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[claddingltd]

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[spider-stark]

A BOY'S FIRST PEST

Kaz Brekker x Reader

Summary - Kaz Brekker thinks Per Haskell's daughter is a (very lovely) pest

Warnings - fem!reader, traumatraumatrauma, the woes of troubled youth, light mentions of blood and death, these bitches trauma bonded yo, could deviate some from canon, based more on book!kaz than show, NOT EDITED WE DIE LIKE MEN

Word Count - 2.0k

!MINORS DNI!

// masterlist // send me your thoughts // comments & reblogs appreciated! //

Everyone knows Kaz Brekker put his own money into fixing up the Slat. 

He hired men to patch the leaky roof (though it still drips during a heavy rain) and put proper insulation in the walls (which keeps the house warm enough, even if it does nothing to muffle the noise of its occupants). He had all the doors fitted with working knobs (but easily picked locks) and ensured the kitchen was capable of making a warm meal (even if seriously doubted any of the Dregs knew how to cook). 

And while he would never admit it aloud, Kaz was also the one who made sure there were always clean linens in every room (albeit the cheapest Ketterdam has to offer) and spare clothes in every closet (sizes ranging from wafer-thin to barrel-chested). In keeping, he also takes it upon himself to keep the bathing room stocked with a steady supply of toiletries (because if someone uses his toothbrush again, he’s going to kill everyone in this place and then himself). 

Because of Kaz Brekker, the Slat was more than just a safe place to hole up. It was a haven, the closest thing many of the Dregs had to a home. 

But it did, of course, have one enduring problem. 

The pests.

Or, namely, the one pest—one that he could never quite exterminate (though the spider privy to the inner-workings of Kaz Brekker’s mind might argue the merit of replacing ‘could never’ with ‘would never’). 

Per Haskell’s very annoying (and very lovely) daughter. 

In the midst of Ketterdam’s hottest season, you find yourself lying sprawled on your back atop the dark sheets, clad in the skimpiest nightclothes you own: a matching set of black silk shorts and flowy, thin-strapped camisole. The air is thick and near stifling in the attic-bedroom, but you don’t mind it. You prefer being hot to cold, if only because the heavy weight of winter clothes makes you feel trapped, eliciting the urge to crawl straight from your skin. 

When the door finally swings open, you eagerly push up onto your elbows. 

Kaz doesn’t so much as spare a glance in your direction. He’s got one hand on his cane, the other shoving the door shut behind him as he limps toward his desk, guided by the bright moonlight spilling in from the muggy window. 

Your shoulders slump, huffing out a breath. “Seriously? You’re not even gonna greet me?” 

With his back turned to you, Kaz removes his hat and places it on the desk. He doesn’t look at you. “You’re in my room.” 

“Yeah—so I was actually thinking something more along the lines of hello,” you drone, lips pursed. “Y’know, that thing normal people say when they see their friends.” 

“We’re not friends.” 

A hand flies to your chest, as if struck by his words. “Um, ouch? Rude. For your sake, I’m gonna pretend I didn’t hear that.” 

Kaz tugs off his signature gloves and tosses them next to his hat. “I can always repeat it,” he says, so impassive you can’t tell if it’s a joke. 

Knowing Kaz, you’re pretty sure it’s not. 

You push up the rest of the way, scooting down to sit cross-legged at the end of his bed. It’s so much nicer than yours—the sheets softer, the mattress plusher, the smell so familiar and warm. 

If it were up to you, you’d sleep in here every night. 

And most nights, that’s exactly what you do. 

“Would it kill you to be nice sometimes?” you ask. 

“Not usually, no.” Kaz faces you, his weight leaned back against the desk, his cane propped against it. “But we both know you’re a special case.” 

“Is that a compliment?” 

“Not at all.” 

Your bottom lip juts into a pout. “Has anyone ever told you you’re an asshole?” 

Aside from the subtlest lift of his brows, Kaz’s expression remains vague and disinterested. “Regularly,” he deadpans, looking the image of austere melancholy. 

Your laugh comes so sudden it sounds like a snort. “I should’ve guessed,” you nod, forever unphased by Kaz’s forbidding attitude. 

This is the way things have always been between you. Ever since a surly twelve year old marched head-high into your father’s office to see if the Dregs needed a new grunt, oblivious to the girl beaming up at him from a lonely corner, weaving colorful scraps of thread into bracelets for the friends you’d yet to make. 

Kaz Brekker is dark and foreboding while you’re bright and bubbly; he’s rude and standoffish while you’re sweet and flirtatious. Some may liken your relationship to oil and water, but you prefer thinking of it as a carefully crafted balance—a yin and yang sort of thing. 

Kaz, on the other hand, would simply say you’re a thorn in his side. 

Fortunately for yourself, you’re not an easily offended thorn. 

The rickety floorboards creak as Kaz starts around the desk. His bare fingers trail along the varnished edge for support. His limp is always at its worst by this time of night, so you’re not surprised to see the flicker of relief that slips over him when he finally sinks into the chair. 

“Have you ever considered that maybe you work too hard?” Your voice teeters on the edge of concern, tracing idle shapes against the sheets with your nails. 

His answer is curt, and contradictory to the purple smudges beneath his eyes. “No.” 

Fumbling with his cufflinks—simple, unadorned things—Kaz rolls his sleeves up to his elbows. Afterwards, he flips open the thick ledger laid before him, plucking up a pen and dipping it into an awaiting pot of ink. 

Kaz keeps track of the Dregs expenses in his head—a skill you’ve always found most impressive, since you can hardly do a simple equation without scratch paper. Still, he keeps the physical record for the sake of having something to point to in case someone’s ever stupid enough to claim Dirtyhands flubbed the numbers. 

As he works, boredom quickly becomes a chip on your shoulder. 

Your legs unfurl, bare feet stretching toward the floor as you slip off the edge of the bed. Every step is purposeful, traipsing toward him with a look that’s not so unlike a cat readying to toy with its favorite mouse. 

“Maybe we should take a holiday,” you suggest, your voice a soft trill. 

One part of you expects to be ignored, the other to be shot down. 

He lands somewhere in the middle. 

“And go where? His eyes remain focused on the ledger, dark brows drawn tight in concentration. You envision numbers flashing before him, adding and subtracting at the steady pass of the nib scratching against parchment. 

“I don’t know. Ravka, maybe?” 

“Ravka?” It’s like the word tastes sour on his tongue. “Why?” 

You stop just short of his desk, an answer instantly rapping at your mind. You quickly replace it with one that’s far less tragic. “I wouldn’t mind seeing Nikolai Lantsov with my own eyes,” you drawl. “Nina says he’s quite the looker, y’know.” 

Kaz sits up a little straighter, shoulders pinned with newfound tension. 

“Of course he is.” He seems to press the nib down harder, his disinterested tone bordering close to resentful. “He’s a prince—looking pretty is all they’re good for.” 

Your head tilts. “Well, he’s actually a king now, so…” 

There’s the briefest falter in the smooth motion of his jotting wrist. “I’m not taking you to Ravka so you can seduce the Lantsov bastard.” 

“And why not?” You reach for the tip of his cane, still propped against the desk, skimming a finger over the crow’s head. “You think I can’t do it?” 

The pen keeps on scratching, accented by the dull hum of the Slat’s perpetual motion—doors slamming, voices cackling. Your ego grows larger for every second Kaz stays silent, your satisfaction settling into a feline smirk. 

Simply, yet firmly, Kaz eventually maintains, “We’re not going to Ravka.” 

Your exhale is something over dramatic, laden with feigned disappointment as you huff, “Fine!” Kaz never looks up, continuing with the ledger. 

Abandoning the crow’s head, you swipe one of Kaz’s abandoned gloves off the desk, fiddling with the smooth leather. Still recovering from their civil war, you imagine Ravka isn’t an ideal travel spot right now, anyway. Not unless someone has a morbid desire to tour the sites where Saints met their often-grisly ends, that is… Besides, for all Nina’s praise of the Lantsov king, you’ve never actually had a thing for blondes. 

And yet— 

“I really would like to go someday.” Your voice is hardly a whisper. Your other answer—tragic and rapping—crawls up your throat in a hoarse admission, “My mother was Ravkan.” 

That persistent scratching finally comes to a sudden halt. 

For the first time since he entered the room, Kaz looks up. There’s not a hint of pity in his eyes, though they gleam with solemn understanding. Your lips thin, pressing his glove tight to your chest. 

