0:00:07 > 0:00:11I'm declaring high noon on Britain's cowboy builders.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14He said he couldn't source a brick to match the house,
0:00:14 > 0:00:18but he'd had one of our house bricks for a year.
0:00:18 > 0:00:23These jacks-of-no-trades ride roughshod over people's dreams and their lives.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27We've got a bucket here. I don't know if that's to catch any moisture.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31I'm rounding up the Good Guys to help turn these blots on the landscape
0:00:31 > 0:00:33into beautiful builds.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37I couldn't believe my eyes. The roof was such a mess.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39So remember to pay close attention
0:00:39 > 0:00:44because the next 30 minutes could well keep you out of the cowboy trap.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57Today, we're deep in the Cheshire countryside,
0:00:57 > 0:00:59in the small market town of Tarporley.
0:00:59 > 0:01:04Though close to those noisy hotbeds of the pop-music scene - Liverpool and Manchester -
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Tarporley is a quiet rural preserve.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11It's a lovely place to visit and relax.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13That is unless you're a fox...
0:01:13 > 0:01:16Tarporley has a long history of fox hunting.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19In fact, it's home to the oldest surviving hunt in England
0:01:19 > 0:01:24that was founded in 1762 at this 16th-century coaching inn.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28Although the hounds are long gone, the club still meet here,
0:01:28 > 0:01:30but only for dinner, of course.
0:01:30 > 0:01:35Now, whatever you think about foxes, this old hound is on the scent of some vermin.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39You've guessed it - it's another cowboy builder.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44His unwitting victims live in this four-bedroom detached house.
0:01:44 > 0:01:50Nick and Celia Cherry are both 61 and have been married for 15 years.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52Celia recently retired from teaching
0:01:52 > 0:01:57and Nick, who used to be a marketing manager, now runs an oven-cleaning business.
0:01:57 > 0:02:02Celia met Nick after enduring some difficult years in the early 1980s.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06She divorced her husband, leaving her a single mother-of-three.
0:02:06 > 0:02:11In a bid to make a fresh start, Celia decided to take a degree in teaching.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15Fortunately, because I was at college, there were other single parents,
0:02:15 > 0:02:17so we all kind of clubbed together
0:02:17 > 0:02:21and took our kids out and did things with them as a group.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Financially, it was very difficult. Very difficult.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28And very difficult to do my degree when I'd got three children
0:02:28 > 0:02:30and all the stuff that that entailed.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Things were really tough for Celia,
0:02:33 > 0:02:37bringing up three kids on her own on very little money,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40coupled with the demands of a degree course.
0:02:40 > 0:02:45But it all paid off, because three years later she qualified as a teacher
0:02:45 > 0:02:49and got her first post, teaching food technology at a secondary school.
0:02:49 > 0:02:54And things continued to get better, because she met Nick.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56In 1997,
0:02:56 > 0:03:01Celia and Nick - who had a daughter from a previous relationship - got married
0:03:01 > 0:03:05and together they brought up their four children.
0:03:05 > 0:03:11Nick and Celia moved into their four-bed detached property here in Tarporley 15 years ago.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Before that, they were living in Sheffield
0:03:13 > 0:03:18and then Nick got a call to say he'd got a job offer in Chester.
0:03:18 > 0:03:23Now, Celia had spent many a happy childhood here in Cheshire at her grandparents' home,
0:03:23 > 0:03:25so she jumped at the chance.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29As for the house, well, it was love at first sight.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36We just pulled up outside and it had a really nice look to it,
0:03:36 > 0:03:38what I'd call a happy face.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42It seemed to have a huge garden, it was in a nice area and I said, "That'll do."
0:03:42 > 0:03:45That was it, we made the decision not even having been into it.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48The house may have seemed perfect,
0:03:48 > 0:03:51but there was one fly in the Cherrys' ointment -
0:03:51 > 0:03:54the conservatory was falling apart.
0:03:54 > 0:03:59It was in a right state. It had a corrugated plastic roof
0:03:59 > 0:04:01which had obviously leaked,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04and they put a roof on the inside, as well.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08So it had two lots of roof and it used to rain in, erm,
0:04:08 > 0:04:12and with the cold and damp...
