My electrician is running conduits through some brickwork, non load bearing, but is basically destroying the bricks, leaving large gaps. I think the bricks might be fragile and/or too thin. Has anyone seen this before?

 

This annoys me because I chose a cavity wall because I'm worried about sound insulation. I feel this is not going to help much with preventing noise coming through the wall, especially considering the design has power points on each side of the cavity wall, opposing each other. 

 

Can this be fixed and if so how? I was thinking of having them remove the conduits and replace all damaged brickword with a solid brick, then run the conduits down again. 

 

 

 

 

The picture does not look too bad to me.

Once the conduit is installed the cuts will be filled with cement.

Yeah looks fine to me too.

It looks pretty standard for those kinds of brick, they are cheap and you can now see why. It's a bit late now but building with something better would have been a good idea.

Yes.

 

The ancient Romans tried to tell them how to do it..but,of course,they were 'farangs" and knew nothing.

 

Try to think of your shoddy and illogical brick work as a lesson in ancient cultural anthropology.

The bricks also appear to have been laid on their sides, rather than face down.  This will use fewer bricks, but makes the wall a lot thinner.  

Thanks everyone. Solid input. Yes, the bricks being laid flat would've been preferred. I see now ????

 

This is how they fixed it btw. It's not a load bearing wall and they'll smear a ton of plaster on it but can't help feeling we're not getting the most out of the wall this way. 

 

1 hour ago, Bassosa said:

Thanks everyone. Solid input. Yes, the bricks being laid flat would've been preferred. I see now ????

 

This is how they fixed it btw. It's not a load bearing wall and they'll smear a ton of plaster on it but can't help feeling we're not getting the most out of the wall this way.

relax mate, it won't make any difference.

Too late now but next time

 

You have paid 50x3bt for 1m2 of commons only 50mm thick.

 

75mm qcons will cost 170bt 1m2

75mm diamond is 136bt 1m2

100mm qcons maybe 200bt 1m2

 

Its a no brainer, I am convinced they use bricks and piles of sand and cement to overcharge customers and pan the labour out for twice as long.

That wall has no strength whatsoever.

The mortar is all porous and was not mixed correctly.

You gotta be f'n kidding. You will actually pay someone for that piece of work? Have them tear it down and do it right. The answer that they will smear it with plaster ...to cover up that crap is not good. One more case where they get away with substandard work because people are afraid to stand up to them and make them make it right.

 

4 hours ago, Naam said:

relax mate, it won't make any difference.

 

Until those bricks start to crack away, and separate, from the load bearing wall.

 

I guess your comment is a translation of what the Thai "craftsman" said to the unfortunate commissioner of the mess.

 

Thank god I don't have to employ any of them.

 

 

2 hours ago, Enoon said:

6 hours ago, Naam said:

relax mate, it won't make any difference.

Until those bricks start to crack away, and separate, from the load bearing wall.

I guess your comment is a translation of what the Thai "craftsman" said to the unfortunate commissioner of the mess.

i guess you need reading glasses.

1. my comment pertained to the assumption of not being soundproof because of the shoddy job.

 

2. your assumption "bricks will start to crack away and separate" is baseless.

Never mind the brickwork, I'd be more concerned about the wiring. Looks like blue and black wires, don't look to be big enough and where is the green earth wire as you have metal back boxes. Please put me right if I'm misinterpreting your photos, not hard to tell.

That red brick wall isn't really a wall at all: it is a skin over the real wall behind it. As such having a load of patched-up holes in it isn't going to make it any less strong.

 

But the real problem is the sound insulation aspect. For sound insulation you need to decouple the two walls, and ideally have some sort of resilient membrane between the two. Those red bricks seem to be touching the wall behind and so aren't going to help much for sound insulation.

 

As the wall isnt finished you still have time to stick drywall onto the inner surface using green glue https://www.greengluecompany.com/, or use a mass-loaded vinyl membrane. https://acousticalsolutions.com/mass-loaded-vinyl-and-the-correct-uses-for-it/

In Thailand drywall/plasterboard with a bonded layer of polystyrene would be cheaper and much easier to find, though it works better for thermal insulation than for sound insulation.

