I've got a lower corner of my house and the corner of a nearby garage
suffering from dissolving mortar. Because they are separate buildings I
can't work out what it could be - rain water blowing into the
brick/poor guttering or a mains leak underneath the house...it's a
newish house still under 10yr house builders guarantee - just- perhaps
it's just crap mortar!

Any ideas on what would be the best way forward? Is this a job for a
surveyer?

wrote:
I've got a lower corner of my house and the corner of a nearby garage
suffering from dissolving mortar. Because they are separate buildings I
can't work out what it could be - rain water blowing into the
brick/poor guttering or a mains leak underneath the house...it's a
newish house still under 10yr house builders guarantee - just- perhaps
it's just crap mortar!

Any ideas on what would be the best way forward? Is this a job for a
surveyer?

repoint

NT

On 22 May 2006 02:51:27 -0700, wrote:

wrote:
I've got a lower corner of my house and the corner of a nearby garage
suffering from dissolving mortar. Because they are separate buildings I
can't work out what it could be - rain water blowing into the
brick/poor guttering or a mains leak underneath the house...it's a
newish house still under 10yr house builders guarantee - just- perhaps
it's just crap mortar!

Yes sounds like crap mortar. as though it never set properly on day 1.
Maybe it dried out before setting, maybe the mortar wasnt mixed
properly, maybe ...

As the man says, repoint. Dont waste energy chasing up NHBG guarantees

Anna
~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England
|""""| ~ Lime plaster repair and conservation
/ ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc
|____| www.kettlenet.co.uk 01359 230642

wrote:
I've got a lower corner of my house and the corner of a nearby garage
suffering from dissolving mortar. Because they are separate buildings I
can't work out what it could be - rain water blowing into the
brick/poor guttering or a mains leak underneath the house...it's a
newish house still under 10yr house builders guarantee - just- perhaps
it's just crap mortar!

Any ideas on what would be the best way forward? Is this a job for a
surveyer?

Follow the procedure for a claim under the 10 year guarantee before it
expires.

Anna Kettle wrote:
Yes sounds like crap mortar. as though it never set properly on day 1.
Maybe it dried out before setting, maybe the mortar wasnt mixed
properly, maybe ...

Maybe someone threw a doughnut into the mixer..

Rain water does not dissolve mortar.

Sulphates in the gound may, but as this is a localised area, then its
most likely to be a bad mix. If the weathering of the mortar is gone
then further rain and frost/wind action will just make it worse.
Repoint with a 5:1 mix and iron the joint to form a tough weathering
surface.

I am not sure that repointing is covered in the NHBC warranty

dg

Phil Anthropist wrote:
wrote:
I've got a lower corner of my house and the corner of a nearby garage
suffering from dissolving mortar. Because they are separate buildings I
can't work out what it could be - rain water blowing into the
brick/poor guttering or a mains leak underneath the house...it's a
newish house still under 10yr house builders guarantee - just- perhaps
it's just crap mortar!

Any ideas on what would be the best way forward? Is this a job for a
surveyer?

Follow the procedure for a claim under the 10 year guarantee before it
expires.

optimistic. But it'll give you the material you need to put up another
nhbc complaint website.


NT