Happy Customers!
“We were delighted to have chosen Paul Barker as our contractor to undertake the refurbishment and upgrade of our manufacturing facility in Oxfordshire. Understanding of our need to continue manufacturing throughout the build period, Paul had a flexible and realistic approach to organising the work. He and his team are pleasant, polite and professional.Paul readily provided solutions for unforeseen challenges and we are very happy with the results!”
Nicola Dent
CEO
Optical Filters
A Warm Welcome to Paul Barker Building Services
Paul Barker
Welcome to Paul Barker Building Services Ltd.
I’m Paul Barker and I have 33 years experience in the building trade. This time has been spent mostly in renovation works in both the residential and commercial arenas. All of the guys working for me and myself take a genuine pride in not only the end result but in the way we get to it. We undertake wherever possible to make the nuisance of having to have tradesmen in as trouble free as possible.
We understand that this is your home and that work should be carried out with a common sense approach to noise, dust and an acknowledgement for your safety and security during the period of works.
We offer a service that will meet the highest of standards in both workmanship and in customer service.
We will be able to offer a structured and predetermined time plan whilst remaining a sense of flexibility as the work progresses. We will always do our best to accomodate change for whatever reason this change has come about.
Our team have been working in a whole range of exclusive houses and also have worked on projects with the Samaritans where the essence of sensitivity is paramount. We have accomplished both large and small commercial projects with the understanding of keeping work production for the client at full capacity whilst maintaining the need for Health and Safety to all parties.
I have always found it easy to work alongside other parties including those offering professional services such as structural engineering and planning. It is always useful to have a team around where there is an existing harmonious working relationship.
If you feel these services may fit your criteria then then please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Looking forward to hearing from you.
It’s not just the money.
I read with great sadness about Cyril Jenkins 88. This gentleman died in Bristol just a few months after getting ripped off by cowboy builders. I hate this term because they are not builders they are just scum who have no building ability. In fact they are just thieves that is all and it would not matter what ploy they used to trick him.
They got £7000 out of him in cash to fix a tile. It is irrelevant to know whether or not he needed any work doing at all because they robbed him. It is not just the money though it is the pain and embarrassment that continues after the event.
When Cyril realised what had happened he stopped eating and became ill and passed away. He and his family lost more than money. These guys got caught and have been sent to prison for nine months - whoop a de doo. The implication of their actions are far greater than money and nine months.
I will never understand the motivation of these sorts and most builders I know would be equally ashamed of what is carried out in our name. Cyril who, as I read, was a successful business man in his time has lost the edge as he got older. That cannot be a crime for goodness sake doesn’t everyone lose a little ability as the years roll on?
Surely the price to pay is too high when we think of how many people like Cyril are out in the world. As more pensioners are living longer and on their own we need to come down harder on the people who take advantage of them. As family, friends and neighbours we need to keep an eye out for them.
I have of course often worked for customers of Cyril’s age and older. I make the point as carefully as I can to include relatives or other parties known to the potential customer. It is a difficult balance between looking after the elderly and taking over their lives or taking away the independence of course but we have to try. To ignore the guys that have been turning up in the unmarked van or not wanting to get involved creates a perfect climate for the rogues.
I feel like I beat the same drum but it is the continual beating that will create the rhythm of fairness in the long run. We need to go back to referring tradesmen, help in the community and informing the Police. They cannot help unless they know of these suspicious activities. An honest builder or any other person going about their job or profession will have no worries about being checked up upon. I always make sure neighbours know me and the team in advance wherever I can. Its all good housekeeping. We need to take action now before we all know a Cyril and live to regret doing nothing.
I sincerely wish Cyril’s family all the best for the future and my heart goes out to them.
PCA Training for Surveyors
PCA Training for Surveyors
Property professionals working with damp problems or timber infestations are being invited to attend a Property Care Association (PCA) training course in September.
The trade body’s three day course is suitable for surveyors requiring general knowledge of potential issues surrounding damp buildings and damp proofing and students studying for the Certificated Surveyor in Remedial Treatment (CSRT) examinations.
Day one will focus on timber properties, decay and insect infestations, day two on dampness, diagnosis and remedial treatment, and day three on health and safety and other relevant legal issues.
