The Decorator – October-November 2023

THE

DECORATOR

The official journal of the Painting and Decorating Association • October-November 2023

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Dear Members, It’s started feeling quite autumnal over these past couple of weeks, I do hope most of your external work is now completed. The clocks will soon be going back, and it can make all the difference to outside working when it is getting dark by 3.30pm.

I can now report that the Painting Skills Academy project (PSA ) with which our Association has been involved during the past three years, is now completed and has been officially signed off by the EU Commission and Erasmus+. The 2021-2027 programme places a strong focus on social inclusion, the green and digital transitions, and promoting young people’s participation in democratic life. It supports priorities and activities set out in the European Education Area, Digital Education Action Plan, and the European Skills Agenda.

The function of the PSA project for which we have been involved in is to implement vocational training for the European painting trade, based on the challenges and requirements of the European market.

In November I will be representing PDA at the UNIEP General Assembly, which this year will be held in Budapest, Hungary. As I now represent the UK on the Board of Directors, they have asked me to act as the Moderator at their AGM/Conference. I will feel very honoured to be doing this duty once again.

Closer to home, we hope to see some of you on Stand 96 at the National Painting Decorating Show on 21-22 November. Please do come along and have a chat with the team!

Our AGM will be held this year in an online format on 17 November. Some details are on page 4 of this magazine, but full information will appear on the e-newsletters PDA Members will shortly receive by email.

We have one vacant position for our Category 1-4 companies, this includes Sole traders and SME’s, on the Management Board. If you would like to help shape the future of the Association, please send me a recent image and brief biography by 20 October, email: neil@paintingdecoratingassociation.co.uk – The nominations/elections will be formalised on the online AGM. The 2024 PDA Premier Trophy Awards application form is now available on our website’s homepage.

Completed applications need to be back to Head Office by 12 January 2024. The date is set for 4 July 2024 for the Awards ceremony in central London.

Also available to download on the website is the application form for the Apprentice of the Year competition. Let’s hope to see as good a result in this competition as we did this year where over 100 Apprentices took part in total. A record number since these competitions began over 20 years ago.

A real credit to our sector!

On a different issue, we have decided to reduce the number of copies of this magazine to four per year, bringing us in line with other trade associations, but don’t worry, there will still be plenty of excellent content. We will also retain both print and digital versions. My thanks go to Catherine Saint Publicity and empathicVisions for their continued support and excellent work in the production of the magazine.

Finally, for those of you who have booked for our National Networking Gala Dinner, Apprentice Paperhanger of the Year Awards along with great food and a live band, members of the HQ team and I look forward to welcoming you to this event on Saturday 14 October at the Principal Hotel, York.

Until the next time, when the festive season will almost be upon us, stay safe and take care out there!

@TheDecoratorMag

/DecoratorMag /TheDecoratorMag

elsewhere in this issue...

4 Association News 18 Training and Education 20 Sustainability 22 Health and Safety 24 Sector News 30 The Gallery 32 Better Business with Charlie Budd

34 Case studies 40 Tooltalk with Wayne de Wet

Neil Ogilvie Chief Executive neil@paintingdecoratingassociation.co.uk

THE

DECORATOR

44 Products and services

Painting & Decorating Association 32 Coton Road, Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV11 5TW Telephone: 024 7635 3776 e-mail: info@paintingdecoratingassociation.co.uk web: www.paintingdecoratingassociation.co.uk Chief Executive Officer Neil Ogilvie neil@paintingdecoratingassociation.co.uk

October-November 2023 — Volume 92 No 5

The Decorator is published by Catherine Saint Publicity on behalf of the Painting & Decorating Association

Advertising and Editorial Catherine Saint Publicity Telephone: 07941 590 183 e-mail: catherine@the-decorator.co.uk

PDA Editorial Neil Ogilvie Telephone: 07864 300 688 e-mail: neil@paintingdecoratingassociation.co.uk

Artworking and Design empathicVisions Telephone: 07789 725 074 e-mail: info@empathicvisions.co.uk

The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those held by the Association. Editorial items in this publication and the statements and opinions expressed thereon are published on the understanding that the author of the contribution is solely responsible for the opinions so expressed. Although every care is taken with advertising, no responsibility can be accepted by the published for their products, services and other matters advertised. The publisher will not be liable for any loss or damage consequential or otherwise occasioned by error, late publication or the failure of an advertisement to appear in any cause whatsoever.

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

takeNOTICE

/thePDA tinyurl.com/LinkedInPDA

The latest news and updates about the PDA and wider issues across our industry.

If you have something to contrubite email info@paintingdecoratingassociation.co.uk

OBITUARY

Bob Hewitt Long time friend of the PDA, Mr Bob Hewitt died peacefully in September, and may he rest in peace.

Bob was born 6 May 1931 and spent his entire life working in the construction sector. He was National President of the Institute of Clerks of Works in 1987.

Bob will also be remembered by many at the Painting and Decorating Association as he was involved in setting up the Premier Trophy Awards Competition and remained a judge until very recently.

His funeral will take place at Poole Crematorium on Monday, 16 October at 11.00am.

AGM PDA Annual General Meeting to take place virtually again this year!

17 NOVEMBER 2023 After being forced to go virtual in previous years, it has proved to be a much better way to give the opportunity for Members to participate!

All Members will be sent an e-mail containing the AGM information. You will be able to download supporting documents and there will be an opportunity to feedback any questions or queries.

SEE YOU AT THE SHOW! The National Painting and Decorating Show is the industry’s biggest annual event and returns this year on 21 and 22 November at the Coventry Building Society Arena. This year will certainly be a celebration of all that is best in this vibrant industry, both at home and abroad, and the PDA will be on Stand 96.

CEO Neil Ogilvie, and Membership Services Manager Denice Harper will be there to discuss the benefits of PDA Membership and pick up any queries.

We are looking forward to seeing you all at this ever popular trade painting and decorating show.

www.paintshow.co.uk

ITS OKAY TO TALK THE PDA ARE partnering with Andys Man Club following CEO Neil Ogilvie’s talks with them recently to forge the relationship.

ANDYSMANCLUB are a men’s suicide prevention charity, offering free-to-attend peer-to-peer support groups across the United Kingdom and online. They want to end the stigma surrounding men’s mental health and help men through the power of conversation.

Aiming to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health and create a judgment-free, confidential space where men can be open about the storms in their lives, they plan to achieve this through weekly, free-to-attend peer-to-peer support groups for men aged over 18.

Head to www.andysmanclub.co.uk to find your nearest meeting point and learn more.

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The following items will be covered:1. Financial Report – Azets Accountants 2. Subscriptions – recommendation 3. Minutes from the meeting held on 22 November 2022 4. Current Management Board 5. Election of Management Board Officers 6. Appointment of Accountants for the ensuing year 2024 7. Appointment of Trustees for the ensuing year 2024 8. PDA Overview – Chief Executive Officer, Neil Ogilvie 9. Any other ( Relevant) Business Members wishing to raise Items for discussion should notify PDA Head Office at least seven days in advance of the Annual General Meeting. Un-notified proposals should be framed as a recommendation to the Management Board for discussion at its next meeting on 13 December 2023.

Point five of the meeting will be to elect Members to the management board, of which there is still one vacancy to represent categories 1, 2, 3 and 4 – please do get in touch if you want to put yourself forward.

After voting online the successful candidate(s) will be notified and the details will be sent out as part of the AGM. We urge all Members to take part in the voting process.

Please make sure that we have an up to date e-mail address for you, and keep an eye on our social media channels for further notifications.

/thepda tinyurl.com/LinkedInPDA

e m o c l e W TO THE ASSOCIATION...

ASSOCIATION NEWS

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You’ll be in immediate touch with a quoting system and a series of pre-prepared business letters covering a raft of eventualities ready for you to use at will. Detailed, fast, professional proposals with automated emails that convert to sales.

Key features • Select the available content to create your own detailed proposals and any other • Automatically send deposit documents to customers. Set the deposit amount or percentage and start taking up-front payments. professional communications you need.

• AppyQuote has been designed by successful decorators, so it’s built on personal • Instantly copy a previous quote or estimate and re-use it on a similar job, saving you experiences of what is needed for a smooth working relationship. even more time.

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• Build your own unique company cover letter, installing confidence in prospective customers. • All AppyQuote proposals include comprehensive terms and conditions to help your • Quickly and easily work out prices for your projects, along with such information as projects run smoothly and protect you against potential disputes. The terms and how many tins of paint is required for a job. conditions are pre-written by professional lawyers with customisable wording to suit • Pre-installed with emails written by copywriters and designed to top standards. your personal business.

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How AppyQuote came about Jamie Mintrim has run a busy decorating business since 2005 and has been a decorator for over 20 years. In 2009 he was drained. He put so much effort into seeing prospective clients, but it wasn’t translating into enough work.

“Never one for words, Working late at night, sending out quotes riddled with spelling mistakes,” he remembers.

"I was overwhelmed and disheartened. I felt substandard quotes were losing me work.”

Jamie knew he needed help, so he found a professional copywriter who created a new quote template, supported by a bespoke sales letter that set out all the reasons why a client should use his services.

"I learned that jobs can be secured by having a simplified quote, yet one that is still comprehensive. What they don’t want is a rough figure scrawled on a scruffy piece of paper. It’s unprofessional and can lead to confusion on all sides."

Armed with plenty of advice and a simple quoting system to outline each step, Jamie started sending out quotes with a sense of ease and excitement. His take-up rate soared by 40 per cent and paperwork more than halved!

You can contact at Jamie@appyquote.com

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e m o c l e W TO THE ASSOCIATION...

ASSOCIATION NEWS

No one enjoys doing admin, and there’s a lot of paperwork that goes into running a successful trade business. Powered Now is offering free one-year subscription worth £180!*

What are you waiting for?

POWERED NOW IS proud to support the Painting and Decorating Association and its Members. As the UK's number one complete job management app for the trades, they help businesses, just like yours, make more profit with less effort.

Head to

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www.powerednow.com/pda "Very good system and easy to use.

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“I really struggle with my paperwork, invoicing doing quotes and all of this sort of thing. My strength is being on the tools and doing what I'm good at so this just makes my life so much easier. With everything in one place I can do more jobs. Powered Now helped me massively and I thank them so much” – Kevin E

Go digital with Powered Now: • Save an average of eight hours per week on admin – that's 416 hours a year, get your evenings back!

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• Manage and track your team - with an in-built HR system you can assign jobs, with in-built chat, project/job updates, time tracking, safe document storage and more!

• First-class customer service from UK-based experts - running a trade business is difficult; Powered Now are there for you every step of the way.

