Face brick facade - should be raked?

joaninhac · Mar 14, 2008 11:34 am

Hi All...sorry for the long post.

We went for a face brick facade for our home which is meant to be all brick and raked. Due to estate guidelines we need to have some rendering done to the front facade, but we will be doing this ourselves after handover. So we assumed we'd get a nice front facade, nicely bricked and raked, as that's what we paid $10k for....
As the builder needed to get approval from the estate developer, we had to include in the plans all the areas which we were wanting to render in future.

So the builder has gone off and decided to use chipped bricks and didn't bother raking the brickwork in these areas. We've told the builder as soon as we saw it that we paid for a face brick and that's what we want, so we asked them to have the bricks raked and cleaned... the builder said that they couldn't rake them now cause it's too late and they didn't even want to clean them, but after a few phone calls they ended up cleaning the bricks, but they are still not raked...

I know that this is the way its meant to be when having render, but that was not their job to do and now if we change our mind about where the render goes then we can't because the builder hasn't given us a clean face brick.

Do you think i have a right to complaing and demand that they rake the bricks and do a good job as they were meant to?

thx

_Al_ · Mar 14, 2008 11:37 am

So the builder did what you asked, saved himself a few bucks and now you're complaining?

joaninhac · Mar 14, 2008 11:39 am

Al...

Sorry i don't understand what you mean.

The builder didn't do as we asked! The bricks aren't raked as they should be on a clean face brick facade...

Cookiemonster · Mar 14, 2008 11:41 am

teml · Mar 14, 2008 1:30 pm

Hmmmm...I can see it from both sides

You would think that if you have paid $10k for face brick and they have not supplied it you shoud be entitled to a rebate. Is it really up to the builder to make that decision? If so then you would assume that it would be communicated and agreed by both parties before commencing. I'd try for the rebate myself.

joaninhac · Mar 14, 2008 1:33 pm

thanks Tim.

That's exactly what i think... yes i do see the builders point, but they should've checked with us first rather than just going ahead and doing whatever they want.

_Al_ · Mar 14, 2008 1:56 pm

Quote:

Due to estate guidelines we need to have some rendering done.............we had to include in the plans all the areas which we were wanting to render in future.

What's the problem?
Builder knew this.
Estates with these caveats normally sting you if you fail to comply.
You have to do it.
Builder probably saved 20 cents a brick and the apprentice didn't have to rake for an hour or so. So he saved what....$100 in bricks and $30 in labour.

And he made your life easier by giving you a flat surface to render over. That you have to render over anyway.

oznow · Mar 14, 2008 2:11 pm

My builder usually call me to clarify certain things which confused or not clear to him. You need to check the site/progress quite often to make sure that evertyhing is going to the direction you want.

brittany · Mar 15, 2008 7:55 pm

But she paid $10,000 for something she didn't get - show me the money!

Paula · Mar 15, 2008 8:27 pm

Quote:

But she paid $10,000 for something she didn't get - show me the money!

Quote:

Builder probably saved 20 cents a brick and the apprentice didn't have to rake for an hour or so. So he saved what....$100 in bricks and $30 in labour.

There is the problem joaninhac needs $9870.00 change.

Casa2 · Mar 15, 2008 8:36 pm

Maybe the builder should render it, since this would be the easiest and best option for all now.

davinci · Mar 15, 2008 8:52 pm

sounds like the builder used his brains and thougth i will save the client some time and money and flush finish the sections that would by commen sense be rendered

the builder new the regs for your estate and made a decision based on experience

if you have to have reneder you have to have render the builder by the sounds of it did you a favour with the choice of placment of flush mortar

unless you want to render a small portion of a front brick wall of your house
or an area that would not suit the house why complain

joaninhac · Mar 19, 2008 10:30 am

brittany

But she paid $10,000 for something she didn't get - show me the money!

Exactly right brittany!!! We paid for something we didn't get!!!!!!! Need i saw more?!

Cookiemonster · Mar 19, 2008 10:38 am

joaninhac · Mar 19, 2008 10:54 am

Cookiemonster,

the 10k is just for the brick facade, rendering is to be done by us 'the owner' after handover of the house... we have not yet asked for money back as we wanted them to provide us with what is stated in the tender - face clean brick.... we'r waiting to see what they have to say at our pre-handover inspection...

Cookiemonster · Mar 19, 2008 11:02 am

_Al_ · Mar 19, 2008 11:15 am

joaninhac

brittany

But she paid $10,000 for something she didn't get - show me the money!

Exactly right brittany!!! We paid for something we didn't get!!!!!!! Need i saw more?!

You paid for something and got more than what you paid for. Have you figured out what extra materials and labour you would need before you render if you had to fill in all the raking?

joaninhac

Cookiemonster,

the 10k is just for the brick facade, rendering is to be done by us 'the owner' after handover of the house... we have not yet asked for money back as we wanted them to provide us with what is stated in the tender - face clean brick.... we'r waiting to see what they have to say at our pre-handover inspection...

I hope you're not holding your breath waiting for a refund of any kind.

The brickie did you a favour. The brickie thought ahead, unlike you in this instance.

Good luck with the rendering.

joaninhac · Mar 19, 2008 11:24 am

thanks for your feedback Al!!!

Are you a builder by any chance?? You sound like one of them!!