Laying bricks in a pool of water ... is this OK?

[nomisr]

Hi,

I'm having an extension built and it's poured with rain over the past couple of days. The builders have laid the oversite concrete on Visqueen and made a good start on the walls. But what keeps the damp out also keeps the rainwater in. So the "floor" is under about an inch of water. To make things worse, they spread sand over the concrete to prevent excess mortar from sticking when they build the walls.

I came home tonight to find that they have laid a couple of courses of bricks where the internal walls will be. I know concrete / mortar will cure under water, but is this good practice, or are they just rushing because "time is money"?

Should I ask them to rip this up and wait for better weather?

Cheers,
Nomis

Untitled

• nomisr
• 23 May 2014
• 1

 

[tony1851]

What is of more concern is the question of what the bricks will be supporting?
If they are going to be load-bearing walls, should they really be supported direct off the slab - or is there a footing below?

 

[nomisr]

It's a single storey extension with a mansard roof. The roof trusses run perpendicular to the long internal wall, so some of the loading will inevitably be taken by that wall. There is no strip footing below, but the concrete slab is thicker there. The nominal thickness of the slab is 125mm, increasing to 175mm under the internal walls.

The 2 courses of bricks in the photo bring the wall to DPC. From there up it will be Thermalite block.

 

[noseall]

No probs with standing water.
That muck will set like bell metal.