New build brick work

craigmmorq4

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/mw0t8aznhmgbyby/lvhPaeZSxs


Hi all

What do people think of my new build house brickwork?

I think they have used different batches of bricks, different colour mortar.

Doesn't look good.

The house builder are saying there's no problem with it!

Jonesya

I suppose it is still new, it might weather back to a consistent colour?

Failing that, google 'brick tinting', found this when I was looking at a house with a badly matched extension. Didn't buy the house so don't know how effective it is.

jcb208

Bricks are different batch,unusual for mortar do be different as this is almost always pre mix which is stored in a silo and mixed with water as required .Looks like the bottom lift has got wet which makes the mortar bloom (go whiter) this should weather in but the bricks will not completly

southcoastrgi

hence you should mix the brick pallets up, but on a new build that's never gonna happen

Mr_Ted

It looks to me like its been deliberately done as esthetic banding and with highlight courses

Would be better to judge with a full face on picture so there are no shadows, but there are certainly 2 feature courses, it would appear?

keystone

Well I think the side elevation looks carp. Do the architects drawings show what Ted is talking about?

Bit late though as its all up. Builder ain't going to change it now. You might get the mortar raked out and it repointed at the very best and it will probably look a lot better for it. But I guess you'll have a fight on your hands to get it done.

Cheers

System

how big is the plot and where is the approach - if it's part of a development you're probably not going to ever get a view of it (unless plot sizes have increased lately)
but agree, that looks like it was done on a Friday afternoon/Monday morning! the mortar makes it look 10x worse I'd be asking for a repointing job on that - assuming it hasn't been signed off yet, so there is still snagging to be done?

cyclonebri1

Well, you wouldn't buy that one by choice, I'd be pretty [Removed by Forum Team].

As above, motar will all weather, I'doubt the bricks ever will, they are form a different production batch.

You will be looking at the difference for as long as you live there, as to what you can do?, keep playing up and see where it gets you.

Furts

The caveat is I cannot see the complete house.

It appears as if you have damp bricks on the rear elevation returning for a distance of 338mm along the side elevation. This could be due to driving rain or because the guttering had not been fitted to the main roof. The situation is not helped by the poor detailing with the roof overhang. All walls should be protected from rain entering from the top. This is why most houses, if built to accepted practice, have an overhang of say 200-250mm - which yours does not.

System

you can see there is no downpipe fitted to the return of the gutter so obviously there are damp bricks at the rear but it doesn't make any difference to the op's query of the bricks all along the rest of the side elevation.
And please enlighten us as to the "accepted practice" for roof overhangs - I've seen literally hundreds of ways of detailing this and where does the 200-250mm dimension come from?

Furts

the_r_sole wrote: »

you can see there is no downpipe fitted to the return of the gutter so obviously there are damp bricks at the rear but it doesn't make any difference to the op's query of the bricks all along the rest of the side elevation.
And please enlighten us as to the "accepted practice" for roof overhangs - I've seen literally hundreds of ways of detailing this and where does the 200-250mm dimension come from?

If you look again at the picture my 338mm refers to above first floor. Nobody, except OP, knows if there is guttering fitted at the eaves level.

Accepted practice includes NHBC Technical Standards, Hanson brick Technical Department etc. The fact that you have seen many walls built like this does not mean they are built correctly. In many instances they are built cheaply, others are built with ignorance and a lack of skills and training.

I am referring to fundamental principles of brickwork!