Mortar flaking and bricks parting company - After only two years

[davowolf]

But looking again at the back of that wall....(bigger pictures on sideshow mode..)

Breeze blocks

...surely the use of breeze blocks instead of a proper concrete and vertical damp course will (has) make (made) things much worse. Isn't breeze block highly porous to water like a sponge and will accelerate rather than prevent water movement from the soil with which its in direct contact underground.

Also notice those three courses of facers just beneath grass level with no protection at all.

[dig dug dan]

are you saying they are effectively thermalite blocks, because they are totally unsuitable in a garden wall, and yes they absorb water, although i remember as a youngster throwing one in the north sea and it floated away!
the three course o facers isn't a problem, its the lack of drainage behind the wall and the omission of weepholes.

[lutonlagerlout]

dan the wall has weepholes
the use of non concrete blocks is unforgiveable
we lose job all the time to people doing work like this,it drives me insane but I wont lower my standards
LLL

[davowolf]

By the way, what's the story about polishing blues with engine oil mentioned in an earlier posting?? What's the point ? It certainly wouldn't have made any difference to this walls fate surely ?

This builder did try here actually it but the blues just turned black - I stopped him after a few.

Blues are already water resistant enough aren't they ?

The state of this wall it was fiddling while Rome burns it seems to me.

[lutonlagerlout]

wd40 is a water repellant
we use it on blues because they are a b'stard to keep clean whilst laying
cheers LLL