Professional Builder (Hamerville Media)

As an important part of British construction and British culture in general, it seems odd that there’s not really been much in the way of events celebrating bricklaying. It’s a trade that requires a lot of skill (and a very long time) to master. Three bricklayers that clearly thought the same are Ashley Francis, Joe Short and Jack Dawson, the founders of Super Trowel. 

Now in its second year, the competition and exhibition, that looks to find the country’s best bricklayer, is back and bigger than before with the final taking place on August 8th in the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes. Contestants will be judged on speed and precision as they tackle a 9-metre-long wall. There’s an eye watering first place prize totalling over £15,000 up for grabs. Take a listen as we chat to Ash, Joe and Jack about Super Trowel and all things bricklaying. Make sure you grab your tickets while you still can and may the best bricklayer win!

In this month’s episode of the Professional Builder Podcast, we’re continuing our series on energy efficiency and the Future Homes Standard. This time we’re talking to Dr. Richard Jack, Technical Director at Build Test Solutions. Listen on to find out how measured energy performance can help tradespeople improve the UK’s housing stock and save big on homeowner energy bills.

Heritage plastering is a creative craft, and it’s spreading into the mainstream. This episode, host Lee Jones heads to South Derbyshire to meet a master of this traditional art, the highly skilled Philip Gaches.

Philip – who’s been undertaking and teaching decorative plastering for 44 years – discusses the relevance and benefits of lime plastering in 2023. Philip tells us its creative and financially rewarding, plus a bunch of other reasons it’s worth adding it to the ol’ skillset.

Jacobean, Elizabethan – find out what’s behind these niche plastering processes.

Did we mention Phil’s plastered some of our favourite palaces and his sons have even followed him into the trade?

Also on this episode, Terry Smith’s tip of the trade and the latest construction news with Freya Coleman.

Links from the show

Find out the dates for all our live events www.toolfair.info

Read features and news online, or sign up to our newsletter at www.probuildermag.co.uk to receive our digital edition. (Remember, a print copy of the magazine can be found on the trade counters of all good builder’s merchants.)

Find out about training courses with the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) 

More about Philip’s family business can be found here Gaches Plastering.

Send your news stories to Lee Jones, ljones@hamerville.co.uk Or if you have a ‘Tip of the trade’ in you, record it on the voice recorder App on your phone, and send it to pb@hamerville.co.uk

Improving the Efficiency of Home Heating. To read the guide, visit www.hhic.org.uk. 

The Federation of Master Builders is the construction sector’s largest trade association and is run by its members for its members. Its strategic direction is, however, determined by the Board of Directors, the chair of which is the National President. Elected for a period of two years the current incumbent is Chris Carr. In post since November of last year, we asked the MD and founder of Cleethorpes-based housebuilder, Carr & Carr what his priorities will be for his term of office?

Energy efficiency is one of the hottest topics in the UK Construction Industry at the moment. The cost-of-living crisis, high energy prices, upcoming Future Homes Standard and government Net Zero aspirations are all contributing to this. 

Professional Builder’s Edward Kelly interviews Professor Will Swan, Director of Energy House Laboratories at the University of Salford. This department is responsible for Energy House 2.0 - a massive building with two environmental chambers inside, each able to accommodate two detached houses and under temperature-controlled conditions. Professor Swan tells us what this project has taught us about energy efficiency in UK homes and whether the Future Homes Standard is actually achievable.

In the latest episode of the Professional Builder podcast we report from the Trades United van rally in Parliament Square and talk to some of its organisers and participants.

With tool theft reaching what has been described as epidemic proportions, a group of tradespeople recently decided to take a stand. The van rally saw builders, plumbers and electricians from across the country come together to throw a spotlight on the issue and urge the government to do more.

For more information visit ‘STOP TOOL THEFT’ Westminster Rally - Professional Builder (probuildermag.co.uk)

It’s estimated that just 5-6% of tradespeople in the UK are women. When gardeners and landscapers are removed from the equation, this figure could be as low as 2%. While this figure is on the rise, the UK Construction Industry is still in the midst of a skills shortage, with an ageing workforce and a demand for tradespeople far outweighing supply.

