March 2018

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Industry News FUTURE PLANS Housebuilders are reportedly investing in modern methods of construction and skills to address a number of industry challenges as they look to deliver growth and new homes for the future, according to new research from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking. The report, which surveys housebuilders and their supply chain, analyses the state of the industry today and the opportunities and challenges it faces in the future. The sector is said to be adopting modern methods of construction that hold the potential to boost productivity and supply. Firms reported that they are already investing in new building techniques, including modular housing (68%) and panelised systems (56%). Housebuilders’ motivations to adopt these methods include improved efficiency, ease of build, better construction standards and in some areas increased margins. An ongoing shortage of skilled workers continues to affect the sector with a third (31%) of firms saying there is a skills shortage at a national level. More than a quarter (29%) said they have trouble recruiting skilled workers in the regions where they operate. The report also found that the UK’s exit from the EU was exacerbating the skills shortage, with half (50%) stating that it was making recruitment harder for specific roles, while a quarter (26%) said that access to EU labour is a key challenge for their business. On a positive note, the report found a sector tackling the skills shortage head on, as almost seven in ten firms (69%) of respondents are investing in staff training, and half (51%) are setting up apprenticeship programmes. QUALITY STANDARDS HAVE TO COUNT As part of the Government’s Each Home Counts recommendations, BSI has been appointed by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to review and revise the existing PAS 2030: 2017, the specification for the installation of energy efficiency measures in existing buildings, and develop a new PAS 2035. With this in mind, the National Insulation Association (NIA) attended a British Standards Institution (BSI) high level workshop in January 2018 which briefed key organisations on the work involved in developing new quality standards for the energy efficiency industry. Neil Marshall, Chief Executive of the NIA, commented: “This work is extremely important as it will clearly set out the specifications and Standards that will apply to the installation of insulation measures. The existing PAS 2030 is a little complicated and there are some aspects that are open to interpretation, however, this project provides the opportunity to simplify matters and remove any ambiguity ensuring that all installers will install to a common, uniform standard. New research from Which? Trusted Traders has highlighted the difficulty that members of the public have in finding and hiring tradespeople, with roofers proving particularly elusive. The study, which was carried out on more than 1,000 people found that one in four (25%) had difficulty finding a roofer, with builders (22%) and bathroom fitters (20%) coming in closely behind. “The NIA will be represented on the PAS 2030 and PAS 2035 Steering Groups and the Measures Experts Groups and the intention is for these new specifications to be introduced in October 2018 alongside the new Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and Each Home Counts Quality Mark. “At the NIA we are very supportive of Each Home Counts as it provides a vehicle to ensure quality installations are delivered on a constant basis and instil confidence in policy makers, specifiers and householders. In addition to contributing to the development of the new specifications, we will be ensuring that our members are kept up to date and provide advice and guidance to help them comply with the new Standards. Furthermore, we are also working with the British Electrical Allied Manufacturers Association (BEEMA) which will clearly set out minimum ventilation requirements when installing insulation. We are also advising the Scottish Government on the new quality framework they are currently