0:04:12 > 0:04:15We had to do quite a lot of repairs to it to start off with.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21Celia and Nick vowed to replace it as soon as they had the money.
0:04:21 > 0:04:26In 2011, 14 years after moving in, Celia took early retirement
0:04:26 > 0:04:30and they decided to invest in the conservatory of their dreams.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33The Cherrys invited several builders round to quote for the job,
0:04:33 > 0:04:37one of whom had a very impressive portfolio.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41He had worked for joinery companies and then set up his own business.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45He'd got a workshop. He ticked all the right boxes.
0:04:45 > 0:04:51A builder's portfolio can separate the professionals from the cowboys.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55But beware, don't get hooked by a set of glossy photographs.
0:04:55 > 0:05:01Make sure you go and physically see like-for-like completed works.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04That way, you can build up a nice set of images
0:05:04 > 0:05:06for before and after.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10Take my advice. Let your fingers doing the walking
0:05:10 > 0:05:15and phone up previous customers of your potential builder to get their feedback.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19Then let your feet do the walking and go see them in person.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23They could just be mates of the builder doing him a favour.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25If you see the whites of their eyes
0:05:25 > 0:05:27and completed projects similar to yours,
0:05:27 > 0:05:32you're entitled to have confidence in that builder.
0:05:33 > 0:05:38The builder quoted just over £24,000 to build the conservatory
0:05:38 > 0:05:40with special self-cleaning glass,
0:05:40 > 0:05:42and said it would take about six weeks.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45He seemed to know what he was talking about,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48spotting a couple of mistakes in the designs.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52We thought that he knew what he was doing, he clearly was on the ball
0:05:52 > 0:05:56and would be OK to do our conservatory.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59The builder wanted paying in three instalments -
0:05:59 > 0:06:03a deposit of around £7,000 to be paid before work started,
0:06:03 > 0:06:07covering groundworks, window frames and the roof structure,
0:06:07 > 0:06:12another payment - around £7,000 - to cover glazing and finishing work,
0:06:12 > 0:06:17and a final instalment of £9,620 upon completion.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22He suggested constructing the conservatory offsite and transporting it in.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26The Cherrys gave him the green light in the summer of 2011.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Work began but the progress was slow.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33Yet the builder always had an excuse up his sleeve.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35As for Celia, she had other things on her mind
0:06:35 > 0:06:39because her father was seriously ill with cancer.
0:06:41 > 0:06:46I think the builder did use the fact that I was away from home because of my father.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48I was very upset because he was ill.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52He did use that and prey upon us because of it,
0:06:52 > 0:06:56because he knew we weren't going to be here, watching what he was doing all the time.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00Celia was told her dad's cancer was terminal.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03Remembering how much he loved the outdoors as a younger man,
0:07:03 > 0:07:09she was desperate for him to enjoy their new conservatory in his final days.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11But the project fell way behind schedule.
0:07:11 > 0:07:16The agreed completion date in early November 2011 came and went,
0:07:16 > 0:07:19with little sign of progress.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24Celia's father would never get to sit in her conservatory
0:07:24 > 0:07:29because on December 2nd, 2011, he lost his battle with cancer.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Celia is in no doubt
0:07:31 > 0:07:35that the builder took advantage of her grief.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41The funeral was down in the Midlands and we were going to be away until quite late at night.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45I'd said to the builder, "You're OK to come and work that day."
0:07:45 > 0:07:48But when I saw him the day before he said,
0:07:48 > 0:07:53"We won't be coming tomorrow because you've got other fish to fry." Those were his actual words.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57I thought that was quite insensitive, considering we were burying my dad.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02The stress of the conservatory not being ready when it should've,
0:08:02 > 0:08:07and also her father having cancer, was very, very traumatic for her.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09And, you know, she...
0:08:09 > 0:08:12I'm surprised she didn't have a breakdown
0:08:12 > 0:08:15because it was really hard-going.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18The builder kept disappearing for weeks at a time.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22He claimed the delays were because he couldn't source matching bricks.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25But he'd had one of the Cherrys' bricks for over a year,
0:08:25 > 0:08:28surely long enough to find a similar type?
