0:00:02 > 0:00:03When a crisis strikes your home...
0:00:03 > 0:00:06- How can I help? - I've got a bit of an emergency.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08..or you want major work done...
0:00:08 > 0:00:11It seemed to my mind, nothing had been done.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13The roof itself was on the verge of collapsing.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16..you need one of the good guys.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18But you don't always get them.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21You need to get a plumber in straightaway to fix that.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23He has destroyed our dreams.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26We will hear the stories of devastation and despair
0:00:26 > 0:00:28left behind when building work doesn't go to plan.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30He has damaged my house.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33It is just basically shoddy workmanship.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36And we'll tell you how to avoid becoming a victim yourself.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39You still need building regs, whatever you do.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41But most tradesmen are there to help.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44And we'll follow the response teams who are there for you
0:00:44 > 0:00:4624 hours a day...
0:00:46 > 0:00:47Yes!
0:00:47 > 0:00:49..seven days a week.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51We had a lot of carbon monoxide issues.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55From plumbers to roofers, electricians to locksmiths,
0:00:55 > 0:00:58we meet the men and women who help you out in your hour of need.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Coming up...
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Flat owner Philippa's flooded out.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11It is rushing water and you just do not know how to stop it.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14And now, so is her neighbour.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17There was no way anyone could have seen it coming.
0:01:17 > 0:01:18The bird in the hand is one thing,
0:01:18 > 0:01:20but a family of them in the chimney
0:01:20 > 0:01:23spells trouble for sweep Christine...
0:01:23 > 0:01:25There's a massive nest up there.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27..and householder Darcy.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31I reckon we have probably had 25 years of jackdaws putting
0:01:31 > 0:01:33sort of rubbish and bits down the chimney.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36And a dodgy builder leaves chaos in his wake.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38But takes the money with him,
0:01:38 > 0:01:41leaving this family rocked to their foundations.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44He actually dissolved his company and disappeared.
0:01:44 > 0:01:45Not with all the money, I hope.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48Absolutely, yeah, every single penny.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55What is the saying? Your home is your castle, right?
0:01:55 > 0:01:57But it feels more like an invasion
0:01:57 > 0:01:59when you get loads of tradespeople round.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02But what you don't want to do is meet one who makes you wish
0:02:02 > 0:02:05you pulled the drawbridge up before they had arrived.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08So when you are planning a build, big or small,
0:02:08 > 0:02:10you must do your research.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13And if you're a beginner at this sort of thing, you can
0:02:13 > 0:02:15never do too much.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18If you don't, it could cost you,
0:02:18 > 0:02:22as the Tugwell family from Kent found out.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24You don't ever think it's going to happen to you.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26But unfortunately, in our case, it did.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29The whole situation is an absolute nightmare.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31It has put a strain on my relationship with my wife
0:02:31 > 0:02:35and my children. And it has been very difficult.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37The couple wanted a raised conservatory at the back
0:02:37 > 0:02:40of their house, with a storage area underneath.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44With four children and Julie's job as a child minder filling
0:02:44 > 0:02:47the house even more, it seemed a good idea to have more space.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51My wife does child minding for a business,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54thought she could use the extra space of a conservatory on the back.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56And it was a great idea at the time.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58And even the planners, when we went to our planning meeting,
0:02:58 > 0:03:00actually said, "That is a novel way
0:03:00 > 0:03:02"of using the space that you've got underneath there."
0:03:02 > 0:03:05Chris works as a supervisor for London Transport
0:03:05 > 0:03:07and cash is pretty tight,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10but the couple decided to use money his father had left them
0:03:10 > 0:03:12for the build.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14Using his inheritance to me...
0:03:14 > 0:03:16He worked for 40 years, all his life,
0:03:16 > 0:03:19he didn't have an awful lot of money.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22But when he died, he wanted all his children to benefit.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24And obviously, as a memorial to him,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27I wanted to use that money in the right way.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31In fact, they handed over £20,000.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34But as you have probably guessed, it all went wrong for Chris
0:03:34 > 0:03:36and his family, thanks to a father
0:03:36 > 0:03:41and son act who turned out to be a right pair of rogues.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45The architect who did the drawings, his son was a builder.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47He said he could do the work.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51Here we are, 2 1/2 years later, it is a total mass.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56I'm at Chris and Julie's to see the chaos they left behind.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59- Hello, Tommy.- How are you? - Nice to meet you.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02I've come to have a look at your problems.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05I need Chris to fill in some of the details for me.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09You wanted to have a conservatory built rather than an extension.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11We had a raised patio,
0:04:11 > 0:04:15which took up the whole back end of the house. So we thought,
0:04:15 > 0:04:18rather than just put a conservatory on top of that, we will utilise
0:04:18 > 0:04:22the space underneath, dig it all out and have a basement storage area.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Chris felt he was going the right way about things.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30It was the architect's son who was apparently a builder.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32And he said, "Well, I can do it for you."
