Professional Builder is the leading magazine for the building industry, presenting its readers each month with an array of hot industry topics. Here, we unveil them to showcase the latest products and trends.
Springing into action we kick start with the Bricks, Blocks, Aggregates & Landscaping feature which is singing the blues with Ibstock Brick. Championing the blue brick, Ibstock explains how this colour choice is rising in popularity, with the company recently investing £7.6 million in its Lodge Lane Factory — home of its Stafford Slate Blue brick.
Merchants should be aware of this growing trend but also the additional care that is needed by their customers when working with this type of brick. This includes blending the bricks properly, which can be achieved by loading out from at least three packs and drawing from them in vertical rather than horizontal slices.
Next up, Lafarge Cement urges housebuilders to insist on tighter controls around the use of mortar. Discussing a recent BBC report which has highlighted how substandard product is causing damage to hundreds of new homes, it would seem there has never been a more pressing time to highlight this point.
The company offers a ‘solutions-based’ packed cement portfolio which includes premixed and ready-to-use Mortar Mixed product which is made up of a selected blend of cement, lime and aggregates for laying all type of brick and block. This also includes new addition, Rapid Set Cement, which is a Portland cement containing calcium aluminate for rapid hardening.
As we all know, keeping on top of trends is vital for any merchant and an article from Tobermore considers the most likely ones to be impacting the market this year. Stating that an attractive block paving driveway and well-designed patio space can raise the value of a house, key considerations include colour retention, resistance to efflorescence, batch consistency and ease of maintaining kerb appeal.
The feature showcases the supplier’s EasyClean paving for the time poor customer, which offers a low maintenance option. Its Mayfair with EasyClean technology is treated with stain-resistant technology for added protection against dirt or spills.
The piece also contends that natural look paving is also on the rise as well, with moves towards greys and more natural textures, whilst the importance of permeable paving systems — such as Tobermore’s own Hydropave range — cannot be overlooked as flooding in summer and winter becomes more of a concern.
PB’s Plumbing, Bathrooms & Wetrooms feature enters next and we hear from Dunlop,exploring the importance of selecting the correct grout for tiling projects. Explaining how it not only needs to look good, your customers will also need to consider whether it is robust, durable and suitable for the specific installation.
Its GX-500 has been developed to offer unrivalled versatility for most wall or floor installations. It removes the need for using different grouts in a single installation and offers no slumping, shrinking and cracking.
Staying within this feature, we move on to Mira Showers,and the company is stressing the importance of digital. With digital showers now offering a host of features, these products really do offer merchants a great opportunity for sales. The company uses the Mira Mode as an example which offers in-app help such as troubleshooting features which enables the installer to switch the outlets if they have been mistakenly connected the wrong way.
Warm-up mode to pre-heat the water and the ability for end-users to ‘personalise’ their shower via the app are just some of the many other features on offer.
The mag’s General Building round-up comes into focus now and considers Isover’s latest roof insulation range. Specifically designed for pitched roof rafter applications, the Metac glass mineral wool ‘slab on a roll’ insulation is said to be quicker and easier to install as it is easy to handle, and efficiently friction-fitted between rafters to minimise air gaps.
As the summer months approach, trade professionals will begin to ditch their winter jackets in favour of lighter workwear. Accordingly, the new Snickers work fleece could provide the solution for those who want a lighter alternative but one that still keeps them warm on those crisp spring mornings.
Designed for tradesmen and women, the fleece promises to provide ventilation and moisture transport to ensure the wearer is able to work comfortably. The 37.5 Technology fabric in the fleece is a quick-drying material that captures and releases moisture vapour for coolness and dry working comfort.
Rounding things up this month is the ever-active Roger Bisby who returns to talk all about Packexe and its new protection film. Now featuring cushioning as well as being reusable up to 10 times, it provides a waterproof layer and an impact-saving cushion all in one which will not slip and slide.
Roger explains that the obvious applications for this product are on wood and tile floors, however it can also be used on worktops and even in baths if a bit of tiling is being done above.
