If there’s one thing you can say with confidence about the coming months, it’s that there’ll be one or two storms. As we’ve seen in recent years, that’s going to put many homes at risk of flooding, and if your home has a basement, you’re...
Whether construction projects involve new-builds or maintenance to existing structures, sustainability is quickly becoming as key an issue as price. The construction industry has traditionally involved a large environmental impact, but the sector is now addressing the need to meet both UK Green Building Council...
If you’re planning a new build, one of the crucial decisions you’ll need to make is what type of foundations the building requires. It’s vital to get the foundations right — otherwise, you’re risking the structure becoming unstable and possibly collapsing. There are two main techniques...
The chances are that the most valuable single item you own is a property. This might be your home, your business premises or an investment such as a buy-to-let, but it’s crucial that you don’t allow its value to fall. While the overall trend of property...
Mini-piling is one of the key construction techniques available, especially in a crowded urban environment. It provides a solution to anything from underpinning to building extensions that’s not only cost-effective but also minimises disruption. There are a number of different piling techniques, and each one is...
Whether your project is a new build or an extension to an existing building, the single most important thing is to have solid, effective foundations. Without these, the best-built structure is likely to run into problems. The main types of foundation are traditional strip foundations, raft...
Whether your construction project involves removing an internal wall, underpinning your home’s foundations or a complete new build, you want it to run smoothly, meet high standards and be cost effective. Achieving all that is tougher than ever in the current challenging circumstances, which makes...
There are various circumstances when you might need to have a building survey undertaken, but it’s most common when you’re buying or selling a property. The ideal outcome is that the building gets a clean bill of health, but realistically, there might be issues. Here are...
We all love having trees around us, and in urban areas, they can have a positive impact on both physical and mental health. The problem is that tree roots don’t mix well with buildings. If they’re allowed to grow near the foundations, they can cause...
Piling is a construction technique that’s been used for centuries, providing support for structures in soil conditions where shallow, more traditional mass concrete foundations are unsuitable. Piles work by transferring the load of the structure down to a stronger, more stable subsoil. Traditionally, piling has tended to...