Good joinery shapes the spaces we use every day, from kitchens and staircases to timber windows and doors. But with materials, prices and workmanship varying, how do you know who to trust, what you’re paying for and whether the finished work will last?In Episode 5 of The Healthy House Podcast, Aaron is joined by Keith Dowley of Ultimate Joinery Solutions to discuss traditional craftsmanship, bespoke joinery and the realities of building a family business.Keith shares his journey from work experience at 13 and an apprenticeship in cabinetmaking to leaving the new-build industry with just three weeks of work lined up. Starting alongside his son from the back of a van, he explains how reputation, reliability and relationships through Grafters helped him establish a workshop, grow a team and take on increasingly creative projects.Along the way, we explore what homeowners should look for when choosing a joiner, why the materials you cannot see matter just as much as the finish, and how maintaining existing timber can help preserve a building’s character.We cover:• Keith’s route into cabinetmaking, traditional joinery and shopfitting• Why he left the new-build industry and decided to start his own business• How networking, recommendations and delivering good work helped Ultimate Joinery Solutions grow• The traditional skills being lost and the challenges of training the next generation of craftspeople• What bespoke joinery involves, from handmade furniture to projects tailored around unusual spaces• Traditional box sash windows, the work involved in making them and the importance of maintenance• Choosing suitable timber and the problems caused by movement, moisture and unsuitable materials• Why ventilation matters for timber and how neglected maintenance can lead to avoidable damage• Checking previous projects, asking for case studies and looking beyond a contractor’s quoted price• The difference between a cheaper quote and a genuinely comparable scope of work• Managing customer expectations and building trust between homeowners and tradespeople• Creative hospitality projects, including drinks trolleys and a mobile DJ station for luxury hotels• Working with family, supporting employees and stepping away from the tools to manage a growing business• Keith’s plans for fire door training and accreditation, and the responsibility that comes with this work• The opportunities and limitations of AI in pricing and design, including ideas that cannot realistically be builtWe finish with the Healthy House Checklist, bringing the conversation back to practical steps homeowners can take:• Keep timber properly ventilated and avoid blocking the airflow it needs.• Maintain wooden windows and doors, including their protective paintwork.• Research the people working on your home, check their previous work and avoid making your decision on price alone.For homeowners planning improvements, tradespeople developing their craft or anyone growing a construction business, this episode explores the care, skill and responsibility behind work that people live with every day.The Healthy House Podcast is brought to you by WeatherWise and produced by Crawford & Beattie.

A damp patch can look straightforward, but the wrong diagnosis can turn a simple maintenance issue into thousands of pounds of unnecessary work. Rising damp is often blamed first, chemical DPCs are prescribed by default, and moisture-meter readings are treated as proof, even when the real cause may be leaking gutters, blocked drains, high ground levels, condensation or penetrating damp.In Episode 4, Aaron is joined by Andrew Martin of The Damp Men to discuss why the damp-proofing industry has developed such a mixed reputation. Andrew shares his journey from bricklaying and general construction into property preservation, the sales-focused practices that made him question the industry, and why he believes honest diagnosis must always come before treatment.We cover:* Andrew’s journey from bricklaying contractor to founding The Damp Men* Why the damp-proofing industry remains widely misunderstood and why greater regulation could help* The difference between diagnosing a problem and simply selling a treatment* Why chemical DPC injections are so often recommended when they may not be needed* What moisture meters actually measure and why readings must be interpreted correctly* The importance of inspecting gutters, drainage, external ground levels and the entire building before specifying work* Penetrating damp, bridging, condensation, salts and some of the most common causes of misdiagnosis* Independent surveys, remedial contractors and the need for better collaboration across the industry* Why choosing the cheapest quote can lead to failed work, repeat costs and further damage* Basement waterproofing, appropriate materials and the difference the correct system can make* Building a family business, maintaining high standards and knowing when to walk away from the wrong job* Career longevity, work-life balance and Andrew’s determination to continue helping homeownersWe finish with The Healthy House Checklist, including three practical steps homeowners can take to protect their properties: maintain the exterior, improve ventilation and airflow, and carry out proper research before choosing someone to diagnose or repair a damp problem.The Healthy House Podcast is brought to you by WeatherWise and produced by Crawford & Beattie.

Look around your home and you'll find fabrication everywhere. The staircase you climb every day. The balustrade on the landing. The gates at the end of the drive. Most homeowners never think about who made them, or how much of that work is designed and built one-off, by hand, for a single property.

In this episode we're joined by Dan Bragg of Custom Fabrications to pull back the curtain on bespoke metalwork and the role it plays in modern homes. Dan takes us through how his business started, what a fabrication company actually does day to day, and why steel has quietly become one of the defining materials in contemporary design.

We cover:

• What fabrication really involves, and the difference between residential one-offs and production work
• Bespoke staircases, balustrades, gates, railings and structural steel
• The design trends driving it: steel and glass, industrial interiors, minimalism, steel paired with timber
• When to bring a fabricator into a renovation, and how leaving it too late costs you money
• Finishes and protection, from powder coating to galvanising, and what maintenance actually looks like
• The mistakes Dan sees most: bad measurements, cheap imports, style over practicality, no corrosion protection
• Behind the scenes from CAD drawing to installation, plus Dan's favourite project and strangest request
• Apprenticeships, recruitment and the future of skilled trades in a world of robotics, CNC and AI

We finish with our usual quick fire round and the Healthy House Checklist: three things every homeowner listening can do in the next month to protect and improve their home.

The Healthy House Podcast. Practical advice from the people who actually build, survey and fix homes.

The mortar between your bricks might not be something you think about, until it begins to fail. In episode two of The Healthy House Podcast, heritage masonry specialist Jake Mitchell of Archer Brick & Stone explores why using the correct materials is essential when repairing and protecting older properties.The conversation follows Jake’s journey from restoration work in Boston to working on traditional buildings across the UK, covering cement pointing, trapped moisture, damaged brickwork, failing mortar joints and the importance of choosing the right lime mortar. Jake also discusses hot lime, lime putty, NHL lime and the additional responsibilities that come with owning a listed building or a property within a conservation area.For owners of Victorian, Edwardian and other heritage homes, the episode offers practical ways to protect brick and stonework, from checking gutters and watching for cracks to managing climbing plants, using breathable finishes and choosing contractors who understand traditional buildings.🎧 New episodes of The Healthy House Podcast drop weekly, follow so you never miss one.

Damp is one of the most misunderstood problems in any home, and one of the most expensive to get wrong. In this first episode of The Healthy House Podcast, we sit down with damp specialist Paul Hughes to cut through the myths and explain what's really going on behind those stains, musty smells, and peeling paint.

Paul breaks down the three main types of damp, rising, penetrating, and condensation, and how to tell them apart, why so many homes get misdiagnosed (and mis-sold treatments they don't need), the early warning signs worth catching before they become costly, and the practical steps every homeowner can take to keep their property healthy and dry.

Whether you're buying, selling, or just want to protect the home you're in, this episode gives you the knowledge to spot problems early and ask the right questions.

🎧 New episodes of The Healthy House Podcast drop weekly, follow so you never miss one.