External wall blockwork - has my builder made a mess?

[Poiup]

If the wall is put back, it needs to be put back properly - tied in to the surrounding walls properly, the wall above packed properly, tied to the outer wall with steel ties, the cavity thoroughly cleaned out of all debris, and not a load more debris dropped in when he's rebuilding it!

About tying it to the outer wall, could he just not reuse the ties that are still hanging from the brick wall?

Also, should I set everything straight from the beginning and discuss about "who pays for this?" or should I wait until the whole bathroom renovation job is done?

 

[stuart45]

About tying it to the outer wall, could he just not reuse the ties that are still hanging from the brick wall?

Also, should I set everything straight from the beginning and discuss about "who pays for this?" or should I wait until the whole bathroom renovation job is done?

I would tell him that you aren't paying for that mess.

 

[johnny2007]

By any chance, did he arrive on a horse, followed by a jack russell called Rosie?

 

[^woody^]

About tying it to the outer wall, could he just not reuse the ties that are still hanging from the brick wall?

Yes if he did not cut them off already

 

[martygturner]

Those blocks are just lightweight and seem to have no structural purpose, other than tidy up the corner. Are you sure that the brick wall is the outer skin.

 

[Notch7]

View attachment 275352

was it a catflap?

 

[^woody^]

was it a catflap?

Looks like bifolds.

 

[Poiup]

Yes if he did not cut them off already

no they are still there. He will also use some sort of ties to link the new stretch of internal skin to the existing one.
In the end it's just a 40cm stretch in a recess angle so I don't know how significant this mess is. The wall does not bear weight in that area, however, I don't want to have problems in the future so I want to have it fixed back to how it was.

Those blocks are just lightweight and seem to have no structural purpose, other than tidy up the corner. Are you sure that the brick wall is the outer skin.

I'm 100% sure the brick wall is the external wall.
I've had a chat with him today and he's going to build the wall back. I had to insist quite a lot to have him agreeing to clear the rubble out of the cavity but he hasn't done it yet. I'm asking him to clear it, show me the result and then put the wall back.

 

[stuart45]

Those blocks are just lightweight and seem to have no structural purpose, other than tidy up the corner. Are you sure that the brick wall is the outer skin.

Looking at the photos I'd be confident that's an external wall. The short return is under the soffit, so not load bearing in that way, but is still giving some stability to the other walls, as well as being part of the cavity.

 

[stuart45]

no they are still there. He will also use some sort of ties to link the new stretch of internal skin to the existing one.
In the end it's just a 40cm stretch in a recess angle so I don't know how significant this mess is. The wall does not bear weight in that area, however, I don't want to have problems in the future so I want to have it fixed back to how it was.

I'm 100% sure the brick wall is the external wall.
I've had a chat with him today and he's going to build the wall back. I had to insist quite a lot to have him agreeing to clear the rubble out of the cavity but he hasn't done it yet. I'm asking him to clear it, show me the result and then put the wall back.

There may well be some further down the cavity, so you need a torch to look and see. Often on jobs they would use a length of batten to knock off the mortar from the ties down to below DPC.

 

[Poiup]

By any chance, did he arrive on a horse, followed by a jack russell called Rosie?

he's not a traveler, no

There may well be some further down the cavity, so you need a torch to look and see. Often on jobs they would use a length of batten to knock off the mortar from the ties down to below DPC.

Yeah that's pretty much what he's done.
He has cleared what could be cleared with a vacuum cleaner and by hand. The rest that could not be reached he has pushed down with a batten.
He has agreed to come back afterwards if there are damp problems to remove a few bricks at the base of the wall and clean the rest from there.

 

[stuart45]

Sounds like things are going well, and you will soon be back to where he came in. Any reason for needing a straight wall?