Delegates will undertake in-depth study on topics including methods of treatment of timber infestations and fungal decay, the causes and effects of dampness in buildings, treatment of rising damp, Health and Safety Executive Control of Substance Hazards to Health (COSHH) requirements and survey reporting.
Candidates can attend the whole course or individual days as required. Training is open to PCA members and non-members.
The PCA is running the course at its Huntingdon training centre from September 15 to September 17.
A two-day exam preparation course is also offered on September 29 and 30, for those about to sit their CSRT Surveyors qualifications. This builds on the work carried-out during the three day surveyors training course and gives candidates the opportunity to hone their skills in mock examinations.
Noted for its technical expertise, the PCA represents the UK’s structural waterproofing, wood preservation, damp-proofing, flood remediation and structural repair sectors.
PCA training is a key role of the trade body and underpins its reputation as a major educational provider.
Yasmin Chopin, PCA Executive Director, said: “The PCA is recognised across the UK for its technical expertise and in-depth knowledge of the building preservation sector.
“It is not necessary to be a member of the PCA to access all courses. Staff from a wide range of organisations have benefited from PCA courses including estate agents, architects, social housing managers and surveyors.â€
Each year, the PCA trains hundreds of people from property professionals to DIY enthusiasts.
Courses focus on a wide range of building maintenance skills, including damp proofing, structural waterproofing, timber resin repair training, how to measure dampness levels, cavity wall tie repairs and condensation issues.
Training can also be delivered at clients’ own premises as an alternative to travelling to the Huntingdon centre. The PCA is also happy to make the training suite available for hire to other training providers.
The complete PCA Training Prospectus 2009 can be ordered by contacting eleana@property-care.org. Full details of the PCA training programme can also be found at the Association’s website at http://www.property-care.org/training-events
The Property Care Association
http://www.property-care.org
Telephone 0870 1216737
Courtesy of http://www.journalism.co.uk/66/articles/534859.php
Flood protection ‘needs doubling’
Some regions of the UK are likely to see more floods, especially in winter
One in six homes in England is at risk of flooding, says the Environment Agency, and climate change will raise that number without better protection.
The agency calculates that funding for projects that protect communities from flooding from rivers and the sea needs to double to £1bn annually by 2035.
Without that, it says, economic damage worth £4bn per year could be the norm.
The agency’s report uses data from the government’s projections of UK climate impacts, published on Thursday.
“The latest UK climate change data shows that the risk of flooding and coastal erosion will continue to increase in future due to rising sea levels and more frequent and heavy storms,” said agency chairman Chris Smith.
“There are important decisions for us all to take about how to manage these risks to protect people, communities, businesses and the economy in future.”
Major costs
The climate impact projections - UKCP09 - concluded that every part of the UK was likely to receive more rainfall in winters - by 2080, as much as 20% more in some regions.
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AREAS MOST AT RISK OF FLOODS
 1. Boston District
- 23,700 properties
2. North Somerset
- 20,415 properties
3. East Lindsey District
- 14,949 properties
4. Windsor and Maidenhead
- 11,477 properties
5. City of Kingston upon Hull
- 9,825 properties
6. Shepway District
- 9,065 properties
7. Sedgemoor District
- 8,092 properties
8. East Riding of Yorkshire
- 7,513 properties
9. Runnymede District
- 7,007 properties
10. Warrington
- 6,533 properties
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This means, the Environment Agency says, that rivers may carry 20% more water at some periods of the year than at present.
The agency is also concerned that rising sea levels may overwhelm sea defences in some regions unless they are strengthened.
Vital infrastructure is also increasingly at risk, it says, with about one-sixth of the country’s electricity infrastructure situated in flood plains.
The agency revealed the top 10 local authority areas in England with the most properties at risk.
Top of the list came Boston, in Lincolnshire, with 23,700. Second was North Somerset with 20,415 and third was East Lindsey, also in Lincolnshire, with 14,949.
A year ago, the Pitt Review of flood preparedness concluded that major improvements were needed at local and national level.
Sir Michael Pitt said it was “absolutely not acceptable” that residents were forced out of their homes for more than a year by flood damage.
But he did not name the cost of improved flood protection - a gap that the Environment Agency has now filled.
It suggests that some schemes could be funded locally without input from central government.