In the winter of your fourteen birthday, you snuck into your father’s office and stole a full bottle of kvas. Dressed in clothes too light for the frigid weather, you sped up the crooked stairs to Kaz’s attic-bedroom, pleading until he begrudgingly agreed to join you on the moonlit roof. For a boy who claimed such an aversion to you, he was always doing things you asked—even if he’d griped the whole time. You both gagged after the first sip of hard liquor. After an hour or so, the full bottle had dwindled to just a drop, your tongues seeming to move with more freedom. 

Neither of you had been prepared for the way the carbonated joy in your chests fizzled to something stagnant. 

I don’t like being alone, you told him, fiddling with the frayed strings tied around your wrist, the friendship bracelets no one ever wanted. If I’m alone, it means I’m thinking, and if I’m thinking, it means my mother won’t stop dying. 

You told him of the endless montage in your head. How at six years old, a walk along the Stave in your favorite winter coat ended with getting crushed beneath the weight of your mother’s last act of devotion, shielded by a body crumpled and crimson, shorn in the crossfire of unexpected gang violence. When you fell silent, Kaz drained the last drop of kvas and told you about a coffee shop near the Exchange. About a sickboat and a boy named Jordie, about a frosty harbor and an impossible swim that left him unable to bear the touch of another’s skin. 

When neither of you had any soul left to bear, Kaz chucked the bottle off the roof. You don’t remember hearing it shatter, and maybe it never did. Maybe it hit some hapless pigeon and fractured his skull. Maybe it ceased to exist the moment it went over the edge. The bottle didn’t matter. Not to you. Not when Kaz Brekker reached for your wrist, leather-clad fingers gently tugging the bracelets off your wrist. 

Don’t make a thing of this, he told you, stuffing them in his pocket. You’re still a pest.

But it was a thing. A strange, beautiful thing—and both of you knew it. 

“Fine.” Kaz’s voice—the rasp of stone on stone—drags you back to the present. He sits the pen down beside the ledger, a strand of black hair swaying with the subtle shake of his head. “We’ll go to Ravka. You’ll seduce some sorry prince and live happily ever after in a gaudy palace. I’ll make my fortune snagging the Lantsov Emerald and use it to hire a proper bookkeeper. Deal?” 

Your lips twitch, still hugging his glove to your chest. “King,” you correct him. 

His eyes roll, but a flicker of something warm betrays his affection. “Pest,” he calls you, though it doesn’t sound like much of an insult. 

“I imagine the Grand Palace has fine exterminators,” you muse. 

“Then I suppose your marriage will be short-lived.” 

“Will you save me, then?” Your heart leaps with the question, how it slips from your tongue before you can grasp it. 

Kaz hesitates. Then—remarkably—smiles. 

“Maybe.”

a/n - you know what they say. a bottle of kvas is never just a bottle of kvas, amirite

(☞ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)☞

anyways, i was procrastinating an essay and thought "lets write something with a somewhat ambiguous ending!" and voila, a boy's first pest is the product. now everyone say: lainie, go work on your original writing and stop writing so much fan fiction! (but i'm already thinking of a kaz smut drabble so) anyways, comments and reblogs much appreciated, i cry with joy every time someone actively interacts with my work so THANK YOU

[upinteriors]

Autobarn by Bindloss Dawes

The Autobarn is the realisation of our client's long-term dream to house his collection of classic German cars. The project is composed of two volumes: a clean, five-bay garage for everyday use and a taller workshop for repairs and future restoration projects.

Beyond satisfying this initial use, the project ambition was to create a flexible, 'long-life, loose-fit' building that could be used for a range of different uses. Currently it doubles up as event space, however the ambition is that the Autobarn could one day become a low-energy house.

Located on the outskirts of a small Somerset village, the project is set within the grounds of an eighteenth-century Grade 2 listed house. It replaces several haphazard outbuildings and consolidates their amenity into an elegant architectural proposal, nestled within a glade of mature trees.

The project's design references the language of neighbouring agricultural barns. As a practice we are interested in reassessing the rural vernacular, both for its contextual appropriateness and its lessons in low-cost, pragmatic design. As such, the Autobarn re-interprets simple forms and methods of construction, adapting more temporary, rudimentary methods into a robust and elegant paradigm for low-cost, rural architecture. Composed of a concrete base and steel framed structure, intermittent timber cladding and zinc metal roof, the Autobarn adapts barn typologies with varying levels of refinement. Consideration was also given to its weathering, with the natural zinc roof dulling to complement the silver patination of the sweet chestnut cladding.

Like many barns, permeability to light and air is controlled through a series of movable layers. First experienced as a closed solid mass, the barn walls open up via a number of doors, including an heroic 7m sliding timber screen. The intermittent timber slats of the screens create internal dappled light during the day, which is reversed at night as interior lighting illuminates the surrounding landscape. Internally the steel structure is expressed in an array of simple portal frames, with sustainably-sourced wood-fibre acoustic board forming internal wall and ceiling. The garage space is calm and gallery-like, while the workshop space presents a tougher, taller workshop, surrounded with concrete wainscotting and designed to accommodate a car lift.

The building's 'long-life/loose-fit' ambitions have meant that the insulation and energy performance exceed residential standards. Although thermostats are currently turned down for its current use, the building includes underfloor heating powered by an Air Source Heat Pump, as well as additional first fix services hidden behind the internal wall paneling for future conversion.

Construction started in November 2020 and was completed at the end of 2021, with the project effected by the global pandemic and building material inflation. Despite these challenges, and the inclusion of some one-off expensive items (such as the electric garage doors), the Autobarn was built for under £2,300 / m2. In tandem with high energy performance and the use of natural materials, it combines our studio's goal to combine beauty, affordability, and sustainability.

Design: Bindloss Dawes Location: Frome, United Kingdom Area: 165 m² Year: 2022 Photography: Building Narratives

[randomliverpool]

A large fire was witnessed by residents of Liverpool Student Lettings accommodation in the early hours on January 27 2024. #LiverpoolEcho

Village of the damned: Inside the Fox Street fire

Special investigation: For years, Matt O'Donoghue was told about major problems at a controversial development in Everton. Then the dire predictions came true. By Matt O’Donoghue.

“Block D is an inferno right now”, the first message reads. “Look what’s been torched.” More follow. “Not sure how other blocks are faring, they’ve been evacuated.” Some have video or photos attached. “Seen this. I feel sick.” One simply reads: “Fox Street’s final chapter.”

Block D at the stalled residential development of Fox Street Village sits on the edge of Everton. It is ablaze, and a lot of people want me to know. As the firefighters battle to hold back the flames that threaten to leap from block to block, frantic calls, dramatic videos, and heartbreaking messages light up my phone screen. Many of those getting in touch are people I met over the past five years I’ve been reporting on the sorry saga of Fox Street Village. They’re all saying the same thing: “It was only a matter of time.”

“Something like this had to happen,” says Chris Burridge, who owns one of the Fox Street Village apartments as he surveys the damage. It’s Sunday, January 28th and the day after the fire. Steel girders are bent and buckled like roller coaster tracks; the metal cools and creaks, and loose material flaps in the wind. “There’s been no decent perimeter fence for some time, even though we’ve been reporting incidents. We were lucky Block B didn’t go up. The flames and heat were ferocious. Mersey Fire saved those buildings.”

Lucky indeed. Fox Street Village was originally intended to be a 400 apartment complex spread across four blocks that were to be four or five stories tall. But Block D was never completed and has remained an unfinished shell for the past five years. The rest of the site, on the other hand, is home to a number of residents. Had the fire spread there, it would have been catastrophic. Letting agents are on-site to support tenants and help with the clean up, while insurance brokers and risk assessors mill about around them. Lifts, heating, and water are soon back on. Black debris litters the ground and the flat roofs of the adjacent blocks, while clumps of burnt insulation and wood continue to drift from above.

A team from Residence 365, the company that manages the Village’s interior communal areas, is helping to get residents back into their homes. “Unfortunately, as the fire started to take hold, many residents in Block A failed to evacuate,” says Carolyn Delaney, Residence 365’s managing director. “Police had to force their way into every apartment to make sure that building was clear and everyone was safe. Those doors and frames will have to be repaired.”

Outside, Block B’s walls and windows are warped from where it faced the fire. The cladding is buckled and wavy, like bad icing on an overbaked cake. Most of the glass is cracked and broken, and window frames have bowed out of shape. The fire breaks under the cladding will have activated and expanded. There will need to be a lot of work to put things right.

