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 > 0:00:09..or you want major work done...
0:00:09 > 0:00:10It was our dream.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12It is a total mess.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14..you need one of the good guys,
0:00:14 > 0:00:16but you don't always get them.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18I've never seen anything like this.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20Potentially, I stand to lose the house.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23We'll hear the stories of devastation and despair
0:00:23 > 0:00:25left behind when building work doesn't go to plan.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27He didn't put the foundations all the way around
0:00:27 > 0:00:30- so the front bit didn't have any foundation.- What?!
0:00:30 > 0:00:33And we'll tell you how to avoid becoming a victim yourself.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36Did you have a comparison price?
0:00:36 > 0:00:41But most tradesmen are there to help and we'll follow the response teams
0:00:41 > 0:00:43who are there for you 24 hours a day...
0:00:43 > 0:00:46Eventually the ceiling would've come down in the kitchen.
0:00:46 > 0:00:47..seven days a week.
0:00:47 > 0:00:52It ain't everyone's cup of tea but most people are pleased to see you.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55From plumbers to roofers, electricians to locksmiths,
0:00:55 > 0:00:57we meet the men and women who help you out in your hour of need.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Coming up - that's not the whiff of success
0:01:07 > 0:01:10these top rugby lads are smelling... It's the drains.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14It's not mine! Honest.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18But can Carl win the day in time for top team Sale
0:01:18 > 0:01:20to carry on training?
0:01:20 > 0:01:23We've got a job to do, it's dirty, somebody's got to do it.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28Plus, even something as simple as a blocked sink
0:01:28 > 0:01:29can cause kitchen chaos.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34I told my wife not to use the sink and she didn't but she used
0:01:34 > 0:01:39the washing machine and she found the sink was about to flood.
0:01:39 > 0:01:44And this couple wanted a complete house renovation,
0:01:44 > 0:01:46but they were left with a construction site
0:01:46 > 0:01:50when the builder legged it with their 50 grand.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53- This is our bedroom, Tommy. - How do you live like this?
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Buying a house is probably the biggest purchase
0:02:02 > 0:02:04any of us ever make.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07We employ a lot of professionals to help us with that,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10including estate agents, surveyors and solicitors.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13It's an investment for the future.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15So if you're going to make major changes
0:02:15 > 0:02:17to your most important asset,
0:02:17 > 0:02:19you need to take the same professional approach.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24I'm on my way to see driving instructor Darryl Gray
0:02:24 > 0:02:28and his wife, Jo, who learned this way too late.
0:02:29 > 0:02:30The couple, from Wiltshire,
0:02:30 > 0:02:34have been left living in a dangerous building site after an unskilled,
0:02:34 > 0:02:40unscrupulous builder disappeared with £53,000 of their money.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47The couple and their teenage son are living in appalling conditions.
0:02:47 > 0:02:48The house is just a shell.
0:02:48 > 0:02:53It's not secure, it's letting in water and it's unsafe.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56The builder, well, he's nowhere to be seen.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59So, we've actually accepted that we've lost the money now
0:02:59 > 0:03:02- which was a big, big leap for us. - Yes.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06I feel very sorry that he thinks this is a good way to behave.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09That this is an appropriate way to treat people.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Darryl and Jo have lived in their cottage for 20 years.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16A year ago, they decided they wanted to modernise.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19The money come from Jo's mum.
0:03:19 > 0:03:20It was money left to her.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22She passed away a few years ago.
0:03:22 > 0:03:27We wanted to honour her in the best way we possibly could and we knew
0:03:27 > 0:03:31that she had always hoped we would do something better with the house.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33You know, let it shine more.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36The idea of getting major renovation work,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39plus an extension and loft conversion done, was spurred on
0:03:39 > 0:03:42by seeing building work happening at the house next door.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45We were watching next door being refurbished
0:03:45 > 0:03:47and we spoke to the guy that bought next door
0:03:47 > 0:03:50and he had had no problems, as such, with the builder.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53The work looked good cos we went in and checked.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57It just seemed the right way to go at that time.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00The man they hired told them he would take care
0:04:00 > 0:04:03of the planning applications, building control and paperwork.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08There was no reason to distrust him in any way.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11He seemed to know what he was talking about. You were reassured.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15Speaking to next door, he didn't seem to have any concerns.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18Turns out he's been let down by the same builder now, as well.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22He said he could get the job done in eight to ten weeks.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26And that included a single-storey extension, an attic conversion,
0:04:26 > 0:04:29a sunroom plus block paving for the front garden and rear driveway.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34On top of that, he would renovate the house,
0:04:34 > 0:04:38moving the bathroom upstairs and changing the general layout.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40And all that in less than three months?
