ᐅ Foundation and Masonry Work – Is There a Defect Present?

Hello everyone,

First of all, I am a homeowner and a layperson. During the inspection of our shell construction, I noticed a few things for which I need advice—whether they fall within the normal range or if they are defects that should be addressed. Of course, I don’t want to cause unnecessary bad vibes on the construction site!

1) The wastewater pipe in the kitchen is built up behind the exterior wall by about one-third (see picture). Is it even possible to connect anything there?

2) For the interior walls, wall ties are installed every two courses of bricks. On one wall, this seems to have been forgotten at first; there are only wall ties in the top three courses (see picture).

3) Quite a few bricks are damaged. It is understandable if corners are chipped here and there.

But some are completely broken apart—for example, in a window frame (see picture).

4) Above some doors, there are quite large holes (see picture).

As I said, I am a total layperson. Maybe someone can tell me if all this is okay so I can feel reassured 🙂

Thank you very much!
Teresa

I don’t see the wastewater pipe as a problem; they will manage to clear it. I assume the photos concern the window lintels. In this case, I find the masonry to be unacceptable. The voids and damaged bricks in these areas need to be replaced or removed because the entire load of the upper bricks must be supported by the window lintels and the bricks beneath them. As it looks here, this is poor workmanship.

Get an expert on site; there may be larger issues you don’t notice that could affect the structural stability.

Don’t just post close-up shots focused on details; show more of the construction in context. Overall, it looks very much like a "time is money" shell construction.

Frau-S. schrieb:

Of course, I don’t want to cause bad vibes on the construction site unnecessarily!

I think it would be more appropriate to stand there with a whip. Are you building with Fleischerhaus? :-)

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Hi,

First, I’m not so relaxed about the issue with the drain pipe – "freeing themselves" is not an ideal solution for a floor outlet in the slab. I would definitely file a defect report for that.

Second, the masonry is also defective. Gaps like these should not be present, and the bearing points on the columns must not be constructed this way either.

As mentioned above, it would be helpful to have some photos showing the overall situation, and then quickly draft a letter. I can assist with that.

Which federal state is this in?

Best regards,
Jann