Brick Veneer Wall

Don Randazzo · 11-10-2008, 11:36 AM

Look Carefully at a brick wall that gets extremely wet when it rains. It's to bad we can't see inside them before the inside covering is removed.

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Don Randazzo · 11-10-2008, 11:40 AM

Sorry, I wanted you to see the inside also.

**Jerry Peck** · 11-10-2008, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by Don Randazzo

Look Carefully at a brick wall that gets extremely wet when it rains.

Don,

When does a brick veneer wall *not* get "extremely wet when it rains"?

That is not caused by a brick veneer wall "getting extremely wet", that is caused by a brick veneer wall being "built extremely improperly".

And, yes, it is too bad we cannot see inside brick veneer walls. Likewise, stucco on frame walls, siding on frame walls, etc.

Not quite sure I understand where your post was headed ...

**Paul Kondzich** · 11-10-2008, 01:15 PM

Ditto.

**Raymond Wand** · 11-10-2008, 04:08 PM

Can we assume the flat roof slopes towards the outside wall? Assuming the sloped portion of the roof is spilling onto the flat portion? That metal cap is going to do diddly to keep the water off that brick. Tick, tick, tick, .. They should have installed a gutter from the get go. Is that safe to assume?

**Eric Barker** · 11-10-2008, 05:17 PM

Don,

Looks like an older wall which I expect has no drainage provisions. Soil is up over the brick which is going to wick the moisture. I don't think that you'd being going too far out on a limb in expecting potential trouble in the wall without seeing inside.

**Jerry Peck** · 11-10-2008, 06:50 PM

Originally Posted by Raymond Wand

Can we assume the flat roof slopes towards the outside wall? Assuming the sloped portion of the roof is spilling onto the flat portion? That metal cap is going to do diddly to keep the water off that brick. Tick, tick, tick, .. They should have installed a gutter from the get go. Is that safe to assume?

Raymond,

Versus a two story brick veneer wall constructed the same way?

It 'is not the amount of water' getting on the brick, it is the fact that the 1" MINIMUM air space and drainage plane was improperly constructed, if there at all.

**Raymond Wand** · 11-11-2008, 05:33 AM

Jerry

While I understand what you are conveying, the fact is the water has been allowed to aid in the demise of the wall. My thinking is even if it were properly constructed the amount of water permitted to cascade down the wall a air space may not be enough long term.

Cheers,

**Jerry Peck** · 11-11-2008, 07:32 AM

[quote=Raymond Wand;62040]While I understand what you are conveying, the fact is the water has been allowed to aid in the demise of the wall.[quote]

Raymond,

I'm not disputing that, and, in fact, I am agreeing with that.

My thinking is even if it were properly constructed the amount of water permitted to cascade down the wall a air space may not be enough long term.

That is what I am disagreeing with.

If ... that big *IF* ... the wall is constructed properly, with a 1" *minimum* air space, with the mortar struck off the backside of the brick as it is supposed to be so as not to bridge the air space, with the proper and correct ties installed properly and correctly so the water does not drain back to the supporting wall, with no mortar blocking the bottom course, with proper weep holes, preferably full head joint weep holes, with proper through-the-wall flashings properly installed, i.e., ... with the wall constructed properly ... then I believe that brick veneer wall survive the wetting it gets, ... because brick veneer walls do, even in areas where it rains a lot.

Ricky Sandliln · 11-11-2008, 02:18 PM

Hello guys,

New here first post.

You are correct that the brick veneer could have been installed better, but the main problem is that the sheathing is not installed properly. The holes in the sheathing have allowed the water to penetrate the wall. If the sheathing was installed correctly it would not matter how much water got on the wall or though the brick, the inside studs would not be damaged as they are now. You all know that it takes less than 90 seconds for rain to penetrate brick.

**Jerry Peck** · 11-11-2008, 05:45 PM

Originally Posted by Ricky Sandliln

You are correct that the brick veneer could have been installed better, but the main problem is that the sheathing is not installed properly. The holes in the sheathing have allowed the water to penetrate the wall. If the sheathing was installed correctly ...

The sheathing has nothing to do with water penetration, it is the (*lack of*) weather-resisting barrier which should have been protecting the sheathing which would effect what you are describing.

However, the weather-resisting barrier would not be getting wetted by water penetrating the brick veneer. Brick veneer is designed to allow the water which penetrates through the brick veneer (water does penetrate through the brick and mortar joints) to drain down the back side of the brick, collect along the bottom of the wall on the through wall flashing, then drain out through the weep holes.

What kills the weather-resisting barrier and sheathing is all the mortar which is not struck off the back side of the mortar joints, allowing all that water to bridge the 1" minimum air space.

Same goes for those flimsy corrugated ties which slope downward back to the wall instead of having been installed at the proper height where they extend out horizontally from the wall into the mortar joints - water through mortar joints, water runs down toward the wall on those corrugated ties, wall rots out.