dhf (Door & Hardware Federation) is emphasising the increasing importance of EPD to the construction industry – and in particular – architects, builders and specifiers, in meeting the growing requirements relating to the sustainable building process.  An EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) is a registered and independently verified document that communicates standardised, comparable information about the life-cycle environmental impact of products.  In brief, it measures the environmental ‘footprint’ of a product.

Providing manufacturers with a means of demonstrating their product’s sustainability …

Steve Chanter from Watco explains the range of tests that a floor coating can go through to obtain CE accreditation, after Watco puts its own coatings through a series of rigorous tests

 When choosing floor paint, there are various things to take into consideration. What is important to one customer, may be different to another. Probably the three most important qualities in a coating are just how durable it is, how well it bonds to the floor and how well …

A new tool created by an interiors specialist calculates the best coastal resorts that home buyers should consider for relocation depending on what’s important to them. Factors such as the number of outstanding schools in the area, commuting times, quality of beaches and the number of bars and restaurants have been researched in order to give potential homebuyers in Britain an idea of their most suited beachside spot. Using this research it has been found that overall, the best coastal …

Pioneering decking system provides beauty and comfort for private terrace

Mario Rodriguez and his team at Yvyra, which specialises in wood floorings, have recently completed the installation of a roof terrace for an impressive private villa located in Vista Alegra, on the south west coast of Ibiza. Kebony, a beautiful wood recommended by leading architects, was installed by Mario and his team using the innovative Exterpark Magnet patented decking system: 100% accessible wood deck along with invisible profile …

Grand Designs Live, proudly sponsored by Anglian Home Improvements, is set to return to Birmingham’s NEC from 11th – 15^th October 2017. This unique event promises to break down the conventional limitations to home building and offers visitors a chance to discover the latest innovations, explore current trends and preview unseen products.

Once again hosted by Grand Designs guru Kevin McCloud, the event will showcase a series of exciting, educational and interactive features over five days. Kevin, …

When the Natural History Museum decided to replace its famous ‘Dippy’ the diplodocus exhibit with a new star exhibit- a real-life skeleton of a blue whale- design & engineering expertise from Lancashire provided a solution to balance all the elements.

Consulting engineers for the refurbishment of the 150 years-old Grade 1 listed Hintze Hall, SVM, aimed to revive, as far as possible, the original ventilation for the iconic, lofty hall, whilst taking advantage of technological developments to deliver the optimum …

When entrepreneur Kevin Byrne first formed Checkatrade in 1998, little did he know the impact the company would have on the UK trading industry. In the wake of a Tornado, which devastated his hometown of Selsey in Sussex, he noticed that there had been an increase in the amount of rogue traders in the area so created Checkatrade as a place where people could source reliable and trusted tradespeople.

Since then the business has grown at a phenomenal pace. They …

The FENSA Knowledge Hub, an innovative new data insight and management tool, has been shortlisted for ‘Technological Innovation of the Year’ at the prestigious London Construction Awards 2017. FENSA’s new cross-platform tool allows installers to harness big data to target, identify and secure new commercial opportunities.

Commenting Chris Beedel, Director of Membership at FENSA, said:

“We’re absolutely delighted that FENSA has been shortlisted as a finalist for this prestigious award. We’ve registered nearly 13 million glazing installations since 2002 which …

Developers registered 40,000 new homes to be built in the UK during Q2 2017, according to NHBC’s latest new home registration statistics.

40,343 new homes were registered during the period April – June, a marginal 1% decrease on the 40,810 registered 12 months ago.

29,123 homes were registered in the private sector, representing a 7% decrease on the same period a year ago (31,381), with 11,220 new homes registered in the affordable sector, a 19% increase on 2016 numbers (9,429).…

Remodelista.com, the go-to home interior and renovation website for home design enthusiasts and professionals, and its sister website Gardenista.com, today announced the champions of their annual Considered Design Awards contest, which honor the year’s greatest triumphs of home and garden design prowess and remodeling ingenuity.

Julie Carlson, Remodelista editor-in-chief, said: “This year’s group of finalists was the strongest and most varied we’ve seen yet, with projects ranging from a single-room, glassed-in retreat in Sullivan County, N.Y., to a revamped terrace …

Liverpool Waters is set to welcome two new additions as planning permission has been granted for Peel Land and Property’s Plaza 1821, being built for the Regenda Group, and Your Housing Group’s Hive City Docks.

The new developments will be located at Princes Dock, one of the five neighbourhoods at Liverpool Waters. The announcement confirms 2017 as the most prolific year to date for the £5.5 billion Liverpool Waters project with another building, The Lexington, also scheduled for development in …

Construction businesses running light commercial vehicle fleets are potentially missing significant opportunities for “rightsizing” their vehicles, says Arval.

Rightsizing refers to adopting a strategy designed to match the payload needs of a fleet to the specification of a specific model of van as closely as possible, delivering benefits in a wide range of areas from fuel efficiency to reduced environmental impact.

In new research from its from the 2017 Corporate Vehicle Observatory Barometer, Arval found that 83% of fleets who …

Creating accessible homes can alleviate pressure on health and social care, ease the 1.2million days lost through delayed discharge (bed-blocking).

So says leading social housing provider Habinteg, in its latest Accessible Housing Policy Update. And with the portfolio from Closomat, key features in the bathroom are simple to achieve, maintain- and easy to evolve as the occupant’s needs change.

“Accessible toileting is proven to make a huge difference in the demands on health and social care services,” says Robin Tuffley, …

At iWeiss, ProPower means continuity in more ways than one.  Their oldest ProPower Rack Power Distribution (RPD) rack has been in continuous service for 17 years, in the most challenging and hostile theatrical conditions.  With over 1,500 ProPower racks in service across North America, the story of this reliable workhorse product is worth telling.

“After 17 years of continuous use in the construction and renovation of venues, amidst all the associated debris, dust and dirt, our oldest ProPower rack still …

Jay Hounsell, a Herts-based carpenter and business owner, explains why he believes dust extraction should be the number one priority for everyone in the trade.   

He says: “I’ve been working in the carpentry industry for 20-odd years. My new company – The Hertfordshire Kitchen Company – has been going for two years and is successfully placing itself in the market for the supply and installation of quality domestic kitchens in Herts and the surrounding areas.…