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

NEIL CALLS IN ON ASSOCIATE PARTNERS In August, PDA CEO Neil Ogilvie visited Associate Partner Festool UK Ltd, in Bury St Edmunds, to catch up with Digital Communications Marketing Executive Kamile Speteliunaite and Regional Sales Manager Duncan Murray on how together, they can build on this great partnership and support painters and decorators across the UK. Festool is a traditional family-run company, and have been around for almost 100 years. Maintaining a corporate culture that is focused on regional roots, high standards, sustainable success, appreciation of their employees and a ‘sense of unity’ in the company. Each of the 2,700 employees are part of the Festool family.

One of the main objectives is to provide quality tools for painters and decorators, Festool offers the right tools for high quality work in every painting application, their range of professional power tools for painters includes perfectly coordinated system accessories and high-quality abrasives for even greater efficiency.

Learn more on www.festool.co.uk

SIGN UP TO BE A STEM AMBASSADOR STEM AMBASSADORS IS a fantastic volunteer programme that has been running for over 20 years. There are over 30,000 individuals who offer their time, passion, and energy to visit schools, colleges, and youth group organisations to deliver requests from teachers and youth group leaders who want to link science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subjects to the real world of work.

With a new report showing the positive impact of STEM Ambassadors on the next generation, Build UK members are encouraged to support the Go Construct programme.

Businesses can register by emailing employer@stem.org.uk and individuals can sign up as Go Construct STEM Ambassadors, helping the industry to reach as many schools as possible through a joined up approach. www.stem.org.uk/stem-ambassadors

JOINT INDUSTRY EFFORT PROMOTES SUSTAINABILTY The British Coatings Federation (BCF) and the Painting and Decorating Association have collaborated to produce a new video which will help consumers save time, money and resources when painting.

Many decorators and DIYers are wasting paint, water and time by unnecessarily cleaning brushes and rollers before the end of a project. As well as tips on how to store paint brushes and rollers overnight, the video explains how to recover paint from painting tools before washing them.

The new video was filmed with PDA Member firm Bagnalls, a leading UK painting and decorating contractor, and produced in-house by BCF. The decorating tools used in the video were kindly donated by Purdy.

By following the guidance, the key savings identified in the video are: • Recovering up to 75% of paint lost by cleaning paint brushes and rollers correctly after use • Spending four times less time cleaning painting tools • Using 10 litres less water As trade bodies for the UK Decorative Paint industry, both BCF and the PDA are committed to actively supporting sustainability initiatives being undertaken by the sector.

Both have also committed to sustainability schemes – Paint Green from the PDA and PaintCare from BCF.

Tom Bowtell, CEO of the BCF, commented, “Sustainability is core to BCF’s work. This new video is a great example of how small changes can make a big difference. If every household followed these guidelines, we could collectively save approximately 2.5 million litres of decorative paint per year, the equivalent of 100 Olympic-sized swimming pools!”

PDA Chief Executive, Neil Ogilvie, said, “This new video fits perfectly with our Paint Green campaigns’ aim to help Members create systemic change to protect the environment. We are initially focusing on waste and taking up existing schemes for paint and container

recycling. However, we are already getting feedback from Members on further steps towards sustainable working practices that we can introduce in the future.”

Joanne Gualda, Director at Bagnalls, commented, “There are many ways in which Bagnalls is addressing its impact on the environment from paint can recycling to donating leftover paint to projects through our established Community Paintbrush scheme. We were more than happy to support the BCF, the PDA and other painting industry experts in creating an informative video that portrays such an important environmental message.’

See the video at https://youtu.be/5lZ8pK9rTsw

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

ADVICE for our Members REDUCING AND RECORDING SICKNESS ABSENCE UPDATED ACAS GUIDANCE FOR EMPLOYERS SICKNESS ABSENCE CAN be particularly challenging to manage for employers. ACAS, which is a Government-funded independent body established to assist employers and employees, has published updated guidance for employers on their website on reducing and recording sickness absence. The ACAS guidance stresses the importance for employers of accurately record and manage sickness absences. This helps identify underlying causes of absence and helps the employer decide on the best next steps.

Recording sickness absence Recording and reviewing sickness absence can also help employers identify increased rates among particular groups of employees, such as new starters, which could in turn help employers address any particular underlying reasons for this. For example, if new starters have lots of absence, there could be an issue with the induction process.

The guidance recommends employers should record: • the number of absences • the length of each absence • the reason for each absence

Return to work meetings Return to work meetings are an opportunity for employers to check an employee has the support they need to be at work and to find the most appropriate way to address absence. A return to work meeting can also be an opportunity for employers to investigate any concerns they may have regarding the absence.

Employees may be experiencing work-related stress, struggling to balance work with caring responsibilities, or having breakdowns of relationships at work. The guidance recommends that employers should try and address these underlying causes to help reduce the level of absence.

Things to do if given a fit note We often receive queries around medical evidence to support sickness absences.

Healthcare professionals cannot issue fit notes during the first seven calendar days of sickness absence.

Employees can self-certify for this time. If your employee’s healthcare professional thinks they are fit for work, they will not be issued with a fit note. A fit note will either state that an employee is unfit for work, or that they may be fit for work if certain adjustments can be made. When you are given a fit note it is recommended that you: 1. Check whether your employee’s healthcare professional has assessed that they are not fit for work or may be fit for work.

2. Check how long your employee’s fit note applies for, and whether they are expected to be fit for work when their fit note expires.

3. If your employee may be fit for work, discuss their fit note with them, see if you can agree any changes to help them come back to work while it lasts.

4. If your employee is not fit for work, or if they may be fit for work but you can’t agree any changes, use the fit note as evidence that they are unfit for work and for your sick pay procedures.

5. Consider taking a copy of the fit note for your records (your employee should keep the original).

If you require further evidence Sometimes employers may require further medical evidence beyond fit notes, to assist them in assessing an employee’s fitness for work.

To access the Law Hub where PDA Members will find additional practical DIY templates and guidance around topics such as employment and health and safety law, get a token code from the PDA office and sign up for free online at www.markellaw.co.uk/registration It is usually appropriate to ask for employees’ written consent to obtain medical evidence on their prospects for the employee’s return to the workplace, or any reasonable adjustments required in the case of employees who are on long-term sick leave. This can also be helpful for employees who have frequent short-term sickness absences to help identify if there is any underlying medical reason for the absences that employers will need to manage.

A fit note will recommend whether an employee who is unfit for work may be fit for work where adjustments can be put in place, following an assessment of a patient's fitness for work. Where the advised adjustments cannot be made, an employee should be treated as unfit for work.

Should employees wish to return to work sooner than the period covered by a fit note, the employer should carry out a risk assessment to assess whether an earlier return to work is appropriate and discuss this with the employee.

In general, employers should only collect health information about their staff where this is necessary for the protection of health and safety, to prevent discrimination on the grounds of disability, to satisfy other legal obligations, or if each worker affected has given his or her explicit consent to this.

Managers should not have access to more information about a worker’s health than is necessary for them to carry out their management responsibilities. As far as possible the medical information obtained and shared should be confined to that necessary to establish the employee’s fitness to work, rather than consist of more general medical details.

Absence and disciplinary issues An additional issue for employers to consider is whether the absence, or some of the absence, is best dealt with as a disciplinary issue where the employer has evidence, based on a reasonable investigation, that the employee is not genuinely unfit for work. It may be appropriate for the employer to take disciplinary action in this circumstance.

Employers should always be mindful that subjecting disabled employees to a detriment, such as taking disciplinary action where their absence arises from a disability, may amount to disability discrimination and that dismissing in this circumstance may also amount to an unfair dismissal. Additionally, disciplining employees for taking a reasonable amount of time off for taking emergency dependants leave is unlawful.

Find the full guidance at http://tinyurl.com/ACASSickness 10

ASSOCIATION NEWS Are you running a sole trader or partnership business?

Does your accounting year end on a date different to 31 March or 5 April? If so, then please read on...

The government intends to change from the ‘current year basis’ to a ‘tax year basis’ with effect from the 2024-25 tax year onwards, so that a self-employed individual’s profit or loss for a tax year will be the profit or loss arising in the tax year itself, regardless of their accounting date.

What should I do?

To avoid a raft of complex issues many businesses are changing their accounting date to be in line with the tax year, the most obvious being to do this is the transitional year, therefore preparing accounts to 31 March 2024 or 5 April 2024.

TAXES

BASIS REFORM PERIOD

An additional set of accounts would also need to be prepared before 31 January 2025 to meet the 2023-24 self-assessment filing date.

How does this effect the tax?

• Mr Painter has a 30 June 2023 year end and has made £50,000 profit.

• In the year to 30 June 2024 he expects to make £60,000 profit.

• On his 2023-24 return he will report and pay profits as normal, so £50,000.

How do I plan ahead?

Be aware that your tax liability on your 2023-24 is likely to be higher given the transitional profits to be reported. Find out your overlap relief amount to offset any transitional profits (can be obtained from HMRC).

Think about your planned profitability this year and next year and how to mitigate tax (e.g. capital expenditure, staff bonuses, pension contributions, gift aid, investments).

• He will then have transitional period profits for 1 July to 31 March 2024 (nine months), so a further £45,000 (£60,000 x 9/12).

• Mr Painter will either have a tax liability for 2023-24 on £95,000 (less any overlap relief), or choose to spread the transitional profits over five years.

Unsure what to do next?

Please contact Azets at hello@azets.co.uk and a member of their team will get in touch.

SOME PROBLEMS NEVER LEAVE US Brian Blue from PDA Associate Partner Paintcheckplus outlines the ongoing issue with applying modern water based paints over existing underbound /chalk coatings such as Lime Wash and Distemper.

NOTICE ON THE END OF INDUSTRY ACCREDITATION FROM 30 JUNE 2024, cards carrying the CSCS logo obtained via Industry Accreditation will no longer be renewed and all such cards will expire on 31 December 2024.

CSCS has issued guidance on the different ways that individuals holding Blue, Gold or Black Industry Accreditation cards issued by the core scheme can move onto an appropriate card, and its recent webinar explained the support available, including increased CITB grant rates for the achievement of certain qualifications when renewing Industry Accreditation cards.

According to the latest People Survey, only half of Build UK members have a plan in place to transition their workforce from Industry Accreditation cards by the deadline. You are encouraged to make sure you have identified which of your workers need to complete a qualification and there is support available to help them achieve it. www.citb.co.uk www.cscs.uk.com

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THE PROBLEM HAS been known to occur for decades, specifiers have failed to fully address this issue to eliminate the root cause.

The use of lime wash goes back as far 7500BC. In the mid 1800’s distemper as a commercial coating was launched by The Wall Paper Manufactures Company, initially marketed as Hollins Distemper but changed to WalPaMur and then Walparmur. At this time if a more durable washable finish was required, the chalky coating would be over coated with thinned down Linseed Oil and Turpentine to consolidate the chalky coating.

Following the two world wars and the extensive building projects Walparmur was the main product for coating ceilings and walls up to the time when water-based emulsion paints were introduced in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

When this new emulsion paint was introduced and used to overcoat lime or distemper surfaces in place of the original linseed oil based sealer, manufacturers introduced a clear or slightly tinted alkyd product to consolidate the chalky, powdery surfaces.

