Reading between the lines

The latest editions of Mortar News, Autumn 2012, are now available HERE

Mortar News is an occasional electronic newsletter promoting the use of factory-produced mortars and the skilled building trades associated with its use. Each edition has changing case study information relating to the MIA producer members involved.

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Well, it’s good to read of a bit of a bright spot against the present gloom in the housing market. According to the recently published UK Self-build market report, self-build home completions rose by 3.75 per cent in the first three months of 2012, the third consecutive quarter-on-quarter increase.

The self-build market remains down year-on-year by 12 per cent, from 13,500 to 11,850 homes but the recent figures suggest it is recovering. Completions in the final quarter of 2011 were 3.4 per cent higher than the same quarter a year ago. It looks like the self-build sector has proved more resilient than general private and public housing. The report says self-builders were responsible for 8.25 per cent of all new homes completed in the UK in 2011 and a startling 31 per cent of all new detached homes.

For building materials suppliers, self-build looks like an area worthy of continued close study.

‘Mort’

Suppliers of factory-produced mortars should do more to educate specifiers of their products. So said Professor John Roberts at the business session of the Mortar Industry Association’s annual lunch in May in London.

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It is a shame to see the widening of the gap between public and private sector new home registrations in the latest NHBC figures released for January 2012.

Private sector registrations increased by 9 per cent (5,977, compared with 5,484), whereas, as in previous months, public sector registrations contracted year-on-year, with a 20 per cent decrease in January 2012 (1,854 compared with 2,304).

But it is an even bigger shame that in January, the total number of new homes registered throughout the month was only marginally higher (7,831), compared to the same period last year (7,788).

For the rolling quarter November – January 2012, the number of registrations across all sectors was 21,110 – 16 per cent lower than the same period last year (25,022) although some areas of the country bucked the trend. In the north east and north west of England, registrations levels increased 12 per cent and 39 per cent respectively.

Let’s hope the measures being taken by government aimed at stimulating both private and public sector housing start to have an effect.

‘Mort’

It’s good to hear from director of the Modern Masonry Alliance, Mike Leonard, that the new build housing market has started reasonably well in 2011.

He says this is a result of private developers targeting the family home market where funding is more available.

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Our friends at the Concrete Centre have been quick to point out a very satisfying commendation for traditional masonry construction from government in terms of achieving a zero-carbon home. Hidden away in the Spring Budget detail is confirmation that Code for Sustainable Homes level 5 – suitably met by good old brick, block and mortar – will be the highest level required when all new homes have to be zero carbon from 2016.

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The warmer weather we’ve been having over the last few days has reminded me of the cold conditions we all hit just before Christmas – and the precautions we need to take when using mortar in the colder times of the year. It’s not only winter flu that cries out for a safe cure.

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I wonder if the government in the shape of the Communities and Local Government department (CLG) has been a bit too hasty in rejecting the findings and recommendations of the recent London Assembly report which called for greater regulation of fire safety on timber frame construction sites and in residential blocks?

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My daughter has moved into a Victorian house and is finding redecoration a challenge because of the antics of the previous owner.

A physics teacher at a local school, the man obviously had good, green ideals and was ahead of his time in recognising the need to insulate the single-brick construction. Trouble is, although presumably a good teacher he wasn’t a good builder and his approach was to stick 25 mm-thick sheets of insulation board directly to existing plaster.

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