Richard.Black-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk
Courtesy http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8107920.stm
Cardboard homes could solve Africa’s housing woes
Hamburg - Building homes out of cardboard may be the way to resolve Africa’s housing shortage and recycle precious resources during the 21st century, according to German scientists. Prototype super-durable cardboard houses have already been built and are resisting the rain and cold weather of northern Germany. Enquiries are coming in from all over the world, and the designer, engineer Gerd Niemoeller, is making appearances on German television news programmes.
“The problem is not the demand,” Niemoeller told RTL television. “The demand is out there. The problem is only in meeting the demand and gearing up production to full speed.”
Niemoeller calls his breakthrough the low-cost Universal World House, a prefabricated design built from thin, strong panels made from a honeycomb of polymer resin-soaked paper.
His company near Hamburg supplies the machine to build the panels plus the raw materials to the client, who then makes them locally.
Houses have 36 square metres of floor space, the size of a modest one-bedroom apartment.
But the whole house weighs less than a standard car - just 800 kilograms, including the foundation block.
“Without the foundation block, it’s only 400 kilos,” Niemoeller explained.
The house costs only 5,000 dollars and can be erected on-site by one workman in one day.
The one-storey house, primarily intended for emergency shelters or to replace slum housing, was designed by a team of German researchers and experts which included architect Dirk Donath, from the Bauhaus University in Weimar, and structural engineer Greg Hardie who helped realise the all-paper Japanese Pavilion at the Hanover World’s Fair a few years ago.
Orders already have come in from clients in Africa, according to Niemoeller.
With the global economy in recession and with natural resources such as wood in short supply in many developing countries, there is increasing interest in the potential of paper and cardboard within construction when combined with new 21st century bonding, cutting and structural techniques.
Although lacking the tensile strength of wood or metal, paper and cardboard’s key assets are that they are recycled and recyclable, according to Hardie, who worked on the Japanese Pavilion at the 2000 Hanover Expo.
“There are stronger and stiffer materials, but the rationale at Hanover was that we were using something that was recycled and could be recycled back into itself,” he says. “If you can utilize post-consumer waste, there is a place for paper as a construction material.”
The breakthrough came with Niemoeller’s revolutionary method of honeycomb cardboard soaked in polymer resins. Resembling a honeycomb wafer biscuit, this structural design has been a mainstay in aircraft and yacht design for decades, but not in housing.
“Up until now honeycomb structural construction elements have been produced primarily from aluminium. But that of course entails a local industrial capacity which is costly and very energy-intensive - which is unaffordable in the Third World,” says Niemoeller.
That’s where his “paper house” comes in.
“People want to stay in their own countries. It’s only the dire circumstances of poverty which force them to become refugees,” he says. “The changing climate will only exacerbate this trend critically, unless we can come up with alternatives.”
Niemoeller uses cellulose, primarily from recycled paper, which is soaked in polymer resins. The cellulose mass is subjected to extreme heat and pressure and is formed into wafer-like honeycomb structural elements.
Each honeycomb is a mini-vacuum which helps to hold the panel together and increase tensile strength.
“If you put a nail in the wall, you damage only one single honeycomb without damaging the vacuum properties of the surrounding honeycombs,” says the 58-year-old engineer from Luebeck, Germany.
“A 4-centimetre-thick wall has the tensile strength of a 40-centimetre-thick conventional compressed board wall,” he says.
Taking reporters on a tour of the two-room prototype houses, Niemoeller admits that certain amenities are lacking. There is no heating or electricity.
“Our house is built to what we call passive housing standards,” he says. “That is to say, it makes no demands on the environment in terms of fuel or water resources.”
The idea is that the house will be used in places were mud-huts or corrugated tin sheds provide shelter in shanty towns on the fringes of large African conurbations.
“In these conditions, there is no public water supply and no public utilities. People slaughter their animals and cook outside at any rate,” Niemoeller says.
The house is designed to provide sleeping space for several persons, plus a rudimentary kitchen, some shelving, a table, benches, a covered porch and separate shower and toilet.
“People can even slaughter their domestic animals and clean the meat in the adjoining shower,” says Professor Donath.
“One wall of the kitchen can be levered upwards to provide a large egress to the house on hot days,” he says.
Niemoeller’s company, The Wall AG, is registered in Switzerland, but the production facility is near Hamburg in northern Germany.