0:04:32 > 0:04:35He said he had built some houses, which we went and looked at.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38They seemed OK. And we thought it was fine.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40We didn't realise there was any problem
0:04:40 > 0:04:42until he started laying bricks.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45The couple looked at the houses the builder claimed were his work,
0:04:45 > 0:04:50but didn't talk to the homeowners - a classic mistake.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54But they did get other quotes before unfortunately opting to
0:04:54 > 0:04:58go for his quote of £26,000.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02It was slightly cheaper, but there wasn't an awful lot in it,
0:05:02 > 0:05:04and as we thought the architect had done the drawings,
0:05:04 > 0:05:07it was his son doing the building work, we thought, if there are any
0:05:07 > 0:05:10problems, it will be easier to smooth them out that way.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12Chris did do some of the right checks.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17But it wasn't long before lots of things started going wrong.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20He seemed pretty punctual. He didn't have many men.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23And we thought it was a bit strange he used to turn up in a hired van.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25But after he had been to the local DIY store,
0:05:25 > 0:05:28he had nothing delivered but a bulk load of sand.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31And he started works, everything went OK.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35Well, the first week or so was OK. They dug it all out.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38One of the contractors they employed to dig it out said
0:05:38 > 0:05:41he wasn't happy with what was being done.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44He thought there was a problem with the foundations where
0:05:44 > 0:05:46he was digging it out. Because the basement was going to
0:05:46 > 0:05:48effectively go below, we had to underpin...
0:05:48 > 0:05:50You would have to. If you are going below the foundations,
0:05:50 > 0:05:54- you have to underpin it, yeah.- And the contractor was digging it out.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56He left the job. And then it really all snowballed from there.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Crikey! There were plenty of warning signs.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02When you are building, there should always be official backup.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06You have always got the safety net of the building inspector.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09They issued what they call the yellow peril, but unfortunately,
0:06:09 > 0:06:12they were just advisory notes, this is what the builder told us,
0:06:12 > 0:06:13and he didn't have to do it.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16So there is a stack of yellow perils which should have been done,
0:06:16 > 0:06:19we understand now, but he never did them.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22You know, the building inspector is keen.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25- What happens, they inspect every stage of the construction...- Yeah.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28..to make sure it complies with building regs and it's safe.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31So normally, it is a good thing to have them
0:06:31 > 0:06:34on board to make sure everything gets done correctly.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38If a building inspector advises you he isn't satisfied with
0:06:38 > 0:06:40the work, you have to put it right.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42Without their sign-off,
0:06:42 > 0:06:45work will not be passed as safe or fit for purpose.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50By ignoring the notices he called yellow perils, the builder
0:06:50 > 0:06:52left Chris with huge problems.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55As the householder, he is responsible for the work.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59So when did Chris catch onto how bad things were?
0:07:00 > 0:07:02He had a bricklayer's mate...
0:07:02 > 0:07:06- I thought I had seen advertised on the TV.- Really?
0:07:06 > 0:07:08Yeah. And we thought that was a bit strange.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11If you are bricklayer, you should be doing it properly.
0:07:11 > 0:07:12So my wife actually said to him,
0:07:12 > 0:07:13"You know what you're doing?"
0:07:13 > 0:07:16And we were looking at some of his lines that he was putting up,
0:07:16 > 0:07:18and it wasn't straight it all.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22Cor! There were some real red flags waving with this builder.
