Local Traders News » Builders

Irish Home Incinerated In Oil Tank Fire

Nick — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 08:00:54 +0000

A family home was burned to the ground, and left in total ruin as 12^th of July bonfire celebrations turned into disaster in the East Mount Area of County Down. The blaze was started when a neighbouring bonfire ignited a number of domestic oil tanks, which set ablaze a neighbouring fence and house. A fire alarm alerted the family, and the local fire service was subsequently contacted.

Two other neighbouring homes were saved from ruin by the proficient actions of the local fire service. Remarkably footage of the incident was caught on a local CCTV system, which may at least be used for insurance purposes. It is believed that Northern Ireland building regulations were not adhered as the oil tanks were clearly not stored in a fire safe environment.

A local builder has estimated the cost of repair to run into tens of thousands for the adjacent properties, whereas the torched house will require practically a complete rebuild. The building is said to be needing a complete re-wiring as cables that connect the property disintegrated in the blaze. The houses next door have extensive damage to the roofs and will possibly need re roofing, plastering will need to be redone in the downstairs bedroom of the house, and gardens will need to be landscaped due to water damage.

County Down Fire Service has received praise for their hard work, as if not for them more homes would be ruined. One local fire-fighter is recovery from minor burns in a local hospital.

Anger As Bradford Couple Stung By Conservatory Company

Danny — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 08:00:47 +0000

A Bradford based firm called Boss Secure & Style Ltd are now being chased by Bradford City Council over an unpaid debt to one of its former customers. Tina McMahon of Flawith Drive , Fagley employed the company to build her a new conservatory in January 2008 and paid a total of £9,000.

Upon completion a surveyors report found 13 items of disrepair. On the list of major flaws were, the floor not being on the same level as the living room, daylight being able to be seen between the external double doors, the guttering being installed and aligned incorrectly and the frame being fractured.

Tina McMahon then successfully took them to court in September 2009 to claim back £3,000 in damages, where the County Court judge ruled that a payment of £2985 was to be paid in full. Boss Secure & Style Ltd initially tried to pay back £100 per month in instalments yet the court ruled she should get the full amount within 14 days of the hearing.

The set date and payment was not met by the company and bailiffs have since then attended the given trading address on numerous occasions with a warrant to confiscate any saleable goods. Yet the warrant could not be carried executed because Boss Secure & Style Ltd has ceased trading under that address and it wasn’t known of the debtor’s whereabouts. Mrs McMahon said,

“It’s been a nightmare for us the last few years. I honestly thought I’d be able to get my money back. I’m at the end of my tether. I don’t know what to do now”

UK Government Needs to Act to Increase Energy Storage Capacity

Teresa — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 08:00:26 +0000

The government face major plans to increase its gas storage capacity over the next decade as the population is growing and the reliance on gas and nuclear power is getting greater by the day. They will need to invest billions of pounds into their new energy policy to steer away from depending on imported gas. The engineering employers’ federation (EEF) have accepted public money will not be able to cover the most costly plans in the world. They are now urging minsters to act up on this now to make sure planning permissions are adhered to.

The association energy action plan reaches a massive sum of 200 billion pounds but it is vital that we act now. We need to focus on energy security and cost effectiveness. The UK has only 16 days energy storage at present which is really low compared to Germany that have currently got a 99 day supply and also France which have a 122 day supply.

Energy companies will start making investment decisions in the next couple of years. The urgency of this major project is enormous and a clear energy strategy needs to be developed urgently as a result. Solar panels and evacuated tubes are a fantastic way to reduce home energy cost and is an investment that will be worth it in the end. Solar heating works all year around and is a really effective way to heat your home no matter time of year. To make an impact at home and help make the world a more energy efficient with solar panels or any other efficient heating systems please contact your local expert.

Home Improvements are not a Waste

Danny — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 08:00:12 +0000

Construction Excellence director of the waste project Paul Jennings has stated that Welsh homes are to be incorporated into the district’s waste management project. The ongoing commitment for creating a world class housing stock in Wales is sustaining its movement forward, at the same time; George Osborne is putting housing bodies under a lot of ongoing pressure, throughout England.

Energy efficiency is a major drive throughout Wales, with the Welsh government are announcing a £30 million scheme aimed at improving homes in the region. These are just a handful of projects created to hit the low carbon footprint targets and along with other similar projects, will meet Welsh Housing Quality Standards. Also throughout Wales, the (EST) Energy Saving Trust are well on the way to meeting their targets in teaching people the benefits and above all important values of wasting energy – or not wasting energy in this instance., and how a few simple instructions can make a great deal of difference to everyone.

