JT Atkinson

Industrial partners at Cellucomp Ltd UK are working with engineers at Lancaster University to develop stronger concrete, using vegetables! Continue reading →

Whether someone is employed or self-employed is an area that’s always been a bit ‘fluffy’ to say the least for both employers and the self-employed. Continue reading →

From commercial to small-scale residential construction, sites can be dangerous places. Although contractors and builders do all they can to avoid injuries and keep up with safety precautions, accidents still always happen and on average every person has 9.1 days off due to illness and workplace injuries. With that in mind here are somethings you can do to avoid these mishaps… Continue reading →

If you’re a tradesperson you’ll know that whatever trade you are in whether you’re laying bricks or fitting boilers, every penny counts.  You buy the materials for the job, put in the hard work and keep your customers happy, but you do it for a reason and that’s to make a living.

It’s big news for the small businesses. A recent study has reported that consumers are twice as likely to be “very satisfied” with the quality of their new home if it’s built by a Small or Medium Enterprise (SME) housebuilder. Continue reading →

If you’re a man with a van, you know how much your livelihood depends on using your vehicle. That’s why it’s vital to be aware of the driving laws that might land you with a hefty fine if you break them. This list doesn’t contain just small offences or the big ones, it’s a list of laws that are easy to forget about! Continue reading →

In the past, wooden garden furniture came in two colours - one was silvery grey as the wood weathered, and the other was brown if the wood had been creosoted.

We no longer use creosote because it's environmentally harmful, and we no longer restrict our garden design to shades of brown and grey.

A whole raft of great new products means that we can apply the same creativity to our garden furniture that we do to our houses. Continue reading →

From 6th April this year, there are some big changes coming to the rules and regulations around boilers for manufacturers and installers. The new legislation is called Boiler Plus and aims to improve the minimum performance standard for gas boilers. It will also mean timers and room thermostats are compulsory as well as encouraging a range of additional energy efficiency measures.

The changes are being introduced by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy following a consultation which started in 2016. Read about the changes below and how it will benefit both installers and homeowners.

A recent study has found that loads of workers are losing out on money every winter! A lot of this money is being lost due to poor lighting. On average, tradespeople work 37.9 hours in the summer. But, in winter, this fell to 37.2 hours a week. With the average tradespeople earning £544.60 a week, this resulted in a loss of £295.32.

After the devastating collapse of Carillion earlier this year there is some positive news on the horizon for the UK construction industry. A new report has been released which predicts there will be job growth of 1.3% per year. That’s a whopping 158,000 new jobs over the next 5 years, an average of over 30,000 each year.

This prediction comes from a new report by The Construction Industry Training Board or the CITB for short. They predict that 15,350 joiners/carpenters and 9,350 labourers will be needed as more homes are built in the UK.