Latest Articles - amosjoinery.co.uk

Person in a beanie and checked shirt stacking firewood outside a house with a wood-burning stove inside.

How Many Stacked Cubic Metres of Firewood You Need for a Wood‑Burning Stove Each Winter

James H. Amos • August 22, 2026

Anyone who relies on a wood‑burning stove or inset stove through the colder months faces the same question every year:...

Construction worker in high-visibility vest and hard hat operating excavator on a beach near broken concrete.

Demolition starts at Ourigo Beach, Porto: APA work lasts 20 days and costs €77,000

James H. Amos • August 22, 2026

Demolition work begins this Tuesday on the skeletal remains of the former beach bar at Ourigo Beach, in Porto. According...

Surveyor in a high-visibility vest using equipment by a river with a large cable-stayed bridge in the background at sunset.

Ponte Vasco da Gama: key numbers and facts

James H. Amos • August 22, 2026

For many of us, it is now almost impossible to picture the city of Lisbon without the Ponte Vasco da...

Man holding approved blueprints stands near fence with hard hat, while a small building is lifted by crane.

A Mobile Extension Disguised as a Garden House: How Mr M Outsmarted Building Control

James H. Amos • August 22, 2026

He slowly pulled the tarpaulin away from the rear of his house. Where, a few months earlier, there had only...

Two men examine an architectural model and blueprints on a table by a large window overlooking a river.

Porto City Council to approve seventh amendment to Invesurb Aleixo land contract

James H. Amos • August 22, 2026

The 2010 agreement between Porto City Council and the Invesurb fund covering the land of the former Bairro do Aleixo...

Construction worker in a high-visibility vest and helmet painting a road line on an empty asphalt road at sunset.

Malaysia’s 245-metre glowing road markings in Semenyih: why the pilot ended

James H. Amos • August 22, 2026

In Malaysia, the future of road lighting briefly looked as though it had arrived: instead of conventional street lamps, self-illuminating...

Empty parking lot next to a bus stop shelter with yellow benches on a sunny day in a rural area.

Eynsham’s 60 million-euro, 850-space park and ride by the A40 sits empty until summer 2028

James H. Amos • August 22, 2026

It may be brand new and offers 850 spaces, yet not a single car is using it. A genuine scandal...

Person draining steaming cooked spaghetti from a saucepan into a kitchen sink with a bowl of pasta water nearby.

Stop Pouring Pasta Water Down the Drain

James H. Amos • August 22, 2026

When you cook pasta, it’s almost second nature to tip the hot water straight into the sink. That very habit...

Two men reviewing construction plans on a table outside a school building under renovation.

Aveiro City Council to relaunch public tender for the new Homem Cristo Secondary School

James H. Amos • August 22, 2026

Aveiro City Council is set to launch a new public tender for the construction of the new Homem Cristo Secondary...

Man inspecting electric car charging station in a parking garage with bicycles and electric vehicle nearby.

New European Union rules in the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (2024/1275) for electric car charging

James H. Amos • August 22, 2026

Owning an electric car is only part of the equation. The other part is making sure there is somewhere to...

Young man studies and points at a red suspension bridge over a river in a sunny urban setting.

Facts and history of the Ponte 25 de Abril

James H. Amos • August 22, 2026

Around 140,000 vehicles cross the Ponte 25 de Abril every day. Over more than half a century, it has been...

Modern urban street with tram tracks, cyclists, pedestrians, office buildings, and trees in the evening light.

Burying the via AEP and creating the Northern Economic District in Porto

James H. Amos • August 22, 2026

The proposal by the President of Porto City Council to bury the via AEP and establish a Northern Economic District...

People using an outdoor escalator surrounded by lush greenery and mountains on a sunny day.

China’s Wushan unveils the world’s longest escalator, The Goddess

James H. Amos • August 22, 2026

China has just added a new record-holder to its mountain infrastructure: the world’s biggest escalator. Stretching for one kilometre, it...

Person kneeling on gravel driveway inspecting surface with construction plans, rubble, and helmet nearby.

Recycled Asphalt Driveways: A Practical Alternative to Concrete

James H. Amos • August 22, 2026

A few years ago, laying a thick slab of concrete in front of the house was seen as a sensible,...

Construction worker with helmet and vest directing traffic on busy road near river and bridge in cityscape.

Stone Quay Viaduct in Massarelos, Porto to face 10 months of traffic restrictions

James H. Amos • August 22, 2026

The Stone Quay Viaduct in Massarelos, Porto, will be subject to traffic restrictions for 10 months while rehabilitation works are...

Scientist in lab coat examining tree ring sample with plants and scientific tools on table in bright room.

New Study Reveals PXY and ER Receptors Team Up to Control Cambium Wood Formation

James H. Amos • August 22, 2026

Wood gives buildings their strength and, by some estimates, stores more carbon than nearly any other living thing on land....

Outdoor escalators beside a historic fountain with people and a river view of a city with red-roofed buildings.

Porto City Council launches €1.95m tender for escalators and new square in Virtudes

James H. Amos • August 22, 2026

Porto City Council has opened a public tender worth €1.95 million to build escalators and create a new square in...

Man holding a map of the UK outdoors at a picnic table with a laptop, GPS device, and a badger.

Britain’s First Map of Roadless Areas and the European badger

James H. Amos • August 22, 2026

A European badger typically requires around half a square mile (1.3 square kilometres) to forage, rear cubs, and make it...

Red electric car displayed indoors near a charging station with European Union flags in the background.

How Chinese Carmakers Are Racing to Produce in Europe Ahead of the Industrial Accelerator Act

James H. Amos • August 22, 2026

Chinese carmakers have been investing heavily in the European market over recent years, and the payoff is already clear. If...

Person using a syringe to inject adhesive into wood flooring joints during repair, with tools nearby.

Resin Injection: Fixing Hollow-Sounding Tiles Without Lifting Them

James H. Amos • August 22, 2026

Sometimes, though, taking a hammer and cold chisel to the floor is completely unnecessary. Anyone who has walked across tiles...

A man and woman carrying a large cardboard box on a suburban street with a train passing on a bridge above.

High-speed line in Estarreja to demolish 17 houses and relocate two companies as expropriations begin in August

James H. Amos • August 22, 2026

The high-speed rail project will lead to the demolition of 17 homes and force the relocation of two businesses in...