What I don't do

I am sorry to say that not all bricklayers adhere to the same high standards that I strive to achieve. Here are some examples of what I won't do - but other bricklayers might, especially when you're not watching:

• Fill up your cavity wall with mortar. When laying a cavity wall, it is easy to let surplus mortar squeeze out from the joints and fall to the bottom of your cavity - and you, the customer, will never know. Until the surplus mortar bridges your damp-proof course, that is, creating damp spots on your paint work or rotting skirting boards. It will also create a "cold bridge" at the foot of the wall and so ruin your wall's insulation.
• Waste bricks. Lazy bricklayers who need a half brick at the end of wall will simply pick up a new break and crack it in two with their trowel. If it's not quite the right size, they will do it again with another new brick. Even though there are already half bricks plentifully scattered about the site. Because they are too lazy to walk over and pick one up. The result: they use up more of your bricks (which may cost as much as £1 each), and then you end of with a load of rubble to get rid of at the end of the job.
• Waste mortar. Many bricklayers, trimming the surplus mortar squeezing out of the joints, will simply let it fall to the ground, where it will get dirty and go to waste. We always save it for re-use. This reduces the amount of sand and cement we use (and you pay for) and means we can spend less time mixing and carrying mortar, and more time laying bricks.
• Build down to regulations. For most builders, Building Regulations represent not just a minimum standard, but also a maximum standard. They would never dream, for example, of building a wall to a higher standard of insulation than required by law. For us, Building Regulations represent a "base" performance level of thermal performance which we try to improve upon.
• Over-build. I have seen bricklayers build up short lengths of walls over a metre high before the mortar has set, purely because they are too lazy to walk along a few metres along and build there instead. The result is an unstable wall which can easily bow or go out of vertical with a gust of wind or a small knock, or even just under its own weight. The result is that you have a dodgy wall that you will probably end up having to to demolish and rebuild.
• Re-point a lime mortar wall with Portland cement. There are many bricklayers out there who will be happy to take your money to re-point a perfectly sound wall, sticking a Portland cement mortar into lime mortar joints. Often they do a clumsy job and end up disfiguring the wall with unsightly grey surface mortar. What usually happens is that the Portand mortar cracks up and begins falling out after a few years: the lime mortar allows the wall to "breathe" surplus water freely, while the Portland cement resists the movement of water. Then the water causes damage in winter frosts. If the aim is to cure an internal damp problem, the effect is usually the opposite: water is trapped in the wall instead of breathing out as it used to. See the brickwork restoration page.
• Bury your garden in building waste. We have all seen it. It's not necessary. I don't do it, on the contrary I maintain a tidy work environment and look after your garden, flowers, shrubs, lawn etc as well as I can while getting the job done!
• Cunningly conceal building waste, surplus concrete etc behind your garden shed, knowing you wan't find out until they have got your money and scarpered.
• Over-order materials at your expense, which are then spirited away to some "cash" job while you are at work.
• Listen to Radio One all day, or similar mindless drivel. It drives you mad? It drives me mad! I prefer Radio Four. Or bird song.
• Dump a tonne of sand on your doorstep, just as you are despairing that the job will ever get done. And then disappear for another month. Not my style. I always aim to stick to dates, and let you know promptly of any problems that may arise.