Consumer demand for building work remained resilient in the three months following the vote for Brexit, new figures from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) have revealed. Commenting on the results of the first UK-wide survey of the SME construction sector post-referendum, Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “Ongoing workloads for construction SMEs remained remarkably resilient in the …

Two construction firms have benefited from a national scholarship scheme which enables them to take on an apprentice who is entirely funded to work for them for 12 months. The initiative was launched by construction audit, contract and payroll provider, Hudson Contract, to celebrate its 20th anniversary and also provide opportunities for two young apprentices hoping to take their first …

Roger Bisby has a go at laying some Karndean flooring under the watchful eye of Karndean laying master Richard Daniels. It seems to me that once you have seen Karndean flooring and recognised its unique look, you just never stop seeing it. For those that don’t know Karndean is a vinyl flooring product made primarily from calcium carbonate (limestone), polyvinyl …

Roger Bisby tries out the Button-fix system. Button-fix is an ingenious secret fixing system for panels of all descriptions. It can be used to secure bath panels, WC panels, wall panelling and even shower panels. It is also used on fitted furniture. Of course you could just get yourself a tube of panel adhesive but the difference is that Button-fix …

A Bolton night club owner has been sentenced after admitting a failure to carry out a survey for asbestos before starting on the refurbishment of a local night club. Manchester Magistrates’ court heard how UK Night Life Limited and its sole director, Charles John McGrath, undertook the management of a refurbishment project between 1 August and 12 August 2015 on …

Origin the UK manufacturer of bi-folding doors, windows and blinds, has added a selection of Origin blinds to its Origin Home range. Designed to fit every door and window type, from bi-folds and French Doors through to bay and gable windows, the new range includes six different styles; Electric Roller Blinds, Pleated Blinds, Roman Blinds, Glamour Blinds, Venetian Blinds, and …

The new Makita Dust Extractor, the VC3012M M-Class Dust Extractor removes 99.9% of dust with Limit Value for occupational exposure >0.1mg/m³.  This means that the Makita dust extractor achieves performance levels better than the minimum legal limit for dust extraction when working with hazardous materials including silica sand in brick, masonry, concrete, gypsum and wood dusts and plastic composites. The …

Makita has introduced a new operating mode with the launch of its latest 18v Brushless motor impact driver. The new Makita DTD170 impact driver is technically a 6-function impact driver, with four speeds and matched impact power. T-Mode is used for tightening self-drilling Tek screws and when in the new A-Mode (Assist mode) rotation is started slowly allowing maximum control …

Since our first look at Speedskim the range is now being distributed by Ox Tools. It is fair to say that the Speedskim is not for everyone as some plasterers simply could not adapt to it but for those plasterers who have embraced it the main benefit is they can complete the laying down of finish plaster without the trowel. …

Although they’re not the cheapest models on the market, Roger Bisby finds the Scangrip Nova work lights are built to last. Two or three (time flies) years ago I went to review some Scangrip LED work lights which shine their powerful beam under the name of Nova. I was so impressed that I bought a pair together with stands and …

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 …

Roger Bisby tries out the new Starlock range. It is fairly unusual to see rival power-tool companies collaborating in research and development but Bosch and Fein linked up to develop the Starlock system for their oscillating tools. It is an attempt to do what the SDS drill bit did for hammer drills, in other words a simple click lock system …

ForgeFix, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of fixings, fasteners and associated products, has developed a new range of screws which the company says has exceptional performance characteristics. The best screws on the market? In independent tests, the new screws outperformed most other premium screws on the market in areas such as drive-speed, cam-out reduction, corrosion resistance, shear prevention and …

Roger Bisby takes a look at the Wale Tale (sic), a device designed to minimise the spread of dust when mixing construction powders. Dust and the related health issues are a ticking time bomb in the building industry. Everyone knows about asbestos and most intelligent people do everything they can to avoid exposure to it but dust doesn’t begin and …

Construction sites across the UK are being hit by a concrete block shortage as pressure on raw materials means manufacturers are struggling to keep up with demand. PFA – a by-product of coal-fired power generation is a key material in the manufacture of most concrete blocks but a move towards alternative forms of energy generation such as gas, nuclear or …

Work to develop a 15- acre brownfield site in Lewes, East Sussex is to begin following the completion of final legal requirements. Planning for the North Street Quarter development was approved in December 2015 by the South Downs National Park’s planning committee. Permission was granted in May 2016 and the judicial review period has just concluded. The way is now …

The electrical contracting industry has agreed a wage deal which will amount to a 10.25% pay rise over four years to take effect from January 2017. This is the first time that an agreement spanning four years has been determined between trade union Unite and the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA). Some of the key changes to be implemented include: Wage …

The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) had said Theresa May’s decision to scrap the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is alarming as it signals that improving the energy efficiency of our existing buildings has been pushed ever-further down the list of Government priorities. Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “Three years ago Cameron told his officials to …

Arco, one of the UK’s leading safety companies has recently undertaken tests that reveal some of the safety footwear being used by tradespeople may not be fit for purpose. In order to adhere to EU standard EN ISO 20345 2011, midsoles must be able to resist a penetration test using a nail with a force of 1100N and a corrosion …