1 April 2011 (day 16) - Off White Mortar Query

It was Friday already and I decided to complain to the builder about off white mortar colour.

Went to the site at the morning and call the office about the colour of mortar.
The Office manager said it is off white mortar and will be off white in months. Ask to talk with builder but he is not available, and she said gonna take another four hours till he will be able to come to the site, but I decide to wait at the site.

Not long then, about 40 minute, the builder came with another person. I keep waiting till they finished, apparently he is from the certifier company or something like that, came to the site to make sure that the height of the house is not less than free flood level, which is 14.2 meters above sea level. They measure it and the height pass the mark.

Then I talked to the builder that the mortar is not off white mortar. He said it is off white mortar, that is the term of their off white mortar standard.
I said when I do the colour selection, I referred to the colour at the ausbrick display office. I never know and see any sample of your off white mortar, even when I was brought along to some of his project early march 2011, all projects shown are with rendered wall. He argues that I should build with ausbrick.
We argued and watched by the person from certifier co. Builder decide to show me a house that he build almost a year ago with off white mortar colour.

I drove follow his car and see the house he mentioned. The colours of the mortar is not quite white tend to be orange and not uniform in colours, some are lighter some are darker. I told him that these are not the same as what I have seen at ausbrick display centre.

Left confused and thinking what to do.

I drove to redback garden supply and ask about off white mortar and the sand that should be used, the lady there said should use white sand and the price of white sand is about $116/ton.
Browse at many forums, you will need average for 1000 bricks 1 ton of sand and 5 kg of off white cement.
Means for 14000 bricks I will need to pay 116x14 make $1624 plus off white cement of 10x14x5 about $700. This make the total of $2324 as cost of off white mortar.
But this amount should be deducted with the cost of normal mortar which are about $64/ton sand and $10/kg cements. I calculate them: (64*14) + (9x5x14) make $ 1526.

Wow, if I deduct them, I should only pay 2324-1526= $ 798 plus builder margin, say 20%, it will become less than $1000. I have paid $1475 for the upgrade to off white mortar. Hmmmm......