Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Dec 31, 2018 9:55 am Hi all, First time poster so thanks in advance for looking at my issue. I'm building my new home through a well known project builder in Tullimbar NSW, I've finally had a chance to have a look at the final exterior brick work and really not happy with the final "look" compared to the original brick we picked. I've attached some pics for your assessment, but as you can see from the original brick to the final laid brick that has been "cleaned" that most of the face colour has been removed exposing the base brown . Do you think it's the cleaners mistake? you can actually see where the spray jet has cleaned through leaving the base brick exposed. I'm not too sure where i stand in regards to getting this issue resolved (david vs goliath) any feedback is appreciated cheers Darrin Final Clean brickLike ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ original brickLike ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ more cleaned brick picsLike ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Brick finishing issue 3Jan 02, 2019 7:16 am I can see acid pitting on your mortar and to me it looks like they used strong acid. White cement sets very hard and if it is left too long it is very hard to clean. Take pic of a display home and post it here. Also get in touch with brick manufacturer and ask if the bricks are liable to acid damage. Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Re: Brick finishing issue 4Mar 29, 2019 1:25 pm Looking at your picture you have the deadly combination of the following... 1, Brickwork laid in a dirty state [They needed pressure washing] 2, A colour veneer brick [where pressure washing easily strips the colour from the clay brick face] 3, An off-white mortar [Which is highly visible in a dark brick face and it cures very hard making removal difficult] It wouldn't surprise me if the mortar is laid with an M4 mix instead of an M3 mix. The M4 mix is an exposure grade mortar mix which should be used on houses next to the sea to protect the mortar from salt attack and brick fretting below DPC. If you don't live near the sea your bricklayer should have used an M3 mortar which has a higher lime content. The Hydrochloric Acid [Hcl] solution [also known as Spirit of Salts] used in the cleaning process specifically reacts with lime and dissolves it allowing the brickwork to be cleaned with less pressure or effort. If the mortar is an M4 mix there is less lime and less reaction so the brick cleaner must also blast the brick face clean, especially if the brick stains have been allowed to set for a long time. By your pics unfortunately it looks like that's what happened to your job. I also see evidence in the picture that he may have used a "turbo" tip instead of a fan tip to pressure wash the bricks. That will multiply the water pressure and cause even more pressure damage. See section 4.2.3 [page 31] of the Think Brick Industry Reference Guide for more information. http://thinkbrick.blob.core.windows.net ... 2018v2.pdf I suggest you contact the builder and look at getting him to arrange Nawkaw to reinstate the colour veneer to your damaged bricks. Good luck Being a builder is more than just having once held a hammer. It's about the trades you hire and ensuring that they give a result that meets the industry standard and the home owners expectations. Only way to fix is to pull apart and redo, even then may end up with mortar bit different colour Have more rights now during build than after handover , read your contract 6 1172 thanks Chippy, i hope they have applied sealer but i am doubt to be honest, so i am gonna do this job after handover. 8 17210 |