“The grounds and estate management company are nowhere”, says an exasperated Burridge. The last he was told, a company called Xenia Estates Limited were responsible for looking after the outside areas. “It’s outrageous. They’ve sent nobody down here to help or make things safe.”

Kevin Robertson-Hale is a local campaigner who set up the action group Everton Together. He was shopping at the ASDA on the Breck Road when he first saw the black clouds rising above his community. He knew straight away what was likely to be burning. “It’s just a miracle that nobody’s been hurt,” he says. Although Block D was not a finished building, homeless people have been sleeping there and using it as a shelter. “The way the place went up, someone asleep would never have got out.” Kevin is horrified by what has happened, but certainly not surprised. “We’ve been saying for years that something was going to happen. Either someone was going to fall off and break their neck, or it was going to go up in flames.”

Beneath the debris and behind the spectacular videos, the plumes of smoke billowing out and up from the bare bones of blazing Block D, are hundreds of stories of loss and despair. To properly understand what went wrong at Fox Street Village, to learn why things must be fixed, we have to understand why they were broken in the first place.

Between 1971 and 1991, Everton’s population dropped by 60% as the area’s fortunes and prospects charted exactly the decline of the British Empire. As Liverpool’s docks fell silent, the huge warehouses and the factories like Tate and Lyle and British American Tobacco were closed. Thousands of jobs disappeared and the communities that once relied upon those goods shipped from all corners of the Empire ceased to exist. An urgent need to improve the area’s housing conditions, the crumbling Victorian tenements, led to slum clearance and demolition on a massive scale. Those once solid communities were broken up with families moved out and housed in places like Kirby, Runcorn and Skelmersdale. It was the perfect storm; shops closed, tower blocks were pulled down and the city’s terminal decline was hastened by Margaret Thatcher’s vicious attempts to starve the upstart council controlled by Hatton’s Militant Tendency into surrender.

Fox Street Village followed the same controversial funding model that has dogged similar schemes across the city, known as ‘fractional sales’. Buyers — many based overseas — are enticed with the promise of a good rent and a solid investment in return for paying a large part of the sale price upfront. But as countless investors at other stalled sites in Liverpool have discovered to their detriment, there’s little or no protection should things go wrong.

When Fox Street Village Limited collapsed into administration, in 2019, it owed creditors £10 million and the city council nearly £700,000. The council told us that an invoice for over half a million pounds remains unpaid but that the building’s new owners will have to pick up that tab. Meanwhile, £6 million that investors had paid out for Block D was instead spent on a new fifth building the developers had added to their scheme. A search of records show creditors who had paid for apartments in Block D came from Birkenhead to Beijing and all points in between. With no money left to complete the job, and no cash to settle their bills, the steel frame and internal walls made of wood have remained open to the elements. The freehold to the site was sold to Manchester-based property investment company SGL1 Limited in 2020 for a reported £1.6 million. The site was split and a separate company run by the same two directors as SGL1 but called SGL3, took over the unfinished Block D. A series of complex court cases followed as buyers battled to gain control and finish the scheme. By 2021, the architect’s original drawings for Block D had been rebranded as “Park View” to be marketed at a new group of buyers. A one bed studio in the unfinished wood and steel shell was being advertised for £85,000. The Post is unsure how many people bought into this new scheme or whether their money is protected.

“I bought a three-bedroom apartment that cost £135,000, which was a really good deal. With hindsight, almost too good to be true. I’ve been firefighting one problem after another since day one.” November 8th, 2023 and I am rattling along the M62 with Chris Burridge. “It doesn’t look that good,” Chris says with detached stoicism and monumental understatement as Fox Street Village Block D comes into view. “It would be funny, if it wasn’t so costly and dangerous.” Chris is one of the apartment owners who have been battling over an £80,000 bill to install a transformer that would safely reconnect their electricity to the grid. The builders left a hot-wired connection into the mains, which Chris says the buyers only found out about after they’d secured the right to manage some of the site. It was just the latest in a long line of hidden surprises that have revealed themselves over the five years since tenants moved in. “The biggest block, Block D, is just a shell that should have been finished years ago,” Chris tells me as we pull up alongside what looks like a building entirely made of wood and wrapped in tin foil. “There should have been one large, shared entrance area, an underground car park for 170 vehicles, shops, a cinema room with communal laundry, and a bike store. All of those amenities were what made this site so attractive.”

Chris pauses to re-imagine what could have been, before reality kicks back in. “None of that exists. What we’ve actually got are great apartments next to the rat-infested fire trap of a mess that is Block D.”

By Matt O’Donoghue

“Block D is an inferno right now”, the first message reads. “Look what’s been torched.” More follow. “Not sure how other blocks are faring, they’ve been evacuated.” Some have video or photos attached. “Seen this. I feel sick.” One simply reads: “Fox Street’s final chapter.”

Block D at the stalled residential development of Fox Street Village sits on the edge of Everton. It is ablaze, and a lot of people want me to know. As the firefighters battle to hold back the flames that threaten to leap from block to block, frantic calls, dramatic videos, and heartbreaking messages light up my phone screen. Many of those getting in touch are people I met over the past five years I’ve been reporting on the sorry saga of Fox Street Village. They’re all saying the same thing: “It was only a matter of time.”

Chris Burridge on Fox Street. Photo: Matt O’Donoghue.

“Something like this had to happen,” says Chris Burridge, who owns one of the Fox Street Village apartments as he surveys the damage. It’s Sunday, January 28th and the day after the fire. Steel girders are bent and buckled like roller coaster tracks; the metal cools and creaks, and loose material flaps in the wind. “There’s been no decent perimeter fence for some time, even though we’ve been reporting incidents. We were lucky Block B didn’t go up. The flames and heat were ferocious. Mersey Fire saved those buildings.”

Lucky indeed. Fox Street Village was originally intended to be a 400 apartment complex spread across four blocks that were to be four or five stories tall. But Block D was never completed and has remained an unfinished shell for the past five years. The rest of the site, on the other hand, is home to a number of residents. Had the fire spread there, it would have been catastrophic. Letting agents are on-site to support tenants and help with the clean up, while insurance brokers and risk assessors mill about around them. Lifts, heating, and water are soon back on. Black debris litters the ground and the flat roofs of the adjacent blocks, while clumps of burnt insulation and wood continue to drift from above.

A team from Residence 365, the company that manages the Village’s interior communal areas, is helping to get residents back into their homes. “Unfortunately, as the fire started to take hold, many residents in Block A failed to evacuate,” says Carolyn Delaney, Residence 365’s managing director. “Police had to force their way into every apartment to make sure that building was clear and everyone was safe. Those doors and frames will have to be repaired.”

Outside, Block B’s walls and windows are warped from where it faced the fire. The cladding is buckled and wavy, like bad icing on an overbaked cake. Most of the glass is cracked and broken, and window frames have bowed out of shape. The fire breaks under the cladding will have activated and expanded. There will need to be a lot of work to put things right.

“The grounds and estate management company are nowhere”, says an exasperated Burridge. The last he was told, a company called Xenia Estates Limited were responsible for looking after the outside areas. “It’s outrageous. They’ve sent nobody down here to help or make things safe.”

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Kevin Robertson-Hale is a local campaigner who set up the action group Everton Together. He was shopping at the ASDA on the Breck Road when he first saw the black clouds rising above his community. He knew straight away what was likely to be burning. “It’s just a miracle that nobody’s been hurt,” he says. Although Block D was not a finished building, homeless people have been sleeping there and using it as a shelter. “The way the place went up, someone asleep would never have got out.” Kevin is horrified by what has happened, but certainly not surprised. “We’ve been saying for years that something was going to happen. Either someone was going to fall off and break their neck, or it was going to go up in flames.”

Beneath the debris and behind the spectacular videos, the plumes of smoke billowing out and up from the bare bones of blazing Block D, are hundreds of stories of loss and despair. To properly understand what went wrong at Fox Street Village, to learn why things must be fixed, we have to understand why they were broken in the first place.

