Advice needed for poorly finished brickwork and beam installation.

[fandyman]

They came through a recommendation from a client few streets down from us. We looked at their job there and it was very well done.

 

[dormermike]

Feel for you OP. Hope you get it sorted without too much pain.

 

[fandyman]

We are still in the same place - really hard to find anyone to quote on fixing this and the door installation company say we should fix the beam first otherwise it would be difficult to install it correctly. We originally paid 1000+VAT and the builder has agreed to refund £960 in total. I suppose there is no point taking him to small claims court for £250.

Strange thing is building control approved it though and I wonder whether I should go back to them and check if it is actually safe the way it is.

Everyone that says he will come to quote us is either not showing up or showing up and not producing quotes. we got 7 ppl contacted and only 2 quotes from it and both ppl did not want to write a contract for works nor did they want to present liability insurance. Then they finally were asking for 50% upfront which is again asking for trouble.

We are still in limbo and I lost trust in ppl.

 

[23vc]

Could be a lot worse to be fair, you’re hardly out of pocket.
I’d be tempted to try and stir up why the building inspector signed that off (for his mate) but probably pointless

 

[fandyman]

Yeah hardly out of pocket but the builder knows he screwed big time and probably try to cut damages by offering me sth difficult to reject.

On the other hand from the 2 quotes I received both were much higher than the work we paid so I may need to accept he was a substandard cheap service and move on.

There is a new problem now that of all the quotes that came in everyone insists the beam should be an L profile not an I. They claim it will be much more expensive to do it properly with an I beam and partly the reason is on the below photo.

There is almost no brick support above the beam and just a bed of mortar which they refuse to install professionally. For some reason unknown to me the structural engineer has provided this I profile instead of L.

That would cause another application to building control if I contacted them I suppose or another fee with structural engineer unless I went back to him and asked for an L profile.

 

[fandyman]

Could be a lot worse to be fair, you’re hardly out of pocket.
I’d be tempted to try and stir up why the building inspector signed that off (for his mate) but probably pointless

I took independent building control inspection from the council so it was not a private approved one from the builders themselves (they were not mates). I took all the steps to ensure no ****ups and I got one anyway.

 

[cdbe]

Assuming no cracking it's probably structurally ok. Have you considered a bit of render in the style of a mock stone lintel?

This is a real one as although I've seen a fair few (common trick to cover messy lintel replacement) I couldn't find a picture.

You could pack out below the steel with timber covered with cement board to level it and lower it to match the internal lintel height - you might need to avoid top hung doors to be on the safe side.

 

[fandyman]

Thanks cdbe. While it may work in some situations in ours it would draw attention even more and we just want a proper blend in finish as the rest of the house.

 

[fandyman]

Would you know if that steel could be not galvanised as one builder who was visiting for quote today pointed out the external steel has to be galvanised and this one is not (specs had galvanised steel).

According to him the steel should be silver not red like on the photos above.

 

[cdbe]

I don't know why you have that steel, unless hanging bifold doors from it? An off the shelf single leaf lintel would normally be used - galvanised and no SE needed.

 

[23vc]

Thought the requirement could be met by painting it rather than it being galvanised

 

[fandyman]

I don't know why you have that steel, unless hanging bifold doors from it? An off the shelf single leaf lintel would normally be used - galvanised and no SE needed.

I can only think the structural engineer specced it to add strength (and to cover his back) as otherwise I am not sure why (the doors to be installed are sliding doors).

He pointed out the steel to be galvanised in his calcs and this has not been done by the builder. I've just been on a call with him and he says the steel needs protecting 100% so another thing to add to this misery...

Any ideas how to protect a Red Oxide primed steel that is already installed? Is painting the above section up to the window (the 1st floor window is same width as the steel and directly above it at about 1.5m so that gives a 2.4m x 1.5m section of the wall to protect) with Storm Dry the only option as I am not planning to render this section.

With Storm Dry I suspect I can remove the weepholes and mortart it all up. WDYT?

Otherwise I would have to lower them by about 40mm like on the attached photo below so that the are as close to DPC as possible (new position of weepholes marked in red).

Not sure, however, I would be able to do that as the section of bricks above soldier is placed on a thick bed of mortar so I doubt the water would be able to escape even if I position the weepholes correctly. WDYT? I am also risking drilling through the DPC itself...

Finally, I am not sure if by drilling through the mortar joints to create spaces for new weepholes I am not accidently going to cause cracking in these sections. WDYT?

I am also aware it would look quiet ****e and may draw attention but if it protects steel in a better way then I can compromise I suppose.

 

[fandyman]

Thought the requirement could be met by painting it rather than it being galvanised

I cannot paint it in the section where it has the brickwork installed in the web correct? I could still do the paitning on the lower flange and underside I suppose + the Storm Dry on the brickwork above - that's the best I can think of hmm...

Thoughts?

 

[23vc]

I meant given it’s already red, I assumed it’s been painted as opposed to bare, and is ok.

 

[fandyman]

I meant given it’s already red, I assumed it’s been painted as opposed to bare, and is ok.

What I meant by painting is cold galvanising it. It is Red Oxide yes so it is primed but if the beam is to be used on an external wall it apparently needs to be galvanised (not only Red Oxide) to meet the requirements.