Week Beginning 14th June 2026
Some weeks seem to have a clear theme.
This wasn’t one of them.
Over the course of the week I found myself reducing unsafe chimneys, rebuilding chimney corners, investigating roof leaks, finishing a long-overdue gate project, celebrating ten years of marriage, helping Cubs fly kites, reaching 20,000 Facebook followers and spending a Saturday watching children deliberately run through mud.
As weeks go, it was a good one.
A Relaxed Sunday in Nottingham
The week started in a much calmer fashion than it would end.
After an 11km morning run around the local villages, we headed over to Newark for Junior Parkrun.
While Hannah ran around the course with Robyn, I was assigned the equally important role of entertaining Wren and keeping her out of trouble.
No small task.
Afterwards, we headed into Nottingham as a family and spent most of the day wandering around the city before enjoying a fantastic meal at Thai Restaurant.
Any calories burnt during the morning run were quickly and enthusiastically replaced.
Back home, the afternoon was spent gardening, weeding and generally pottering about in the sunshine.
A simple but excellent start to the week.
Chimneys, Chimneys and More Chimneys
Monday took me to Sneinton in Nottingham.
The original plan was straightforward enough.
Re-flaunch the front and rear chimneys.
However, as is often the case with chimney work, the job revealed far more than expected.
While Tomek tackled the front chimney, I worked on the rear.
Once the existing flaunching had been removed, I became increasingly concerned about the condition of the brickwork underneath.
The more I exposed, the worse it became.
In the end, I reduced the chimney by approximately ten courses until I reached sound brickwork.
Leaving it in its original condition would likely have resulted in major problems years down the line.
Both chimneys were successfully re-flaunched, the rear chimney was capped and made watertight, and we left knowing the structure was now safe.
The only downside was returning to DJI HQ with a truck full of chimney rubble that needed unloading before I could finally call it a day.
If you’d like to learn more about chimney repairs and maintenance, take a look at our chimney maintenance and repair service: https://www.dji-uk.co.uk/chimney-maintenance
The Job That Needed Scaffolding
Tuesday took me back to Leicester.
This was an interesting one because it was a job I’d previously refused to undertake.
Not because I didn’t want the work.
Because it wasn’t safe.
The original plan had been to complete the repairs from a cherry picker, but after assessing the setup, I decided the risks weren’t acceptable and recommended scaffolding instead.
To the customer’s credit, they followed the advice.
When we arrived, the scaffold was up and the job could be carried out safely.
The work involved re-flaunching the chimney and replacing some spalled bricks.
Or at least that’s what we thought.
By the time we’d finished investigating, we ended up rebuilding both corners of the chimney.
One of the things this trade constantly teaches you is that the visible defect is often only part of the story.
The rest is usually hidden behind mortar, render, brickwork or time.
It was hard work.
Lots of ladders.
Lots of carrying mortar.
Lots of trips up and down scaffold.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Some people pay for a gym membership.
I spent the day carrying buckets of mortar.
That evening it was Cubs night, where we built kites and headed to the park to fly them.
Fortunately, the kites behaved themselves far better than some of the Cubs.
Leak Hunting in Sneinton
Wednesday saw us return to Sneinton to finish the remaining work.
This time the focus shifted from chimneys to leaks.
Tasks included:
- investigating water ingress around a dormer
- sealing stepped flashing
- repointing brickwork
- repairing guttering
Like many roof leaks, this wasn’t one problem.
It was several smaller problems all working together.
By around 1pm the work was complete.
On the way back we stopped at Rainworth Fencing to collect the final materials needed to finish a gate project I’d been slowly working through at DJI HQ.
Back at the yard it was divide and conquer.
Tomek tackled the mountain of rubbish and organised the yard.
I finally finished the gate.
That evening Robyn and I settled down to watch England versus Croatia.
She made it to half-time before falling asleep.
To be fair, she is only seven.
Educational Insight: Why Access Methods Matter
One thing this week reinforced is the importance of using the right access method for the right job.
People often assume that if a cherry picker can physically reach something, it’s automatically the best solution.