The building on Fox Street. Photo: Chris Burridge

Between 1971 and 1991, Everton’s population dropped by 60% as the area’s fortunes and prospects charted exactly the decline of the British Empire. As Liverpool’s docks fell silent, the huge warehouses and the factories like Tate and Lyle and British American Tobacco were closed. Thousands of jobs disappeared and the communities that once relied upon those goods shipped from all corners of the Empire ceased to exist. An urgent need to improve the area’s housing conditions, the crumbling Victorian tenements, led to slum clearance and demolition on a massive scale. Those once solid communities were broken up with families moved out and housed in places like Kirby, Runcorn and Skelmersdale. It was the perfect storm; shops closed, tower blocks were pulled down and the city’s terminal decline was hastened by Margaret Thatcher’s vicious attempts to starve the upstart council controlled by Hatton’s Militant Tendency into surrender.

Stand on the edge of Fox Street today and look towards the gleaming glass skyscrapers and modern penthouses and it’s obvious, the regeneration that has breathed new life into other parts of Liverpool in recent years seems to run out of steam as it creeps towards this area’s streets. According to the last census, Everton West — where Fox Street Village sits — has the third highest numbers of children on free school meals. This neighbourhood has some of the poorest health indicators, including the lowest life expectancy, across the whole of the city.

As Liverpool’s reputation grew as a great place to study, the last decade has seen residential housing for the influx of students become the city’s short-term planning solution and a way to kickstart Everton’s economy.

Fox Street Village followed the same controversial funding model that has dogged similar schemes across the city, known as ‘fractional sales’. Buyers — many based overseas — are enticed with the promise of a good rent and a solid investment in return for paying a large part of the sale price upfront. But as countless investors at other stalled sites in Liverpool have discovered to their detriment, there’s little or no protection should things go wrong.

When Fox Street Village Limited collapsed into administration, in 2019, it owed creditors £10 million and the city council nearly £700,000. The council told us that an invoice for over half a million pounds remains unpaid but that the building’s new owners will have to pick up that tab. Meanwhile, £6 million that investors had paid out for Block D was instead spent on a new fifth building the developers had added to their scheme. A search of records show creditors who had paid for apartments in Block D came from Birkenhead to Beijing and all points in between. With no money left to complete the job, and no cash to settle their bills, the steel frame and internal walls made of wood have remained open to the elements. The freehold to the site was sold to Manchester-based property investment company SGL1 Limited in 2020 for a reported £1.6 million. The site was split and a separate company run by the same two directors as SGL1 but called SGL3, took over the unfinished Block D. A series of complex court cases followed as buyers battled to gain control and finish the scheme. By 2021, the architect’s original drawings for Block D had been rebranded as “Park View” to be marketed at a new group of buyers. A one bed studio in the unfinished wood and steel shell was being advertised for £85,000. The Post is unsure how many people bought into this new scheme or whether their money is protected.

“I bought a three-bedroom apartment that cost £135,000, which was a really good deal. With hindsight, almost too good to be true. I’ve been firefighting one problem after another since day one.” November 8th, 2023 and I am rattling along the M62 with Chris Burridge. “It doesn’t look that good,” Chris says with detached stoicism and monumental understatement as Fox Street Village Block D comes into view. “It would be funny, if it wasn’t so costly and dangerous.” Chris is one of the apartment owners who have been battling over an £80,000 bill to install a transformer that would safely reconnect their electricity to the grid. The builders left a hot-wired connection into the mains, which Chris says the buyers only found out about after they’d secured the right to manage some of the site. It was just the latest in a long line of hidden surprises that have revealed themselves over the five years since tenants moved in. “The biggest block, Block D, is just a shell that should have been finished years ago,” Chris tells me as we pull up alongside what looks like a building entirely made of wood and wrapped in tin foil. “There should have been one large, shared entrance area, an underground car park for 170 vehicles, shops, a cinema room with communal laundry, and a bike store. All of those amenities were what made this site so attractive.”

Chris pauses to re-imagine what could have been, before reality kicks back in. “None of that exists. What we’ve actually got are great apartments next to the rat-infested fire trap of a mess that is Block D.”

Residents in this area have been complaining to me about the rats for as long as I’ve been investigating Fox Street Village. Back in April 2019, I broke my first story on the slow-motion car crash that has taken place here — months of work as part of an ongoing investigation for ITV’s Granada Reports. Back then, tenant Ross Lowey told me on camera: “We don’t feel safe. Every time we come back round that corner, we expect to see flames coming out of it.” He was far from alone in his unhappy prophecy.

Six months before that first ITV News report, in November 2018, I had been on a separate investigation into how developers duck out of paying the millions they owed to their cash-strapped council. It suddenly took an unexpected twist. While I ploughed through a mountain of conflicting planning documents that link to this case, a buyer tipped me off that their building was about to be the first on Merseyside to be shut down and issued with a Prohibition Notice. It was the last-ditch resort for a city council that had run out of ideas on how to make this site safe. “Serious construction issues will contribute to the spread of fire,” the Prohibition Notice reads. “Fire will spread quickly and possibly unnoticed.”

Put simply, the problems that the buyers had uncovered at their completed flats were so severe that they put lives at risk. While Block D remained unfinished, three of the four blocks that people had already moved into were so dangerous that everyone would be forced to move out — immediately. Judge Lloyd would later brand the project “disgraceful” as she fined the developers £3,120 for breaching planning conditions. She expressed sympathy for the residents and investors who had been affected. Planning inspectors said the development was “poorly finished” and failed to meet standards. Those problems have cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to put right.

3

By Matt O’Donoghue

“Block D is an inferno right now”, the first message reads. “Look what’s been torched.” More follow. “Not sure how other blocks are faring, they’ve been evacuated.” Some have video or photos attached. “Seen this. I feel sick.” One simply reads: “Fox Street’s final chapter.”

Block D at the stalled residential development of Fox Street Village sits on the edge of Everton. It is ablaze, and a lot of people want me to know. As the firefighters battle to hold back the flames that threaten to leap from block to block, frantic calls, dramatic videos, and heartbreaking messages light up my phone screen. Many of those getting in touch are people I met over the past five years I’ve been reporting on the sorry saga of Fox Street Village. They’re all saying the same thing: “It was only a matter of time.”

Chris Burridge on Fox Street. Photo: Matt O’Donoghue.

“Something like this had to happen,” says Chris Burridge, who owns one of the Fox Street Village apartments as he surveys the damage. It’s Sunday, January 28th and the day after the fire. Steel girders are bent and buckled like roller coaster tracks; the metal cools and creaks, and loose material flaps in the wind. “There’s been no decent perimeter fence for some time, even though we’ve been reporting incidents. We were lucky Block B didn’t go up. The flames and heat were ferocious. Mersey Fire saved those buildings.”

Lucky indeed. Fox Street Village was originally intended to be a 400 apartment complex spread across four blocks that were to be four or five stories tall. But Block D was never completed and has remained an unfinished shell for the past five years. The rest of the site, on the other hand, is home to a number of residents. Had the fire spread there, it would have been catastrophic. Letting agents are on-site to support tenants and help with the clean up, while insurance brokers and risk assessors mill about around them. Lifts, heating, and water are soon back on. Black debris litters the ground and the flat roofs of the adjacent blocks, while clumps of burnt insulation and wood continue to drift from above.

A team from Residence 365, the company that manages the Village’s interior communal areas, is helping to get residents back into their homes. “Unfortunately, as the fire started to take hold, many residents in Block A failed to evacuate,” says Carolyn Delaney, Residence 365’s managing director. “Police had to force their way into every apartment to make sure that building was clear and everyone was safe. Those doors and frames will have to be repaired.”

Outside, Block B’s walls and windows are warped from where it faced the fire. The cladding is buckled and wavy, like bad icing on an overbaked cake. Most of the glass is cracked and broken, and window frames have bowed out of shape. The fire breaks under the cladding will have activated and expanded. There will need to be a lot of work to put things right.

“The grounds and estate management company are nowhere”, says an exasperated Burridge. The last he was told, a company called Xenia Estates Limited were responsible for looking after the outside areas. “It’s outrageous. They’ve sent nobody down here to help or make things safe.”

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Kevin Robertson-Hale is a local campaigner who set up the action group Everton Together. He was shopping at the ASDA on the Breck Road when he first saw the black clouds rising above his community. He knew straight away what was likely to be burning. “It’s just a miracle that nobody’s been hurt,” he says. Although Block D was not a finished building, homeless people have been sleeping there and using it as a shelter. “The way the place went up, someone asleep would never have got out.” Kevin is horrified by what has happened, but certainly not surprised. “We’ve been saying for years that something was going to happen. Either someone was going to fall off and break their neck, or it was going to go up in flames.”