0:04:40 > 0:04:44This is a major challenge and at least six month's work in my book.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47The couple decided to go ahead with their plans
0:04:47 > 0:04:50and made regular payments by standing order,
0:04:50 > 0:04:54continuing to do so even when work wasn't being completed.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57They were staged payments over the period of the eight weeks.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00For the first five weeks, things seem to happen.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Walls were knocked down, wiring ripped out,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06ceilings came down and the extension was started.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09But, then, alarm bells started ringing.
0:05:09 > 0:05:10He were turning up, sort of,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13halfway through the day, staying a couple of hours, disappearing.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15No materials were coming into the property.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19And once the final payment was made, that's when it really just
0:05:19 > 0:05:23almost seemed to grind to a halt completely.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26The situation started to put a strain on the couple's relationship.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30I've struggled with some health issues
0:05:30 > 0:05:35because I have found keeping the family together really very tiring
0:05:35 > 0:05:39indeed because there's been such a range of emotions.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42It's not nice to see your family fall apart.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46Left in utter chaos, with supports to hold up the upper floor,
0:05:46 > 0:05:49the couple eventually called in the council's building control surveyor
0:05:49 > 0:05:50to look at the work.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53They've been very fair
0:05:53 > 0:05:55and I think that's taken a lot of pressure off
0:05:55 > 0:05:58because I believe that when they come into the building,
0:05:58 > 0:06:01if they'd have thought it was unsafe they would have said something.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05Sean Seager from Wiltshire Council was not impressed with what he saw.
0:06:05 > 0:06:10- You haven't got enough headroom to seriously convert.- OK.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14And he advised the couple to drop the idea of the loft conversion
0:06:14 > 0:06:16as it wasn't even suitable for the property.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19If I'd had come out six months ago
0:06:19 > 0:06:23and looked at it I could have said then, it's not really feasible.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26If he'd have got us involved early on
0:06:26 > 0:06:28we could have solved a lot of these issues.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33Sean has more than 30 years' experience in building control
0:06:33 > 0:06:35and he has some good news for the couple.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40It is rectifiable, we haven't gone beyond the stage
0:06:40 > 0:06:44where you need major structural alterations to be carried out.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48I wouldn't want to live for this long in the state they've been living in.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51And it's just basically shoddy workmanship.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54I've come to Wiltshire to have a look at the chaos left behind
0:06:54 > 0:06:59when Darryl and Jo's builder legged it and cut off all communication with the couple.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02- Hello, Tommy.- Hi, Darryl, is it?- It is, yeah.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05- Come on in.- Thank you.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09'I just don't know how this family are managing to live in this house.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12'But we can just about find somewhere to sit and chat.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15'I'm keen to know if the builder went about things the right way
0:07:15 > 0:07:19'at the beginning. Did they have planning permission, for instance?'
0:07:19 > 0:07:21The planning permission he didn't put in
0:07:21 > 0:07:24- until about a month after he'd started the work.- Really?
0:07:24 > 0:07:26So we were given an order to start pulling down the work
0:07:26 > 0:07:29that he'd already done and we talked directly to the architect
0:07:29 > 0:07:32the second time, reapplied a new set of drawings.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35She was fine with the second set of drawings.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38So, let me ask you, how did he come to the figure of 54,000?
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Well, he... I guess it's his trade,
0:07:40 > 0:07:43he did his calculations and this is what he come back with.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46- But he didn't give you a breakdown of costings?- He didn't, no.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49- Did you ask him for one? - Um. We did ask him for one.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52Every time we approached him, you know, it's all, "It's coming,
0:07:52 > 0:07:54- "it's coming, it's coming." - Did you not...- Well.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57..get a sense of foreboding over what was going to happen?
0:07:57 > 0:08:01We did get a sense that something wasn't quite right at that point.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03It is rather strange...
0:08:03 > 0:08:06that such a large amount of money
0:08:06 > 0:08:10and such a major project is done on a promise.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13We were under the belief that because we paid directly
0:08:13 > 0:08:17from our bank, the bank would have some kind of protection in there.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19Trusting, I suppose we were.
0:08:19 > 0:08:20Where you've paid him all this money
0:08:20 > 0:08:23where were you, do you think, percentage-wise
0:08:23 > 0:08:26down the road of completion for the job?
0:08:26 > 0:08:29We were in the demolished stage.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32So you'll probably be 15% into the build.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36What did he say to you when you said to him, "Well, hold on a minute.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38"Let me just stop you one second.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42"You've had all the money, 98% of it, why ain't it done?"
0:08:42 > 0:08:46Yeah, that was one excuse after the other.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Why does this always happen to such nice people?
0:08:49 > 0:08:53This trickster left the couple without any services over Christmas
0:08:53 > 0:08:55and New Year to boot.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59I'm shocked that anyone would leave you without heating,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02water and electricity through the winter months.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05The stress must have been phenomenal.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08- It got a bit heated for a while. - Did you get angry?
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Yeah, I went through a stage of quite a bit of anger, to be honest.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14But it doesn't seem to make any difference to him, you know...
0:09:14 > 0:09:16Well, it can't do because he's got the money.
0:09:16 > 0:09:21If you'd have owed him £30,000 or £40,000 this would be finished
0:09:21 > 0:09:24because he knows he wouldn't get that other bit of money
0:09:24 > 0:09:26until it had finished.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29'This is something I keep banging on about.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32'But it's so important.'
0:09:32 > 0:09:34I always say to people, never pay a deposit.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36If they say it's for materials, say,
0:09:36 > 0:09:38"Tell me the materials that you need and I'll buy them."
0:09:38 > 0:09:41- Right.- So then that means at least you own materials.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44They should be able to work for two or three weeks without
0:09:44 > 0:09:46getting paid until a substantial amount of work's been done
0:09:46 > 0:09:49and you can see the quality and that you're happy with it.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Then you make them a payment but you always make sure that the money
0:09:52 > 0:09:56you are giving them is less than the work that they've done.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00And there should always be at least one third left of the pot money
0:10:00 > 0:10:03when the job's finished and everything is done
0:10:03 > 0:10:06to your satisfaction, every bit of snagging, the last bit.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09If they say, "Well, I'll come back in a week's time,"
0:10:09 > 0:10:11say, "Well, that's when you'll get paid."
0:10:11 > 0:10:14'I know I'm going on a bit but Darryl and Jo are going to have
0:10:14 > 0:10:18'to go through this whole process again with another builder.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22'I'm desperate to stop them making the same mistakes.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26'Now, I want to have a closer look at this callous conman's work.'
0:10:26 > 0:10:29So, I think we should take the opportunity to run round
0:10:29 > 0:10:30the house, so to speak.
0:10:31 > 0:10:36'Later, this work is shocking. In more ways than one.'
0:10:36 > 0:10:39- This is dangerous.- OK. - It's not a shock,
0:10:39 > 0:10:41you could get killed easily.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52Drain specialist Carl has been called out to the training ground
0:10:52 > 0:10:55of high-profile premier-league rugby club Sale Sharks
0:10:55 > 0:10:58to tackle a particularly unpleasant job.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03The team has a big game coming up in three days' time.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06They need Carl to solve their problem in record time
0:11:06 > 0:11:09or their training schedule will be badly affected.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11So what we've got to do is to try and remove the grease
0:11:11 > 0:11:16and the fat from the drains using high-pressure water.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19A lot of people just don't understand, er...
0:11:19 > 0:11:22the concept of the drains in that they just think,
0:11:22 > 0:11:28"Oh, yeah, it's a drain and we can throw anything down there."
