bobski the builder - ch4

I think it was the pipe insulation that was used in the concrete floor (causing it to crack).

I thought the polish builder was given an unduly hard time given that the customers knew that they had been given a very competative quote. Okay, he made some mistakes but he got on with the job and the finished product looked a hell of a lot better than the british one. His biggest mistake was underpricing the job.

Tim

Should have been called "Tales of the Unexpected". Not a good start when the groundwork doesn't go to plan. It's a shame the customers/builders weren't reversed. The two obnoxious blokes deserved each other

rockwool? What channel was it on then? Wondering if it was any of the watch again services.

Yes.

I'd guess they used ordinary foam insulation with too small a thickness of concrete on top so it broke up.

I thought the whole prog carefully staged to make a point. So nothing different from any other TV prog of this type.

Quite so. But the Brit builder seemed to think he had done a good job. He said he was a bricklayer, not a builder, so its not surprising the finishes were poor. You could see hand prints in the pebble dashing / render. Looks like it was not sticking and they tried to push it on with their hands ! I don't think he'll get much work after the programme.

The polish trowel with the handle above the blade looked interesting. I wanted to see him using it.

Simon.

A small "builder" is usually just a tradesman turned project manager. He does the bits he's trained to do and gets the other trades in as required. It's when he does the whole job himself that the trouble starts.

I like the yellow pages ads that say "specialists in all types of building work"

The one mentioned in the title *and* the OP?

All too true, well under quoted even using Polish labour. The young couple expected a champagne job at a lemonade price.

British bloke was shocking.

Mind you, that's TV for you. Never mind the facts, as long as the ratings are good.

nowt wrong with that, then rinsing it to expose the stone. Gives better bonding actually. What puzzled me most is they had some areas that looked ok, and some weren't. How did they manage exposed stone on some of it and cemented over in other areas?

NT

More difficult to get an even appearance, though?

See above. ;-)

Do you think that

a) they followed a couple of dozen builders and just used the ones with the best contrast

b) they got lucky

c) they set it up like this

I don't really know which it is, but unless it was (c) they can't have been sure of its ratings potential when they started filming around 12 months ago

tim

no chance

maybe, it wouldnt be hard to do.

I would have thought the ratings come down to the title and the idea behind it more than the actual content. After all, the content really contained nothing other than the predictable, but we're talking about it anyway.

NT

perhaps if the wrong technique was used, or the procedure was especially well royally bllsed up - I dont see how the problem shown would result from doing the rinse approach properly.

NT

I reckon they might well have, they do that sort of thing all the time. I heard that the David Blaine TV show was filmed over months & cut to only show the best reaction to his tricks.

Don't be silly. Imagine the cost of doing that. Assuming they paid for the crews. [Thinks] See what you mean.

Yeh yeh.

Rule one of 'factual' progs. Make the prog to fit your facts.

Other thing I love is the way any 'salient point' made by Beeny during a Property Ladder is *always* mentioned by one of the estate agents when viewing some year or so later.

Dunno. I've only seen it using the 'throw on' procedure. Which seems strange if there is an easier way which is just as good.

In my experience of 'magic' on TV, it always co-operates to achieve the very best results for that 'magic'. Never to show the flaws. Of which there are always many from the other side away from the audience.

That gets me too!

tim

I would have thought it would depend on which sort of finish you want - "wee chucky stanes" or "terylene style"

Owain