Video summary
The video documents a challenging renovation project involving the conversion of an existing cavity wall into a solid 9-inch block structure within a bedroom that has been scaffolded off the ground. The narrator highlights the difficult working conditions, particularly for his colleague Alex, who is forced to perform heavy labor and precise cutting while on his knees due to limited headroom near the roofline. Despite the awkward position and physical strain, they successfully complete significant portions of the wall tying process, removing old headers and integrating new blocks that are secured with screw ties rather than traditional wire ties for added stability. The team also addresses structural issues caused by previous trauma to the building, repairing loose brickwork and drylining original plaster before proceeding with further demolition and rebuilding tasks.
A major focus of the episode is the decision-making process regarding specific architectural elements, such as retaining certain headers under a pinge despite potential cold bridging concerns, which they mitigate by planning to add damp proof courses later. The crew encounters complications with an old ridge tile that appears to be swinging in mid-air after being detached from its original chimney stack, prompting plans to install braces for support before the next phase of work begins. Throughout the process, there is a clear division of labor where one person manages scaffolding and material transport while Alex handles the intricate cutting and fitting upstairs, though the narrator notes that he cannot climb high enough to assist directly with all tasks due to his age and mobility limitations in this specific confined space.
The video concludes with reflections on the day's progress after removing roughly twenty courses of masonry from under the scaffold, leaving a clean edge ready for patching and brickwork restoration. The narrator expresses concern for Alex's well-being, noting that he is not feeling too good and may be unable to participate in filming or speaking segments tomorrow due to fatigue or illness. Consequently, they decide to wrap up the current segment with an outro planned for another day when Alex recovers enough energy. Overall, the episode serves as a testament to their resilience against "terrible conditions," showcasing both the technical aspects of cavity wall tie-in and the camaraderie required to navigate such physically demanding construction challenges in a residential setting.
Read the full video transcript
Right. Never on a scaffold in a bedroom
before. Was a first for me. Just for
everyone who says he does nothing.
Wind your neck in and get lost.
On his knees trying to work this one
out. Pulse. Good man. Managed to get
myself on Granada.
>> [bell]
>> All right, we got a scaffold set up in
the bedroom.
[cough]
[clears throat]
So,
these are the blocks we end up picking
up. These are the
new 58s. That's the cheaper ones that
they bought in at the Fairwoods branch
we went to.
Maybe cheaper, but they're heavier.
>> Yeah, you don't need.
>> So, yeah, we're saving the files we have
left for in the loft.
But yeah,
[cough]
excuse me. [snorts]
Yeah, I think we got about five
quarters. So, we hit loft height.
[snorts]
So, just crack on. Also, we got a knock
out and break out as we go along.
So, let's get that done.
Right. Never on a scaffold in a bedroom
before. Was a first for me. Right.
Little bit of fettling to do. Open up
the cavity.
Just a future knock out. Knock these
headers off. These tie everything in and
get cracking. I think it's about five
course to go in here from here. And then
we're up to these headers
which we'll have to come out.
Currently that one's uh got a ping on
top of it and an acro but we can get
past that.
Yeah. I'm just thinking with it being so
high right up by the roof to leave these
two in
they're not going to cause cold issues
in the left are they cold bridging. So
[clears throat] yeah I think I'll leave
those two in with the pearl is take the
rest of these off all these. And there's
the uh closeup of the tires. might shown
these already, but there they got the
use from paws.
Perfect for that.
And then our good old frame t from screw
fix
for there.
So the block works tied in every course.
It's that then that then that then that.
Not just for this, but it adds stability
to the side walls, though, cuz all this
is quite loose. [clears throat]
It's had a lot of trauma.
And as you can see, that's been repaired
and drylined. That's original, the old
line plaster. So, we'll whip some of
that off, too.
Don't know how that works.
Yeah, the choice run that way. That's
just trimmed in.
Yeah, quite a bit to do up there. More
than you think in the most awkward spot
cuz obviously on your knees up there,
it's not very high.
So, um,
with Alex not feeling too good, I think
I'll get up there and get Alex to do the
cuts.
See how he wants to do. Right, let's
start getting this remedial bit done.
[music]
>> [music]
[music]
>> Hey,
[music]
hey, hey.
Dad.
>> No. Couple more of these.
>> Just those at the bottom. The rest over
that that side can stay. These
>> Yeah.
>> Coming out. Yeah,
>> that
you might need to get that out cuz you
got to build up to that. You build over
that
out.
>> Yeah.
I think that's the last one. It stays
here. Now
that side's ready.
Right. My scaffold suddenly got very
small. Right, as you can see, we've made
a mess.
We've done all the remedial stuff now.
Anything that's in the way I need
chopping off is chopped off right up
into the loft. Alex did it from above
and I caught it off him and chucked it.
So, yeah, got a nice straight edge on
this left hand side.
Straightish. And then we're gathering
over here. So, it's going to be a bit of
patching here and bit of brick work and
what have you. just to get all the
strength back into this wall.
Got me brick to got me mortar. So, I'm
going to get up there and then get these
next five courses up to get us into that
loft.
Let's try that in a landscape. Just film
that in portrait. There you go. All the
media works done. Got a nice straight
edge. The cavity open. Alex has done up
in the loft as well. So, all the others
are snapped off. All the cavity opened
up. So, it's all ready to go. Got a bit
of gathering over on this side and
patching to do to make it work. And
yeah, ready to go. Let's get cracking.
Every Wednesday is good Wednesday and
green dress Wednesday was a oneoff
because
we thought we'll grasp
it. I think it's got legs.
You know who it is. They don't have to
stand up and wave because you know who
it is. And they're going to stand up
right now. And if you're on the tools,
let's down tools just for 2 minutes and
51 seconds.
Whilst Jeff from chapto
reminds everyone about his body popping.
[music]
>> [music]
[music]
>> Oo,
[music]
girl.
[music]
>> [music]
[music]
>> Hey,
hey, hey.
>> [music]
>> and dance for a few times since Andy
from the chap. Hey, I'm 51. Remember the
break dancing craze? I couldn't rad my
brother
managed to get myself on Granada.
I still think I can do a little bit of
every now and again,
but it's more hip hop than hip hop.
Morning bird.
I was and
no
[music] very popular
that look that hip-hop look you know the
baggy
[music]
look at the shelter trainers from the
same German sportsear company still
[music]
pop into this
when it's nation versus nation when the
whole world is watching
>> [music]
>> friends and family.
[music]
Nothing brings us together TV cuz TV
license cooks you to watch all TV
channels plus BBC.
Others
are available, of course. This
>> Yeah, on the top.
>> Proper mess one.
>> Uh, no, it was one removable one.
>> Oh,
>> yeah. I was stuck in
>> [music]
[music]
>> Heat. Hey, Heat.
>> [music]
[music]
>> Oo, [music]
And while it's going on and leave it,
don't erase it. Leave it there for time.
[music] If you're doing some plastering,
some flooring floors, if you're doing
something with the tiles in the kitchen,
if you're laying electrical
[singing and music] cable, if you get
the chance to put your straw dirty and
leave it in whatever you're building,
please. Good luck.
[music]
>> Our first contestant here is Paul Vicker
from Vester in Oxer. Oh, come on.
How many times have you Oh, I don't know
what's there. I know what I'll do. I've
got the village
as many times as you think.
It's also a tourist attraction now.
>> Yeah. We get lots of tennis from all
over the world.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. No, it really is. I hear you're
into your tennis.
>> Yes, I play a lot of tennis. I play for
two clubs. I play sort of competitive
sort of team matches against other clubs
off this year. So, um, yeah, I really
enjoy that for many, many.
>> You being caught by Republic. Do
>> you know, I've played it once or twice
[music] and say
it. I know lots of people, but
yeah, because it's tennis court, right?
[music]
Hey, hey, hey.
[music]
Sorry you
which 1983 track by
France. I remember breakdown singing it
many times to that tune. for three
points. Here's a time single.
Is it the Supreme
who was a Supreme? I guess you were
in 1997
spent three weeks to pick at number two
with which song?
>> That was a great
Maroon gets you four points. This is
worth three. In what year did Maroon 5
and Christina spend a total of four
months inside the market with the
million selling single moves like
[snorts]
208?
>> Yeah. Well done. Great, very
rad.
Oh, there you go. I'll do that again.
That's not Ren while camping in Conwell.
This is Ren while camping Conwell.
>> Morning B. Happy new Wednesday. I've
just opened the barbecue ready for
guests this weekend. First time this
year and it's still clean. Yay. Have a
great day.
>> Oh, very good. Very good. I like that.
Uh, right. Who's this? Hello.
Hello. Good news is we're making our
way. Yay. This really exciting. Die.
>> Dave and Ali. Come on, David. Ali. Get
it right. Lovely. Very nice. Enjoy
yourself. You don't want to have
sunburn.
Uh but all the [music]
[music]
>> [music]
[music]
>> Right, back after lunch, ready to hit it
again.
You see where the old fiber lights start
with the new whatever they're called.
Don't know what they're called, but
they're heavy.
nice looking blocks, but um not ideal
for pulling up carrying upstairs and
then up into the loft.
But anyway, there you go. All tied in.
Proper solid job. We're just 100 mil off
the
ping now.
Show you.
Well, 100 mil off the headers underneath
the ping. We've decided to leave those
in cuz it's in the pike.
and it's rendered.
I might even put a piece of damp co
between them. We'll see. I'm thinking as
I go along here
um or do I take the just take them out
directly onto the block work.
Suppose we can move the um
the acro back a bit now.
Still thinking. Yeah. But anyway, we're
up. We're past the ceiling. So, Alex's
taking over now, but we're going to work
together. So, obviously, all this has
got to be dropped and tidied up, and I'm
going to be working with Alex as well,
up and down. It's nice that it's stepped
over cuz it's tied. It's not just tied
in with screw ties. It's actually tied
in physically across.
So, it's grabbed the the loose bit of
brick work. I think the the tie wires
have gone there cuz the inside brick
work was loose and the tie wires are
quite rusty. So, that's where that line
is. and it's moved everything and then
I think that was where the two chimneys
gathered over but yeah there's still a
chimney breast in the other other side
there which is staying in and we're
leaving the top of it untouched in the
loft going to start messing with that as
you can see there
that's the other tun that came up so
that'll be this room's fireplace
so I think yeah I think each room had a
fireplace in it will have done it so
while gets that mixed Now I'm going to
start tidying up. I think I'm just going
to drop all the through the hole
instead of carrying it downstairs.
So, let's get stuck in
[music]
Heat. Heat.
[music]
>> [music]
[music]
>> Right, that's the bulk of it done. We
never thought this morning to pass the
scaffold up through the gap cuz he
struggled upstairs with it while Alex
struggled upstairs with it. So, I'm
going to pass it back down to the hole
when we're done. So, that's no point
doing any more there cuz Alex is still
dropping stuff down. So, we'll take
showing his working conditions.
Just for everyone who says he does
nothing
and wind your neck in and get lost
on his knees trying to work this one out
cavity wall into a 9 in wall. So we're
buttoning up to that. We've got to the
um you can see over there by the acro
the block works in underneath the
headers underneath this ping. So that
needs packing up tomorrow when it's gone
off with slate. Maybe another bit of
brick put over on top of that. And um
he's just put just spanning that little
chimney breast there so we can run it
across the block work. And I'm just up
and down laboring and cutting. So I'll
hand you over to Alex to put this camera
somewhere.
Heat. Heat. [music]
Hey,
hey, hey.
Heat. Hey, Heat. [music]
That was the easy bit. Well, no.
Upstairs was the easy bit cuz I had a
scaffold
in a minute.
I switch the music off.
Anyway, I've edited that out. So,
so we got today's say 20 courses. Phase
two off the scaffold. Nice and easy.
Well, not easy, but
straightforwardish.
Nicely bonded over and tied everything
in.
I've tied it to death. We've got a
little brick to put in there tomorrow.
Um, tomorrow is the fireplace
downstairs.
So, I'm going to have to be all tied up
spotless tonight. [snorts]
We um the lights still on. We instantly
the ladder.
We threw Alex off and then it snapped on
me. We survived.
Wow. It's warm up here.
There you go.
That was a tough day at the office,
especially for Alex.
That was all done off his knees, the
whole thing. Cuz obviously he can't
stand up in here. So it's 1 2 3 4 900 3T
3 and 1/2 ft high at the highest point.
So all on his knees and I was just to go
for up the ladder. That's a tough one
that I wanted to get up there and do it
for him, but I can't get up. I can't get
up past here being the old fart.
So,
I'm thinking I'll have to speak to Neil
about this ridge
because the I'll zoom in, but the
original ridge.
Um, take my glasses off. There's the end
of the original ridge, which looks a bit
strange with a little piece added on the
end of it, but it used to be on a
chimney stack. The chimney used to go
through there. So, that ridge used to be
sat in the chimney on the brick work. So
now it's sort of swinging in midair.
So
need to speak to Neil and see what he
says. Probably put a brace across there
for it.
It's not moved. It's not been propped.
It's not. But it was propped, but it
didn't move. And then we've got the ping
over there. You see the block where it
comes up. And then we've got the 100 mil
piece underneath it. And then you've got
a gap where the headers are.
So, tomorrow when Alex comes up here to
tidy up, he's going to bring a bit of
mortar up and just get that up a bit.
There you go. Fill that gap in.
Fill the gap in there and slate it up.
So, the uh ridges belt braces.
That's been the theme on this one. Belt
braces. There's so many ties in it. And
that's just where it it hit the the old
this chimney breast that's down in here
which is staying in.
It would have been not easier, but if we
took the whole thing out, we could have
gone straight across the block work. But
um that's another job. That's a whole
that's a whole other job. It doesn't go
down. It's down. It doesn't go
downstairs. It just starts there where
the old fireplace used to be.
>> [sighs]
>> I get out to do an outro on this one and
the little fireplace downstairs with the
lintils is going to be a separate video.
So, um I'll probably get him to do the
outro tomorrow cuz he's not feeling so
good and he's not uh don't think he's um
he'd be too happy about doing any
talking.
[bell]
So, anyway, see you on the next one.
[music]
>> [music]
[music]