0:08:28 > 0:08:31And the little work the builder did was shoddy.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35I got a ladder up to the roof
0:08:35 > 0:08:38and I couldn't believe my eyes.
0:08:38 > 0:08:39The roof was such a mess.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43There were strips that were not connected,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46the glass was not straight on the beams.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51I noticed around the sills of the window frames
0:08:51 > 0:08:53that the mitre joints were pulling apart.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56When I pointed that out and said it needed to be redone,
0:08:56 > 0:08:59he said that he would just put a plug in it, which he has.
0:08:59 > 0:09:05He drilled a hole, put a wooden plug in it to pull it all together and filled it with brown sealant.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Half the conservatory consists, I think, of brown sealant.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12I just couldn't believe my eyes. It was a ridiculous situation
0:09:12 > 0:09:15that a guy who was supposed to be professional
0:09:15 > 0:09:19had put the build together like it was.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23The Cherrys had wanted Christmas dinner in their new conservatory,
0:09:23 > 0:09:28but there was no plaster on the walls, the electrics hadn't been done properly
0:09:28 > 0:09:32and the builder's plumbers had messed up the Cherrys' central heating
0:09:32 > 0:09:35and flooded their bedroom in the process.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38No Christmas cheer for the Cherrys.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Finally, at the end of January 2012,
0:09:41 > 0:09:45four months after the job was supposed to have been completed,
0:09:45 > 0:09:47the builder announced he'd finished.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50I don't think so!
0:09:50 > 0:09:55He doesn't seem to have done anything properly at all. Nothing properly at all.
0:09:55 > 0:10:00He promised that he'd get plumbers in to do the work -
0:10:00 > 0:10:04he'd get proper people to do it - and he hasn't done.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07We had water coming in at one point
0:10:07 > 0:10:11where the valleys meet the apex of the roof.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14It was pouring down there, running down the blind,
0:10:14 > 0:10:18gathering on the window sill and pouring straight into the power point.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24The Cherrys' window cleaner pointed out the windows were wobbly.
0:10:24 > 0:10:25From top to bottom,
0:10:25 > 0:10:29this chaotic conservatory was an utter shambles.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33We were very upset about it, but I kept saying,
0:10:33 > 0:10:37"Although we're upset, although it's cost a lot of money that I can never replace,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40"because you only get that payment when you retire once,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43"it's still not as bad as losing my father."
0:10:45 > 0:10:47Bodged building work is one thing,
0:10:47 > 0:10:51but taking advantage of someone's grief is entirely different.
0:10:51 > 0:10:56And I tell you something else - I'm appalled by what goes on under the name of building.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01I'm hoping to get Celia and Nick's plans back on track.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04Yep, the Good Guys are in town.
0:11:04 > 0:11:09Ahh! You must be the lovely Celia. I'm Clive from Cowboy Trap.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11- You must be the lovely Nick. - I am. Hi!- How are you?
0:11:11 > 0:11:15- I hear you've had problems with cowboy builders.- Yes.- We have.
0:11:15 > 0:11:20- Do you mind if I come in and have a look?- No.- Please do. - Come on, then. Let's have a look.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22While Celia and Nick put the kettle on,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25I check out the conservatory.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28It doesn't take long to discover problems.
0:11:28 > 0:11:33See, straight away there, certainly with the window boards, they should've been notched in,
0:11:33 > 0:11:38and instead, the sill boards look they're stuck down
0:11:38 > 0:11:41and then masticed-in on the gaps.
0:11:41 > 0:11:42That's not brilliant.
0:11:42 > 0:11:47And I'm not happy about that glazing on the roof.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49It doesn't look like it's a modern glass.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52These days, you get a nice reflective glass
0:11:52 > 0:11:57which, usually in the summertime, it keeps the heat at bay
0:11:57 > 0:12:00and, of course, in the winter, keeps the heat in.
0:12:00 > 0:12:01It's usually self-cleaning.
0:12:01 > 0:12:06We've had a lot of rain of late and that looks really quite scarred.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10It's certainly not a modern glass panel, that's for sure.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14We've got a bucket here, as well, so I don't know if that's there to catch any moisture.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17It doesn't look brilliant. I'm starting to see little signs
0:12:17 > 0:12:22of where the glass looks a little bit too short.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25And there's a gap between the French doors and the frame.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28That's not been set right at all.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33Let's have a look outside. Two words - not good.