 

 

 

All will do more for sound insulation that that red brick skin, depending on the sort of noise you are attempting to reduce.

 

Best option is to use resilient channels and install an extra stud wall.

 

 

 

Good luck finding a Thai builder who has the faintest idea what any of the above are for.

That is surely the weakest constructed wall I have ever seen. I've always said god forbid the day they make a 1 inch thick block because everyone here will build their walls with it. And run chases in it too and your builder proves this. It should be noted even with AAC that blocks 100mm thick or less must not be chased yet everyone in Thailand buys the very thinnest 75mm blocks and merrily chase away in them. I am sure there are reasons for such guidelines and the owner will find out what these are sooner or later.

 

2 hours ago, canopy said:

It should be noted even with AAC that blocks 100mm thick or less must not be chased yet everyone in Thailand buys the very thinnest 75mm blocks and merrily chase away in them. I am sure there are reasons for such guidelines and the owner will find out what these are sooner or later.

First time I've heard that.  We chased the AAC in our home 10 years ago and no evidence that being a problem.  ??

3 hours ago, grollies said:

Never mind the brickwork, I'd be more concerned about the wiring. Looks like blue and black wires, don't look to be big enough and where is the green earth wire as you have metal back boxes. Please put me right if I'm misinterpreting your photos, not hard to tell.

It's all blue and brown these days, it was black and grey not so long ago. I will never understand why red for live and grey for neutral wasn't the obvious choice the world over. As for green, don't you know you don't need that in Thailand? Not same America. ???? But seriously there should be an earth line.

15 hours ago, Bassosa said:

Thanks everyone. Solid input. Yes, the bricks being laid flat would've been preferred. I see now ????

 

This is how they fixed it btw. It's not a load bearing wall and they'll smear a ton of plaster on it but can't help feeling we're not getting the most out of the wall this way. 

 

Nice pics, but where is the earth wire ?

3 minutes ago, geoffbezoz said:

Nice pics, but where is the earth wire ?

My eyesight isn't the best, but pretty sure there's some green wires in that photo.  

1 minute ago, bankruatsteve said:

My eyesight isn't the best, but pretty sure there's some green wires in that photo.  

your right, your eyesight is not the best

That has to be the worst cheapest pile of rubble I have ever seen. Get them to tear it down and put up double Q Con blocks if you want soundproofing.

Galvanized steel conduit is usually only used on surface installations where it might suffer mechanical damage, maybe in this case it doubles as rebar to help strengthen the wall

16 hours ago, Bassosa said:

Thanks everyone. Solid input. Yes, the bricks being laid flat would've been preferred. I see now ????

 

This is how they fixed it btw. It's not a load bearing wall and they'll smear a ton of plaster on it but can't help feeling we're not getting the most out of the wall this way. 

 

Are your electrical wires the same colour ?,except what i take to be the earth wire .

or is it just the photo.

regards worgeordie

Just about any kind of brick is a good sound barrier.  After render, you should be pleased with the outcome.  

11 hours ago, bwpage3 said:

That wall has no strength whatsoever.

The mortar is all porous and was not mixed correctly.

Looks OK nice and ready for rendering to grip good, the OP is worrying over nowt.

50 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

I will never understand why red for live and grey for neutral wasn't the obvious choice the world over.

You don't like wire manufacturers making more money then. ????

32 minutes ago, Rimmer said:

That has to be the worst cheapest pile of rubble I have ever seen.

No it isn't you wanna see the wall I built. ????

14 minutes ago, bankruatsteve said:

Just about any kind of brick is a good sound barrier.  After render, you should be pleased with the outcome.  

Yeah doubled twin wall with ties it will be fine when rendered.

It's sorter Thai style yeah

 

OP pictures are a good illustration of why you "can" buy cheap here, you get what you pay for and live with the consequences.

If it's a totally substandard inadequate job with inferior materials then its normal.

 If its been done correctly to a high standard it's not normal.