#52 Renovating bricks and windows in our old abandoned portuguese ruin 

Thank you all guys! I really appreciate the love and compliments from you! Since a lot of you referenced on the negative comments: Actually it was not the biggest thing for me. I think Dave discribes there more the variaty of opinions and critics in general which you have to deal with as a YT video maker. You can read more about the main reasons why i gonna quit in the YT community post. Again, thank you all, was a pleasure to make these videos for you. Enjoy the rest of my work!

I get that it can be really hard to integrate everything your followers want and expect of your videos into your editing while at the same time continue to produce weekly content under not-ideal conditions. Given the circumstances, I think Felix did really well and I regret to see him leave. All the best to his future endeavors!

Felix, I really liked what you added to the videos. It is a shame that the intensity of the negative comments caused you to think that you were not creating a good product. You were and continue to do so. Fair winds and following seas to you during your journeys!!

Always climb INSIDE a scaffold tower not outside, that way it cannot overbalance as the load is inside the feet.

Make sure and wear a respirator when cutting brick work with a grinder. recent studies have shown silica dust to be as harmful as asbestos. love seeing project kamp grow!

Just nock the top part down, there's no way that building is safe. If your gonna keep it standing reinforce the walls in the corners, for isolation use pir or styrofoam on the outside of the walls and stuco it.

Ceramic bricks need to be submerged for a few seconds in water if they are dry, otherwise they absorb the water in the mortar before the mortar has time to set.

Nooooooooo Felix. I really liked your style. It took a few videos to get used to not have Dave in front so much but your work was excellent. Wherever you go, whatever you do next. I wish you all the best.

Felix did a great job, your subscribers increased dramatically since he started doing the editing. Well done Felix!

I can’t be the only one thinking those bricks are too hollow ? And the whole things looks structurally inballanced and unsafe, there are no reinforced concrete pillars on the corners

I am really sorry to hear Felix is leaving . There was a lot of humour in his work despite the pressure and I didn’t mind it at all .

if you are working in all that dust you should probably wear a dust masks especially when inside the ruin or a confined space

You don't only ned 2 video makers, you also need someone who knows how to build houses. I am not a builder but I can see that it all shakes. To make sure noone dies I would think the best idea is to take down the walls. Get a builder to help you on how to build it all and use the old bricks when you rebuild it. Also, please use protection when working with stone so you don't inhale stone dust etc.

Sorry the video guy is leaving. I liked the style & content he contributed.

Just an advice, you should wet the brick first, spray it or just dip into the water so it can attach strongly with the cement.

Man those walls makes me nervous lol

I still don't understand why oh but why didn't you remove everything but the granite structure. Even when you finish with reconstruction there will be too many weak links in the structure. The brick and the concrete are old and porous , and I doubt there is even minimum required reinforcement steel built in the structure

People have always needed the psychological skill to decide what criticism is worth letting in, and what to ignore. Social media has vastly increased the volume and exposure of criticism and I don’t think as a species we have caught up psychologically to the emotional deluge that we get hammered with. FWIW, I have been enjoying the videos and I think they’re great. I also thought the earlier, less professional videos were fine too. Personally, I think it’s possible to increase the production values so high that they detract from the content. Your core story here is a bunch of regular folks learning how to live and showing some mistakes along the way. DIY-style video supports that narrative. Anyway, Felix, thanks for the videos, I think you did great, and best wishes in your next endeavors.

Love your videos, Felix, Dave and everyone! I’m sorry that you’ve received some rough comments from some other people. Keep doing what you’re doing, you’re great!

Those bricks look pretty rough! it's good to reuse things, but im not sure these ones are worth it. maybe there is some local reuse group nearby where someone is throwing out some bricks that are a bit sturdier!

Too bad Felix is leaving. He made top notch videos!

that building has no skeleton that i can see, you usually have to have concrete poles on each corner with reinforced metal bars on the inside to provide structure... that looks like a death trap, using only bricks and mortar is extremely dangerous, that is why it wobbles so much.... i imagine that if i ran into one of those walls it would all come down like dominos! Be careful guys, build the skeleton first, that thing is not up to code in Portugal (or any other country i imagine) Also, all that rebuild, alterations and things might require permits from town hall since what might exist on records may not be that brick house (highly doubt that "house" was legal) and without a an approved project, and use change (you want it for habitation), you may have to tear it down

Seems to me that a lot of properties in Portugal are built in a similar way. Single brick, poorly constructed with little strength. In UK this is referred to as jerry building, this sort of approach was used to construct temporary pig houses in the countryside and would never pass even the most basic building inspection.