0:11:28 > 0:11:31The blockage means players with injuries can't have ice baths
0:11:31 > 0:11:36and their backroom team can't wash and prepare their kit for the match.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39If it isn't sorted, they'll have to find another training facility
0:11:39 > 0:11:41by the end of the day.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45Kit manager Alan realised there was a problem yesterday afternoon.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49The water from the washing machines just wasn't draining away.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52There was obviously quite some considerable blockage
0:11:52 > 0:11:56and we spent most of yesterday with brushes, once washes were on,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59just trying to circulate the water round,
0:11:59 > 0:12:03round the corner of the building to get it to drain away artificially.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08Carl is well equipped to deal with the job.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12His specialist tanker is fitted out with high-pressure water jetters
0:12:12 > 0:12:16and a mega vacuum unit for clearing drains and sewers.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19But first, he has to park it.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23Just watching my mate there who's guiding me in.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26Something so big trying to get it into little spaces.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36Right, we're there now.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40Carl and his workmate start by pulling up the drain hatches
0:12:40 > 0:12:43outside the club building which houses the changing rooms
0:12:43 > 0:12:46as well as the kitchens where the team's food is prepared.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50Yeah, there it is. Your baby wipes and your grease and things like that.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54The players, some of them international stars,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57are just getting ready for a crucial training session.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00They're playing Harlequins in three days' time
0:13:00 > 0:13:02and they need to be match-fit.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07We're a Premiership club in the top league in rugby union
0:13:07 > 0:13:11in this country, so it's vitally important that we have everything
0:13:11 > 0:13:13ticking over.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17But can Carl and his team solve the club's foul problem?
0:13:17 > 0:13:19They're actual baby wipes.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26Don't disintegrate, so...
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Sam, can we start setting up suction, please?
0:13:28 > 0:13:32Good grief, who knew all these macho rugby lads
0:13:32 > 0:13:34use so many baby wipes?
0:13:34 > 0:13:36A lot of people would just walk away
0:13:36 > 0:13:39from this at the moment, just walk off from it
0:13:39 > 0:13:42and just turn round and say, "No, thanks very much
0:13:42 > 0:13:44"but I don't want to see that."
0:13:44 > 0:13:46But, as I say, it's not mine.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49The drain is blocked with a mix of sewage, wet wipes,
0:13:49 > 0:13:52grease and other debris.
0:13:52 > 0:13:53Carl's going to have to try
0:13:53 > 0:13:55and suck it out with the high-powered vacuum.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57It's a nasty job.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Trying to get all the solids out of it at the moment...
0:14:01 > 0:14:03..off the top.
0:14:08 > 0:14:09I just got a lungful.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16The overwhelming smell is not scoring well with the players.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18They can't stand the smell, can they? So if you see them
0:14:18 > 0:14:20when they come out now,
0:14:20 > 0:14:22they're all covering their noses and things like that.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25It's not mine, honest.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29Grown men whingeing about a bit of a smell.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32We've got a job to do, it's dirty, somebody's got to do it.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37The rugby club call-out is to one of approximately
0:14:37 > 0:14:41200,000 sewer blockages throughout the UK every year.
0:14:41 > 0:14:4675% are caused by fat, oil and grease from commercial
0:14:46 > 0:14:47and domestic premises.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50The best solution is not to pour it down the sink
0:14:50 > 0:14:54in the first place, but you can also get fat-busting gels and liquids
0:14:54 > 0:14:58containing naturally occurring bacteria which help break it down.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01Failing that, you need to call in these boys.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Whoo!
0:15:05 > 0:15:07It's not proving an easy task,
0:15:07 > 0:15:09but Carl has worked out the main cause of this blockage.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11There's that much grease and fat in there,
0:15:11 > 0:15:13so instead of having a four-inch drain,
0:15:13 > 0:15:15it's reducing it down to about an inch to an inch and a half,
0:15:15 > 0:15:19because it's all solidified round the outside of it. So...
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Obviously, we're clearing that now...
0:15:23 > 0:15:26From the reduction to get the reduction back up to the four inch.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30Carl and the boys scrum down and get stuck in.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39It's a game of two halves.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41Having sucked out much of the blockage with a vacuum,
0:15:41 > 0:15:45now they need to wash away the remaining debris with a hose.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47They're making good progress,
0:15:48 > 0:15:51but Carl and the lads still need to make sure everything is
0:15:51 > 0:15:55clear before they can kick this job into touch.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58As you can see, we've restored this back to its original condition.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00That was just part of the problem.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04The main problem is the grease and fat actually within the drain itself.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06But once we've got these two manholes clean,
0:16:06 > 0:16:07we can start jetting the lines in.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10Everything's got to go back into the building, back to the main...
0:16:10 > 0:16:11Back to the sinks.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27One more big effort and, an hour after they started, it's game over.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34That'll be fine, that, mate.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36That's job done.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40We call it the sweet smell of success when it comes through.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43Jobs a good'un.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46Next, breakfast. Yay!
