Brickwork tolerances on new homes in Melbourne's north
Out of level courses, wandering perpends, missing ties and lintel overhangs: how brickwork defects are measured.
In short: Brickwork can look fine from the street and still be well outside tolerance. Measuring against the published limits turns a disagreement into a list of numbers.
What gets measured
Course level, perpend alignment, wall flatness, overhang at the slab and lintels, articulation joint widths and the presence of brick ties.
Ties matter most
Missing brick ties leave the brick skin unconnected to the frame over too great a span. That is a structural concern, not a cosmetic one.
Overhang at the slab
Bricks projecting past the slab edge by more than 15mm are a defect. We have recorded this on Kalkallo homes at lock-up and handover.
Writing it up
Each item gets a photo with a scale, the measurement and the limit it exceeds.
Written by our local inspection team from work carried out in Kalkallo. Licensed building practitioners, Building & Plumbing Commission registration CDB-U 53425.
