Stability of multistory brick veneer

[Curly Sue]

I am watching some workers put a brick veneer on a two-story building. The underneath (sheathing?) is what looks like plywood. Then there is black paper stapled to it. Then the wall is going up, a single layer of brick against the paper.

My question is- is a single layer of brick on the outside of a building going to stay up? Do they lean it into the building?

I know there are multi-story brick buildings, but I guess I've never seen one being constructed so I never thought about it. For some reason I thought there would be some sort of bonding to the underlying material.

Just curious :>

Sue(tm) Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

[Edwin Pawlowski]

You can nail a tie to the plywood or sheathing and put that into the mortar joint. Should last 200 years or so if done right.

[Ray]

. . . or until the next minor earthquake.

[Art]

But typically ties are not put in correctly. They are supposed to be nailed (preferably screwed) into the studs but since the wood is covered with opaque paper, unless the mason has superman's xray eyes and can see thru objects, the ties are not put into studs. That is why I would never again build a brick veneer home unless the mason was a personal friend who I could trust. Most of the brick veneer homes look good for a decade or too. By then the mason is long gone and the fact that the ties are missing or put in wrong and the lentils are too short or the flashing isn't right won't catch up with him.

[willshak]

On 6/26/2005 10:29 AM US(ET), Ray took fingers to keyboard, and typed the following:

She, as well as you and I, are in the Eastern time zone. I have never felt an earthquake in the 67 years (that I would have recognized one) here in NY.