Any building experts online here at Ozpolitic?


I want to buy a house & it has a problem.
See the picture.
There is no mortar left in some of the bricks
& it is quite bad in the area shown.

How can mortar wash away?
The house was built in the late 80s &
maybe not enough cement was used in the mortar?

( My place now has such hard mortar that it turns a masonry bit red hot if you try to drill it.)

Is this problem in the photo serious?
It's all around the house but the worst spot is in the photo.
What is holding the building up?
Would it fall down if there was an earthquake?

What would it cost to fix it?

cheers
sir Bobby

I am not a building expert.
If it is not a load bearing wall, not as big a problem.

A building inspection by a qualified person might help.

Certainly it is a bargaining area.

Sprintcyclist wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2016 at 10:59pm:



I could get an Archicentre report but it seems that it's so bleeding obvious
that it's serious - I'd be wasting my money on the report.

Yes - it's a bargaining chip.

Sir lastnail wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2016 at 11:05pm:


That's right sir Nail.
You need a road worthy certificate to sell a car but nothing to sell a house.


Here's a picture from another place.
the wood is rotten under the shower.
the question is how bad is it?
It could be just one board but it might be the whole floor!

Sir lastnail wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2016 at 11:05pm:



why? bobby is aware of the problem and still looking at buying it. When is your brain going to connect with reality?

John Smith wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2016 at 11:20pm:




Dear John,
It depends how serious the problem is.
The rotting wood in that bathroom - I could fix it myself but
the house with the mortar out of the bricks - that's another story.
How serious is it Einstein?

John Smith wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2016 at 11:20pm:


It's potentially dangerous and not fit to live in. If the wall collapses on someone then of course the real estate scumbag who sold it is indemnified and gets to keep his ill gotten gains

Sir lastnail wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2016 at 11:26pm:


you're potentially dangerous.

John Smith wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2016 at 11:27pm:

idiotic advice. why not just buy a house that doesnt need repairing.

John Smith wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2016 at 11:27pm:



Yes - these things can be used as bargaining chips.
the seller of that place with a bad shower wouldn't admit
there was a serious problem -
he said it was easy to fix - just a few rotten boards &
the rest of it was OK. - he couldn't be bothered tearing the tiles up to do it.
Of course - he would downplay it!

ian wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2016 at 11:30pm:



Because you'll pay a lot more.

Bobby. wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2016 at 11:33pm:


Come of it Bobby, Ian and common sense are miles apart

Bobby, your issue with the bricks is incorrectly mixed mortar, just because this is the part of the brickwork you can see mortar missing does not mean there are not problems with the rest of the brickwork. Its likely that the mortar was incorrectly mixed for the whole job. Also, the fact that there are 2 apparent serious repair issues with this house means that there are probably a whole host of serious issues you cant see. Stay away. Do not buy this house unless you pay land value only with a discount for the price of demolishing this place.

Bobby. wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2016 at 11:32pm:



tear up tiles? first you have to remove the shower base, then pull up tiles, waterproofing and then the floor boards. Then start again and rebuild the thing. It's not hard, but it's a little more complicated than changing a few boards.

Bobby. wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2016 at 11:37pm:



you should ALWAYS get a building inspection BEFORE you buy. If this is what you can see, who knows what's there that you as a layman can't see.

John Smith wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2016 at 11:38pm:
I just said that.

John Smith wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2016 at 11:39pm:

John Smith wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2016 at 11:35pm:


Sure they sell houses to investors as well. What a great investment it says in the ad LOL

Ive changed my mind Bobby. Ignore my advice. John Smith is the expert here, listen to him. A bit of elbow grease will transform those structural problems and white anted flooring no end. Then after that you can offload it to some idiot who doesnt know anything, like John suggests.

John Smith wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2016 at 11:35pm:


Of course.  Only a person of remarkably low intelligence would think that a real estate agent would need such a licence.

Sir lastnail wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2016 at 11:44pm:


do you live in Narnia? SO if you find termite damage in 12 months time, how can you tell when the termites ate the wood? was it before or after purchase?

Bobby. wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2016 at 11:37pm:


It looks bad to me too .

Sprintcyclist wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2016 at 11:46pm:


it looks worse than it actually is. Especially if it's isolated to that area.

Sprintcyclist wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2016 at 11:46pm:


it's a renovators delight says the ad from Liare and DeShonky realtors  LOL

Bobby. wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2016 at 11:45pm:
Correct. The same brickie would have done the whole job. That house is going to have major structural issues all over. Dont even waste your time getting a building report.

ian wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2016 at 11:50pm:



So - it's a bulldozer job?

What a pity - it's a large area of land.

Bobby. wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2016 at 11:53pm:


It should be classified like some cars that have been in a bad accident as an un-repairable write-off and ready for demolition !!

The thing is that Roman mortar is still ok after 2000 years.

This place was only built at the end of 80's.
It's only 28 year old mortar.

Some Aussie halfwit mixed the mortar in the wrong ratio.

