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Skill Builder

Education Podcasts

Roger Bisby and other guests talk about their experiences in the building industry, look at the latest products and troubleshoot problems listeners are having.

Location:

United Kingdom

Description:

Roger Bisby and other guests talk about their experiences in the building industry, look at the latest products and troubleshoot problems listeners are having.

Language:

English

Contact:

+44 1206 501624


Episodes
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34 ~ Thermally Broken Lintels with Richard Price from Catnic

9/29/2025
Thermally broken lintels minimise heat transfer through the building envelope to meet Part L of the Building Regulations. Catnic’s thermally broken lintels use two folded steel sections bonded to a high-strength, thermally efficient core, achieving psi values no greater than 0.05 W/mK without additional brackets or cold bridges. Traditional steel lintels create significant thermal bridges by crossing the insulated cavity. Separating the inner and outer steel sections breaks this thermal convection and reduces heat flow by over 90%, depending on the design. Catnic thermally broken lintels are available to suit 90-205mm cavities, in standard, heavy or extra heavy duty load capacities. ________________________ Summary ❄️ Thermally broken lintels slash heat loss by eliminating cold bridging. 📐 Fit cavity widths up to 225 mm, with future options for arches and bays. ✅ Independently verified with BBA certification and BRE thermal modelling. 🛠️ Powder-coated steel for strength and durability, with installation guidance. 📊 Free structural calculations and lintel schedules from Catnic. 🌍 Central to a “fabric first” approach — boosting efficiency before adding tech like heat pumps or solar. Find out more about Catnic: go.skill-builder.uk/catnic

Duration:00:29:04

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#33 ~ Heat Pumps & Renewables with Mike Geary

7/21/2025
Roger visits the Pipelife Academy in Cork, Ireland, to discuss heat pumps and renewable energy technology with Mike Geary.

Duration:00:16:31

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#32 ~ Kirk Johnstone from On The Tools

6/30/2025
Roger travelled to Ellesmere Port to get a plastering lesson from Kirk Johnstone. The guys took a break and Kirk shared some insights on plastering life.

Duration:00:18:31

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#31 ~ Which Home Heating System Is Best For You?

1/9/2025
Roger looks at heating systems and explains their features and benefits as energy efficiency and sustainability become increasingly important, homeowners have various home heating choices.

Duration:00:25:42

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#30 ~ Hard Hat Guide with Russel Pieters from MSA Safety

10/27/2023
Roger has a chat with Russel Pieters from MSA Safety about staying safe on-site and how to choose the correct head protection.

Duration:00:25:12

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#29 ~ Is It Cheaper to Leave Your Heating on Constantly?

10/7/2023
Should you be running your heating constantly or are you better off using your timer?

Duration:00:14:01

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#28 ~ Secrets of Structural Engineering with John Cranna

9/8/2023
Roger has a chat with Structural Engineer John Cranna, who started his consultancy in 1992, having worked for major engineering consultants Ove Arup, Scott Wilson and Halcrow. ​

Duration:00:29:48

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#27 ~ From Carpenter to Inventor with Dan Cox

9/3/2023
Roger Bisby has a chat with Dan Cox about his life as a carpenter and how becoming an inventor came naturally.

Duration:00:21:44

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#26 ~ Motivation & Self-Employed Builder Burnout

5/18/2023
Roger and Sam discuss working with type 1 diabetes and how to stay motivated and energised as self-employed tradesmen.

Duration:00:16:00

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#25 ~ Tool Theft Campaign Update with Ian Elliott

3/18/2023
Roger catches up with Ian Elliott of CITS (Combined Industries Theft Solutions) to see the state of play with our anti-tool theft campaign.

Duration:00:32:38

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#24 ~ Treating Damp & Waterproofing with Safeguard

8/28/2022
Roger is joined by Damian Wallis of Safeguard Europe, the leading manufacturer and supplier of specialist damp-proofing and waterproofing products.

Duration:00:44:29

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#23 ~ Shocking Training Revealed by Heat Pump Whistleblower

7/28/2022
Roger and Mike discuss the quality of the training offered by one of the major players in the air source heat pump space.

Duration:00:37:25

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#22 ~ Are Bricklaying Robots the Future of Construction?

7/28/2021
Roger looks at robotic bricklaying technology and asks the question, is the future of construction robotic?

Duration:00:07:53

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#21 ~ Buy & Sell Surplus Stock with In My Yard

5/13/2021
Roger is joined by Clive Drummond from In My Yard, the marketplace for trades and DIYers to buy & sell new, used and surplus stock.

Duration:00:20:43

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#20 ~ Plastic Surgeon Hard Surface Repair Experts

4/20/2021
Roger is joined by Owen Freeman from Plastic Surgeon Fine Finishers, a UK network providing high-quality, engineered repairs of damaged surfaces.

Duration:00:23:26

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#19 ~ The National Construction Products Regulator

4/13/2021
Government announced the creation of a national construction products regulator with the responsibility to ensure homes are constructed using 'safe' materials.

Duration:00:23:49

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#18 ~ Damp Cure & Condensation Specialist Mostyn Neylon-Witham

2/11/2021
Roger is joined by damp cure expert Mostyn Neylon-Witham from Dovedale Dampcure Services Ltd who are damp specialists in the treatment of condensative dampness, damp walls and penetrating damp.

Duration:00:43:06

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#17 ~ Hydrogen Boilers, Heat Pumps & The Future of Heating

1/26/2021
We're joined by Martyn Bridges from Worcester Bosch to discuss hydrogen boilers and the future of heating our homes with reduced emissions.

Duration:00:44:03

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#16 ~ Cowboy Builders

1/23/2021
Roger discusses cowboy plumbers and cowboy builders and looks back at his time on the BBC with Watchdog and Rogue Traders.

Duration:00:14:49

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#15 ~ Expert Advice on Electric Vehicles with Gerard Sauer

1/9/2021
Roger is reunited with his old friend from LBC Gerard Sauer to have a chat about the future of powering our vehicles.

Duration:00:46:51