Hello everyone,
A little over a year ago, a landscaping contractor faced our concrete staircase from the balcony to the garden with natural stone. The railing is also attached between the stairs and the stones using downpipes filled with concrete.
Now the top layer of stones in the "wall" is almost completely loose (see pictures).
I suspect that this wall is a complete botch job, and only some makeshift repairs won’t ensure the “durability” of the structure. But what will the landscaping contractor do if the job wasn’t done properly in the first place?
Problems I seem to identify:
1) Using rubble stones instead of reasonably matching wall stones.
2) Using a coarse mortar with presumably poor adhesion to natural stone. -> I have read that “masonry mortar” or “trass cement” should be used instead.
3) The top row of stones should somehow be “capped” so that moisture can drain well and not settle immediately in the joints.
I would be very grateful if someone could give me advice on how to properly repair a small wall like this. Something like this should last a few decades, right? I would then compare that to the repair proposal from the “professional company.”
Many thanks!
A little over a year ago, a landscaping contractor faced our concrete staircase from the balcony to the garden with natural stone. The railing is also attached between the stairs and the stones using downpipes filled with concrete.
Now the top layer of stones in the "wall" is almost completely loose (see pictures).
I suspect that this wall is a complete botch job, and only some makeshift repairs won’t ensure the “durability” of the structure. But what will the landscaping contractor do if the job wasn’t done properly in the first place?
Problems I seem to identify:
1) Using rubble stones instead of reasonably matching wall stones.
2) Using a coarse mortar with presumably poor adhesion to natural stone. -> I have read that “masonry mortar” or “trass cement” should be used instead.
3) The top row of stones should somehow be “capped” so that moisture can drain well and not settle immediately in the joints.
I would be very grateful if someone could give me advice on how to properly repair a small wall like this. Something like this should last a few decades, right? I would then compare that to the repair proposal from the “professional company.”
Many thanks!
Hi,
without knowing all the details:
The company should still be under the warranty period. So, you need to report the defect to the landscaping contractor and give them the chance to fix the “botched” work. I’m not entirely sure, but I believe the landscaping contractor even has two opportunities to correct their mistakes.
If they still fail to do so, you can hire another landscaping contractor to complete the job, and the invoice for this can be sent to the original contractor.
However, I am not a lawyer or an expert in construction law.
without knowing all the details:
The company should still be under the warranty period. So, you need to report the defect to the landscaping contractor and give them the chance to fix the “botched” work. I’m not entirely sure, but I believe the landscaping contractor even has two opportunities to correct their mistakes.
If they still fail to do so, you can hire another landscaping contractor to complete the job, and the invoice for this can be sent to the original contractor.
However, I am not a lawyer or an expert in construction law.
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