Timber or composite?

Deciding on the best decking option for your garden makeover can be challenging. Tony Hobbs of Southern Sheeting offers some advice to help you choose The trend for durable and premium wood plastic composite (WPC) decking is now firmly established... View Article

Making an impact on noise

Recent research links unwanted noise levels with a heightened risk of mental and physical health problems. Karen Wilding of Forbo Flooring Systems says this shows that architects must adopt tools and materials that mitigate these effects Without effective management, unwanted... View Article

Queen’s Speech centres on planning overhaul

New laws aiming to enable the UK to “build back better and stronger from the pandemic” were unveiled in the Queen’s Speech, including an overhaul of the planning system to increase building rates across the UK. The Government’s new legislative... View Article

The versatility of timber

Scott McAndrew of ITW discusses why timber is not only sustainable, but can also offer desirable flexibility as well as crucial fire safety Alot of information has been circulating about timber being a sustainable material, with fantastic initiatives such as... View Article

Topic: Tips to buying building materials

Most people focus on the kitchen, views, location, bedrooms, and bathrooms when buying a home. Hardly do they consider building materials that were used in constructing the house. Besides the hardwood floors, granite countertops, and other attractive features, a lot... View Article

Why choose composite decking?

Felicity Hodgkinson of Ecodek explores the benefits Wood polymer composite decking can offer to developers and home buyers alike ‘Kerb appeal’ is a well-used phrase in this industry, and creating an aesthetically attractive facade with an eye-catching front garden and... View Article

Moisture Management in Historic Buildings

Lewis Proudfoot of Cliveden Conservation and committee member of the Building Limes Forum, discusses moisture management in historic buildings and why lime should be the default material for the repair of traditional structures The challenge of maintaining and repairing historic... View Article

Top decking choices

Stefan Holmes of Millboard Decking discusses the main considerations for choosing between materials when it comes to specifying decking While timber was once the default option when it came to choosing decking material, that is now far from the case.... View Article

It’s time for timber

Andrew Orriss of the Structural Timber Association explains the basics around choosing structural timber, and why it holds so much promise for self-builds, particularly on sustainability grounds Structural timber is now used across over a quarter of all new homes... View Article

Budget 2021: a boost for construction?

An extension to the furlough scheme, a £10m MMC taskforce, a new ‘Infrastructure Bank’ totalling £12bn in capital, £15bn to be spent on the transition to net zero by 2050, an extension on the stamp duty holiday, and the introduction... View Article

Seeing a smart future beyond the pandemic

Neil McSporran of NSG Group discusses how ‘smart’ antimicrobial glass for tackling infections beyond the pandemic, and how smarter building materials will help designers to create safer environments Curbing the transmission of diseases will be a priority for those who... View Article

The natural solution

Charlie Sharman of Cantifix discusses how the recent months have reminded us how much we need sunlight, and how glass technology innovations can help architects design for maximised natural light There are many lessons we can take from 2020 about... View Article

The visible future

Conversions from office to residential under Permitted Development Rights are becoming more commonplace as we move to widespread home working. Structura UK’s Manny Patel looks at the implications for facades Life has changed radically under Covid-19. The epidemic is changing... View Article