0:07:22 > 0:07:27And later, Chris has to face some pretty hard facts.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30Looking at this, I think this is going to have to go
0:07:30 > 0:07:32and this is going to have to come out.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42It's Monday morning in Central London
0:07:42 > 0:07:46and at the HQ of a busy plumbing firm, the phone lines are buzzing.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53The call is from businesswoman Philippa,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55who lives in upmarket Kensington.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18Plumber Nick is dispatched.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22It's his first call-out of the day, and it is urgent.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24He is off to the rescue of two homeowners
0:08:24 > 0:08:27having a very bad start to the week.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29Just going to go in and see what the problem is,
0:08:29 > 0:08:31see if we can resolve it for the lady.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34The problem is in Philippa's ground-floor flat,
0:08:34 > 0:08:38but it is also affecting her neighbour in the basement below.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41- Hello.- Hi.- Oh, I can hear water.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43Yeah, well, it has slightened a bit now.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47- Really? Well, it still sounds like that.- Yeah.- OK.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53The water is pouring through the bathroom ceiling.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56He can hear it, but it is impossible to see where it is coming from.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00Nick is determined to find out and put a stop to it before it brings
0:09:00 > 0:09:03down the ceiling in both period properties,
0:09:03 > 0:09:05costing thousands to repair.
0:09:05 > 0:09:10I don't know where that is coming from, so I'll quickly run back,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12get a letter, get in there and see if we can isolate...
0:09:12 > 0:09:15The problem is, I haven't got keys for upstairs.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17It may be coming from your property.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20But obviously, you know, I need to jump up there first and foremost.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23So, yeah, give me a couple of minutes and I will actually run back,
0:09:23 > 0:09:24I won't walk.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27He means it. Nick sprints to his van.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Damaged ceilings aren't his only worry.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31Because there is water coming through a ceiling,
0:09:31 > 0:09:33it has gone in the electrics,
0:09:33 > 0:09:36so it is a bit more of an emergency than what you would usually expect,
0:09:36 > 0:09:38so we just have to wait and see.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40Nick needs to act quickly.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Water and electrics don't mix.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46And it could already be threatening the basement flat's supply too.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Later, Nick identifies the problem.
0:09:49 > 0:09:54Never seen a ball valve like this. It is a really cheap constructed jobbie.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57And Philippa's neighbour surveys the damage.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08Back in Kent, I am about to cast my eye over the chaos
0:10:08 > 0:10:12left by a builder employed to create a raised conservatory
0:10:12 > 0:10:15and storage area at the home of Chris and Julie Tugwell.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19The couple didn't know it, but the local council's building inspector
0:10:19 > 0:10:24had been issuing notices to their contractor to rectify major faults.
0:10:24 > 0:10:29He didn't put them right but instead vanished with the couple's cash.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31We asked him to come back and put all the stuff right.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33And it went on and on and on.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35In the end, he actually dissolved his company
0:10:35 > 0:10:38- and disappeared. - Not with all the money, I hope.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Absolutely, yeah, every single penny.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42- All 26 grand?- No.
0:10:42 > 0:10:47He got £20,000 out of us. It was paid on...instalments.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49A payment plan is a must,
0:10:49 > 0:10:54but don't pay a penny until you know the work has been signed off.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57So let's have a look at what Chris got for his 20,000.
0:10:57 > 0:10:58Is that it here?
0:10:58 > 0:11:01It would be nice if you could go out that way, but it's unsafe.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04Unfortunately, there is about a ten-foot drop down into the hole.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07So we've got to go out that way, through the back garden.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10- All right, let's go then.- OK.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13I can see why Chris didn't want me going out the back door.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18- Cor, Chris, this is blooming huge! - It certainly is, Tommy, isn't it?