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Now all they have to do is pack up.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51For Carl, it's been a winning job.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53We're done now, mate.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56Cheers, Carl, thanks a lot for all the work you've done.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59It was a bit of an emergency to get here so quickly,
0:16:59 > 0:17:01due to the fact that the...
0:17:02 > 0:17:06Give it another day or so, they would've had to close the club down
0:17:06 > 0:17:09and move on to somewhere else because they wouldn't have been able to use
0:17:09 > 0:17:10any of the facilities whatsoever.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14Carl and the lads are top of the league with kit man Alan.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17They've done a brilliant job over just
0:17:17 > 0:17:20a couple of hours in flushing everything through,
0:17:20 > 0:17:25clearing it all up, so, touch wood now, we're going to be set fair
0:17:25 > 0:17:29for at least another 12 months from anything major like that.
0:17:42 > 0:17:43I'm with driving instructor Darryl
0:17:43 > 0:17:47and his wife Jo at their home in Wiltshire.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50Well, I say home but, frankly, it's little more than
0:17:50 > 0:17:54a construction site after a dodgy builder began renovation work
0:17:54 > 0:17:59and then made off with £53,000 of their money.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01They've lived like this for nearly a year,
0:18:01 > 0:18:05desperately trying to save enough to start putting some of it right.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07Darryl's showing me around.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13- Nothing's finished, is it?- No, no. - Look at the electrics, though!
0:18:13 > 0:18:17- Oh, look at the plumbing! And that's the hot-water feed?- Yeah.
0:18:17 > 0:18:18Does it work upstairs?
0:18:18 > 0:18:21We have a radiator that's lukewarm upstairs
0:18:21 > 0:18:23and we have a fairly warm one downstairs.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25But it's pretty shocking.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28- So this is the kitchen, Tommy. - Let me just...
0:18:28 > 0:18:31I can't stand running taps.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33It's got a bit of a drip there, Tommy.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37A bit of a drip. That's hot water.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39That's going to cost you an absolute fortune.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42You need to get a plumber in straight away to fix that.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46- We should do that.- Because that's just throwing money down the drain.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48You're going to have a fair old job with the electrics.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51Things like, you know, where downlights are supposed to...
0:18:51 > 0:18:53I wouldn't... I don't really like you touching them
0:18:53 > 0:18:56because they might be live, you know what I mean? This is dangerous.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59It's not a shock, you could get killed easily.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01And there was some flooding here, was there?
0:19:01 > 0:19:04Yeah, I mean, this floor was very wet, you know?
0:19:04 > 0:19:07At times almost ankle-deep, so over the Christmas period
0:19:07 > 0:19:09this was all water just coming into the...
0:19:09 > 0:19:11into the kitchen.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15'I'm almost speechless. How could anyone leave a family in this state?
0:19:15 > 0:19:18'I'm dreading what I'll find upstairs.'
0:19:21 > 0:19:22(Oh! Good grief.)
0:19:22 > 0:19:26You need to have some storage outside of the house.
0:19:26 > 0:19:27You've got to clear all this,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30so you've got to clear everything and then this can be assessed
0:19:30 > 0:19:33and appraised and the elements can be finished.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37You just can't work in places like this, it just doesn't happen.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44- So what is this room?- This is our bedroom, Tommy.- Your bedroom?
0:19:44 > 0:19:46Oh, you can't be doing that. How do you live like this?
0:19:46 > 0:19:48You've got to live some way.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51I mean, how long have you been living like this?
0:19:51 > 0:19:53This has been like this for about nine months now.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55It's just, there's so much.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57You can't have damp coming in and you're sleeping with it.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00You know, the one saving grace you've got is no door, at least,
0:20:00 > 0:20:02- so the air flows round.- Yeah.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04Their bedroom is a nightmare
0:20:04 > 0:20:09- but it's pretty bad for teenager Charlie too.- This is Charlie's room.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12Probably one of the more up-together rooms.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14"Up-together" you call this?
0:20:14 > 0:20:16- "Up-together"?!- In comparison, yeah.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Well, I wouldn't say this was very up-together.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21- I do like this form of... - Central heating.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Yeah, that's nice, it keeps the bed nice and warm.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25What does Charlie think of it when he's here?
