The Repair Shop star Dom Chinea has admitted he is struggling after severe weather damaged his new workshop in Cornwall, soaking vital tools and equipment. In the final episode of his series Dom Chinea's Cornish Workshop, aired on Monday, the craftsman discovered his angle grinder, drill and other tools had been left out overnight and were drenched by rain.
Chinea, who moved from Kent to West Cornwall with his wife Maria and dog Wendy, was visibly frustrated as he surveyed the damage. 'Oh, for goodness sake. This place. This is hard. It's dealing with all of this. I know it was an ambitious project, but it is testing me to say the least,' he said. He added that he lies in bed hearing the rain and thinking it is 'coming in sideways through the walls' and getting his belongings wet.
Despite the setback, Chinea managed to source 11 identical original Crittall windows of exactly the right size, originally from Exeter University, to make the workshop watertight. He described the installation as 'a labour of love' as he sealed them with traditional glazer's putty. By the end of the episode, the windows were fitted and a tin sign for the workshop was mounted on the wall.
Reflecting on his progress, Chinea said: 'The vision of turning this old dairy into a workshop is becoming a reality. The wall is very nearly finished. Windows are going in. A flat floor that I now can work on is turning into something. Who knows what's next?' He confirmed he is now open for business at the workshop.
Dom Chinea's Cornish Workshop is available to catch up on U&Yesterday and Channel 4.
