I've got a lower corner of my house and the corner of a nearby garage suffering from dissolving mortar. Because they are separate buildings I can't work out what it could be - rain water blowing into the brick/poor guttering or a mains leak underneath the house...it's a newish house still under 10yr house builders guarantee - just- perhaps it's just crap mortar!
Any ideas on what would be the best way forward? Is this a job for a surveyer?
repoint
NT
Yes sounds like crap mortar. as though it never set properly on day 1. Maybe it dried out before setting, maybe the mortar wasnt mixed properly, maybe ...
As the man says, repoint. Dont waste energy chasing up NHBG guarantees
Anna ~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England |""""| ~ Lime plaster repair and conservation / ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc |____|
Follow the procedure for a claim under the 10 year guarantee before it expires.
Maybe someone threw a doughnut into the mixer..
Rain water does not dissolve mortar.
Sulphates in the gound may, but as this is a localised area, then its most likely to be a bad mix. If the weathering of the mortar is gone then further rain and frost/wind action will just make it worse. Repoint with a 5:1 mix and iron the joint to form a tough weathering surface.
I am not sure that repointing is covered in the NHBC warranty
dg
optimistic. But it'll give you the material you need to put up another nhbc complaint website.
NT
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