ᐅ Facade Defect: Mortar Residue and Smudges – Is It a Deficiency or Not?

Hello dear users,

as we are about to complete our construction soon and the final inspection is approaching, I would like to know if there is a defect or if, as is often said, it "falls within the tolerance range." Problem 1:
Our facade was built with an off-white joint using a smooth joint finish. Since there are different types of smooth finishes, we were not informed about this, and as laypeople we only knew it as "smooth." Unfortunately, no one asked us which type we preferred. Now we have a ridge-shaped joint, which we do not consider to be "smooth." Problem 2:
Since one side was built during driving rain, we ended up with a color variation of three different shades on our facade. The general contractor, together with the joint mortar manufacturer, tried to explain that the colors would even out over time and that the problem could be fixed by washing with an efflorescence remover. Two such washings have been done so far, but only minimal improvement is visible. Problem 3:
Furthermore, mortar residues and smears are clearly visible over the entire house facade.
The question now is: What should we do? Should we hire an expert or is this case clear and am I just being too picky?

Pictures speak louder than words in this case.

In any case, I would say 🙂

Of course! 🙂

I have to say, you put more effort into the jointing than just a simple skim coat.
I think it suits the stone well.
I personally prefer finishing with a wooden float, but that doesn’t work with this version.
I expected the smearing to be worse.
With rough stone, even a lime remover is almost powerless.

It’s not about whether one thing is more attractive than the other (which is subjective) or whether it was more work. The result is what matters, and from my point of view, it is not satisfactory. The finishing of the joint is a matter of personal taste, but it’s not the general contractor’s taste that counts—it’s the homeowner’s. The smudges are just a sample of the entire house, as it is smeared all over from top to bottom.

What concerns me now is what I can do before the building handover!