0:00:08 > 0:00:11We're travelling the length and breadth of Britain on a mission
0:00:11 > 0:00:15to rescue homeowners from the curse of the cowboy builder.
0:00:15 > 0:00:20There's so much to put right and I feel responsible. It just hurts.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24It's impossible to overestimate the damage these guys do.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27Whether they're blatant amateurs or simply crooks,
0:00:27 > 0:00:31cowboy builders not only mess up homes, they ruin lives too.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34All of the pipes connect into one point then what happens is,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37when the toilet's flushed, you get what's known as a phenomenon
0:00:37 > 0:00:39called back siphonage and that causes...
0:00:39 > 0:00:41- That doesn't sound pleasant. - It's not very pleasant, no.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43I just feel like crying
0:00:43 > 0:00:48when I see the wall in the state it is after paying out so much money.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50We've rounded up the good guys to help turn these
0:00:50 > 0:00:54helpless homeowners into merry mortgagees.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Not only obviously do you have what you wanted, what you need,
0:00:56 > 0:00:59but you've got your confidence back.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03- You've found someone you know you can trust. Happy, Pam?- Very happy.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Good, well, you look happy.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07- Are you proud of it?- I am, very.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09And apparently, you can open the window now.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11- That's nice, isn't it, eh?- It is.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14You know, absolutely anyone can call themselves a builder, which is
0:01:14 > 0:01:17why it's crucial to know how to spot a wrong 'un,
0:01:17 > 0:01:19and why the next 45 minutes
0:01:19 > 0:01:22could help keep you out of the cowboy trap.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36Today's Cowboy Trap is cast-iron proof of the perils of using
0:01:36 > 0:01:38the internet to find your builder.
0:01:38 > 0:01:43In both our stories, home owners relied entirely on online feedback
0:01:43 > 0:01:45and failed to take up proper references,
0:01:45 > 0:01:47with distressing consequences.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51I actually feel let down by the builder,
0:01:51 > 0:01:54that he's not man enough to come and sort it out.
0:01:54 > 0:01:59The heartache and upset that it caused has had a lasting effect.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Later, we tell the story of a couple in Wales who
0:02:02 > 0:02:06needed their house rendering after a chunk of their wall fell off,
0:02:06 > 0:02:11but ended up with a cracked and soggy mess and a ruined honeymoon.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14But first, a Cowboy Trap saga featuring
0:02:14 > 0:02:18a house in Plymouth, Devon, a town with 1,000 yachts.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20Plymouth's maritime links go back centuries up, of course,
0:02:20 > 0:02:23perhaps most famously to 1620 when the Pilgrim Fathers
0:02:23 > 0:02:27left Plymouth for the New World and established an English settlement
0:02:27 > 0:02:31in what is now called the United States of America.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35But that isn't the only thing Plymouthians have to be proud of.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39The artist Beryl Cook loved Plymouth and lived here for most of her life.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41Indeed, many of her best-loved paintings
0:02:41 > 0:02:42were inspired by the people here,
0:02:42 > 0:02:43including the locals who
0:02:43 > 0:02:47frequented this pub in the city's old harbour area.
0:02:47 > 0:02:48I guess it's kind of appropriate
0:02:48 > 0:02:50because although the subject of this Cowboy Trap
0:02:50 > 0:02:53had none of Beryl Cook's skills as a draughtsman,
0:02:53 > 0:02:57when it came to shoddy workmanship, he had it down to a fine art.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02This cowboy's unlucky victims live in a three-bed terrace.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06It's home to Paula Coffin, her mum and dad and their parrot Annie.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08Paula, who's an HR consultant,
0:03:08 > 0:03:11moved back into the family home several years ago to help
0:03:11 > 0:03:14care for her mum Pamela who suffers from ill health.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17We've always been really close-knit,
0:03:17 > 0:03:21always enjoyed each other's company
0:03:21 > 0:03:24and Mum's always been like a big sister.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27For Paula, coming back to live in the family home
0:03:27 > 0:03:30brought back fond memories.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32Very happy childhood.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35This is the house that I sort of grew up in, really.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37This is the place where I spent my teenage years.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41It's been our home from brand-new, so, you know, nobody owned
0:03:41 > 0:03:44it before us, so it's ours through and through.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49Two years ago, Pamela's health took a turn for the worse.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52She developed a painful ulcer under the skin of her leg
0:03:52 > 0:03:53which just wouldn't heal.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56The tough decision was made to amputate the limb -
0:03:56 > 0:03:59and operation that would involve Pamela spending
0:03:59 > 0:04:03months in hospital recuperating, but Pamela was made of stern stuff.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07It didn't even affect me, when I came around and realised it
0:04:07 > 0:04:13had gone, it was just a little bit of discomfort that was all.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17Although it was a devastating thing, we're a very strong family
0:04:17 > 0:04:19and we knew that whatever happened we would cope
0:04:19 > 0:04:24and we would adapt and life would go on.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26With Pamela told she'd be confined to a wheelchair
0:04:26 > 0:04:29for the rest of her life, the family were left with a tough choice -
0:04:29 > 0:04:33move house or make major changes to where they lived.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35For Pamela, there was only one course of action.
0:04:35 > 0:04:40After all, for more than 30 years, they had called this house home.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42So, major changes it was
0:04:42 > 0:04:46and they needed doing before Pamela came home from hospital.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49The plan was to build a ground floor extension and wet room for her.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51This would allow the lounge to be extended
0:04:51 > 0:04:55and create space for a downstairs bedroom too and the final
0:04:55 > 0:04:57piece of the jigsaw - decking outside
0:04:57 > 0:05:01so Pamela could get regular fresh air when she felt well enough.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04Paula got plans drawn up and found a builder on a website where
0:05:04 > 0:05:07people review their builders online.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10She asked him to quote and the figure he came up with was...
0:05:13 > 0:05:15Because the reviews were so good, Paula didn't go
0:05:15 > 0:05:18and see any of his previous work.
0:05:18 > 0:05:19Shame, that.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22Take my advice...
0:05:39 > 0:05:42Fail to do that and you may come unstuck.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49Paula and the builder agreed a start date of April 2012 -
0:05:49 > 0:05:52the aim being to have the extension and decking 100% complete
0:05:52 > 0:05:56by the time Pamela was well enough to come home.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58We knew she'd be in hospital for a little while
0:05:58 > 0:06:01and they'd also told us that we should expect six
0:06:01 > 0:06:05weeks of her being in rehab at a specialised hospital unit in
0:06:05 > 0:06:10Plymouth as well, so the timescales were going to fit in perfectly.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Well, that was the plan, but you won't be surprised
0:06:13 > 0:06:17to hear that it didn't take long before it started to unravel.
