DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hi,

I recently paid for a new raised Patio to be constructed on my property (summer last year)
after the winter weather - I went out to clear leaves and noticed that several of the bricks had started flaking away (Spalling) & the corner slab and mortar/cement has come away and is rocking freely - is this normal after less than a year (or is it shoddy workmanship) ?

I've read that the biggest cause of spalling is moisture ingress then freezing - but surely brickwork should last much much longer than that?

the patio slabs overhang the patio, so water does not run direclty on to them, there is no concentration of water flowing onto the bricks (no water from downpipes etc.) also the bricks affected are not near ground level (1 is a corner brick and the other is a middle row middle height brick)

should the builder have put in some sort of drainage / sweepage holes into the brickwork to allow rainwater to drain out from the bricked up area ...

is this just defective bricks - any way to tell ? & if it is bad bricks are the manufacturer responsible in any way ?

also is there any way to easlily repair the damage - and is there anthing i can do to protect the remaining brickwork

Thanks,
Steven

Steevo_Tabasco,
The problem probably stems from rainwater getting in the fill which has been used to form the raised patio. Construction techniques to overcome this problem should have been incorporated in the original build or engineering bricks should have been used with drain holes.
Ordinary bricks - sand faced or clay - will not resist spalling when used as you describe but some bricks of the same type will be more susceptible than others.
Apart from re-building you will not stop this problem epecially with the severe cold weather we have had this year.
end

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