Beneath the debris and behind the spectacular videos, the plumes of smoke billowing out and up from the bare bones of blazing Block D, are hundreds of stories of loss and despair. To properly understand what went wrong at Fox Street Village, to learn why things must be fixed, we have to understand why they were broken in the first place.

The building on Fox Street. Photo: Chris Burridge

Between 1971 and 1991, Everton’s population dropped by 60% as the area’s fortunes and prospects charted exactly the decline of the British Empire. As Liverpool’s docks fell silent, the huge warehouses and the factories like Tate and Lyle and British American Tobacco were closed. Thousands of jobs disappeared and the communities that once relied upon those goods shipped from all corners of the Empire ceased to exist. An urgent need to improve the area’s housing conditions, the crumbling Victorian tenements, led to slum clearance and demolition on a massive scale. Those once solid communities were broken up with families moved out and housed in places like Kirby, Runcorn and Skelmersdale. It was the perfect storm; shops closed, tower blocks were pulled down and the city’s terminal decline was hastened by Margaret Thatcher’s vicious attempts to starve the upstart council controlled by Hatton’s Militant Tendency into surrender.

Stand on the edge of Fox Street today and look towards the gleaming glass skyscrapers and modern penthouses and it’s obvious, the regeneration that has breathed new life into other parts of Liverpool in recent years seems to run out of steam as it creeps towards this area’s streets. According to the last census, Everton West — where Fox Street Village sits — has the third highest numbers of children on free school meals. This neighbourhood has some of the poorest health indicators, including the lowest life expectancy, across the whole of the city.

As Liverpool’s reputation grew as a great place to study, the last decade has seen residential housing for the influx of students become the city’s short-term planning solution and a way to kickstart Everton’s economy.

Fox Street Village followed the same controversial funding model that has dogged similar schemes across the city, known as ‘fractional sales’. Buyers — many based overseas — are enticed with the promise of a good rent and a solid investment in return for paying a large part of the sale price upfront. But as countless investors at other stalled sites in Liverpool have discovered to their detriment, there’s little or no protection should things go wrong.

When Fox Street Village Limited collapsed into administration, in 2019, it owed creditors £10 million and the city council nearly £700,000. The council told us that an invoice for over half a million pounds remains unpaid but that the building’s new owners will have to pick up that tab. Meanwhile, £6 million that investors had paid out for Block D was instead spent on a new fifth building the developers had added to their scheme. A search of records show creditors who had paid for apartments in Block D came from Birkenhead to Beijing and all points in between. With no money left to complete the job, and no cash to settle their bills, the steel frame and internal walls made of wood have remained open to the elements. The freehold to the site was sold to Manchester-based property investment company SGL1 Limited in 2020 for a reported £1.6 million. The site was split and a separate company run by the same two directors as SGL1 but called SGL3, took over the unfinished Block D. A series of complex court cases followed as buyers battled to gain control and finish the scheme. By 2021, the architect’s original drawings for Block D had been rebranded as “Park View” to be marketed at a new group of buyers. A one bed studio in the unfinished wood and steel shell was being advertised for £85,000. The Post is unsure how many people bought into this new scheme or whether their money is protected.

Fox Street after the fire. Photo: Chris Burridge

“I bought a three-bedroom apartment that cost £135,000, which was a really good deal. With hindsight, almost too good to be true. I’ve been firefighting one problem after another since day one.” November 8th, 2023 and I am rattling along the M62 with Chris Burridge. “It doesn’t look that good,” Chris says with detached stoicism and monumental understatement as Fox Street Village Block D comes into view. “It would be funny, if it wasn’t so costly and dangerous.” Chris is one of the apartment owners who have been battling over an £80,000 bill to install a transformer that would safely reconnect their electricity to the grid. The builders left a hot-wired connection into the mains, which Chris says the buyers only found out about after they’d secured the right to manage some of the site. It was just the latest in a long line of hidden surprises that have revealed themselves over the five years since tenants moved in. “The biggest block, Block D, is just a shell that should have been finished years ago,” Chris tells me as we pull up alongside what looks like a building entirely made of wood and wrapped in tin foil. “There should have been one large, shared entrance area, an underground car park for 170 vehicles, shops, a cinema room with communal laundry, and a bike store. All of those amenities were what made this site so attractive.”

Chris pauses to re-imagine what could have been, before reality kicks back in. “None of that exists. What we’ve actually got are great apartments next to the rat-infested fire trap of a mess that is Block D.”

The author Matt O’Donoghue on ITV. Photo: ITC/IMDb.

Residents in this area have been complaining to me about the rats for as long as I’ve been investigating Fox Street Village. Back in April 2019, I broke my first story on the slow-motion car crash that has taken place here — months of work as part of an ongoing investigation for ITV’s Granada Reports. Back then, tenant Ross Lowey told me on camera: “We don’t feel safe. Every time we come back round that corner, we expect to see flames coming out of it.” He was far from alone in his unhappy prophecy.

Six months before that first ITV News report, in November 2018, I had been on a separate investigation into how developers duck out of paying the millions they owed to their cash-strapped council. It suddenly took an unexpected twist. While I ploughed through a mountain of conflicting planning documents that link to this case, a buyer tipped me off that their building was about to be the first on Merseyside to be shut down and issued with a Prohibition Notice. It was the last-ditch resort for a city council that had run out of ideas on how to make this site safe. “Serious construction issues will contribute to the spread of fire,” the Prohibition Notice reads. “Fire will spread quickly and possibly unnoticed.”

Put simply, the problems that the buyers had uncovered at their completed flats were so severe that they put lives at risk. While Block D remained unfinished, three of the four blocks that people had already moved into were so dangerous that everyone would be forced to move out — immediately. Judge Lloyd would later brand the project “disgraceful” as she fined the developers £3,120 for breaching planning conditions. She expressed sympathy for the residents and investors who had been affected. Planning inspectors said the development was “poorly finished” and failed to meet standards. Those problems have cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to put right.

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The council say that it was only after the buildings were largely constructed that it became apparent there was a failure to comply with conditions or the plans that had been passed. When the new owners submitted another application to make up for the missing car park, a fresh deal was struck for them to pay towards a cycle route and parking scheme. But planning approval was refused when no money was forthcoming.

Two companies were involved in the development of Fox Street Village: Linmari Construction Limited and Fox Street Village Limited. Both were run by company director, Gary Howard. In 2013, Howard was left as the sole director of Fox Street Student Halls Limited after his business partner, Lee Carroll, was forced to step down. Carroll had been found guilty of being a gang master under legislation brought in to tackle labour exploitation after an investigation into a recruitment company that Carroll ran with John Howard. Carroll was banned from being a company director for 12 years.

While nothing should be inferred from Gary Howard’s previous business history, six companies where he was a director and shareholder have a County Court Judgement against them. Just like Fox Street Village Limited, seven firms that Howard also once helped run have gone into administration owing money to creditors — two of which were also residential developments in Liverpool designed for student living. We’ve been unable to contact Mr Howard for a comment.

“The frameworks that are supposed to deliver safe buildings, protect their owners and keep those inside safe are not up to the job,” says Dr Len Gibbs, whose doctoral thesis focused on the problems with unfinished developments in the Liverpool area.

That regulatory framework — to get a building through from an architect’s drawings to the point of being occupied — can be roughly broken down into two stages: planning and building control. The first part is strictly controlled by rules and regulations that must be met and followed to the letter. A council department controls the planning process, and everything has to be approved by a committee after a rigorous assessment by trained officers. Once it passes and everybody agrees that the buildings are what the council and community needs, the proposals are said to have ‘gained consent’.

When developers have their planning consent, a building control team comes on board to oversee every step of the construction. Site inspectors visit to approve stages such as the foundations and drains, and the relevant paperwork is filed with the city council to confirm everything has progressed according to the plans that were submitted and in accordance with the required regulations. In theory, these two functions operate independently but in support of one another to deliver a building that doesn’t kill the people who move in.

That’s something of a simplification, but these are incredibly complex areas that require years of training to properly understand. Only when every step has been followed can a completion certificate be issued against the building and each individual apartment. These final pieces of paper confirm that everything is up to standard and legally ready for tenants to move in. If all these steps are followed correctly, then a development of buildings that were once judged to be a threat to the lives of residents should never be occupied. Yet they were occupied.