Specifications for this new sealer coating recommended brush application as this action helped to consolidate the underbound chalky substrate to provide a stable base for subsequent water or oil-based coatings.

Only too frequently the use of this stabilising solution was incorrectly specified, as it was considered that any surface which looked suspect, with cracks or surface spalling, would need to be stabilised even though the surface condition was not chalky or porous.

One major factor often overlooked is the weight of the overall thickness of the paint coatings that are applied to under bound surfaces.

On average, the weight of 5-litres of water based emulsion or acrylic paint varies between 6.5 and 7kg, depending on the solids content of the individual product.

Using combined data from several manufacturers – the volume solids, wet film thickness, dry film thickness and the manufactures recommended spreading rate per litre – the dry weight per m² of the applied material can be calculated along with the expected film thickness.

This on average for water based materials is 30-micrometres, with a sample removed from a local authority measuring 629-micrometres, this equates to 21 single coats of paint. In this instance the specifier has not taken the weight of the film thickness into consideration. Rather than produce a planned maintenance programme the authority decided on a patch and repair procedure.

The Problem Continues Until specifiers stop addressing just the problem at face value and don’t look at the underlying cause of the problem continues.

Paintcheckplus has been produced in a digital format for immediate access and reference for a one-off lifetime subscription to include all future additions and updates.

A special discount is applied for PDA Members. www.paintcheckplus.co.uk

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NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS

CRAFTING A BETTER TOMORROW F E S TO O L E X P E R I E N C E 2 0 2 3 IN JULY, THE Decorator was invited to join with other attendees from across Europe, Canada and the USA to the Festool Experience 2023. It was two jam-packed days of immersion in the Festool business at their headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. The attendees were a good mix of press and end users of the products – carpenters, painters and decorators.

On day one, we split into groups depending on our common language and with the help of an excellent translator, we moved around different parts of the Head Office for presentations. Although everyone from Festool could speak perfect English, it was agreed that presentations quite rightly would be in German.

So, we went through the whole product cycle of research, development, and production.

What strikes you is the attention to detail in everything – the continuous testing of products to achieve the desired outcome and ensure everything fits.

Festool seeks inspiration from craftspeople worldwide to innovate products based on a continuous feedback cycle. Digitisation is at the forefront, but only when enhancing the products. The company is in regular exchange with numerous test customers, examining their needs and identifying any problems, and these findings and requirements are incorporated into the products.

The exciting end to the day for those working in painting decorating, was the unveiling of the new Planex M. With feedback from the market, it was found that the gap between the entry-level Planex Easy and the Planex 2 was too great. While customers liked all the features of the Planex 2, the feedback was that it was too expensive for new employees of growing firms. So, by scaling back on some features (the light and the App connection), Festool has brought in the mid-point price for the Planex M. This gives no compromise on the Planex 2 performance, but with fewer features.

On day two, we went to view the production site in their new state-of-the-art facility, with solar panels to generate electricity, summer cooling and winter heating, the key focus is on sustainability.

350 employees work in the new assembly plant, alongside the fully automated small parts store and the driverless transport system.

It’s a streamlined production process with autonomous vehicles equipped with swarm

intelligence which transport the required materials from the warehouse to the assembly islands, and take over finished goods logistics completely.

Towards the end of the busy day, there was also the opportunity to try out the Festool 18-volt battery-powered ExoActive exoskeleton. This revolutionary product takes the strain out of overhead tasks. Whether dry mortarless construction, painting, wallpapering or installation, the ExoActive exoskeleton gives users an added boost when their arms tire, and takes the load off the neck area. The ExoActive allows the user to precisely adjust the support setting to obtain the level required for the task at hand. It certainly makes a difference in supporting tired arms!

The lasting impression from the Festool Experience is the commitment and dedication of the employees.

Everyone works together to ensure the brand values of premium, innovation and sustainability are put to the fore in the products and the workplace, with a razor-sharp focus on their two target markets of interior woodworking and interior decoration.

New Festool products will be on display at the Painting and Decorating Show on 21 and 22 November 2023 at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

www.paintshow.co.uk 14

Great new products now available!

OFFICIAL PDA STORE Kit out you and your team with our wide range of PDA branded quality workwear.

We have extended our range of affordable work clothing which now includes Painters Bib N Brace, long sleeve polo shirt and bodywarmer, all in a wider range of size* and colour options too!

Login to the Members area of the PDA website and click on ‘PDA Store’

Beanie £

10.9 9

*Please refer to each individual size guide before purchasing.

“They look very smart when you turn up for a job.

The fleece jackets are lightweight, comfy to drive in and with white overalls, really looks sharp. I would highly recommend them.” – Michael Graham Decorators Ltd

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NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS

LEWIS IS A SCREWFIX TOP TRADESPERSON FINALIST! PDA MEMBER LEWIS Mitten from Cheltenham, was one of the shortlisted finalists from hundreds of entries in the Screwfix Top Tradesperson 2023, along with nine other tradespeople from across the UK. Lewis, 31, has seven years of experience in the trade and impressed judges during the semi-final stage by showcasing his passion for sustainability together with his passion as an advocate for promoting mental health within the trades.

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Screwfix Top Tradesperson attracted more than 1,000 applications this year, with just 10 making the final stage.

The final took place at Screwfix LIVE on 22 September, where Lewis had the chance to highlight his professionalism, dedication and commitment to the trade in front of a panel of industry experts.

The panel included representatives from the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE), the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC), and Screwfix Top Tradesperson 2022 champion, Toby Peacock.

Ultimately, only one tradesperson could be crowned Screwfix Top Tradesperson and receive the ultimate trade bundle of tech, tools and training worth £20,0000, while earning themselves a spot in the Screwfix Top Tradesperson Hall of Fame. This year that prize went to Astrid Arnold, a carpenter from Devon.

Lewis, who owns Mitten’s Decorating, was still pleased and said, “I’m really proud to have made it to the final of this coveted award. Having only been in the trade for seven years, I’m committed to giving back, supporting others at the start of their own journey.

“So far I have trained two apprentices, and have plans to help many more. To be crowned Screwfix Top Tradesperson would be a dream come true!”

Jack Wallace, Marketing Director at Screwfix and judge of the competition, said, “At Screwfix, we know how invaluable tradespeople are to both our economy and the local communities in which they work. Our Screwfix Top Tradesperson competition shines a light on inspirational tradespeople who go above and beyond for their customers, their colleagues, and the next generation of tradespeople, day in, day out.

“The previous winners of the award are truly outstanding professionals, role models and ambassadors for the trade, and earned their spot in the Top Tradesperson Hall of Fame.”

To find out more about the Screwfix Top Tradesperson award and this year’s finalists, please visit screwfix.com/stt

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TRAINING AND EDUCATION

PDA HELPS TO SET STANDARD WE ARE DELIGHTED to announce that the PDA has helped set the standard for apprentices embarking on their Level 2 Apprenticeships in the next academic year. The PDA Education and Training Committee joined forces with Ann Cook Associates and the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) to create a new occupational standard and End Point Assessment.

The Level 2 Apprentice standard (ST0295), review and EPA (End Point Assessment) has been approved by the Department for Education, ready for delivery in September.

The move means apprentices will be able to study a programme that has been evaluated and shaped by expertise within the industry.

Chief Executive of the PDA, Neil Ogilvie said, “The redevelopment of this L2 qualification ensures apprentices have the correct skills and knowledge to succeed in their working life. We look forward to seeing painters and decorators at the very beginning of their career in colour putting this new standard into practice over the coming academic year.

“Our thanks go to PDA’s Education & Training Committee, Ann Cook Associates, IfATE and all the employers and providers who have played a big part in the review process.”

Julie Lawrenson, Head of Learning & Development at Bell Group and Chair of the Education and Training Committee led the discussions with IfATE, “This is a great achievement for the committee members and wider industry. I believe we have developed a standard that is both fit for purpose and sustainable and which should encourage the uptake of apprentices for many years to come.

“Work on setting the standard and EPA for Level 3 apprenticeships has already begun.”

BREWERS REWARDS TOP WIDNES STUDENTS BREWERS NORTH REGION was delighted to be able to support Riverside College in Widnes, Merseyside at their painting and decorating department ceremony in June.

The college is a centre of vocational excellence that provides industry standard training, engineering and a construction skills centre.

Laurence Zing, Process Support Manager at Albany House organised the event, curated the gift bags and trophies and presented the awards for Student of the Year Level 1 & 2, and Apprentice Awards for years 1 & 2. There was also an award for Outstanding Achievement.

Area Development Manager, Steven Traynor said, “Seven years ago, we wanted to make contact with colleges in the area to build a relationship with them and help with student career talks, manufacturer visits and any local community projects.”

Laurence added, “Since the first event, which was just a few students in the classroom, this is now a proper awards ceremony which recognises the commitment of the students and tutors and every year it gets better and better.”

A huge congratulations to the winners and we wish them all the best for their futures!

IW APPRENTICE SHINING BRIGHT THE AWARD-WINNING Ian Williams Academy is well recognised in the sector as a leading advocate of promoting and supporting apprenticeships in painting and decorating among many other trades. The Academy has just welcomed 43 new apprentices to the business for their 2023 programme, an endorsement of Ian Williams’ strategic target of 10% of apprentices making up their workforce.

Each and every one of the apprentices is supported as they start their painting and decorating careers, and sometimes, the achievements of individuals in the business hit the headlines. Over the last 12 months, those headlines have belonged to Apprentice Izzy Horler-Rhymes.

Joining Ian Williams’ in 2021, Izzy won her first award as Apprentice of the Year at New College Hackney in June of this year, where she was applauded for her aptitude and positive attitude. Successfully navigating the regional heats, Izzy then went on to win Apprentice of the Year in the PDA Trophy Awards.

As a sign of even greater things to come, Izzy was recently announced as a finalist in the PDA Paperhanger of the Year too, with results announced at the PDA Gala Dinner in October.

Izzy at the PDA Premier Trophy Awards ceremony.

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Jo Down, Ian Williams’ Academy Officer comments, “Not only are Izzy ’s awards fantastic for her personally and professionally, but achievements like this also make the whole Ian Williams team proud. The Academy really tries to support each of our apprentices, especially through mentoring and coaching, recognising and nurturing talent which Izzy obviously has. It’s also great for us to show that as a champion of an inclusive industry, we are committed to inspiring and training more and more women into construction careers.” www.ianwilliams.co.uk

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ENVIRONMENT

CLOSING THE LOOP APPLYING THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY TO THE COATINGS INDUSTRY

By David Elphick, Account Development & Customer Relationship Manager, Bagnalls Group A CIRCULAR ECONOMY aims to establish socially and environmentally motivated cyclical processes that are waste-free by allowing for material reuse. Sector bodies including the World Coatings Council, CEPE, TFS Initiative, and British Coatings Federation are developing action plans which urge coatings manufacturers to consider both the design of products and end-of-life disposal.