0:20:25 > 0:20:29Well, Charlie's finding it increasingly more difficult,
0:20:29 > 0:20:30especially with the GCSEs coming up.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34It is added pressure that you probably don't need.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37Well, he hasn't really got a lot of personal space, has he?
0:20:37 > 0:20:39- He's not, this is the main problem. - For doing what he...
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Because you've got all this gear in here.
0:20:41 > 0:20:46'I could cry for this couple. I bet they have. Who wouldn't?'
0:20:46 > 0:20:48Well...
0:20:48 > 0:20:51You've got your work cut out, Jo, that's for sure.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54There's a lot of stuff upstairs that needs to be moved into storage
0:20:54 > 0:20:56so you clear the whole floor.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58Is there any money left to pay for the rest of the work?
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Yes, there is a small amount of money left
0:21:01 > 0:21:02that will go towards the work.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06I know you're both people of faith, so finding a contractor,
0:21:06 > 0:21:09try through the church.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12And I'm glad that you haven't lost all your faith in...
0:21:12 > 0:21:13- People.- ..in mankind.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17I have great admiration for you keeping your spirits up
0:21:17 > 0:21:20and I just really hope that this works out for you.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23- I wish you luck. - Thank you.- Thank you.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27They really have suffered enough but they mustn't repeat their mistakes.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35Well, what I've just witnessed is an absolute lesson in how not
0:21:35 > 0:21:38to take on a building project.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42OK, they've made mistakes, plenty of them, but what about the builder?
0:21:43 > 0:21:47The depths of winter, there's no water, there's no electric,
0:21:47 > 0:21:49and there's no heating.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52There's only one word to describe that - diabolical.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05There are plenty of good guys about when you have a home crisis
0:22:05 > 0:22:09as this dad in South London is about to find out.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11He's got a problem we've all experienced -
0:22:11 > 0:22:14a clogged up kitchen sink.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17It's causing more issues than normal because the washing machine
0:22:17 > 0:22:21and the dishwasher all feed into the same pipe.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24These sorts of appliances use high volumes of water
0:22:24 > 0:22:27and if there is a blockage further down the pipes,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30it can all come back up your sink and overflow.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35Dad of two, Nico, is spending his day off waiting for the plumber
0:22:35 > 0:22:38after his wife nearly flooded out their kitchen.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41Luckily for him, a drainage engineer is already on his way.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47Nico and his family have lived in their house for a year.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50I'm Argentinian, my wife is Dutch...
0:22:50 > 0:22:53and my children are British,
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Leon who is four and Emilio who's two.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59So it's, yeah, a very international family.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02But it's dad who has to deal with today's kitchen-sink drama.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06I noticed two days ago that the sink was very, very slow running.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09I told my wife not to use the sink and she didn't,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11but she used the washing machine.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14And she found that the sink was about to flood, so that's
0:23:14 > 0:23:18when we decided it was time to call somebody to do the job.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22The man responding to his call, who can hopefully save the day, is John.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24- Morning.- Hi, nice to meet you. - John, nice to meet you.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27- How are you doing? All right? - Come in.
0:23:27 > 0:23:28Come in, this way.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32Nico fills him in on the problem.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35When we use the appliances, er, washing machine and...
0:23:35 > 0:23:37dishwasher.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40- When they're on the water comes up. - Right, OK.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42- Which I thought was a bit weird. - Yeah.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44When the water comes up it almost floods the whole kitchen.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Right, OK, fine.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50Okey doke, well, I'll service the pipework mechanically with
0:23:50 > 0:23:52a spring and hopefully that'll do the trick.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54I'm going to pop to the van and get some bits and pieces
0:23:54 > 0:23:56and I'll be right back.
0:23:56 > 0:23:57- Great. Thank you very much.- Thanks.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03John has a few thoughts about what's giving Nico that sinking feeling.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05It could be a pipe-configuration issue,
0:24:05 > 0:24:07so it could be the way the pipes have been put in,
0:24:07 > 0:24:10but we'll clean them all out and get them to how they should be
0:24:10 > 0:24:11and then we'll test it again.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14If they're still blocked or still not running correctly then
0:24:14 > 0:24:17we might have to change some of the way the pipework's been
0:24:17 > 0:24:19put in but we should find out in about five or ten minutes.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25He collects his tools for the job and gets cracking.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29Nico is keen to see what the solution is.