0:06:17 > 0:06:18When work got under way,
0:06:18 > 0:06:20it was a case of the good, the bad and the ugly.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22The builder was very friendly, which was good,
0:06:22 > 0:06:26but was also very slow, which was bad, and as for the ugly,
0:06:26 > 0:06:30well, that's the only word to describe the quality of his work.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34Everything the builder seemed to do was really substandard
0:06:34 > 0:06:37and Paula started to think he didn't know what he was doing.
0:06:37 > 0:06:38The first major clue,
0:06:38 > 0:06:40the builder admitted he couldn't do the foundations for the extension,
0:06:40 > 0:06:45so Paula had to call in another builder to do the work.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Not a great start.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51That probably put us back by about two weeks all in all.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55And it put the Coffin family back another £1,800.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58The cowboy also had a careless approach to health and safety.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Despite huge clouds of dust resulting from walls being
0:07:01 > 0:07:03demolished between the house and the extension,
0:07:03 > 0:07:06he didn't provide a face mask for his apprentice.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10Within a week or so, he had a chest infection,
0:07:10 > 0:07:13which just got worse and worse, to the point where he was coughing
0:07:13 > 0:07:18and being sick and the next thing we heard was that he was hospitalised.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20Of course,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23the dust may not have been the only reason for his apprentice's
0:07:23 > 0:07:26lung problems, but there can be no doubt that what happened next
0:07:26 > 0:07:31showed a certain ruthlessness from his boss.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34He came back to work for... it must have been just a week
0:07:34 > 0:07:38and maybe two weekends that he was here and then he was sacked.
0:07:39 > 0:07:40Charming(!)
0:07:40 > 0:07:44After that, the progress of this rather callous cowboy's build
0:07:44 > 0:07:45slowed even further.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47The extension and decking work should have taken weeks,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50but it was actually taking months.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52Paula didn't want to worry her mum in hospital,
0:07:52 > 0:07:56but she realised she had to fill her in on some of the problems.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00I didn't know a great lot, only the photos they showed me,
0:08:00 > 0:08:01but I just wanted to get home.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05And soon Pamela would be well enough to do just that,
0:08:05 > 0:08:08but her bedroom and wet room were still far from finished
0:08:08 > 0:08:11and because of that, Paula was fearful about the consequences
0:08:11 > 0:08:13of confronting the cowboy.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16I daren't challenge him in case he walked off the job
0:08:16 > 0:08:18and left us with the back of the house exposed
0:08:18 > 0:08:22and we were just tiptoeing around him, basically.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27By mid-June, Pamela was well enough to leave hospital,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30but her home was still in disarray.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32Paula had to make a heartbreaking decision.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36We ended up having to put Mum into an old people's home. Initially, he
0:08:36 > 0:08:42told us it would only be a couple of weeks, it turned out to be 10 weeks.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44And not completed in 10 weeks, oh, no,
0:08:44 > 0:08:49more like barely habitable, but because Pamela was so homesick,
0:08:49 > 0:08:53she moved back in even though the work was far from finished.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56The wet room still wasn't usable and we had to use a commode
0:08:56 > 0:09:01for Mum and he hadn't started at the decking at that point.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05And he'd also left a great big hole in the side of the house.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08We'd be sat there watching the TV with our coats on or blankets
0:09:08 > 0:09:12around us, but it was the security side of things that worried us more.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17By December and the with the work still nowhere near completed,
0:09:17 > 0:09:20the Coffin family had finally run out of patience.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23They got friends round to finish some of the jobs and when
0:09:23 > 0:09:27the builder turned up and saw them doing it, he flounced off in a huff.
0:09:27 > 0:09:28We never saw him after that.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30He never contacted us again after that date.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34The builder didn't just leave a hole in the family's wall,
0:09:34 > 0:09:36the left a hole in their life savings too.
0:09:36 > 0:09:42The initial estimate was for 21,500 and we have
0:09:42 > 0:09:48actually paid him £30,500 and it's still not complete.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51"Still not complete" is putting it mildly.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53For the Coffins, the extension
0:09:53 > 0:09:57and decking remain a cruel waste of money.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01We can only use the shower on half flow, otherwise it floods
0:10:01 > 0:10:06the whole of the wet room and spills out into the hallway.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08When Mum flushes the toilet,
0:10:08 > 0:10:12the sewage actually comes up through the shower whole,
0:10:12 > 0:10:15so we have to put disinfectant and pour boiling water down it
0:10:15 > 0:10:19on a regular basis to stop it from smelling and blocking.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24And if all that wasn't bad enough, the lounge walls are full
0:10:24 > 0:10:28of cracks and outside, the decking is totally unsafe.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31The decking isn't supported properly on one corner
0:10:31 > 0:10:36and we've been told it's dangerous to actually go out on it.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38All this pointed to one clear conclusion,
0:10:38 > 0:10:40the builder Paula had hired simply wasn't up to the job
0:10:40 > 0:10:42and his rapid departure
0:10:42 > 0:10:47when he saw her friends fixing his work only confirmed that verdict.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49The builder was in such a hurry to depart,
0:10:49 > 0:10:50he forgot his tools and ladder.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54What he also left behind was a family who were in pieces.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58Because she chose the builder, Paula feels a terrible sense of guilt.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03The heartache and upset that it caused, erm...
0:11:04 > 0:11:07..has probably had a lasting effect.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09She did her very best.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15As she said, we didn't know anybody in the building trade we could ask.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19There's still so much to put right...
0:11:22 > 0:11:25..and I feel responsible for letting them down.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29I suppose, deep down, I'm very, very hurt
0:11:29 > 0:11:32that he could do such a thing.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35You know, there's nothing more frustrating than a building project
0:11:35 > 0:11:38that never seems to come to an end
0:11:38 > 0:11:40and what a shame a project designed to make life easier
0:11:40 > 0:11:44for this family has ended up a millstone round their necks.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47But what's the full extent of this bungled build?
