Sub-standard caulking job in basement?

[MissLaurus]

We recently had steel I-beams installed to reinforce bowing basement wall. The caulking that was done as part of this is lumpy and smeared all over, as shown in pics below. I expected better (especially for what I paid) and don't think it looks professional. The contractor claims this is the way caulking on concrete block always looks, and there's no way to do it more neatly. They say it's just the nature of the product being used, and how it has to be applied--claim the messy appearance is unavoidable. Does this work look poorly done to anyone else?

 

[joecaption]

Not sure why it would even need to be caulked, it's not doing anything.

 

[Sparky617]

Looks more like mortar than caulk. It could be cleaned up with muriatic acid, but not needed unless you planned on a finishing the space by just painting the concrete block. If you wanted to give the wall a better look and improve the water proofing you could paint it with Dry-Lock paint.

 

[bud16415]

The wall was bowing so I would assume some of the original mortar joints were open maybe just hairline cracks. The job entailed two parts one being straighten and or reinforce the failing wall. The second would be to seal any openings in the blocks or joints. I don’t know if they used mortar or some kind of a mastic that was pumped on or into the crack and then trowel finished.

For me this is not a finished wall surface it is a foundation repair and the quality of the work looks fine to me.