Sad to hear the director of these great videos is going. The videos are at a level where the tone is just perfect.

You should not be putting knots into ratchet straps. Their strength rating is based off of the load being distributed across the entire surface. When you knot them, you're greatly reducing the surface area the load is on, and they then become rated for only a fraction of their typical load. They fail very easily in that state. Stay safe!

Felix did a great job on your videos and I'm sorry to see him go.

When you put in the frame, you'll need to figure out some method of tie-backs that will secure the wall to the frame. The way to wall was leaning and was shaky was pretty scary to watch.

Everything about this ruin feels unsafe. Hope nothing bad happens along the way.

Wet your bricks before applying cement it stops the water being absorbed from the cement so it cures better.

I’m very interested in seeing how you will stabilize that bad wall.

Using granite as a windowsill is a smart idea. The angle on a windowsill is common, in wooden framed houses builders often use a wedge that is laid under the widow frame, which is covered with a rubber flashing tape. The wedge creates the flow angle while the flashing tape creates the water proofing. What you have not done is cut a drip edge channel in the underside of the granite sill. A drip edge breaks the surface and causes the water if any gets on the sill to pause at the channel, build up and then gravity causes it to drip (hence the term drip edge) harmlessly away from the building. The risk of not having a drip edge is that water will continue to travel under the sill and get to the wall surface, after which absorption or ingress can occur. Regardless I like the recycling of the older windows. Take care D

Felix your videos were amazing. All the best.

I've enjoyed Felix's videos! And all the work and videography of this project. Amazing that you've been able to accomplish so much under such trying difficulties.

Felix there will always be negativity so don't worry you're doing an excellent job. Sad seeing you go

I was surprised to see you were not wearing a mask whilst using the angel grinder cutting the bricks around the window. Health and safety is important and you really don't want that kind of dust in your lungs. Remember some of your viewers may copy you, so make Health and Safety a feature please. :-)

Hey! Love the work, it's awesome! I know everyone thinks they can do your project better than you from their comfy home but I really want to ask you to pleeeeeease by proper respiratory PPE! It's so important.

Knock it all down clean the bricks and rebuild

I would love to come to project kamp to help out with work love working and doing new projects.

When I started watching episodes of your arrival in Portugal, I was delighted. Suddenly I started to realize that it is not the mimosa that is probably the most aggressive invasive species in Portugal, but humans...😢

Felix , you did a great job. you absolutely nailed it. I really like your video editing , especially your color correction & the plot were absolutely fantastic.

To solve your insulation and structural problems you may wish to build stud walls inside the masonry walls tying the former to the latter.

Oh the double glass is cool, it will help keeping the internal ambient warm. Well done!

im kinda sad i really liked the videos Felix made they where entertaining and also interesting what ever you do next felix i wish you all the best

Maybe you can answer questions of viewers once a month. So they can give video ideas. That will give the video makers some air.

Please, please use respirators when grinding and cutting stone and brickwork

I like this episode, feels like season 1, you are the main character again an less cinematics, that makes it a better vlog for me.

you need a good contact of the metal frame with the building. usually you would make the frame smaller to put it on a mortar bed. then push mortar in the gap on the upper side of the frame. The Mortar should be 1-2 cm thick I would also switch to corded mashines. its nice to have battery powered mashines, but only additionally. i would recommend the Bosch GBH 2-28f. Its pretty cheep and very durable. dont mix the mortar with the battery powered drill. It will die off in the future. you will have to mix a lot of mortar in the future so i would buy a mortarmixer like the Einhell TC-MX 1400-2 E and a mortar mixing mashine. a tumbler or what it is called how did you connect the window frame to the granit frame? usually you dont need the granit frame on the top, left and right side. you use mortar to make the surface smooth. and you should use an anker to fix the window frame to the wall. My biggest tip is, that you should watch youtube videos carefully before you are starting to build something. there are many many detailed videos on yt to learn from. I don't think this work is something for a professional video editer. Maybe because they want to make it to professional. There are many people on youtube that are putting out many videos a week. You guys are having the project of my dreams. Pleasy understand my words as help. No criticism

The bottom room in this ruin used to be used for animals in winter. I remember my grandmother had one. Its too keep them safe and healthy during the winter rainy months.