0:11:18 > 0:11:19It's quite surprising.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22And, of course, it was obviously built for the vertically challenged.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Yeah. If you are short like me, it is not a problem.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28- That's where we were just now, in the kitchen.- It is, yes.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30That is the back door.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33As I said, if you want to walk out there, it is quite a large drop.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36All jokes aside, as far as I am concerned,
0:11:36 > 0:11:38this build is an absolute disgrace.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41- It's all a bit rough, isn't it? - Well, now we realise it is.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44We had never done anything like this before, so we didn't know.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47We were relying on what we thought was a good builder.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50It looks to me that whoever built this didn't really know
0:11:50 > 0:11:51what they were doing.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53This work is shocking,
0:11:53 > 0:11:58not to say dangerous. And I've got some very bad news for Chris.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01Looking at this, I think this is going to have to go.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03And this is going to come out.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05Unfortunately, Tommy, I think that is the case.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07And it is going to be an awful lot more money,
0:12:07 > 0:12:09an awful lot more time.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13Chris' garden has been a building site now for two years.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15The kids can't use it
0:12:15 > 0:12:19and the Tugwells are trying to find the money to put everything right.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23It has ripped the heart out of this family.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27- What do you plan? What is next? - We have got some quotes coming in.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29And then we have got to try and fund it.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32We've got a certain amount of money which we have put aside,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35but if it is going to come out at £40,000 or £50,000, which it
0:12:35 > 0:12:38looks like it is going to, we are not going to be able to afford that.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41Whether we just have a conservatory, something smaller, I don't know.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44But we can't... I don't think we can have it all any more.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48Chris and Julie have been the victims of an unskilled,
0:12:48 > 0:12:52unqualified builder, recommended for the job by his dad.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55The failure to protect the foundations threatens
0:12:55 > 0:12:57the safety of their home.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59Their next door neighbour's land has been affected,
0:12:59 > 0:13:01they've lost the money his dad worked for all his life
0:13:01 > 0:13:06and to put it right, they'll end up heavily in debt.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08They are not alone.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Dodgy builders like this are a curse of the trade
0:13:11 > 0:13:15and attract more than 100,000 complaints a year.
0:13:15 > 0:13:20On Chris's behalf, we have chased the builder by phone and e-mail.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23He has refused to answer and now changed his numbers.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27We have also checked out his father's credentials to find
0:13:27 > 0:13:30he isn't a qualified architect but an architectural consultant,
0:13:30 > 0:13:33and that is a title anyone can claim.
0:13:33 > 0:13:38All I can do is try and stop Chris making the same mistakes again,
0:13:38 > 0:13:40and there is something that he needs to know.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Our team has found out that one of the people that
0:13:43 > 0:13:47- you are interested in coming in to do this, a basement specialist.- Yes.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Well, apparently, there is
0:13:50 > 0:13:54a website dedicated to people who are dissatisfied with his work.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56So you need to check that out.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00- Either eliminate him from your selection process.- Absolutely.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03- Which would be my advice.- Thanks for making us aware of that, Tommy.
0:14:03 > 0:14:04We wasn't aware of that.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08- Good luck.- Thank you very much. - I hope you have success with this.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12- I'll give you me hand and me heart. - Cheers, Tommy.- All right, mate.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16You know, because of those yellow peril notices the builder ignored,
0:14:16 > 0:14:20Chris is technically responsible for this substandard build.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27It's a real shame that Chris has had to learn the hard way.
0:14:27 > 0:14:28It just goes to show, even if
0:14:28 > 0:14:32you hire a so-called professional to run the job and do the job
0:14:32 > 0:14:35properly for you, the liability for the work is still yours.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37Building Control have lots of rules
0:14:37 > 0:14:40and regulations in place just for that.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43So let's keep our fingers crossed that the second time Chris
0:14:43 > 0:14:47attempts to complete this project that it will go smoothly for him.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52So what can we take away from Chris and Julie's experience?
0:14:52 > 0:14:55One - if a builder shows you works he claims to have done,
0:14:55 > 0:15:00don't take his word for it, speak to the customer.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04Two - if other contractors on the job express concerns, take heed.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06And three - keep in contact
0:15:06 > 0:15:07with Building Control
0:15:07 > 0:15:09and make sure their recommendations
0:15:09 > 0:15:11are followed to the letter.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19Back in London, plumber Nick is attending an emergency
0:15:19 > 0:15:22in Philippa's flat in upmarket Kensington.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25Water has flooded through her bathroom ceiling
0:15:25 > 0:15:27and is also leaking into the flat below.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30Nick has found a small loft above Philippa's flat.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34He climbs up, squeezes into the tiny space
0:15:34 > 0:15:36and crawls towards the problem.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39There is more than one old-fashioned water storage tank up there.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43Luckily, the first one he examines is the cause of the flooding.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46This tank is overflowing.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48The water level is literally here.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50It is full to the brim.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52I was leaving the house this morning,
0:15:52 > 0:15:54I heard water pouring
0:15:54 > 0:15:56in the bathroom,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59which I thought it was my shower, for some reason.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03And then I just saw water pouring through the lights.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06This is how the ball valve was sitting in the tank.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09A ball valve is supposed to sit like this.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12But on arrival, the ball valve is down like this,
0:16:12 > 0:16:14hence water can still flow.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18I've never seen a ball valve like this.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21It is a really cheap constructed jobbie.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25It is quite a panicky situation when you have water pouring.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29What doesn't help is the overflow on this is so high, at that end,
0:16:29 > 0:16:31the actual tank is slanted,
0:16:31 > 0:16:34hence the reason why the water was pouring over here.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37This end is wet and not that end.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39When it first started,
0:16:39 > 0:16:43it was a huge rush of water.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46And so my whole bathroom basically flooded.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49You do get into a panic because it's rushing water
0:16:49 > 0:16:52and you just do not know how to stop it.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55It is just now a case of draining down and repairing.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58Nick has some good news for Philippa,
0:16:58 > 0:17:02but she is concerned whose cold water storage tank it is.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04- At the moment, I have isolated it... - OK, good.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07- ..to stop the water coming through. - I've always understood...
