Browse Forums Building Standards; Getting It Right! 1 Apr 21, 2011 9:35 pm I am scheduled for handover on in just a week. But we have an issue with the substandard brickwork. How likely are we to get the builder to render our home, as this will be the only way it can now be fixed. Does anyone have any experience here? Our loan manager wants us to with-hold last payment until we have in writing what the builder will do to remedy the matter. Thoughts? Thank you! Re: Fixing a bad brick job - Is render the only answer? 2Apr 28, 2011 10:34 am It depends what the problem is. Nawkaw can re-colour bricks and mortar. It was used on our house. Metricon Riva 33 - http://herlihy-riva.blogspot.com Site start 15/03/2010 - Handover 23/12/2010 9 months and 8 days (284 calendar days) from site start to handover Re: Fixing a bad brick job - Is render the only answer? 3Apr 28, 2011 10:45 am Oh, you are the guy who posted on my blog Regarding your mortar, is it actually a different colour or is it just not dry yet? How long has it been there for? The bricks are definitely wrong though, they've stuffed up there, but I expect Nawkaw could fix both of those. Metricon Riva 33 - http://herlihy-riva.blogspot.com Site start 15/03/2010 - Handover 23/12/2010 9 months and 8 days (284 calendar days) from site start to handover Re: Fixing a bad brick job - Is render the only answer? 4Apr 30, 2011 1:23 pm The motar is dry - it's been bricked up for about 6 weeks. We waited 2 weeks before mentioning it to our builder because we also thought that it was wet. Can Nawkaw also fix coated bricks? Because the finish on these bricks are coated on (the colour doesn't go all the way through the brick) and a lot of the coating has already been removed with the first two acid washes (revealing an orange colour). The builders have booked in yet another acid wash to fix it ??? Not sure why when the first two didn't work and stripped the surface... Stalling tactics? I finally got something from them in writing... When this next clean is completed, a brick representative, a specialist, and X builder will assess the work completed, then take the next step to advise you of a outcome regarding your concerns with the brickwork. X builder will rectify or complete the brick work to Australian and X builder Quality Standards, as well as to the customers satisfaction, which is of great importance to us. (I've used X Builder instead of the builders name) Do I trust that these standards will be of a high quality and just settle with this on the the handover documents? Because the last payment is really my only bargining power now. I've read so many blogs and forum reports where people have settled and then had to fight to get things done years later. Re: Fixing a bad brick job - Is render the only answer? 5May 01, 2011 9:34 am Don't settle until it's fixed. Bad brickwork can be pulled down and re-done, but that will obviously delay your handover. We had quite a lot of our bricks demolished and done again from scratch - the standard of the original work was awful. But in our case, it wasn't colour problems, it was crooked bricklaying. Re: Fixing a bad brick job - Is render the only answer? 6May 03, 2011 4:49 pm Quote: X builder will rectify or complete the brick work to Australian and X builder Quality Standards, as well as to the customers satisfaction, which is of great importance to us. Good to get that in writing.. I don't know if Nawkaw can fix it, I just know they can recolor both bricks and mortar. Based on my experience, I would pester them to find out exactly how they propose to fix it, and get them to say they will discuss with you before taking any action. Metricon Riva 33 - http://herlihy-riva.blogspot.com Site start 15/03/2010 - Handover 23/12/2010 9 months and 8 days (284 calendar days) from site start to handover Re: Fixing a bad brick job - Is render the only answer? 7May 03, 2011 5:08 pm Why are you even contemplating getting someone else to fix? It's simple. Don't give them a cracker until you are happy. Money talks. Once you pay them the final you are screwed. Re: Fixing a bad brick job - Is render the only answer? 8May 09, 2011 10:10 pm Its a bit of a Captain obvious, but for an issue like this on a forum, some pictures of the problem may shed some light on a solution. EDIT [half an hour later] I just found some of your pics on this thread. viewtopic.php?f=3&t=38752&start=20 IMO from the pics it looks like the white mortar was mixed without enough lime and the rolled joints have gone off before the bricklayer could evenly roll the joints. It also looks like the builder changed sand to a darker colour higher up the wall. [use a NAWKAW rectification] With this type of mortar the problem with white cement is it's a very fine powdery cement. The smaller particles of cement surround the sand particles and create a very strong, hard mortar. A fair bit harder than a standard GP cement. As it also has a reasonably high contrast to the brick, so the brickcleaner generally over cleans the brick with acid and water pressure to remove all mortar stain. They can also apply acid to too many sq meters of brickwork, softening and slightly smearing the mortar before high pressure cleaning. If the acid sits on the bricks for too long, the white mortar is able to re-set, allowing this smear to soak into the brick face leading forming white stains. Another cause of white staining is brickwork that was left uncovered in wet weather when being laid. The rain can saturate the uncured brickwork through the core pattern of the top row of bricks washing out any calcium or fly ash in the mortar or even kaolin in the sand. This then sets on the brick face, and as it's not a lime base material the hydrochloric acid [from brickcleaning] will not remove it, so any extra brickcleaning can only cause more issues. White staining can be removed by careful hand washing with a solution of NOSCUM applied to DRY bricks at the bottom of the wall. Carefully scrub it in using a soft nylon brush, then rinsed away with water running out of a normal garden hose. DO NOT use high water pressure to remove it from the wall. Refer to page 14 of the ThinkBrick Cleaning Clay Masonary guide http://www.thinkbrick.com.au/popular-manuals/ For further information I recommend that you also read the ThinkBrick Brickwork Manual on the same link. [Perhaps even recommend it to your builders supervisor ] 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. Re: Fixing a bad brick job - Is render the only answer? 9May 24, 2011 1:52 pm I have seen Nawkaw used on mortar discolouration as bad as yours and it looked great afterward. Have not seen it after applying to bricks though. Re: Fixing a bad brick job - Is render the only answer? 10May 24, 2011 3:50 pm We had ours tested and the wrong mix used which basically meant it would erode over the years and did not meet Australian Standards. The builder responded with a few options: Tear everything down (of course was no-ones preference) Render the whole house at the cost to the builder (we liked our front rendered only and our bricks) Grind out the mortar and re-point (apparently great for Carcinogenic dust) Silicon injection stabilisation (not an approved Aus Building Code standard, but warranted the same as the original mortar time frame) We went with the lesser of all those evils which was the last one. Basically it 'had' to be fixed by the builder. Re: Fixing a bad brick job - Is render the only answer? 11May 24, 2011 4:41 pm I'd be getting an engineers report on that one. Not within code, but has a warranty....so they give you your money back if it fails...and then what? Builder is long gone and you are stuck with a crappy job. Doubt if your Home Warranty Insurance would cover work that was not within Aust Building Code. Bite the bullet, get them to pull the walls down and rent you an apartment for 2 months. You will regret this. EDIT - The brick walls are not holding up the house. The timber frame gives the house it's structure. They can pull the walls down and rebrick withot you leaving the house. Just you'll be living in a building site. ".....teach people the flanges are rubber and are damaged when a gorilla turns them off....." Re: Fixing a bad brick job - Is render the only answer? 12May 24, 2011 4:48 pm BuilderPaul I'd be getting an engineers report on that one. Not within code, but has a warranty....so they give you your money back if it fails...and then what? Builder is long gone and you are stuck with a crappy job. Doubt if your Home Warranty Insurance would cover work that was not within Aust Building Code. Bite the bullet, get them to pull the walls down and rent you an apartment for 2 months. You will regret this. EDIT - The brick walls are not holding up the house. The timber frame gives the house it's structure. They can pull the walls down and rebrick withot you leaving the house. Just you'll be living in a building site. I would agree. Pull them down and re-brick as option A, option B is a full render. Re: Fixing a bad brick job - Is render the only answer? 13Oct 23, 2014 12:37 pm Hi, I am in that exact situation right now wit Urban Edge, worst is that they are not even communicating and telling us what they will do to fix it. We have declined on Render as we had upgraded the brick, and really like to keep our brick. Render is an ongoing maintenance we feel. Anyone here can tell me what is the minimum gap between bricks according to Australian Building Standard code? We have some places really wide and some places narrow mortar between bricks. Any answer will be appreciated. Re: Fixing a bad brick job - Is render the only answer? 14Oct 23, 2014 1:57 pm SaimaQ Hi, I am in that exact situation right now wit Urban Edge, worst is that they are not even communicating and telling us what they will do to fix it. We have declined on Render as we had upgraded the brick, and really like to keep our brick. Render is an ongoing maintenance we feel. Anyone here can tell me what is the minimum gap between bricks according to Australian Building Standard code? We have some places really wide and some places narrow mortar between bricks. Any answer will be appreciated. curious as to what on going maintence render has? if its to do with paint peel what about acrylic https://www.rockcote.com.au/ render with colour mixed into the render? Re: Fixing a bad brick job - Is render the only answer? 15Oct 23, 2014 3:04 pm Generally I have noticed the cracks appear in render sometimes and also the rain marks often look very dirty. I have been told to you may need a wash every 3-4yrs. But we have always liked brick and never wanted the render anyways but suddenly looks as if that's our only option. Thanks for much mate. I see that you do cabinets before flooring. For timber flooring, for most parts it's fine because it's got base plates, and for door jabs you can… 7 11561 Regardless of wall hung toilet or floor pan toilet your feet will be right on drain, seems to me the waste should not be in that location given the design. Also are you… 6 7042 Last year I had a gas leak at my house. 3 days later, I have about 1 sqm of my exposed aggregate paving broken up. I am not sure how to go about getting it repaired… 0 10411 |