20 COURSES OF BLOCKS IN A DAY !! .. CHIMNEY DEMOLITION AND RE BUILD PT 4

Duration: 35:21 2552 transcript words EN summary

Video summary

The video documents an intensive day of chimney breast reconstruction and demolition work carried out from the inside out, focusing on structural reinforcement after significant damage. The builders begin by addressing material shortages, specifically needing long cavity ties that are no longer stocked at major retailers like Screwfix; instead, they source superior stainless steel solid-piece alternatives to replace inferior welded options found elsewhere. This decision is driven by safety concerns regarding falling debris and the need for robust connections in a wall that has suffered trauma but retains its render integrity. The team also installs a heavy-duty concrete lintel spanning from cheek to cheek over existing York stone, placing damp courses both underneath and above it to manage moisture effectively without adding insulation at this stage, per customer request. As construction progresses upward, the crew employs a "belt and braces" strategy involving alternating courses of ties—using brick ties on every other course alongside standard cavity ties—to ensure maximum stability before reaching higher elevations. They encounter challenges with ceiling heights that make scaffolding difficult to utilize initially, prompting plans to hire trestles later for better access as they approach the purlin and ridge beam areas. The process involves precise cutting of blocks in a dedicated saw zone upstairs to minimize dust, followed by drilling angled holes from within the cavity so that ties can be bent outward safely without compromising the exterior skin or loose brickwork which would otherwise become unstable if drilled directly. By the end of the demanding day, having completed twenty courses—a personal milestone for one of the builders—the team realizes they have run out of sand and water, halting further demolition until supplies are replenished tomorrow. They estimate installing around thirty ties in total by completion, carefully avoiding loose sections that would not hold fasteners securely. The project is nearing a point where patching will begin to restore the wall's surface after removing damaged bricks, with future steps including potential dry-lining or dot-and-dabbing over existing lime plaster to add extra strength before finishing touches are applied in subsequent episodes of this ongoing series.

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These one solid piece of stainless steel. It's one of my jobs we're very lucky. From the inside out. Hello. Happy Tuesday the [music] 9th of June. Just been on another wild goose chase. Not a wild goose chase, but we had to go into Aintree to pick up the other bag of ties that they didn't have in stock earlier. So, we've got plenty of these now. These are for tying in the side into the existing brickwork. Um Yeah, so that's sorted. We've got all them. And then we need We're going to need to stock up on these and plugs, too. The only thing they don't stock is long ties. Um we've used them before. Cavity [snorts] bluebirds. So, basically the little bluebird ties, but longer to stretch across the cavity. I have used these in the past. Oh, I didn't spell that. Used these in the past, but you straighten them to the long and then put a curl in the end, so they reach across the cavity. But we need that many. It's not practical to do that. So, while we're in Aintree, Screwfix and Screwfix don't do anything like that anymore. They only do like L brackets that you've got to plug and screw. And they're not ideal cuz if anything flat can fall on them anyway. This is what we got. We went to Paz, which is just around the corner. So, these stainless steel ties. These are actually better than bluebirds cuz the bluebirds are welded. These are one solid piece of stainless steel. And because we're working from the inside out, we'll be able to drill at an angle, drill at an angle, and then bend them up, so they will all fall to the outside. Um A few little stones here. Cuz they that wall suffered a lot of trauma the last couple of days. But no damage to the render. It's good render that cuz that wall feels absolutely solid. And there's no obvious reason for the damp inside. Yeah. So, I'll take you in and show you what else we're going to do. Some of our jobs we're very lucky. So, we're going to do a little ditch here. Going to do our cuts at the back here. Nice. There's the house. So, we're going for a belt and braces on this. And all the dust is out now. That's the end of the demolition. End of the worst of it. So, as you can see, we're going to go belt and braces on this. There's the ties for the Got 24 of these. We're going to put two in every two course of block. All the way up. And I was looking at this yesterday. And when when we took this down, this brick work in here straight onto soil. So, I didn't want to take this half up. This Yeah, it's half, isn't it? This York stone. Didn't want to disturb it cuz it's on solid ground. So, we've picked up a 1,500 64 concrete lintel to span from the from cheek to cheek to spread the weight. And got our damp course. We're going to put damp course under the lintel. We're going to put damp course on top of the lintel. And then fire away. We've got insulation, but that's going back. Cuz I spoke to the customer and because it's not insulated, he said just leave it as it is. Don't bother insulating. So, we're pretty much the same width all the way up once we've cut back. Took the cavity bit out. You can see it's all going to be chopped back up there. So, there's a bit more demolition up there. These are all the the remedial ties sticking out. Hopefully, they're working with our block work. Oh, yeah. Um Got a Oh. So, that that the nickel ones were in there. And stainless steel ones for the But that wall, with it being rendered, is absolutely solid. I bet it's falling down before before it was uh rendered. >> Let's get that out. >> Right. >> You want another bag of cement today? >> No, there's there's another bag in the van. We bought a bag and we had a bag. >> Still going to need more, aren't we? >> Um >> What have I got left? >> Still got a >> It's only three block a course. >> Yeah. >> And we can't We can only get We're probably only going to get get up to chamber height today. You can't get Well, maybe I can't go too high straight away. Oh, yeah. Something else we're going to do is every other course is going to be tie wise, but every other course between that, so course one, three, five, I'm going to put brick tie across it as well. Just to get some give it a bit more strength. Because when you get to the top, there is a um But the acro is a purlin. And right at the top there is a ridge. Not that that's moved anyway, but that's going to need something doing to it. I'm not sure, but when we're still building up that high, Yeah, cuz it goes across. So, we're going all the way up there. So, we'll be the wall will take the ridge as well. So, once that's done, we can take the temporary stuff out. Right. Are we getting the mixer in or leave it outside? >> May as well have it in. If it does start raining, at least the mix will be fine. >> So, we're going to Screwfix, Paz, McDonald's for coffee, and Fields. And we're here, ready to go. >> It's the um chisel I found nearby. >> The what? >> The chisel that I found. >> And What have I done with it? Is it in there? Yeah. Found that in the cavity. I told him all about that yesterday. >> you? >> Showed him the plug-in chisel. So, all the best stuff's found in the cavity. Yeah, he's got the lurgy. >> [snorts] >> He's not got the sniffles. He's got the symptoms. He do got the the flu-like symptoms, the aching, and the the generally feeling Right. That's enough talk. I'm going to carry this lint down below. Let's get him Let's [snorts] get While that's getting a mix, I'm going to sort me cuts out and get a few cuts done cuz it's pretty uniform to the the chamber. >> [music] [music] >> All the ingredients for chimney breast cake are all ready and prepped. Drill 8 mil 10 mil bits. 10 mil for them, 8 mil for them. Half the cook cuz it works three and a half block, which is a bit of work. Blocks are damp, but not too wet too wet. Mix is on. There's the lintel, fits in perfectly for us. Want to double damp it. Want to put that one on the bottom, curl up a little bit for the and it's not snot and damp cuz you can't you can't no way you can build a wall with no snot whatsoever. And then lintel in and put another damp on top of that. Just with a little damp issue so I'm going to be positive. Probably going to be injecting this because that is a waste of time. That's the chocolate teapot method. You see the see the rust and the anything that's still on the wall and you can't still look damp. Doesn't smell it though. It doesn't smell damp, does it? Damp brickwork has a particular smell. >> I can't smell moisture at the moment. >> No. The The overpowering smell in here is soot. So yeah, let him We're going to get this lintel in and then get cracking. Just need to put a bit of slate to the side and then I'll bed it straight over the top of that that York stone. All right, let's crack on. >> [cough] [bell] [clears throat] >> I'll give you a shower for a moment, please. Let's get your shower on. Stay in there, brief. Just better than that, normally. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Move your foot, please. Put your foot on this. And push it two for that. And you're going to fall for that. >> Yeah. Looks to me like you're going down towards the front of the house, but >> Yeah. Go to bed, I. Just the one. You know what? >> Any more? >> Yeah, I'll try and keep it as still as possible because we're working straight on this. >> Yeah. Okay. Put it there and you can and lower it down to there. Want a break? >> No. >> You got it? >> Yeah. >> Do you need any more? >> Okay. >> Put it down first. Can you lift it towards me a little bit if you don't mind? >> Yeah. >> Just let me know when One more point? >> Yeah. >> [music] >> Also, this later. >> [music] [music] >> Oh. >> [music] [music] >> Oh. >> [music] [music] >> Oh. >> [music] [music] >> Right, we've