ᐅ Facade Clinker with Green Patina on Delivery – Defect?

Hello everyone,

I have a question about facing bricks. We ordered what was supposed to be a “misfire” batch from a company, thinking we got a great deal. The bricks were delivered last week and left on our property…

The pallets were neither properly wrapped (there were holes in the plastic), nor were the pallets free from mold and dampness; they were rotting, and the bricks were not stored in a protected way. On the contrary, green corrosion and moisture developed under the plastic covers.

Should I raise a complaint with the supplier, or am I just being overly picky? How should I proceed: install the bricks anyway, ask for a price reduction, or report a defect? I want to prevent efflorescence in the future and have heard that bricks should not absorb moisture before installation (whether from the ground or during storage). Is this true?

I would appreciate quick responses since I have a meeting with the supplier today.

Thanks for your help, sayword

sayword schrieb:

Or am I just complaining at a high level???

Yes.

sayword schrieb:

How should I proceed: install anyway, request a price reduction, report a defect?

In my view, with just a bit of patina (which can be cleaned off later), there is little chance of achieving any financial compensation through a defect claim. Especially since this is a firing defect, replacement would hardly be possible.

sayword schrieb:

We ordered a batch of “overfired bricks” from a company, thinking we got a bargain. [...] The delivered pallets were neither properly wrapped (holes in the plastic), nor were the pallets moldy, damp, or rotting, and the bricks were not stored protected. On the contrary, verdigris and moisture formed under the plastic sheets. [...] Should I complain to the supplier about this, or am I being too picky? [...] I want to prevent efflorescence in the future and have heard that bricks should not absorb moisture before installation (whether from the ground or during storage). Is that true?

An overfired brick is—in spite of collectors who like such batches—basically considered a defective product; and whether a defective product can itself have defects would be an interesting thesis subject for both philosophers and lawyers. From the nature of a defective item, it could be deduced that it is not a product intended to be protected by packaging in the same way as goods produced to a specified quality. If one accepted this, it would have been the responsibility of the incoming goods inspector to reject unsuitable packaging and refuse acceptance upon delivery. From the moment of acceptance, the risk associated with storage is in any case on your side. I assume you are an English speaker and by “higher level” you mean whether you should complain to the manufacturer instead of the supplier? That depends on which of the two was legally your seller. By the way, bricks are often intentionally dampened before use so that they do not absorb moisture from the mortar.

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sayword schrieb:

Should I raise this issue with the supplier, or would that be complaining unnecessarily???

Misfire – leftover stock – bargains and complaining about some greenish discoloration or trying to get something extra out of it. A complaint wouldn’t be “unnecessarily” raised, but rather would be trivial. Just address it calmly and see what happens instead of immediately creating opposition. I don’t see a significant defect in this situation.