developing for Government funded schemes.” SURVEY: ROOFERS PROVE HARD TO FIND In contrast, mechanics were the easiest tradespeople to find, with almost all of those surveyed who needed to hire a mechanic (97%) explaining that it was easy to do so. Heating engineers (93%) and electricians (88%) were also among the easiest traders to find. Raj Kakar-Clayton, MD of Which? Trusted Traders stated that: “Consumers shouldn’t have to struggle when trying to track down a local, reliable tradesperson,” and advised members of the public to “work with someone who has an excellent reputation and who has been vetted by an independent endorsement scheme.” How do you promote your business to the public? Email mattdowns@media-now.co.uk or Tweet us: @TotContractorUK 8 TC MARCH 2018
ALL ALUMINIUM LANTERN ROOF FITTED IN MINUTES GLAZED IN SECONDS FASTEST Glazed in seconds No cutting or drilling onsite, without silicone, clip fit finishing caps – Fastest fit on the market As featured at the FITShow, search for our YouTube video and see the Korniche fully fitted in under 6 minutes Under 6 mins SLIMMEST Uninterrupted Sight Lines Patent pending end boss enabling hips to merge into ridge Traditional features in contemporary design give ‘Timber’ like looks suitable for all properties Narrowest external ridge profile STRONGEST Performance Engineering Ability to withstand ‘Live’ loads over twice that of the leading competitor. A 6x4m roof can support up to 8 tonnes Up to 3m x 2.5m with no rafters No tie bars required Email: sales@korniche.co.uk Tel: 01642 610799 Fax: 01642 615854 www.korniche.co.uk 3.5kN /m2 SUPPORT Best for specifiers - the ideal trade lantern Brand, point of sale and marketing support helping save time and maximise profit from sales and on-site. TM Online trade KwikQuote tool WARMEST Fully thermally broken construction Thermal PVC T Bar, Thermally broken eaves beam and industry leading Q-Lon Gaskets. U Value from 1.2 PLUS ONLY 5 WORKING DAYS LEAD TIME FULL SALES SUPPORT AND NATIONWIDE DELIVERY CONTACT US TODAY FOR A QUOTE
Page 1 and 2: MARCH 2018 Drones & roofing Poor pa
Page 3 and 4: Editor’s Comment MATT DOWNS EDITO
Page 5 and 6: REGULARS 18 SMARTPHONE ALERT Janine
Page 7: Reliability... our strength When yo
Page 11 and 12: Handrails:- EasyGuard free-standing
Page 13 and 14: EXPANSION PLANS TO ASSIST CONTRACTO
Page 15 and 16: Standard CitiDeck AntiSlipPlus Take
Page 18 and 19: Contract Talk YOUR CALL: ARE THE DA
Page 20 and 21: BS 8612 WHAT DOES THE NEW STANDARD
Page 22 and 23: QUICK, COST EFFECTIVE ROOF REPORTS
Page 24 and 25: BS 8612 Unlike the revisions to BS
Page 26 and 27: Fibre Cement Slates UNDER THE WEATH
Page 28: Article Fibre Cement Slates nail fi
Page 31 and 32: New dimension in EPDM attachment Ex
Page 33 and 34: “I force them to use hand cutters
Page 35 and 36: Imitation is is always flattery...
Page 37 and 38: Complete Building Envelope Solution
Page 39 and 40: Go Further with SupaLite SupaLite d
Page 41 and 42: NO STREAKING. NO LUMPY BITS. NOW EV
Page 43 and 44: Innovative upgrade & refurbishment
Page 45 and 46: Neil Jones from Envirotek explained
Page 47 and 48: new-build design, the inclusion of
Page 49 and 50: Specification TOPHAT is the answer!
Page 51 and 52: DRESSED FOR SUCCESS Snickers says i
Page 53 and 54: More than just a pretty fixing. Whe
Page 55 and 56: Timelessly beautiful facades With t
Page 57 and 58: Images show the Logistics City proj
Page 59 and 60:
LEVATO MONO Porcelain paver system
Page 61 and 62:
ideal for use on conservatory conve
Page 63 and 64:
Delivering training excellence to t
Page 65 and 66:
HIGH PERFORMANCE LIQUID WATERPROOFI
Page 67 and 68:
ICB TRAINING Waterproofing+ Availab
Page 69 and 70:
weather The proof is in the detail
Page 71 and 72:
Whatever your flat roofing requirem
Page 73 and 74:
FROM THE GROUND UP Karen Everitt at
Page 75 and 76:
Lincoln. A classic clay pantile Lin
Page 77 and 78:
Contractor’s Day 2018 coming soon
Page 79 and 80:
taken for more valuable vehicles. T
Page 81 and 82:
Total Recruitment To promote your v
Page 83 and 84:
Technical Secretary Part-time Based
show all

March 2018

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?