0:17:07 > 0:17:09- I've been here 20-odd years.- Yep.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13- ..that that is the header tank for downstairs.- OK.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17But downstairs say that they don't use that.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Once we have looked at this water,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22I will then go in and find out what is yours, what is theirs, etc.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26Nick and Philippa head to the basement flat.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28It is owned by Georgia.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32She had to dash off to work, but not before begging boyfriend
0:17:32 > 0:17:36Mike to come over, monitor the damage and mop up.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38She said she was having a nightmare.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41She had a leak through a light in the roof.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44And could I come over and
0:17:44 > 0:17:48operate her saucepan system here.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50She started a new job last week,
0:17:50 > 0:17:53so she really couldn't hang around and deal with it herself,
0:17:53 > 0:17:57so that's what I've been doing, and swapping these saucepans around.
0:17:57 > 0:18:02A quick test and Nick discovers the overflowing tank is Georgia's.
0:18:04 > 0:18:05The water is stopped.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09So if I went back upstairs and turned that 22 mil gate valve
0:18:09 > 0:18:12on that is working, this hot water would start working again.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16So the lady is right, the tank is property of this.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19At one stage, this would have been one house.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22So what happens is, when they convert them, obviously there is
0:18:22 > 0:18:25a nice loft space there, so they put these tanks up there.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28It is just common, especially around these parts.
0:18:28 > 0:18:33But what was good news for Philippa is bad news for her neighbour.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36- OK, it is your tank. - Is it?- It is.- Of course it was.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39Why I say it, gone in there, turned the hot water on, hot water stopped.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41So, what is the next step?
0:18:41 > 0:18:43First and foremost, we have replaced the ball valve.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47- You have got a couple of isolation valves which are faulty.- Yep.
0:18:47 > 0:18:52So you will want those replaced. But the tank is not level.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55To lift that up, it's not going to be an easy job.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58You can't just lift one end and put a plank of wood under it,
0:18:58 > 0:19:00because then the bottom will start to sink.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03It's not like a table in a restaurant?
0:19:03 > 0:19:05Yeah, stick a coaster underneath, that's it.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07Fold it in half and prop it under.
0:19:07 > 0:19:08It was a disaster waiting to happen.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12Mike will need to break the news to his busy girlfriend.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16I'll give her a shout and explain to her what's happening,
0:19:16 > 0:19:18see what she wants to do.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21And even after Nick has put everything right,
0:19:21 > 0:19:23they are still not home and dry.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27What happens to, like, the electrics down here?
0:19:27 > 0:19:33Well, I would obviously advise is that an electrician is called to
0:19:33 > 0:19:35dry out any light fittings and stuff like that.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38- SHE SIGHS - Right. Fine.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41There'll be a lot of expense.
0:19:41 > 0:19:46Now I am going to have to redo the ceiling, lighting...
0:19:46 > 0:19:49In fact, really that whole bathroom, maybe the floor.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51But it could have been worse.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55Had it happened later in the day,
0:19:55 > 0:19:58then there would have been more damage, I think.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00The place could have been totally flooded.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03But thankfully, it was caught first thing this morning.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06Nick is still hard at work, when basement flat owner Georgia
0:20:06 > 0:20:11dashes home during her lunch hour to hear the bad news in person.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Do you think it is a case for a lick of paint?
