The construction industry is now facing a double dip recession, following a record number of companies going insolvent due to public sector spending cuts.

A new report has found that nearly 1,000 construction companies went bust in the last three months of 2010, which was up 19% on the previous quarter.

This has been caused in part by reduce spending by the public sector, with many large scale projects being scaled back or cancelled.

The industry is now hoping that construction work from the private sector will replace the gap and improve prospects for builders, plumbers and electricians.

Plumbers looking for supplies such look to Trade Plumbing for great value prices and a wide selection of products, from heating supplies and central heating radiators to bathroom enhancements such as shower enclosures and heated towel rails.

Today is the last day for people working in the plumbing and heating industry to register for the Plumbers Safe Tax Plan (PSTP) to get their taxes in order.

If you think you may have made a mistake with your taxes or haven’t declared some income, it is a way to make a fresh start. People who sign up for the scheme and are found to owe the HMRC money have no risk of prosecution and receive lower penalties, as well as a chance to spread payments if you are unable to pay all at once.

After the amnesty ends, people working in the industry who have not registered to be involved in the scheme could be investigated if the HMRC believes they owe money. People who are found to owe money after the PSTP registration ends could be liable for penalties of up to 100% of the amount they know and even risk of criminal prosecution.

Registering for the PSTP can be done online, by calling the dedicated helpline or by completing and posting a PTSP notification form to the HMRC. More information can be found on the HMRC website.

Plumbers looking for supplies should visit Trade Plumbing. They sell a wide range of products for the bathroom, kitchen and central heating systems such as shower enclosures, kitchen sinks and central heating radiators, all at great prices.

In 1938, a young man in California dropped his class ring into the toilet at the butcher’s shop he worked in and never expected to see it again.

In a bizarre twist of fate and consequences, Jesse Mattos had it returned to him 73 years later after being found when a sanitation team were doing routine maintenance on the sewage system.

Picture from the Times-Herald

The ring appeared amongst debris and was found by sanitation worker Tony Congi, who attended the same high school in the 1970s and recognised the design of the ring. Tony then took the ring to be cleaned and it revealed that it had the year 1938 and initials “JTM”. He then found the yearbook from that year and discovered only one person graduating that year had the initials.

In another weird twist, Tony knew an old classmate of Jesse’s who gave him his phone number so the two men could meet and Tony could return Jesse’s keepsake, 73 years after he lost it!

Trade Plumbing are a leading supplier of bathroom and heating supplies to both the trade and the public, selling a wide range of goods from shower enclosures to electric towel rails at great value prices.

With another bank holiday weekend upon us, now is the ideal time to do some DIY around the home!

Making improvements to your home not only improves your living environment but can also increase the value of your property, making it doing DIY a worthwhile investment for the future.

There are a variety of changes you can easily make to your home which can make a significant impact.

Your kitchen is the hub of your home so it is important that the room is suitable for your requirements, but replacing the entire kitchen can be costly. Small changes, such as replacing your sink or taps can make a noticeable change without breaking the bank.

As the summer months approach, making changes to your household central heating system is a good idea. Replacing worn out central heating radiators with new designer models or installing electric towel rails in your bathroom can make a big difference to the style of your property and can also help you save costs on your heating bills. This is definitely worth considering as heating costs are expected to rise dramatically this winter.

Whichever changes you decided to make, Trade Plumbing have all the plumbing and heating equipment you could need. They supply both the trade and the public, and have a wide selection of items all at great prices.

There seems to be a day celebrating almost everything in the world and today is no exception, as fans of the sci-fi writer Douglas Adams have marked 25^th May as Towel Day.

Why?

Douglas Adams, best known for the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, passed away on 11^th May 2011 and fans decided to come up with a way to pay tribute to him. They decided that 25^th May would be known as Towel Day, as towels are a significant item in the book. This was only intended to be a one off event but due to its popularity it has been celebrated every year since.

Towel lovers should consider installing an electric towel rail in their bathroom to keep their towels dry and warm, and Trade Plumbing have a wide selection of heated towel rails so you can find the perfect one for your bathroom!

The Chelsea Flower Show always aims to push boundaries and this year they’ve got an unusual garden from a South Korean designer which is centred around a toilet.

In South Korea, it is normal for the toilet to be located in the garden and for many centuries people in Korea have considered using the toilet to be a highly spiritual experience which helps you cleanse your mind.

The garden is named Hae-woo-so, which is the Korean word for a traditional toilet and features a number of pathways leading to the traditional toilet building.

The designer, Jihae Hwang, is believed to be the first South Korean designer to exhibit at the show and said: “There’s no limited number of topics you can make a garden from. Why not a toilet?”

Other weird and wonderful exhibits on show include a garden suspended 25m in the air, a working water mill and a cypress tree covered in gold.

If the garden has inspired you to update your bathroom, look to Trade Plumbing. They sell a wide selection of bathroom fittings and fixtures including bathroom suites, shower enclosures and central heating supplies so you can create your own spiritual retreat in your home.

People working in the plumbing and heating industry are being urged to register for the Plumber’s Safe Tax Plan before the deadline next Tuesday.

Plumbers have just one week to sign up for the amnesty which allows them to get their taxes for the last six years in order with reduced penalties and no threat of prosecution.

Mike Wells, HMRC’s director of risk and intelligence, said: “If you owe tax but haven’t yet heard from HMRC, do not assume that we will not catch up with you.

“Plumbers, gas fitters and heating engineers whose tax affairs are not in order need to contact HMRC now and fully disclose their income. This will allow them to take advantage of a reduced penalty.”

After the amnesty ends, plumbers and heating engineers who haven’t disclosed any taxes they owe could be chased by the taxman and face prosecution. HMRC has gathered details of thousands of people working in the plumbing and heating industries from the Gas Safe scheme and have said that they will be cracking down on people they believe haven’t paid the correct amount of tax.

When you’re looking for plumbing supplies, Trade Plumbing can help. They have a wide range of products for plumbers and heating engineers including boilers, central heating radiators and heated towel rails, as well as bathroom and kitchen fixtures.

A futuristic “bathroom with brains” has been shown at the kbb London exhibition, with a range of new product prototypes with devices that recycle water and even monitor your health and well being.

Furniture and interior designer Rock Galpin has come up with the design which features a range of innovative products intended to revolutionise the daily bathroom routine.

Some of the key products in the unique bathroom include the Self Mirror which measures your height and general well being by measuring your heart rate and checking your skin tone, the Jet Steamer and Drier which is a type of human car wash which cleans and dries you as well as measuring your weight and twin Bath Loungers for relaxing bathing letting you and your other half catch up whilst having a good soak.

Some of the elements of the bathroom have been created with CGI wizardry but the designer believes all of these products could exist in the next 10 years.

If you want to modernise your bathroom, look to Trade Plumbing. From full bathroom suites to the latest shower enclosures, they have everything you could want to create a new look in your bathroom.

We’ve blogged before about people demonstrating their love of gaming by creating their own personalised bathroom, but a young couple in America have taken their love to the next level!

The couple, who live in Iowa, love the Nintendo game Super Mario Brothers so much that they’ve decided to have a Mario themed wedding.

Bobbi Van Zante plans to walk down the aisle dressed as the heroine Princess Peach and is being given away as her father dressed as Bowser. When she reaches the alter, she’ll be met by her husband to be Elijah Slagtar dressed as the famous plumber.

Bobbi told her local TV station: “We asked everyone to dress up and to participate. We understand if they don’t – the older people might not want to dress up and can just wear white as there are clouds in the game.”

Around 300 – 400 guests are expected to attend the ceremony in August, and the couple have been working on props for their big day since December.

Looking for plumbing supplies? Trade Plumbing sell everything you could need, from bathroom suites and shower enclosures, to heating supplies such as boilers and central heating radiators, with everything available at great value prices.

We blogged recently about plumbing related museums in the UK, and soon there will be another one to add to the list.

Pimlico Plumbers, one of the UK’s largest plumbing companies, are refurbishing their depot and are installing a small museum to their property which will showcase items from the history of plumbing.

They’re asking for people to donate, loan or sell items to the museum which will have free entry, with a donation box going to the company’s chosen charity.

Charlie Mullins, managing director of Pimlico Plumbers, said: “I’m sure there are loads of classic loos, historic sinks and retro-white goods that could take pride of place in our museum that will celebrate our industry and support our ongoing charity work.

“Plumbing is the world’s second oldest profession and the skills and innovations of the industry have touched everyone’s lives. We want to showcase a range of iconic and quirky exhibits that will demonstrate the ingenuity of engineers and bring back memories for our visitors.”

Plumbers looking for supplies for their next job, should look to Trade Plumbing. They sell everything from bathroom suites and shower enclosures, to heating equipment such as boilers and central heating radiators.