That isn’t always true.
The Leicester chimney repair is a perfect example.
Technically, the chimney could be reached.
Practically and safely, it couldn’t.
The correct solution was scaffolding.
Choosing the safest and most appropriate access method is often just as important as the repair itself.
That’s one reason why we carry out detailed roof surveys before recommending work.
If you’re concerned about a roof defect or persistent leak, our roof survey service can help identify the most effective solution: https://www.dji-uk.co.uk/roof-surveys
Golf Day Motivation
Thursday’s work took me to Lenton Community Centre in Nottingham.
My role was to provide access for the team at Virtus Roofing while they replaced cast iron guttering around the building.
Originally it was expected to take two days.
However, the lads wanted to attend the Frank Keys Building Supplies golf day on Friday.
Suddenly everybody became remarkably efficient.
Two days’ work became one.
It’s amazing what a looming golf day can do for productivity.
The work was completed successfully and everyone got to enjoy their Friday plans.
The Forgotten Anniversary
Friday began in Arnold.
The task was to clear a blocked valley and repair guttering on a three-storey block of flats.
It required plenty of careful manoeuvring with the cherry picker, but we got the work completed successfully and I managed an early finish.
That gave me time to edit videos and help Hannah and the PTA sell ice lollies after school to raise money for the children.
However, the real highlight wasn’t the guttering.
Or the ice lollies.
It was the discovery that both Hannah and I had completely forgotten our tenth wedding anniversary on Wednesday.
Remarkably, we had both forgotten.
Which meant neither of us was in trouble.
To correct the oversight, we headed out for a steak dinner with Wren while Robyn enjoyed an evening at a friend’s house.
Ten years of marriage seemed like a perfectly good excuse for steak.
Afterwards we returned home, full of food, and watched the finale of Clarkson’s Farm.
Married life doesn’t get much better than that.
20,000 Followers and a Very Muddy Saturday
Saturday started at the usual time.
Far too early.
I’m currently training for both the Robin Hood Half Marathon and an upcoming 15km Tough Mudder, so the day began with a 12km run.
When I got home, I discovered I’d reached a milestone that genuinely made me smile.
20,000 Facebook followers.
It’s still slightly surreal that 20,000 people choose to follow a bloke who spends most of his time talking about roofs, chimneys and spider lifts.
Later that morning we headed to Holme Pierrepont for Robyn’s Pretty Muddy run.
The event was organised to raise money for Cancer Research UK, and several children from her school were taking part.
While Hannah ran the 5km course alongside Robyn and her friends, I was left entertaining Wren.
Thankfully Hannah had packed enough snacks to prevent complete chaos.
Robin completed the course, thoroughly covered in mud and having had a brilliant time.
By the time we got home she had to wash her hair three times before all the mud finally disappeared.
The day concluded with the weekly Tesco shop and another Pirates of the Caribbean movie night with Robyn.
A perfect way to end the week.
Locations Worked This Week
- Sneinton – Chimney repairs, flashing repairs and leak investigations
- Leicester – Chimney rebuilding and re-flaunching
- Lenton Community Centre – Cast iron gutter replacement access
- Arnold – Valley clearance and gutter repairs
- Nottingham – Family day and city visit
- Holme Pierrepont – Pretty Muddy fundraising event
- Rainworth – Fencing materials collection
- Newark – Junior Parkrun
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 repairs, specialist access work and life as Dan the Cherry Picker Man. Through DJI High Access Services, Danny combines practical roofing expertise with specialist high-access solutions while sharing the reality of running a family business.
Workwear Sponsor
This week’s workwear survived chimney reductions, scaffold marathons, leak investigations, kite flying, gutter repairs, a forgotten wedding anniversary and a very muddy fundraising run.
Frankly, it’s holding up better than my knees.
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 isn’t always measured by jobs completed. Sometimes it’s finishing a long-overdue gate, celebrating ten years of marriage, watching your daughter conquer a muddy obstacle course, or realising that 20,000 people have decided to come along for the ride.
