AM I right to personally condemn my brick layer's work?

ritesh

I had a brick layer in over the weekend to do the internal blockwork for the conversion of my three garages into a garden office.

SO the plan is to create a cavity wall with 65mm gap and 50mm insulation and using 100mm blockwork.

He was laying a good bed of mortar but I noticed early on that he was not buttering up the sides so leaving visible gaps in the vertical joints. I spoke to him about this but he said that it will be ok as it will provide a good key for the hardwall and finishing plaster. Really??!!

Later I noticed that some of the remedial cavity wall starter ties (the ones you screw into the wall) were not fixed in properly and could easily be pulled out. Finally on the existing wall where there is a small pier and for which I left a 15 mm gap (to avoid cold bridging) he had packed it behind with mortar mix.

He has already laid five courses and do not want him to do anymore. Personally to me this looks like very poor work so am I right to pull him off the job?

Oh, I also noticed that there are gaps in the DPC and those which are overlapping are not bonded together.

I would like to see what others think of this kind of work.

London50

AM I right to personally condemn my brick layer's work?

Why not?? at the end of the day YOU are paying for work to be done, if you are not happy with the work tell your bricklayer to either do the job to your satisfaction or to leave it and then get someone else to do the work.
Did you get any views or reports of other jobs that he had done? that IMO is one of the first things I would do and I would also check with these people to see if they were happy with the finished job. I am not saying that your one is but there are many horror stories of workmen that their standard of work is suspect to put it mildly and the cost to then sort it out can cost far more than what was first paid out.
As I said if you are not happy only you can deal with it and if I were in your place I would have him {if needed} pull the whole lot down and start again or if not just pay him for what he had done and say goodbye.

tony6403

Does the work not require consent under Building Regs?
If it does the inspector might have something to say.

ritesh

Yes it does and I have notified building control. So far they have been pleased with the works. The blockwork has only just begun and personally I am not happy with the quality of work so want to nip it in the bud now if it is not right. However you raise a good point in that I should ask BC to check the blockwork before any further work continues.

Also, I agree with London50 and go with my gut instinct and inform them that this is not the level of quality I expect.

Right, a stern chat with the brick layer (suposedly) tomorrow!