Week Beginning 31st May 2026 .
After the excitement of Italy, factory visits, chimney liners and birthday celebrations over the previous couple of weeks, this week felt a little more grounded.
That’s not to say it was uneventful.
The weather forecast spent most of the week trying to dictate my diary, I investigated leaks that have defeated multiple contractors, repaired a chimney that turned out to be far worse than expected, collected some new Dan the Cherry Picker Man merchandise and somehow still managed to fit in plenty of family time.
As weeks go, it was a good one.
Sunday Brunch and Recovery Operations
The week began with no work booked in, which was fortunate because the house looked like it had recently hosted a birthday party.
Which, to be fair, it had.
Following Granny Ralph’s 70th birthday celebrations the previous evening, the morning was spent restoring some order and preparing for family and friends who were returning for brunch.
Thankfully everything went smoothly.
The house survived.
The brunch was lovely.
Everyone had a great time.
Afterwards it was time for the weekly Tesco shop before spending the remainder of the afternoon relaxing in the garden with Hannah, Robyn and Wren.
Sometimes the best Sundays are the simple ones.
Weather Forecasts vs Reality
Monday was supposed to take me to Ripley in Derbyshire for chimney work.
The weather forecast, however, had other ideas.
Heavy rain was predicted and, because chimney flaunching and persistent rain don’t mix particularly well, I reorganised the day and instead headed to Swadlincote to install a dry ridge system and carry out some flashing repairs.
The work went well.
The weather, meanwhile, behaved itself all day.
Which naturally led to the frustrating realisation that I probably could have done the original chimney job after all.
Like many roofers, I’ve occasionally discovered that weather forecasts and actual weather are only loosely acquainted with one another.
If you’re interested in learning more about roof repairs and preventative maintenance, take a look at our roof repair services: https://www.dji-uk.co.uk/roof-repairs
Thankfully I still made it back in time for school pickup.
One of the best parts of running my own business.
A Day Off With Hannah
Tuesday brought another weather-related decision.
The Ripley chimney job was postponed for a second time due to forecasts suggesting more rain.
Rather than force another job into the diary, I decided to spend the day with Hannah.
After dropping Robyn at school and Wren at nursery, we headed off on a mission to prepare for an upcoming running event.
Stops included:
- Derby Runner
- Decathlon
- Sports Direct
A few months ago I’d have found it amusing that I was shopping for running equipment.
Now it seems perfectly normal.
I’m beginning to suspect I’ve accidentally become a runner.
The afternoon was relaxed thanks to my mum kindly collecting Wren from nursery, giving us a little extra time together before school pickup duties resumed.
That evening was Cubs night.
The session was called Talk, Talk, Talk and focused on communication skills, teamwork and different ways of communicating.
Thankfully the planning paid off and the evening ran smoothly.
Gutter Repairs and Roof Surveys Across Nottinghamshire
Wednesday was one of those days that reminds me how varied this job can be.
The morning started in Arnold where I met Craig from Sapcoat Window Cleaning to repair gutters on some tall buildings.
From there it was over to Raleigh Street in Nottingham for more gutter repairs before heading to West Bridgford to carry out a roof survey on Musters Road.
The day finished with another roof survey in Redhill.
One thing that often surprises people is how much time is spent diagnosing roofing problems rather than actually repairing them.
Finding the cause of a problem is often more difficult than fixing it.
If you suspect your roof has issues but aren’t entirely sure what’s causing them, a professional roof survey can often save a lot of guesswork: https://www.dji-uk.co.uk/roof-surveys
And once again, I still managed to get back for school pickup.
I know I mention it often, but I’m genuinely grateful for that flexibility.
The Leak That Refuses to Give Up
Thursday’s job took me to Nottingham High School on Balmoral Road.
My role was to provide access for a roofer investigating a leak that has reportedly been causing problems for years.
Various contractors have attempted to solve it.
Nobody has managed to identify the root cause.
That alone makes it interesting.
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that roof leaks are often deceptive.
Water rarely appears directly beneath where it enters the building.
Sometimes the most difficult part isn’t repairing the leak.
It’s proving where the water is actually getting in.