0:24:29 > 0:24:35This is the sewer snake, so it's basically about 30 feet of wire
0:24:35 > 0:24:39mounted into a steel drum and we feed that down the waste pipe
0:24:39 > 0:24:41and it mechanically cleans the inside of it.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56This is great gadget stuff and homeowner Nico is intrigued.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59Wow, Oh.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01So that goes through all the way?
0:25:01 > 0:25:03Well, it's difficult to know if it's gone all of the way
0:25:03 > 0:25:07but it's certainly gone at least three or four metres down.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10What's the reason for the water coming up from the appliances?
0:25:10 > 0:25:12Both the dishwasher and washing machine
0:25:12 > 0:25:15- and the sink, they all go into the same wastepipe.- Yeah.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17So because the wastepipe somewhere is blocked,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20the lowest point or the easiest point for the water to come out
0:25:20 > 0:25:22is to rise up in the kitchen sink.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24So we need to, obviously, clear the blockage
0:25:24 > 0:25:27and then that will stop that from happening cos then the water will
0:25:27 > 0:25:30- discharge into the drain.- It will go the way it should go.- Absolutely.
0:25:30 > 0:25:35If you have a blocked sink, try using a plunger in case food waste
0:25:35 > 0:25:37has become trapped in a U-bend.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40The downward pressure causes the blockage to break up
0:25:40 > 0:25:43and the upward suction causes the material to resurface.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47But often the clog is located elsewhere in the pipes
0:25:47 > 0:25:52and that's when you need someone like John with his specialist tools.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55To make sure the pipes are totally clear, John uses the plunger
0:25:55 > 0:25:58and then fills the sink to see how quickly it will drain.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01Does it normally drain like that or is it normally a little bit slower?
0:26:01 > 0:26:03- I think it was slower than that. - Right, OK.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06We'll keep that running and then what I'll do is,
0:26:06 > 0:26:09- we'll put the washing machine on.- Yes.
0:26:09 > 0:26:10John empties the washing machine.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14Oh.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16- Victory is ours.- Yes.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Oh, fantastic, no, that's... done the job.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25But Nico's keen to stop the problem from reoccurring.
0:26:25 > 0:26:26So it gets blocked because of, what?
0:26:26 > 0:26:31- Soap and grease and all that?- Yeah, food, oil...
0:26:31 > 0:26:32- Oil, oil is bad.- Yeah.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Obviously, you've got a dishwasher as well,
0:26:35 > 0:26:39so just make sure you try and scrape the plates as well.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Dishwashers are a great modern convenience,
0:26:42 > 0:26:45but don't leave food waste on the plates when you stack them
0:26:45 > 0:26:47and don't rinse it down the sink either - bin it.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53Leftover food can get trapped in the U-bend and cause a blockage.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56It can also get trapped in the dishwasher pipe and block that.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58So the advice is always -
0:26:58 > 0:27:01stop and think, not down the sink.
0:27:01 > 0:27:06The final test is a sink full of water and, bingo, that works too.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08- It's got a pretty good swirl on it. - That would take...
0:27:08 > 0:27:11- You know, it would take at least two, three minutes.- Good.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Brilliant, that seems to have done the trick, happy with that.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16Great, thank you very much. Yes, perfect, thank you.
0:27:16 > 0:27:17John's pleased with the outcome.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20The customer's happy with the way the sink's draining.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23When you put the washing machine on, it doesn't now come back
0:27:23 > 0:27:25into the sink and overflow, so, yeah, all good.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27And so is Nico.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31John said that it might be blocked, but it might be a question
0:27:31 > 0:27:35of the drains not having been properly installed,
0:27:35 > 0:27:39so, thankfully, I think he managed to do the job without doing
0:27:39 > 0:27:42any of that, so he just unblocked the pipework
0:27:42 > 0:27:45and it seems to be working very well, so I'm very pleased.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53We've tried to track down Darryl and Jo's builder,
0:27:53 > 0:27:57but he's done a total vanishing act and changed all his numbers.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01Jo's gone to stay with family to get a break from the stress
0:28:01 > 0:28:03and the couple have taken my advice
0:28:03 > 0:28:05to find new tradesmen through their church.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09They hope to start work soon to put things right.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12And Sale Rugby Club's training continued unhindered by any
0:28:12 > 0:28:15further problems with their drains.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18They played Harlequins that weekend and won 16-12.