We asked Ecomerchant, supplier of natural and sustainable building products, to give us their take on healthy building.

In our view, a healthy home is   ‘one that incorporates healthy design elements, non-toxic building materials, and proper construction techniques. It “breathes”, emits no toxic gasses, and is resistant to mould and decay.

Sliding and folding door hardware manufacturer, P C Henderson, has recently donated materials to help with the rebuild of a primary school in Nepal after it was left devastated by an earthquake in 2015.

Situated on a picturesque mountainside, the village of San Bhorle was left in ruins when the 7.8M_w earthquake hit, levelling every one of its 43 houses and primary school. All but one resident survived, but the community was left to rebuild their lives with no materials, tools or machinery.

In response the recent Corona virus outbreak Managing Director at JIS Europe, Richard Thelwell, discusses their policy of stockholding and how it is even more relevant and impactful today.

“At JIS Europe our staff and customers wellbeing are of paramount and first importance to us, in light of that, we are following all government guidelines and have instituted further measures to further protect our staff. Whilst the advice remains to stay open we will do so, with necessary staff in place, and continue to send our rails out on a Next Working Day service and there will be no disruption to supply.  This is enabled by our longstanding policy of stockholding which means whatever the crisis may be, be it fires or theft within our factories, Brexit or the coronavirus today we are able to fulfil supply.  This results in not only further financial stability for ourselves but also our customers whose projects do not want to see any unnecessary further delays.”

When it comes to underfloor heating systems, there are two types, water and electric. Both warm an area from the floor up and unlike central heating warm the people and objects in a room rather than just heating the air. Central heating is still used in millions of UK homes and causes a massive amount of energy wastage.

The current UK government advice is for everyone in the UK to practice social distancing –  limiting face-to-face contact with people who are not in your household and maintaining a two-metre distance between one another. Where this is not possible – such as on public transport etc. you need to wear a face mask. The governments of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have issued their own guidance.

Brio has extended its established range of sliding door hardware with the new Brio Pocket Slide 80. Hidden from view once installed, the universally sized pocket door kit offers a flexible, simple-to-install solution for installers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), while reducing cost and valuable inventory space for architectural ironmongers (AIs) and builders merchants.

Creating an area for home working is one of the first things that many people aspire to when building their own home. Unfortunately they’re also the rooms that end up being reduced in size to create larger family areas elsewhere. Box rooms or small annexes off a loft bedroom inevitably form home offices instead.

Across the country, Britons are using their time during lockdown to work on home improvements and DIY projects. From kitchen refurbs, to sprucing up the garden, the nation has taken the opportunity to review and renew their living space. However, to get the most from these projects, it’s important not to overlook the smaller design details, such as door handles. Not just for functional purposes, these additions can help finish exciting interior design schemes, thanks to the wide range of stylised options to choose from.