Blog 1 - Ted Laverty - Leaning on a Shovel

Surviving the Freeze – Frozen Freezing and Burst Pipes in the Home

tedl@onlinetradesmen.com — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:36:00 GMT

What are the risks of freezing pipes?

It’s a simple fact that when water freezes, it expands. Unfortunately the pipes used for your plumbing are not so flexible, resulting in burst pipes and water damage in your home. Any home with poor insulation is at risk (think many of the homes built in the last 7 years) and any space within the home where pipes are exposed to a cold air flow are vulnerable – think attic spaces, outside walls and cracked wall coverings. If in doubt, check your home out by following the investigative steps below.

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Security Tips for your Home this winter

tedl@onlinetradesmen.com — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:36:00 GMT

The mere thought of having one's home broken is enough to cause stress to even the most hardened property owner. Unfortunately recent figures from the CSO indicate that home break-in's are up by 26% on this time last year. So what can we do to make our homes less attractive to prying eyes and busy fingers ? We've included a few suggestions for you:More...

Home Improvement Index 2009 - Irish Tradesmen Prices Bottom Out

tedl@onlinetradesmen.com — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:40:00 GMT

ONLINETRADESMEN.COM 2009 HOME IMPROVEMENT INDEX REVEALS VALUE FOR CONSUMERS

· 59% average cost reduction per home improvement project since 2007

· 52% drop in building costs for extensions since 2007

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Insulate your home for the winter ( No point in bailing out a leaky boat when there is a hole in the floor! )

tedl@onlinetradesmen.com — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:36:00 GMT

No point in bailing out a leaky boat when there is a hole in the floor! Property owners should start looking at the basics of " Energy Efficeny" in their homes before they invest in heating solutions for the winter.

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Is the Building Energy Rating (BER) scheme doomed to fail ?

tedl@onlinetradesmen.com — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:53:00 GMT

It is a great concept to be sure, but will logistics / economics get the better of the Building Energy Rating ( BER ) Scheme ? Some would say it was doomed from the start.

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Builders Holidays are coming - Will Tradesmen take them ?

tedl@onlinetradesmen.com — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:31:00 GMT

Builders and tradesmen holidays's are coming. Will people be taking them this year or is it a time to put the head down ?

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Irish Electricians Strike - A dispute based on principles

tedl@onlinetradesmen.com — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:59:00 GMT

So the electricians of Ireland want an 11% pay increase ? On the face of it is sounds ludicrous, however they may just have principles on their side.

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The Truth About Being A Tradesman in 2009

tedl@onlinetradesmen.com — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:41:00 GMT

Life for many in Ireland has become tougher in recent times. With the recent budget levies almost everyone’s pockets have become slightly lighter. The small tradesmen and builders of Ireland are no different in this respect but, in addition to these universal issues, they face some unique worries.

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The Home Insulation Scheme - Worthwhile?

tedl@onlinetradesmen.com — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:42:00 GMT

My last post dovetailed nicely with the launch of the national insulation programme (under the guise of the SEI's The Home Energy Saving Scheme), the governments stimulus for the ailing construction sector, along with the answer to reducing homeowners energy bills. For many it is seen as the answer for tradesmen and builders in sector - with the SEI estimating that it will influence an additional €500m in spending by property owners every year. It is certainly well founded, but is it enough ?

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Damn Statistics. Surviving the recession as a tradesmen or builder..

tedl@onlinetradesmen.com — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:41:00 GMT

Today I found a positive story in the Sunday papers relating to the construction sector. Yippee! Maybe I should frame it. The announcement that minister Eamon Ryan is launching the national insulation programme to boost jobs in the construction sector. Great stuff, Minister!

More on this again, although I wanted to start with some good news before I commented on the latest CSO statistics. Reporting on the the relative health of the sector for tradesmen and builders, its bad news for some but there is something we can do about it..

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