The warm weather encourages us all to get outside but it is not only people who enjoy it: woodworm beetles are starting to emerge as well! Cases of woodworm are once again on the increase and professional builders should be ready to deal with upcoming contracts by stocking up on woodworm treatment from Twistfix.

If you are a home or business owner, you can use our Find-A-Contractor service to make sure that your property is treated using Twistfix products. The term 'woodworm' covers a variety of wood-boring insects; the most widespread is the common furniture beetle. As well as furniture, these creepy-crawlies will also readily infest floorboard, rafters and skirting boards. Here's how to spot the issue:

• Holes in timber.
  The larvae of wood-boring insects burrow deep into the timber, remaining there for many months. They survive by eating the timber as they burrow through it, before pupating and emerging as adult beetles during the warmer months. The beetle exits the timber to breed, leaving a small yet easily-visible hole.
• Frass.
  This is the second sign to look for if you notice holes in timber. As a beetle eats its way out of the timber, it will bring with it a small amount of frass, a fine powder like sawdust. This can be found near to exit holes and is a telltale sign of an active infestation.
• Damaged timber.
  The burrowing of larvae through timber weakens the material and can cause it to become brittle and flaky.
• Beetles.
  Though occasionally spotted alive from May to October, it is just as common to find dead beetles in the area of infestation.

Twistfix supply a collection of woodworm treatment options. Each option is based on a micro-emulsion insecticide which comes in concentrated form. The product is registered for use by professional builders only and can only be supplied to addresses on the UK mainland. For the ultimate in cost-effec­tiveness, we recommend our comprehensive kit.

Find out more about our woodworm treatment options on the website.

The summer weather has got the whole of the UK in a good mood but spare a thought for your brickwork. Though it can't complain about the heat, it will nevertheless show its displeasure if not properly cared for!

 

Hot sunshine causes thermal expansion pressure to build up within the bricks, causing cracks to appear.  These fractures, if left untreated, will steadily deteriorate, possibly resulting in a loss of structural integrity and the ingress of moisture. Filling cracks in brickwork is vital task that reduces the risk of dampness and instability. The task is made easy with Crack Injection Mortar from Twistfix; each kit contains 250g of pre-coloured injection mortar and a syringe with extension tube. Check out our step-by-step guide below.

1. Prepare the area by making sure that there is no dust, dirt or other debris in the cracks to be filled. The product works best when bricks are pre-wet but not soaked.
2. Mix the specified ratio of water and powder together
3. Fill the cracks using the product; this operation is facilitated with the supplied syringe and nozzle. 
4. Once dry, the product leaves bricks ready to be sanded, shaped and modelled; this can be done up to 12 hours after application
5. Clean tools and spillages using fresh water

Crack Injection Mortar is available from Twistfix in a range of different colours in order to match any style of brickwork. Only natural pigments are used and the product displays excellent adhesive charac­te­ristics.

Discover more about our range of Crack Injection Mortar on the website and get in touch with our skilled technical team if you have any questions.

Foam fillers are used in abundance across the construction industry, offering a quick and efficient solution. An ever-growing number of foam-filling specifi­cations require fire-resistant properties to be included and Twistfix now supply fire-rated foam to meet these requirements.

To be properly effective, fire retardant foam must be of the correct specification and type, as well as being installed with precision by a qualified professional. The tough demands of current Building Regulations must be met, ensuring that the foam-filling application will provide a high level of protection in the case of fire.

Twistfix offer cost-effective access to industry-standard fire-rated foams, namely B1 Handheld and B2 Gun Grade foam. Both of these products adhere strictly to the specifi­cations laid out in IN 4102 Part 1 for Construction Materials and BS476 Part 20. When  used as a component within a fire-resisting joint, the foams are intended to be combined with fire-rated intumescent sealant; this will ensure that the maximum fire rating is achieved.

