Is this bad workmanship for re-pointing?

Discussion in 'Builders' Talk' started by birke92, Nov 26, 2020.

  1. Nanook

    Nanook Active Member

    Last edited: Nov 27, 2020
    stuart44 likes this.
  2. JayCee2020

    JayCee2020 Active Member

    I would also do some research to discern if they are accredited because looking at that horror story, that appears the work of a rogue trader claiming to be a brickie and who has probably only ever laboured over a mug of builder's brew while lamenting at how they wish they could do what the skilled tradesmen achieve through years of learning/experience. I feel for you. When I had a rogue butcher my wall after claiming to have 17 years experience under their belt, they were sued via Trading Standards and got 4 months for deception/criminal damage to my property. I never recovered a penny for that, though and the damage ended up costing me nearly 2k to rectify.

    To be honest, I would not even give him an opportunity to rectify that mess b/c it's clear they have no clue what they're doing and will just make it worse. Trading Standards and small claims if you've already paid them which I'm assuming you have. And keep records of all communications including texts, etc..
     
    Nanook likes this.
  3. Nanook

    Nanook Active Member

    Boy am I glad you’re back.
     
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  4. dubsie

    dubsie Active Member

    I think you could do a better job with a knife and fork.

    The quicker it's removed the better....once that's fully cured it will be like chipping away at steel

    I showed the picture to a friend who's a brick layer and he thinks it will cost over 2000 to put right. He said no one will want to try and clean it out so they will opt for a reskin. So it's new bricks etc
     
  5. JayCee2020

    JayCee2020 Active Member

    Heh it's great to see you too Nanook! I've been busy with my own horror story of a house thanks to rogue traders. Had my roof 'fixed' back in January of this year by a roofer who stated I needed a valley/sealing, several tile replacements, flashing and repointing of the chimney and guaranteed that I'd have no further damp for the foreseeable. 8 months later, the installed valley failed, wall cavity filled with water and took out my attic wall, along with the plaster around both attic windows because the tiles were not fixed in place and last week were located resting in the guttering! The water from recent persistent heavy rain had tracked down and has also messed up the ceiling of the room below. Not a happy lady! A grand's worth of scaffolding back up front/back, only to learn that the roofer from January had NOT installed a valley between roofs, hadn't sealed the area, nor had they repointed/reflashed - they likely stood on the roof for three days flashing at the neighbours instead! The new roofer has taken videos of all the issues, I was as horrified to watch it as I was to see poor Birke92's eyesore. I shall have the roofer from January by the short and curlies - Trading Standards has not gotten back to me nor acknowledged my communication to them. So I shall just apply to a small claims court once they've received my grievance in writing and sue for not only the 'repairs' they did in January, but the ones I'm about to have done now and which are going to cost me around 4k! How have you been? Fairing better, I hope :D
     
    Nanook likes this.
  6. JayCee2020

    JayCee2020 Active Member

    Yep, that's the tragedy of it. Easy to mess up, incredibly difficult to rectify and costing far more in the long run.
     
    Nanook likes this.
  7. Michael.T

    Michael.T New Member

    Pull the other one - this is Photoshopped, right? :p
     
    Nanook likes this.
  8. Abrickie

    Abrickie Screwfix Select

    Bit of a double edged sword with removing the mess, that pointing is going to hold moisture in the brickwork, but if it’s repointed in lime we are getting close to temperatures lime mortar doesn’t like
     
  9. Nanook

    Nanook Active Member

    Nightmare! I haven’t been able to have any work done at all because everyone - read the good ones - are all tied up with doing other people’s renovations in the rush to sell their property before the stamp duty relief ends. So, my steps are still ******. Literally stepping in ponds of water every time I want to go in and out of the house and work has come to a standstill due to no good reliable tradesmen being available.

    Little story about Trading Standards... a close relative had a relationship with a cowboy in the 90s, cowboy did gas work when cowboy wasn’t Corgi registered as it was called then... a customer posing as a person who needed gas work done but was really undercover, caught cowboy and it went on Watchdog. Cowboy lost everything. Blacklisted for life.
     
    JayCee2020 likes this.
  10. JayCee2020

    JayCee2020 Active Member

    Aww, that blows worse than a beached whale, Nanook! I just waited six weeks for my plasterer to become available - he's rescheduled 3 times which I really don't mind because he's worth the wait as his work is supreme. He was supposed to come to me this weekend but his current project is overrunning by three days, have told him not a problem so come to me when he gets done - he's now coming on Wednesday. He's such a good fella. It's so true what you say re great tradesmen having a long waiting list because they're in high demand. So, wellies at the door, is it?

    Trouble is, cowboys such as the person that was featured on Watchdog still end up conning people because that's in their nature. I like the idea of having all tradesmen formally registered to prevent these rogue traders from operating. I wonder how tradesmen in general would feel about national licensing..
     
  11. Nanook

    Nanook Active Member

    He lives in the pub now JayCee. Literally lost it all including relationships and friendships.

    Yep you’ve got it, wellies in and bloody out when it’s rained.

    I’m in the South of England, no-one is available that’s any good. I’m on the list but nothing is being done that is out of my league until Spring next year.
     
    Last edited: Nov 27, 2020
  12. Nanook

    Nanook Active Member

    To birke92,

    JayCee and I are customers like yourself. We have and still live through the British nightmare of decent tradespeople. We are both capable people, we both have suffered even so. I’ve been doing DIY since I was around the age of 8. Don’t know about JayCee’s DIY history but she’s gone through very similar mess ups to me. I’m good enough now to do decorating and general fixes without needing an expert to do it for me but you’re always learning and others can always teach you more, cue Astramax and Wayners and DIYDave.

    Abrickie and stuart44 have said how to re-do your job correctly. They’ve both given the process of what should be done correctly to fix your issue. If you look back on the thread you’ll see the posts where they specifically tell you how and what should be done to rectify the mess.

    All the best.
     
    JayCee2020 likes this.
  13. Nanook

    Nanook Active Member

    Ps. It’s nothing but lime mortar to repoint that property properly.
     
    JayCee2020 likes this.
  14. Not Too Sure

    Not Too Sure Active Member

    I would give the cowboys a call and ask them to sort it out.

    Its not a massive job from what I’ve seen when I had my garage done, the brickies I used had this mortar rake they put on a drill or something and then they repointed it to perfection - they used a long handle (20cm?) tool for the pointing from memory.

    It’s so much risk getting tradesman in to do work these days - the reality is the best ones are busy as hell and don’t even advertise. Far better to wait for one of these types to become available.

    hope you get it sorted - annoying thing is that it is a straight forward job!

    ps even if you win in small claims there is no guarantee of financial recovery...can’t pay, won’t pay series shows that often people have to get high court enforcement officers involved.
     
    Nanook likes this.
  15. JayCee2020

    JayCee2020 Active Member

    I never did any DIY (I grew up a grease monkey as bio father was a mechanic with garages/showrooms in/around London) so I knew my way around a motor and fitted an auto clutch at the age of eleven with the help of someone who secured the engine for me then I did the rest. As for home DIY.. didn't have a scooby until I bought this gaff four years ago and then it was a case of learning pretty damn fast as these old properties (mine's four storey if you count the attic room) are financial sink holes.

    Having just had my sub floor joists redone in my front hallway/extending back, I had someone tap off approx. 3/4" of brick in the middle of my front hallway - it looks as if the brickwork was part of an old step internally - it's most odd. Anyway, I had to have the bricks hacked down so that they were flush with the wall, my recent project was rendering that section of the wall/pointing because the person who hacked off that bit of brickwork then left a whacking great hole at the base.. rendering done, properly dried, sealed, emulsion coating before I papered - the wallpaper is GORGEOUS! Tomorrow I'm finishing the other wall before moving onto my lounge. Next project is repointing my garage walls (I will do that myself) and relevelling the concrete flooring as it's a pain in the behind - clearly done by someone with very little knowledge (someone like me actually hahaha). Today I insulated my giantesque of an immersion tank in my boiler room. Like my house, I'm a work in progress.. I'm learning all the time which is why I find these forums invaluable and I'm soaking up so much information from the various skilled tradesmen who regularly post here (you guys are AMAZING and have no idea just how much you help people such as me, so thank you tremendously).

    Meh I should feel some kind of compassion for that fella, BUT.. given the misery people like him cause as a result of their personal greed and duplicity in passing themselves off as something they aren't, I can't. My sympathy lies with those who are conned by people like him.
     
    Nanook likes this.
  16. Nanook

    Nanook Active Member

    Love it!!!!!!!

    Like I said... boy I’m glad you’re back. Missed ya.
     
    JayCee2020 likes this.
  17. JayCee2020

    JayCee2020 Active Member

    You're a star, thank you for saying that, it's nice to be back! When I bought this place it was incredibly run down. The surveyor's report highlighted just a small percentage of the issues I later uncovered - that's because clearly they didn't have a clue what to look for in period properties! So for nearly two years I was focused on fully renovating from top to bottom, transforming it. I can do minor plumbing jobs - fix general leaks, sort out issues with p-traps, change washers, etc.. nothing that is too technical. I can even do minor repointing/flash banding jobs - I actually love doing those. I also have no issues with heights, so while I have scaffolding at the front/back, I'll get up to the 3rd floor to remove an external bracket which I think is allowing water to penetrate the brickwork so I'll patch render that.

    By the way, finally sorted out the skirting to my front hallway, it's smooth and I've repainted it so it's all glossy and shiny. Out of all the jobs I have to do with this place, painting is my nemesis, I HATE it! One thing I will say, there needs to be more apprenticeships for kids to learn these trades. I'd have loved for someone to take me under their wing and teach me the basics and beyond - I can't think of a more special and worthwhile connection. Imagine that legacy each craftsman is handing down and which will live on in future generations. ..
     
  18. Nanook

    Nanook Active Member

    Surveyors on the whole are s***. It’s money for old rope. Good friend’s bloke is one.

    Painting and prepping for painting is my forte. I’m not a professional as in I charge people for it... but ask mate if it’s causing you grief.

    Agree. There are amazing decorators on here who could easily set up apprenticeships but don’t.
     
    JayCee2020 likes this.
  19. Nanook

    Nanook Active Member

    I’ve actually asked and was met with ..... aka nothing.
     
  20. Astramax

    Astramax Super Member

    'Easily' is a word in the same category as 'Just' and 'If' along with 'Should have', 'Would have' and 'Could have'!
     

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