Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Dec 17, 2013 10:08 am Hi all
I am building a new home and up to the bricklaying stage. They've washed the second floor brickwork but I am shocked by how messy the mortar perpends are. They seem to be overflowing onto the edges of the brick and makes the perpends look much larger than they need to be. Bricklayer explained that it's due to the brick we chose which has a "beveled edge" but I ain't buying his bllsht because I've seen Boral displays and the mortar are neat and tidy and look nothing like that. The brickie has offered to wash the mortar again and try to get rid of the "overflow" but I am sceptical that it will fix the problem. The following are some photos I've taken and please have a look and let me know what you think and what can be done to fix it: http://s909.photobucket.com/user/Eric_Zheng/media-full/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps182e01d9.jpg.html http://s909.photobucket.com/user/Eric_Zheng/media-full/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps9d033c47.jpg.html http://s909.photobucket.com/user/Eric_Zheng/media-full/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsb0d3e45f.jpg.html Re: Defective brickwork and mortar work - advice needed. 3Dec 17, 2013 10:21 am Agreed. Infact they appear a basic brick anyway... Re: Defective brickwork and mortar work - advice needed. 4Dec 17, 2013 10:28 am It's poor workmanship which isn't helped by the fact that the mortar joint used isn't the best joint for bevelled edge bricks. The proper joint for that brick is 'Raked" rather than the 'Ironed' (rounded) joint that you have got. (see the following link to understand the difference: http://www.anewhouse.com.au/2013/06/bri ... ar-joints/) Does your specification say what the joint should be? Did you choose the joint? or did the Brickie? The Harder You Try - the Luckier You Get ! Web site http://www.anewhouse.com.au Informative, Amusing, and Opinionated Blog - Over 600 posts on all aspects of building a new house. Re: Defective brickwork and mortar work - advice needed. 5Dec 17, 2013 10:35 am bashworth It's poor workmanship which isn't helped by the fact that the mortar joint used isn't the best joint for bevelled edge bricks. The proper joint for that brick is 'Raked" rather than the 'Ironed' (rounded) joint that you have got. (see the following link to understand the difference: http://www.anewhouse.com.au/2013/06/bri ... ar-joints/) Does your specification say what the joint should be? Did you choose the joint? or did the Brickie? We chose raked but the builder said they can only do rolled. I've measured the perpends width and they seem to be within 15mm but they look larger because the mortar has overflown into the beveled edge. Perhaps this is the issue and why they offered to hand wash the mortar joints again? Would it be possible to dig out the mortar and reappoint as raked? Would that be a very expensive job... Re: Defective brickwork and mortar work - advice needed. 6Dec 17, 2013 3:31 pm definitely unacceptable. Re: Defective brickwork and mortar work - advice needed. 7Dec 17, 2013 5:28 pm If you have got a building contract it is up to the builder to provide a job that has been done in 'proper and workmanlike manner'. Its not up to you to worry about, or decide, what is to done. The Harder You Try - the Luckier You Get ! Web site http://www.anewhouse.com.au Informative, Amusing, and Opinionated Blog - Over 600 posts on all aspects of building a new house. Re: Defective brickwork and mortar work - advice needed. 8Dec 17, 2013 6:39 pm bashworth If you have got a building contract it is up to the builder to provide a job that has been done in 'proper and workmanlike manner'. Its not up to you to worry about, or decide, what is to done. Yes. I understand that. The contract is a standard master builder contract. They are doing hand wash to remove the excess mortar around the perpends. If the outcome is still bad after the hand wash then what other options are available? Rendering is probably no go because it can get expensive for a 50sq double storey house like this. Re: Defective brickwork and mortar work - advice needed. 9Dec 17, 2013 11:09 pm What state are you in. In WA if you raise the issue with the builder and they refuse to address or their rectification work does not fix the issue then you go through the building commission and you state rectification work required and that its at builders cost. My Brickwork is terrible and Im negotiating at builders cost to have whole house rendered but if you want bricks then you state what you want. Getting an independent building inspection if you go that way and seek the costs. message me if you want more info. Re: Defective brickwork and mortar work - advice needed. 10Dec 17, 2013 11:10 pm It is just badly cleaned brickwork. Poor workmanship. http://australbricks.com/getmedia/31b74 ... ance.aspx/ Re: Defective brickwork and mortar work - advice needed. 