With all of that in mind, Professional Builder’s Edward Kelly speaks to Mica May, Head of Development at Stopcocks, the national franchise of women plumbers, to get the story behind the organisation and find out how it is supporting tradeswomen across the country. 

There has been concerns raised amongst builders’ merchants – and the SME tradespeople who are their customers – that the recent Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expansion will make Greater London a significantly more difficult area in which to operate.

As a result of the zone’s boundary changes there is a £12.50 daily charge on non-compliant vehicles across all London boroughs. This means that anyone using a diesel van registered before September 2016, or petrol van registered before January 2006, is now charged to travel almost anywhere within the M25.   

There is a significant proportion of small business owners in the sector who rely on non-compliant vehicles, and who are already battling materials price increases, expensive parking fees, and elevated labour costs. It is argued that many will choose not to undertake work in London and, as a consequence, homeowners will find it harder to have improvement works completed on their properties. This, in turn, will hinder government efforts to upgrade our existing housing stock.

Professional Builder’s Lee Jones and Paul Davies, Editor of Professional Builders Merchant, speak to Brett Amphlett, Policy & Public Affairs Manager at the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) about the impact of the mayoral clean air initiative on the industry. 

Many tradespeople may well be thinking of taking on an apprentice – or would like to. There is, however, a perception that the process is time consuming and complicated, especially for a small business owner.

We speak to Ruth Scarrott, NFRC Head of Careers, who offers some useful help and advice on taking on and retaining apprentices.

If you’re an employer that’s looking for further support, the following links would be useful.

National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) https://www.nfrc.co.uk/careers/employers/recruiting

CITB New Entrant Team - newentrant.team@citb.co.uk 

CITB Apprentice Support - https://www.citb.co.uk/courses-and-qualifications/citb-apprenticeships/take-on-an-apprentice/ 

Gov.UK Apprenticeship Guidance - https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/employers 

Energy efficiency is one of the hottest topics in the UK construction industry. The cost-of-living crisis, high energy prices, the upcoming Future Homes Standard and government Net Zero aspirations are all contributing.

In the last episode we spoke to Professor Will Swan, Director of Energy House Laboratories at the University of Salford about the Energy House 2.0 project. This initiative has been measuring the energy efficiency of two detached houses built inside an environmentally controlled chamber. 

In this episode we’re speaking to Tom Cox, Construction Solutions Director at Saint-Gobain, who, along with Barratt Developments, are responsible for one of these houses – the eHome2. Tom tells us all about the exciting construction solutions, like weberwall brick, used in eHome2 and how they demonstrate that the Future Homes Standard is achievable. 

For more information on Saint Gobain Weber visit: WEBER | Saint-Gobain

Bosch Professional Accessories

In addition, Paul Stevenson, Key Account Director at Bosch Professional Accessories talks us through the features and benefits of the company’s X-Lock. Described as the ultimate changing system for angle grinders, it allows safe and tool-free disc changing in seconds.

For further information on the Bosch Professional Accessories X-Lock system visit: X-LOCK. The ultimate changing system for angle grinders. | Bosch Professional (bosch-professional.com)

How are your knees? Whilst we routinely safeguard our heads with hard hats and our lungs with masks far too many builders are risking crippling injuries by kneeling on hard and uneven surfaces without protection.

In this episode we go knee-deep into this vital health & safety issue. We hear from GP Alice Fitzgibbon about how builders can avoid bursitis and osteoarthritis. You can also get some knee protection advice from ToughBuilt, the episode’s sponsor, who has launched a KneelSmart KneelSafe campaign and provides an extensive range of kneepad solutions for the trades.

There’s also, news from the Federation of Small Builders, Construction Industry Council, Band of Builders, the Dulux Academy and the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity.

Why don’t you send us your tips? Or do you have a story? Email ljones@hamerville.co.uk or pb@hamerville.co.uk

Knee health links

www.nhs.uk 

www.versesarthritus.org

Save the date

The next set of shows from Professional Builder take place on the following dates. Stick them in your diary!