0:20:14 > 0:20:16It will be, but it will take quite a while to dry out.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18You can't just go straight over wet...a wet surface
0:20:18 > 0:20:20because the dampness will come back through.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24It is going to be weeks before the damage can be repaired.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27And it is very frustrating for Georgia.
0:20:27 > 0:20:28She has lived in the flat for two years
0:20:28 > 0:20:32and thought the offending water tank was no longer in use.
0:20:32 > 0:20:37Both myself and Philippa were under that impression. So just didn't...
0:20:37 > 0:20:39There was no way anyone could have seen it coming.
0:20:39 > 0:20:44But she is just relieved she had a backup team when the crisis struck.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48Very inconvenient, but between Philippa and my boyfriend,
0:20:48 > 0:20:50it got resolved.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54Nick thinks Philippa and Georgia had a very lucky escape.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57It is all cosmetic. But I think long and short, they got away lightly.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59For the amount of water coming through,
0:20:59 > 0:21:01I think they have got away lightly.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09It you light a fire when a chimney is blocked,
0:21:09 > 0:21:12it could cause toxic fumes to come back into the house
0:21:12 > 0:21:14and the whole chimney could catch alight.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16And that is why Darcy Gilley in Glossop, Derbyshire,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19has had to call in sweep Christine O'Keefe.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22It is a blow for Darcy, who's looking forward to her first
0:21:22 > 0:21:26winter in her new home with a roaring fire.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30We're having the family to stay and we thought it would be a really nice
0:21:30 > 0:21:35sort of thing to have the open fire, make things a little bit more homely.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37But there is a major problem.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41Generations of jackdaws have used her chimney as a home.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43As this special camera shows,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46it is blocked by a nest.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49Lighting a fire could cause toxic fumes
0:21:49 > 0:21:52or even a dangerous chimney fire.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54It is fairly obvious if a chimney is blocked.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57If birds are using your chimney, you will see and hear them.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00And when you light a fire, the smoke will have nowhere to go
0:22:00 > 0:22:02and come back into the room.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04So it is a good idea to get the sweep
0:22:04 > 0:22:06in at least every couple of years.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09It can cause anything from £45 to £90,
0:22:09 > 0:22:11depending on where you live.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14The roosting birds may also have caused hidden damage
0:22:14 > 0:22:15inside the flue,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18but until they are evicted, there is no way of knowing.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21It is Christine's job to find out.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23We did look up the chimney.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27I could reach up and touch the nest, so I reckon we've probably had about
0:22:27 > 0:22:3125 years of jackdaws putting sort of rubbish and bits down the chimney.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35Sweep Christine arrives ready to tackle the job.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37There is a massive nest up there.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Hopefully, we will get the offending item out today.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45- Hi, Darcy, you all right? - Yeah. Come on in.- Thank you.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51It's going to be mucky, but Christine's come prepared.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Right, what I intend to do is I'll sheet out the entire room,
0:22:54 > 0:22:56like we discussed,
0:22:56 > 0:22:59then I'll use my rods and brushes to try and pull the nest down in bits.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03Christine needs to make sure the mess from the chimney doesn't
0:23:03 > 0:23:05go all over the house.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Then she needs to employ her tools.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12The easiest way of getting a nest out is to first send
0:23:12 > 0:23:14a very small brush up.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17And then start pulling it down in sections.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19And then this larger brush basically goes up
0:23:19 > 0:23:22and makes sure that everything is then pulled down and through.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24It's all in a day's work for the sweep,
0:23:24 > 0:23:28but for Darcy, it's a nerve-racking experience.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31It's actually my first chimney ever in a house,
0:23:31 > 0:23:34so this is all quite new and exciting.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37But with roosting jackdaws, you can never count your chickens.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40And Darcy is worried about possible complications.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43One of the things we still don't know is even when Christine gets
0:23:43 > 0:23:46the nest out, are we still going to be able to use the fireplace?
0:23:46 > 0:23:50So, she's explained to me that we've actually maybe got a bigger problem.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53Getting the chimney swept is the first stage.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56The camera up the flue shows how badly blocked it is.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59The nest means smoke can't escape,
0:23:59 > 0:24:03which could cause a build-up of poisonous carbon monoxide fumes.
0:24:03 > 0:24:04When the nest is gone,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07there could still be loose masonry or damage to the flue.
