M & F Builders in Denton, Manchester

Under no circumstances would I recommend this company to anybody other than my worst enemy. They also trade under the guise of Quality Pointing but are not specialist pointers or stonemasons as their website suggests and Master Craftsmen they most certainly are not.

I live in a sandstone brick cottage and it is very important that great care is taken when re-pointing such a fragile material, the mortar mix needs to be exactly right to avoid damage from moisture build up and care needs to be taken when chipping out the old mortar.

Every corner that could possibly be cut was cut. The finished job is slapdash at best; many bricks were chipped and damaged, the protective weatherproof face of many of the bricks was removed and the mortar was just slapped on to a very poor standard and not brushed off afterwards so is totally uneven throughout. My street and my neighbours cars and windows were so badly covered in dust during the work that I received a complaint from the council and my kitchen was also left completely covered in dust.

I have had a second opinion from a 30 year, time-served stonemason and discovered the mortar mix to be incorrect, much of it taking 2 months plus to set and large areas are still very porous and hold moisture which is the exact opposite of what you want in the cold weather. After a recent frost I have found many pieces of brick the size of a 50p piece have crumbled off.

I did get them back (eventually) to try and repair some of the damage and re-point some of the particularly bad areas but even this they bodged, doing only the rear to an acceptable standard then leaving before I had time to inspect the front.

I have complained at length to the Guild of Master Craftsmen to which they belong who have written to them but they have just ignored the letter. I am now looking at having the work redone by a tradesman I can trust at further expense to myself. On top of all this it transpires I was charged more than twice what the job should have cost.

If it's pointing you need - Go elsewhere!