Crumbling brickwork

Ianb281

I am keen to establish as a consumer whether my Statutory Rights extend to my Property. Having purchased my house from new back in June 2009 I have not been able to get the builders or the NHBC to rectify crumbling brickwork that tops the wall at the front of my property.

I have been fobbed off by the builders on numerous occasions who have passed me from pillar to post.

Do the principles of Satisfactory Quality, Fit for purpose and last a Reasonable length of Time hold good when related to house bricks.

I am of the opinion that a house brick ought to last for a good 50 years or more and not crumble in your hand after only 7 years.

Loanranger

Is this a garden wall you are talking about?
Does it not have a coping stone top to it?

wealdroam

Ianb281 wrote: »

I am keen to establish as a consumer whether my Statutory Rights extend to my Property.

Yes, your statutory rights apply.

Ianb281 wrote: »

Do the principles of Satisfactory Quality, Fit for purpose and last a Reasonable length of Time hold good when related to house bricks.

Yes, those principles apply.
But there are time limits.

You have six years from the purchase date to seek a remedy from whoever sold the wall to you.

Ianb281 wrote: »

I am of the opinion that a house brick ought to last for a good 50 years or more and not crumble in your hand after only 7 years.

You are right.
However, generally, house bricks are not waterproof nor frost proof.
They need protection, as suggested above, by a coping stone or something similar.

teamgb

It sounds like the Builder as topped off the wall with a brick on end. Many bricks are not suitable for this.


You need to find out the name and make of the bricks used, you can then contact the manufacturer and ask for an information sheet and if the brick is in fact suitable for this purpose. I suspect the answer will be negative.


When you have this information you will be in a better position to confront the Builder.


It may be possible to ask your local Builders Merchant to identify the brick, this is a service I used to provide before retirement for people planning building work.


I would agree with others that a suitable coping should have been used, but even this does not always work with certain bricks and design of free standing walls which can be attacked from all sides by the weather.

Ianb281

Many thanks to all those who have replied. The bricks used are Class B Engineering Bricks supplied to Persimmon by Hanson Bricks. They have simply been cemented in to place side by side on top of a standard brick wall construction.

Whilst the property was purchased back in 2009 the fault did not materialise until sometime after April 2011. Is it six years from date of purchase or 6 years from the date the fault first became evident. The fault was reported to the builders but they declined to rectify the problem claiming that the warranty on the bricks had expired,

Would be grateful if anyone has any further guidance.

wealdroam

Are you in Scotland, or elsewhere in the UK?

hollydays

This may help
http://www.snagging.org