TWO builders who have more than 50 years’ experience in the trade have come up with an invention which they believe could become huge in the industry.

David Sgueglia and Robert Hicks, from Hook, have a patent pending for Sneedleprops – a unique invention which could help out both home owners and builders.

The design is used by those having an extension or floor to ceiling patio doors, allowing builders to create beautiful flush ceilings instead of unsightly bulkheads, without having to access upstairs bathrooms or bedrooms.

David said: “Being in the building industry for 50 years between us we came across the same problem time and time again.

“When you build extensions, you find a lot of people like to have flush ceilings and the only way to do that is you have to put big iron poles in upstairs. We were fed up with having to do extra work upstairs and thought there was no need to do it.

“Our revolutionary props allow builders to do all the work from outside, meaning you don’t have to go into the bedrooms.”

The business partners made prototypes of their design and, with structural engineer calculation,s tried and tested their own props to carry out the job, resulting in the single sided needle prop, or Sneedleprop.

David, a 45-year-old father-of-two, whose previous work includes building a block of luxury apartments and work at Eton College, in Windsor, said Sneedleprops are manufactured in Basingstoke, and the plan is to hire them out to builders.

“It’s really good for home owners because they don’t need work upstairs in their house and it’s good for builders because it’s less work.

“We have had a lot of interest locally,” said David, who hopes the design will eventually be used further afield, adding: “I can’t see why it wouldn’t go really big.

“We are really excited.

“We have the patent pending so it’s all in place, and we have been reassured by the patent officer that it’s a safe bet and there’s nothing else like it.”

For more information on the new product, visit: sneedleprops.com.