Blockwork

reilig

I have been on several sites lately and it has hit me in the face how bad some blockwork is. My self build is just roofed and anyone who has been working on it has commented on how good the block work was. eg the guy measuring for the windows says that there will be no gaps at the side of my windows cause the blocks are as straight as a dye. I had a guy out to do the plastering and when he heard who did my blocks, he told me that he could do it for cheaper cause he knows that everything will be 100% straight and he will have to do no "patch work" over bad blocklaying.

I'm just having a rant about other houses that i've seen in the past few weeks. I've seen windows where there should be a double lentil and the blocklayers only put in a single lentil and now the lentil has started to sag. I have seen several cases of walls which to the eye are visibly crooked. I saw where cills were put in and they are not level. I saw where cills were put in before the blocklaying was finished and they got covered in mortar and weren't cleaned off.

I paid more for my blocklayers in comparison to some people, but I know that the job was done right. I know that I will save when it comes to getting my windows in and i don't have to fill the joints with expansion foam. My plasterer will be cheaper, and I will have a better finish.

The funniest thing that I saw was a house built by Polish Blocklayers. They put no lentils into the windows at all. They just built it on a prop and let it set and then took the prop away. Major sag problem at the moment and it looks like it will have to come down.

I have come to the conclusion that there are very few good blocklayers around. I mean it would be difficult to find someone that you could give your house plans to and tell them to "build that" so that when you come back you would find no faults with it. Anyone with a week's training can learn to build blocks, but there's a lot more to doing the blockwork on a house than just building the blocks.

Sorry for my rant, has anyone else seen things like this? It would certainly make you think before you choose the cheapest price for your house blockwork.

RKQ

I have seen some awful work and not just bad block work. Sometimes I've looked for a camera as its so bad I think its a Candid Camera joke!

If there is a silver lining to the current recession it is probably the fact that the cowboys won't survive!

Inspection of construction by an experienced professional is very important. It will help spot bad quality work and rectify same before its a problem.

Heatherview

Hi Reilig
I am on site everyday sales I could write a book on it. Quality and good workmanship is hard to find. You seem to have found good guys it's worth the extra few euro because all trades can follow in comfort and get on with the job.

Good for you
Heatherview

Carlow52

reilig wrote: »

...
The funniest thing that I saw was a house built by Polish Blocklayers. They put no lentils into the windows at all. They just built it on a prop and let it set and then took the prop away. Major sag problem at the moment and it looks like it will have to come down.

What is the point of denigrating
Polish workers in this rant. It adds nothing to the workmanship quality issue.

In passing, I would not expect lentils to have been used, they normally go in soup and other food dishes.

smashey

Locked. :eek: