Opinions on brickwork problems

hmmm....would be pretty unhappy with that!!!

Hi Damo,

Did Wayne have a look at this when he did your inspection? If not, could you get him back to specifically look at this part again? I know it costs, but it may be worth it, we found that they listened to us when we had a report saying it was defective!

Hope it all works out.

Damo, i spoke to our inspector Kevin from NHI, about your problem.
He mentioned a couple of things:

Firstly, he recommended that you get a piece of wire, like a coat hanger and poke it through the gap/cut that have been cut and see if the cut has gone all the way through the brickwork. He said it should.

Secondly, when they leave the space for the A/J normally , they use brick ties ( i think their called?) to hold/strengthen the bricks leading up to the A/J gap. If they have cut the bricks with an angle grinder or brick saw, then the bricks will not have adequate strength without the brick ties.

He said the ONLY way for them to rectify the problem is to cut out the 1 or 2 bricks on either side of where the A/J should be and re-mortar them in leaving the appropriate gap.

Anything else would not be up to scratch.

I hope that your inspector advises the same.
Make sure you stand your ground on this issue.
It is an important one!!!

Let us know how you go....

damo, i'd be standing your ground until these issues are rectified!!

Try holding off a payment perhaps???

Good Luck with it! Let us knjow how you go?

Hi Phoenix,

I met with our s/s last Tuesday and was assured all of our concerns would be addressed but as of this afternoon nothing has been done to rectify any of the problems...

Hi Damo
We dont have any expansion joints in our house. I questioned the brickie on the missing expansion joints, but he said that since my slab is waffle pod, the crack will be minimum, as the slab will move intandem when the earth/soil move.

I have look at several houses in my areas, they, except one, also do not have the expansion joints.

Is the waffle pod = less crack is a correct statement?

At the end of the day damo, if it is on your working drawings, then it should be on the house...full stop!!!

Someone's brickies needs a butt kicking i think!!!

Good Luck damo!

damo, check the building specs you were given by your builder.

I am quoting from ours (Next Generation Contract Specification Edn 2 for use will buildings constructed after 1st of June 2004 wind classification N1, N2 and N3, 4 and 5 star thermal performance rating) which states:

13.5 VERTICAL ARTICULATION JOINTS
a). Vertical articulation joints will be provided in all masonary walls as specified on the approved Building Permit drawings, except they may be omitted on walls built where the site soil classification is A or S.

b). Articulation joints will have a minimum width of 10mm, except where articulation joints are adjacent to a door or window frame where:
i. A vertical 5mm minimum gap will be left each side of the frame (between the frame and the masonry) to allow for movement.

ii. The gap will be sealed on the home (Class 1 building) as follows:
A. Door frame - a timber or metal wind mould or coloured mastic sealant or equivalent.
B. Window frame - a flexible bulb seal

c). Extendable masonry anchors will be built in at every fourth course of single skin masonry walls (other than masonry veneer).

d). All articulation joints in single skin masonry will be sealed with a coloured mastic sealant (or equivalent) on any exposed internal face and external face.

You might have different specs up in Qld damo, but check yours anyway???