As builders face increasing pressure to balance performance, cost efficiency and environmental responsibility, SterlingOSB Zero provides a practical and adaptable solution. Its ability to perform across multiple applications means it can often replace several different panel types within a single project, simplifying procurement and improving consistency. West Fraser’s SterlingOSB Zero is a high-performance, sustainable panel manufactured in the UK to exacting standards. It o

Siderise has launched its new PC-FS Firestop and PC-CB Cavity Barrier range, a passive fire protection package developed specifically for precast concrete cladding systems. Siderise previously supported precast concrete façade applications with its CW-FS Firestop, providing a fully compliant solution. However, growing demand for these durable and efficient external wall systems led the company to develop a dedicated range that addresses practical challenges such as tight tole

Metal Technology has become a trusted partner for certified Passive House facade systems in the UK and Ireland. Within the last four years, Metal Technology’s range has been specified on projects with a combined construction value exceeding £2.5 billion. These include the £120m St Columba’s RC High School and Woodmill High School at Dunfermline Learning Campus, the UK’s largest Passivhaus-certified education buildings. At Queen’s University in Belfast, the £35m Weaver’s Hall

Facadeshield FR Class B is the latest addition to Proctor Group’s range of external wall membrane solutions. The vapour-permeable membrane can be used as the breather membrane in external wall build-ups. It is suitable for a wide range of applications, from low-rise timber and steel frame structures to high-rise rainscreen façades and offsite modular systems. A key focus in the development of Facadeshield FR was achieving the right balance of fire performance, water resistanc

Matthew Sexton, Technical and Compliance Director at BMI UK & Ireland, explores the technology reducing risks while working at height. Working on roofs poses a significant safety risk. Whether carrying out inspections, repairs or full refurbishments, the consequences of falls from unsafe edges or fragile roof elements can be severe. For specifiers, the challenge is understanding where this risk can be reduced in a profession where working at height is unavoidable. To prepare

Vent-Axia has delivered high-performance ventilation across Centre Court, Olympian’s purpose-built student accommodation development on Alfreton Road, Nottingham. The site consists of three buildings: The Alfreton Building, The Spine Building and The High Hurst Building. Built on the former Forest Mill site, which stood derelict for over a decade, the £120m scheme comprises 790 student beds and 19 affordable homes, supporting the regeneration of the area and meeting increasin

Ed Morris, Technical Manager at Altecnic, explores what water scarcity means in practical terms, and what future regulation changes could mean for residential system design and specification. Water scarcity is increasingly becoming a housing and infrastructure concern, driven by population growth, regional water stress, ageing infrastructure and changing weather patterns. As pressure on water supplies grows, water efficiency is becoming a genuine design and compliance conside

Specify & Build met with Qvantum UK to learn why its water-to-water heat pump has been created for apartment developments. As the Future Homes Standard moves the newbuild housing sector away from fossil fuel heating, heat pumps are increasingly being positioned as the default route to decarbonisation. While air source systems have become the most familiar option, apartment developments often present different challenges. External space can be limited, acoustic considerations

Ian Dean, Managing Director, Concrete Products at Holcim UK, explains why early collaboration is key to Future Homes Standard success. The Future Homes Standard (FHS) represents the next tightening of the UK’s long-term trajectory towards low-carbon, high performance homes. With it comes an urgency for developers, contractors and specifiers to embed lower carbon delivery into every part of a build. The FHS builds on the whole-house energy efficiency principles already in play

Jon Knaggs, Technical Manager for Industrial Lightweight Construction at EJOT UK, explains why the ETA is crucial for compliance and key to faster, lower-risk project delivery. Higher performing and better quality building façades rely heavily on the right fastening and framing systems. But how do you establish which products and systems will meet the brief with confidence, as well as minimising non-compliance risks and delays when the façade design is reviewed by building co

Andy Williamson has joined the board of QuickFix Profiles as the company’s new Non-Executive Director.

It’s a damp protection approach used by many builders in new building or when forming an opening in a cavity or solid external wall, extending a building, or tackling an existing damp problem. A Wellington Boot keeps the wet out and prevents wet soaking upwardly or inwardly – and that’s exactly what the Type LTT Tray does. Simply bed it in position, and the shape protects the opening at ground level, including the reveals and extending into the cavity. Wellington Boot It or

Alpha has expanded its renewable heating technology range with the Magis M Top, a monobloc air source heat pump designed for newbuild and retrofit residential properties. The Magis M Top provides heating, cooling and domestic hot water and can achieve flow temperatures of up to 75°C. Using advanced inverter technology, the system regulates its output in line with real-time demand. This ensures maximum performance while minimising electricity consumption, especially during mi

Eight golden tickets took a group of installers to ESBE’s Reftele factory in Sweden for an intensive, entertaining two-day course, where they could hone their skills and familiarise themselves with pumps and valves specifically developed to improve heat pump performance. The group had all attended an industry training seminar last September at Kings Norton Golf Club, Birmingham, organised by iNstallD. This education hub was established by engineer Dominic Eves, who is a stron

Rinnai Director Chris Goggin looks at current domestic energy policy and the movement towards widespread electrification. Current UK energy policy aims to introduce wider electrification for issues relating to domestic energy security and lessening carbon output. One, if not the, reason for this shift away from fossil fuels is the potential geopolitical weaponisation of oil and natural gas. Exorbitant cost spikes perpetuate the reputation of fossil fuels as being an unreliabl