This scheme is being backed by UK government schemes, like the (CESP), which is the Community Energy Saving Programme, and major energy providers such as British Gas, which are there to help home owners in social housing, to refurb their houses and flats. The above project is looking at a target of 200,000 homes, which are on the social housing register to refurbish by 2012. To give people an idea of the amount of waste within people’s homes, an average home kitchen that’s ripped out accounts for 65% of the waste of every house being refurbished. The majority of this is made up of timber, which only a small percentage qualifies for reuse or recycling.

The bathrooms only account for a small percentage of the waste, around 25-30%, with windows accounting for 7% but it all boils down to careful preparation and planning. Waste can be controlled and limited and the construction industry sector can save money in the process, which should be of particular interest to companies affected by the recession.

Home Insulation Pushes Light Subsidies to be Scrapped

Danny — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 08:00:55 +0000

The Government is to switch their focus to the subsidy of all types of insulation- roof insulation, cavity wall insulation, under floor insulation – and are stopping the subsidy of energy saving light bulbs from next March. Chris Huhne, the Climate Change Secretary, is insistent that energy suppliers stop their promoting of energy saving bulbs such as compact fluorescent bulbs in DIY stores and supermarkets and start to instead promote more efficient methods of energy-saving, especially insulation. The Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) scheme will see the subsidies scrapped in 2011. The CERT are to shift focus to the insulation of UK homes and energy suppliers will be required to spend on promoting professionally installed loft insulation, cavity insulation and solid wall insulation.

Huhne states that the lowest income households – those that are more at risk of fuel poverty- will comprise of 15% of homes helped by the new scheme. He said: “Our plans will give a huge boost to the insulation industry during the economic recovery as we pave the way for the start of the Green Deal. This is the beginning of a massive and urgent increase in home energy insulation for the nation. We are demanding that energy companies work harder to make homes warmer, more environmentally friendly and cheaper to run, especially for those who need it most.”

Huhne predicts a £550 annual saving by households properly insulating their homes. The minister states that 3.5 million more homes across the UK are likely to gain under the scheme, a further 1 million rise on the 2.5 million homes insulated under the scheme since April 2008.

National Insulation Association chief executive Neil Marshall said: “We welcome this bold move by Government and recognition of the critical role that insulation has to play in reducing energy bills and tackling climate change. The introduction of a minimum level of insulation that must be carried out by the energy suppliers along with other changes such as stopping the promotion of CFLs will ensure there is a major increase in the amount of insulation undertaken.”

National Self Build & Renovation Seminars Held In Swindon This Weekend

Danny — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 08:00:17 +0000

During the 11th and 12th of July at the National Self Build & Renovation Centre in Swindon there are dozens of seminars taking place aimed at home owners and trades men. They are all in aid of the making more space weekend and with so much happening their you will not want to miss it. whether your looking to develop your current home or build a new home from scratch.

Everything from extensions, loft conversions, basement conversions, property development and everything else will be covered with experts on hand to discuss any issues regarding planning permissions, local law, costs, expenses and regulations. The experts confirmed so far are architects: Opinder Liddar & Trevor Avery, design, planning, building regs specialist: Neil Davey and basement conversion expert: Mike Edwards & Sovereign Chemicals to name a few are ready to guide and advise you in any property matter you could possibly have. The event held in Swindon is going to give you all the information and insight you could neeed into anything property related. Along with all the on hand expert advice and information there will also be hundreds of exhibitors with features that you will not find anywhere else. From audio tours and hundreds of home design ideas to the trade village exhibitor area with over 200 stands.

This is the only place to be if you own your own home, are looking to develop property or just have a general interest in property development or trades. Tickets are available free onlne and it is advisable to book early to save disapointment.

Historical Church has Roof Repaired

Danny — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 08:00:15 +0000

A thirteenth century Monmouthshire church has re-opened to the public after 9 months of extensive repairs was completed on its aging roof. The re-opening is the culmination of three years worth of hard work from a group of local fund raisers who eventually raised £270,000 to get the roof repairs completed. The roof had been leaking on St Nicholas Church in Grosmont for a number of years and the historic churches spire had started to lean.

