New Home Owners And Snagging Forum

Advice on buying a brand new home => Snagging and defects => Topic started by: playz28 on July 21, 2019, 12:39:19 am

Title: Brickwork on new build
Post by: playz28 on July 21, 2019, 12:39:19 am
New poster after finding this site.

We have exchanged on a new build 4 bed with Barratt Homes.

The property is due for completion in October this year. Since the roof has been put in, we have noticed that the brickwork at the top of the house (roof section) is different from the rest of the house. It looks like the mortar mix is different.

I have not raised this with Barratt  yet as I wanted to get advice first.
Can this be rectified with a wash down or is it a sign of something more concerning?

I accept the house is not finished yet, however the colouration certainly does not look right.
Title: Re: Brickwork on new build
Post by: New Home Expert on July 22, 2019, 07:49:00 am
You need to complain right away.

Forgetting the issue that the mortar is different and may well be weaker mix, but not necessarily, this is just plain wrong and unacceptable.

Whilst bricks do vary from each delivery and  batch to batch, they should be mixed so this banding does not occur.  However, I am of the opinion as it is so pronounced, that a different brick has been used altogether, probably due to supply problems with the original specified brick.

Final note of caution, Barratt will fight you over this and offer tinting. This is never as good as if the house had been built properly. If you accept tinting do so on the written strict proviso, that if you are unhappy with the result, you expect the gables to be taken down and re built in better matching bricks and mortar.

Finally, please get you home professionally snagged and inspected before you move in.

I've put the picture on Twitter, as it is so bad.