Karl and Wendy McKenna have recently bought a terraced period house in Ballsbridge, Dublin. The couple have always had a love for old buildings and wanted to live close to the city centre, so this old house is the perfect restoration project for them. Karl and Wendy not only plan to restore the old house but also to double the size of their new home, by adding a large extension with a basement at the back.
However the old house is in bad condition and Karl and Wendy quickly discover they have their work cut out for them. The project receives a major setback this week, as Paddy the foreman makes a surprising discovery when he finds some turf in behind the plasterboard in a section the partition wall…not only is this turf crumbling and unstable but it is also a very dangerous fire hazard!.Now Paddy must expose the whole wall to see if the problem continues throughout.
Karl and Wendy realise that they need to be very careful when underpinning foundations for the basement. If things aren’t done properly, the couple also risk doing damage to their neighbours homes. The build gets off to a slow start as the wet Irish weather delays preparation work.
Meanwhile in the run up to fire safety week, Duncan meets fire officer Adrian Sutton who discusses the different things you can do in your home to limit the risk of fire. We also meet a family from County Roscommon, who had a very close escape when their house went up in flames.