[hexjulia]

'I have been investigating the lost history of eelgrass as a building material. Eelgrass is a type of seagrass, that we often refer to as seaweed historically. In Denmark, it was used to thatch the roofs of the traditional Seaweed Houses on Læsø, but was also used as insulation and as mattress stuffing. In the US, it was also used as insulation in a product known as Cabot's Quilt. After moving to the Netherlands, I've also recently learned that eelgrass was used to prevent erosion in wierdijken, seaweed dikes. The more I find out about this material, the more excited I get, because it's been used so extensively around the world in buildings. Unfortunately, due to a wasting disease in the 1930s, a lot of this knowledge is lost, and eelgrass doesn't wash up in the same patterns, or in the same amount that it used to. Most of the time, it's left to rot on the beaches in vast amounts.

[...]

There are so many benefits to using eelgrass, if it's harvested locally. It's carbon neutral. It's as insulative as modern mineral wool. It's a fantastic acoustic dampener. It's rot resistant, when farmed properly. You have to leave it on a field to be rained on, to remove the outer salt layer and microalgae that cause the eelgrass to rot. There's been cases where people have opened the walls of their old New England homes, and found perfectly preserved eelgrass, hundreds of years later'

[maddy-blogs]

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME: LATEST EXTERIOR DESIGN TRENDS IN TAMIL NADU

Introduction :-

The exterior design of your home sets the first impression and reflects your style and personality. In Tamil Nadu, a state known for its rich cultural heritage and modern advancements, exterior design trends are evolving to blend tradition with contemporary aesthetics. Here’s a look at the latest

1. Fusion of Traditional and Modern Elements

One of the most popular trends in Tamil Nadu is the fusion of traditional and modern design elements. Homeowners are incorporating traditional features like intricate woodwork, terracotta tiles, and ornamental columns with sleek, modern lines and minimalist aesthetics.

Key Features:

Traditional Woodwork: Use of intricately carved wooden doors and windows.

Modern Minimalism: Clean lines and minimalist design for a balanced look.

Mixed Materials: Combination of materials like wood, glass, and concrete.

2. Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Designs

With a growing awareness of environmental issues, sustainable and eco-friendly exterior designs are gaining popularity. Homeowners are opting for materials and designs that reduce the environmental footprint of their homes.

Key Features:

Green Roofs: Roofs covered with vegetation to improve insulation and reduce heat.

Solar Panels: Integration of solar panels for energy efficiency.

Natural Materials: Use of locally sourced, sustainable materials like bamboo and reclaimed wood.

3. Outdoor Living Spaces

The trend of creating functional outdoor living spaces continues to thrive. Homeowners in Tamil Nadu are designing patios, decks, and gardens that serve as extensions of their indoor living areas.

Key Features:

Patios and Decks: Spacious outdoor areas with comfortable seating and dining spaces.

Outdoor Kitchens: Fully equipped kitchens for outdoor cooking and entertaining.

Landscaped Gardens: Professionally landscaped gardens with native plants and water features.

4. Vibrant Color Palettes

While neutral tones remain popular, there is a noticeable shift towards bolder and more vibrant color palettes. Homeowners are experimenting with colors to add personality and character to their exteriors.

Key Features:

Bold Accents: Brightly colored doors, shutters, and trims.

Natural Hues: Earthy tones like terracotta, olive green, and deep blue.

Contrasting Combinations: Use of contrasting colors to highlight architectural features.

5. Textured Finishes

Textured finishes add depth and interest to exterior walls. This trend involves using various techniques and materials to create unique textures that stand out.

Key Features:

Stone Cladding: Natural stone or stone-like materials for a rustic look.

Textured Paints: Specialty paints that create textured effects.

Stucco Finishes: Smooth or rough stucco finishes for a Mediterranean feel.

6. Large Windows and Glass Facades

Maximizing natural light and creating a seamless connection between indoor and outdoor spaces, large windows and glass facades are a major trend in Tamil Nadu.

Key Features:

Floor-to-Ceiling Windows: Expansive windows that offer unobstructed views.

Sliding Glass Doors: Large glass doors that open up to patios or gardens.

Glass Balconies: Balconies with glass railings for a modern touch.

7. Smart Home Integration

Smart home technology is becoming an integral part of exterior designs. Homeowners are incorporating advanced systems for security, lighting, and climate control that can be controlled remotely.

Key Features:

Smart Security Systems: Surveillance cameras and smart locks.

Automated Lighting: Smart lighting systems that can be programmed or controlled via smartphone.

Climate Control: Smart thermostats and sensors for efficient climate management.

Conclusion

Transforming your home with the latest exterior design trends in Tamil Nadu not only enhances its curb appeal but also adds value and functionality. Whether you prefer a fusion of traditional and modern elements, sustainable designs, or smart home technology, these trends offer a variety of options to suit your style and needs. Embrace these trends to create a beautiful and contemporary home that stands out in Tamil Nadu’s vibrant architectural landscape.

With regards

N Mohan

[jacobjackson7755]

Breathing Easy: A Guide to Asbestos Removal in Aotearoa

For many homeowners and businesses across New Zealand, the discovery of asbestos can trigger understandable concern. Once hailed as a miracle material for its fire-resistant and insulating properties, we now understand the serious health risks associated with its fibres. If your property contains this legacy material, you're likely considering its safe removal.

Rest assured, the process is a carefully orchestrated series of steps designed to protect both people and the environment. This guide will walk you through what to expect, from the initial assessment to the final all-clear.

Uncovering the Hidden Threat: Inspection and Testing

The journey towards an asbestos-free environment begins with identification. You can't manage what you don't know is there. This crucial first stage involves a thorough inspection of your property by qualified professionals.

They will meticulously examine areas where asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) were commonly used, such as old insulation, textured ceilings (often called "popcorn ceilings"), vinyl floor tiles, roofing, and wall cladding.

Due to the difficulty in visually identifying asbestos, sampling and laboratory testing are essential. A trained surveyor will carefully collect small samples of suspect materials, ensuring minimal disturbance to prevent fibre release. These samples are then sent to an accredited laboratory for analysis.

This scientific approach provides definitive confirmation of the presence and type of asbestos. Understanding the type is important as it can influence the removal methodology.

Clients can expect a detailed report outlining the findings of the inspection and testing, including the location and type of any identified asbestos. This report forms the foundation for the subsequent removal plan.

Sealing Off the Danger: Establishing Containment

Once asbestos is confirmed, the next critical step is containment. This is where the expertise of licensed asbestos removalists truly shines. The goal of containment is to create a sealed and controlled environment to prevent the release of hazardous asbestos fibres into the surrounding air.

Think of it like creating a miniature, temporary cleanroom around the affected area. This typically involves:

Physical Barriers: Erecting robust barriers using materials like thick polythene sheeting to completely isolate the work area from the rest of the property. These barriers are carefully sealed with specialised tape.

Negative Pressure Systems: Installing high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtered ventilation units that create negative air pressure within the containment. This means that any air movement is inwards, preventing fibres from escaping. The filtered air is then safely discharged outside.

Warning Signage: Clearly displaying warning signs around the work area to alert everyone to the ongoing asbestos removal work and the associated hazards.

Clients should expect to see their property temporarily transformed with these containment measures in place. While it might seem disruptive, it's a vital step in ensuring the safety of everyone involved.

The Delicate Task: Asbestos Removal

With the containment established, the meticulous process of asbestos removal can begin. This work is carried out by trained and equipped professionals wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE), including respiratory protection (often full-face respirators with P3 filters), disposable coveralls, gloves, and eye protection.

The removal methods employed depend on the type and condition of the ACM. Common techniques include:

Wet Removal: Where possible, ACMs are thoroughly wetted down with a special solution. This significantly reduces the release of airborne fibres during removal.

Careful Dismantling: Materials are carefully dismantled and removed in manageable sections, avoiding breaking or crushing them.

Encapsulation (Less Common for Removal): In some specific cases, instead of removal, the asbestos might be encapsulated with a sealant to prevent fibre release. However, for complete removal, this is a temporary measure.

All removed asbestos waste is immediately placed into approved, labelled, and sealed containers (typically double-bagged in heavy-duty polythene bags or placed in sealed drums). These containers are then carefully moved out of the containment area without compromising its integrity.

Clients can expect the removal process to be conducted methodically and with utmost care. While it may take time, depending on the extent of the asbestos, the focus is always on safety and preventing fibre release.

Cleaning Up: Decontamination and Clearance

Once the asbestos has been removed, the work area undergoes a thorough cleaning and decontamination process. This involves:

Visual Inspection: A meticulous visual inspection to ensure all visible asbestos debris has been removed.

