Has my neighbour been duped?

[John D v2.0]

Pressure washing walls? I'd not be doing that, it falls into the same category as pressure washing roofs for me. Although I'm not even someone who'd pressure wash block paving but I know many people do it with no issues.

 

[Nige F]

erm......that is what I ment by.....landscaping......

There's landscaping, hard landscaping and Well Hard Landscaping followed by a drive to the cashpoint

 

[HERTS P&D]

Well Ard, wasn't he on Eastenders?

Andy

 

[dishman]

Well, to their credit, they seem to be doing a competant job with the driveway.

It is just this pressure washer stuff that concerns me. My neighbour said it was not just a pressure was but a stong acid based wash.

For your interest, here are some images.

View media item 99629
That is a rough before, it is from my wall but gives an impression of the brickwork glaze before hand. Their existing pointing was in better condition than that.

And this is after their pressure/acid wash and pointing rake:
(you can see the bricks now have a matt look, like they have lost their glaze)

View media item 99634View media item 99635:View media item 99628
And then post re-pointing but not cleaned down....obviously

View media item 99631View media item 99633
Is it possible that the new mortar will be too hard for that type/age of brick?

 

[John D v2.0]

Well, it looks OK to me, I think if he's happy with the cosmetic side there won't be any long term complications.
Just seems a bit unnecessary to me.

 

[stuart45]

It didn't need an acid wash to start with.

 

[Newboy]

The bricks faces looks dreadful, the old mortar wasn't raked out anywhere deep enough and the pointing looks to be too strong.

 

[dishman]

At least it is not the horror that this forum user suffered:

https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/help-builder-has-sanded-face-of-bricks-on-front-of-house.385677/

That was my initial fear. It is not as bad as that...at least.

 

[noseall]

It looks 'acceptable'.
I'm a bricklayer and I consider myself to be one of the best slab layers in the county.
Ho hum.

 

[seasickstevie]

I would guess that as the brick face has lost the glaze (which is a shame), the excess mortar is going to prove even more difficult to shift.


... and that's something I'd have difficulty living with.

 

[stuart45]

The before looked better than the after.