0:12:33 > 0:12:38You can see the actual body of the conservatory butted up to the gable there,
0:12:38 > 0:12:42but it's been filled in with, er, cement.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45I'd have liked to have seen a flexible mastic in there.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49I'd also like to know how it's been attached to that gable end.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52It always is a real worry.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Here, where the beading is,
0:12:56 > 0:13:00in actual fact, where these actual glass units are,
0:13:00 > 0:13:03they're not rebated enough, they're not sitting back enough.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08The dwarf wall supporting the conservatory is not well pointed,
0:13:08 > 0:13:12and that's not the only problem.
0:13:12 > 0:13:17The damp course should be a couple of courses high
0:13:17 > 0:13:19and it should have at least 150 mils from ground level.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22That looks like it's breaching it. It's too high.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25That'll definitely have to be cut back.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29This dodgy damp course is no bridge over troubled water for the Cherrys.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31And as soon as I get an aerial view,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34it's apparent the inside of this conservatory
0:13:34 > 0:13:39is going to get wet... wet... wet.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42Now I'm up here, the problems are pretty clear.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44First of all, the obvious ones -
0:13:44 > 0:13:47the actual panel trims are all off.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50They're either wavy lines and about to come off
0:13:50 > 0:13:51or they've already come off.
0:13:51 > 0:13:56At the top there, as you can see with the lead flashing, there's not enough upstand
0:13:56 > 0:14:00and it hasn't been dressed into the render, which it needed to be done.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03It looks like it's probably just been glued on.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06The glass itself has certainly been cut short.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10It should be enough overhang to go towards the guttering,
0:14:10 > 0:14:15so that the water whips away off the top of the glass and into the gutter.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19- This roof has more- flaws - than the Empire State Building!
0:14:19 > 0:14:21See what I did there?!
0:14:21 > 0:14:24I've seen enough.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28Time for a pow-wow with Celia and Nick about the cowboy builder
0:14:28 > 0:14:31who's taken them for 24 grand.
0:14:31 > 0:14:36Did you have a contract in place to say, "It's going to take six weeks,
0:14:36 > 0:14:38"this is the stages of payment that I want,
0:14:38 > 0:14:41"this is the conservatory you're going to get,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44who provides what, who supplies what, etcetera"?
0:14:44 > 0:14:48We had a confirmation letter from him which detailed all that.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51- He called them his quotation letters. - That's right.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55But neither party signed it as an official contract,
0:14:55 > 0:14:59but he said, "This is what I'll do and this is the timescale."
0:14:59 > 0:15:05Take my advice - if you're forking out thousands of pounds on a building project,
0:15:05 > 0:15:10spend a few extra pennies on some ink and paper for a formal contract.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13Confirm in writing the overall cost,
0:15:13 > 0:15:17the payment schedule and the time for completion,
0:15:17 > 0:15:19that way, everyone knows the plan of action
0:15:19 > 0:15:23and what to do if things start to slip.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27When were the real first alarm bells with this guy?
0:15:27 > 0:15:29Right from the start, Celia was worried
0:15:29 > 0:15:33because he was two, three weeks late starting it,
0:15:33 > 0:15:37and you were worried from then onwards, weren't you?
0:15:37 > 0:15:40You were the one at home, you were the one who was dealing with it.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43I was at work, so I didn't have the same sort of hassle.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46What was Celia like...
0:15:46 > 0:15:48..emotionally?
0:15:48 > 0:15:50She was a mess, really. A real mess.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54Because, you know, it was a really, erm, a really hard time,
0:15:54 > 0:15:56er, with her dad dying.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00They were very, very close together. Very close.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03When a parent passes, it's...
0:16:03 > 0:16:07I know what it feels like to lose both my parents,
0:16:07 > 0:16:11so... to have this going on, as well,
0:16:11 > 0:16:15the stress must've been through the roof.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18Yes. It was. Yep.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Did your builder know what you were going through,
0:16:21 > 0:16:23that this could've been great for your dad?