Roofers moved in to correct the correct the damage and the local church services continued across the street in the village hall. The disrepair the building was suffering from was not only confined to the roof, the floor of the historic structure was reconditioned and money was also raised to rebuild the drains and water runoff systems underneath the structure to prevent water entering the church in the future. Local plasterers were also able to complete plastering work to the internal walls to stop damp from setting in.

In an eagerly awaited ceremony conducted by the Rev Dr Jean Prosser MBE, the hard work of the renovation group was mentioned. He commented on how the community had really pulled together and paid special complements to one church goer who sold over 200 copies of a church literature magazine to raise over £1000. Other fund raising activities included wine tasting and musical events.

The restoration work has not yet been completed though as there are plans to fit a new kitchen to the church and install a new toilet which will be available for use by the community.

Hospital Closes Beds While Renovations Take Place

Danny — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 08:00:23 +0000

The NHS has implemented steps to ensure wards have everything in place to demonstrate good infection control and hygiene practice. They feel that hospital cleanliness should be the last worry of the patients but first duty of everyone working under the National Health Service.

Things like carpets in patient’s bedrooms are due to be removed and replaced with vinyl flooring, walls are to be re-plastered and re-decorated to ensure they can be cleaned down as easily as possible to make sure there is very little chance of spreading infection like MRSA.

It was announced last week that beds at Ross-Shire Hospital are to close temporarily while work is undertaken to improve cleanliness and patient safety on the ward. After having an internal environmental inspection carried out, as part of the NHS Highlands programme, the decision was made to make sure that all walls, floors and surfaces are made easier to clean.

The NHS Highlands have announced it is not possible to say when the beds will be ready to reopen and the exact work on the relatively old building is not known until an assessment is carried out by the estates department staff but it will almost certainly involve work being carried out to the floors, walls and ceilings including plastering and painting and decorating.

It will be a total of 5 beds from a 13 bed ward that will close, which are usually home to patients sent over from their GP or transferred from Raigmore Hospital. However a spokes person has said,

“The required repairs are urgent but we must ensure that the patients are not put at risk.”

Recession Having Effect on the Building Industry

Danny — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 08:00:03 +0000

When the UK entered a recession for the first time in 16 years, the resulting effect it had on traditional industry was astronomical. Arguably one of the biggest casualties of the recent economic downturn has been the construction industry. Everyone from the humble bricklayer to massive multi-national construction companies have had to take drastic action to secure the future of their business. Today’s construction figures show that new-home development statistics have fallen sharply since the last quarter of last year, adding to fears that the government will miss its official target of building 240,000 new homes by 2016.

However, some experts argue that it’s not as much doom and gloom as the media would have us believe. Although it is a proven fact that the number of people buying new homes has dipped, the number of people opting for rented accommodation has risen, likely partly due to the difficult in obtaining finance to purchase a property as a first time buyer.

This is good news for property maintenance companies as the responsibility lies with the landlord to ensure all required work is carried out. With many people also choosing to rent out property, requirement for certificates from electricians and gas-safe registered plumbers, as well as garden services, is also on the rise.

Many people are also choosing to employ painters and decorators in order to give their interiors a facelift to maximise the chances of selling their properties for somewhere near the asking price. Therefore it can be said that although some of the big players in the construction industry have been hit hard, the smaller, local companies are managing to hang on.

Boston Two Day Health and Safety Event

Danny — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 08:00:50 +0000

Next week, Boston, in South Lincolnshire is the place for small businesses, construction students, and apprentices to learn more about the awareness of health and safety, as a two day event will be staged absolutely free of charge on Tuesday 15^th and Wednesday 16^th June. There will be a wide range of different trades represented, from roofers, plumbers, electricians, bricklayers, plasterers and many more offering full demonstrations over the course of the two days.

The event is to be held at The Princess Royal Sports Arena, where there will be a wide range of displays and exhibition stands, covering all aspects of health and safety. The main event will be concentrating on five key issues – asbestos, transport, manual handling, work at height, and construction site safety. The events will be coordinated by the South Lincoln Training Group Association, with a major focus from HSE.

Employees and businesses working together are the main elements and key points for good health and safety in the workplace. The event is hoping to bring new people into the construction industry, and to give them a head start, into the future risks involved within their future careers, and how to control them, and take full responsibility for themselves, and their colleagues.

Heath and safety plays a huge part in all aspects of our lives whether that’s in our homes or in the work place and should be taken seriously. Anybody can attend this event and anyone wishing to attend the event is advised to be there for around 9.30am, with free parking available on both days.