Loft Conversion - Damn, we missed it! LoftCon #3

After a week away in Harrogate filming another project, Roger visits James on the loft conversion project only to find it has progressed much further than he'd hoped!
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Our thanks go to James King for letting Roger film this loft conversion series. The Supreme Finishing Company can be contacted by following the link below.
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[@johncunningham5799]

it's nice to see builders taking pride in there work,instead of throwing it up

[@canalboating]

what a decent builder James is. well done mate

[@jimichip]

Thank you, much appreciated.

[@DVDFHardTarget]

Proper builder who knows his trade, but also take pride in his work and looks after his employees. Whats the old saying, "Can't do enough for a good boss"! :)

[@robmaule4951]

Absolutely bloody brilliant. As I said last time roger when the video ends I’m gutted! What a job James and the boys have done there! Thank you and Dylan for filming, editing and making these for us and thanks to James too. Keep up the fantastic work 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿👌🏼👍🏼

[@jimichip]

Cheers Rob.

[@asif530]

Spot on about Travis perkin. Our local branch in Bedfordshire is no different. Anyway great work with the loft. Thanks for explaining the facia system. Looks so much better.

[@petemoring67]

Love watching these video's with James - He's Such a Pro' - and you know he'd have some great banter on site :-)

[@jimichip]

Cheers Pete, the banter is the only thing that keeps me sane🤪

[@marso9341]

Really well thought out warm deck build up there James. I was interested to see that 👍🏻 keep up the good work.

[@bscott77]

Brilliant work on that warm roof facia. Superb idea and far superior result

[@gilesfone]

Don’t take the chopsy comments to heart Rog. They aren’t coming from your sort of people. I see this quality work and wish I was on the crew doing it, for the pride and the satisfaction. It’s mindblowing that the cost of completely weatherproofing an entire house is a line item in expensive UK postcodes.

[@jamesteasdale5969]

Absolute quality and what nice guy James is. 👍

[@104rubberducklanigan9]

Great work boys, nice honest chat, We prefer EPDM Roofs ourselves but everyone to their own, and don't get me started on Travis Perkins, what a waste of space, Timbers all warped, concrete yes concrete fence posts crumbling in our hands, one or two at Coventry branch good lads the rest of them think your company owes them for being there, not that we companies are keeping them in jobs. Told you don't get me started 😷💪🔨

[@ConstructionwithKieren]

Looks a cracking job fellas! Wrap around scaffolds are great for rain and sun👍🏽🔨

[@SkillBuilder]

It got a bit hot in there the other week.

[@TYLERCONSTRUCTION]

You are professionals. James knows his stuff well. Keep up the good work mate!

[@protectiongeek]

That looks like an amazing amount of work to complete in one week. Looks brilliant.

[@AJ-ds5gf]

great tip about the fascias for warm roofs, would have never of thought to do that.

[@therabman_5606]

You lads know your stuff!

[@matthewhurley5410]

Great idea with the warm roof I sometimes put 75mm insulation on top of the osb and 75mm underneath at the top of the rafters to save on the overall height, or sometimes I’ll do a stepped timber facia to make a feature out of it which works well on an extension but not necessarily a loft, But I really like this idea especially for a loft.

[@d.beaumont9157]

That's sounds like the set-up I want on my garage/workshop. Could you put 100mm of rockwool wr3 on the underside instead of colotex or kingspan to help with noise. My saw and routers ect. It sounds like a great way of keeping the facia boards a reasonable size.

[@michaelbanks9544]

Treat Nigel to a new bit of hose pipe for his pointing, he’s worn it out!

[@stevewright6783]

I'd have been rolling about on the floor with that Travis manager! As a young lad in my early 20s, and new to the building trade, two arses in Travis Perkins, Wallington humiliated me in front of a shop full of customers. I vowed never to use them again, that was 30 years ago now and I have never ever used them since! Whenever a Travis rep comes on site to tout business I tell him why I will not have an account with them! Sensational job, well done lads........