0:24:07 > 0:24:12Christine is about to find out. But first, she needs to kit up.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Soot is quite nasty stuff. It is actually carcinogenic.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19And long exposure to it won't do me any good whatsoever.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23And it can actually absorb through the skin,
0:24:23 > 0:24:27so I always wear a jacket to keep covered up.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30The other obviously very absorbent bit is your head,
0:24:30 > 0:24:34so I always put a hat on as well.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36And then the other bit is, obviously,
0:24:36 > 0:24:37I don't want inhale anything.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41Christine is never really sure what she is going to find
0:24:41 > 0:24:42up a client's chimney.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45The jackdaws use everything to make all sorts of nests.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47They're a bit like magpies.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50So you can end up pulling wire down, lighters.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52I've even pulled marbles coming down.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54There's been all sorts of rubbish.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57So... I've not found a crime scene yet, luckily.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Christine's working blind,
0:24:59 > 0:25:02but the camera shows just how far up the nest is.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06I'm just going to see if the small brush has come out the top.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08See the birds flying round?
0:25:08 > 0:25:11- Probably just ruined their home. - SHE LAUGHS
0:25:11 > 0:25:13What I'll do is I'll send up another couple of rods
0:25:13 > 0:25:16because I'm just probably into the stack now.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18And hopefully get out the clot.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23An hour after she first started, the brush appears...
0:25:25 > 0:25:27..to the annoyance of the jackdaws.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34And 30 minutes later, the nest comes down the chimney.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38That's sort of say... It's quite a small-medium nest.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41A really large one, like I've taken out in the past,
0:25:41 > 0:25:43will fill the entire chimney.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46Being a chimney sweep is an unusual job for a woman.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49There are only about a dozen in the UK.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52Christine used to be a landscape gardener,
0:25:52 > 0:25:55but has been operating her brushes now for three years.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59Even in Victorian times, they had women, lady sweeps.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01So it's not a new thing.
0:26:01 > 0:26:06And as long as you're fairly physically fit and you don't
0:26:06 > 0:26:10mind getting a bit dirty, it's a good job to be in.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12It's been a good afternoon's work.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16And Darcy's back to see the results and reward Christine with a cuppa.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20- That was a successful job, I feel. - Yes.- Good.- Thank you.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23- I'm pleased about that. It's always quite satisfying when you...- Yeah.
0:26:23 > 0:26:24..pull a nest out.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27And from what wasn't a working fire is now working.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31And Christine's got a bit of advice for novice fireplace fan
0:26:31 > 0:26:35Darcy about how to deal with the evicted jackdaws in the future.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39They will come back year after year after year and use the same
0:26:39 > 0:26:44nest site, so what you need then is to put a bird cowl on there.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47The blighters can't get back in again.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49A cowl is a cover which caps the top of the chimney,
0:26:49 > 0:26:54preventing birds from nesting but still allows the smoke to come out.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Darcy will need to get one fit before the jackdaws attempt
0:26:57 > 0:27:00to take up residency again.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04But the good news is, there's no damage to the chimney.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06- All right, thank you.- Thanks a lot. - No, no problem.- We appreciate it.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09- Yes, and I hope you have lots of fun with your fire.- Thank you.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13Darcy is delighted with their newly swept chimney.
0:27:13 > 0:27:18I feel much more informed and better able to manage my fireplace now.
0:27:18 > 0:27:23I am quite excited about having a fire, never having had one before.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26So I think it would be quite cool to use it as soon as we can.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36Anyone of us could be in a situation such as we have seen today,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39whether it be an emergency in our own home or falling
0:27:39 > 0:27:40foul of rogue workmanship.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43So take note of my top tips and hopefully it will be
0:27:43 > 0:27:45home sweet home.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47Well, Chris has done just that
0:27:47 > 0:27:51and is doing all his checks before employing a new builder.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54Following their water tank leak in the attic,
0:27:54 > 0:27:58Philippa and Georgia got an electrician to replace the lights,
0:27:58 > 0:28:00but there is still work to be done.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02The redecoration hasn't been done yet,
0:28:02 > 0:28:07but, yes, I plan to get it all re-painted and re-grouted.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10And we need to discuss what is going to happen to the tank.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14And in Derbyshire, Darcy has fitted a cowl to her chimney
0:28:14 > 0:28:17and lit the fire. Her cat loves it. The jackdaws...
0:28:17 > 0:28:19Well, they have moved elsewhere.