Like a terrifying game of jenga!

I spotted a BANGFACE HARDCREW! tee, that's bloody wicked :D Maximum respect guys, big love from a fellow Breakcore fan (UK)

the straps don't prevent the wall from falling over. You're assuming 1 wall can hold up the 2nd wall. What may happen is that if one wall collapses outward it will pull the 2nd wall inward. Like a square turning into a parallelogram.

Hi Felix, just wanted to let you know I really liked your videos! Loved seeing you try to learn from the suggestions and try something different every time. That's what Project Kamp is all about, isn't it?! Working together, doing, experimenting, learning, reflecting, acting, experimenting, etc... Good luck with everything you do in the future and thank you for the past few months!

I like the granite framing around the windows.

Any work you do on that building couldn't possibly be any sketchyer than the original builder. 👍 Good luck with it. 🍺👋

Hey Felix, we will miss you, you have fans out here too!

Guys great video and finally good to see you working on the ruin, just couple of quick tips(I'm a site manager in construction in Lisbon), window sills in granite/limestone should be installed with tile paste glue, should there be any further contention on the wall, the mortar is subdue to cracking rather glue, which will flex. Also keep in mind the wall faded and is fragile due to lack of structural columns, a lentil is only good if directly unloading on the lower, load bearing wall, in Portugal, every slab or lentil should be vertically supported(usually in concrete) every 5m of span, and edges of the building envelope, bricks can be as straight as you want, but if not supported by a structural beam and column system, they will most likely settle after some time, keep up the good work!

love the Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison instrumental whils building. Great editing

want to say thank you so much for felix for all his hard work and all the excellent videos!!

Architectural student here. That building looks highly unstable and is a hazard. Those bricks are not supposed to be used that way (the holes should always be directed upwards). If you want to rebuild it properly, strip it down to the foundation, flatten it, get some proper bricks, build the walls properly. Also, try to build the ceiling from wood as it is probably way easier for you guys than reinforced concrete (There's a lot of information on the internet about how to do so). Have a proper ceiling, build up from there and have a proper roofing. You might not be able to use just recycled materials all the time. Those windows look unsafe as hell as well. It's not supported by a proper lintel! That's an easy fix if you rebuild it. If you need any advice on details or plans, feel free to reach out to me. I'm happy to help!

Breaking The Wall music is just fascinating.

1:16 the line could have been "Its hammer time!" 🤣

Mint. A useful and inexpensive herb that also can repel flies whether fresh or dried. Apart from flies, mint is also helpful against mosquitoes, ants and mice. Keep crushed mint leaves in a shallow bowl to keep flies away

I liked your videos, Felix. Thank you for your great work. 😊

As someone who is about to set up a similar project in the UK (Cornwall) then I must say, these videos are the benchmark for anyone creating content in this area of YT - they are so good, I genuinely look forward to the next one like I used to wait for a weekly update of some show when I was a kid - I love them. Bravo Felix, you have done such a good job and left a really strong legacy, you will be missed. Good luck on your next projects.

Lovely to see Jim and Bob working! ♥️ Also I think it's a great decision to have two videopeople in the future. Lots of love to you guys!

Loved the music on this one

Hello, this ruin needs pillars in the 4 corners and at least one on the longest wall. Although it is supported by the stone, the ruin needs a strong structure. Good luck.

It would be nice if you cleaned up and repainted the scaffolding to make your nice neighbor happy :)

Felix, you are doing a wonderful job. I enjoy your videos.

Woooow you have made a big amzing progress! + Feliix you are so talented and did an awasome job! we're so sad that you're gonna leave us :""(

Just as an advice: when you place the window in the wall's hole, it is pretty hard to properly level it. To make things easier, you can place a table with a tied weight on the edge so that you get your hands free while the frame stays at its place while you play the gap adjustments for leveling! Good luck with renovation guys, you doing no small job there!!!