11Dec 18, 2013 7:32 am GeoffW1 It is just badly cleaned brickwork. Poor workmanship. http://australbricks.com/getmedia/31b74 ... ance.aspx/ Yes. I tend to think it's just badly cleaned and that there is too much mortar oozing out of the verticals joints and got smeared onto the brick due to laziness. The brickwork seems to align perfectly and the mortar beds are consistent. The mortar joint widths seem to be within regulation requirements of 15mm for verticals joints and 13mm for horizontal beds when I measured. Hopefully the hand wash next week will solve te problem. This is causing me so much heartache and anxiety. /sign Re: Defective brickwork and mortar work - advice needed. 12Dec 18, 2013 7:46 am suzieq What state are you in. In WA if you raise the issue with the builder and they refuse to address or their rectification work does not fix the issue then you go through the building commission and you state rectification work required and that its at builders cost. My Brickwork is terrible and Im negotiating at builders cost to have whole house rendered but if you want bricks then you state what you want. Getting an independent building inspection if you go that way and seek the costs. message me if you want more info. Thanks. I am in Vic but I will see how the brick hand wash goes before deciding what to do next. Re: Defective brickwork and mortar work - advice needed. 13Dec 18, 2013 10:20 am The brickwork appears straight, level and consistent but the mess they have made of the mortar is a bit of a shocker. Even the horizontal joints look a bit slap dash. Some good brickies I've worked with in the past have only had to give their bricks a light brush to make it clean whereas others you need to go over their brickwork brick by brick to make it look reasonable and that's after a brick cleaner with a high pressure jet and HCL has had a go before. Stewie Re: Defective brickwork and mortar work - advice needed. 14Dec 18, 2013 12:05 pm Stewie D The brickwork appears straight, level and consistent but the mess they have made of the mortar is a bit of a shocker. Even the horizontal joints look a bit slap dash. Some good brickies I've worked with in the past have only had to give their bricks a light brush to make it clean whereas others you need to go over their brickwork brick by brick to make it look reasonable and that's after a brick cleaner with a high pressure jet and HCL has had a go before. Stewie Yes. I think that's exactly the situation I am in. The messy mortar smears have made reasonable brickwork to look worse than it is. I am confident that a hand wash brick by brick will rectify the problem although it's costing the builder an arm and a leg since its a large double storey home. Re: Defective brickwork and mortar work - advice needed. 15Jan 08, 2014 8:01 pm Hello All The builder has now washed the bricks again but the results still look terrible. Measurements were undertaken of the vertical perpends and they were mostly 20mm to 22mm in width. I understand the building code requires no more than 15mm in width. There are also a few places throughout the house with vertical perpends misaligned, as well as perpends of greater 20mm in width. Is this a purely cosmetic issue? Is rendering a solution? I have made up my mind and will be going to fight this issues with tooth and nail now. Complaint to building commission, VCAT and even an online campaign to put this irresponsible builder on the spotlight if they don't rectify the issue. Re: Defective brickwork and mortar work - advice needed. 16Jan 08, 2014 9:49 pm I'd say either the draftsman who drew the plans didn't do the drawings according to brick sizes for wall lengths or window openings etc or the brickie wasn't going to be paid for cutting bricks so he faked it by stretching the bond. Either way it looks terrible. Stewie Re: Defective brickwork and mortar work - advice needed. 17Jan 08, 2014 10:53 pm Stewie D I'd say either the draftsman who drew the plans didn't do the drawings according to brick sizes for wall lengths or window openings etc or the brickie wasn't going to be paid for cutting bricks so he faked it by stretching the bond. Either way it looks terrible. Stewie Yes. The plan was replicate of a full rendered house nearby so I think you are right in saying that the draftsman never took window and brick size into account. Re: Defective brickwork and mortar work - advice needed. 18Jan 09, 2014 2:32 pm so sad. render will lose the style of your new home design. Recently I moved to a 30 year old house and found within few months there are small brown nests in the brick mortar and few small round holes in few places of brick… 0 22680 I posted the floorplan on Houzz.com forum and got some really good ideas and advice from people there. Then we reached out to a couple of renovation companies and one… 5 10098 I am in the same situation, would you be able to give some insights in to this? I am in SA 8 17052 |