[@jimichip]

Thanks mate. Funnily enough, Wallington is our local TP and they’re actually really helpful in there nowadays and can’t do enough to help you. Unfortunately it’s a small branch so don’t stock a massive amount of gear. We had to go to the big one up the road for the bricks.

[@jimichip]

It must’ve been still called Sandel Perkins when that happened! I remember it as a kid, I grew up in Ross Road.

[@woodbassguitars]

What a great job, excellent work.

[@ianbarnes8593]

I was enjoying this, shame it ended so abruptly. The workmanship looks terrific on this build. Well done, lads. 👍🏻

[@SkillBuilder]

sorry about that, it was a bit of a mistake.

[@craiggreenhalgh1082]

A pleasure to watch this guy work 👏👏, just a shame he's not in Cheshire area as I'd be using him👍

[@robmarrin6720]

Belt and braces I love it,, my first conversion I hit a major problem, the landing was to regs but the head height meant it would literally kill some one,, I called Mr Wake, and he came out and said so what's your plan,, luckily I had one, to put a velux on the landing giving 200 mm extra headroom, it was my cousins house and I went overboard with the regs, materials are or were cheap when it comes to life and life of structures,, labour for family cheap it's a no brainer and the cousins husband had a 5 month course in loft converting and he ended up finishing it, I had to go and convert an old commercial storage floor into a single level two bedroom flat 👍

[@shaunglendinning]

Looking really great lads! congrats.

[@aaronhelliadis3351]

great idea of theat warm deck. would like to see that in more detail next time.. smashed it lads

[@benrichards1]

Had an issue with Travis Perkins and their timber. 2 x 9's were all split, warped and twisted. From now on IL pick my own timber from their yard.

[@robthesamplist]

Fresh from wickes as straight as a donkeys hind leg every time

[@TurinTuramber]

Need to buy materials from somewhere with a good turnover. Will have higher moisture content but won't be cupped, warped or masive split ends like timber thats sat for ages.

[@liviurabet7326]

A great job done 👍👌👍

[@andrewdraper8336]

Great work

[@shanewiltshire5869]

Great tip for the smaller facia. I do something similar by over hanging the firing strips. But prefer this method

[@chekymonkey4452]

grate job men looking good. keep up the good work. and yes a nice we trick to trim down the fica

[@MrMJB]

Great video 👌🏻But it ended abruptly and I'd like to know more about James technique re the fibreglass roof & keeping the fascia small, a dedicated vid maybe 😁

[@davebadger100]

About 7 years ago I bought 1500 facings from a local merchants. About 300 were half bats before we'd even loaded them out. I phoned the merchants to tell them and started to get a lecture about adding on 10-15% for wastage. The clown on the end of the phone couldn't grasp the concept that the wastage factor was for me to use in building the wall ie offcuts wrong cuts etc. The fool was trying to tell me I should be buying 15% wastage before I'd even started the flaming wall. He was convinced the wastage factor was to account for breakages during transit and delivery. F***ing moron. They didn't get any more business from me.

[@danielbuckner2167]

I like to bring back shoddy products. If they dont have a place outside for the broken brick just leave them inside. Maybe they left a window open... maybe not but it will be.

[@adgeebike9173]

Cheeky bleeders, I would put it as 'not fit for purpose' and you are therefore entitled to a refund at the least.

[@adgeebike9173]

@@danielbuckner2167 like you reply best tbh. They would soon get the message.

[@philiprobertson2200]

I could watch James work everyday. Keep up the great work and great to see a highly skilled craftsmen at work

[@SkillBuilder]

don't forget Ian, working away in the shed

[@philiprobertson2200]

@@SkillBuilder I forgot about Ian but yes I really enjoyed his window frame making

[@Goodwithwood69]

You may think the old pearlin has sagged over time, but on old roofs they would put the crown down and even set the pearlins an inch lower than line of the roof and pull the 4by2 to it, it was called springing the roof, it was so the slates fitted tight, slates and tiles fit very poorly on convex shapes and fit nice and tight on concave shapes, i got this infomation from old carpenty books my grandad had, I also had 20 years in the game working on some very old big roofs, if you look at a lot of new roof with big deep rafters the put the crown up as if they where joists , these humps can get worse when the knots dry leading to gaps in the tiles, i see it all the time in london!

[@ciaranduffy7259]

Great job

[@buaan]

Really impressive!

[@graciemiller9596]

Beautiful job.

[@colonelflashman972]

Nice job guys.

[@iamyourfuture808]

Travis Perkins on Oldham Rd in Manchester has shocking customer service too.

[@dejanbrice8774]

Tp is general to be honest, had multiple occurrences of ordering and turning up and sorry, we don't have that in stock. Yet you are happy to take my money but not tell me when i turn up you don't have it.

[@J4GGoon]

TP supplies being well below standard? i'm shocked

[@HarryWarren1]

the one in Brentwood, Essex has a load of miserables sods too

[@davidbates7732]

Wow what a big loft extension, don't you think tp's are a bit on the pricey side.

[@LupusMechanicus]

Nice work, holy hell that is an amazing scaffold. I would have loved to see them put that up.

[@SkillBuilder]

Spend the day in London and you can see any number of them going up. Often the corrugated sheeting only does one job and they scrap it.

[@AB-nu5we]

In the US, many of our stores have cull piles so that folks that want to purchase broken parts of brick, pavers, stone etc, can pick through the pile and get discounted pieces. Full order end users don't get charged, not a total loss for the vendor. I'm guessing other shops in the UK do the same.

[@johngreen6795]

I’ve been doing my roof facias like that for years 👍

[@hristosirakov6441]

Amazing job guys 👊🏽

[@SteS]

Who could diss GRP roofing? It's used to build boats and looks really smart..BTW, it would be cool to see the architects 1:10 detail of that eaves. Loving the space. I really hope they're keeping that gable brick in the inside but I suppose it'll need some acoustic treatment so will be covered up?

[@joshuadevlin3981]

Lovley job boys nice to see 👌

[@reissc655]

Great idea on the fascia mate. All ways makes a decent loft conversion look crap with the big fascia 👍👍👍

[@MrXyzasdf]

I admire you folks in the old country that can use Imperial and metric measurements so fluently.

[@SkillBuilder]

Yes and most builders also speak two or three languages. The one they used with the customer, the one they use with other builders and the one they use after 6 pints on a Friday night.

[@tomsmith9048]

This is what a real building site sounds like we love a good moan just missing Smooth Fm in the back ground for the sing along 🕺🔨

[@SkillBuilder]

They play Classic Rock but we can't have it on because we have to pay the copyright royalties on every song.

[@tomsmith9048]

@@SkillBuilder Say nothing on camera 🤐🕺

[@mcallister8893]

Brilliant job shame about the manager at travis ive boycotted suppliers for less lol

[@jakekillen7567]

Great job. I’m currently converting my own loft, How did you vent the loft.? From the sloped part of the roof, into the warm flat roof.?

[@alexmccutcheon1368]

I had the same thing picking a precast concrete manhole had 2 massive cracks in it they said I had to have it even thought it was basically hardcore

[@Omar-nl5gs]

great tip for reducing size of fascia

[@adgeebike9173]

Why is it that to see a decent builder like James and his mates is unusual. Have had to deal with builders that couldn't build a lego house or don't turn up, bloody sick of em tbh.

[@jimbrown8399]

I was getting some Timber & the Guy said you cant pick & Choose, You watch me I said, He started to Shout at me so I just Dumped it on the Ground & went elsewhere. I will never go there again & have told friends, not great customer service in these difficult times.

[@stephenmccoy898]

Yea I worked in London for a few years and the scaffolding is the the business,, being from belfast we use the star bar system you'd never see a loft conversion with the scaffolding up and over its really good no such thing as being rained off, in Belfast it fuckin rains forever,, plus they wouldn't pay the money here😂😂🤑🤑

[@jamieriggs9945]

Brilliant job.......how tight is it to get in and service/repair gas boiler behind unvented cylinder?

[@SkillBuilder]

That boiler was moved to the gable end wall. It was put in that position 6 months but it was never the best location.

[@jamieriggs9945]

Skill Builder Ah, just wandering. I’m a plumber and the thought of servicing the boiler in that position brought me out in a cold sweat!!!! Absolutely stellar conversion. Looks a great size. Top quality craftsman is James.

[@cliffcarlo180]

Walked into our local TP and asked for some roofing joists. "Certainly, how long do you want them? I said, "A very long time, we're building a house."

[@jeffhallel8211]

I went there to get rafters and they asked me if I needed life jackets or oars.-Joist Kidding

[@disklamer]

Why do you rent them out

[@paulmcfadyen689]

I got banned from my local TP...went in and the guy asked, "do you want decking?" So I punched him first 👊

[@justicecase19]

Even the little burger van outside my Travis is rude. I asked for sausage and chips twice, and the cheeky git said he heard me the first time.

[@womblestacker7993]

Need you boys in South Wales

[@SkillBuilder]

Don't we have to do two weeks quarantince if we cross the Severn?

[@stephencracknell5077]

James it used to be a storm proof side hung casement we taught the students to make..they don't make one now it's been removed from their learning.. sad days.

[@benrichards1]

Another quick question guys. Those double 6x2's that you're using for the cheek walls, are they supported underneath at all. I've got an absolute bugger of a building inspector that doesn't want me to do what you've done. Got 3 6x2's bolted together and he's not having.

[@jimichip]

Unfortunately a lot of it is down to the building inspector that you get. We’ve had it in the past where they will just not budge on that very situation. However, if you can get your engineer to justify not having and additional supports you will likely be able to remove them because the buck will stop with the engineer and not building control.

[@Ninefingers1986]

Great video's. Do you guys do work in the Bexley area?

[@haroon420]

I asked for a tin roof in Birmingham. Most don’t supply it and those few companies that do, they were quoting £6-7 grand. It wasn’t worth it for the dormer. We’ll just have to take our chances with the heavens.

[@chinbad]

That looks like the same bit of garden hose Nigel was using 20 years ago in that West London house😂

[@jimichip]

It is the same one, just the other end of it😂

[@disklamer]

Pay for the broken bricks with tore up fivers, tell them it's money innit.

[@seanvardy2938]

Good job lads but didn’t see any pad stones under the steels ?

[@Morning_Rays]

Hi Roger, I'm using your videos to learn. How could we use reduce the fascia height for a warm deck roof with 150 millimetre PIR (include 6MM ply) ? Increase thickness of PIR will reduce the size of notching available for screwing on 7 x 2 timber. Thanks

[@ankur29]

Doubling up trimmers is actually necessary and there for a reason. Not just 'by the book'. A single rafter trimming a window opening is actually inadequate. It reinforces openings in panels. Wish more loft conversions would stick to it.

[@paulstokes393]

Regarding TP, have to say, only had good experience with the branches in my area...Ely, Brandon and Newmarket. Only my opinion mind ;-)

[@SkillBuilder]

Hi Paul That is good to hear. We were talking about the actions of one individual but our viewers tell us it is endemic. It is good to know that the people in East Anglia are more courteous. I have travelled all over the country hosting breakfast mornings for builders and there is definetly a lot more rudeness and aggression in the South East. When you get west of Taunton the people tend to be, more gentle, very polite and appreciative so maybe rural areas are just a bit more chilled.

[@leerolfe5332]

really great build but no padstone under the steel? how'd you wangle that or is it set back behind that course?

[@SkillBuilder]

The drawing called for 10mm steel plate. It is often specified as an alternative to a pad stone but I am sure the building inspector would have been just as happy with concrete.

[@thechrissyb]

Thats exactly what my dad and I do for the fascias and soffit.

[@johnslaw7967]

This Fella is a Mustard Builder 👍

[@jimichip]

Cheers! 🍻

[@jasonantigua6825]

Was the guy in the brick yard a Cockney wide boy by any chance? I’ve had a few dealings with that type over the years!

[@jimichip]

He certainly thought he was a wide boy!

[@psymon25]

Would love to have seen the work going around the chimney

[@DrCrypToLite]

*1st King Boom*

[@tomsmith9048]

We have the same issues with travis when buying timber the boomerangs they try and sell you are shocking and go off on one when you start hand picking them out 🤬🔨

[@evervol1]

I come from Norwich and I've never seen that kind of scaffolding before but I worked in Cambridge for a few weeks before lockdown and they had it all over the place.. i did wonder why it was so OTT but now I know! Thanks for that

[@SkillBuilder]

I think it is all about the money. If you have an expensive house you don't want to risk it with a couple of tarpaulins. I remember having to go out to a loft conversion job on Christmas day because rain was blowing in under a tarp.

[@evervol1]

@@SkillBuilder OUCH! thanks for the info.. everydays a school day so they say.. look forward to learning more

[@sambishop1512]

To be honest in regards to Travis perkins the my local dranch in Dagenham you can't fault. Allows you to hand pick all your materials and good customer services

[@SkillBuilder]

Good to hear. There are some good branches and let us hope they are the ones that survive the cull.

[@Jonathan_Doe_]

The fibreglass flat roof guy came down on a Sunday hey… That’s illegal 😂

[@andyb3331]

Thats exactly what we do with our warm roofs as well James - spot on!

[@Jonathan_Doe_]

Did the stack height need increasing to meet regs? Or was it just rebuilt due to wear?

[@E150-V]

I deal with quite a few branches of Travis Perkins, sadly they are all the same with regards to Quality and customer service.

[@pauldellapina3810]

How much does a loft extension cost these days . Would be great to have a rough idea ?

[@thetessellater9163]

One like this £40 to £50 k full fit

[@tomsmith9048]

I'd say 100k in London well established company with a good reputation like these tradesmen it would be 50 to 75 pound an hour per tradesman

[@KEIRAN1996]

Grp is the only way to go on flat roofs

[@statesidechippie]

I miss real scaff living in the US. Health and safety wouldn’t know where to start pulling on to a site out here.

[@rickyroaster]

A much better project than a lot of other builders, at least you take a keener interest in H&S. Some of the other videos make me cringe at the risk they are putting themselves and others at. The old school attitude to H&S is just that, OLD. Going that extra mile, making sure the exterior boards will look more easy on the eye, shows you care about your work, not just profit

[@coops6621]

Doesn't having the OSB layer on top of the insulation turn the warm deck into a cold one?

[@gingerelvis]

Think I would have kindly returned those broken bricks behind that yardies car after that service.

[@aloosnackbar3888]

Near enough all the national builders merchants are fkin useless. My personal experience is that you are better offer fostering good relationships with smaller independent builders merchants, roofing merchants, timber yards, plumbers merchants etc you can expect to pay maybe a little more sometimes less but generally competitive. But you save time and money in the long run because you get better service and good advice. Plus it generally gives you access to better lines of credit eventually, rather than 1 travis account with 20-30k you can have 5 or 6 accounts with 10k each

[@1paparico]

You dont buy broken eggs, if a brick is broken it is not fit for sale of course you may need some half's anyway so they get sold eventually .

[@SkillBuilder]

You are dead right, us builders have come to accept all this crap. It is a brick or it is a broken brick. Trying to force people into buying warped or bent timber is another trick played on the gullible.

[@brapamaldi]

@@SkillBuilder any time a retailer tries that crap on me i cancel the whole order and give someone more deserving my business. the extra spent on fuel going further is usually less than the extra id have to spend re-buying materials that were not fit for purpose.

[@1paparico]

@@SkillBuilder Go into TP and ask to buy half a brick. You cant. so if you cant buy one ,they cant charge you for it.

[@MrSmid888]

8:16 looks like he’s pointing with a Clipper lighter.

[@Terry-Tibbs]

I wouldn't buy a bag of cement from Travis,

[@SkillBuilder]

I wonder why?

[@Terry-Tibbs]

@@SkillBuilder Our local branch is filled with obese untrained staff who can vanish into thin air when you need to be loaded with anything heavier than a doughnut . We now stick to a slight more expensive at the till family run yard. Works out more profitable in the long run as they dont cock up the orders or send out warped timber

[@paulmcfadyen689]

@@Terry-Tibbs more expensive than Travis?! Didn't think that was possible

[@johnslaw7967]

@@paulmcfadyen689 👍

[@barryford7135]

Hi Guys, I’m doing a big dormer on the back of my house soon & wouldn’t mind a bit more info on the warm roof system. How are you going to continue the ventilation from the pitched roof to the flat one? Keep up the good work. 👍

[@SkillBuilder]

The ventilation is provided under the tiles that come down onto the flat roof, There is a contnuous vent so the front pitch is ventilated but the warm roof doesn't require ventilation.

[@barryford7135]

Skill Builder I’m not doubting you, but I would be concerned about the warm air coming up from the room below the flat roof?

[@JACKATTACKED]

👍

[@garethheathcote4988]

Is he pointing that chimney up with a piece of chalk?

[@jimichip]

😂 it’s a bit of garden hose, he always used that.

[@mechminded2207]

Looked like a piece of garden hose to me.

[@bradwhelan4466]

Some like to use a piece of rubber pipe for pointing.

[@georgecunningham8189]

Old hose pipe works wonders, it gives the joint a rustic look, bricklayer for 15years ive done many conservation projects, always have a bit of old hose in the bag as well as an joint iron! Great job James!

[@30160946]

Does James have a channel

[@jimichip]

I do not unfortunately, it is way beyond my capabilities.

[@SkillBuilder]

Nothing is beyond your capabilities, except maybe, wardrobes.

[@jimichip]

@@SkillBuilder 😂😂😂

[@brucelangridge6302]

TP the Rolls Royce of builders merchants HaHa especially price

[@paulradwell9719]

Looks like video has had the end clipped off now after all the vapour barrier comments....oh dear...😳

[@SkillBuilder]

Hi Paul The GRP roofer said he has taken off so many defective roofs over the years because the vapour barrier has trapped in moisture. The solution he suggests is to use foil backed plasterboard as the vapour barrier to keep the moisture from migrating upwards but still allow the decking board on the cold side of the insulation to breathe. Trapping imoisture between two impervious sheets is not, in his opinion, a good solution.

[@paulradwell9719]

@@SkillBuilder I'm always in agreement with the builder trying what he feels is the best way forward regarding potential or past problems with builds. I sometimes quite often question the building control opinions on builds.... Great work anyway, I struggle working with so many builders who consistently use short cuts, but I would be quite happy to work alongside this guy. 👍

[@fireblaster9961]

Travis is always pony, I hate that you have to allow for broken and chipped bricks, if you order 100 bricks then I want 100 usable bricks not 80 usable bricks. maybe he recognised you roger. GRP roofing is great, more water proof than a boat.

[@stevehenke678]

I live up north and I've never seen a scaffold like that. What sort of cost are you talking about, ball park figure for a house that size?

[@SkillBuilder]

£8,000

[@paulmcfadyen689]

I'm in Glasgow and we get them here

[@alialgburi3738]

Please i need join u I’m living in london