The prefab production machinery is constructed there for shipment to clients around the world, who then make their own houses locally, reducing costs even further.
“Each machine can produce 1,500 houses and we will have over 50 people making the machinery,” Niemoeller says. “The world needs 100 million affordable houses so we will have our hands full.”
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/274224,cardboard-homes-could-solve-africas-housing-woes.html
C.A.T. Scans
Michael Neill
Whether it’s choosing a supplier, negotiating a deal, or choosing one of the many contract players (everyone from plumbers to lawyers and back again!) who make up your “success team”, one trick clients often ask me about is how they can sift through large numbers of people and pluck the diamonds from the rough.
While referrals are my favourite method, there are times when they are unavailable or unreliable. It is for dealing with times like these that I developed the idea of “C.A.T. scans”. There are three things that are absolutely essential to know in evaluating the people you make requests of in your business and your life:
1. Competence
Is this person competent in the area of your request? That is, even if they want to help, do they have what it takes, or are they going to wind up being well-meaning problems to be solved?
2. Authority
Does this person have the authority to do what you are asking? The length of many sales calls and negotiations could be cut in half by ascertaining the person’s level of authority up front.
3. Trustworthiness
Do they mean what they say, or are they just saying what you want to hear? More importantly, will they do what they say they will? This is often the hardest thing to ascertain, yet without trustworthiness, competence and authority are of no use to youl
A C.A.T. scan is simply the process of rating potential working partners in each of the three categories. I use a straightforward high/low scale, though some people prefer to rank numerically, i.e. from 1 - 5. It’s important to note that total score (i.e. C+A+T) is largely irrelevant, as any two of the attributes are of little use without the third.
Today’s Experiment:
1. Think of a specific project or negotiation you are involved in with other people. Do a C.A.T. scan on the people involved.
2. If you are in sales, do a C.A.T. scan on your prospect list. If you are a manager, do one on your team.
3. The next time you are about to put your dreams in the hands of a relative stranger, make sure they score as high as possible in each category before you let go!
Have fun, learn heaps, and, well, miaow!
Courtesy of Michael Neill
Causes and Remedies For the Three Main Causes of Damp in Dwellings
By Gallery Pakistan
Identifying the problem:
Damp is one of the most frequent problems to arise within a home. There are three major types of damp to be aware of:
- Condensation
- Penetrating Damp
- Rising Damp
Each one has a separate cause and remedy.
CONDENSATION
Condensation takes place when excessive moisture cannot escape from the building. It occurs when warm air meets a cold surface and condensates into water droplets. A clear indication of condensation is black mould forming on hard surfaces or the presence of a musty smell.
What can cause Condensation?
Condensation is most commonly caused when a building is not kept ventilated. Activities that produce large quantities of water vapour cause condensation, such as:
- Drying clothes inside the house (covering radiators/ heaters)
- Steam from cooking and from bathing/washing.
- Lack of air circulation and ventilation in the building. (Humid conditions)
How can I reduce Condensation in my house?
- In cold weather low back ground heating on all day will help keep the fabric of the building warm and reduce moisture condensing on cold spots.
- Improve ventilation by fitting and using extractor fans in bathrooms and kitchens and ventilators in the loft.
- Avoid drying clothes in the house and cover saucepans whilst cooking.
- Use a dehumidifier. This is a device that draws in air, cools it to remove moisture, which is collected in a reservoir and reheats it at an acceptable temperature before re circulating it.
How do I clean Condensation?
- Remove water droplets with a sponge.
- Clean with an anti fungal cleaner or bleach based product. The product should be applied to the affected area and left for several minutes then thoroughly washed down with hot water.
- Redecorate using a good quality fungicidal paint to help prevent re-growth.
- Dry - clean mildewed clothes and shampoo carpets.
PENETRATING DAMP
Penetrating damp is as a result of water getting into the house from the outside. This is normally as a result of a plumbing or building issue. A common indicator is damp patches appearing on the walls or the ceilings and is often worse after rain. It can form due to faulty roof coverings, poorly maintained walls, poor guttering and down pipes and gaps around doors and windows. Penetrating damp tends to occur in older homes with solid walls, as those most recently built will have cavity walls offering more protection.
How Do I Prevent Penetrating Damp?
- Ensure guttering and down pipes are kept in good repair and are free of any blockages.
