Bad Brick install?

[kodak]

Please view the attached pictures of our new construction "dream home". I am wondering if this would be considered good workmanship?

S

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/sfelske2/albums

[David P. Valley]

I see several unlevel areas, some chipped corners and an excessive bed of mortar laid in several areas.

I guess the installer never heard of a four-foot level or string. Ayyy?

I agree, Shoddy workmanship....

[Marcel R. Cyr]

Man, I would be all day making comments on this type of workmanship.
Too many to comment on.

Marcel

[lewens]

Too many brick layers have forgotten how to use a story board. I have seen as much as 1/2 a brick having to be made up at the final corner.
Larry

[Barry Adair]

Dreams turn into nightmares when Professional Inspectors are not hired at the beginning of a project such as this to do phase inspections.

One can only imagine what is not visible to the everyday Jane or Joe and possibly wrong with this house.

Hire an inspector to investigate and document. You do not have to accept what is unacceptable.

Depending on locale expect fees $100.00-$200.00 per hour depending on depth of inspection and other considerations. Check your Inspectors credentials and references.

Because of my phase findings, I have a family living in a hotel with their furnishings in storage while the builder gets his act together and the house acceptable to current standards and them. Closing was supposed to have taken place July 28.

Yes, the builder is footing the bill on the house, storage, accommodations, and their inconvenience to a point. This does not lessen their frustration and disorientation of day to day plans.

My client has requested the name of our attorneys to seek counsel in this matter.

[lewens]

I know, here it comes, what is a story board?
Larry

[Marcel R. Cyr]

You probably guessed it Larry.
It is a story pole, but usually consist of a 1x3 strapping, so actually, you are correct in saying it is a board. ha. ha.

Marcel

[kodak]

Yes, we did get a certified inspector to look at this after the fact. He did find some other things wrong with the house, and so he wrote up a report that included his comments on the brick.

Our builder told us they don't look at inspector reports.

They did try having the mason redo some of the walls. But then he told them he couldn't do any better. Since then the builder has offered to tear down all the brick and supply us with new brick. But we would be required to pay for the installation.

We refused and asked them to adhere to the contract a provide us with correctly installed brick. They refused.

Since there are some other things wrong and they completely botched the siding (done after the inspectors report), Im afraid we will be heading to court (arbitration). There is about 25k worth of repairs I estimate.

I am trying to find someone who can measure the standards they agreed to use in our contract. I tried to get help from the local hba who suggested I "swallow hard and plant some bushes".

I'm getting the feeling that since this is a nation-wide builder and the pockets run deep, coupled with some unethical management and other business relations, we are probably going to come out the losers on this one.

Thanks for taking the time to look at the pictures and comment.

S

[Larry D. Kage]

Originally Posted by kodak

I am trying to find someone who can measure the standards they agreed to use in our contract. I tried to get help from the local hba who suggested I "swallow hard and plant some bushes".

Try this book put out by the National Association of Home Builders:

http://store.builderbooks.com/cgi-bin/builderbooks/620

[Marcel R. Cyr]

Larry K.

I think that this usefull information would be could for both the HomeOwner and the HI.

Good resource.

Marcel

[kodak]

Thank you for the resource, we have gotten it from the library.

S

[lewens]

Marcel
Just semantics my friend.
Larry