London's Alexandra Palace on the 30th and 31st of March 2023

Yorkshire Event Centre Harrogate on the 27th & 28th April 2023

To find out more visit www.toolfair.info

In this month’s edition of the Professional Builder podcast we talk to two commendable organisations who are each championing the wellbeing of construction workers.

Falls from height remains the biggest cause of fatalities in construction. The Ladder Association’s avowed ambition is for everyone who climbs a ladder to come back down safely and represents an invaluable source of training, information and guidance on the issue. We talk to Executive Director, Peter Bennett, OBE, about what the not-for-profit industry body is doing to promote the safe use of portable ladders.  

To view some of the resources the Ladder Association makes available visit Home - The Ladder Association

The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity is on a mission to ensure that no construction worker – or their family – is alone in a crisis. Sarah Bolton, the new CEO of the organisation, explains what this worthy cause is already doing to support the trades – and its plans for the future. 

The charity offers a whole range of resources to support the sector and you can visit www.lighthouseclub.org

The heat pump is a renewable energy technology that has long been identified as having real potential in decarbonising our housing stock. At the same time – with the right skillset – installers can capitalise on an increased public appetite with what is set to become a growing and lucrative business opportunity. We talk to Grant UK Technical Design Manager, Stuart McWhinnie about what the air source heat pump manufacturer is doing to help tradespeople get involved. Stuart provides an overview of the systems themselves, the training on offer and the Grant UK range.

For further information on Grant UK visit https://www.grantuk.com/

An average of two construction workers are taking their own lives every day and 20% of recorded absences in the sector are due to stress, anxiety & depression.

In this episode of The Professional Builder Podcast, host Lee Jones talks to Bill Hill, Chief Executive of the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity, to discuss mental health issues.

Bill talks through some of the reasons the mental health problem is prevalent in the construction sector, shares some sobering stats around suicide and offers some advice and support on how to tackle the issue.

Also in this episode, news and data from The Builders Merchant Federation, Alliance Fund and market research company Eureka!

Thanks to our episode sponsor Steel Blue who provide some guidance on selecting the right safety footwear on site. You can also read our Steel Blue review in the May edition of Professional Builder magazine.

Why don’t you send us your tips? Or do you have a story? Email ljones@hamerville.co.uk or pb@hamerville.co.uk

Tool theft and vehicle crime is on the rise and, if a builder falls victim to unscrupulous thieves, the impact can be devastating. Van Watch is a worthy initiative that has ambitions to reduce the number of offences perpetrated against hard working tradespeople. This industry coalition is supported by some of the sector’s biggest names, and is offering practical help and advice, as well as lobbying government to take the issue more seriously. We talk to Van Watch Chair, Ray Stafford about the campaign, whilst we also hear from ordinary builders about their all-too familiar experiences of tool theft and vehicle break-ins.

For further information on Van Watch visit www.vanwatch.org.uk

In this instalment of the Professional Builder podcast we talk to Band of Builders CEO, Gavin Crane about the vital financial, practical and wellbeing support that the charity is providing to the UK construction industry.

Band of Builders | National Charity for Tradespeople – Band of Builders Ltd

In our sponsored content, Sian Holland, Key Account Manager at Bosch Professional Accessories provides some insight into the many features and benefits of the carbide technology in the manufacturer’s drill bits and blades.

Bosch power tools | Bosch Professional (bosch-professional.com)

The Independent Builders Merchant Group (IBMG) prides itself on being close to its customers and that makes the business uniquely placed to identify the challenges that tradespeople face.

In this episode of Professional Builder’s podcast we talk to IBMG CEO, Martin Stables about current trends in the repair, maintenance and improvement sector and what local builders are doing to maintain a healthy pipeline of projects. The organisation has also undertaken some fascinating research on workloads and the types of jobs that small and medium sized construction companies are taking on.

For further information on the Independent Builders’ Merchant Group (IBMG) visit Independent Builders Merchant Group – IBMG (independentbm.com)

In addition, this episode previews the July/August edition of Professional Builder magazine, which is available from the trade counters of over 2,500 builders’ merchant outlets nationwide, online at www.probuildermag.co.uk and via email.