It’s thought that around 10% of the environmental footprint occurs during formulation, 50% upstream and 40% downstream. The habits and processes of supply side (upstream), and contractors and end-users (downstream), must be challenged to develop a successful circular economy.

Reduction and Reuse Currently, only 2% of waste paint is recycled or remanufactured, while the remainder is sent for incineration. Additionally, an estimated two-million caulk tubes are disposed of weekly, with containers and sundries taking 20-500 years to decompose in landfill.

It’s thought that enough paint to fill 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools goes unused every year, and so minimising wasted resources requires a mindful approach from end users.

Purchasing only the necessary amount of paint is a fundamental first step, and manufacturers like Akzo Nobel, Crown, and PPG offer online calculators to facilitate accurate ordering. Dulux Decorators Centres and Screwfix are among suppliers now selling caulk in foil ‘sausages’ instead of plastic tubes.

Buying in larger volume containers when appropriate and dispensing only what is needed optimises resource consumption. Reusing old salvageable paint or repurposing leftover paint as a primer can also minimise wastage. As can washing rather than disposing of sundries.

Sources and further reading www.paint360.co.uk www.paintcare.org.uk www.communityrepaint.org.uk

With so many methods available for tradespeople, it would be encouraging to see education and incentivisation prioritised by influential players.

Recycling & Remanufacturing The British Coatings Federation, via the PaintCare initiative, aims to eliminate landfill paint waste by 2024, and recycle, remanufacture, or reuse 75% of leftover paint. They reported a general lack of awareness that Household Waste Recycling Centres accept paint for recycling, exacerbated by the fact that only one-in-three accept liquid hazardous waste. Their Recycling Locator assists end users in finding recycling points.

Remanufacturing of previously manufactured product uses less money, energy and resources than the extraction and processing of ‘virgin’ materials. Remanufacture also reduces the greenhouse gas emissions released through incineration or bio-degradation.

Socially motivated companies like Paint 360 are re-engineering a 50% recycled, 50% virgin product, to create quality paint and mould treatment products. Their containers are made from recycled plastic, and they recycle containers, saving 0.5kg of embedded carbon per container.

PPGs Paint Exchange scheme allows tradespeople and contractors to channel unused paint through Paint 360.

Customers can return up to six cans of any brand to a Johnstone’s Decorating Centre. Larger contractors can request a site-based IBC (for a fee), and Paint360 provide a breakdown of the CO2 savings made. There is a drive by PPG to push Paint 360 products as part of this partnership.

The Dulux sponsored Community RePaint scheme collect leftover paint and redistribute it to benefit individuals, families, communities and charities. In 2015 they launched a paint remanufacture centre creating paints under the ReColour brand.

Akzo Nobel recently launched Dulux Trade Evolve Matt produced from 35% recycled paint content and in 2021 reported circular use for around 59% of their obsolete materials.

Crown partner with NIMTECH, and reportedly were the first UK paint manufacturer to launch 100% recycled plastic paint containers in 2018. They offer recycling to end-users and national contractors under two schemes, Can Back for containers, and Kick Out The Can for paint.

Both accept any brand, purchased from anywhere, minimising segregation time and increasing accessibility.

Through partnering with Crown, my employer Bagnalls, increased recycling tonnage by 83.3% 2021-2022, 80% of that through CDCs. This indicates that when a simplified, affordable, national access scheme is available, contractors can change their processes and contribute meaningfully to the circular economy.

Barriers to Adoption There are still many hurdles to widespread adoption of circular practices: recycling is time consuming; products have premium costs; there are limitations of colour and finish. The largest contractors with purchasing agreements in place might still pay 20-30% more for a remanufactured product, eroding competitive advantage.

It’s essential that recycling volume increases so that manufacturers and the remanufacturing industry can offer improved product quality and choice at a competitive price point. Then, demand for these products must be pro-actively generated by influential manufacturers via their customer and contractor relationships. They have to be willing to champion these alternatives in place of more carbon intensive alternatives if they are going to create a demand and compel contractors to use them.

Education about managing waste and recycling must be a clear, unyielding message from all stakeholders.

The industry could streamline their pockets of success into a collaborative force. The BCF, through PaintCare, could mobilise members and other influential industry bodies behind a well marketed single scheme.

As the process of recycling and using remanufactured products becomes everyday, our behaviours will naturally evolve. Eventually industry-wide, really significant quantities of waste will be diverted from incineration and landfill, and the loop can close.

Don’t forget, that PDA Members can sign up to the Paint Green scheme, and show customer that they are taking meaningful steps to reduce waste.

Find out more at

www.paintingdecoratingassociation.co.uk/paint-green

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HEALTH AND SAFETY

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM HARMFUL AIRBORNE SUBSTANCES John Sneath at SATS outlines the key considerations BASIC ‘DUST MASKS’ you find on sale in shops are unsuitable for industrial use. They offer little protection against small particles below 10μ (microns), such as asbestos fibres, silica and MDF dust in the air.

Even when rubbing down or cleaning, they are unlikely to have a flexible face seal around the inside to prevent gaps between the skin and the mask.

Don’t even consider any masks without a rubber or neoprene type inner seal, even if they are classed as FFP1 or FFP2 filtered.

Pre-formed (moulded) FFP3 class with a face seal is what you need to protect yourself against common nuisance dust, construction dust, silica, organic gases and paint fumes.

Get it right, and you will only need to buy one type for these common tasks and prevent lung disease!

Just the half Half-masks, which cover the mouth and nose, rely on a good seal around the perimeter. If they work correctly, you can wear goggles or glasses without them steaming up.

Half-masks must be ‘face fit tested’ by someone trained to carry out a simple set of tests defined by the HSE to ensure the mask gives the required protection. This process requires wearers to be clean shaven, e.g., shaved within the previous eight hours; otherwise, the HSE states that the test results can’t be relied upon with the required protection in doubt!

The British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) has introduced a scheme for fit testers, which may provide evidence to help you decide whether a fit tester is competent. They recommend being ‘face-fit tested’ at least every two years.

Choices Do you buy disposable masks (single-use) or reusable respirators with a choice of disposable filters for substances ranging from nuisance dusts to solvent-based fumes?

Respirators with separate disposable filters can last one or two years (if well looked after and cleaned regularly).

The filters should be able to be used for up to four weeks unless used in dirty or contaminated conditions.

A rough guide is that if you need to wear masks on most days, then respirators are better than disposable masks and work out to be less expensive.

The replaceable filters for respirators are available for one substance, such as harmful fine dust (hardwoods, MDF or Silica) and for water-based organic type paint fumes, but ‘Combination’ for both are available, so with careful selection you can save having several different ones.

The combi filters are larger and more expensive, but buying one pair for your normal range of work tasks rather than three or four separate ones may suit you better.

The full monty For those with beards, a full-face mask or ‘hood’ that does not rely on a perfect face seal is the option, as facial hair or stubble makes it impossible to get a good mask seal.

A full-face mask includes a face visor, is often battery-powered and can be expensive. This type of RPE is required when spraying with inorganic chemicals or when a lack of oxygen may be present.

Most good quality RPE manufacturers will advise which mask and filter combinations are correct for the substances you are working with, such as 3M, JSP, Moldex and Scott. Non-safety specialist merchants often lack in-depth knowledge regarding RPE. In fact, they may advise you that a P2 mask is fine for harmful fine dusts such as MDF - this is incorrect!

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) are the final protection method used to protect people from inhaling or ingesting harmful substances. Other ‘control measures’ to stop or reduce dust at the source must be identified within CoSHH Assessments, which must be explained to workers and the usual RAMS (Risk Assessment Method Statements) undertaken.

For more in-depth definitive advice based on regulatory controls, go to www.hse.gov.uk/respiratory-protective-equipment or consult your competent safety advisor

FOCUS ON MOVING AND HANDLING CONSTRUCTION SITES ARE being targeted as part HSE’s latest health inspection initiative supported by the Work Right Construction: Your health. Your future. campaign.

The campaign is raising awareness of health issues in relation to moving and handling materials to improve the long-term health of those working in construction. The site inspections started on 4 September and will run for eight weeks.

Focusing on moving and handling construction materials, HSE inspectors are checking that employers and workers:

Act now to protect workers’ health Employers have a legal responsibility to control the risks of ill health of their workers, which should involve them managing those risks just as they would with safety.

Workers should not have to accept these aches, pains and strains and potential longterm suffering as an inevitable part of construction work. They should talk to their employer about the risks and the measures in place to protect their health.

• know the risks • plan their work to eliminate or substitute the risks, where possible • where that is not possible, are using sensible control measures to protect workers from aches, pain and discomfort in joints, muscles and bones known as musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

In the most recent period, an estimated 42,000 construction workers suffered work-related MSDs. These can have a serious impact on workers’ ability to perform tasks; their quality of life; and in some cases, their ability to stay in work and earn a living. Many can and do suffer from long-term pain and discomfort.

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SECTOR NEWS

P&Dnews LV= PREFER ‘LONGEST LASTING’ WALL PAINT LAUNCHED DULUX DULUX DECORATOR CENTRE has become the official preferred paint supplier for LV= General Insurance, in a first-of-its-kind partnership for the insurance provider. Dulux Trade products will now be recommended to LV= GI contractors, providing an expert range of high-quality, sustainable paints for housing repair works.

Dulux owner, AkzoNobel, is already a partner with LV= through its motor repair network, with products from the Sikkens range of vehicle refinish paints recommended to a network of body shops.

A key driver for expanding the partnership into the home insurance division is AkzoNobel’s sustainability credentials. LV= was impressed by the company’s commitment to sustainability and the services and advice it offers to customers through their DDC accounts.

Duncan Lochhead, Commercial Sustainability Manager at Dulux Decorator Centre, said: “We’re delighted to be expanding our collaboration with the LV= Group and supplying Dulux Trade products for their home insurance work.

“AkzoNobel is committed to offering a range of products and services that not only meet the quality needs of our customers, but also their ever-growing sustainability requirements. That is why we are constantly evolving our product range and making the switch to water-based, lower VOC products wherever possible. We also offer additional services such as the Dulux Decorator Centre empty can recycling scheme to ensure our partners can improve sustainability at every stage of a project.”

Chris Payne, Head of Networks and Engineering at LV= General Insurance comments, “Following our very successful relationship we have with AkzoNobel across motor products, we’re thrilled to partner across our home repairs too. AkzoNobel has a fantastic reputation for colour, technical expertise and sustainability. We pride ourselves on providing exceptional levels of customer service, and this partnership with Dulux and Dulux Decorator Centre gives our contractors everything they need to finish projects off for customers with a decorative finish that not only looks great, but is sustainable too.”

