Brickwork Spalling on New Patio
All manner of questions and solutions to problems and issues surrounding the subject of brickwork, blockwork and stonework

3 posts   •   Page 1 of 1
Steevo_Tabasco
Labourer
Labourer
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Jan 12, 2010 1:05 pm

Brickwork Spalling on New Patio

by Steevo_Tabasco » Tue Feb 09, 2010 8:08 am

Hi,

I recently paid for a new raised Patio to be constructed on my property (summer last year)
after the winter weather - I went out to clear leaves and noticed that several of the bricks had started flaking away (Spalling) & the corner slab and mortar/cement has come away and is rocking freely - is this normal after less than a year (or is it shoddy workmanship) ?

I've read that the biggest cause of spalling is moisture ingress then freezing - but surely brickwork should last much much longer than that?

the patio slabs overhang the patio, so water does not run direclty on to them, there is no concentration of water flowing onto the bricks (no water from downpipes etc.) also the bricks affected are not near ground level (1 is a corner brick and the other is a middle row middle height brick)

should the builder have put in some sort of drainage / sweepage holes into the brickwork to allow rainwater to drain out from the bricked up area ...

is this just defective bricks - any way to tell ? & if it is bad bricks are the manufacturer responsible in any way ?

also is there any way to easlily repair the damage - and is there anthing i can do to protect the remaining brickwork

Thanks,
Steven

stoneyboy
Project Manager
Project Manager
Posts: 6404
Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2008 6:44 pm

by stoneyboy » Sat Feb 13, 2010 7:03 pm

Steevo_Tabasco,
The problem probably stems from rainwater getting in the fill which has been used to form the raised patio. Construction techniques to overcome this problem should have been incorporated in the original build or engineering bricks should have been used with drain holes.
Ordinary bricks - sand faced or clay - will not resist spalling when used as you describe but some bricks of the same type will be more susceptible than others.
Apart from re-building you will not stop this problem epecially with the severe cold weather we have had this year.
end

TheDoctor4
Project Manager
Project Manager
Posts: 16777203
Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2007 10:12 am
Location: Somerset in the UK in Shepton mallet

Help from DIY Doctor!

by TheDoctor4 » Fri Jun 25, 2010 7:16 pm

Let DIY Doctor help you to find quotes from vetted and trusted tradesman local to your area. Visit our Find a Tradesman page: https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/find_tradesmen/

3 posts   •   Page 1 of 1
It is currently Sun Feb 25, 2024 1:39 pm