Is it worth making a fuss over?

[macadonald]

Hi guys,

Well the bricklayers started on thursday. Five of them for a small 3m out extension. Had to leave half way through the day and was amazed when I came home at 7 and they were still working. Prob 3/4 done in one day. All in all, it looks very good apart from a few minor things I needed to point out. Stupidly, in the alley, the air bricks are just below ground level, but that will be corrected. They haven't been back yet, but will come tomorrow to finish. I've found two problem that are grinding me and I could do with some advice.

Down the side of the house, they have not extended in a perfectly straight line from the existing wall.. If they'd have used string properly from the front of the house and beyond, it would have been obvious. Basically, over the 3m it is about 2-3 inches inside the line. This bugs me, as we will have a kitchen counter that will extend from the new wall through the old, so a difference in line, may cause issues. Saying this the old and new wall thickiness is different. They have finished this wall, so asking them to start again from foundation seems not to be worth it.

The second thing I have just noticed is the cavity thickness. I specified 90mm with 85mm dritherm. They have left anything from 100 - 110 mm cavity and in some places 120mm.

Not sure if I'm just being too fussy and in building this is an acceptable error. As frustrating as it is after all the hard work I put into the groundworks and everything else, is it worth refusing to pay the full price as the build wasn't to spec? In short I used rated people to get a few guys over to quote. These were mid cost at 950 squid to build the bricks and block work. I thought this was a good price and they clearly know what they are doing. Just not enough attention made to detail.

Thanks for any advice. I know some of you do/did this for a living, so keen to hear what you think. Painful client, or poor work.

 

[Deluks]

A job of that size should only need a couple of guys on it, and they would be done inside a week, easily.
I don't know what 'proper' tolerances should be, but I'd be huffy if it were out by more than about 10mm per metre.
Were they all chinese? or Indian, or 'travellers'? Not that it should matter.

 

[macadonald]

None of the above deluks, but from Europe. As you say, that shouldn't matter. I saw some of thir previous work and had references, which were good.

Certainly more than 30mm out over the three metres. More like 90 to 100. Simply, when they started on the furthest corner in question, it wasnt in the right place. Their work from there up is fine.

 

[^woody^]

I would expect walls to be built square and cavities to be even .... ie walls plumb. It really is not difficult, and accurate setting out is fundamental

 

[stuart45]

It does not sound that good to me. Can you put a few photos on so I can give you a better opinion. Pulling the line from existing is a pretty basic thing.

 

[macadonald]

Okay Stuart et all,

These pics were taken earlier when it was still light, and don't exactly show down the side of the house. It's the wall on the alley side that is slightly off plumb. As you will hopefully agree, the rest of the job looks decent to me.

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• macadonald
• 11 Nov 2012
• 1

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• macadonald
• 11 Nov 2012
• 1

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• macadonald
• 11 Nov 2012
• 1

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• macadonald
• 11 Nov 2012
• 1

 

[stuart45]

The job looks OK, although you can't go far wrong with rendered blockwork.
The guys are probably OK with the tools, but not so good with the setting out.
TBH if I was 3 inches out with the line of the wall from the existing I would expect the client to hand me the 14lb sledge.

 

[macadonald]

Thanks Stuart. To be honest, the more I.ve been thinking about it, the more I feel it should be redone. Just that one wall. Will put it forward to him in the morning.

 

[theoldun]

Price first. You have approx 600 semis in footings and excluding openings, but including gables approx 47m2 100 block. On price that is worth £1250 plus another £50 journey time to come back for gables. Total £1300. Two and one gang comfortable two and half days work.
If bricklayers had profiles to work to and building is running out of parallel or out of square then this is down to you, however bricklayers should have checked it first and if not correct then brought it to your attention before starting. If no profiles were provided, but it was made clear to bricklayers that responsibility for setting out was down to them, then it was their fault, plus lack of supervision on your part. Proving it was their fault would be another story. Sub contract bricklayers are there to lay brick not contract management. Tolerance for plumb in vertical wall 2.5 high is 8mm. Any thing over this is not acceptable..
In passing, with 80mm dritherm, you will not achieve current u values unless the K value of external blocks are 0.15W/mK or lower and K value of internal blocks are 0.11W/m2K. If corner is that much out as you say, you will have fun and games fitting units, work tops and roof verges. If you want unit and work top under window, then you need 1.050 deep window and not 1200.
Brick and block as a whole looks reasonable, but then again the time they are taking, so it should.
Regards oldun

 

[macadonald]

All,

Thanks for the advice, just what I needed. At one stage I went back outside at 21:30 last night to double check measurements and it was about 55mm out of line over 3m. My concern wasn't on the outside, as this can be mended with thicker render, the concern is the knock on effect inside with units, counters and flooring lines looking odd.

Similarly, I thought, is it worth makinf a fuss of 15-20mm difference in cavity width to what I specified.

Suprisingly, brickie arrived this morning, I raised the issues, to which he looked a bit embarrassed about and couldn't dispute. He then had a go at his labour in local language and agreed to basically start again. He will rebuild the brick work and blocks down the alley where the line is not straight, and on the front wall he is taking the blocks down and rebuilding with correct cavity.

Feel much better about it now. Cavity wasn't such a concern, but the wall not being in line was..

 

[^woody^]

Respect to them for doing it with no argument. That's what good builders do

 

[gregers]

yes agreed perhaps big them up once finished and your happy.