Wet Cleaning: Surfaces within the containment area are repeatedly wet-wiped and vacuumed using HEPA-filtered vacuums specifically designed for asbestos removal. Standard vacuum cleaners are not suitable as they can release fibres into the air.

Air Monitoring (Clearance Testing): After the cleaning is complete, air samples are collected from within the containment area and analysed by an independent accredited laboratory. These tests confirm that the airborne fibre levels are below the stringent regulatory limits.

Only when the clearance air monitoring results are satisfactory is the containment structure dismantled. This signifies that the area is safe for re-occupancy.

Clients will receive a clearance certificate from the independent laboratory, providing documented proof that the asbestos removal and decontamination process has been completed safely and effectively. This certificate is an important document for future property transactions.

Navigating the Rules: Regulations and Compliance

In New Zealand, the removal of asbestos is strictly regulated to protect public health and the environment. The key regulatory body is WorkSafe New Zealand, which sets out the Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016. These regulations cover various aspects, including:

Licensing: Only licensed asbestos removalists can undertake work involving friable asbestos (materials that can be easily crumbled by hand) and certain types of non-friable asbestos removal. There are two classes of licenses, Class A and Class B, depending on the type and quantity of asbestos being removed.

Notifications: For certain asbestos removal work, notification to WorkSafe is mandatory before work commences.

Safe Work Practices: The regulations outline specific safe work practices that must be followed during all stages of asbestos removal, including risk assessment, control measures, PPE requirements, and waste disposal.

Air Monitoring and Clearance: Independent air monitoring and clearance testing are often required to ensure the effectiveness of the removal and decontamination process.

Waste Disposal: Asbestos waste must be handled, transported, and disposed of at authorised landfills in accordance with strict guidelines.

Clients can expect their chosen asbestos removal contractor to be fully compliant with all relevant regulations and licensing requirements. It's wise to verify their credentials and ensure they have a thorough understanding of the legal framework.

What Clients Can Expect: Transparency and Professionalism

Throughout the asbestos removal process, clients can and should expect clear communication, transparency, and professionalism from their chosen contractor. This includes:

Detailed Quotations: A comprehensive and transparent quotation outlining the scope of work, methodology, and costs involved.

Clear Communication: Regular updates on the progress of the work and any potential issues that may arise.

Respect for Your Property: Contractors should treat your property with respect and minimise disruption as much as possible.

Professional Conduct: Polite, knowledgeable, and safety-conscious workers.

Documentation: Provision of all relevant documentation, including the asbestos survey report, removal control plan, waste disposal dockets, and the independent clearance certificate.

Hidden Killer in Your Kiwi Home? Your Step-by-Step Guide to Safe Asbestos Removal. Don't let the silent threat of asbestos linger. If you suspect this hazardous material on your property, this essential guide walks you through the entire removal process in Aotearoa, from expert inspection and secure containment to meticulous removal and the final all-clear.

Understand the regulations and know exactly what to expect for a safer, healthier home.

[viswaminteriorproducts]

Looking for reliable and energy-efficient insulation solutions? We offer top-grade PUF (Polyurethane Foam) panel sheets for cold storage, roofing, wall cladding, and industrial buildings. Our panels are known for their excellent thermal insulation, durability, and easy installation. Available in various sizes and thicknesses to suit your project needs. Visit us today or call to get the best price in your area. Delivery and installation support available in thoothukudi!

High-Quality PUF Panel Sheets Near You – Durable & Affordable

[betterlifelitdblogs]

Rockwool Insulation by BETTER LIFE LTD

BETTER LIFE LTD offers high-quality ROCKWOOL insulation and cladding products designed for external walls, roofs, timber and steel frames. From Rainscreen Duo Slabs to FireStop Systems, these stone wool solutions provide excellent fire resistance, thermal efficiency, and soundproofing, making them ideal for modern building projects.

[facadesltd]

High-Performance ROCKWOOL Insulation by CSS FACADES LTD

CSS FACADES LTD provides premium ROCKWOOL insulation solutions like Rainscreen Duo Slab®, made with Dual Density technology for strong fire resistance, thermal efficiency, and sound insulation. Suitable for ventilated cladding, curtain walling, roofs, floors, walls, ceilings, and HVAC systems, it's water-resistant, lightweight, easy to install, and eco-friendly.

[epack-prefab]

Why Are Continuous Sandwich Panels the Best Fit for South India's Climate?

South India's climate brings a unique mix of challenges—extreme heat, high humidity, and heavy monsoon rains. From Tamil Nadu to Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, construction materials are pushed to their limits. Traditional building materials often fail in such demanding conditions, leading to higher energy bills, maintenance issues, and reduced lifespan of structures.

For industrial and commercial builders, this is where Continuous Sandwich Panels offer a reliable, high-performance alternative—especially when sourced from trusted manufacturers like EPACK Prefab.

🌡️ 1. Why Thermal Insulation Matters in the South

In regions where summer temperatures regularly cross 40°C, keeping interiors cool isn’t optional—it’s essential for operational efficiency and employee comfort. Continuous Sandwich Panels with PUF (Polyurethane) or PIR (Polyisocyanurate) cores offer low thermal conductivity, helping to reduce heat transfer and air-conditioning loads.

✅ Best suited for:

Cold rooms

Warehouses

Food processing units

Prefab industrial buildings

🌧️ 2. How Panels Resist Humidity and Moisture

South India's coastal belt (think Chennai, Kochi, Vizag) faces intense humidity and saline air, both of which damage traditional structures over time. EPACK's panels are built with closed-cell cores that resist water absorption, preventing fungal growth and material degradation.

✅ Key benefits:

Long life in tropical zones

Low maintenance

Suitable for clean rooms and sensitive environments

☔ 3. Why Monsoon-Proofing Is Built In

Heavy rainfall, particularly during the Northeast Monsoon, poses real challenges for building integrity. Continuous Sandwich Panels from EPACK come with interlocking tongue-and-groove profiles and leak-proof joints—minimizing water seepage and long-term corrosion.

✅ Applications:

Roofing for commercial buildings

Industrial sheds

Storage units and cold chains

🏗️ 4. How Continuous Manufacturing Improves Quality

EPACK Prefab's Mambattu plant near Sri City (Andhra Pradesh) is equipped with fully automated continuous panel production lines. This ensures:

Uniform thickness

Perfect panel alignment

Higher structural integrity

For large-scale South Indian projects, this translates into faster installations, fewer quality issues, and lower project costs.

🧱 5. Where These Panels Are Already in Use

EPACK’s Continuous Sandwich Panels are currently being used in:

Industrial sheds in Coimbatore

Cold storage units in Hyderabad

Clean rooms in Kochi

Warehouses in Chennai

Modular prefab buildings in Bangalore

Their performance in diverse industries and cities confirms their suitability for the region’s climate.

🌍 6. Why They’re a Sustainable Choice

These panels not only reduce energy usage but also contribute to green building certifications and ESG compliance. As electricity rates climb and sustainability becomes a corporate priority, EPACK’s solutions help clients future-proof their infrastructure.

🔧 Panel Options from EPACK Prefab’s Mambattu Plant

Available panel types include:

Wall Panels (Single Groove) – PIR, PUR, Rockwool

Cold Room Panels (Double Groove) – PIR, PUR

Hidden Screw Panels – PIR, PUR

Roof Panels – PIR, PUR, Rockwool

Control Room Panels – PUR

All can be customized in length, thickness, and cladding based on project needs.

📍 Local Advantage for Faster Delivery

Because EPACK Prefab manufactures locally in Mambattu, Andhra Pradesh, clients in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala, and Karnataka benefit from:

Shorter delivery timelines

Lower transportation costs

On-site technical support

✅ Conclusion

If you’re planning an industrial, storage, or commercial project in South India, Continuous Sandwich Panels are a smart, region-specific solution. They deliver superior performance against heat, humidity, and monsoon challenges—while lowering operational costs and speeding up construction timelines.

📞 Get In Touch with EPACK Prefab

Need expert advice or a bulk order quote?

📩 Email us: enquiry@epack.in 📞 Call: +91 8130444466 🌐 Website: www.epack.in

[cintholblogs]

Polyurethane Adhesive: Key Benefits and Applications

When it comes to choosing the right adhesive for a project, contractors and homeowners face many options, each offering specific benefits for different materials and conditions. One adhesive that stands out due to its versatility and performance is polyurethane adhesive. 

Whether it's bonding wood, metal, concrete or glass, polyurethane adhesive has proven time and again to be a reliable solution across various industries, from construction to automotive. In this blog, we’ll explore the key benefits of polyurethane adhesives, their wide range of applications and why it is favoured by professionals across different sectors.

What is Polyurethane Adhesive?

Polyurethane adhesive is a strong, versatile glue created by mixing two chemicals: isocyanates and polyols. Together, they form urethane bonds, which provide strength, flexibility and long-term durability.

There are two types of polyurethane adhesives:

1K (one-component): Ready to use directly from the container

2K (two-component): Requires mixing before application

Depending on the task, it can be applied as a liquid, a spray or a thick resin. From fixing furniture and installing cladding to bonding panels or working with glass and concrete, this adhesive delivers consistent results and is trusted by professionals.

Top Benefits of Using Polyurethane Adhesive

Here’s why Polyurethane Adhesive deserves a spot in every contractor’s toolkit:

Superior Bond Strength: This adhesive sticks to wood, metal, concrete, glass, ceramics and even some plastics. You name it, it’ll bond it. It is especially handy in construction, where multiple substrates are often in play.

Flexibility Under Pressure: One of the unique benefits of polyurethane adhesives is that it doesn’t become brittle. It stays flexible, even after curing, which means it can handle vibrations, movement and mechanical stress without cracking or giving way.

Chemical and Weather Resistance: Whether it’s rain, sun, snow or exposure to harsh chemicals, this adhesive holds up. It’s highly resistant to moisture, UV rays and temperature fluctuations, making it a favourite for both indoor and outdoor use.

Fast Curing for Efficient Workflows: Time is money on-site. And with polyurethane adhesives, you won’t be standing around waiting for it to cure. It sets quickly and allows the project to move on without unnecessary delays.

Aesthetic Finishes: Since the bond line is usually clean and minimal, you get a smoother, neater finish, which is especially important in furniture or detailed interior work.

Polyurethane Sealant vs. Polyurethane Adhesive

While they’re often used interchangeably, there’s a difference. Polyurethane sealants are primarily used for sealing gaps, joints and cracks or expansion joints in concrete or window frames. It’s more about flexibility and weatherproofing. On the other hand, Polyurethane adhesives are designed for structural bonding, where holding power is key.

Interestingly, many products combine both qualities, offering bonding and sealing in one application. But knowing when to use each or both is a must. If you are a homeowner, it is better to consult a contractor or a professional to know the difference between polyurethane sealants and adhesives and make an informed choice for your project. 

Where is Polyurethane Adhesive Used?

Polyurethane adhesives are used in many industries. Here are some of the most common applications:

Construction: Bonding insulation panels, roofing systems, wall claddings, concrete and floor laminations.

Furniture and Woodwork: Laminating wood, bonding veneers, edge banding and assembling cabinets.

Automotive and Aerospace: Securing body panels, windshields and lightweight parts, providing strong and flexible bonds.

Footwear and Textiles: Bonding shoe soles and performance wear.

Packaging and Industrial Manufacturing: Used for multi-layer packaging and moisture-resistant cartons, especially in food and cosmetics.

Also, polyurethane sealants are used in areas like bathrooms, kitchens and facades where movement and exposure to the elements are factors.

Why Every Contractor Should Consider Polyurethane Adhesive?

Polyurethane adhesive’s ability to bond different materials with strength, flexibility and resistance to tough conditions makes it a trusted choice across industries. Whether you're building, fixing or manufacturing, choosing the right adhesive can make all the difference. 

The next time you need a long-lasting bond, choose polyurethane adhesive. It's strong, flexible and built to deliver reliable performance every time.

[pebmanufacturer12]

Top Quality Color Coated Sheet Manufacturer in India

Top Color Coated Sheet Manufacturers in India: Driving Excellence in the PEB Industry

In the booming construction and infrastructure sector, Color Coated Sheets have become a crucial component for both aesthetics and structural integrity. From industrial buildings to residential rooftops, these sheets are widely used for cladding, roofing, and facades. With the rapid expansion of Pre-Engineered Buildings (PEBs) across India, the demand for high-performance color coated sheets has witnessed exponential growth. At the center of this evolution are India's leading color coated sheet manufacturers, whose innovation, quality, and capacity are reshaping the steel construction landscape.

The Role of Color Coated Sheets in PEBs

Color coated sheets are steel or aluminum sheets coated with a protective layer of paint or film. In PEBs, these sheets are used for roofing and wall cladding, offering not just visual appeal but also corrosion resistance, insulation, and durability. The integration of color coated sheets into pre-engineered buildings helps reduce construction time, improve energy efficiency, and enhance the overall life of the structure.

For PEB manufacturers, the quality of these sheets is non-negotiable. A durable, weather-resistant, and aesthetically pleasing sheet not only ensures the longevity of the structure but also boosts its market appeal. As a result, leading PEB players collaborate with top-tier sheet manufacturers who can meet stringent industrial specifications.

Key Features of High-Quality Color Coated Sheets

Corrosion Resistance: Sheets are often galvanized or galvalume-coated before painting to ensure long-term resistance to moisture and chemicals.

Thermal Efficiency: Reflective coatings reduce heat absorption, contributing to better energy efficiency within buildings.

Aesthetic Appeal: Available in various colors, textures, and finishes to meet diverse architectural requirements.

Weather Durability: Designed to withstand harsh weather conditions including UV radiation, rainfall, and high wind loads.

Environmentally Friendly: Many sheets are recyclable and manufactured with eco-conscious processes.

Top Color Coated Sheet Manufacturers in India

India is home to several prominent manufacturers known for producing world-class color coated sheets that serve both domestic and international markets. Here are some of the top names:

1. Tata BlueScope Steel

A joint venture between Tata Steel and BlueScope of Australia, Tata BlueScope is a leader in color coated roofing and cladding solutions. Their COLORBOND® and LYSAGHT® brands are widely used in PEBs, known for their superior performance, color retention, and sustainability.

2. JSW Steel

JSW is one of India’s largest private steel manufacturers. Its JSW Colouron+ and JSW Everglow sheets are widely recognized for their vibrant colors, superior galvanizing, and application in large-scale PEB projects across India.

3. Bhushan Power & Steel

Bhushan offers a wide range of color coated products catering to industrial and architectural segments. Their sheets are favored for precision engineering and compatibility with various PEB systems.

4. Asian Colour Coated Ispat Ltd (ACCIL)

ACCIL is known for delivering advanced color coated solutions using cutting-edge coating technologies. Their products cater to the automotive, appliance, and infrastructure sectors, making them a reliable partner for PEB manufacturers.

5. Essar Steel (Now part of ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India)

Essar’s legacy in steel continues with high-quality color coated solutions designed for high durability and weather protection, ideal for PEB structures and modular construction.

Synergy with PEB Manufacturers

Top PEB manufacturers such as Kirby Building Systems, Interarch, PEB Steel, and Zamil Steel heavily rely on premium color coated sheet suppliers. The synergy between sheet manufacturers and PEB companies ensures high-quality, long-lasting structures that meet modern engineering and design standards.

This collaboration also extends to customization, where color coated sheet manufacturers provide tailored solutions in terms of size, coating thickness, and color to meet specific architectural requirements of a project.

Conclusion

As India's construction industry continues to pivot toward faster, cost-effective, and sustainable solutions, color coated sheet manufacturers have become key enablers in the growth of the PEB sector. By offering high-performance, aesthetically appealing, and durable products, they are not only enhancing structural performance but also contributing to a greener and more efficient built environment.

When choosing materials for your next PEB project, partnering with a reputable color coated sheet manufacturer can make all the difference in quality, longevity, and design versatility.

Visit:- https://www.pebmanufacturers.in/color-coated-sheet.html

[claddingltd]

Rockwool Cladding Insulation Solutions – CSS CLADDING LTD

CSS CLADDING LTD offers high-performance Rockwool cladding insulation, perfect for external walls, roofs, and floors. With products like the Rockwool rainscreen duo slab and SP FireStop system, these solutions provide exceptional thermal, fire, and acoustic performance. Engineered for easy installation and BBA-approved, Rockwool insulation meets Euroclass A1 standards and is ideal for new builds, extensions, and energy-efficient facades. Choose Rockwool for reliable, lightweight insulation that enhances fire protection and soundproofing.