As a Dulux Decorator Centre 360 account holder, LV= GI contractors will benefit from having a dedicated DDC point of contact who can advise at the specification stages and throughout a project, access to on-site technical support and next day delivery.

Each contractor will also benefit from the Dulux Colour Sensor to help with colour matching in customers’ homes.

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JOHNSTONE’S TRADE HAS launched UltraLast Matt, a premium quality matt wall paint that is resilient to initial scuffing and marking, is stain-resistant, and is easy to clean, helping painters and contractors keep high-footfall interiors looking their best for longer for their clients.

The manufacturer’s longest lasting wall paint yet, UltraLast Matt, has been formulated with Resilient Scuff Technology which helps to prevent the painted surface from the initial scuff marking. This makes for a longer lasting finish in busy environments such as schools, offices, hospitals, shops and other commercial and public buildings.

If painted surfaces do become marked, the paint allows the matt coating to be easily cleaned, withstanding more than 10,000 scrubs, which further helps to extend maintenance cycles. In-built stain resistance makes the painted surface last even longer, while unavoidable stains can be removed with most commercial cleaning solutions.

Certified with BRE, UltraLast Matt comes with an EPD that attests to the product’s environmental impact. The paint is 99.9% VOC-free following third-party testing, which means that it has a reduced impact on indoor air quality for the building’s occupants. www.johnstonestrade.com/product/ultralast-matt

CREATIVE COMPOUND

BREWERS RECENTY DONATED 20-litres of Coo-Var Floor Paint to a community centre opened by W.Ave Arts in Bexhill.

The Compound is now a place where individuals of all ages and backgrounds can come together to unleash their creativity, explore new art forms, and connect with a diverse community of like-minded individuals.

W.Ave Arts is an independent non-profit organisation, working with and for the local community to make it a better place for the next generation.

Brewers have been long supporters of the organisation, donating many litres of paints to various projects to brighten up the streets of Bexhill. Last month saw W.Ave Arts undertake a dream project, opening their very own community creative centre called The Compound.

Brewers were thrilled to be able to supply expert knowledge and specialist products for the floors in the brand-new space, with local Area Development Manager, Tony Guarino visiting the site to provide a product specification.

To find out more, head to www.wavearts.org

2024 Entries are now open!

Download the entry form now at

www.paintingdecoratingassociation.co.uk

SECTOR NEWS

THE SHOW THAT COVERS EVERYTHING! OVER 100 LEADING NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MANUFACTURERS IT’S JUST A over a month until the doors open at the 2023 National Painting and Decorating Show on 21 and 22 November, so it’s time to start planning your visit to the biggest and best annual event for the decorating trade. Now in its 29th year, this event showcases proven best sellers and is the launchpad for the latest products, materials, textures, colours, trends and techniques.

Reflecting this year’s theme, the P&D Show really does ‘cover everything’ including paints and wallcoverings, decorating tools and sundries, woodcare and decorative effects, and surface preparation and remedial treatments.

Bringing together professional decorators, contractors, stockists and suppliers, this is the only place to see the

best this vibrant, lucrative industry has to offer all under one roof.

Over 100 leading national and international manufacturers representing thousands of brands will again be on hand, eager to demonstrate their latest products, establish industry partnerships, and offer valuable tips and advice to the thousands of visitors from throughout the UK who make their way each year to Coventry’s conveniently located CBS Arena.

The National Painting and Decorating Show – where else can you be among the first to see the latest products, meet with fellow decorators, pick up valuable educational and training tips, and profit from exciting show-only deals? It just makes good commercial sense.

All roads lead to Coventry Celebrating world-wide innovation, this year’s show will feature products and systems from many countries, including USA, Canada, New Zealand, Scandinavia and several European countries.

Dip in and win!

As you shop the show, watch out for the Lucky Dip bucket and be sure to have a go at grabbing some great gifts and promotional items, because everyone’s a winner!

Watch this space!

New for 2023 is the Business Booster Theatre, where experts will be on hand with plenty of advice to help pro decorators maximise their profits, achieve best practice and streamline their operations. And with the focus on innovation and techniques, the Intech Theatres, sponsored by Packexe, will be buzzing with live demos of the latest products hitting the decorating market.

Further details will be revealed in the run-up to the show, so keep visiting the website for updates.

Win a vanload of tools!

Ciret’s Grand Prize Draw was such a success at last year’s show that the exhibitor is again offering hundreds of pounds’ worth of premier quality decorating tools and ancillaries from the Rota, Kana, Masq and Prep brands.

A draw card will be given to all visitors on entry and prizes worth £1000, £500 and £250 will be drawn on both afternoons of the show.

DON’T DELAY – REGISTER TODAY! Entry to the P&D Show is free, but why not pre-register to fast track your entry?

Simply scan the QR code or visit the website for tickets.

Plus, each day the first 1000 visitors to arrive will receive a special Goody Bag packed full of sample products and promotional items.

www.paintshow.co.uk 26

21 & 22 NOVEMBER V CBS ARENA, COVENTRY

B Gone BIG o

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u 100 national and overseas supp pliers line up p at a central location for a two-day industry expo

u Massive savings on the biggest-e - ver display of equipment e and materials u Free busine ess-boosting semina ars and best-practic ctice demos by trade experts x u Competitions, prize draws, goody bags, free entry and showguide

Free Fr re tick ke ets and inffo ormattion at www w..paintshow. w.co.uk

SECTOR NEWS

Advertorial

INTRODUCING THIS YEAR’S

HERITAGE HERO THIS YEAR SAW the return of the Dulux Heritage Heroes competition, celebrating the skills and stories of the trade and the ways in which painters and decorators transform the way their customers feel about their spaces.

Now in its second year, the Dulux Heritage Heroes competition 2023 encouraged entrants to submit Dulux Heritage projects that focussed on the emotions evoked by entrants and clients alike; showcasing how a colour or a room refresh can make them both feel, as well as the overall project transformation.

This year’s competition generated a fantastic array of entries from painters and decorators across the country, and saw entrants submit images and videos of the Dulux Heritage projects they were proud of, alongside a description of the project and how it made them and their customer feel.

With a staycation and £250 cash up for grabs for the winner, plus Dulux Heritage paint for two runners up, the competition was high. The esteemed panel of industry experts, including Dulux Academy Colour Expert, Nicola Holmes, last year’s winning Heritage Hero, Chanelle Taylor and Dulux Select Decorators and Dulux Academy Associates, Steve Dove, and Georgie Baker, whittled down the entries and crowned Sunderland based decorator Gary Marsh, of Gary Marsh Quality Decorators, this year’s winner.

The Judging Process Chanelle Taylor, last year’s Heritage Hero and one of this year’s judges.

The high-quality entries were made anonymous for the judges, and the panel had to unanimously decide an overall winner and two runners up. Gary’s project was chosen as the overall winner, and as well as being crowned this year’s

Gary Marsh, this year’s Heritage Hero.

Heritage Hero, Gary was awarded with a £1,000 voucher to spend on a weekend away to have a well-deserved break and feel refreshed for the next job. Once the winner was decided upon, it was time for Nicola, Chanelle, Georgie and Steve to select two runners up.

The selected projects were from Polly Blewitt, of Polly Paints, and Sam Warrington from South Notts Decorating, who each won £250 cash and 25 litres of Dulux Heritage paint in a colour of their choice.

Polly ’s project totally transformed a client’s master bedroom in a couple’s new home and judges were impressed with the colour scheming and intricate details.

Sam ’s project involved revitalising a kitchen/diner to better reflect the customer’s personality and bring back a sense of pride for their living space.

Reflecting on the judging day, Nicola Holmes, Skills & Development Consultant and Dulux Colour Expert at AkzoNobel, commented, “We had a very high standard of entries this year from extremely talented painting and decorating professionals, making it a stiff competition!

“When it came down to judging, Chanelle, Georgie, Steve and I really wanted to focus on the emotions that were tied into the decorating projects, for both decorators and their clients. Gary ’s, Polly ’s and Sam ’s projects all excellently showcased how a space could be completely transformed and lifted using colour and expertise.”

Gary Marsh’s winning entry.

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Nicola, Georgie and Steve judging entries.

SECTOR NEWS

Advertorial

Gary Marsh’s winning entry.

Fellow judge, Dulux Select Decorator and Dulux Academy Associate, Steve Dove added, “It was fantastic to see all the entries that came in, and the different ways in which Dulux Heritage colours were used to evoke emotion across a range of projects. I was delighted to take part in the competition this year and proud to celebrate the skills and stories of the industry in which we work.”

Dulux Heritage provides the perfect blend of modern style and substance for decorators and is skilfully crafted by professionals for professionals. Over 90 years of expertise and craftsmanship has gone into the making of Dulux Heritage and its premium paints can help painters and decorators achieve lasting luxury for their clients.

The range is available in an expertly curated range of 112 rich shades in both soft-to-touch velvet matt and eggshell high-quality finishes. The timeless collection blends modern and classic shades evocative of nostalgic memories, and gives decorators a chance to refresh spaces for clients to make new moments in.

The Winning Entry In his entry, Gary shared pictures and details of how he used various products from the Dulux Heritage range to transform a customer’s three-storey staircase, passages, landings, a bedroom and bathroom whilst they were on holiday. When they returned, they were amazed and overjoyed with the transformation and standard of the work. So much so, that they have asked for Gary and his team to decorate other rooms in their house.

Speaking of the win, Gary commented, “I’m over the moon to have won this year’s Heritage Heroes competition, and it really means a lot to me. It’s an honour to be recognised, especially given the high level of competition from the painters and decorators that have taken part.

“I love working in collaboration with my customers and being able to recommend products I trust, like Dulux Heritage, to bring their visions to life and help them feel happy in spaces within their homes. I always try to use Dulux Heritage where I can as I feel it is one of the best paints on the market.”

For more information about Dulux Heritage, visit www.duluxheritage.co.uk and keep your eyes peeled for next year’s Heritage Heroes competition.

29

gal

The

WCM Decorating Perfectly executed contrasting colours of deep blue and white.

Macpherson Durable Matt doing the duties on the walls, with Sadolin Superdec on the handrail, and Macpherson Acrylic Eggshell on all other woodwork.

Farbaworks A kitchen/diner with a sitting area in a lovely Brushed Gold from the Dulux Heritage range, creates the ‘wow factor’ requested by the client.

Anthony Mitchell Stripped of old wallpaper, then prepped and filled using Toupret Ready Mixed Filler. The freize was lined and painted using Crown Vinyl Matt, Morris & Co. wallpaper for the main walls, and woodwork finished with Bedec Aqua Advanced Gloss.

C&D Decorating Services The new Farrow & Ball Dead Flat was the ideal product for coating previously glossed woodwork, new MDF and plaster, all in Down Pipe.

Walls and ceilings were then painted with Dulux Trade Diamond Matt in Brilliant White, with an accent wall (not shown) using Lick in Greige 02.

WANT TO SHOW OFF YOUR HARD WORK? Enter now for free!