0:16:23 > 0:16:26I did tell him that my dad was ill
0:16:26 > 0:16:29and I would've liked Dad to see the finished conservatory.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32Forget Heartbreak Hotel,
0:16:32 > 0:16:35this is Heartbreak Conservatory.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39But there is light at the end of the tunnel.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42The Good Guys are on their way.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46But before we get cracking, I've asked a second opinion
0:16:46 > 0:16:49from independent building surveyor Glen Nicholas.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53What do you see
0:16:53 > 0:16:55that's not to your liking?
0:16:55 > 0:16:59Basically, it's the detailing of the structure itself.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01Good materials,
0:17:01 > 0:17:06however, they haven't followed through with good practice and details.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09There are gaps, glazing has been cut short.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13- I understand it was supposed to be self-cleaning glass. Definitely not. - I don't think so.- I don't.
0:17:13 > 0:17:19Otherwise, what we'd be looking at is a clean, clear view to the sky above.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22Taking all that into consideration
0:17:22 > 0:17:25and thinking about the various problems we've got,
0:17:25 > 0:17:30what mark out of ten would you give this guy for the work you've seen?
0:17:31 > 0:17:34It's a two or a three, this one.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38Mm, I think nearer two than three. But let's not quibble.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43Time to bring in the Good Guys, led by main man Paul Hilton.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48I've got a straightforward question for the moustachioed maestro
0:17:48 > 0:17:51and I can't wait to hear his answer.
0:17:51 > 0:17:56- Tell us what you're going to address.- Mainly on the roof, problems with the glass.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59A lot of it is undersized, undermeasured,
0:17:59 > 0:18:03not meeting where it should do, leaking,
0:18:03 > 0:18:06and the wrong type of glass that the customer asked for.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11It's supposed to be self-cleaning with an anti-glare film on it, which is not there.
0:18:11 > 0:18:16Definitely not. The first hint that tells you it's supposed to be self-cleaning
0:18:16 > 0:18:18is that it's filthy!
0:18:18 > 0:18:21What about the valleys? We've got problems with the trim.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25All the trims are coming off and seeping water back in,
0:18:25 > 0:18:27you know, the capillary action back up there.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30They just need to be fitted correctly.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Just a badly finished job, you know?
0:18:33 > 0:18:38Not 'alf! But Paul and his posse aim to put that right.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42So much needs doing, the Cherry's are chipping in.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46Hilton's Heroes waste no time swinging into action.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52First up, removing that rubbish greenhouse glass,
0:18:52 > 0:18:57then prepping the beams for the new gorgeous glazing.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01These boys are certainly getting into the groove.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03Who needs Madonna?!
0:19:03 > 0:19:07But can they create the conservatory of the Cherrys' dreams?
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Only time will tell.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15I'm back in Cheshire
0:19:15 > 0:19:18in the picturesque village of Tarporley,
0:19:18 > 0:19:21where Celia and Nick Cherry's dreams of a new conservatory
0:19:21 > 0:19:24were dashed by a cowboy builder
0:19:24 > 0:19:26who callously took advantage of Celia's grief
0:19:26 > 0:19:29over the death of her father.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32Our Good Guys have now finished their work
0:19:32 > 0:19:35and I'm here to find out if they've saved the day.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37Before I do the grand tour with Celia and Nick,
0:19:37 > 0:19:40I can't resist taking a sneaky peak.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49OK, now, interesting enough, you're always slightly worried,
0:19:49 > 0:19:53because when we first arrived here the conservatory looked great,
0:19:53 > 0:19:57but when you delved, you realised there was problems all over the place,
0:19:57 > 0:20:01particularly with leaks and gaps all over the place.
0:20:01 > 0:20:06Now the things that jump out at me straight away, the paint is fantastic.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09They've stained this wood and it sings now.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11It looks real quality.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14For me, it's the best paint job
0:20:14 > 0:20:17since Michelangelo decorated the Sistine Chapel.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21And remember those roof units before?
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Now look at them!
