Stains on brick beside chimney

[cbuell]

Was the building in a flood plain? The tan stain is even on the gable ends of the building. If you blow the picture up there appears to be a similiar stain on the building in the background. Regardless I would bet there is water in the wall behind the brick supporting the "growth" on the brick face.

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

The chimney wasn't capped. It had a fine mesh screen over it and no rain cap. I called that out.

I don't think it would be considered a flood plain. Other houses were near it without those mud stains. (The house you see nearby is a vinyl sided house with a brick foundation.) From inside the CS, I didn't see any water marks on the foundation walls.

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

I just called the client and advised him to pull the paneling off the interior walls around the chimney before he buys the house. (I bet the seller's won't allow it though.)

Sellers claimed to have had a termite inspection last June that was fine, so the buyer tells me. Probably one of those $55 inspections.

[Charley L. Bottger]

Joe I think you answered your own question when you stated recent gutter installed. What I observed in the pic was typical for a house with no guttering. Red splash marks along the bottom drip line and water running off of the roof and down the side of the chimney on both sides for a extended period of time. What direction did the house face was the chimney area in the shaded area or direct sunlight.

[mthomas2]

Looks to me like water from previous or current overshoot at the roof/chimney/eave interface - note that there is little staining on the side of the chimney away form the house opposite and below this point. A proper cricket would be a good idea, but a properly designed kickout to a properly pitched gutter is where I would start. I would want to get up there and take a close look at the roof sheathing and eaves on both sides of the chimney, and also try really hard to to crawl the attic to the eaves in this area.

[cbuell]

So if the staining is from splash marks (before there were gutters) why are there similiar markings on the gable end of the building?

[William J. Decker]

I agree with Mike. I have seen this many times. Thermal imaging, within 3 - 4 days of a pretty good rain, has often confirmed it. Note the blue arrow that Mike added to the picture and extend it down (and curved in towards the house). The stain marks are right in that path. I bet if you ran a hose up there, especially if there was some wind, that the over flow water would splash right onto those stains.

Remember, brick is a sponge. It absorbs water and all you need is some cellulose material and you have mold from New Jersey.

Moisture readings on the inside wall, right at those stains, would be excessive.

Sure, put on a cricket, kick out flashing for the gutter and maybe wider gutters, but I would say that the damage is done and inside the wall. It would call for some pretty heavy remediation.

At least, that's my take.

[William Warner]

Recent install of a vapor barrier and the splashing around the bottom perimeter indicates the sellers should have knowledge of a moisture issue that should have been disclosed.

The dark staining may be an algae rather than a fungus similar to Gloeocapsa magma which loves lime stone (an ingredient of mortar used in the masonry) and more commonly found on composition roofs. The staining is a result of an accumulation of the algae dead, dark colored cells.

Just my S.W.A.G.

[Carl A. Brown]

Some of the staining could be from when it was built mud splash really soaks into brick and stucco. Someone might have been to lazy to was it with muratic acid! And or put straw or hay down during construction.

The lack of kickouts was the biggest problem.

[mthomas2]

Originally Posted by cbuell

So if the staining is from splash marks (before there were gutters) why are there similar markings on the gable end of the building?

I think there are two different processes operating here: overshoot at the gutter ends adjacent to the chimney (or previously missing gutters at these locations), and splashback (and/or rising damp) at grade.