This week's post is a history for me "just in case". Do yourself a favor and don't bother to read it, its not that good....If you do delve into the depths of my insanity please remember that the builder MJH is working with me to rectify my issues of concern and any venting I am doing is not at them. I am thrilled with the service I am receiving at this point from the warranty department and completely understand the restrictions that they need to work within.
Advised MJH of issues formally via email, including building report as supporting evidence, not sure what date.
Received a phone call from NSW State Manager Stuart. He wanted to meet with the bricklayer onsite, I think the date was 2nd of April. Apparently there was no need for us to be there but with the way my concerns were handled when first reported I made sure we were both home.
Anticipating another argument, I prepared for a major fight. I was pleasantly surprised when Stuart agreed that rectification works did need to take place, and the bricky agreed to spend as much time onsite as needed to complete repairs, and even better he would start on Saturday.....Happy days for me, It was such a huge relief just to have out builder agree there were issues.
Stuart explained the process for this type of repair and that the original bricklayer must be given the opportunity to complete repairs.
12.4.2014 - Bricklayer arrived ontime and commenced working on the dead side of the house and the window sill at the front door. Repairs appeared to be of reasonable quality but until cleaned we won't know for sure.
19.4.2014 - Bricklayer arrived, we had a short conversation out the front where he mentioned several times the issue was caused by the acid washer, showed me an invoice where payment had been withheld and described other jobs where this had happened. He stated he might need to go on workmans comp. I explained to him I was just happy he was here fixing our issue. When we finished he went to go directly to the other side of the house, unfortunately that meant he would skip a major section of repairs, so I asked him to address the items at the front first. I told him again what I needed him to do and left him to it. When he left he had missed some area's and not even addressed others right at the front door. In addition to that where he had worked at the side he had completed random repairs and left significant area's undone.
24.4.2014 - Phoned and spoke with Stuart from MJH, just wanted to confirm if we were supposed to "micro manage" the bricky or just let him go do his own thing.
26.4.2014 - We met with our brick layer this morning at approx 7.30am. He wanted to commence work down the side of our house again. Darren and I asked him to speak with us on the front verandah so we could show him again the concerns with our brickwork and show him our expectations in relation to the quality of repairs.
The bricklayer claimed that the joints I was pointing to were actually an ironed finish and claimed not to know what I wanted him to do. He went around the side of the house and picked up 2 bricks to show me again why the finish I wanted was not able to be achieved. Darren pointed again to the work he had already done, to show him how he had achieved the finish we wanted during his repairs and to explain that was the finish we expected and tried to show him the difference between the 2 finishes. The bricklayer claims that even if he did finish it that way "the acid washer will wash it away anyway". I then said if that is the case he was wasting his time being here at which point he handed the 2 bricks he was holding to Darren and walked away.
I did not stop him from leaving as it is quite obvious after the last 2 weeks that he did not want to complete the repairs to any level of quality and is completely focused on blaming someone else for the issue.
30.4.2014 - Met again with MJH and the bricklayer, Things started well and deteriorated from there. Cut long story short the bricklayer has agreed to fix the front of the house and then discuss the other issues with MJH. He is booked to come back on Saturday 10th of May. I don't actually hold much hope but the bricks just look worse and worse every time he comes. I don't expect perfection but what I am getting from him is pretty poor. While MJH are doing all they can I feel that the bricklayer is playing me for a fool. .
10.5.2014 - Well our bricklayer did arrive and started working on the front, not sure when he left because obviously goodbye is hard to say. We are withholding judgement on his work until the bricks are cleaned. Hopefully at that point they might look a bit better. I have no idea when he will be back to complete the rest of the work but we are meeting Scott from MJH on Wednesday morning so hopefully he might be able to follow up for me.
Every Saturday is the same story to be honest we wait and see if the Bricklayer will be coming, he no longer lets us know when he leaves and as he is not answering MJH when they call we just wait and see. Things have deteriorated badly with our conversations with him, his focus is getting us to say we are happy not completing thorough repairs. He claims he is doing good work. I know I am picky but I think he has missed the point completely.
I am sick to death of the mess and concrete dust that is everywhere, in my gardens, on my paths, blocking up my flyscreens, in door jams etc. The poor turtle has a head injury because I did not move her when they worked down that side of the house. Thats about 3 months of healing for those of you that know reptiles. I never knew that this would take such a long time or leave the house in such a state. My patience is definitely running thin.
21.6.2014 - Well its taken 2 and a half months but I think today our bricklayer may have finished his repairs. At least he thinks he is. We are not happy with the quality of his work still, he seams obsessed with trying to get us to say we are happy but while he fails to look at what he is doing its unlikely to happen.
MJH are going to come and inspect his work now he has finished and will arrange for the bricks to be cleaned. Hopefully they will see what I see and organise someone else to come in and fix it properly. At present I have different colour mortar over the whole house and full rows of mortar replaced with a brick or two not touched. That just means Grey mortar instead of white over most of my house and the most uneven finish I have ever seen, obviously better than when he started in some ways but worse in others.
8.7.2014 - Scott from MJH met with us onsite to go over the works completed by the bricklayer. We have pointed out the area's not fixed at all, the missing mortar, the white showing through the grey mortar where there was obviously no grinding done just some new mortar pushed over the top. He is going to forward the photo's to Mr McDonald and Stuart. They should get back to me shortly with a where to from here. Apparently Stuart is trying to contact the bricklayer to organise the cleaning and will catch me up once this is done.
Scott has told us today that they will complete our internal repairs first and will do any external ones once the bricks are done, they will apparently re-paint the gutters and lintals because of the state they have been left in by the bricklayer, hopefully they will clean up some of the mess he has left behind also.
11.7.2014 - Disappointing that we have not heard from MJH since our meeting earlier this week. Have sent another email and hopefully they will get back to me soon. Scott is on holidays next week so I guess I'll have to follow him up the following week. I'm getting close to seeking my own legal advice to be honest, getting quite disillusioned with the waiting for someone to tell me what they are doing next and getting angry about the state of my house. It was meant to be a home but rated just a house at present
18.7.2014 - Finally some movement, after ringing on 17 and loosing my patience MJH have booked in to come on 29/7 to complete all internal repairs. Apparently they had listed that everything was completed with the exception of the bricks....Not sure how that can happen if they have never been here but I'll put it down to an internal error. Also they have rung today to tell me the brick cleaner will contact me shortly and book in to complete brick clean, I have to organise for MJH and the bricklayer to attend then to inspect the quality of his work, or as I fear the poor quality of his work. Hopefully they can come soon.
21.8.2014 - Today there has finally been a resolution that we can live with (I think) in relation to our brick saga. It has been agreed that MJH will get another brickie to attend and work around the front and side of the property to get a better result. It will never be perfect but hopefully they can get it to a stage we will be happy with. The back patio and across the back will be rendered and painted, not what we wanted but at least while sitting out there we won;t be concentrating on problems. Seams like a reasonable resolution I think and it can be done quickly.
27.8.2014 - Received an email from Stuart outlining the plans from here, he is organising the render to commence and will hopefully get back to me soon. The big decision from here is what colour do we render??? Oh well, if we get it wrong I guess we'll start painting again.. I'm looking forward to this being finished, I feel like there is an end to this saga just around the corner (I hope anyway). I have been hanging to do a "what I have learned" update but can't while this is still going on.