After finishing around lunchtime, I returned to DJI HQ and finally started building some gates I’ve been meaning to tackle for far longer than I’d care to admit.
One frame was completed and hung.
The second was halfway built.
Then Mrs Cherry Picker intervened.
A new mission arrived.
Collect the newly ordered merchandise.
So off we went to Winkburn, returning with:
- caps
- woolly hats
- keyrings
All of which look fantastic.
Jobs a fish.
Educational Roofing Insight: Why Chimneys Sometimes Leak After They’ve Already Been Repaired
Friday’s job in Ripley provided a textbook example.
The objective was simple enough:
Stop a persistent chimney leak.
The property had already been re-roofed and the chimney had already been maintained by another contractor.
A drone inspection suggested only minor cracking in the flaunching.
However, once I got up there, the true condition became clear.
A thin cosmetic layer of mortar had been applied over badly deteriorated flaunching underneath.
The chimney was in significantly worse condition than the drone had suggested.
During removal, one chimney pot completely disintegrated and another wasn’t much better.
This resulted in an unexpected return trip to DJI HQ to collect replacement pots before returning to complete the repair.
The final work included:
- complete re-flaunching
- replacement chimney pots
- replacement roof tiles
- installation of an air vent tile for a bathroom extractor
It’s a good reminder that while drones are brilliant diagnostic tools, there is still no substitute for physically inspecting a chimney when problems persist.
If you’re experiencing chimney leaks or maintenance issues, our chimney maintenance and repair services can help: https://www.dji-uk.co.uk/chimney-maintenance
By the time I finished, I’d crossed the same roundabout on the A38 so many times I felt like I should have been paying rent on it.
The day ended with dropping my daughter Summer off at her boyfriend’s house near Wirksworth and returning home to an excellent burger cooked by Hannah.
Happy days.
A Perfectly Simple Saturday
Saturday brought no work.
Robyn’s tennis session in Newark was cancelled because of bad weather, so we brought the Tesco shop forward and got it out of the way.
The afternoon was wonderfully uneventful.
I edited videos.
Robyn watched television.
Wren wandered around causing the sort of chaos that only a toddler can create.
Later we went for a family walk around the village before settling down for a movie night.
The menu:
- Hannah’s homemade lasagna
- popcorn
- peanut M&Ms
The film:
Pirates of the Caribbean
Honestly, after a busy week, that’s difficult to improve upon.
Locations Worked This Week
- Bilsthorpe – family time, gate building and HQ activities
- Swadlincote – dry ridge installation and flashing repairs
- Arnold – gutter repairs
- Nottingham (Raleigh Street) – gutter repairs
- West Bridgford – roof survey
- Redhill – roof survey
- Nottingham High School – leak investigation access
- Winkburn – merchandise collection
- Ripley – chimney repairs and flaunching
- Wirksworth area – family taxi service
Do You Have Concerns About Your Roof, Chimney or a Persistent Leak?
We offer:
Targeted Roof Inspection – £100 + VAT
Full Roof Condition Survey – £250 + VAT
Surveys are available within approximately 1.5 hours of North Nottinghamshire.
For customers further afield, remote photo quotations are often possible.
Find out more here: https://www.dji-uk.co.uk/roof-surveys
About the Author
This blog has been compiled and published by Danny Iwanejko, documenting real-world roofing, chimney and specialist high-access work carried out across Nottinghamshire and beyond. Through DJI High Access Services, Danny combines practical roofing experience with specialist access solutions while documenting the reality of life as Dan the Cherry Picker Man.
Workwear Sponsor
This week’s workwear survived roof leaks, gutter repairs, school roof investigations, gate building, merchandise collection missions and more weather forecast discussions than any item of clothing should reasonably have to endure.
Thankfully, unlike the weather forecast, it remained reliable all week.
Workwear sponsored by Granite Workwear: https://www.graniteworkwear.com/?afid=danny
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By the end of the week I was reminded that success doesn’t always come from the big moments. Sometimes it’s getting home in time for school pickup, having a day out with your wife, solving a chimney leak that’s been annoying somebody for months, or simply ending the day with a homemade lasagna and a Pirates of the Caribbean movie night.
