Is it ok to use bonding plaster to lay bricks ?

[SpencerFrank]

Is it OK to use bonding plaster to make-good brickwork ?

I am having a kitchen fitted by a Wren kitchen fitter and he has removed about 8 bricks from the brickwork that is the left side of a patio door opening. The brickwork is about 2.5-3 bricks width from the outside wall. He has removed the bricks to sort out some plumbing (rerouting the cold main copper from the rising main that was (incredibly) encased in the old plaster/brickwork (1920's build).

I was surprised to see that after the plumbing was completed the fitter was rebuilding the wall (the hole is about a foot off the floor) using bonding plaster (used presumably because the plasterer is in, and hot on his heels of the fitter and working on another part of the room. The plasterer needs to slim the area of brickwork that has been repaired, later today.

The fitter has assured me that it is ok to use the bonding/basecoat plaster instead of mortar for re-setting the bricks, but I have my doubts and would be interested in what the forum members have to say.

Thanks

 

[mattylad]

He said WHAT????

That's because he is a fitter and not a bricky.

I suspect that it will not have the same adhesion nor strength properties.

 

[gregers]

THATS GOT TO BE A APRIL FOOLS JOKE SURELY????????

 

[HalifaxRoofer]

Most definitely not...

Has this person ever appeared on Rogue Traders? Might be worth looking into!

Mortar is mixed using sand and cement for a reason - because that's what mortar is made from, nothing else. He might aswell be telling you that you can render the house with multi-finish plaster

There's most probably one reason for this - he didn't have the materials with him, couldn't be bothered to go and spend £1.30 on a bag of sand and £4.50 on a bag of cement to do the job properly, and used whatever was to hand. Even that pre-mixed mortar in a little bag from Wilkinsons would of done.

Can't believe I've just read this lol.