got alternate coursing. Side side ties, which is that course. And then cavity ties on alternate courses. So, it's solid. And we're also putting these in on the the holes on the top of the cavity tie holes. I'm just showing you how we do it as we go along. It's good. >> I always think that I've forgotten something. Scaffolding. >> Mhm. >> [clears throat] >> Would have been handy. >> Oh, well. >> Not much I can do with the scaffolding, I suppose. >> Mhm. >> It's just to reach the next two, and then it'll be reaching down. And then we'll be seeing if maybe see about bringing the small scaffold for that, because the ceiling heights are very high. >> Yeah. >> This is a normal house to be able to touch the ceiling on the first touch of the day. >> This is the one time in a long time where the trestles would come in handy. >> Yeah. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. >> Why don't we Why don't you look into that, then? Why don't we just bring some planks and hire two. >> How many planks is that? Three trestles. >> Three trestles. I'm currently What's that here? 3%? Yeah. I'm currently getting the rest of the blocks in, because it's threatening to rain constantly now. So, I get them all inside, keep them dryish. Yeah, so upstairs the rest loaded out, and I've put some next to the loft ladder ready to go up. Which is going to be a pain, cuz we've got to take them up, measure, have to cut them, bring them back down. >> I thought about that. I reckon we'll be able to cut them in the upstairs room in the little saw zone. Less dust. >> Yeah? >> To cut them over a grill or something. The saw The saw zone will catch all the shavings and dust you saw as you cut them. >> Yeah. >> Yes. >> I prefer that, yeah. Right, I'll move the batteries. >> And then I'll be able >> Finish. >> [music] [music] >> First floor. First So, I'm just going to get this this cavity opened up and get these snap heads snapped off. Going to get it at least up to here today. Another six seven courses on there, hopefully. Got 10 on. I know it's not supposed to go that high, but um lots of dry. It's tied in to to death. It's not moving anywhere. It's got the brick saw in it. It's very stable. That's just one little stretch of wall, so we're just going to keep getting up as high as we can. Well, till the mortar runs out, basically. So, I'm going to get the rest of these um bricks out of our way. And look, it's looking like it's slightly narrower, but sturdier. So, that's a good That's good. Um we just need to um put the line to follow. We'll probably follow this line here and just snap all those bricks off. Well, it's drilling cuz it's just going to come loose otherwise. Yeah, not too bad. Um yeah, let's get this tied up and then get into the brick state to carry on. >> [music] [music] >> Just like being molded in this house. But they've been such soft lime mortar, everything's loose. >> [snorts] >> Could you have put so many ties in it? And the fact that we're tying our little little plug in the middle to the outside skin just to give it a little strength. And then tying into this what we can. Yeah, and there. I think it it needs it dry lining. Not dry lining, dot and dabbing. We put plenty of dot and dab to give it another another bit of extra strength cuz this this is a lime plaster. That's what I'm holding it together. Mhm. So, we're done with the mess. Right, I'm now in a position to get to there. Bless you. Bless you. Right. Let's get tidied up and get ready to carry on. >> That's it. And yeah. >> I think we're going to run today's 5:00 to 3:00 with three bangers back-to-back to keep Britain moving. We will return at the same time tomorrow. Uh don't forget to welcome a message on the show. >> [music] [music] >> Here we go. Can look up to that. Can look down there. 20 courses and I've never done 20 courses about before. And I've got eight left. And we'll need lots of 40. Cuz as we get up there it goes wider. So we're going to hit the ridge just above the purlin and then up to Sorry, not the ridge. We're going to hit We're going to hit the spar just above the purlin and then up to the spar. Up to the ridge up there. It gets wider as well. We have to go across to there. Just doing a straight cavity wall. All right. And yeah, we've got a bit more knocking out to do. All the way up. We're going to cavity up. Run out of water. Not just water, run out of sand. So we couldn't even knock a little bit up. So we'll fill that up tomorrow. Um we haven't hit one of these. We've missed every single one. So we need more ties as well. So I think we're going to put 30 of these in by by the time we've finished. 30 [snorts] of them. And probably 30 of them. Yeah, every other course is tied in except when it's like that. When it's loose brick, no use drilling into that. Cuz you just make it more loose. And then just obviously we're going to start patching this back up now. We'll cut it straight. Um Ooh, bit near till I've got we've caught one. in a perp. Right. We [snorts] need to get going, pick up our supplies for tomorrow. and pass our food. So, catch you in the morning.