Thread: Lean / tilt of brick veneer

House is 8 years old and noted 3/8" gaps between original caulk lines and brick moldings around 2nd floor windows on one side, and on third floor windows on opposite side of home. No visible cracks in veneer and veneer is has not shifted the frieze board (veneer is up against frieze board as is typical). It's possible the veneer has not moved much, but maybe the house framing has moved some. No interior cracks/gaps, etc.

Small gaps like this are common but at what size would this be a red flag?

Originally Posted by Randall Clark

House is 8 years old and noted 3/8" gaps between original caulk lines and brick moldings around 2nd floor windows on one side, and on third floor windows on opposite side of home. No visible cracks in veneer and veneer is has not shifted the frieze board (veneer is up against frieze board as is typical). It's possible the veneer has not moved much, but maybe the house framing has moved some. No interior cracks/gaps, etc.

Small gaps like this are common but at what size would this be a red flag?

Randall, I've seen what sounds like what you are describing, pictures would help. In my case is was wall push-out due to a lack of rafter ties. Attic floor rafters were perpendicular to the rafters on a section of complex roof and nothing was installed to prevent the spread.

This often happens due to lumber shrinkage of the wall studs, but 3/8" is excessive.

I have evaluated a few of these were there are quite a few windows in the wall and you end up with narrow columns of brick with few ties. There can also be quite a bit of play in the ties. Also, in at least one case the bricks were run up tight to the underside of the soffit and the wall bowed out due to shrinkage of the framing (vertical shrinkage).

In a few cases I designed repairs for this using lag bolts tied back into the wall framing. The lag bolts were hidden behind window shutters. They make retrofit brick ties for this, but they can be hard to get locally. especially in small quantities.

Here is a photo. Have to look very closely at the caulk to find the original line where it once rested against the brick molding.018 (Medium).JPG

Originally Posted by Randall Clark

Here is a photo. Have to look very closely at the caulk to find the original line where it once rested against the brick molding.018 (Medium).JPG

And I thought having metric on one side was confusing. Where did you find that thing?

Pictures I was thinking of would show the full elevation of the wall in question.

Originally Posted by Randall Clark

Here is a photo. Have to look very closely at the caulk to find the original line where it once rested against the brick molding.018 (Medium).JPG

When I look at your photo the tape is measuring less than 1/4",so maybe you mean 3/16". At the end of the horizontal mortar line, there is the remains of mortar that was tooled vertically to seal a gap.

My first thought is that the brick did not move, but rather the mortar fell away and you are just noticing the gap.

Cement mortar is not the best material to use where there is a change in direction or material (indoors and outdoors). I would fill the gap with backer rod and caulk the joints with an appropriate sealant. (caulk is a verb and sealant is the noun.)

I recommend cleaning out such joints and finding someone that truly knows how to caulk and knows how to "tool" sealant. I would stay away from someone that is going to "freehand" the application.

I don't think there was ever caulk or mortar at that joint, looks like paint line on the brick. I agree it looks like a 3/16" movement which would be in line with shrinkage as Mark said. I still can't get over a tape that measures 3/16 or 3/8" take your pick! Must be what you use when you need a board stretcher .

Originally Posted by Vern Heiler

I don't think there was ever caulk or mortar at that joint, looks like paint line on the brick. .

The "caulk" is a clear sealant - I should have said that. I've attached another photo and you can see the original sealant line at the top of the photo. I think you are correct in that it has not moved 3/8". Folks keep walking off with my tape measures and I found this one somewhere 014 (Medium).JPG

It is what I said it is.

I guess you can use that tape measure to build a house with dimensions twice as large as called for on the plans.

Originally Posted by Vern Heiler

I still can't get over a tape that measures 3/16 or 3/8" take your pick! Must be what you use when you need a board stretcher .

When I started out in construction as the "go fer", I was warned that the hardest thing to learn was how to read the tape......that is like a tape with training wheels.

Kind of drifting off topic, but I think the tape is pretty cool -- you measure a board and the red numbers tell you where the mid-point is. Avoids arithmetic and all those other tricks!

Originally Posted by Bob Phare

Kind of drifting off topic, but I think the tape is pretty cool -- you measure a board and the red numbers tell you where the mid-point is. Avoids arithmetic and all those other tricks!

Hey Randall, I know were you can sell that tape.

Originally Posted by Bob Phare

Kind of drifting off topic, but I think the tape is pretty cool -- you measure a board and the red numbers tell you where the mid-point is. Avoids arithmetic and all those other tricks!

Give that man a cigar: Lufkin® Self-Centering Tape Rule (L725SCTMP) - Short Tape Measures - Ace Hardware