Welcome to the Blogs

Betram Edwards Builders Merchant has gone into administration after just under 90 years of business. The depot was closed on December 18 2008, with 21 members of staff losing their jobs. The firm, which officially goes into administration on 15 January 2008, cited the current economic climate as the main reason for the recent downturn in sales.

Lee Provost a builder from Looe in Cornwall narrowly escaped death when a cliff collapsed in his van during a renovation project. Provost had been sitting in the VW Caddy just minutes before the the 60ft landslide wrote off the 30 year old's van.

Builders, gasfitters and other tradesmen have an “alarming” ignorance of the risks posed by asbestos, with 20 dying each week, a report revealed today.

The British Lung Foundation said a survey of 400 workers showed that only one in eight knew that exposure to asbestos could be fatal.

One in 10 of those questioned revealed they had been pressured to continue working even if they suspected that asbestos was present, while one in four mistake

Industry coalition calls for a cut in VAT A broad coalition of organisations including the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Empty Homes Agency, the Bathroom Manufacturers Association and the National Home Improvement Council (NHIC), has been formed calling on the Government to cut VAT from 17.5 per cent to five per cent for all building repair and maintenance work.

The ‘Cut the VAT’ Coalition is calling for a reduction in  VAT to help the Government achieve its target of cutting carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2050;

Although Problem Solved will help you avoid cowboy builders, there’s probably no way of knowing if your builders will pull a stunt like this.