For your chance to win £100 of vouchers from Brewers and feature on our front cover, send in your pictures to thegallery@the-decorator.co.uk For use in the magazine and to be considered for the cover, we need high resolution, clear images.

30

lery

On the Cover DM Decorating Services www.dmdecorating.com

Mitten’s Decorating Ltd Farrow & Ball wallpaper and Eggshell on the doors of this hallway was only enhanced

by Lewis’s attention to detail.

Joel Endersby In a break from Joel’s restoration work, this kitchen was prepped with Zinsser Degreaser, primed with Little Greene All Surface Primer finished with Little Greene Intelligent Eggshell, all from Brewers.

This three-storey manor house in Haslingden, Lancashire, is attached to the old church building in the village. DM Decor were asked to update the entrance, hall, stairs, corridors and landings, with the customer choosing a range of Farrow & Ball colours which were matched by Tikkurila. All surfaces were fully sanded with a Mirka dustless system and filled, before painting walls using Tikkurila Optiva 3, and ceilings with Anti-Reflex 2. Radiators were also painted to match using Everal Aqua.

Great work smoothing those old walls – £100 of vouchers for use at Brewers are now on the way!

31

BETTER BUSINESS

Whatever we’ve achieved in life, it’s not been on our own, however ‘self-made’ we think we are...

With a little help from our friends It’s good to pause every now and again and recognise all the people who have helped us be who we are today, and who’ve helped us do whatever we’ve accomplished.

Not only is it worthwhile to reflect and appreciate others, but it can really help us identify what we need to do to move forward in life, in business, and whose help we might need.

Of course, there’s another side to that coin. Over our lives we will have influenced and helped many people in our personal and work lives. Part of our legacy is how that ripples across time – whether it’s with our peers, or friends and family.

Arnie: not a self-made man I don’t know whether you’ve ever watched Arnold Schwarzenegger’s University of Houston Commencement Speech? It’s well worth 20 minutes of your time.

It’s very ‘Arnie’ – talking about his incredible achievements, with a touch of humour, but it’s also deeply humble and appreciative. He says that many people hold him up to be a shining example of a ‘self-made man’. He arrived in the USA from Austria with little but a gym bag and a hungry attitude. He became wealthy in property before he became famous as Mr Universe, an actor, a politician.

But despite all his fame and fortune, he deeply recognises that he’s had help with every single one of his accomplishments – people who’ve inspired him, who gave him a sofa to sleep on, who gave him an acting break in the movies...

Reflection and learning Arnie’s speech has made me reflect several times over the past few years about all the people who have helped me. Teachers at school who sparked my interest in nature, science, and art.

Managers at Brighton Council who encouraged me to learn technical skills and writing.

Lee, my first decorating boss, who taught me

by Charlie Budd 32

so much about all the fundamentals of

BETTER BUSINESS

painting and decorating. Customers who gave me the chance to stretch

Now start a second list, a list of people who you’ve helped in life and

my skills on bigger and bigger projects. And now, video producers and

work. How often do we recognise our own contributions to people’s

photographers who have worked with me, inspired me, and swapped

lives, and to society?

skills. My accountant, my business coach, my employees... Over time I’ve learned so much from books, blogs, courses, YouTube videos. I’m

Our Legacy

sure you have too.

The point of all this is to realise how interconnected we are, how

It’s easy to forget just how far we’ve come, how much we’ve learned

much we depend on each other. However strong and independent

– whether it’s life lessons, skills, business experience, and learning

we might be, like Arnie, we depend on each other. So where do we

about relationships.

want to go from here? What do we want to achieve in work and life?

What do we want our contribution to be? Who’s help might we need?

Thank You Lists

And who can we help?

Like Arnie, I’ve started a list of some of the people who’ve helped me.

Do we want to build a bigger business, or create a secure and

It’s made me think about what I’ve learned in my 50-something years.

purposeful retirement? Do we want to have trained some young people

Some of the memories bring up emotions of difficult times - but it’s

in how to be skilled and honourable tradespeople?

often those times that make us resilient and stronger. I encourage you

As part of society, as part of the world of decorating, our legacy

to do the same – to recognise those who have inspired you, guided

in life is not just ours alone – it’s woven into dozens, hundreds or even

you, given you a hand up, fixed you, supported you. It can be family,

thousands of other lives. We may never get to be a Mr Universe, a

friends, work colleagues, complete strangers, well-known people... The

Hollywood actor, or multi-millionaire, but we can still make our legacy

point of the list is to recognise how far we’ve come, and who’s helped

a good one.

us to get to where we are now.

We can do it with a little help from our friends.

Want to learn more? Find Charlie at www.chinbadgermedia.co.uk

/chinbadgermedia

@chinbadgermedia

@ChinBadgerMedia

charlesbudduk 33

CASE STUDY

T

S t ri ki ng decor

he Grand Union development in Wembley offers residents resort-style living, which includes a bowling alley and social spaces. Albany Interiors called on the services of PDA Member firm J&N Finishes to ensure the highest possible standards...

We were set the brief of providing the residents with facilities they could be proud of, creating a relaxing sociable environment and achieve something different in terms of design, using colours that are not typical of what you would see in a bowling alley or cinema room.

All ceilings were sprayed with Zinsser AllCoat Matt using a Wagner Airless Spray machine, to create the feeling of a lower ceiling, this black colour was extended partially down the walls.

Ready for the finishing work to begin.

We were meticulous in ensuring a sharp line here, marking the line with a laser and masking off using yellow Frog Tape.

J&N Finishes are Members of the PDA based in Essex.

You can visit their website at www.jandnfinishes.co.uk or call them on 01277 295414

34

Johnstone’s Trade Durable Matt will help mixed use spaces looking fresher longer.

CASE STUDY

Shared working and meeting spaces were also part of the contract.

Particular attention was paid to the bowling alley wall behind the lands, as this was finished in Blackfriar Chalkboard Paint, a great idea as the residents can then keep their scores on here.

All other walls were finished in Johnstone’s Trade Durable Matt, and woodwork using Johnstone’s Aqua Satin.

The vibrant insets on the left of the bowling alley are wallpaper from the Carnovsky Animalia series.

Due to the tight deadlines, there were multiple trades working within the area, so daily briefings were carried out internally with our team to ensure we could progress our works to deliver the outstanding finish required for this unique area.

The project was completed on time, over a three week program and within budget.

We received excellent feedback all round St George, the main client, who were very complimentary of the finish we achieved.

35

CASE STUDY

A

s part of a large extension to a home, Gary Marsh Quality Decorators were contracted by a regular client to decorate this new staircase. A simple enough task for such an experienced professional...

No match for Marsh

Part of the interior designers’ specification for the project, was to create a ‘boutique feel’ in the space. The wallcovering chosen was Omexco Aruba ARA101, a kind of grasscloth effect with no match, so it looks like panels.

This costs around £220 per metre, so it was just under £16,000 in paper alone.

The staircase itself was going to be problematic, due to it featuring floating treads flush to the wall, and only a small rise between them.

“Applying the paper before the staircase was fitted was not an option, so I had to get a wallpaper, which is 1.1m wide, and make it look as though it has gone straight through the stairs”, said Gary.

“This wallcovering is made from Waterlily, making it like cardboard to touch, which made if very difficult to bend and cutting to the ceiling and woodwork very difficult. Sometimes I used a hairdryer to soften it for the tightest cuts!

“In my 36 years of decorating, 27 of which being self employed, this is one of the most difficult wallpaper and staircase combinations I have ever been asked to do, it took my patience to the limit.

“But when complete, the customer was very happy with the result, and I was happy that they were happy. Most importantly, I had persevered and got the end result everyone wanted.”

The floating treads with narrow rise, along with the premium wallcovering made this one of the most difficult jobs for Gary in 36 years.

Based in Sunderland, Gary Marsh is a Member of the PDA. Get in touch on 07778 341157 or visit http://garymarsh.uk.com/

36

C OM M I NG S O ON . . .

T H E P E R F E C T M ATC H F O R T H I C K AN D T H IN N PAIN IN T S

Scan for more infor mation and to register for ticket s: w w w. paint show.co.uk

S E E O U R N E W B RUS H ES, T H E PE RFEC T M ATC H FO R TO DAY ’ S PA I N TS AT...

N AT ION A L PA I N T I NG A N D DE C OR AT I NG SH OW 21ST - 2 2N D N OV EM B ER 202 3

T H E RIG HT TOOL , T H E RIG HT PA I NT, T H E PERFEC T FI N ISH .

ham ilton d ecor ati ng too l s .co.uk

Detail in Dudley

CASE STUDY

I

an Williams were recently awarded ‘Commended’ in the PDA Trophy Awards in the Commercial Category for their work on Dudley Town Hall. The firm outline the scope and detail of the project...

The hall was opened in 1928 creating a

for approval and sign-off. During the works, the

distinct architectural presence in the

colour scheme was extended from four colours

heart of Dudley. In 2010 it was listed at

to six, using coatings from Crown Paints.

Grade II*, being considered a particularly

The decorative coving and mouldings in both the

important building of more than special interest.

Hall and Suite required careful cutting in. Gold-

The project covered redecoration of the Main

coloured metallic emulsion was used to highlight

Hall, used for concerts and exhibitions, and the

motifs in the ceiling coving and on the pilasters.

Banqueting Suite which hosts corporate and

A very tight schedule was required, as we were

private events. Working on such a prestigious

awarded the contract just one week before work

building required great painting accuracy due to

started. The Ian Williams team were also required

the intricate details of the attractive interiors.

to programme the works around closure of the whole

In the Main Hall, the high ceilings demanded

site for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

scaffolding, but weight limitations and lighting

The Council’s Project Clerk of Works and at least

rigs meant that scaffolding towers were selected,

one Ian Williams’ Forepersons were on site every

as they are lighter than a full scaffolding system,

day, maintaining continuous communication, and

and also had the advantage of being quicker to

Contract Manager on site two or three times a week.

erect and dismantle. We also used a birdcage

Along with a dedicated a team of five directly

scaffold for the middle sections of the floor.

employed decorators, plus an apprentice, we

We worked with the Council’s interior designer

were able to achieve strict adherence

on the colour palette, applying sample colours

to the programme.

A number of scaffolding towers were used to reach the high ceilings of the Hall, as the floor would not support the weight of regular scaffolding.

The Banqueting Suite also featured lots of intricate cutting-in work.

38

Ian Williams Ltd are Members of the PDA operating Nationwide. You can visit their website at www.ianwilliams.co.uk or call them on 01454 328 000

ONE CAN STICKS TO ALMOS ST T ANY SUBSTRA AT TE

CLADDING

GUTTERI R NG

UPVC WINDOWS

DOORS

HARDWOOD

MET TA AL FE ENCING

IN NTERIOR AND EXTERIOR EXTER RIOR DURABILIT R Y For more information, please email: enquiries@bradite.com @Braditepaints www.bradite.com

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Unilite

MTB-5300 @uniliteuk

www.unilite.co.uk

As we head into darker mornings, early evenings and low level daylight, I become much more reliant on lighting up my workspace. When it comes to LED lights and site lights, one brand that is constantly innovating and improving its offerings is Unilite.