Sir lastnail wrote on Apr 4^th, 2016 at 12:09am:
Not really. What happens is the labourer gets the mix wrong. Cement isnt worth stealing.

ian wrote on Apr 4^th, 2016 at 12:11am:



Yes - I've seen places like this before where you can get a screwdriver & just run it along
the mortar & it falls out like sand.

Other places like mine have rock hard mortar that you can't even drill
with a masonry bit.

ian wrote on Apr 4^th, 2016 at 12:11am:



Or they used old cement that had gone off.
It has a short shelf life.

Qui audet adipiscitur bobby. Borrow the money.

The bricks in that photo I posted are not load bearing -
that's why the building hasn't fallen down -
maybe it would be easy to repair?
perhaps it's not so serious?


http://www.structuralengineerscivplex.com.au/brick-veneer-construction.html

Quote:

Bobby. wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2016 at 11:48pm:


then it's almost certainly due to failure of the damp coursing. An easy fix if you want to put the time into it.

A common problem.

Wolseley wrote on Apr 4^th, 2016 at 9:53am:


It's pretty common here in Perth.

I've seen much worse.

In fact, I was visiting a retirement village a few weeks ago and the damage I saw there was widespread and quite severe (caused by sprinklers).

Bobby. wrote on Apr 4^th, 2016 at 5:10pm:



he may not have. Besides, most agents walk around with their eyes closed.

Bobby. wrote on Apr 4^th, 2016 at 5:10pm:



like I said, get a quote and have it taken of the agreed price

Bobby. wrote on Apr 4^th, 2016 at 6:44pm:


now how many times have I told you that?

John Smith wrote on Apr 4^th, 2016 at 6:47pm:



Alright - you were correct - I don't know - I'm not a builder.
This time a real builder told me.

John Smith wrote on Apr 4^th, 2016 at 8:17pm:
I will remember that next time someone tells me a condemned house is "an easy fix"

ian wrote on Apr 4^th, 2016 at 8:48pm:



who condemned it? you?

you didn't even know what damp coursing was 

Bobby. wrote on Apr 4^th, 2016 at 11:17pm:


neither did Ian.

good luck with the search

Bobby. wrote on Apr 4^th, 2016 at 6:44pm:



Good research Bobby.
Well done.

You did the work and got a sensible answer.
Well worth paying for.

Saved yourself a lot of bother there and gained some knowledge.

ian wrote on Apr 5^th, 2016 at 12:34am:


The builder confirmed it? When did that happen?  The builder said'IF' Ian. That means the builder didn't know, and in this day and age where he has to cover his arse or risk being sued, the tendency is to cover all over with as many 'if's' 'maybe's' and 'possibles' as possible..

John Smith wrote on Apr 5^th, 2016 at 8:29am:



Most people would just do a temporary repair on those bricks &
forget about the need for " damp coursing ".
You could probably get away with it.
The house seems to be built on sand which can subside under the foundations
if water comes from a broken gutter or spout.
Also the damp areas are breeding grounds for termites.

No wonder I see many houses bulldozed & new ones built.

If I could do a repair myself I'd probably buy that place.
It's just in a perfect location for me
& has a big backyard which I like.

I am still tempted if I could get it at a price where the cost of fixing
the brickwork is taken into account.
Unfortunately it doesn't work like that.
Someone will always pay the asking price because they
don't realise what they are getting in to.

The owner should have to supply an Archicentre & termite report by law.
Real estate buying & selling is out of control.
It is also tempting to go into heavier debt than is sensible.
But then if you lose your job or get sick you're in real trouble with the bank.

It's a stressful time when you look for a house.
I wish I had a builder friend who could inspect with me.
I would say that 99% of people at auctions are buying with no building report.
People in this country are heavy gamblers & risk takers.



 

John Smith wrote on Apr 5^th, 2016 at 8:29am:
Do you deny you said it was an easy fix? yes or no. Just keep on making yourself look stupid here. You really are the forum buffoon, even with all the competition you are winning.

Quote:



The builder has to cover his arse with a repair.
His repair would have to last at least 25 years
so they do it properly.

Dodgy house flippers would do a temporary repair with
$200 of cement & sand from Bunnings & the buyer
would not be aware.
2 years later the problem could come back & termites
could riddle the house.

I've watched the house flippers shows & "the Block"  etc
& I've never seen brick problems like this.
( it's all around the house on every wall but the picture is the worst spot )
Those TV shows are laughed at by real builders.

ian wrote on Apr 5^th, 2016 at 9:15pm:


I know you struggle with basics, but where have I advised Bobby NOT to get a report done? Do you even understand what's written in front of you/

Bobby. wrote on Apr 5^th, 2016 at 9:22pm:


wrong ... 8 years

John Smith wrote on Apr 5^th, 2016 at 9:45pm:

Lol. How on earth is "tedious and time consuming" easy John? have you ever done any manual work in your whole life?. At least your peasant forebears had that to their credit.

Bobby. wrote on Apr 5^th, 2016 at 9:22pm:

Correct bobby.