- Make sure any external walls are painted with good quality paint.
- Ensure that gaps around window frames and doors are filled.
- Check roof tiles and rendering regularly to ensure they have not become damaged and there are no entry gaps.
RISING DAMP
Rising damp usually occurs in dwellings that do not have a damp proof course or where the damp proof course has failed. The usual evidence of rising damp is a whitish fluffy powder or distinguishing marks on the lower section of the walls. The plaster may become softer and mould may start to grow. A musty smell may be evident.
How can I reduce Rising Damp in my house?
- Make sure there is no earth from the garden against the wall that could be trapping moisture.
- Make sure none of the drains are blocked causing a build up of debris.
- Repairs or input of damp proof course could be required; the opinion of a damp proof specialist should be sought.
The reader and users of this document understands and acknowledges that this information is only intended to offer broad guidance. It does not form any part of a contract and should not be relied on.
Courtesy: http://www.gallerypk.com/theblog/architects-spot/2009/06/causes-and-remedies-for-three-main.html
Reducing the costs of Flood Damage
One of the worse things anyone can experience is dealing with a flood within their homes. Flooding due to a busted pipe, or an overflowing sink or bathtub, or even worse maybe a natural disaster.
It is one of the worse things that can happen because it deals with a persons home. One of life’s essential elements which includes food and shelter.
So when this happen, often times a person needs to act quick to minimize more damage, more monetary costs, and more disruption of their lives.
Because when a flood happens, of course there is the damage to the flooring, the walls, and the furniture and whatever else gets flooded. But there is also the danger of mould.
So even after the flood damage is cleaned up, there are some steps you need to be quick about.
Here are some of those steps.
First, how severe was the flood? If it is a major flood then you need to make sure the home or building is safe to enter. Is there a danger of it collapsing?
If it isn’t a major catastrophe such as that, but more like a room that is flooded because of a busted pipe, you have to shut off the source of water to stop any more flooding. If that means having the water shut off, do it as quickly as possible.
Second, remove any of the water that remains, standing water. Use towels if minor, but if major you may need to call a water damage company to use equipment to drain immmediately.
If you do not, the likelihood of mould occuring is increased. The the water is removed, the less of an issue will mould removal be.
Finally, get out of the water whatever was exposed to it, like furniture and other fixtures. By doing this you reduce the risk of more damage being done to the furniture.
Once you have performed these steps, a professional flood and water cleanup company will be good too.
Your objective is to try to reduce the costs of the damages as well as limiting your exposure to mould as much as possible. A professional water and flood company has the greatest chance to do this. (See Revival link)
Courtesy of articlealley.com
New strategy to cut work deaths
Posters are available explaining the myths of workplace safety
The Health and Safety Executive has appealed to businesses to help cut the number of deaths and injuries at work.
It follows research which suggested that the recession could make workplaces more dangerous.
A quarter of businesses surveyed said they faced pressure to cut spending on health and safety.
The new strategy outlined by the HSE has laid out how employees and employers can work together to minimise the risks of workplace injuries.
The Director of the HSE in Scotland, Dr Paul Stollard revealed that nearly eight out of 10 business leaders acknowledged that good health and safety standards were beneficial.
He said: “The cost of preventing accident is almost always less than the disastrous costs of an accident in both financial and human terms”.
Injury figures
In 2007/08 there were 32 deaths and almost 12,000 work related injuries in Scotland.
In the survey carried out for the HSE, more than half of Scotland’s workers knew someone who had been injured at work or been made ill by their job.
As part of the new strategy, the HSE stressed that safe workplaces tend to be more productive companies.
The Executive said the most effective way to improve health and safety is for senior management to show leadership.
Safety excuses
Health and safety could also be used as an excuse according to the survey findings.
More than three quarters of respondents agreed that rather than risk being sued, businesses often used health and safety to stop doing something.
While HSE’s efforts concentrate on clamping down on dangerous workplaces, the research highlighted the myths that still exist, with a third of employees wrongly believing that HSE bans wearing flip flops at work or children playing with conkers.
Workers in Scotland are almost twice as likely as those elsewhere in Britain to think that wearing flip flops to work is currently banned.
The new strategy was launched by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, James Purnell.
Courtesy of news.bbc.co.uk