0:20:24 > 0:20:27These units are brilliant. Let me just tell you about them.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31They're highly reflective and they're self-cleaning, as well,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34so you almost get a blue hue on them.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37What that does is, particularly with the reflection,
0:20:37 > 0:20:40when it's hot and sunny in the summertime,
0:20:40 > 0:20:42it reflects that sun
0:20:42 > 0:20:46and keeps the temperature inside at a nice, even temperature.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50In the winter, it helps to keep the warmth in.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54But it's also self-cleaning, which means tree sap, birdlime,
0:20:54 > 0:20:56that sort of thing that gets onto the glass,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59when it rains will just wash away.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02And when I say "birdlime", you know what I mean!
0:21:02 > 0:21:05But it's not just the glazing that's better.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08Cast your mind back to this...
0:21:09 > 0:21:12Now look at this...
0:21:12 > 0:21:14The problems were, gaps everywhere,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17we'd got rain coming in, moisture coming in.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20The problems here with the actual window sills,
0:21:20 > 0:21:25they weren't actually channelled into the frame, which they should've been.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27So there was huge gaps there, too.
0:21:27 > 0:21:32I'm loving this detailed trim that our Good Guys have put on.
0:21:32 > 0:21:37It really is quite magnificent and makes a massive difference, I think, to that sill.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41Now, in the corner here, we'd got a bucket,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43that was catching water here.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47That's gone. There's no water there any more.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51For me, that's another big, big achievement.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54You don't want a bucket in your conservatory!
0:21:54 > 0:21:58And that horrible gappy door has been sorted, too.
0:21:58 > 0:22:03Ooh, that's a relief - the Good Guys have fixed the glazing bars.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06This particular one here was way too short.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11That's now the proper length, right into the guttering, which it should be.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13But according to our Good Guys,
0:22:13 > 0:22:18this was only seated onto the frame of the conservatory by about one millimetre.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20Also, it was in with one screw only.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24Imagine, I always say this, timber - living, breathing thing -
0:22:24 > 0:22:26if it's going to move and stretch,
0:22:26 > 0:22:31there's every possibility that that huge unit could've come crashing down!
0:22:31 > 0:22:34And I'm telling you now, it's heavier than me.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40Well, only just. Time to take a look from outside.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43And I likes what I sees!
0:22:43 > 0:22:46This has been coated up wonderfully, stained well.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50When you've got a conservatory, it's always important, particularly timber,
0:22:50 > 0:22:55to make sure you've got a real good quality barrier protection on the outside.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58This really is top, top quality.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01Before the Good Guys got stuck in,
0:23:01 > 0:23:05I was seriously concerned about the top of the roof.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07No need to worry now.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10Even just looking at the glazing bars,
0:23:10 > 0:23:14the way that we've actually got the lead flashing at the back, as well, looks great.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16The valley - fantastic.
0:23:16 > 0:23:21Yes. The whole thing now looks proper.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23And the damp course looks better, too.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25From this...
0:23:25 > 0:23:28..to this.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30Phew! What a relief!
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Now, before I talk it through with the Cherrys,
0:23:33 > 0:23:36I'd like a pow-wow about their cowboy builder.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39I wanted to find out his side of the story
0:23:39 > 0:23:43so I could hear their responses to his version of events.
0:23:43 > 0:23:48First of all, his admits that the work suffered delays.
0:23:48 > 0:23:54But he says that that was due to the weather, high winds,
0:23:54 > 0:23:58and that it was something he had no control over whatsoever.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02Is that the case? Would you agree with that or not?
0:24:02 > 0:24:06I think there were three days where the weather held him up.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10I can't see how there could be a month's delay between him doing the brickwork
0:24:10 > 0:24:14and not even responding to our calls as to why nothing else was happening,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17a whole month where absolutely nothing happened
0:24:17 > 0:24:19and we didn't hear from him at all.
0:24:19 > 0:24:24He says that, "All of your complaints are minor repairs"
0:24:24 > 0:24:29which he would've been happy to do, had you allowed him to come back.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31Bear that in mind - minor complaints.
0:24:31 > 0:24:36Knowing what you know now, what is your reply to that?
0:24:36 > 0:24:40Does he call the whole roof being replaced a minor complaint?
0:24:40 > 0:24:44- Which is, you know...- He hadn't measured the glass properly.
0:24:44 > 0:24:49He just used a tape measure and wrote some measurements down. It took him half an hour.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53Whereas Paul, who corrected the roof and replaced all the glass,
0:24:53 > 0:24:55made proper templates.
0:24:55 > 0:25:00Yes, indeedy, our Good Guys do things right.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02Yee-ha!
0:25:02 > 0:25:04Well, whatever the whys and wherefores,
0:25:04 > 0:25:06it's now time for my favourite bit.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10Celia and Nick have lived with the work as it's been going on,
0:25:10 > 0:25:14but I'm about reveal the finished results in all their glory.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17Come on in to your lovely conservatory.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20- BOTH: Wow!- Fantastic.
0:25:20 > 0:25:25- It doesn't look the same.- It doesn't! It looks a totally new building.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28In a way, the first thing I noticed
0:25:28 > 0:25:32- is the quality of the stain that's gone on there.- Yes. - It really looks superb.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35But I think the most important factor
0:25:35 > 0:25:39- was the fact that you could occasionally have a shower in here...- Oh, yes!
0:25:39 > 0:25:42Quite easily if you stood close to the window!
0:25:42 > 0:25:46..so that's all been addressed. There's so many things that have gone on.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50First of all, let's take the roof glazing...
0:25:50 > 0:25:54You've got there a special solar reflective glass.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58Now, the beauty of that is, you've got this blue hue on it,
0:25:58 > 0:26:02but what happens is, in the summer when you've got the strong sunshine,
0:26:02 > 0:26:04what it helps to do is reflect that heat
0:26:04 > 0:26:08and keep it at a nice even temperature.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10In the winter, however,
0:26:10 > 0:26:14once you get the sun coming through, it'll help to keep the warmth in.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16Now if you remember behind us,
0:26:16 > 0:26:21- we'd got that leak and the bucket underneath it.- Several buckets!
0:26:21 > 0:26:23- That's now gone. - Fantastic.- Brilliant.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26Do you remember the gap around the frame, as well,
0:26:26 > 0:26:28which allowed creepy-crawlies in?
0:26:28 > 0:26:30- You could bike through it, couldn't you?- You could.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33Not any more. We've got the beading there.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36It's been sealed underneath. The guys have done a fantastic job.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39- Also, if you remember on your sill boards...- Yes.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43They needed notching into the frame.
0:26:43 > 0:26:48What Paul has done is put on this wonderful detailed beading,
0:26:48 > 0:26:49which also looks great.
0:26:49 > 0:26:54- Do you like it? That's the main thing.- Yes. - It looks fantastic. Really good.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58- Yes. Just how we envisioned it the first time.- It was.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01- That's how it should've been.- Yes.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04So far, so good.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08Let's find out what the Cherrys think of the exterior.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11From the outside, what do you notice straight away?
0:27:11 > 0:27:13- It's a lot neater.- It is.
0:27:13 > 0:27:18There's no bends in all the work in the gullies or anything.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21- Exactly.- No.- Or on the glazing bars.
0:27:21 > 0:27:26It looks a totally different colour, as well. It looks finished now.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28- The end caps actually fit on the end! - They do!
0:27:28 > 0:27:31There was no end caps before.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34All the flashing has now been properly seated into the render,
0:27:34 > 0:27:37which is the way it should've been in the first place.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41- Brilliant. - Superb. They've done a great job. I'm really chuffed for you.
0:27:41 > 0:27:46I'm hoping now that you will feel really happy to come home
0:27:46 > 0:27:51and enjoy the conservatory the way it should've been enjoyed in the first place.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53- We'll be able to, thank you. - Thank you.- Great.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56- Lovely to meet you.- Thank you. - Take good care of yourself.- And you.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00- And enjoy this lovely conservatory! - BOTH: Thank you.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03- See you soon.- Thank you. - Bye now. Bye!
0:28:03 > 0:28:05I think we can safely say
0:28:05 > 0:28:09the Cherrys dream is back on track!
0:28:09 > 0:28:14It might only be a conservatory, but look at the heartache this bodge has caused.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17I'm leaving, safe in the knowledge
0:28:17 > 0:28:22that our Good Guys have driven away a cowboy from Celia and Nick's ranch.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Talking of those cowboys, if you're watching today,
0:28:25 > 0:28:28remember one thing - we're on your trail.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd