Having a single storey rear extension built and I’m really concerned about the brickwork finish! Please help, we are carrying out this extension to move our mum in with us as she suffers with Parkinsons & needs all round care. I’m really wondering if it’s better we cut our losses now. Builder assures me he will get another brick layer to sort it but I’m not convinced as surely it’s too late to rectify. This wall faces our neighbours conservatory and they alerted us to the awful work. There’s also a gaping hole at the bottom between the wall and neighbours wall that he’s told our neighbour he will fill with sand. Also brick missing??? Thanks for any advice
That is one awfull mess and no excuse for it at all.The full thing needs taken down and rebuilding at the Builders expense. Even if some of it is built overhand there is no excuse a perfectly good job can be obtained building overhand. Either the Builder fixes it or get rid of him,I hope you have not paid yet.
Unfortunately he has had part payment after the foundations were inspected and passed & we are waiting for them to inspect and pass the damp proof course.
Recommended by your builder ? How many times have they been on site ? because they should have been out several time https://www.homebuilding.co.uk/what-does-a-building-inspector-do/ I would contact them and ask them to look at The bonding of the brickwork to your current property. Where you have the brick missing you will see a metal strip. I have a suspicion that this may not be all the way up and that he has left a brick out deliberately to show just enough to convince people he has used them. The foundations and proximity to your neighbours wall. Normally you would either go tight to your neighbours wall or leave a 150mm gap which would be closed at the top. Alternatively a much bigger gap to allow for maintenance. Your are somewhere between the two. Additionally the "ground" level to your neighbours damp proof course (above his darker bricks) is two high. It needs to be at least 150mm below his level Quite often the inner course of a cavity wall can look quite "scruffy" with blobs of cement bulging out, keen bricklayers clean these up. What concerns me is that what looks like an inner leaf of brick work doesn't have any wall ties.
I'm assuming that its going to be rendered as that is the worse brickwork i have ever seen as face work.
Yes recommended by our builders. We haven’t paid the BC yet so may revert to council BC as I’m assuming they will be more thorough? We couldn’t go any further to the neighbours wall as they would not be happy with us going over their boundary but equally they are not happy with the state of the brickwork that has been left! So looking at the pictures, are you saying there is a problem with the neighbours DCP or ours? Thanks for all your advice, so stressful.
No, he said he’s not rendering it. He’s coming tomorrow with a new brick layer but to be honest I’m wondering if rendering will just hide all the inferior work??
At least one thing you have a sympathetic neighbour as the laws regarding "party" wall are quite draconian and it can cost you a lot of time and money. You should have had around 4 visits from the building inspector by now. The neighbours DPC is fine but the infill between your new wall and your neighbours is too high. There should be around 2 courses of the darker bricks showing on his side. Has any other work started ?
We’ve had only 1 visit from the Building control company. Ok will mention about the infill. No other work has been started other than the batons for the flat roof. I guess we should stop any further works. Try & recoup some money & get someone else before it’s too late
I would contact the local authority building control officer to come on site. This way you will have the necessary information to have an informed discussion with the builder
Get in council BC asap. Tell builder you want it knocked down and done properly. Dont pay a single penny more.