Video summary
The video documents a solitary day of construction work undertaken by Steve while his partner, Alex, is away in London watching Metallica. Due to the scaffolding being tied up for other jobs around the corner, Steve decided to tackle a specific section of the wall that required significant manual labor involving ladders and moving materials back and forth. The primary objective was to remove an existing reinforced concrete lintel that had been bridging the cavity, effectively blocking proper insulation. Although the task was physically demanding and involved working in what he jokingly described as a "disaster zone" filled with debris, Steve managed to chop off the lintel and clear the way for the insulation to run continuously from the bottom up to the eaves.
Once the obstruction was removed, the focus shifted to preparing the wall for new hollow concrete blocks, which were noted to be a mixture of standard blocks and Thermalite units. Steve installed grabbers into the remaining solid sections to provide temporary support while he worked at height, ensuring the loose blockwork stayed in place during demolition. He also addressed the cavity ties, noting that only two additional ones were needed to secure the wall properly. The process involved cutting various sizes of blocks on-site and organizing the rubble into stacks before moving them to the garage, all while managing dust and maintaining a safe working environment without his usual partner present.
The project was not part of the original quote but proved to be a valuable improvement that reinstated the cavity for better insulation and allowed for a solid water render instead of patching up old recesses. Despite the challenges of working alone with limited ladder height preventing him from reaching higher stages, Steve successfully completed the blockwork and cleared the area. He expressed satisfaction with the outcome, stating that the hard work was absolutely worth it to transform the wall's integrity. The video concludes with Steve preparing to dismantle the scaffolding and tidy up the site before Alex returns the next day to continue their ongoing big project together.
Read the full video transcript
We're into these concrete blocks now
with the odd. We're done.
That was a slo.
Good morning.
[bell] It's the 6th of July.
I'm on my own again.
There's a reason for that. Um cuz my
Dossier son, if you read the comments
from me window video, you'll understand
that. Dossier. Yeah, there's a story
behind that. He's um
we were both off yesterday. I had the
day off, too. Got some stuff done around
the house. And
as you can see, Oh yeah, he went to
London to watch Metallica with his
brother and well Stuart and his brother
Steve. So he's only getting the come
back on the train about lunchtime today.
So instead of me having another day off,
I thought I' come in on me.
Not an ideal job to do, but because the
scaffold's tied up, as you can see, two
lifts up. So a lot of ladder work on me
own, a lot of stuff to come backwards
and forwards with. But we need the
scaffold down for the job around the
corner. And I could have done that job
around the corner, but it would have
meant bringing more scaffold and putting
another scaffold up. So, I'm just going
to plot along on this, get this done,
which is, let me just sit back a bit.
Continuation from Saturday's job, I
think it was, where we cut the window
down, lintils in, cavity trays blocked
up inside and out. And now
we're up to this thing,
the lintil,
which spans the cavity.
But because we've blocked up inside now,
it's not a lintil anymore. It's not
working as lintil. It's just a piece of
concrete in the way. So I'm going to
notch it across the front after I've
took the the paneling off. I've got the
multi-tool today. So we've got the right
tools for the job today. Multi-tool
across the top there where I've put the
screws in.
Um, rip off everything out the way. Take
this lot out. These are hollow concrete
blocks, not 7 Newton solids. So, that's
good news. And it's kind of a mixture
with Ben and Thermalites.
So, yeah, timber off.
uh take all the block work out out of
the way to get me another let me see one
two three four courses
which is a bit of a stretch but I can
get up on this this lift now
so I'll get that quite comfortably that
takes us right way up into the eaves
then up onto the the gable the pipe
wherever you want to call it and that
can be gotten off the scaffold and the
scaffold goes up to do the roof
so there you go Let's take this out.
It's just a bit of a rain guard just in
case. So, there's what we're doing.
There's our insulation, our tie wires,
screw ties.
Basically, it's tied to death. It's
proper solid.
That one's being replaced eventually,
obviously.
And it's all being rendered. So, let's
crack on with this bit now.
Do a bit of demolition. Always like a
bit of demolition.
Perfect.
All right, quick update. There you go.
That's what we've got.
I was hoping there be more fiber
thermalite than that, but um it is what
it is. That's loose already. Look.
Yeah. So, this is basically a 9 in wall.
It's just been set back the width of the
cavity to get this sheepery paneling in.
So, it's solid solidish.
So, what I'm going to do, there's
already a grabber through that block
there. I'm going to put another one
through there and one through there so
that the um the screws are holding in
the uh the block work
temporary obviously till I get up to
here. And then I'll just probably just
put a a couple of wedges or something in
it then because um
yeah, there's there's batters that go
across that hold the block working. The
fact that it's wedged into there will
hold the block work in and a few extra
screws hold the block work in. And it's
only temporary while I get this bit
blocked up anyway. So the obit's going
to be loading me bloody blocks out
cuz me dossier is not here. He's in
London.
What a nice I'll tell you the back story
of that later. Uh yeah, so I'm going to
go and get the grabber. Not the grabber,
the rattler. Put a couple of grabbers
in. Just whack them in there cuz that's
all they're all thermalites now. So I
can just screw through the thermal
lights
into into the blocks behind and that'll
just give it a bit of support and then
I'll start doing a bit of demolition.
Right, back down the ladder. Be back up
in a bit.
>> [music]
>> Heat. Heat.
Hey, hey, hey.
over.
[music]
Ooh.
>> [music]
[music]
>> That as always was tougher than I
expected.
So, we're into these concrete blocks now
with the odd like scattered about. So,
these are quite loose these. So, I've
got the grabbers
into the other skin holding all that up
cuz I'm only going up to 30 today. Uh,
this was a reinforced concrete lint, of
course. Luckily, the reinforcing brand
that way it didn't go any other ways,
which it wouldn't anyway. So, managed to
chop that off without too much grinding.
managed to take it right back into the
to the seating. So, it's not it's not
bridging the cavity anymore at all. So,
me insulation is going to run right
through all the way up. So, I've got a
two cuts at 280 to do, two cuts at 90,
and two cuts at 200, and then eight
solid full blocks. Already got two up
here. And I think I'll do the cutting up
here. As you can see, it's a bit of a
bit of a disaster zone up here.
Looks like a looks like I don't know
like a bomb's gone off 25 to 10. Have a
quick break.
Going for a drink in a minute anyway. So
yeah, get get the scaffold cleared off.
Get all power tools out the way. And
there's not a lot not a lot of block to
do. So that's one two two and a half.
I'll probably just do a paddle mixer mix
and then concentrate on dropping the
scaffold and tidying up. Good job winds
are getting changed.
Yeah, we're getting there. This is This
wasn't part of the original quote. This
just sort of happened. It's a It's a
good thing to do though cuz it's
it's getting re reinstating the cavity,
insulating it properly, and giving them
a good solid water render rather than
patching up. And I don't know what you
do with that recess to render over that,
but yeah.
Right. Let's get tidied up a bit. Come
and have a break.
Welcome back after break. Well, it's
long time after break now. I've um
started loading out. Got me stuff
around. Most of the cuts are done. So,
might be doing your cut. You'll notice
it's all tidied up. It's all big stuff's
moved and all the small stuff bagged up
in a couple rubble stacks and in the
garage. So, um four more full blocks
come up. And because there's only one
more cut, I might just take the saw back
down and cut it downstairs.
Save um
just save room, I suppose. So, I just
need to organize myself up here, make a
bit of room, and then we can get this
cracked off ready for dinner before
dinner.
Made up how that's worked out inside
done. As as I say, it's not a lint
anymore. It's just a piece of concrete
in the way which throw our bomb out, but
it's actually bringing bomb back in now.
So, will work.
Shut up. Stay. Stop waffling. Tires.
Yeah, side tires and cavity ties. We
actually only need two more.
Don't know where I'm going to drill them
cuz these things are hollow. No perch to
drill into.
There's no motor in the perch. So, I
have to try and get into the Well, there
isn't it. I might even try and get in
the bed cuz the bed's higher than nine.
Drop it down. Yeah, we're going to the
bed. They are made a decision on the
fly. Right. I'll try and set you up
somewhere you can see what's going on
and then we'll get
>> [music]
>> That was a lot of wasted uh storage
space on the camera.
Time to do nothing while I was getting
all the jobs done.
[clears throat]
You don't want dust on there. You want
your blocks to stick to them. Right.
I've mixed um 16 to four in a gorilla
tub [laughter]
full
just over halfway up. So, I'm going to
whack whack her on now before dinner and
then go and meet the lunch.
Yeah. Right. Find you somewhere to
Okay.
>> [screaming]
[clears throat]
[snorts]
>> All
right.
Wrong size.
>> [music]
[music]
>> Heat. Heat.
Right,
we're done.
That was a slo, but
well worth it.
Absolutely well worth it.
There you go.
Just a touch. Transform scaffold. There
you go. So,
block work. A little window block work.
And then that's what's left. Not a lot,
but we can't even go up another stage on
the tower because we haven't got a
ladder long enough. That ladder is at
full height there. So, we'll be getting
any higher and it's getting the higher
up, the more angle it's on. So, we never
get up. But anyway, there you go.
Sorted.
I'm going to have me dinner cuz there's
a brew waiting for me. And then I'm
going to get this all dismantled and
tidied up and get set up around the back
ready for tomorrow when when um um Alex
the Dossier returns.
Right, that's lunch over.
Now
it's get this dropped down solo.
Um,
yeah. Let's get the radio on. Get you on
time lapse.
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Brick Clean with Steve and Alex on our
ongoing
big project and we'll see you in the
next one.