0:11:47 > 0:11:51Cowboys have a habit of hiding their bodges beneath the surface, so we
0:11:51 > 0:11:55asked independent building surveyor Mat Belgrove to inspect his work.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Mat's been through it with a fine-tooth comb
0:11:58 > 0:12:00and is about to fill me in on what he found.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03First item on the agenda, the wet room.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Mat's made a grim discovery about the pipework underneath.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09All of the pipes connect into one point
0:12:09 > 0:12:13and then what happens is when the toilet's flushed,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16you get what's known as a phenomenon called back siphonage.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18That doesn't sound pleasant.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22It's not very pleasant, no, and it causes the waste to track up
0:12:22 > 0:12:26to the sink and up to the shower as well.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28And because of another schoolboy error,
0:12:28 > 0:12:33shower water runs out of the wet room into the hallway outside.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37The fall on the tiles themselves into the shower waste isn't
0:12:37 > 0:12:39sufficient to allow all of the water
0:12:39 > 0:12:41just to fall into the shower waste itself,
0:12:41 > 0:12:44so because of the velocity of the water that comes
0:12:44 > 0:12:47out of the shower head, the water then flows beyond the fall
0:12:47 > 0:12:51on the tiles and runs out of the bathroom door into the hallway.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55For a wet room, you have to get the fall exactly right, don't you?
0:12:55 > 0:12:58And talking of falls, Mat couldn't believe his eyes
0:12:58 > 0:13:01when he checked out the decking outside.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03As you can see, there is a section of the deck
0:13:03 > 0:13:05which isn't supported at all.
0:13:05 > 0:13:10That, to my mind, is a fairly fundamental failure of construction.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13'That lack of structural support indicates that builder either
0:13:13 > 0:13:15'didn't know what he was doing or didn't care.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18'Right, it's make-your-mind-up time for Mat.'
0:13:18 > 0:13:22You've got the overhanging balcony the step into oblivion,
0:13:22 > 0:13:25if you like, but most importantly,
0:13:25 > 0:13:30you've got this wet room that stinks and is disgusting.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33How would you mark this builder's work out of 10.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35I could only give the builder three out of 10, Jonnie.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38The quality of workmanship clearly is unsatisfactory
0:13:38 > 0:13:41and having been told at the outset it would take seven weeks
0:13:41 > 0:13:43and it ended up being seven months, I think
0:13:43 > 0:13:46an additional five months is not acceptable.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49In short, if this protracted tale of woe was finally to see
0:13:49 > 0:13:52a happy ending, it was time to bring in the good guys.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59And here's head honcho Mark Crew and his team swinging into action.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02They can't fix everything so it's health and safety first -
0:14:02 > 0:14:06that the grisly plumbing and that precarious decking.
0:14:06 > 0:14:07First things first,
0:14:07 > 0:14:11getting access to the dodgy pipework that's causing the flooding. Ugh!
0:14:11 > 0:14:14Do I not like the look of that?
0:14:14 > 0:14:15Because of the cowboy's bodge,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18they have to dismantle the kitchen to get to the pipes.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21It would have been easier getting it right first time round.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26The pipework is badly joined throughout, so it's all hands
0:14:26 > 0:14:30on the wet-room deck as the good guys re-pipe from scratch.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35It's a big job but can our brothers get Pamela's much-needed
0:14:35 > 0:14:37disabled access extension back on track?
0:14:38 > 0:14:39Only time will tell.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47I'm in Plymouth where Paula Coffin's plans to adapt her home
0:14:47 > 0:14:49after her mum lost a leg
0:14:49 > 0:14:53and was confined to a wheelchair were derailed by a cowboy builder.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Now, our good guys have finished their work,
0:14:56 > 0:14:58so let's see how everyone's getting on.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02'I do hope Pamela's life has been improved by our fellows' efforts.
0:15:02 > 0:15:03'She's had such a tough year.'
0:15:03 > 0:15:08- Hi, Paula.- Yes, hi, Jonnie, nice to meet you.- Lovely to meet you.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12- How are you doing? Very well, thank you.- Is your mum in?- Yes, she is.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14- Come on in.- Thank you very much.
0:15:14 > 0:15:15'Right, while Paula puts the kettle on,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18'I want to check out our good guys' work.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22'First up, the previously soaking hallway outside the wet room.'
0:15:22 > 0:15:25Now, before, this was one of the problem areas.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Coming through the front door
0:15:27 > 0:15:30and you'd be walking right into a very slippy part of the house,
0:15:30 > 0:15:33because the wet room being behind this door, a lot of the water
0:15:33 > 0:15:37from the shower was coming underneath the door and puddling.
0:15:37 > 0:15:43Now, it's bone dry, which means some good work must have happened inside.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46'Yep, never has a true word been said.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49'Remember what a state this was in before?
0:15:49 > 0:15:52'Pamela only used it because she had no choice in the matter,
0:15:52 > 0:15:55'but now much improved, eh?'
0:15:55 > 0:15:57Let's not beat around the bush,
0:15:57 > 0:15:59let's say exactly what the problem was.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02There was toilet there and when you flushed the loo, then
0:16:02 > 0:16:06whatever you were flushing was coming up either in the basin
0:16:06 > 0:16:09where you wash your face or in the shower where you stood.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Either way, it was an absolute disaster zone,
0:16:12 > 0:16:14but there's a lot of work that must have happened here
0:16:14 > 0:16:17because the soil stack is out there by the front door,
0:16:17 > 0:16:21which means that in order to sort out all this pipework,
0:16:21 > 0:16:26a lot of these tiles must have come up if you bring a tile up,
0:16:26 > 0:16:30you can't use it again, so I'm thinking the builder's done
0:16:30 > 0:16:32a great job of managing to match these tiles.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34'Which would have been a real challenge
0:16:34 > 0:16:37'because wet-room floor tiling is no easy matter.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39'You have to work around different shapes
0:16:39 > 0:16:42'and you need to get the gradient spot-on too.'
0:16:42 > 0:16:43There's so many cuts
0:16:43 > 0:16:47because they've not only got to fit around this drain covering,
0:16:47 > 0:16:51if you like, they've also got to fit within the fall itself,
0:16:51 > 0:16:55so there's little diamond cuts, there's little triangles,
0:16:55 > 0:16:57it's almost an exercise in trigonometry.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59Pythagoras would have liked the look of this.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02'So a tiled floor that would please Pythagoras,
0:17:02 > 0:17:04'but would Isambard Kingdom Brunel be satisfied the decking
0:17:04 > 0:17:07'outside is now structurally sound?
0:17:07 > 0:17:10'Time for me to take my life in my hands and find out.'
0:17:10 > 0:17:14Well, it feels fairly sturdy, which means hopefully our good guys
0:17:14 > 0:17:17have done something of a supporting job down there.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20Let's go down there and have a look.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23'Remember, the cowboy builder left it teetering on the brink of
0:17:23 > 0:17:27'disaster, but our good guys have salvaged the situation.'
