Brickies! Am I being ripped off?

[catlad]

I am wondering who established the boundary line
as you appear to have half of next doors brick
arch in your pointing! Have you asked them if they
are happy with the standard of pointing?

 

[23vc]

It’s almost like he stopped short of brushing it down after, the weather struck pointing doesn’t look that bad to me, seen far far worse. Just looks like a few snots that could have been cut off with the trowel or brushed off when it was firmed up a bit?
If I’d had that finish done on a house like that, for that price I wouldn’t be too put out, it’s a better look than bucket handle finish on those old bricks. That’s just me tho.

 

[Notch7]

I have seen better and I have seen worse

I was thinking the same TBH.

I think the colour of the mortar is ok. I cant see a lime mix or lime putty looking right. The section below the window is quite white, over the whole area it would look wrong....def wouldnt match the neighbours.

 

[^woody^]

However this man has used concrete-based mortar, which I have now been told is not the best for Victorian houses?

You've been told wrong.

That house probably has cement mortar as built, not lime. Do you know that it is lime?

It also looks like most of that staining was due to the previous render and not the bricklayer's pointing.

The pointing is a bit crap, but not the worst you could get. It looks quite strong and if it was raked out fairly deeply, then it will last.

The problem with acid cleaning is that it tends to be used too strong and then eats away at the new mortar. Also after cleaning the bricks will be nice and bright and will show the bad pointing up even more.

If the bricklayer can guarantee a weak mix of acid, and will wet the wall first and wash off after wards then that's an option. Then see what its like and whether it needs toning down with a soot wash.

 

[Adsy83]

You've been told wrong.

That house probably has cement mortar as built, not lime. Do you know that it is lime?

.

What makes you say this. It's a victorian property. Cement wasn't used widely in building until 1930. I'm 99% sure it should be lime pointing.

 

[^woody^]

What makes you say this. It's a victorian property. Cement wasn't used widely in building until 1930. I'm 99% sure it should be lime pointing.

This could be the 1%. Cement was very commonly used in that type of property.

 

[stuart45]

Close ups of the rough edge finish I’m talking about - is this acceptable?

Although it's not the best work, weather struck is never as neat as weather struck and cut, which is done with a straight edge and frenchman giving a much neater look to the work. It does cost a bit more though.

 

[^woody^]

No cut and struck after Brexit then

 

[geraldthehamster]

Why?
That façade was never going to win brickwork of the year award in any case, especially considering how it looked prior to it being raked out.

Why? I'm surprised at you. Because it's a mess. The "brickie" acknowledged it was a mess by suggesting the customer should leave it for three weeks then finish it with brick acid. Do you think it's acceptable that a pointing job should need brick acid to make it acceptable, or that the customer should be expected to do it?

 

[ahalton]

I tend to agree, even if it was an ‘ugly duckling’ to begin with it shouldn’t make shoddy work acceptable?
Referring back to the facelift analogy, that would be like a surgeon purposely botching the job, because the ‘patient’ was not good-looking in a classical sense.
Feel like I need to defend my little house haha

 

[ahalton]

Also no idea what the previous pointing was, the house was built in 1880, it’s in the Lancashire area near to a canal. The mortar before was quite flaky. Still have to dig out new foundations at the back for an extension, so it will be interesting to see what the existing house is sat on...probably not much!!

 

[Ian H]

I like it, the house and the pointing, it's quite rustic/industrial and I think it suits.

 

[noseall]

it's a mess.

Correct. It was horrendous when the homeowner removed the render. It needed acid cleaning at that stage. The pointing is ok/acceptable.
How did you imagine it would look when that God awful fish scales, dark (dyed) render was removed.
The biggest crime was not cleaning the brickwork properly BEFORE the pointing fella arrived.

 

[geraldthehamster]

There's mortar hanging down over the tops of bricks, and over perps, in curtains! Sheesh.

 

[ahalton]

Thanks for the kind and unkind comments guys it’s giving me perspective, at least.
The front was brick acid-ed after the god-awful render was removed, twice. Also a labourer spent the best part of a day using a grinder with an abrasive flap disc/sandpaper to remove the most stubborn remains of concrete render. Then it was brick acid-ed again, then it was raked out, then it was jet-washed. See pics immediately after render taken off, to after it being jet washed ready for repointing.
It’s got ‘character’