The MTB-5300 is a Power Tool Battery Site Light, IP65 water and dust resistant plus IK07 Shock Proof rated, with an incredibly bright 5300 Lumen 50W 6500K COB LED. It’s built to last from tough, durable nylon. There are four rubber friction pads on the base, and the carry handle is a decent size with rubber sections underneath the handle - preventing slipping when carrying it.

The Unilite MTB-5300 oozes class and quality, especially from the front with its sleek black finely textured body, bright neon yellow octagonal trademark LED surround, and quality lens.

On the rear, you’ll find a slick control panel with a thumb-sized rubber

Press the on/off button once and a single

on/off switch. The USB and charging ports benefit from strong rubber pull

green light comes on, highlighting 650L is selected. If you

tabs that seal the ports when not in use.

quickly press again, you can select either 1350L, 2700L or 5300L with green

If you’re using the MTB-5300 with the power cable and get a power cut, an

lights illuminating said selection. It’s also got a memory incorporated in the

incorporated safety switch kicks in to use the battery automatically (as long

switch that will remember the last setting you used.

Battery life and charging level is highlighted by four green lights, but only a

as a battery is installed).

Unilite branded battery can be charged in the unit.

Unilite MTB-5300 can be powered via a compatible tool battery up to max 20V 6.0Ah from my cordless tools or with the supplied 24V 2.7 A charger, which boasts a heavy-duty five-metre lead with UK, EU, US, AU plug adapters.

It’s great that when either battery or power lead are used, the 2A

Features & Benefits ‘ Dual power source

USB power bank allows me to charge mobile devices.

The battery docking area boasts an incredibly secure and protective cover with amazing locking levers on each side. The idea

‘ Up to 5300 lumen

is you use your existing cordless power tool’s batteries utilising the

‘ IP65 and IK07 rated

supplied adapters for DeWalt, Makita, Milwaukee and Metabo.

‘ USB power bank ‘ 180° rotating stand/base ‘ Charger and 5m lead ‘ Optional accessories

Some larger 6Ah batteries will fit, but the protective cover won’t fit over - so reducing the lights IP65 rating When using my power tool batteries, an approximate run time of 2.5 hours is achievable on the brightest 5300 Lumen setting. You will get a longer run time on a lower brightness.

Optional extras can be purchased, such as a tripod/magnet which attaches to the rotating 180° stand/base via the holes provided.

tool TALK You can find Wayne on...

40

Products independently tested and recommended by Award Winning Decorator, Wayne de Wet

@ToolTalk1

@ToolTalk1

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Win it all!

One of each item recommended in this

edition of Tooltalk ilable to one lucky PDA Member!

(including the next page!) are ava

For your chance to win, send an ema il to tooltalk@the-decorator.co.uk Well done to our most recent winner, Alan Jones of Absolute Painting & Decorating!

Walters and Walters

WWT Timber & Metal Crayons @walters_marking_world

www.waltersandwalters.co.uk

As a multi-skilled tradesperson, I like the variation of doing different work.

On a recent 17th-century barn conversion project, I arrived and the sparks

Features & Benefits

hadn’t done the chasing, so I couldn’t get on... I offered to carry out the

‘ Seven colours

chasing myself, repair the floor and walls afterwards, therefore allowing me

‘ Box set of twelve

to carry on with repairs and decorating.

‘ Multiple Surface use

Marking out the floor chasing, I used Walters and Walters wax crayons.

‘ Manufactured in the UK

The floor was a rough concrete screed, so I didn’t want to use marker pens, knowing the tips would quickly be worn away.

These industrial crayons come in a boxed set of 12, consisting of seven different colours. They are approximately 15mm thick and 120mm long, suitable for concrete, stone, glass, wood and metal... And worked a treat! I used red as there was a lot of dust, and I could still see the marks.

A crayon sharpener is available separately, allowing me to keep the end pointed for accurate marking.

Less waste than a marker pen going to landfill sites, they’re also available in variations for use on plastics and cardboard.

Wooster

Bucket-Tray @woosterbrushuk

www.woosterbrush.com

When it comes to roller trays and scuttles/buckets, I’ve

Features & Benefits

been a fan of the latter for the last ten years. This got me

‘ Suitable for 9” 12” 14”

thinking: Wouldn’t having the best of both worlds be good?

‘ Durable polypropylene

Well, Wooster Brush has created just that, and it’s called

‘ Two robust carry handles

the Sherlock Bucket-Tray, and I am incredibly impressed!

‘ Optional liners and lid

It’s suitable for rollers up to 14” and can hold 4.5 litres of paint, manufactured from solvent-resistant, durable

polypropylene in their trademark green. Two strong integrated handles allow me to move the Bucket-Tray around even when full of paint.

I like the docking groove, which keeps the roller frame from moving when carrying it. The perfectly angled 14” wide roll-off grid allows better downforce when loading and working the paint into the roller sleeve.

Optional Bucket-Tray Liners are manufactured from clear solvent-resistant recycled plastic PET material, and a snug-fitting lid snaps into place so you can leave the paint inside whilst you stop for a tea/coffee break, lunch, overnight, or even the weekend if kept away from bright sunlight and heat!

A unique lid cut-out option will allow a Wooster roller to be docked inside with the paint without it going hard, saving you valuable time from washing it out or bagging it up. The lid is also a great way to prevent paint from skinning up and protecting the contents from dust/debris.

41

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

The Washbox @washbox_cleanup

www.thewashbox.ca

Sometimes I have to wash brushes and rollers in my clients’ sinks, I’ve always asked beforehand and leave the sink better than I found it, but it’s not ideal.

At last, a helpful solution has arrived, and it’s called The Washbox. This ingenious patented cleaning box fits in most sinks and allows me to wash brushes and rollers without making a mess. It also uses less water, which is much more environmentally friendly.

A drainage hole on the Washbox’s bottom directs the wastewater directly into the sink plug hole, but it is supplied with a plug to hold water in when cleaning, and I can also leave my brushes and rollers soaking in Pretty Boy

Suitable for 9” rollers whilst on their frames and all my brush sizes.

cleaner if need be.

Of course, any size roller sleeve can be cleaned in the Washbox, but

Two finger grip handles are incorporated into the sides with small ridges on

bigger sizes would need to be removed from roller frames.

top that can help if wire brushing, I cover it with an old flannel too which helps

Deep square-edged ribs on the bottom help loosen the paint when you

reduce slipping.

move your brush from side to side, plus release the paint from rollers better as they are not sitting in dirty water!

tool TALK

The back wall has two rows of small ribs which direct

Features & Benefits

water downwards, these work well when running my roller

‘ Clean tools without messing up clients’ sinks

over them as it helps release the paint and soiled water.

‘ Plug and drain hole

This is definitely part of my toolkit nowadays. I have

‘ Interior ribs assist with cleaning process

added a sink chain to it so I don’t lose the plug, and I also

‘ Carry handles

debris to prevent it from going into the water system.

All ribs direct water to the plug hole of the Washbox.

use a fine mesh in the sinkhole to capture the bigger paint

Sixpence Industries

Rail Stay @sixpenceindustries www.sixpenceindustries.com Marking out plasterboard for trimming, you sometimes feel another pair of hands would be beneficial. I like simple solutions to everyday tasks, and Rail Stay is one such tool.

An ingenious device that complements your plunge saw guide rail, especially when clamps are not viable and space to cut sheet material is limited. They are designed to hold the guide rail securely when cutting or marking cuts on sheet material such as OSB MDF Plasterboard.

Compatible with many leading brands, such as Festool and Makita, to name a few, the kit contains two sharp

42

Features & Benefits

hardened steel bradawl lockable pins housed in a carrier, which fit into the back of your guide rail slots. Protective

‘ Keeps guide rail in place

covers keep the sharp pins safe when not in use.

‘ Made in Great Britain

You fix one to the end of your guide rail using a 5mm hex key, and after pushing up against the fixed pin, you

‘ Compatible with multiple brands

align your cutting mark. You then use the red thumb turn to lock the other end pin into your material after pressing

‘ Protective pin covers

on top of each other or leaning against a wall.

it into your material. Rail Stay works vertically or horizontally, and is particularly useful if your sheets are stacked

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PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Everything in its right place www.festool.co.uk 3

The Systainer ToolBag from Festool ensures quick organisation and easy transport of hand tools and accessories. The robust tool bag with Systainer3 interface is especially sturdy and provides space for numerous tools, and the ToolBag itself is made of high-quality textile providing a

.co.uk www.brewers

carrying capacity of up to 20 kg. Highly flexibile, it offers a wide range internal and external compartments, the ToolBag includes a sturdy Softgrip handle and a shoulder strap with shoulder pad. Business cards can be stored cleanly and tidily in a separate compartment, plus zipped pockets at the front and back can store documents and small parts

off the shelf

neatly. The Systainer3 ToolBag is available at selected specialist retailers from October.

Brand new and exclusive to Brewers is the IR Paint Stripper. The IR Paint Stripper offers a safe and efficient solution for all your paint removal projects, revolutionising the process for both DIY enthusiasts and professional contractors. The paint stripping tool uses infra-red technology to separate the bond between paint and substrate, allowing you to remove layers of paint with ease. There’s no longer the need for harsh chemicals, a messy environment or heavy time investment. The 100% British design has been designed for entry level and professionals, giving everybody the tools they need to transform homes and furniture with ease and confidence. Simply place the IR Paint Stripper ’s ceramic element over the surface and leave for 20-30 seconds. Use a good quality scraper and watch the paint come off as crispy flakes. Sand down your substrate and it is now ready to be repainted!

UP

tool

Keep up to date with what’s available for the modern decorator

Take the B-I-N out www.zinsseruk.com ®

Famous for solving painting and decorating problems, Zinsser has launched B-I-N AQUA, a water based, four-in-one primer that contains a durable and robust resin which promises the ®

same trusted performance advantages as B-I-N alongside the added advantage of outdoor use. ®

With an advanced high-hiding formulation, B-I-N AQUA can be used as a full-surface primer on varnish, glossy paint, wood panels, building boards, PVC, plywood and more. The specialist stainkilling formula blocks tannin bleed, water, grease, oil, mildew, crayon, lipstick stains and delivers effective knot blocking, seals resin and sap streaks. Alongside lightning-fast drying times, ®

B-I-N AQUA, blocks smoke stains, seals odours from fire damage, nicotine, soot, fireplaces and heaters. Available in 500ml, 1L, 2.5L and 5L pack sizes, it can be applied by airless sprayer,

44 brush, roller and is available in white or can be tinted to pastel and mid-tone colours.