0:17:27 > 0:17:30Thankfully, someone's had the foresight
0:17:30 > 0:17:33and the bright idea to put some support in.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36There's a lot of load now going almost perpendicular,
0:17:36 > 0:17:39downward pressure going to the strongest part of this timber
0:17:39 > 0:17:42and this timber now is bolted into the adjoining wall,
0:17:42 > 0:17:43so this is going nowhere.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48'So, thanks to our fellows, this is now a safe deck rather than
0:17:48 > 0:17:51'one that could collapse like a deck of cards.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54'Head good guy Mark's has come to join me on his structurally sound
0:17:54 > 0:17:58'deck to discuss how he made Pamela's wet room fit for purpose.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02'It turns out things were even worse than we thought.'
0:18:02 > 0:18:05The shower now goes as a separate pipe to the waste.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07What we did find
0:18:07 > 0:18:10is when we exposed the soil pipe, it was broken
0:18:10 > 0:18:15where he'd tried to connect the plastic onto clay which doesn't fit.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17- You cannot drill clay.- No.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21Erm, he's broke the clay and then just filled it with cement around it
0:18:21 > 0:18:23and grit-filled it.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26And then covered all over in the hope that nobody would see
0:18:26 > 0:18:28until he's long gone.
0:18:28 > 0:18:29But then, when we exposed...
0:18:29 > 0:18:32when we took up a section of the tiles, within the first five
0:18:32 > 0:18:37tiles we took up, we had sewage and water under the floor.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39- That does not sound like a pleasant job.- No.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43'But, luckily, for the Coffin family, our good guys were willing
0:18:43 > 0:18:46'to put up with a bit of... unpleasantness to get the job done.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48'Right, before I do the grand tour with Paula
0:18:48 > 0:18:51'and Pamela, I'm going to chat to them about their cowboy builder.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53'I wanted to find out his side of the story
0:18:53 > 0:18:58'and I can't wait to hear their responses to his version of events.'
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Now, in terms of how long it took into finish the job,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04he felt he did the best job he could given the difficult circumstances.
0:19:06 > 0:19:11He quoted me for a seven-week job which took nine months,
0:19:11 > 0:19:14but I don't know what difficult circumstances he's on about.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17'The builder also claimed he had to do the wet room like you did
0:19:17 > 0:19:20'because there wasn't enough room for the pipes and that Paula
0:19:20 > 0:19:24'never told him she wasn't happy with his work at the time.'
0:19:24 > 0:19:26He's basically saying you never complained.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29Well, I've got people at work who've see me in tears on the phone
0:19:29 > 0:19:32because he's not completed things fast enough.
0:19:32 > 0:19:38He knew we were up against it with Mum, but he knew I wasn't happy.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41What was your lowest point throughout all of this?
0:19:41 > 0:19:45Just wanted to be gone, to be quite honest,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48and I thought it was all my fault.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50'I'm not surprised Pamela felt so low.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53'She had so much to contend with
0:19:53 > 0:19:55'but the good news is our posse has come to the rescue.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57'It's time to hear whether their efforts
0:19:57 > 0:20:00'have changed Pamela's life for the better.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02'First up, the decking.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06'Remember, the cowboy left behind a 12-foot-high platform
0:20:06 > 0:20:07'lacking in supports.
0:20:08 > 0:20:13'Now though, anyone going on it can do so with 100% confidence.'
0:20:14 > 0:20:16You know that the good guy builder, Mark,
0:20:16 > 0:20:19has been under there and sorted out the structure.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23He's got all the supports in place. Peace of mind for you, at least.
0:20:23 > 0:20:24Yeah, definitely.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26There's no doubt it's a lovely place
0:20:26 > 0:20:28for Pamela to relax when the weather's nice.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31This is Mum's only access to the outside world
0:20:31 > 0:20:33without assistance, really.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36I just wanted her to be able to come out and have a coffee
0:20:36 > 0:20:40and sit and chat with her friends, maybe potter with her planted pots.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43'So, a big thumbs-up for the decking.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45'Next item on the agenda, the wet room
0:20:45 > 0:20:49'which the cowboy builder left in an inexcusable state.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53'But our good guys have worked wonders in here.'
0:20:53 > 0:20:56It's just given Mum complete independence now.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58She doesn't need assistance to come in here.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00Everything she needs is now on this level.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02Have you used it yet?
0:21:02 > 0:21:05No, because they only finished it last night!
0:21:05 > 0:21:07They finished it last night? It's that fresh! Right.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10But it does drain, we've tested it. So, it does work.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13'Looks like our Cowboy Trap rescue team has revived
0:21:13 > 0:21:15'the Coffin family's faith in builders.'
0:21:15 > 0:21:18You can't put a price on peace of mind
0:21:18 > 0:21:21and that's exactly what Mark and his team have given us.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24They really have been brilliant.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28- Happy, Pam?- I am. Very happy. - Good, you look happy.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30'And on that cheerful note,
0:21:30 > 0:21:34'it's time for me to bid Pamela and Paula a fond farewell.'
0:21:34 > 0:21:39Well, it seems a well-trodden path.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41The people that need help the most,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44the ones that are probably the most vulnerable
0:21:44 > 0:21:48seem to be the ones that get preyed upon by these cowboy builders.
0:21:48 > 0:21:53The good news is that our good guys have done a fantastic job.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Again, they've gone the extra mile, but the work they've done here
0:21:56 > 0:22:00is something that, in a lot of ways, money can't buy.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04Because what they've done is given Pam her independence back.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06'Paula and Pamela found out the hard way
0:22:06 > 0:22:10'it's not safe to put too much trust in online reviews of tradesmen.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13'Our next victims fell into a similar trap
0:22:13 > 0:22:16'with serious implications for their health and their safety.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21'We are in the Rhondda Valley in South Wales.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23'Before the Industrial Revolution,
0:22:23 > 0:22:25'the valley consisted of isolated rural farms
0:22:25 > 0:22:27'and scattered homesteads.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30'But when coal was discovered in the mid-19th century,
0:22:30 > 0:22:32'town started to emerge.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35'The community spirit forged by the mines
0:22:35 > 0:22:38'led to the growth of many male voice choirs
0:22:38 > 0:22:41'and that's not the end of Rhondda's musical heritage.'
0:22:43 > 0:22:45H from Steps grew up around here,
0:22:45 > 0:22:47getting his first break in the local am-dram group
0:22:47 > 0:22:51before going on to have a string of hits in the late '90s.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54And funnily enough, when it comes to describing the building work
0:22:54 > 0:22:58you're about to see, you can take your pick from Steps songs, really.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01Better Best Forgotten, One For Sorrow and Tragedy -
0:23:01 > 0:23:04they all pretty much do the job.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07'But the cowboy builder's victims who live in this two-bedroom terrace
0:23:07 > 0:23:10'certainly don't feel like singing.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12'Meet John and Michelle Wilson.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15'Michelle works for British Gas and John has a job in a window factory.
0:23:15 > 0:23:20'They met six years ago on a blind date set up by mutual friends.
0:23:20 > 0:23:25'John proposed on Christmas Day 2010 with a ring wrapped up as a present,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28'a gesture which took Michelle somewhat by surprise.'
0:23:28 > 0:23:31I'm the least romantic person in the world, I think.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35There's no lovey-dovey with me.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38I'm not saying it was love at first sight,
0:23:38 > 0:23:43but you get to learn to love somebody.
0:23:43 > 0:23:48'Well, lovey-dovey or not, Michelle excepted John's proposal.
0:23:48 > 0:23:49'But before wedding bells could chime,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52'the couple had a serious problem to contend with.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54'One afternoon, a huge chunk of render
0:23:54 > 0:23:56'suddenly fell off their house wall.'
0:23:56 > 0:23:58I was looking out of the window thinking,
0:23:58 > 0:24:00"There's something not right in the garden,"
0:24:00 > 0:24:02but couldn't put my finger on it.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04When I went outside, I thought,
0:24:04 > 0:24:06"It's all come down," I realised what it was.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09Despite the unfortunate timing,
0:24:09 > 0:24:12it was clear something would have to be done.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Michelle and John were saving up for their wedding and,
0:24:15 > 0:24:16as always money was hard to come by.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20But they knew their wall needed fixing before it got any worse.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22The couple realised that to finance the repairs,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25they would have to make a major sacrifice.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29The money would have to come out of their wedding fund,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32that no-expense-spared honeymoon Michelle had always dreamt of
0:24:32 > 0:24:35was now out of the question.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38I would've loved to have gone somewhere like the Caribbean
0:24:38 > 0:24:41or on a cruise, but Turkey was the last resort.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44I was just thinking, "If one bit's collapsed,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47"what else is going to come down?
0:24:47 > 0:24:49"Let's get it done before something major goes wrong."
0:24:49 > 0:24:53We just decided we had to forfeit a nice honeymoon.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Having made the tough decision,
0:24:55 > 0:24:57they needed to find someone to do the work.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Michelle searched the websites
0:24:59 > 0:25:02of a leading builders' trade association
0:25:02 > 0:25:03and found a local company.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05She did a bit more research,
0:25:05 > 0:25:09but unfortunately, it wasn't the right kind.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13There was reviews on his website, saying that he was a good builder.
0:25:13 > 0:25:18I did do that research, but I don't think I would've...
0:25:18 > 0:25:22I think I would've researched a little bit more than what I did
0:25:22 > 0:25:24if I could turn back time, that's all.
0:25:24 > 0:25:25Michelle had been blinded
0:25:25 > 0:25:29by the builders' trade association membership, but take a tip from me.
0:25:29 > 0:25:34Just because your builder's in a national trade association,
0:25:34 > 0:25:37it doesn't mean you don't still need to do your research.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40First, make sure he really is in the association.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Call them up and check him out.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46And don't assume any such badge of approval
0:25:46 > 0:25:48automatically means he isn't a cowboy.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52Get at least three references from satisfied customers,
0:25:52 > 0:25:55or you could live to regret it.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00The Wilsons' builder quoted £2,600 for the render repair
0:26:00 > 0:26:02and new guttering and drainage.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05He wanted paying in cash on completion.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07Paying in cash? Oh, dear.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11And it wasn't long before this cowboy showed his true colours.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14On the Monday morning, he turned up at eight o'clock with two young boys
0:26:14 > 0:26:16and said, "I've come to do your work."
0:26:16 > 0:26:20Now, if you call doing your work ripping off the old render
0:26:20 > 0:26:22and then clearing off, then I guess he did.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25Because, on day two, nothing happened.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27On day three, nothing happened.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31Then, finally, on day four, they deigned to make an appearance
0:26:31 > 0:26:34but they seem to have their priorities mixed up.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37The builders were more interested in tea breaks, cigarette breaks
0:26:37 > 0:26:40and early finishes than actually doing a decent job.
0:26:40 > 0:26:45The render looks really rushed, and, to be frank, rather rubbish.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47And just like Paula Coffin's builder,
0:26:47 > 0:26:50these cowboys didn't much care for health and safety.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54Their scaffolding was two bits of metal and a plank of wood.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58Maybe I should, but I didn't feel that it was my place to say,
0:26:58 > 0:27:00"Is it safe to do what you're doing?"
0:27:00 > 0:27:03They're the professionals, so they should know what they're doing.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05Things went from bad to worse.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Michelle's mum spotted the builders cracking one of the pipes
0:27:08 > 0:27:11on the wall when they were applying the new render.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14But it didn't go down well when John mentioned it.
0:27:14 > 0:27:20What he said was, "I'm the trade I know what I'm doing, you don't."
0:27:20 > 0:27:23After six weeks, the builders announced that they'd finished.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26But Michelle pointed out that the new guttering and drainage
0:27:26 > 0:27:29that they had been quoted for hadn't been done.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31After a bit of an argument,
0:27:31 > 0:27:33they sorted it in the bodgiest way imaginable.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36When I told them about the guttering
0:27:36 > 0:27:41they just put the guttering over the old fascias
0:27:41 > 0:27:44and put new fascias over the old ones.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47And the dodgy guttering wasn't the only issue.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50The rendering these cowboys claimed was finished
0:27:50 > 0:27:51was absolutely appalling.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53And when Michelle complained,
0:27:53 > 0:27:57they sorted it again in the bodgiest way imaginable.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01They hadn't chipped away where it was wrong.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04They just put more cement over the top of it.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08Despite her reservations, Michelle paid up in full
0:28:08 > 0:28:11because she didn't want a big row with her wedding day weeks away.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13But she soon wished she hadn't.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16Large cracks started appearing in the render.
0:28:16 > 0:28:17In fact, one corner of the house
0:28:17 > 0:28:20had a crack running down from top to bottom.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22Unbelievable.
0:28:22 > 0:28:23We went out the back and noticed
0:28:23 > 0:28:25it was all starting to crumble away again.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27And that wasn't the only problem.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31The cowboys fitted a pipe that didn't actually go into a drain.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33What was that about?
0:28:33 > 0:28:36And it was a different diameter to the pipe that fed into it.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38Just moves up and down
0:28:38 > 0:28:41where he hasn't put it on properly.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44I've never seen it move like that before.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47When John tried to open the kitchen window,
0:28:47 > 0:28:49he discovered yet another problem.
0:28:49 > 0:28:50It only opened a couple of inches
0:28:50 > 0:28:52where the fascia boards have come down.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54It doesn't allow the window to be open.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57It opens about two or three inches and that's it.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00For John, this was the most worrying bodge of the lot.
0:29:00 > 0:29:02The list of problems the Wilsons discovered
0:29:02 > 0:29:05in the days after the builders left went on.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08Some of the fascia they'd fitted partially blocked a doorway
0:29:08 > 0:29:09and John kept banging his head on it.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12The cowboys left the windowsills in a mess
0:29:12 > 0:29:14and the windows themselves in such a state
0:29:14 > 0:29:15it was hard to see out of them.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18There was cement on my windows.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21Which, they came back, tried to clean off,
0:29:21 > 0:29:24but they never done a proper job because it's still on the windows.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27And because the render was so badly cracked,
0:29:27 > 0:29:31rainwater got into the house causing serious damp problems.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34It just caused dampness in my kitchen.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37You can see where there's mould coming in.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40John and Michelle were discovering bodge after bodge
0:29:40 > 0:29:42in the build-up to their big day.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45It was the last thing they needed at the time.
0:29:45 > 0:29:49It caused a lot of stress, going through the year.
0:29:49 > 0:29:53Especially leading up to the wedding. We argued quite a bit.
0:29:53 > 0:29:54I cried quite a bit.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57At the end of the day, I do feel annoyed that he has left us
0:29:57 > 0:30:00in such a state that, you know,
0:30:00 > 0:30:03it caused personal problems as well.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06All the stress put a real dampener on the Wilsons' wedding day.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09And because they'd had to spend much of what they'd saved
0:30:09 > 0:30:10on the building work,
0:30:10 > 0:30:13it meant that instead of the honeymoon of their dreams
0:30:13 > 0:30:15in the Caribbean,
0:30:15 > 0:30:18they ended up in a cheap hotel in Turkey.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20It's now a little over a year later
0:30:20 > 0:30:22and the damp caused by the cracked render
0:30:22 > 0:30:24has spread throughout the house.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27Because John has chronic asthma, which is made worse by damp spores,
0:30:27 > 0:30:29Michelle has tried her utmost
0:30:29 > 0:30:32to fix it with special paint, but to no avail.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34The damp now, you see everywhere.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36I've had a couple of asthma attacks with it.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39The Wilsons now have no faith in anything the builders did,
0:30:39 > 0:30:41including the render.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45So they won't let their nieces play in the back yard when they visit.
0:30:45 > 0:30:46I won't even let them out now.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49I'm frightened it's going to come down again.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51What a shame.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53These guys weren't dreaming up any grand designs here,
0:30:53 > 0:30:57they were simply carrying out essential repairs to their home.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00Even more upsetting then, that the fallout should overshadow
0:31:00 > 0:31:04what should've been the happiest day of their lives.
0:31:04 > 0:31:08We're not rich. I don't think we'll ever be rich.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10But, you know,
0:31:10 > 0:31:15£2,600 to me and John is a lot of money.
0:31:15 > 0:31:17Not surprisingly the whole episode
0:31:17 > 0:31:20has had a profound emotional impact on the couple.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23I just feel like crying.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26It's not very nice when I have visitors in the house either.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30When they see that damp, I get the bit embarrassed, thinking,
0:31:30 > 0:31:32"What do you think of my house?"
0:31:32 > 0:31:34I actually feel let down by the builder.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38There's been a mistake and he's not man enough to come and sort it out.
0:31:38 > 0:31:42But how much exactly needs sorting out?
0:31:42 > 0:31:45Cowboys have a habit of hiding their bodges beneath the surface.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47So what is the full extent of havoc
0:31:47 > 0:31:50this guy has caused to the Wilsons' home?
0:31:50 > 0:31:53To find out, we asked independent building surveyor,
0:31:53 > 0:31:55Euan Elliott, to inspect his work.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57Euan's been through it with a fine-tooth comb
0:31:57 > 0:32:00and is about to fill me in on what he found.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04Water's going to get in behind there, and frost is going to get in.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06The whole lot's going to come off the face.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09'First item on the agenda, well, as rendering jobs go,
0:32:09 > 0:32:12'just how bad is this one?'
0:32:12 > 0:32:14The problem is that the render is falling off.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16It's cracked, water is getting in behind it.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18It's falling away, it's not doing its job.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20- Already, it's coming away? - That's right.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23There's a vertical crack all the way up there.
0:32:23 > 0:32:24This is the exposed side of the building
0:32:24 > 0:32:26so the wind and rain
0:32:26 > 0:32:29comes along here, straight into that which goes straight
0:32:29 > 0:32:31through the brickwork that's behind.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34'Blimey, no wonder the Wilsons have such a problem with damp.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38'What's more, because the render's been taken right down to the ground,
0:32:38 > 0:32:41'they'll be affected by rising damp too.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43'This is a right bodge. Even the mix is wrong.'
0:32:43 > 0:32:45This render hasn't been painted
0:32:45 > 0:32:47so you're seeing it in its purest form,
0:32:47 > 0:32:50but there's all sorts of different colours and markings here.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53The render is being affected by impurities perhaps.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55It was put on when the weather was very cold.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58It shouldn't have been put on when it was very cold and wet.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00It's got to be put on when the weather is decent
0:33:00 > 0:33:04so it's allowed to dry out properly. This will never dry out now.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06So, this suggests it's a bit of a rush job,
0:33:06 > 0:33:09- get it on and get onto another job. - Looks like it.
0:33:09 > 0:33:13'Yep. It's a right case of bodge it and scarper, this one.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16'Just look at what he's done to the pipes.'
0:33:16 > 0:33:21Instead of taking the pipes off and putting new ones on,
0:33:21 > 0:33:24they've just put a larger diameter one on, just to botch up.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27- These should have been replaced. - This is really cutting corners now.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30That's it. They're not supported. They going to move.
0:33:30 > 0:33:32You can already see it's leaking here.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35It looks like the water that's coming down the pipe
0:33:35 > 0:33:37is backed up and coming over the top.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39- We've got three pipes coming in here...- Yes.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43..served by one drain, but the rainwater pipe,
0:33:43 > 0:33:45that misses the drain.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47That's it, if we get a very heavy rain storm,
0:33:47 > 0:33:49it's going straight over the yard.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53It's not going to go down the gully as it's supposed to.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57'Water, water everywhere. And this soil pipe contains asbestos.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59'It should've been replaced,
0:33:59 > 0:34:03'but at the very least the builder should have alerted the Wilsons.
0:34:03 > 0:34:07'This guy had clearly never heard of the phrase, "duty of care".
0:34:07 > 0:34:09'I mean, look at the window.'
0:34:09 > 0:34:12So this window...
0:34:12 > 0:34:15As you can see, the fascia board comes down
0:34:15 > 0:34:18and stops the window opening at the top. That's as far as it can open.
0:34:18 > 0:34:19We've got a kitchen there.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22- You want to have the window opening properly.- That's ridiculous.
0:34:22 > 0:34:24You...you put on a fascia so low
0:34:24 > 0:34:28that you can't open a window of your house. In a kitchen, of all places.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31That's right. It shows there hasn't been any thought.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34It would have been apparent, as soon as it went on,
0:34:34 > 0:34:36before the gutters were put on.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39You would've seen the window wouldn't have been able to open.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41I can safely say that whoever did this job
0:34:41 > 0:34:43- doesn't give a monkey's. - I don't think so.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46'Right, I think I can guess what he's going to say,
0:34:46 > 0:34:49'but it's make-your-mind-up time for Euan.'
0:34:49 > 0:34:52- How would you mark it out of 10? - The whole lot's got to be done again.
0:34:52 > 0:34:56- I can't give you anything out of 10. - What, zero?- A big, fat zero.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59In short, the work of a rank amateur.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02And John and Michelle had handed over
0:35:02 > 0:35:04more than £2,500 of their wedding fund.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06Time to bring in the good guys.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10And here's head honcho, Anthony Williams,
0:35:10 > 0:35:12leading his posse into the fray.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17The render that been applied by the cowboy is so bad,
0:35:17 > 0:35:20there's only one option. To rip it off and start again.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24The good guys swing into action.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26It's out with the big boy's toys,
0:35:26 > 0:35:29as that sorry stonework is chipped away and chopped away.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35These fellas take proper care of the pipework. That's more like it.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38That badly holed pipe will need some TLC too.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43This time, the rubble is bagged up and disposed of properly.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46Yep, it's a great start.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49But can they give the Wilsons the walls of their dreams?
0:35:49 > 0:35:51Only time will tell.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00I'm in Wales in the Rhondda Valley, where Michelle and John Wilson
0:36:00 > 0:36:03were forced to dip into their wedding fund
0:36:03 > 0:36:04to make repairs to their home,
0:36:04 > 0:36:08but ended up wasting their money on a bodge job.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11Well, our good guys have now finished their work here.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13Let's see how things are looking.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16I do hope the Wilsons now have a render to be proud of.
0:36:18 > 0:36:19- Hi, Michelle?- Yeah.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21I'm Jonnie. Nice to meet you. How are you doing?
0:36:21 > 0:36:23- All right?- All right, thank you.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25- Good, good.- Come on in.
0:36:25 > 0:36:26'While Michelle puts the kettle on,
0:36:26 > 0:36:29'I'm going to take a look at our good guys' handiwork.'
0:36:29 > 0:36:33Now, before I go outside, there was a job previously done
0:36:33 > 0:36:36by the cowboy builder that was affecting the inside of the house.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38And that was in the kitchen of all places,
0:36:38 > 0:36:39you couldn't even open the window.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44Huh! Problem solved.
0:36:44 > 0:36:48'Fancy putting up a fascia which blocks a window!
0:36:48 > 0:36:51'That's totally clueless.
0:36:51 > 0:36:53'Our good guys are clued up, though,
0:36:53 > 0:36:56'and they've sorted the problem perfectly.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58'Let's see what else they've been up to.'
0:36:58 > 0:37:02New downpipe, new guttering, new fascia.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04'Crikey, they've been busy!
0:37:04 > 0:37:06'And I haven't even checked out the render yet.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10'Remember, the cowboy left behind a cracked, crumbling mess.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14'Now, though, it's a totally different story.'
0:37:14 > 0:37:16It's a textured finish. It'll obviously need decorating
0:37:16 > 0:37:19or painting, but that wasn't within our builder's remit.
0:37:19 > 0:37:20That's a job for later on.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23What WAS to protect this building
0:37:23 > 0:37:25while putting on a render that's going to last.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27It looks like it's going to do just that.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32Now, there was an issue here before insomuch that the old render,
0:37:32 > 0:37:36albeit blown, was going pretty much right into to the floor here,
0:37:36 > 0:37:38and that was going to cause damp problems later on.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40Here, our good guy builders have done exactly
0:37:40 > 0:37:42what they should have done in any rendering job.
0:37:42 > 0:37:44You should see a bell drip.
0:37:44 > 0:37:46That's like the profile of a bell, if you like.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48It comes out slightly wide at the bottom,
0:37:48 > 0:37:52which means all the rainwater will come down this rendered surface
0:37:52 > 0:37:55and drip harmlessly to the floor and away from the building.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59'Yep, this render's clearly been applied by people who know
0:37:59 > 0:38:03'what they're doing. And that cracked pipe's been sorted out too,
0:38:03 > 0:38:04'along with the soil stack.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06'Head honcho, Anthony Williams
0:38:06 > 0:38:08'is about to fill me in on what he found.'
0:38:08 > 0:38:11We found out that we had an asbestos soil pipe.
0:38:11 > 0:38:16We had that correctly taken away by professionals and, obviously,
0:38:16 > 0:38:18consignment notice given.
0:38:18 > 0:38:22I mean, we then replaced it in all UPVC plastic.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24Much better job and at least it lasts.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27Should the previous builder have sorted that out?
0:38:27 > 0:38:31I mean, I personally think you couldn't have taken off the render
0:38:31 > 0:38:35on this job and not noticed that there was an asbestos pipe there.
0:38:35 > 0:38:36I mean, it had a big crack in it.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38A great big crack in the asbestos pipe,
0:38:38 > 0:38:41which was merely covered over with sand and cement and painted.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44'So the cowboy's not only cracked the pipe,
0:38:44 > 0:38:47'the evidence suggests they bodged an asbestos problem too.
0:38:47 > 0:38:48'Unbelievable!
0:38:48 > 0:38:51'They clearly weren't too hot on health and safety
0:38:51 > 0:38:55'and either weren't aware or didn't care about the importance
0:38:55 > 0:38:58'of weather conditions when applying a render.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01'Anthony thinks that's the reason their render was so rubbish.'
0:39:01 > 0:39:04Anything cement-based needs to be
0:39:04 > 0:39:06above three degrees to carry out anything.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09Obviously, we can't do it in rainy conditions.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12It's got to be a good temperature and good, dry day.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14'And guess what?
0:39:14 > 0:39:17'The cowboys did their render when it was cold and wet.
0:39:17 > 0:39:21'Hmm! That's taking pride in your work, isn't it(?)
0:39:21 > 0:39:23'Right, time for a chat with John and Michelle
0:39:23 > 0:39:25'about their builder's version of events.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27'Bit of an unusual one, I must say.
0:39:27 > 0:39:31'This fellow's actually admitted the job was substandard.'
0:39:31 > 0:39:37Now, your builder says he's very sorry if you had any problems
0:39:37 > 0:39:41and he blames the subcontractor who carried out the work.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43Why was he subcontracting the work anyway?
0:39:43 > 0:39:45And the end of the day, who did you pay money to?
0:39:45 > 0:39:49Him, so why did he have to have a subcontractor?
0:39:49 > 0:39:51Why didn't he tell us that in an email?
0:39:51 > 0:39:52Why not get in contact and say,
0:39:52 > 0:39:55"Sorry, you weren't happy with the subcontractor.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57"Can I pop up and we'll have a chat and sort something out?"
0:39:57 > 0:40:01Not just to ignore text messages, phone calls, emails.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04He does admit that he probably should have come back over
0:40:04 > 0:40:07- and checked the standard of work. - Yeah, I agree.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11Because he came here once. And that's it.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14He also says that he is no longer using the subcontractor.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17I still wouldn't use him. If he was the last builder on earth,
0:40:17 > 0:40:18I wouldn't use him again.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20'And who can blame her,
0:40:20 > 0:40:23'bearing in mind this careless cowboy
0:40:23 > 0:40:25'had such an impact on her big day.'
0:40:25 > 0:40:26He ruined my wedding
0:40:26 > 0:40:29because I couldn't have the honeymoon of my dreams.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32Which, basically...
0:40:32 > 0:40:36It takes a lot to spoil something and he definitely has.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39'But the Wilsons can now get on with their lives
0:40:39 > 0:40:42'in an expertly-rendered home that doesn't just look nice,
0:40:42 > 0:40:45'it will also protect the walls underneath.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47'And because the render is watertight,
0:40:47 > 0:40:49'a dehumidifier inside the house
0:40:49 > 0:40:52'will sort out the damp problems once and for all.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54'It's time to check out the good guys' handiwork
0:40:54 > 0:40:56'with John and Michelle.'
0:40:56 > 0:40:58So this looks tidy, then, doesn't it?
0:40:58 > 0:41:00- Oh, much better!- Just a bit!
0:41:00 > 0:41:04So you requested the more textured finish, did you?
0:41:04 > 0:41:07Yes. It just looks better than something plain.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09Yeah, I think you're right, mate.
0:41:09 > 0:41:11What colour are you going to do it, then?
0:41:11 > 0:41:12- That's up to the missus.- Cream.
0:41:12 > 0:41:16'Yep, important decisions like that are much better left to the boss!
0:41:16 > 0:41:18'Cream, eh? Yeah, that should work.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24'When the cowboy left town, this house was a neighbourhood eyesore.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28'Now, though, it just needs a lick of that cream paint
0:41:28 > 0:41:31'and it will look fantastic.'
0:41:31 > 0:41:34- You proud of it?- Very, very. - I am, very.
0:41:34 > 0:41:38- And apparently, you can open the window now! That's nice, eh?- It is!
0:41:38 > 0:41:40He's put all new fascias up here. New guttering.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43- Looks the job, doesn't it? - Yeah, it does.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46But knowing they know what they're doing here,
0:41:46 > 0:41:48you also know that any guttering they put up
0:41:48 > 0:41:49is going to work properly.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52- It is.- Yeah, it's all sorted now.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55'And it's such a relief for the Wilsons that the previously
0:41:55 > 0:41:58'asbestos-ridden soil pipe has been successfully sorted
0:41:58 > 0:42:00'by our knights in shining armour.'
0:42:00 > 0:42:04- You've got peace of mind now, haven't you?- That's right, yeah.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07You'd think that any builder worth their salt would have said,
0:42:07 > 0:42:10"Hold on, Michelle and John. We've got an issue here with the pipe.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12"It's asbestos. It should be replaced."
0:42:12 > 0:42:14- Didn't even tell you?- No.- No.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16'And that's appalling.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19'Especially bearing in mind Michelle's nieces
0:42:19 > 0:42:21'often come round to play in the back garden.
0:42:21 > 0:42:25'But now our good guys have salvaged the situation, the Wilsons
0:42:25 > 0:42:27'are planning on building a patio
0:42:27 > 0:42:30'so they can relax with the little ones.'
0:42:30 > 0:42:33Well, look, if your next job is patio-ing this,
0:42:33 > 0:42:35someone had better get their back into it,
0:42:35 > 0:42:37- and that's not me. That's you, John! - Yes!
0:42:37 > 0:42:40I'll leave you to it. You've got lots of planning to do.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42- Michelle, it was a pleasure to meet you.- And you.
0:42:42 > 0:42:43- John, likewise.- Cheers, mate.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45Good luck with this. Rather you than me!
0:42:45 > 0:42:51'Yep, patio-laying is rather hard work. Good luck to them!'
0:42:51 > 0:42:53Well, the last thing that Michelle and John needed
0:42:53 > 0:42:56on a run-up to a wedding was more stress.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58That's exactly what the cowboy builder gave them
0:42:58 > 0:43:00with the bodge of a job he did.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03But thanks to the good guys, well, you heard it from Michelle herself.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06She's elated with the job that's been done.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09And now they can start planning for the future again.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12And the first job on their list, sorting out the garden
0:43:12 > 0:43:14so their nieces can come and visit and play safely there.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16The good thing about this,
0:43:16 > 0:43:19though, is they've now finally got a guy they can trust.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21And I guess I know who's going to get the call.
0:43:21 > 0:43:23Our good guy builder, Anthony.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd