Tackling our carbon emissions is going to become a key challenge for every homeowner in the years or head. Existing homes have been identified as a target area. A mix of incentives and penalties will make us think about our impact on the environment in new ways. We will need to change the way we insulate and heat our homes.

Getting tenders back for a project can be a strange and unnerving experience. Having spent time estimating the cost of your project before the tenders were issued, it is now time to see what the contractors think. Will it be smiles all round, or cries of despair?

What does a NET-Zero retrofit look like.? 

Net Zero and Retrofit are the new buzz-words that are dominating all branches of government and industry. Net Zero is all about trying to eliminate the Carbon emissions that contribute to global warming. Currently, the energy that heats our homes and the electricity that we use to run our appliances comes mostly from burning fossil fuels. To tackle climate change, we need to reduce the amount of energy we need and then make sure that what we do need comes from a source that doesn't involve fossil fuels.

After spending ages trying to work out how to create a panorama image on computer I eventually gave up and decided to do by hand. It has been a while since I have done anything more than a quick 10 second sketch, everything seems to be digital these days.

Stone erosion and deterioration is widespread in Scotland. Lithomex is a lime based restoration mortar often used as a cheap repair and as an alternative to stone replacement. "Cheap" is the principal attraction for many but it may be a false economy.

With the scaffolding gone it is a delight to see the beautiful harling and new windows at this historic property in the Highlands. You might never know that we had been there and had carried out significant repairs.