P R O F E S S I O N A L PA I N T E R S A N D D E C O R A T O R S T O O L S

BELIEVE IN BETTER Official UK distributor AJ Systems Europe Ltd Registered Office: 20-22 Wenlock Road, London N1 7GU 0333 2021031 / 07798 678220

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Spray strong www.tritechindustries.com TriTech is set to introduce two new paint sprayers at the P&D Show in Coventry. The recently launched T3 airless paint sprayer is a light-weight powerhouse at under 14kg which supports a .021 size tip, the T3 will be a great addition to any decorator’s kit as well as an entry level model for those decorators that are new to spraying. This new entry level machine features all the quality and performance that TriTech has become known for. Solid stainless steel piston, aircraft grade aluminum manifold, precision motor control for excellent pressure control and minimisation of dead band at lower pressures, and all aluminum motor cover – It’s all there in the new T3. Also on show, the new T15 is designed with the production decorator in mind, capable of up to 5.11 litres of paint per minute through a .035 spray tip. The T15 is compatible with the EZ Loader Cart to make transport and moving easier for one person.

Cover, spray - Easy!

Clean Air for commercial projects www.crownpaintsprofessional.com Crown Trade Clean Air is the latest edition to the Clean Extreme range and is ideal for commercial projects, where environmental regulations like BREEAM and LEED are important. The formula contains innovative air purifying technology that absorbs formaldehyde, found in things like new flooring and furniture, helping to improve the air quality in a room from the very first coat. Clean Air is also equipped with Crown Trade’s unique Breatheasy®, 99% solvent free technology that limits exposure to airborne triggers of asthma and allergies, for a healthier build environment.

Th he family gets larger Ou ur tesa Easy Cover® family has had da few w new additions recently.

Wh hether working indoor or out, ave on rough surfaces or smooth, we ha you u covered.

Scan for more info

46

tesa.cco.uk

For sanding wo ork on ceilings and walls. w The all-rounde er PLANEX M.

A new addition to t our long-reach sanders. Simply unpack the sand der from the transport ba ag, switch it on and get to work. Its eccentric sandin ng motion achieves a high surface quality on walls and ceilings. Its working le ength of 1.4 m is ideal for all sttandard room heights. The practical T-shaped hand dle provides additional reach h when needed. Keep your working environment du ust-free with the CT 36 E AC PLANEX mobile dust extractorr..

Warranty all-inclusive

Discover our ne ew products: www.festool.co o.uk/products/new-products

SCAN ME

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Perfect for papering www.peacockfeather.co.uk Developed by an experienced decorator, this trio of tools will help with any wallcovering project. The Easytrimmer is ergonomically designed with angled edge that smooths as it cuts for a perfect finish, it can be used against any edge or corner and includes four 9mm snap off blades. The Seam Roller offers a rust-resistant, chrome plated metal rod with smooth rolling action, and offers three uses; Pressing down wallpaper joints, external corners and internal corners. Finally the Smoothing Tool features a double bevel edge and cut-resistant material that glides over the wallcovering surface to remove air pockets and imperfections.

Wated-based resistance www.hmgpaint.com HMG Paints have launched a cutting-edge water-based, HydroPro Floor Paint, designed to transform floor finishing with its cross-linking formulation that ensures exceptional durability and a superior finish for both internal and external applications. The hard-wearing mid-sheen finish is ideal for a variety of spaces, from domestic garages and workshops to light-industrial environments. Once cured, HydroPro Floor Paint becomes resistant to oils, grease, and light industrial traffic, providing a long-lasting solution for a number of areas.

Available in a range of stock colours, in convenient 5-litre packs, ensuring you have ample coverage for your projects.

Sweet like chocolate www.littlegreene.com Little Greene’s Sweet Treats is a curated collection of warm, neutral shades of honey, caramel and chocolate, each colour inspired by delicious desserts and some of the world’s most tasteful sweet treats.

Playful, mouth-watering names including Madeleine, Galette, Affogato, Muscovado and Ganache bring these enticing colours to life. This palette of nine versatile colours will bring warmth and comfort, creating cosy enveloping interiors that appeal to all the senses. The range includes

The mattest matt www.crownpaintsprofessional.com Crown Trade has launched Extramatt, a brand-new paint offering an extremely low reflective finish which alleviates visual imperfections and eliminates flashing, perfect for ceilings and touching up interior walls.

The water-based emulsion is the brand’s lowest sheen paint, offering a high opacity that allows professionals to get a perfect finish every time, with just a couple of coats. Crown Trade Extramatt is available in white, and is easy to apply, with brush, roller, or spray. Recoatable in ®

just four hours, it’s also equipped breatheasy , 99% solvent free technology, creating a healthier environment for both decorators and their customers.

48

time-honoured shades, accurately recreated from historic walls, woodwork and furnishings, at a number of places cared for by the National Trust, for future generations to enjoy. Each shade is available in the full range of Little Greene finishes; there’s one that’s suitable for almost every surface inside or outside your home.

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

COLOUR OF THE YEAR

2024

Warm palette for comforting spaces – a compilation of global earth tones that can be used to create spaces for occupants to feel snug and find comfort. These tones are ideal for bedroom, living, kitchen and dining spaces as they feel familiar and embracing.

Dulux has announced its Colour of the Year for 2024, Sweet Embrace™.

The colour is a delicate, optimistic and modern tone that is understated and comforting and brings a sense of stability and softness to a space. To help decorators provide their customers with colour inspiration, Dulux is also launching three easy-to-use, versatile colour palettes that complement Sweet Embrace™.

For 21 years, the Dulux Colour of the Year has been decided based on extensive trends research conducted by Dulux colour experts and international design professionals. Dulux’s Colour of the Year for 2024 reflects people’s need for simplicity, meaning and a sense of belonging.

The colour can be used on its own or alongside the tones in the three supporting Dulux Colour Futures™ palettes.

Professionals can also use the Dulux Visualizer App to show their

A Calm palette for quiet spaces – fluid greens and blues have a naturally clarifying effect and bring a feeling of serenity. They are perfect for bathrooms and home offices to help people relax and relieve stress.

customers what each Dulux Colour Futures™ tone will look like in their space using augmented reality.

To support decorators further, Dulux Academy offers courses on the use of colour.

Decorators can find details of upcoming events and register via the Dulux Academy website at

An Uplifting palette to create friendly spaces – a mix of modern yellows with soft lilacs, this palette has a positive, uplifting mood. This palette can bring a sense of joy to those entering a property, encourage a ‘get up and go’ attitude in the bathroom or dressing areas.

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COLOUR OF THE YE AR 2024

SWEET EMBR ACE

TM

70RR 64/034

Introducing Sweet Emb brace™, the 2024 Dulux Trade Color of the Ye Year, a gentle blosssom pink that extends a welcom ming touch andinfuses any living sspace with stability, calmness s, and softness. Its delicate sh hade, shifting subtly with light, always radiates warmth.

Used with any of our th hree complimentary palettess Sweet Embrace e™ ™ works effortllessly to create a sense of calm and softness to home and working spaces.

Download our Dulux Trade Colour of the Ye Year Decorator guide, to f ind out more about using Sweet Embrace™, at Duluxtrade.co.uk/CF24

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Design and Colour

of the Year

2024 This year Graham & Brown are celebrating a Decade of Design, with the 2024 launch marking their 10th Design of the Year. With that in mind, the in-house design studio focused on the ‘Utopia’ trend, creating a space led by a design that encourages welcoming and acceptance to all those who enter the home.

Developed from the trend of blurring boundaries, with rooms that can be both inside and outside, to create a beautiful backdrop for entertaining.

DESIGN OF THE YEAR

NEW EDEN This dramatic forest scape is full of hidden treasures, pops of colour emerge through the design with yellow, orange, and pink tones complimenting the variety of lush leafy trees and trailing floral shrubbery.

The lively hand painted design is full of flora and fauna, interspersed with exotic bird life and rocky terrain. The colours are friendly and welcoming, creating a neutral and affectionate feature that can also be bold and creative. The deep green tones introduce depth to the design, whilst the use of golden, blue, and rusty hues add a playful pop of colour.

With the powerful health benefits of biophilia and forest bathing becoming more apparent, Graham & Brown have captured this essence in the design to welcome those healing feelings into our homes.

New Eden is available in five other colourways, the vibrant Majestic, moody Porcelain, opulent Mulberry, regal Navy and the calming Viridis colour way.

Each design is available as wallpaper, custom mural wallpaper (shown below), made to measure curtains and blinds, cushions and bed linen.

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COLOUR OF THE YEAR

VIRIDIS To complement the New Eden Emerald wallpaper design, Viridis is a beautiful muted green colour, conscientiously curated to create a warm and welcoming space, offering a calming atmosphere for its guests.

Viridis is a complex yet flexible hue, adding depth to a space and blurring the lines between outside and inside, it is a natural and uplifting shade, providing an inventive alternative to the greige interior schemes.

It can be used in small cosy spaces to create a calming effect or in larger rooms for a sophisticated yet relaxing space. It is especially perfect for the entertaining and entrance areas where outside and inside meet.

Like all Graham & Brown paint, Viridis is an eco-paint, water-based, odourless and ultra-low VOC, the paint cans are fully recyclable and there is no animal testing involved.

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PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Andy Cummins from Purdy looks at how to optimise productivity on a roller-based paint job

Picking a roller to maximise productivity

Choosing the right tools and accessories can actually save you time on site.

For example, if you need to cover a large area quickly, and maximum paint pick up and release is required, then a knitted sleeve is your best bet over a woven or microfibre sleeve. This combined with a thicker nap allows the roller to hold more paint and reduces the number of times you will need to stop to reload your roller.

To maximise efficiency, look for a roller with a longer nap length.

Dual roll off buckets can improve on site productivity.

Purdy’s Colossus Sleeve, for example, is available with a nap size of up to one-inch, allowing you to spend more time painting and

bucket enables two people to work productively using the same

less time reloading.

paint. The large capacity also ensures you don’t waste time constantly topping up your paint. Bucket liners can also help you switch quickly between colours if necessary.

Selecting an adjustable roller frame is also a great way to ensure you maximise your time on a job by minimising the time spent A 12” Purdy Colossus Sleeve – Available with a choice three pile lengths (nap).

switching between rollers. Pairing this with a roller extension pole enables you to maximise efficiency when painting large areas, and quickly adapt when painting high-ceilinged spaces. Purdy’s Power

Talking of reloading your roller, choosing the right paint bucket

Lock Extension Pole makes switching even simpler with its quick

can also help to maximise your efficiency. If you are working on a

connect system that allows you to connect different rollers with a

big job with several colleagues, a large volume, dual roll off paint

simple click.

For more tips on maximising efficiency with your rollers, check out Purdy’s Inspiring the Next Generation video series with YouTuber and handyman Justin Bailly – https://tinyurl.com/PurdyNextGen

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