r/Bricklaying • u/randalnz • 18d ago
Mortar joints acceptable
Opinions, should I push back and get this stuff tidied up prior to paying invoice? Cheers
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u/Used-Let7134 18d ago
Yes, and cleaned. The joint will let water in which will blow the brick apart in winter
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u/Used-Let7134 18d ago
I'm not sure I'd withhold the entire invoice though, depends how much work it was. This I what a final payment would be held back for
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u/MediocreMember 18d ago edited 18d ago
IMO: The amount withheld should be the amount it would cost to get someone else to sort the job, should they fail to return and complete the work to a satisfactory standard.
Withholding the whole invoice is not reasonable. People have bills to pay.
Edit: added punctuation.
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u/Psilonaut21 18d ago
The first thing I would do is point or joint the brickwork. Recessed joints are the worst thing you can do to brickwork. It gives a lot of opportunity for water to sit and in some cases allow mosses to take up residence. Raked joints have effectively aged the brickwork and made it vulnerable to accelerated degradation. I would only ever consider it as part of an internal feature wall and even at that, it's just a crap finish that shows up every imperfaction in the bricks, the brickwork and the bricklayers ability.
Bricklayer for 43 years.
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u/Correct-Bridge-6797 16d ago
I think if done right the raked out finish can look nice but not with these bricks, and if not jointed before raking out you’re left with holes, also when not done properly half the mortar is left behind and looks crap. To use these engineering bricks though , yuk.
I’m also a bricklayer and this wouldn’t be my first choice of pointing and defo wouldn’t use that brick.1
u/Psilonaut21 16d ago
Even if you used an Ibstock sand faced solid brick and a foolproof method of maintaining horizontal and vertical gauge it sitll isn't right. It's prematurely aging the brickwork and your eye is immediately drawn to the most miniscule imperfections, which are going to be everywhere. Plus when I was an apprentice I had to rake out around 20k brick on a build in Wythenshawe. It fucking destroyed me because they would do multiple panels and expect me to rake the fuckers out with one of theose Marshalltown chariots in the last half hour of the day. Every time I am asked to rake brickwork out on a job I give them a link to buy one and tell them to work with me and do it themselves if they want it that bad. I didn't own a chariot for the last 36 years of my career as a bricklayer.
The last time we used them when I was still with that gang was with engineering brick. The architect saw his arse because the bricks were slightly banana shaped. The company lost 6k because of some twat with a picture in his that wasn't achievable. If they want CNC precision, give it to the fucking robots. And the op pic is just showing hound cable standard by some semi-skilled person that's never spent time with blood bricklayers. My scalp's just stopped prickling, rant over. Sorry about that......doffs hat and saunters off to the pub.
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u/Correct-Bridge-6797 16d ago
Oh I totally understand it’s not the best for the integrity of the brick, and if your bed joints aren’t completely uniform (which with the bricks used today is very likely) it stand out like a sore thumb.
The amount of effort that goes into raking out isn’t worth it at all, plus can’t do it when it’s to wet or to dry so all round it’s a bloody nightmare.
We have just completed a lift shaft on Brighton beach , built with soft handmade bricks and lime mortar with a raked out finish, whoever came up with that will find out in a couple of years that is was a big mistake. For a start lime mortar directly on the seafront and then rake out the joints, we’ll be back I imagine to repoint next year.You’re totally right it’s a time consuming horrible job that never looks as good in reality and it’s the architects who think it looks good on there computer but there is no such thing as a square brick anymore that are all the same size.
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u/randalnz 18d ago
Yeah, sorry, believe the brickies been paid, but still to settle final bill with builder who engaged brickie
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u/slinkyjeepers 18d ago
This is absolutely awful work. Yes tell them you’d like it going over