You ALL rock! That's a great effort by everyone to get to this point, and you'll have a very comfortable building by the end of this project! It's been a real trip watching all the progress made, and the videos have actually been really good all along, and are a mainstay for interaction with Kamp. (Well, for me, anyway. I should check the web stuff more often but generally I'm a bit time poor and this is THE place I get my Kamp news.) But you're ALL doing a great job, both of making the place your home, and keeping a worldwide audience enthralled!

To much work for Felix 😂 *Itchy Boots laughing*

Sad to see you go Felix! I think your videography and editing skills are amazing! I really appreciated some of the angles and views you showed. Absolutely beautiful work 👏 I hope you find your niche and continue creating amazing content

Straps stop them falling out, but what about falling in lol, should have a beam or something for support?

Looking forward to seeing what kind of frame you build to stabilize those brick walls.

goodbye Felix you did a great job! wish you luck for your next project

Sad to see Felix go. He was making great content. For such a wholesome and positive channel it's really surprising to see in the comments that your youtube following is full of know it all, obnoxious people wanting to throw their negative little comments in about your project, videos, ways of doing things. Keep doing what you're doing and ignoring the bad vibes 😁✌

Hey Felix, I think you did great and adopted really quickly the feedback from the first two videos ✌️🙃

"Time to Hammer".... missed opportunity here...

That under ground room would make a great root cellar.

You wear noice protection during brick cutting, but wearing dust protection would be advisable to.

People will ALWAYS find something to say, and the community (comment section) is NOT always right. Sad to see Felix go, the videos where great.

Some people are really harsh in their comments from their keyboards. That happens on all social media, it seems. Thanks for making the videos, Felix. I liked them.

That sucks the comments on the videos is a reason you are leaving Felix. But I get it. Don’t know if the other commenters have said anything about this, but granite can give off radon which can be a problem in high amounts. Since you are sealing up this building for winter use, it might be a good thing to get a couple of radon detectors. Love when Mondays roll around to see the progress.

Hello from the Netherlands and thanks for the video . Sincerely Hollandduck

You Guys should keep an eye on the Ground - I am sure you can easily find some clay to work with and avoid more chemicals in your Buildings

Love the granite window frames

I think the project is coming along nicely. The old mortar sure comes off easily. I like the granite sills and frames. Do be careful. When masonry falls it has a lot of force. Looks like you doing a pretty nice job and it is a learning project. It is learning even if you have experience. Keep up the work. Look forward to seeing the progress. Sorry to hear that the video maker is leaving. I thought his work was good. Everybody does things differently.

that building looks still quite unsafe, I recommend adding a steel skeleton. and that old cement looks like I could crumble it in my hands. Besides I seriously recommend adding some support, Love watching your stuff!

1. The lintel above the window is not resting o the wall enough. It is covering the window frame and a bit extra. This lintel will transfer the load of the brick wall above window onto the window frame instead of onto the walls on either side of window. 2. The I section is way too heavy for the loads it has to carry and the span. That steel frame is not anchored into the granite support. It is simply wedged into the gap above the granite. That is a weak link for you.

For insulation on the bottom you can make wasted plastic floors, or concrete mixed with styrofoam. I had similar project in Croatia. So i had styrofoam under 3-5cm concrete which had this plastic inside to keep the strength. Later it was polished with so called helicopter. I wanted to have it almost as a glass, it didn't work but anyway i have few coats on it and it is durable, you can wash it with water and so on.

Thanks Felix. Vids were good. Mxing in Dave's original style that everyone was used to with your own to enhance what we saw was great. Good luck

Very good update Big job fixing the wrecked building Great skills and teamwork Interesting 👍👍👏👏👏💕🕊

I really enjoy your videos! You have an "orange creature" that is a diamond in the rough. Love watching what you will do next!

Heerlijk dat steenkolen Engels! Safety messurements 🤣 Je bedoeld safety measures!🤣

Love the progress on the ruin...can't wait to see more

The insurance company is really gonna love these videos

I just found your channel today. Thanks for choosing Portugal for your project 🙌 we really need more people like you guys! Welcome

Excited that you guys are starting with the build!