Large impact joints in the shell construction still within acceptance or defect?

2020-12-14 11:59:24

Hello everyone,

in our house construction project through a general contractor, the shell builder was changed. After the old shell builder worked very neatly, he was now replaced due to the work pace (4 months for the construction of the basement).

The new shell builder now works extremely fast, but in my opinion also very untidily. Above all, I noticed the very large joint gaps. Therefore, the question to the professionals - Are the gaps in the masonry still within the norm or even normal - or should we address/complain about the whole thing directly to the shell builder or general contractor while the damage is not yet too severe.

Here are a few side infos:
- It is a terraced house
- Masonry is done with 36.5 cm Poroton bricks.

If I have forgotten important information, please ask.

Thanks in advance for your assessment and support.

2020-12-14 12:22:22

Absolutely unacceptable. Summon the construction manager/GC to the site immediately (see attachment).

2020-12-14 12:50:42

After the old shell builder worked very neatly, he has now been replaced due to the work speed (4 months for the construction of the basement).

First: by whom?; and second: that's still significantly faster than it will continue now – because: these apprentice jokes need to be torn down and the clown immediately expelled from the construction site. Did the old subcontractor possibly work as fast as he was paid?

Absolutely unacceptable. Quickly summon the construction manager/GC to the site (see attachment).

I couldn’t have said it better.

Above all, I noticed the very large butt joints. Therefore the question to the professionals – are the gaps in the masonry still within the norm or even normal – or should we address/complain about the whole thing directly with the shell builder or general contractor while the damage is still not that big?

Defect notice, in writing, with stop-work order and deadline for remediation. If there are bad workmanship pockets – which can be avoided with good planning – then these must firstly be minimized and secondly mortared, i.e., closed with mortar during the masonry work and not filled with mortar afterward. The interlocking of the butt joints is an essential part of the masonry concept with normally mortar-free butt joints. Bad workmanship pockets must also be sealed with suitable mortar (this is not automatically, and even rather rarely, the same mortar used for the bed joints of the plan stones). So a very, very big ouch. And – as I emphasized a few weeks ago, the video tutorials for processing the plan stone systems are demonstrated so idiot-proof with foreign language voice commentary that even I, as an absolute office person, would not be able to do such exemplary wrong work. The guy is by no means professionally qualified to do his job.
Do you actually know the thread by ? – because this also smells very much like masonry butcher *LOL*

2020-12-14 13:08:41

Absolutely unacceptable. Quickly summon the site manager/GC to the construction site (see attachment).

Thank you very much

First: by whom?; and secondly: this is certainly much faster than what will happen now – because: these apprentice jokes need to be torn down and the clown immediately expelled from the construction site. Maybe the old subcontractor worked as fast as he was paid?

I couldn’t have said it any better.

Deficiency notice, in writing, with a work stoppage and a deadline for rectification. If there are botched pockets – which can be avoided with good planning and at our site – then these must first be minimized and secondly filled with mortar, i.e. closed during the masonry work with mortar and not afterwards plastered over with mortar. The interlocking of the butt joints is mandatorily part of the concept of masonry with regularly mortar-free butt joints. Botched pockets also need to be closed with appropriate mortar (this is not automatically and quite rarely the same one that is used for the bed joints of the plan bricks). So very, very bad. And – as I already emphasized a few weeks ago, the video tutorials for processing the plan brick systems are so idiot-proof demonstrated even with foreign-language audio commentary that even I, as an absolute office worker, would not be able to do it this faultily. The guy is by no means professionally capable of doing his job.
Do you actually know the thread from ? – because this smells a lot like butchering brickwork *LOL*

Thanks a lot here, too.

The old subcontractor was replaced by the GC. We had no influence on this.

I will have a look at the thread from later.

Now I will talk to the rough builder later and then send a deficiency notice to the GC.

2020-12-22 17:01:10

Hello everyone,

I wanted to briefly report here what has become of our complaint.

The shell builder refers to the processing instructions of the brick manufacturer. In them it says:

Gap closure for butt joints 15–50 mm Butt joints up to 20 mm can be mortared with insulating lightweight mortar (maxit Therm 825). Important: When plastering the masonry later, the mortar joints must be completely dry. Wide butt joints (40 – 50 mm), which are mortared in this way, should be avoided, but are tolerated occasionally.

Since we actually have no joints over 5 cm (the joints are between 3.5 and 4.8 cm), both the shell builder and the general contractor have refused liability.

2020-12-22 18:23:47

Well, it is what it is, but that's not nice.

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Large impact joints in the shell construction still within acceptance or defect?

Kishihmen

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Kishihmen

Kishihmen

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