Whether you’re planning to tackle a home improvement project yourself or bring in a professional for a large scale renovation, one thing is certain: It’s going to get messy. What can you do to protect your home from dirt, dust and paint? Here are some tips from experienced professionals. Find
The Sunday Times has listed Wilmott Dixon as one of the top companies to work for, leading the way in employee satisfaction in its industry. Situated on the fourth position in the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to work for list, the company is the highest of any construction firm.
Essex is due to see the arrival of 5,000 new homes delivered by Grosvenor Britain & Ireland. The property group announced plans to deliver a new distinctive community on a 1,160 acre site east of the city after securing a new partnership with landowner Hammonds Estates LLP. “This new partnership
Södra Wood was delighted this month to sponsor the undergraduate architecture students’ timber workshop at The Cass, London Metropolitan University. The construction workshop is an annual event for the School of Architecture, taking place in February each year. Second year architecture students travel offsite to Mudchute Park and Farm, where they
Whether you’re planning to tackle a home improvement project yourself or bring in a professional for a large scale renovation, one thing is certain: It’s going to get messy. What can you do to protect your home from dirt, dust and paint? Here are some tips from experienced professionals. Find the Right Masking Tape Masking tapes are integral to any home improvement project. It’s important that you use professional grade masking tapes. Regular masking tape is not designed for home improvement projects. You might save a few cents by buying regular masking tape, but you’ll end up with paint bleeds and damage to your walls. Blue Crepe Paper Tape Blue crepe paper painter’s tape tears easily and protects the surfaces you don’t plan on painting. This tape can be used indoors and outdoors on painted or stained surfaces. Blue painter’s tape is safe for glass, drywall, trim and floors. It conforms to curved edges and is easily removable. Pro tip: It’s always best to test any tape on an indiscreet area to ensure you won’t damage finishes. Flat Painting Tape If your painting project requires straight, clean lines, flat painting tape is your best option. Flat painting tape adheres to glass, metal and wood. Pro tip: Clean walls and moldings with soap and water before applying tape. Low Tack Flat Painting Tape A low tack flat tape works the same way as regular flat tape except it is safe to use on more delicate surfaces. If you need to apply tape to wallpaper or recently painted walls, low tack flat tape is your best option. Pro tip: Use a putty knife to apply even pressure to the tape line. A putty knife seals the tape, preventing paint bleeds. Masking Paper Tape Masking paper painter’s tape is an all-purpose painter’s tape. Masking paper painter’s tape catches splatters and spills while protecting ceilings, walls, baseboards and trim. This type of tape is easy to apply and remove. Masking paper tape should not be used on unpainted wallboard, foil wallpaper, paper wallpaper or lacquered finishes. Pro Tip: When it comes time to remove the painter’s tape, pull it at a 45-degree angle. Painter’s tape is best removed when the paint is still wet. If the paint is dry, use a putty knife to score the edges before you remove the tape. Remember that quality is more important than quantity when you are buying supplies for your next home improvement project. Choose the same products a professional would use. Trimaco is one well-known manufacturer of professional job site protection supplies.
The Sunday Times has listed Wilmott Dixon as one of the top companies to work for, leading the way in employee satisfaction in its industry. Situated on the fourth position in the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to work for list, the company is the highest of any construction firm. Employee feedback showed an 87% positive score, meaning that “employees have no wish to leave this family-run outfit”. Further results showed Willmott Dixon people value the chance to learn and grow with the company, which has a training programme with over 50 modules for personal growth, plus a personal learning fund of £750 for its people to learn a new skill. Best Companies, which runs national awards to highlight the UK’s best places to work, said Willmott Dixon gained the highest score of all 100 companies in three areas. It said: “Chief executive Rick Willmott is the fifth generation of his family to lead the firm. Of its 1,693 employees at 100 UK sites, 330 have worked for the business for 10 years or more. Loyalty is rewarded with a learning fund of £750 per head so workers can try something new, such as learning a language or taking singing lessons. These initiatives contribute to the firm winning our special award for Discovering Potential. People value the opportunities to learn and grow (75%, first), which may help to explain its industry-leading 6% staff turnover rate. “Giving Something Back is another of this enterprise’s strengths (85%, first on this factor), reflecting the firm’s ‘purpose before profit’ philosophy since it began trading in 1852. The Willmott Dixon Foundation, set up in 2011, has distributed £286,058 to good causes in the past year and the business aims to leave a positive legacy in the communities it touches. One recent project, completed in December, was the refurbishment of the east wing theatre at Alexandra Palace, north London, a grade II listed venue unused for 80 years.”
Essex is due to see the arrival of 5,000 new homes delivered by Grosvenor Britain & Ireland. The property group announced plans to deliver a new distinctive community on a 1,160 acre site east of the city after securing a new partnership with landowner Hammonds Estates LLP. “This new partnership exemplifies our target model for our Strategic Land business. Working with Hammonds Estates LLP – as with our existing partners on our other schemes – we will focus both on delivering new homes at pace, and creating exceptional communities that create a positive legacy for residents and landowners alike,” commented Alex Robinson, Director of Development, Strategic Land, Grosvenor Britain & Ireland. “This requires a considered approach and a long-term view. It means deploying capital patiently to unlock development through up-front investment in infrastructure and placemaking, as well as maintaining careful stewardship over the design and management of new communities as they grow,” he added. The scheme will feature a mix of residential tenures set within a high-quality environment supported by amenities and community facilities such as education, leisure and health spaces. The masterplan seeks to enable social mobility and better life outcomes through high quality design, placemaking innovations and long-term stewardship. “Our vision is to establish a different model for development. Working with Grosvenor, we want to challenge and innovate – shaping a sustainable and inclusive new community which goes beyond just delivering new homes, but which offers inspiration and opportunities not available elsewhere for all sections of the community that live and work there,” said Matthew Lynwood, Development Manager at Hammonds Estates LLP.
Södra Wood was delighted this month to sponsor the undergraduate architecture students’ timber workshop at The Cass, London Metropolitan University. The construction workshop is an annual event for the School of Architecture, taking place in February each year. Second year architecture students travel offsite to Mudchute Park and Farm, where they get to learn more about working with natural construction materials. Last year the workshop was awarded a prestigious ‘Excellence in Structural Engineering Education’ Award. This year’s timber materials were donated by Södra Wood. Jeremy English, Sales Director at Södra Wood, commented: “We’re really pleased to be able to help with this workshop. Timber is something we are passionate about – it is fast becoming the construction material of choice, enabling quick, versatile, efficient and sustainable construction. It’s brilliant to see the future generation of architects working with wood and getting first-hand experience of the many benefits that it has to offer the construction environment.” George Fereday, Senior Lecturer at The Cass, London Metropolitan University, said: “Thank you to Södra Wood for sponsoring our workshop this year, it is something the students really enjoy every year. It is a great way for the students to learn how to work with the materials and gain valuable skills needed for their future careers, and it also allows them to fully immerse themselves in working with natural materials. We are pleased to know that our materials this year have come from a really sustainable timber source.” For further information about Södra Wood please visit www.sodra.uk
