Sarah Beeny meets recently engaged couple Mark and Gudrun, whose home is crumbling.
Sarah and her team of specialists probe the walls and find large sections of early experimental concrete that are now little more than dust.
The original slates on the roof have been replaced with much heavier concrete tiles, adding too much weight to the increasingly fragile home below. And to top it all, the cottage timbers are being eaten by woodworm.
Sarah and her team need to come up with an innovative solution to this extreme situation. This episode also shows how to stop a woodworm invasion, and DIY tips for strengthening a roof with truss hangers.
Problems
House of non-standard construction; early experimental concrete mix
Cracks
Woodworm
Badly supported, sagging roof
Other serious faults and
A host of DIY and decorating jobs
Experts
Chartered Structural Engineer
Simon Pitchers
Craddy Pitchers Davidson
01275 371 333
www.craddypitchers.co.uk
www.IStructE.org
Concrete expert
Prof. Mike Grantham
www.sandberg.co.uk
07917 785 160
Woodworm expert
Peter Cox
Mike Cullen
0800 030 4701
www.petercox.com
Research facility
BRE (Building Research Establishment)
01923 664 000
www.bre.co.uk
Sugar and cake
Zoe Lawther
Cake and Baking Designer and Maker
07789 207898
www.sugar-cake.com
Suppliers
Installation of carbon fibre, Helifix brick stitching, external wall insulation system, concrete repairs and crack injection
Concrete Repairs Limited
0117 986 8088
www.concrete-repairs.co.uk
Helifix materials
Helifix
0208 735 5200
www.helifix.co.uk
Carbon fibre and concrete repair materials
BASF
0161 794 7411
www.BASF-cc.co.uk
External wall insulation materials
Weber Construction Solutions
08703 330070
Ewan Wheatley
www.netweber.co.uk
Plant
Speedy Hire
0845 6015129
www.speedyhire.com
Cladding layout drawings
Cladit Design Ltd
www.claditdesign.co.uk
07927 305 335
Loft & cellar conversion
Premier Construction Solutions Limited
0800 1182870
www.premierconstructionsolutions.co.uk
Stove installation
Sparkes Ltd
01926 842545
www.sparkesstoves.co.uk
Structural Engineer
Clive Haywood
Frank W.Haywood and Associates
www.fwhaywood.co.uk
Plumber
PM Plumbing
07756 254393
Plastering, decorating and tiling
DS Interiors
07990 693930
www.dsinteriorsoxon.co.uk
Scaffolding
G & R Scaffolding Ltd
02476 960 672
www.gandrscaffolding.co.uk
Heating engineer
GT Plumbing & Heating Services
07841 482043
www.gtplumbing.biz
Skip hire
Clews Recycling
www.clewsrecycling.co.uk/
Structural steel
Star Metalwork Ltd
02476 709 111
www.starmetalwork.co.uk
Windows and doors
Allan Brothers
01289 334600
http://www.allanbrothers.co.uk/
Roof windows and suntunnel
Keylite Roof Windows
01283 200 150
http://keyliteroofwindows.com/
Quartz worktop in kitchen
Granitezone
www.granitezone.co.uk
0161 850 5100
Boiler
Intergas
01527 888000
www.intergasheating.co.uk
Builders merchant
Travis Perkins Leamington Spa
01926 463 000
www.travisperkins.co.uk
Pipe and fittings
Travis Perkins Worcester North
01905 756604
www.travisperkins.co.uk
Bathroom suite
Sanuex
0208 686 5100
www.saneux.com
Brass wear
Matki
01454 322 888
www.matki.co.uk
Timber merchant
Jewson Warwick
www.jewson.co.uk
Paint
Dulux
www.dulux.co.uk
Woodburning stove
Charnwood
www.charnwood.com
Tiles
Fired Earth
www.firedearth.com
Screws etc
Screwfix Leamington Spa
www.screwfix.com
Electrical supplies
Varilight
www.varilight.co.uk
Heated skirting board
Discrete Heat
www.thermaskirt.com
Oak flooring
Wide Oak
www.wide-oakflooring.com
Tool hire
TCL tool hire
01926 888525
www.tcltools.co.uk
Bathroom pumps
Pump Technology
www.pumptechnology.co.uk
Light fittings
Holloways of Ludlow
www.hollowaysofludlow.com