One of our most popular products is the B2 Gun Kit, which delivers the very best value for money and contains everything required for professional, reliable results. The kit includes an applicator gun and cleaning kit along with Everbuild B2 Firefoam; this superior formula comes loaded with special features, including:

• The ability to expand to 50 times the original volume

• A fire-rating of up to 2 hours in specific joint confi­gura­tions (combined with intumescent sealant where applicable)

• Curing time of just one hour, after which the foam can be sawn, plastered over or cut as required

• High level of fire rating protection, offering considerable retardation of flames and smoke compared to standard grades such as B3

• Added insulation and acoustic properties

For all the tech specs, check out the individual product pages and, if you need advice on making the right selection, then contact the expert technical team at Twistfix.

Wherever they are found, from roads and footpaths to driveways, patios and car parks, potholes are dangerous and unsightly. They are a particular problem for motorists, a fact which has recently been highlighted by local authorities after the results of Freedom of Information disclosures were revealed last week.

The results of the UK-wide survey have revealed the worst roads in Britain in terms of potholes, based on the number of complaints received. With a massive 545 complaints, Mellor Brook By-pass in Lancashire is by far the worst in the UK, though none of the roads in the top ten have less than 150 complaints. Other notable pothole-filled roads include the A345 in Wiltshire, Attercliffe Road in Sheffield and Main Road in Cheshire.

Edmund King is the President of the AA. When shown the results of the survey, he said. "...our potholed roads are a national disgrace. We are rescuing record numbers of drivers whose vehicles are damaged by potholes. Insurance claims for damage caused by potholes is soaring. The lack of ­investment on local roads means highway authorities are doing little more than papering over cracks, with drivers picking up the pieces.”

Tarmac Pothole Repair from Twistfix is one of the best ways to restore order from the chaos created by potholes.  A versatile cold-lay asphalt of highway-quality, the product delivers immediate repairs to any pothole-damaged surface whatever the current weather conditions.

Find out more details about this amazing product on our website.

The summer months are the perfect time for carrying out roofing projects. Work can proceed rapidly and, when finished, the roof will be ready to protect the property for the coming cold, wet weather in the following seasons. Twistfix are proud to number among the carefully-chosen distributors of the Firestone EPDM Rubber Roofing System, a hugely-successful product that has been on the market for more than four decades.

Since its launch is the USA more than 40 years ago, more than a billion square metres of Firestone EPDM has been sold. This impressive figure makes Firestone EPDM the most popular type of roofing membrane in the world, testament to its superlative levels of quality, safety and efficiency.

Unsur­pri­singly, Firestone EPDM has received a number of awards and accolades in its time. Greenpeace, the environmental organisation, conducted an in-depth study of the material and shared the results in a publication entitled 'Building the Future'; the study concluded that EPDM is an 'envi­ron­men­tally-friendly choice of roofing membrane'. In a published list of roofing membranes, the Association of Community Technical Aid Centres (ACTAC) named Firestone EPDM as 'the best-buy roofing membrane'.

EPDM, which stands for Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer, is a hugely innovative material, designed to exhibit robust resistance to water, extreme temperatures, ozone and UV radiation. It delivers powerful insulation and can be installed quickly and easily, creating a seamless finish that provides total protection.

Firestone EPDM rubber roofing is available as separate pieces from Twistfix but, for a more cost-effective choice, we recommend our comprehensive EPDM kit. As well as a piece of membrane in your chosen size, the kit contains all of the fixings, adhesives and trims required to achieve a professional, lasting result.

Please enjoy browsing through your EPDM options on pur website, and get in touch with our technical team for advice and information.

As one of the largest suppliers of damp proofing and tanking products in the UK, Twistfix boast superior purchasing power.

This enables us to command a highly-competitive market price, the savings from which we are delighted to pass on to our customers, allowing them to source great value, high-quality products in a cost-effective manner.

We have recently secured a deal with the only UK manufacturer of cavity-drain waterproofing membranes and, as a result, we are happy to announce that a number of British made membrane products are now available at a new and permanently reduced price. These include:

Baseline 20 Waterproofing Membrane

This high-performance waterproofing membrane is especially suited to civil engineering and construction projects, where it can be used to successfully waterproof basement floors and combat seepage. Designed with robustness in mind, Baseline 20 has an especially-enhanced drainage capacity and, once installed, provides an impermeable waterproof surface upon which can be directly laid floors and screeds.

Type-C compliant, Baseline 20 is approved for use in Grade 3 or 4 dry environments, is available both a 40 m² & 20 m² roll and is ideal for manual handling.

Baseline Mesh Membrane Kit

Designed for tanking basement walls, the Baseline mesh membrane kit contains a tough, long-lasting HDPE mesh membrane, with a surface that allows the direct application of adhesive dabs or wall plaster.

The membrane has a load-bearing capacity of 150 kilo-newtons per square metre and the kit contains all of the necessary ancillaries such as fixing plugs, butyl rubber tape and waterproof seals.

Baseline 8 Membrane and Kit

Baseline 8 is a cavity drain membrane which allows the attachment of timber-frame studs. This permits unencumbered services, including electrical wiring, which can run safely between the membrane and a stud wall, preventing compromised effec­tiveness.

The kit includes brick plugs with ready-mounted seals and either waterproofing tape or butyl rubber rope; these seal the system and isolate masonry from internal finishing.

Get all the details on the tanking membrane product pages and contact our team if you need advice or information.

Sales of bottled water in the UK have rocketed over the past couple of weeks, which has been attributed to the sunshine and pleasantly-warm weather this month. But don't forget that your garden gets just as thirsty and will be needing more water than usual as summer approaches!

Before summer really starts to kick in, it's predicted that we'll have to endure plenty of rain first. So this is your last call to get your hands on a Rainwater Harvesting System; localised droughts and hosepipe bans occur in this country every single year and if it happens where YOU live, then your garden is at risk of dehydration.

As well as the obvious environmental benefits, it will save you money too. Anyone who has to pay the water rates will know just how precious a commodity fresh water actually is. During an average year, a typical roof in the UK will be covered with about 80,000 litres of usable water; that's enough to fill more than 1,300 baths!

Harvested rainwater is not only good for watering parched gardens. It can also be used for washing cars, windows, greenhouse, patio, cycles; you name it. You could also use it to top up your pond or even to flush toilets.

The Twistfix Rainwater Harvesting System is simple to use, easy to install, guaranteed to be of 100% quality and compe­titively-priced.­ 

If you've been enjoying the sunshine recently, then you're not the only one! The annual weed invasion has begun and it's time to get tough on these green garden invaders with the Twistfix professional collection of weed control products.

Roundup ProActive

This is our basic, standard option, designed to combat growth of hardy weeds. Ivy is a particular problem at this time of year; the creeping weed grows extremely quickly and can damage structures and trees. Roundup is used all over the country by local councils to control ivy, grasses and other weeds on paths, roadsides and other hard ground.

Roundup Provantage 480

For controlling annual and perennial weeds, Roundup Provantage 480 is a more advanced glyphosate weedkiller. It works by disabling the enzyme system of green plants; these enzymes are not present in humans, animals, fish or other living things and so it is perfectly safe and non-toxic to anything but green-leaved weeds.

Ground-Invasive Weed Control Treatment

Weeds that come into this category are the notorious Japanese knotweed and hogweed, both extremely invasive species. Hogweed is known for causing burns and allergic reactions while Japanese knotweed is so damaging and pervasive that it is against the law to leave it untreated on your property. Roundup Pro Bio in an economical 3-pack kit is tough enough for the job.

Knotweed Injection Tool

Hollow-cane invasive plants like Japanese knotweed need special treatment and successfully solving the problem requires the use of a herbicide injection gun. Carefully calibrated to dispense an exact dosage of glyphosate deep into the stem portion of the weed, the Twistfix Stem Injector Tool is a crucial weapon in your armoury.

Check out these products and more in the 'Weed Control' section of the Twistfix website.

Fine, rare and expensive wines. Garden Tools. An out-of-control DVD collection. Exotic reptiles. What do all these things have in common? They are among the many hundreds of everyday, weird, normal and wacky things stored or housed in basement conversions! All over the world, people are using underground spaces as an ideal way to allow their collections to grow further; who knows what is just a few metres under your feet right now? Come on a journey with us as we slip through the cracks and into a hidden world...

Hearing from our many happy customers what they are using their new basement conversion for is always a welcome event here at Twistfix; there is a world of difference between the industrial, heavy-duty nature of the waterproofing products, which we deal with daily, and the warm, human side of the pleasure these products bring when properly installed by reliable contractors. We wondered just what else people were keeping below-stairs and so we did a little bit of research, which led us discover some record breaking collections kept in cellar conversions! And here they are, our top five…

1. Biggest Collection of Model Ambulances: Austrians Susanne Ottendorfer and Siegfried Weinert have collected 10,648 toy vehicles between them. Many of the charmingly-rendered and beautifully-detailed models have vintage credentials and some date back as far as the 1880s
2. Biggest Collection of X-Men Memorabilia: a whopping 15,400 items bags this record for Eric Jaskolka from Iowa, USA. Wonder if he has any superpowers…?
3. Biggest Collection of Gift Cards: Aaron & David Miller from USA and Canada have 3,215 unique gift cards in their New York basement conversion. Everyday’s a birthday in the Big Apple!
4. Biggest Collection of Converse Shoes: American Joshua Mueller owns 1,546 unique pairs of Converse shoes, enough to wear a different pair every day for four years
5. Biggest Collection of Iron Maiden Memorabilia: dedicated heavy-metal fan Rasmus Stavnsborg has a themed bar in his basement conversion, complete with a record-breaking 4,168 individual items

Whatever it is you’re collecting in your basement, you’re going to want to keep it protected from moisture. This means starting as you mean to go on - by accepting nothing less than pure profes­si­onalism right down the line, from the knowledge, experience and reputation of advisory bodies, like the Basement Waterproofing Association, to the contractor you employ and the waterproofing materials that they use.

For all your basement waterproofing needs, Twistfix has the answer. Browse our range now and contact our experts for advice and information.

The winter just gone (for good, we hope!) has had its usual effect on the nation's roads, not to mention on its driveways, patios and footpaths! You will certainly have noticed this effect if you're a driver: the dreaded potholes are bigger than ever thanks to the freeze/thaw cycle. There's only one way to stop them getting worse...

It's quite simple: potholes need filling in to stop them from being a safety risk and from damaging property. Twistfix has the answer in the form of Ultra Crete Permanent Pothole Repair, a truly professional solution that is used all over the UK by householders, private contractors, industries, local authorities and councils alike. As you'd expect, the material makes it easy to effect an efficient and lasting repair.

Potholes really cannot be avoided, particularly in areas of heavy traffic. Vibrations create small hairline fractures, the edges of which soon work loose to allow water inside. In the best case scenario, this water will start to erode the material beneath; things progress much quicker as a result of the dreaded freeze/thaw cycle. Either way the result is the same: the cracks get wider and let more water in, progressively widening cracks. Further vibration adds more to the mix, damaging the surface material and resulting in the ubiquitous pothole.

Potholes are especially dangerous to pedestrians, particularly children, the elderly and those with impaired mobility. They also represent a danger to cars, which can easily become damaged as loose material is dislodged to strike the surfaces and the delicate underneath of the vehicle. Every time a vehicle drives over (and through) a pothole, that pothole becomes ever wider and thus more dangerous.

Permanent Pothole Repair from Twistfix comprises a cold-lay asphalt, supplied in a resealable, recyclable 25kg tub. It can be used in any weather conditions and provides that all-important repair to a wide variety of surfaces, including driveways, car parks, courtyards, sports courts and more, as well as those already mentioned earlier. Once in place, the repair formula helps to stop a recurrence of the damage.

For just £46.50 fully inclusive of VAT, you can get your hands on a 25kg tub of Ultra Crete Permanent Pothole Repair. For a complete package at a special price, check out our Asphalt Repair Kit too.