diamond blade designed to cut almost anything a general contractor comes across on a workday including pipe, steel rebar, bricks, blocks and concrete slabs. No need to switch blades The versatile, fast and durable diamond blade is launched as a universal blade, combining a wide application window with fast cutting speed …

Dunlop has launched a brand new rapid-drying filler as an addition to its Pro Décor range. Now available at builders and decorators merchants across the country, Rapid Rescue Repair Filler, with Hydroloc is suitable for quick fix or emergency repairs. Available in 1kg bags, the rapid-drying filler helps decorators sort out the multitude of problems often faced before applying paint or …

National risk management expert Lucion Services is offering a free online training course aimed at helping busy construction industry workers refresh their knowledge of the hazards and risks posed by asbestos-containing materials (ACMs). The online course takes just 45-60 minutes to complete and provides a quick and efficient refresher for those who need to be compliant with regulation 10 of …

Mumford & Wood, the manufacturer of timber windows and doors, has announced compliance with NBS National Building Information Modelling (BIM) Library Data for core Conservation entrance, balcony, bi-folding, single and French doorsets as well as Conservation casement windows, box sash and spring sash windows. This is in accordance with the Government’s mandate on all publically-funded new-build projects by spring 2016. …

“The extreme winter weather, having ruined Christmas for tens of thousands and likely to cost the country up to £1.5bn, serves to remind those concerned with building design, construction and management of the important role PVC-U building products can play in adding flood resistant and resilience to homes actually and potentially threatened with disaster”, says Chris Coxon, Head of Marketing …

A lot of building workers, me included, struggle to do a job wearing gloves. My hands bear testament to the fact. These days it is more or less taken out of your hands, if the site rule is that you wear them then you wear them. But if you are going to wear them you might as well wear some …

Roger Bisby tries out two Milwaukee Staplers – The 48-22-1010 hand stapler and the  48-22-1020 Hammer Tacker. Earlier in the year Skill-Builder  was given a preview of the new range of Milwaukee hand tools. It makes sense for a company that has a loyal following among tradesemen/women across the world to build on that customer base and bring in a …

Have you ever seen that trick where they saw a car in half? Well in our case it is no trick, we really did do it and we haven’t had so much fun in ages. In fact to tell you the truth it’s quite  addictive. Once you have cut your first car you start looking for other suitable cars and …

Roger Bisby visits Gledhill in Blackpool and finds products that are British through and through. Earlier in the year when I fitted an unvented Gledhill horizontal solar cylinder into an eaves cupboard I really had no idea how much design and work went into making that item. In the building industry we fit a lot of products and like it …

Roger Bisby reports on a job where Ecotherm’s Ecoliner saved the day. We hear a lot about reducing our carbon footprint and saving money on fuel bills but the most noticeable and immediate benefit of insulation is the increased comfort levels. Yes it makes you feel instantly warmer, who knew? The community hall in our case study had the reputation …

Most people have some idea what an infra red thermometer does and also what a thermal imaging camera does but this tool sits somewhere between the two, explains Roger Bisby of the Bosch GIS 1000 C. I don’t mind admitting that it took me a while to work out exactly what the Bosch GIS 1000 does for a living. I …

Roger Bisby tests the Hitachi DH25 DAL cordless SDS hammer drill. Hitachi is a power tool manufacturer that often gets overlooked for hammer drills.  I see their  saws out on site and they  do well with the cordless combis but from that evidence alone they don’t seem to have the same share of the hammer market.   When you compare the …