ISSUES WITH CRACKED BRICKWORK… WE EXPLAIN THE CAUSE

[@jackharrison2785]

good to watch people who take pride in their work

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Cheers Jack 🧱👍🏽

[@tonydalton6756]

I'll never get tired of watching you guys work Thank again!

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Cheers Tony 🙌🏽🙌🏽🧱👍🏽

[@patrickcorrigan6141]

Spent 2 years on a Rochdale estate sorting this problem.had to grind back and fit stainless remedial screw ties.You cant leavve them in,they open up again. On a gable lift was 3inch !Called pagoda effect

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Jeez 😟🧱👍🏽

[@keithchandler3679]

Hi, the reason for the horizontal cracking of the bed joint is because the builders used a galvanised wall tie which was common at the time. The galvanising has broken down and the metal has started to rust which causes the bed joint to open up. The cracking is at 450mm vertical centres ie the centres of the wall ties. Can’t stop this from happening, the only way is to take the brick outer leaf down, cut of the wall ties and rebuild the brickwork using angled stainless steel wall ties plugged and screwed to the inner wall. Hope this is of help. 😊

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

👍🏽

[@Scott-d8h]

Every days a school day👍

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

🧱👍🏽

[@garybrookfield4528]

No need at all to take the outer leaf of brickwork down to resolve the failed wall ties. Mountain and mole hill springs to mind.

[@martin2466]

@@garybrookfield4528 I agree with Keith - to a certain degree. Two ways to overcome this issue. 1) = Do as Keith recommends, although this would be a very intrusive and a expensive option. 2) = As Steve, mentioned in the video, the entire front elevation of the wall could be raked out to a good depth and re=pointed correctly. This wouldn't solve the issue but, would prevent any further driving rain entering the cavity via the joints. 👍

[@SteveBernard42]

Very neat job fellas, wouldn’t expect anything less from the Kings of Lintel!

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Cheers Steve 😌🤴🏽🤴🏽🤣🧱👍🏽

[@soundslight7754]

Beautiful workmanship to be proud of. Well done gentlemen 👍

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Cheers 🧱👍🏽

[@anthonyhoult152]

Brilliant job as always and a great explanation of how to understand what causes diffent crack patterns. I was thinking once about cavity insulation but then I also do wonder if the more insulation is put into a house built in 1943 then are you risking it to stop breathing and cause mildew??

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Cheers 🧱👍🏽

[@anthonyhoult152]

@@SteveAndAlexBuild If you ever fancy a holiday in Yorkshire I have 11 windows that neither have any lintels or cavity trays! The house was built 1943 with timber windows of which were replaced with PVC but they never put any cavity tray or lintels in. My window frames are now getting a nice curve to the top of the frame and some windows becoming hard to open.

[@anthonyhoult152]

@@SteveAndAlexBuild Ps. Can supply you with plenty of home made cake/tray bakes and lots of fresh coffee for Steve and juice for Alex 🤣

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Mark Hep is over your way, give him a try 😁🧱👍🏽

[@jackbircham439]

I’m fairly certain that water doesn’t run down the back of the inside skin, from what I’ve been told any moisture will condensate on the back of the external skin (cold side) and run down the back of the brick then into the tray. Just a thought I’ve seen you mention water running down the inside skin (13:38 in this video)👍

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Totally agree 🧱👍🏽

[@TyphoonVstrom]

When houses get old and miss some maintenence, you can get water in there from dodgey eaves, poorly sealed windows and openings above etc. Even porous old bricks/mortar can start weeping if you have a few days of heavy, wind driven rain on the walls. Cavity trays are for the future when the house ages.

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

🧱👍🏽

[@gpbeck]

Is it possible that minor rotation of the boot lintel has caused cracking in joints above allowing water penetration? This corrodes the ties, so wall tie cracking only ccurs above these lintels?

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

The tie wire issue is very common. 🧱👍🏽

[@martin2466]

@gpbeck For "minor rotation" read microscopic thermal movement. There is not enough loading on that boot lintel to cause any torsional or twisting movement. Basically the boot lintel will move from side to side (thermal differential movement) and not up and down - unless there is corrosion in the reinforcing steel inside the boot. Steve's, assessment is spot on. "Tie wire jacking" is a very common problem in older brickwork, and the smaller panels of brickwork are more prone to lifting.

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Thanks Matin . Mine was an educated guess. Thanks for you’re excellent explanation as ever 🧱👍🏽

[@MrGvdmast]

I could not stay off my keyboard, why? Because I keep enjoying your great work Alex and Steve 👊

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Thanks buddy 🧱👍🏽

[@Doug....]

Well another strange one to add to the black museum of lintel jobs. Thats quite concerning to have the ties rust jacking everywhere 😱 Nice job guys 👍👍

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Very common Doug 😬🧱👍🏽

[@JayEFC1969]

Slightly off at a tangent but related to what you guys do - what are your views on retro cavity insulation - heard horror stories about it causing damp so it has always put me off getting it done to our 1930s semi. Another topic for a short vid ?

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

If done properly it’s good . For every issue there are thousands of houses with no issues . Negative stories make better headlines 🧱👍🏽

[@sgtmark8844]

Fine work again lads 👍

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Cheers buddy 🧱👍🏽🤜🏽🤛🏽

[@robertmorris5214]

Great work and perfectly explained

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Cheers Robert 🧱👍🏽

[@jasonmart1081]

Wouldn't it have been better to put the tray on top of the lintel, to stop any (if any) water from sitting on the metal lintel?

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Too awkward to install on top 🧱👍🏽

[@garytaylor2914]

First for sure

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

👍🏽

[@philglover2973]

Awesome video thanks lads very much appreciated top job top team 😊😊😊

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Nice one Phil thanks very much 🤜🏾🤛🏾 🧱👍🏽

[@the_royal_drop_short.]

What happened to revealing the price they were quoted?

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

I forgot. It was £4500 🫣🤯

[@MalcDavison]

@@SteveAndAlexBuild That must have included replacing all the windows as well surely.....lol

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

And the car 🤣🧱👍🏽

[@TyphoonVstrom]

You can see the tie wire rust staining on the lintel.

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

🧱👍🏽

[@mikeflynn4373]

Lovely job...well done.

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Cheers Mike 🧱👍🏽

[@russellbethwaite1550]

Northwest lintel kings strike again what a team

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

😌🤴🏽🤴🏽🤣🧱👍🏽

[@proud_to_be_a_ted]

What a sweet & tidy job, shame they ain't all like that @

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Cheers 🧱👍🏽

[@brianhume4743]

Lintel soup for dinner😅

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

😏🧱👍🏽

[@ljd8520]

Pukka job guys, couldn’t work out how that boot lintel was being supported , no 150mm bearing etc??

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Cheers. What an awful invention 😒🧱👍🏽

[@KingstonHomeMaintenance]

Well the bearing use to be 100mm and it was good enough for years, the boot lintel is cantilevered, it's thicker and heaver on the internal leave plus when these were built the cavity was closed off as part if the wall build so the boot would be on this too. We have them all over our older authority houses.

[@ljd8520]

@@KingstonHomeMaintenance gotcha. Cheers for explanation 👍🏻

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Cheers Mike 🧱👍🏽

[@eddieMurphy11111]

thanks again for the video but i have to say it I do not like the colour of the mortar

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

😆😆🧱👍🏽

[@justmyopinion99]

Steve - you need to stop climbing scaffolds and dragging bricks around, and find a place to teach what you know and care about to hundreds of future masons.

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

No qualifications to teach 😕🧱👍🏽

[@justmyopinion99]

@@SteveAndAlexBuild on the contrary, you have every qualification to teach effectively. What you may lack is academic checkmarks required by people who themselves have achieved those checkmarks. However, I doubt the gatekeepers of academia have nearly as much to teach as you do, and most of what they teach is likely impractical. Maybe you can run a skills program outside of conventional teaching environments, where those considering the trade, newly minted masons, and even experienced masons could come and learn or freshen skills. Grab a few equally experienced buddies and start a guild hall.

[@ronsteadman4988]

Mad quote robbing sods

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

🙄😮‍💨🧱👍🏽

[@MalcDavison]

£4500 you say was quoted for this job......That is crazy, they ought to be named and shamed, robbing bar stewards.....Who was it that quoted, Kier Starmer building company....Robbing pensioners seems to be the new game in town eh? Well done you two again....Saludos desde España mi amigos.....

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

🧱👍🏽😬

[@markmiwurdz2248]

£4500 as quoted by Fleecem & Scarper.

[@Sean006]

Surely you mean Fleece-Mogg and sons? The video would have been filmed before the election when Tories were in charge. I expect Steve & Alex would rebuild the whole house for £4500!

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

😆😆🧱👍🏽

[@TheReptigon]

Run around that estate posting your business cards for lintel jobs only!!

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Don’t need to 🤣🧱👍🏽

[@martin2466]

Well - Well.....The Lancashire, Lintel-Lifting-Lads, have found their first Boot Lintel....! Just seeing that thing sitting there will give me nightmares for a week. Those blooming things are a big part of the reason I walk with a stick now. Cavity trays - No mate, we never used to put them in. Cold bridging wasn't such an issue then. And your combined electric & Gas bill was about £125 a year, so just add another double panel radiator to the room, and turn the radiator up....!!! Insulation in cavities - whoever had heard of such a daft idea.? Insulation was for roof spaces, 50mm....that will do nicely. Different times in those days. 👍😁🔨🧱

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

How times have changed 😬🧱🧱👍🏽

[@martin2466]

@@SteveAndAlexBuild So very true Steve. 50mm cavities, Bitumen & Hessian D.P.C`s, NO cavity trays anywhere, NO insulation in the cavities, Galvanised wall ties, Return the block work into the reveals to close the cavity at window and door reveals (with a vertical D.P.C) windows & doors made from timber, and single glazed. Internal partition walls always built of blocks - NEVER studwork, Putlog - scaffolds we erected ourselves, Timber pole ladders, single guard rail on scaffolds, NO brick guards. Brickies Labourer, used two hods normal brick hod, and a Plasteres hod for the compo/gobbo. NO pallets of materials, mortar tubs, tele-handlers or forklifts. Bricks arrived on site stacked loose on the back of a lorry, and were hand balled off. Cement in hundred weight sacks. - and bloody huge great boot lintels - either cast in situ, or pre-cast monsters. Hand cut roofs, BS7471F sarking felt........and on and on. Oh and one more thing Health & Safety barely existed on housing developments, and site welfare for lunch was the cement store, and very rudimentary toilets...................happy days uhmmmmmmmmmmmm.....!!!

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😆🧱👍🏽

[@brickrightbuildinglandscaping]

Very neat and tidy work lads .i think any structural work you can charge good money for because a lot of people are scared of it .Its a skill and danger a lot can go wrong but 4.5 k lot of money to much that isnt it . Great job lada 👍🧱🧱

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Yeah Justin very true. I’ve never charged enough 😬🫣🧱👍🏽

[@brickrightbuildinglandscaping]

@SteveAndAlexBuild Never to late to start charging enough Steve all the good conscientious lads are the same .on a price by the time the job is done we don't earn really well .Day work well you heard my rate last video and to be very honest either they want to pay or they don't walk away . People can't get good reliable honest bricklayers and you and Alex are definitely that and more so you deserve to charge for that service people get every job you do is perfect surly that should cost more than average joe bricklayer. Charge em steve mate or Alex will fall into the same trap .I'm exactly the same never charged enough. Realise what you are and charge for it I say steve 🤣🤣👍🧱🧱

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

@brickrightbuildinglandscaping . Very true Justin 🤜🏽🤛🏽🧱👍🏽

[@martin2466]

@@brickrightbuildinglandscaping Oh so very true Justin. You only get what you pay for - is a fair rule of thumb. Some people dont know their own worth to the customer, and are terrified of losing the job as well. You think what we go through to become qualified and experienced Tradesmen. "They pay - or you walk away." 🧱🧱👍🔨😁

[@martin2466]

@@brickrightbuildinglandscaping I like your thoughts on this matter. I personally do not understand why people under charge for their services? After all you think of all the experience, qualifications and knowledge we have gained to then offer to the client. Time is money - and it all has to be costed and priced. As you quite rightly said, "they either pay - or you walk away." Work is business - and that business is making money......for your business. Hope you are keeping well Mate? 🛠🤨👍