Week Beginning 09/02/26 – Liners, Leaks & Long Walks
Some weeks in this job are steady.
Some weeks are chaos.
This one was a bit of both.
Monday – Mentoring in Stapleford
Monday started early. I was out of the house by 7:30am, not because the job was miles away, but because I had to do something equally important… clear the passenger seat.
When you’ve got a second pair of hands coming with you, you can’t have the footwell looking like a mobile builders’ merchant.
We were heading to Stapleford for a full day of chimney grinding, repointing and slate repairs. Having help makes a massive difference on heavy roof repair work, especially when you’re dealing with masonry and slate all day. The job ran from 9am to 4pm, with an hour either side travelling, and it was one of those solid, satisfying days where you stand back and think, “Yes. That’s better.”
Tom’s still learning, but I can already see he’ll be an asset when I bring him in on bigger projects.
Tuesday – Arnold Access Adventures
Tuesday took me to Arnold for two chimneys, one at the rear requiring a full rake-out and repoint with a brand-new flaunch, and another at the front that only needed reflaunching.
The rear stack was a big four-potted chimney tucked behind a long, narrow alleyway. Tight access like that is where having the right setup matters, especially when I’m working with elevated access rather than scaffolding. It’s exactly the kind of situation where access using a cherry picker makes sense when space allows.
The weather wasn’t playing nicely, so I added rapid hardener to the mortar mix to stop the rain washing it out. Timed it just right it set before the downpour.
As a bonus, I removed a couple of awkwardly placed bat boxes for a neighbour across the road. Goodwill jobs they come with the territory.
Finished the day unloading at HQ at 4:55pm… then it was Cubs night.
Wednesday – Downpipes & Dormer Mysteries in Lincoln
Wednesday was Lincoln-bound.
Three-storey flats with downpipes that had come apart and were emptying water straight down the walls. Not ideal. We reinstated and secured everything properly before moving on to a more complicated issue, a roof leak beside a dormer on a flat roof.
Once the roofers stripped things back, we discovered water tracking behind cladding because of the gutter detail. A bit of surgical removal, a fabricated lead cheek detail, and careful reinstatement sorted it.
Sometimes leaks aren’t where you think they are. They travel.
I was meant to head to Wollaton afterwards for gutter clearance and tile repairs on a commercial building, but with a 1.5-hour drive and a 4pm car park closure looming, I made the call to reschedule. Sensible decision.
And because of that? I got to pick Robyn up from school.
Those little wins matter.
Thursday – The Chimney Liner From Hell (Langwith)
Thursday was supposed to be straightforward: drop a chimney liner in Langwith, then head to Loughborough.
There is no such thing as a “straightforward” liner when there’s a severe bend in the flue.
First attempt — wouldn’t go round the bend.
Second attempt — rope snapped.
Third attempt — liner too short because we hadn’t accounted for the extra metreage needed to negotiate the bend.
Then it got wedged.
What followed was an hour and a half of dismantling a 10-metre liner piece by piece inside a chimney. Not glamorous. Not fun.
Eventually, a longer liner arrived. We fought it every inch of the way down. Installed the cowl. Re-flaunched the top. Job done.
By the time I got to Alfreton near Junction 28 to inspect a leaking commercial flat metal roof, it was already getting dark. I sealed suspect screw penetrations as a precautionary measure and called it a day.
That liner install alone felt like a week’s work.
Friday – Mansfield Surprises
Friday morning in Mansfield was meant to be simple: remove old flaunch, install new one, investigate flashing leak.
Strip the flaunch off and what do I find?
The neighbouring wood-burning stove had been incorrectly vented into the chimney.
Cue emergency run for a new cowl and rock wool (thank you Rainworth Stoves). Once that was sorted, I reinstated the flaunch using rapid hardener and winter mix to combat the cold, wet weather.
Leak traced to the lead. Rectified.
Evening? Cubs sleepover session for their Navigator Badge. Map reading and preparation for the next day’s hike.
Thankfully, I dodged the overnight stay… but I still had a 9km hike coming.
Saturday – 5am Start & 9km Later…
Up at 5am.
Dog walked.
Workout done.
Scout Hut by 7:45am.
Then off to Vicar’s Water with 15 Cubs for a 9km hike.
By the time we finished, I was ready for bed before tea time.
But that’s the balance, isn’t it? High-access work in the week, mentoring the next generation at the weekend.
Final Thoughts This Week
This week had:
- Complex chimney maintenance
- Leak investigations
- Downpipe failures
- A brutal chimney liner install
- Weather battles
- Cubs leadership
- And a 9km hike to top it off
From full chimney maintenance and repair projects to awkward commercial leak tracing, it’s been a reminder that nothing in this trade is ever quite as simple as it first looks.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Keep Up With Me Online
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About the Author
Danny Iwanejko is the editor and curator behind Roof Tops and Pit Stops, documenting real-world high-access roofing and chimney work across Nottinghamshire and beyond, alongside the lessons learned from running a growing trade business.
Workwear That Keeps Up
A quick thank you to Granite Workwear, who sponsor my workwear on site. When you’re fighting chimney liners, battling February rain, and hiking 9km with Cubs in the same week, you need gear that actually lasts.
