Text about underfloor heating above

The company has been responsible for plumbing many of Lochgilphead's modern housing developments, including Peddie Bank, Dochas Place, Caledonia Court and Stag Park Court to name a few.

Alex Samborek started off as a one-man band. He soon expanded after a year or two in business and the big break came when the Forestry Commission started spending a lot of money putting solid fuel central heating and new bathrooms into their houses. Samborek got a lot of this work and also maintenance contracts in Forestry houses for years to come.

He said: "We started to get business off the council, then M&K MacLeod started to give us work. We have just progressed from then on."

At one time the company employed 24 people working throughout argyll but Alex thought the standard of workmanship with such a large work force was suffering

Today the company employs eight people and is based at Unit 5, Kilmory Industrial Estate. Their main area covers Lochgilphead, Oban and Campbeltown, but they have also been known to work in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Helensburgh. They even travel to the islands

Alex said: "The trade has changed dramatically over the last 10-15 years."

A big issue for today is energy efficiency. Alex said: "With the price of fuel now there are just far too many inefficient heating systems fuelled by oil or gas that are not maintained, have very poor efficiency and need money spent on them.

"I go to see jobs and there are systems where the only time the boiler is maintained is when it breaks down. There are no cylinder stats with them, no room stats, no controls and no thermostatic valves. If they had these things people could save up to 30 per cent or more a year on their heating bills."

It seems that too many people don't realise just how much money they could save. Alex said: "I get so frustrated at people's apathy to their central heating systems.

"If somebody spends £1,000 upgrading their heating system just now, they could save thousands in the future."

To save money and to be more kind to the environment boilers must be maintained and checked and older systems need to be upgraded or replaced

Coming into fashion in the heating world, especially for new builds, is Begetube UK underfloor heating. Samborek's men are trained to fit this quality system, the benefits of which include a more evenly spread heat and the fact that there is no need to have radiators on the wall.

The company offers a complete bathroom package and uses brand name quality bathroomware. Samborek can design a bathroom to suit the customer's needs and budget, with most bathrooms being completed within a week from start to finish.

They use a first class tiler and a fully-qualified and skilled electrician. When you buy your bathroom from Samborek, you know you're getting quality.

Samborek does not shy away from smaller jobs, if you have a dripping tap or a faulty emersion heater, just pick up the phone. The office is open from 8am until 5pm and there should always somebody there.