maintenance

Frost is the greatest threat to water services throughout the winter.  UK Water Regulations require any fitting or apparatus to be correctly insulated to prevent frost, unless in a location that is heated for more than 12 hours a day [2]. It seems obvious when you are scraping the ice from the car on a frosty morning. However, the insurance claims show that many homeowners, landlords and occupiers seem to be unaware of this requirement.

In the worst-case scenario, the replacement of water supply pipes is required.  Traditionally this has required major excavations outside a property and usually a great deal of disruption and trauma within, over several days and possibly weeks – inevitably at high cost.

In applications where external pipework needs to be concealed and protected against the risk of accidental damage or vandalism, Arma metal pipe boxing provides a tough and versatile solution that also improves aesthetics and adds a uniform finish to the project.

by Ollie Gray, business development director, Charis

When the EPG Energy Price Guarantee was introduced last autumn by the flash-in-a-pan Liz Truss government, it was set to run for two years, from October 2022 to September 2024.

We all know what happened to Liz - and her EPG promise was also cut short (maybe not quite as short as her tenure in number 10).

Looking back over the winter months of 2022/23, most of the funds and grants allocated to households to help them with rising energy costs have been akin to trying to stop leaking water from a pipe with a roll of tissue. Many households quickly achieved saturation when it came to what they could afford. Although, in part, this was due to the fact that energy prices increased beyond the additional support that was offered, it was also down to the fact that inflation was peaking at over 10 per cent, interest rates had shot up, and in general overall household income was squeezed on all sides, with no equivalent increase to household income.

Building Owners, Landlords, Tenant and Facilities Management Organisations, under new legislative guidance, have a duty of care for the fire strategy and compliance of their buildings.

The new Fire Safety Regulations 2022 come into force in just under 2 months time. This new legislation states that the buildings ‘responsible persons’ must deliver the necessary fire door information to all residents of multi-occupancy buildings.

Alexandra West, EGGER UK’s Product Manager, shares how making simple swaps in furniture and interior design can offer more than just a cost saving.

"Whether it is time, budget or design demands, there are simple solutions in the market to help value engineer even the most complex of projects. With consumers more conscious of their cash flow than ever before, it is important to offer solutions with added benefits.

Housing associations under pressure to make budgets work harder and ensure tenant satisfaction with the properties they provide and maintain, should consider the installation, performance, sustainability, aesthetic, and cost benefits of low maintenance PVC-U solutions for both exterior and internal living spaces. Hazel Verschuere, building products director from Deeplas explains more.

With over 1500 housing associations in operation in the UK, responsible for two million homes that provide safe and secure living spaces for five million people*, the importance of the role of housing associations cannot be underestimated.

Where external pipework needs to be concealed and protected against the risk of accidental damage, vandalism or theft, Encasement’s Arma metal pipe boxing provides a tough and versatile solution that also improves aesthetics and adds a uniform finish to the project.

Already widely used in a range of social housing refurbishment applications to conceal and protect simple vertical and horizontal pipe runs, as well as more complex district heating and central boiler installations, Arma can help improve security on projects at risk from damage.