Brick-Veneer Inspection Guide

For your pleasure. Nicely put together.

www.masonpro.com/EnglishGuide.pdf

Great Thanks John Much appreciated .
Roy Cooke

A little contribution for the one’s a bit more on the Commercial side of things.

http://www.bia.org/html/frmset_thnt.htm

http://www.bia.org/html/frmset_thnt.htm

http://www.bia.org/html/frmset_thnt.htm

Marcel :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

John,

Do you have the spanish version?

So with that info you guys have posted this job is doomed to failure right?

http://www.badstucco.com/bricks/bricks.htm

http://www.masonpro.com/SpanishGuide.pdf

YES! What did I win?

Thanks Barry,

You win the same thing I did!

But I will give you a pat on the back anyway!

So we all know that it is important to have weeps in brick veneers. Just how many houses have you inspected without any? and how do you right it up? I live in a house built in the 40’s, brick veneer, no weeps.

Look close you just might find your home has the old Hemp wicks hard to find and many have rotted back to the brick.
That was the way they used to do it when they used seal bond and cement to make mortar.( This is for Marcel )

Roy Cooke

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Proper weep holes are not present in the brick veneer. Flashing is supposed to be installed behind the brick to direct water to the weep holes. I can’t tell if flashing has been installed in the required areas behind the brick veneer.
Even though some local jurisdictions require it, I seldom see proper weep holes in brick veneer in recent construction in this area. For more information on brick systems on the internet see: http://www.bia.org/html/frmset_thnt.htm Look at Technical Note #7 for weephole information.
Also see attachment “Weep Holes In Brick Veneer”.
Water does get behind brick veneer. It needs a way out so it doesn’t sit in the wall rotting the structural wood until it evaporates.
Weep holes are openings in the brick mortar that provide drainage for water that has penetrated into the space between the brick and the wall sheathing. When installed, these are combined with flashing (a piece of sheet metal or other similar water resistant material) between the sheathing and bricks which lead the collected moisture out the weep holes. There is no way to see into this space behind the brick without removing brick or opening the interior wall. Making a determination about moisture issues inside the wall is beyond the scope of this inspection.
The Brick Industry Association (the people who make the brick and design installation requirements for it) recommend “weep holes should be located above all doors and windows, below all window sills, and above the ground at the base of the wall.” Generally accepted nationwide building practices also call for proper weep holes in brick construction. However, local generally accepted building practices usually lag behind nationally accepted practices and may not require weep holes.
Walls may be retrofitted with weep holes but without flashing to direct the water to the weep holes, retrofitting may be useless.
You may also want to review the following resources about the need for flashing and weep holes in brick walls.
a. The Brick Industry Association web site at www.bia.org.
b. An article on The Journal of Light Construction web site www.jlconline.com.
The article is: Keeping water out of brick veneer, by Jerry Carrier. Great
explanations, great pictures. Costs $5 to download if you’re not a member.
c. The Building Science Corporation web site at
www.buildingscience.com/resources/walls/solar_driven_moisture_brick.htm
d. Construction books at your local library.
I recommend three courses of action:

  1. Review the above resources to educate yourself about the need for brick
    weep holes and flashing.
  2. Consult the local building inspectors office for local requirements.
  3. Contact some knowledgeable qualified brick or masonry contractors to
    determine repair methods, estimate costs, and perform the necessary repairs.
    ===============================

attachment “Weep Holes In Brick Veneer”. is to large to upload here but is BIA’s tech note 7 on weep holes avaiable on the Brick Industry Association Website at www.bia.org

Brick?

Nice find.

Interesting that this shows a “drip groove” on the underside of the coping but not the chimney cap while showing a similiar flashing detail under both.

Yes but the cove in this case is larger then the Wall #14 .
The Chimney cap $12 is the same size as the chimney so there is no over hang in this case.
I think they are trying to show two different methods of a cap.
They do a good job of reminding all to use Backer road and Caulking and also at the chimney tile so there is a bead break so the tile can move up when it expands.
Like others I find too many tar repairs on a chimney or no repairs.

Roy Cooke

Thanks.