JChannel separation from brick veneer

[Michael Miller]

I have a fairly large gap between the siding Jchannel and the brick veneer, runs a good portion of the wall. I assume this might be flagged as a maintenance issue. The vinyl channel has some play, I'm wondering if the repair is as simple as exterior caulk? Filling that gap might be a mess unless I tried to get the channel closer to the veneer and have some adhesive hold it there. Appreciate any thoughts here.
http://www.inspectionnews.net/home_inspection/attachment.php?attachmentid=34970&stc=1

[Jerry Peck]

Unless my eyes are deceiving me, I see matching remains of caulk along the top of the brick and the bottom of the J-channel, which indicates that caulking has already been tried ... and failed.

How long ago was it caulked, and how long ago did it fail? I doubt you know the answer either.

[Michael Miller]

YES, I do know. It's never been repaired and I'm the original owner of the house. Originally there was no gap and the channel had a caulk bead between it and the brick veneer. Now 25 years later. :D
Btw the picture is not oriented properly, this is a vertical gap, not horizontal.

[Jerry Peck]

I wondered about the orientation of the photo because of downspout being horizontal, however, having seen horizontal downspouts a few times (used as the wrong material for the wrong uses), I didn't question it. And, yes, I've seen vinyl siding installed vertically too - people do all kinds of things.

The gap being vertical makes sense to what I was thinking, but eliminated because of the vertical orientation of the vinyl siding - expansion and contraction of the vinyl siding.

The J-channel may have been secured to the vinyl siding instead of the substrate behind it, allowing the J-channel to move with the siding?

If it had been vertically installed vinyl siding, gravity would work to help keep the bottom in place, allowing the top to be where the movement would show most.

[Dom D'Agostino]

No one can prescribe a fix (or if it even needs one) without seeing the whole wall assembly.
Maybe the brick veneer moved instead of the vinyl siding.