Builders (or anyone .. what is this?!

dodgy

Hi,

We're looking at a new property, and all the properties on the development appear to have vertical lines of rubber sealant running up and down them. This is on both the stone effect houses as well as standard red brick ones.

Does anyone know why it would be? Expansion? Insulation? New regs?

The house is standard construction and not built in panels or something odd, so they aren't "joins" as such.

Picture here: http://chri5.net/Dsc00811.jpg

Thanks

Imp

It could easily be an expansion joint. You need them every 5-6m in masonary/stone buildings. If it was a good architect/builder who designed/built the building then he would have used the drain pipe to hide the joint. On the bright side, at least it is the same colour as the blocks.

dodgy

Thanks, I guess that they probably are expansion joints. I've asked the builder so will see. Some houses have the drainpipe masking them, however these properties don't - but the joins are on the side of the house rather than the front or back which makes it all look pretty okay.

There are piles of the bricks around, so I don't think it's built in panels unless they are pulling some serious cover up :-)

Out of interest, why do properties have these now? Our current property doesn't. On this site even the standard brick houses had them (with red 'rubber' grout stuff).

weeg

Movement joints do what they say. They stop the walls cracking. There are ways of detailing them that can make them less obvious.