0:00:07 > 0:00:12Cowboy builders don't just ruin the roofs over your head. They can ruin your life.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16I'm not a builder, but I know that's not how you're supposed to do it.
0:00:16 > 0:00:22I'm Clive Holland and I'm on a mission to run these shysters out of town.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26I give a monkey's about my family. I've let them down.
0:00:26 > 0:00:32With the help of the Good Guys, we'll make happy homes out of these dens of disaster.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35I'm trying to make a home here.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37It's scary. It's...
0:00:37 > 0:00:39It's upsetting.
0:00:41 > 0:00:46Do you know how to spot a cowboy builder? If you don't, stay tuned.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49It could well keep you out of the Cowboy Trap.
0:00:58 > 0:01:03Today Cowboy Trap is in the Welsh valleys. We've come to Treharris,
0:01:03 > 0:01:09which means Harris' Town. It's named after the local coal mining boss who, in the 1870s,
0:01:09 > 0:01:13built the deepest mine shaft in south Wales right here.
0:01:13 > 0:01:20These days, with the collieries long gone, the landscape has been transformed.
0:01:20 > 0:01:26A spectacular park has helped restore this beautiful valley to a more natural state.
0:01:26 > 0:01:33Just a few miles away is the town of Caerphilly that gave its name to this crumbly cheese.
0:01:33 > 0:01:39That was the staple diet of many a miner. It's rather apt because today's cowboy builder story
0:01:39 > 0:01:42has got me well cheesed off.
0:01:42 > 0:01:49Former soldiers Donna and Russ Ryan were his unlucky victims. They've been married for 20 years
0:01:49 > 0:01:54after meeting in the British Army. Donna left the forces to bring up their three children -
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Liam, Luke and Cerys.
0:01:56 > 0:02:03But Russ carried on. He saw action in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan and that took guts.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06It was tough for Donna, too.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10Living with a soldier is hard. Constantly going away
0:02:10 > 0:02:15and then you've got to get back into a routine when they come home.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18It is hard on the children, but they learn to adapt.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22Daddy goes away, then Daddy comes home, then away again.
0:02:22 > 0:02:29Even though Russ was away from home for months on end, his main priority was always his family
0:02:29 > 0:02:36and he looked forward to the day when they and their Labrador Misty could be together for good.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40That's always been my goal for years, to buy OUR home.
0:02:40 > 0:02:45You know, the MOD provide you with houses and it's fantastic
0:02:45 > 0:02:49and it's cheap, but it's not home and it never has been.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53It's quite difficult to explain that for 20 years we haven't had a home.
0:02:53 > 0:02:59As Russ neared his retirement date, he and Donna decided to take a look for a house in Treharris.
0:02:59 > 0:03:05Donna had grown up in the town, so it was ideal because she could be near her family.
0:03:05 > 0:03:10She found a three-bed former council house and suggested they buy it.
0:03:10 > 0:03:16- He was still serving and was going to still be serving for nearly 18 months.- Mm-hm.
0:03:16 > 0:03:21And then I decided that we needed to have a stable place for Cerys
0:03:21 > 0:03:25to finish her education.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29And so the Ryan family had their first marital home together.
0:03:29 > 0:03:34When Russ retired from active duty at Christmas 2011,
0:03:34 > 0:03:40the next stage of their grand plan could be put into action. They had big plans for the house.
0:03:40 > 0:03:45For the first time, they could adapt their new home just as they wished.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48We wanted a new kitchen. The kitchen was utilitarian.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52It worked, we could cook things, but it's not what we wanted.
0:03:52 > 0:03:59- It's not what I wanted, personally. - No.- And outside there was wasted space. An outside toilet.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03We're in the 21st century now. I'm not living with that.
0:04:03 > 0:04:10Donna and Russ also wanted to change the layout of their living and dining rooms.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14We wanted it to flow so you went right through.
0:04:14 > 0:04:21So now you come in, straight into the living area, the dining room, the kitchen. It flows.
0:04:21 > 0:04:28And that wasn't all. Donna and Russ wanted to incorporate two concrete outbuildings into the house
0:04:28 > 0:04:30to create a utility room.
0:04:30 > 0:04:38And the last piece of the jigsaw - giving the upstairs bathroom a complete makeover.
0:04:38 > 0:04:43The Ryans knew that this was going to be a major project.
0:04:43 > 0:04:49Quite aside from the construction work, they also knew they'd need electrical and plumbing labour.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53Russ had a lump sum as a gratuity payment when he left the Army,
0:04:53 > 0:04:58so what better way to invest it than making your first family home your dream home?
0:04:58 > 0:05:05So Donna and Russ set about finding a builder and posted an ad on a "rate your builder" website.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09Several contractors replied and came out to look at the job.
0:05:09 > 0:05:16Their quotes varied enormously so the Ryans decided to opt for the one in the middle.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21It was pretty much on the nail of what I wanted to spend.
0:05:21 > 0:05:26I looked into his references that were on that website,
0:05:26 > 0:05:32but what I didn't do was ring round, which I should done, and ask people.
0:05:32 > 0:05:37But the references he had all seemed legit, they all seemed good.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41He was also, which was another mistake, an ex-soldier.
0:05:41 > 0:05:46The military connection was too attractive for Russ to resist,
0:05:46 > 0:05:48but take my advice.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52When choosing a builder, try to take emotion out of the equation.
0:05:52 > 0:05:58You might like his background, his face or even his wife, but none of that matters.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02What does matter is a set of references you know you can trust.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07The best way to guarantee that is going to see previous customers face to face.
0:06:08 > 0:06:15But the Ryans went with their former soldier who said it would take eight weeks to complete the project
0:06:15 > 0:06:18at a cost of £15,000.
0:06:18 > 0:06:24This was for labour only. Donna and Russ were to provide all the materials.
0:06:24 > 0:06:30The builder wanted to be paid cash in hand rather than do a properly invoiced job.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34And he wanted two grand upfront before work even started.
0:06:34 > 0:06:41As a famous ex-England football manager once said, "Do I not like that!"
0:06:41 > 0:06:46Soon after the build started, the Ryans were saying the same.
0:06:46 > 0:06:52When it came to him laying underfloor heating was when alarm bells started ringing.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56We'd said it needed to be put into screed
0:06:56 > 0:07:01and he kept telling us, "No, it doesn't need to do that."
0:07:01 > 0:07:05And then he put the tiles down as you would a patio slab.
0:07:05 > 0:07:11I'm thinking, "I'm not a builder, but I know it's now how you're supposed to do it."
0:07:13 > 0:07:19Remember, part of the Ryans' dream was to have underfloor heating installed beneath their tiled floor.
0:07:19 > 0:07:26When it comes to a wet system, you need a competent heating engineer or plumber to install it.
0:07:26 > 0:07:32When it comes to electrical underfloor heating, that's far simpler, but our cowboy builder
0:07:32 > 0:07:34might as well have laid an egg.
0:07:34 > 0:07:39And Russ noticed the builder wasn't doing things he'd quoted for.
0:07:42 > 0:07:47What's more, this cowboy was spending most of his time on the phone
0:07:47 > 0:07:52when he should have been paying more attention to the quality of his labourer's work.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57When he fitted the shower, I said, "That tile's not flush."
0:07:57 > 0:08:02"Yeah, yeah, I'll get to that." It's still not flush.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07The plastering was pitiful and the underfloor heating didn't work.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09The list goes on.
0:08:09 > 0:08:14The pipework in the downstairs toilet is leaking and we've mould.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17It's been there less than 2½ months.
0:08:17 > 0:08:24The tiling on the floor, all the grout's disappeared. It's got nothing underneath it
0:08:24 > 0:08:28to keep it there. We had a leak underneath the sink.
0:08:30 > 0:08:37- But I got a local... - It wasn't a leak underneath the sink. The hot water pipe came off.
0:08:37 > 0:08:44And when it came off, the Ryans' brand-new kitchen was flooded and it shorted the electrics.
0:08:44 > 0:08:49They were wet, hungry and in the dark.
0:08:49 > 0:08:55All the way through, the whole 10-12 weeks he was here, he promised us virtually every week,
0:08:55 > 0:09:01"If anything goes wrong, I'll come back. You know me, Russ. You know me, Russ."
0:09:01 > 0:09:07That's what he kept saying. Every time he guaranteed us, "I'll come back."
0:09:08 > 0:09:12But when the Ryans called him about the hot water tap,
0:09:12 > 0:09:19he accused them of sabotaging it and when they complained about the underfloor heating not working,
0:09:19 > 0:09:24he said it was their fault for buying it from an auction website.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28They called a local tradesman to fix some of the problems.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32He spotted there was something fishy about the cooker.
0:09:32 > 0:09:40He noticed I'd had the hob moved. I then had to contact Gas Safe to come and check it.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44And then I've had to get yet another gas engineer
0:09:44 > 0:09:49to come and put the right fittings for my gas hob so I can use it.
0:09:52 > 0:09:58Turns out our cowboy builder had no business installing the hob in the first place
0:09:58 > 0:10:03as he wasn't a Gas Safe-registered engineer. That is a criminal offence
0:10:03 > 0:10:07and could lead to a fine or even imprisonment.
0:10:07 > 0:10:14Russ had looked forward to settling down after 23 years of a nomadic existence in the army.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17Not surprisingly, he was heartbroken.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21I'm trying to make a home for my family here.
0:10:21 > 0:10:26And there's people out there that'll just... They don't see it from my point of view.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29And, em, it's scary.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32It's... It's upsetting.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37That's what it is.
0:10:40 > 0:10:46I'm always horrified to see the trail of devastation left behind by cowboy builders.
0:10:46 > 0:10:51It's something you never get immune to and this story is heartbreaking,
0:10:51 > 0:10:56to see a good guy like Russ brought to his knees by one rogue tradesman.
0:10:56 > 0:11:03But remember, there are good guys out there and I hope to bring the Ryans' ordeal to a swift end.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08'It would be great if I could say I've come to save Private Ryan,
0:11:08 > 0:11:13'but by the time he left the army Russ was a sergeant. Never mind.'
0:11:15 > 0:11:22- I'm looking for Donna and Russ Ryan. - Yeah, that's us.- Nice to see you. I'm Clive from Cowboy Trap.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26- Do you mind if I come in and look around?- Not at all.- Come on in.
0:11:26 > 0:11:31'While they put the kettle on, I'm going to have a quick look round.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33'First up, the utility area.'
0:11:34 > 0:11:37Look at the state of this!
0:11:37 > 0:11:41Straight away, as soon as I walked in, I can feel underfoot.
0:11:41 > 0:11:47This is as dodgy as anything. You can already see here with the tiles, the way they're laid,
0:11:47 > 0:11:51the grout has already popped out, it's blown out.
0:11:51 > 0:11:56That's because there's movement underneath and the sub-base is not adequate.
0:11:56 > 0:12:02I don't know what is under there, but surely we'll reveal loads of problems.
0:12:02 > 0:12:09You can feel it creak and move. I know I'm only light, but these are flipping up all over the place.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13'Everywhere you look there are signs of sloppiness.'
0:12:13 > 0:12:17Take a look at this. This meets my eye.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21That skirting board is not running in line with the dry line.
0:12:21 > 0:12:28That's a dry line board there. What they've done is cork up so far to probably about two foot of it,
0:12:28 > 0:12:30then the rest has a huge gap.
0:12:30 > 0:12:36And you've got mould and all sorts at the back of the toilet.
0:12:36 > 0:12:43That's amazing. You're looking at that mould and I reckon that must be that they've got a leak
0:12:43 > 0:12:47on a pipe behind that board.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50'The plasterwork ain't great, either.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54'And when I go into the kitchen, my heart sinks.'
0:12:54 > 0:12:58You've got again grout missing. The grout's popped out.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01And the other worry is...
0:13:02 > 0:13:07I just need to have another feel in here. Because it's so hollow...
0:13:07 > 0:13:10Yeah. Now normally...
0:13:10 > 0:13:15To me, this is a sin when you're laying tiles. I bet there's about five dots and dabs -
0:13:15 > 0:13:19four in each corner and one in the middle. Absolutely no good.
0:13:19 > 0:13:26When you're laying a tile, you put the adhesive down first, usually about a metre square.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29That means the tile is completely on a bed of adhesive.
0:13:29 > 0:13:36'And we know the underfloor heating doesn't heat, the cooker hood extractor fan doesn't extract
0:13:36 > 0:13:42'and under the boards he wedged the stopcock, so it can't stop. What a clot!
0:13:42 > 0:13:46'Russ has joined me to talk through the oven issues.'
0:13:46 > 0:13:53The hob's not really fitted. It's balanced and glued down with a bit of silicone.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57It's supposed to have L clamps to hold it to the work surface.
0:13:57 > 0:14:02- So all that that's sitting on is a bit of silicone.- Yes.- OK.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06- And have you still got the actual clamps?- Yeah, I've still got them.
0:14:06 > 0:14:13I mentioned it to the builder and he said they were the wrong clamps for that worktop. They're not.
0:14:14 > 0:14:20'That's really serious. This is a gas appliance and it isn't fitted securely.
0:14:20 > 0:14:25'He must have got something right. Maybe the electrics? What do you think?'
0:14:25 > 0:14:31- These aren't fire-rated lights. - Yeah.- We were advised that they were fine.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35- And we didn't need fire hoods over 'em.- Who told you that?- The builder.
0:14:35 > 0:14:40- OK.- We bought fire hoods because that's what I assumed we'd need.
0:14:40 > 0:14:45He said, "We don't need those. Send them back." So I sent them back to the manufacturer.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48'Ouch! And the final straw -
0:14:48 > 0:14:51'the Ryans have no paperwork to validate the work.'
0:14:51 > 0:14:55- There's not a single certificate. - That's the worst thing for me.
0:14:55 > 0:15:01- You've got no certification for that or any work that's been done on the gas hob either.- No, nothing.
0:15:01 > 0:15:06That needs addressing because if you wanted to sell the house in the future,
0:15:06 > 0:15:11you've got to hand this sort of thing over to the new incumbents, if you like,
0:15:11 > 0:15:16but certainly, we need to start addressing all these problems and fast.
0:15:17 > 0:15:22'But before that, there are a few things I want to discuss with Donna and Russ.'
0:15:22 > 0:15:26OK, so we've got a long list of problems.
0:15:26 > 0:15:32What is it like when you consider this is your first property, it's your dream property...
0:15:32 > 0:15:35- How does that feel? - Clive, the money's not a problem.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39Money comes and goes. When it's gone, it's gone.
0:15:39 > 0:15:44I don't give a monkey's about the money. What I do give a monkey's about is my family.
0:15:45 > 0:15:50I've worked my nuts off for the last 20-odd years to get to where we are now
0:15:50 > 0:15:54and I haven't done it, I've let them down.
0:15:54 > 0:15:59- No, you haven't.- Do you feel you've let them down, Russ, definitely? - Yeah, I do.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01I find that quite sad
0:16:01 > 0:16:06for a guy that has served us for so long, 20-odd years.
0:16:06 > 0:16:12And you are looking after your family, Russ, I promise you that. You're doing a great job.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15But this is the thing that really gets me angry.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18It can affect people like your good selves
0:16:18 > 0:16:22because you've trusted these guys, you know?
0:16:22 > 0:16:26- And I can see that it's affected Russ big style.- It has.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Because he feels like he has let people down.
0:16:29 > 0:16:34No matter how many times I tell him, "You haven't let us down," it's out of your control.
0:16:34 > 0:16:39- You're going to say that, aren't you?- No, I tell you the truth.- Yes.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41You know, he hasn't let me down.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45- The builder has let us down.- Yes. - It's not Russ, it's the builder.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49I'm going to say something, Russ. I agree 100%.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53Because again... You said you lived in a bubble before
0:16:53 > 0:16:56and now you're out there in the...
0:16:56 > 0:17:01You're almost exposed if you like and you've been tested, you've been tested.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05And I've failed at the first hurdle. Do you know what I mean?
0:17:05 > 0:17:10There's a few more hurdles to go yet. Even the best hurdlers in the world knock a few down.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12And what I'm going to say to you
0:17:12 > 0:17:19is I don't want you carrying on beating yourself up over it any more, at all, OK?
0:17:19 > 0:17:24Like you said about the money aspect, let's push it to one side,
0:17:24 > 0:17:30but in terms of the cowboy builder aspect, I want us to draw a line and get in behind you
0:17:30 > 0:17:34because all the time this is in the state that it's in,
0:17:34 > 0:17:38you're constantly waking up and you're being reminded of him.
0:17:40 > 0:17:45'And I can't wait for the good guys to come in and transform this place,
0:17:45 > 0:17:49'so this lovely couple can wake up and have a bright start to the day.
0:17:49 > 0:17:54'It's the least they deserve after their loyal service for Queen and country.'
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Just tell me what you'd like us to do.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Make it safe.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03Especially with the electrics. And with the mould, the plumbing.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07But we need the under-floor heating, so we have got heat out there,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10and we're not constantly going round in circles.
0:18:10 > 0:18:16If there's no heat, we'll have condensation in the toilet, more mould and it'll be a vicious circle.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19And make our dream, to be honest.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21Do you fancy a bit of that, Russ?
0:18:21 > 0:18:23Yeah, it's...
0:18:23 > 0:18:27We bought it. It's ours. It's not going away.
0:18:27 > 0:18:33But, you know, just make it a home, really, make our home what we wanted.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37'Well, call me an old sentimental fool if you like,
0:18:37 > 0:18:40'but I want to make this home fit for heroes.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42'It's not going to be easy.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45'And to make sure I haven't missed anything at all,
0:18:45 > 0:18:50'I've asked independent surveyor Tony Owen to come in and take a look.'
0:18:50 > 0:18:57In here, I think there's going to be more problems hidden than the bad stuff we can already see,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00but just talk us through what you don't like.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03I don't like the standard of the floor workmanship.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07The floor tiles are hollow. They haven't been laid on a proper screed
0:19:07 > 0:19:09or they've been dot-and-dabbed.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14There's electrical wires under here, so they could be flexing over the wires as well.
0:19:14 > 0:19:20- It's all got to come up.- You've got under-floor heating there, so all those cables are resting...
0:19:20 > 0:19:25- It seems the tiles are resting directly on them. - It looks that way, yes.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28Now, in the downstairs toilet, Tony,
0:19:28 > 0:19:34have you had a look at the mould spores that are just behind the toilet?
0:19:34 > 0:19:37- I think there's a water leak there. - I have, yeah.
0:19:37 > 0:19:43A pipe is leaking where it goes into the wall, affecting the plasterboard and mould is growing there.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47In terms of the quality of the work, bits of skirting, not brilliant,
0:19:47 > 0:19:52- and also some of the plasterwork is not so good. - Yeah, on the edges it's very poor.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56So in terms of a mark out of ten, what would you give him, Tony?
0:19:56 > 0:19:59Because the carpentry work isn't too bad,
0:19:59 > 0:20:05the rest of the work, you described it perfectly, is not very good, so I would think a two or a three.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09'Two or a three. Hmm...
0:20:09 > 0:20:13'Well, for me, it's more two than three, but let's not quibble.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17'I want to increase that to a nice, round ten out of ten.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21'When a nice, round fella like me says that, you know he means business.'
0:20:21 > 0:20:27It's only a matter of a couple of weeks before some of these tiles start breaking and flipping up.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31That will be a tripping hazard. We want to sort out that extractor fan.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35Those damp spores in the downstairs toilet are not healthy at all.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39So, as usual, I'm going to declare this a no-go zone
0:20:39 > 0:20:44and the only people allowed past this tape are myself and the good guys.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47Talking of which, where are they?
0:20:47 > 0:20:52'Here they are, Anthony Williams and his knights in shining armour, a sight for sore eyes.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59'Time for me to ask the million-dollar question.'
0:21:00 > 0:21:04What are we going to do to get this lovely family back on track?
0:21:04 > 0:21:08First of all, we're going to go in and rip up the floor,
0:21:08 > 0:21:12rip up the tile floor, rip up all the old under-floor heating
0:21:12 > 0:21:14because it's completely botched.
0:21:14 > 0:21:20Under there, that sub-floor, I'm concerned about what is there, I have to be honest.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22You know, it doesn't look brilliant.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25It's OSB, it is.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29Obviously, it's not the perfect type of flooring for tiling on.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33It's a rubbish type of floor. Let's be perfectly honest.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37- It's a rubbish type of sub-base to be putting tiles on.- Definitely.
0:21:37 > 0:21:42What we're going to do, we're going to basically go over that sub-floor using like a 12-mil...
0:21:42 > 0:21:45- Marine ply?- Marine ply.- Fantastic.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Screwed and glued at 300 centres.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52'Well, I'd like to court-martial the cowboy who created this mess
0:21:52 > 0:21:56'and there's no doubt Anthony's army have their work cut out.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01'With a full frontal assault on the floor
0:22:01 > 0:22:03'and a blitz on those tiles,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06'these guys are on a mission.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10'It's D-Day for the Ryans,
0:22:10 > 0:22:15'but can our good guys deliver VC Day - Victory over Cowboys?
0:22:15 > 0:22:16'Only time will tell.'
0:22:20 > 0:22:26I'm back in the Welsh valleys where former soldiers Donna and Russ Ryan were desperate to put down roots
0:22:26 > 0:22:30after living in military accommodation for so long.
0:22:30 > 0:22:36They hoped to convert a three-bed, former council house into a home of their dreams,
0:22:36 > 0:22:40but sadly, that was destroyed by a cowboy builder they found
0:22:40 > 0:22:43on one of those "rate your builder" websites.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46'But he reckoned without our posse of good guys
0:22:46 > 0:22:49'and I'm here to find out if they saved the day.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53'Before Russ and Donna see it, I want a sneaky peek.'
0:22:53 > 0:22:57The first thing I do notice when I walk in is this.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00It is as solid as a rock.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02This is one of the tiles.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06Wow! Now, that is slate.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09And that's what... Our good guys were talking about this.
0:23:09 > 0:23:15Anthony was saying 18 mil thick and on top of 22 mil boarding he was going to put this on,
0:23:15 > 0:23:18so, wow, that is amazing!
0:23:18 > 0:23:23'What a difference the good guys have made to this floor!
0:23:23 > 0:23:25'It's top class.'
0:23:25 > 0:23:29Now then, in the toilet, let's just have a bit of light...
0:23:29 > 0:23:33Remember the toilet last time? We've got a water leak going on there.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37And also, the toilet was sort of more to one side.
0:23:37 > 0:23:42That's been centralised and looks much better. Much better.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46I'm glad to see something they wanted - under-floor heating.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50Is it working? Let's have a look in the kitchen.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54Let's look at the extractor. First of all, nice splashback.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56That wasn't there before.
0:23:56 > 0:24:02But the extractor will now extract all the steam and all the smells straight outside.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05FAN STARTS WHIRRING
0:24:05 > 0:24:08'Now that's a breath of fresh air.
0:24:08 > 0:24:14'Before I bring Donna and Russ out, I want a pow-wow about their cowboy builder.
0:24:14 > 0:24:19'I can't wait to hear their responses to his version of events.'
0:24:19 > 0:24:24On the under-floor heating, he says you bought it from an auction website.
0:24:24 > 0:24:29- Mm-hm.- And it simply wasn't up to the job.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32He says it wasn't up to the job?
0:24:32 > 0:24:34It clearly was up to the job.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36You know, it was brand-new,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39from an incredibly reputable company.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42They don't make rubbish. I don't buy rubbish.
0:24:42 > 0:24:48- I've said it before and I don't apologise for saying it again. If you buy cheap, you buy twice.- Yes.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51I bought the best stuff I could possibly afford.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55It was virtually industrial-grade under-floor heating.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59He also says that you insisted on supplying cheap tiling adhesive too.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02HE LAUGHS
0:25:02 > 0:25:04Unbelievable!
0:25:04 > 0:25:07It's that cheap, it's nearly 30 quid a bag.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12It's exactly what was supplied with the tiles.
0:25:12 > 0:25:17He says that he never did any gas work at all that was illegal.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20I'm not a Gas Safe registered engineer,
0:25:20 > 0:25:25but when we contacted Gas Safe and the Gas Safe plumbers that we've had in the house,
0:25:25 > 0:25:32every one said, if he touched it and he disconnected it, he has to be Gas Safe registered to put it back in.
0:25:32 > 0:25:39He also said that he supplied you with an electrical certificate for the electrical work.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42- Really?- Well, I'd like to see it.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45Well, if he did, I'd like to see it.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48- OK, so you're saying that you didn't get...- Not a chance.- No.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52'Well, you don't need any documentation
0:25:52 > 0:25:58'to see that this officers' mess has turned into the perfect place to wash those combats.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01'I can't wait to see the look on Donna and Russ's faces.'
0:26:01 > 0:26:03Come in.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05Come and have a look at this.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07First and foremost...
0:26:07 > 0:26:14I'm going to look at the floor for the simple reason it gave us loads of grief before, didn't it?
0:26:14 > 0:26:16Just a little bit. It didn't work.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21- It didn't work as a floor and it didn't work as under-floor heating. - Not at all.
0:26:21 > 0:26:28Flexible adhesive, flexible grout as well. Really important and it's nice and solid.
0:26:28 > 0:26:33Now, you also remember with the extractor hood, we didn't have it extracting outside.
0:26:33 > 0:26:38That's now externally extracted and it will go directly outside.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42Now, in here, the same situation again.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46The difference is the under-floor heating has all been solved now.
0:26:46 > 0:26:51I switched it on a bit earlier, so have a quick feel. Have a quick grope on the tiles.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53It's nice and warm.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56- It works.- It works.
0:26:56 > 0:27:01Now, these tiles are monsters. Look at that - 18 mil thick. Real slate.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03That's what you've now got.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07One little extra, in the toilet, you've got an extractor fan
0:27:07 > 0:27:13- because you need that and also the toilet itself has been centralised.- Even better.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Really important, we talked about the electrics...
0:27:16 > 0:27:20Here, not only do I have the Gas Safe certificate,
0:27:20 > 0:27:25but you've also got your electrical certificates as well for part installation
0:27:25 > 0:27:27and all your checks.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30Will it make such a massive difference to you?
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Yes. It's as if somebody's picked it up off my shoulders
0:27:33 > 0:27:37and said, "Don't worry about it, get on with it." And that's what I'll do
0:27:37 > 0:27:43- It's been fantastic to have worked with you.- Thank you very much.- Best of luck for the future.- Thank you.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47- Have a wander round. You can stick the kettle on now in safety.- Lovely.
0:27:47 > 0:27:53- Lovely to see you and look after yourselves.- Cheers, Clive.- See you soon. Thank you.- Thanks, Clive.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59Well, what a result!
0:27:59 > 0:28:03At last, the under-floor heating finally works.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06And what about that floor? It's rock-solid.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10I could do my gymnastics routine on there and it wouldn't budge an inch.
0:28:10 > 0:28:16All the problems are now going to be behind Donna and Russ because our good guys have addressed them all.
0:28:16 > 0:28:22That is another strike for the good guys. It's been brilliant, this job, without a shadow of a doubt.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25But I've got one message for the cowboys out there.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29Saddle up and ride your pony because we're on your trail!
0:28:54 > 0:28:57Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd