Clear Water Proofing for External Brick Wall

[Mike]

The brick wall on the rear of my house is, at times, exposed to heavy winds which drives rain against the brick wall. There is some water damage on the inside wall due to water coming through the brick wall/mortar. I'll probably cover the wall w/ siding. In the mean time will someone recommend a clear sealer I can apply to the wall to minimize water damage. I've filled in some of the breaks in the pointing w/ Sakrete mortar in a chalk tubes. I'd like to find chalk/mortar in a sand color. Anybody know of sand colored chaulk/mortar?

Thanks,

Mike

[Art Begun]

The wall is not flashed properly. A good mason can cut out the brick at the tops of windows and doors and at the foundation and assuming the brick is still available replace it with flashing and working weep holes properly installed. Won't be cheap but better than siding over a problem.

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[Tom Baker]

I'd be interested to have a description of the interior damage. It is possible that leakage is occouring at the head, sill, or jamb of openings. If rain is being driven through the field of the brick and damaging interior surfaces, there is something wrong with the wall construction. A look at BIA (Brick Industry Association) web site Tech Notes would be useful. Check: Flashing and Weep holes. I have seen waterproofing applied to the outside of brick and masonry walls. Blocking weeps at cavity bottom and at opening heads can cause problems. The coatings I have seen have not lasted long.

Tom Baker

[Mike]

Further inspection reveals the problem maybe caused by water running off of the flat roof past the gutter, then wind blowing the rainwater against the wall. The tar paper on the roof extends out from the wall about three + inches leaving about 1 1/2" - 2' space for rainwater to fall into the gutter. The problem is aggravated by some gaps in the pointing. The roof is covered by four of five layers of tar paper.

Possible short term solution: (please coment)

Install a larger gutter patch pointing where defective, then coat wall w/ water repellent?

I'll get estimates for getting the layers of old tarpaper removed and the roof resurfaced.

Mike

[Mike]

The windows were replaced many years ago. The lintels are covered w/ aluminium. I chaulked around the aluminum flashing maybe that'll help some. see my reponse 9/1/03 to mailto: [e-mail].

Mike

[Mike]

Water runs and drips around the interior window sills and the interior tops of the two windows.. The interior wall is covered w/ paneling. I just moved into this 70 y/o brick row home. What are weep holes. The replacement windows instralled years ago. head, sills and jambs covered w/ aluminium flashing. I chaulked around the flashing.

Mike'

[Joseph Meehan]

Just do the pointing and get the roof gutter fixed as soon as possible.

Note that often there are weep holes intentionally left open on a brick wall to allow water to escape. Don't block them or the problem may get worse.

[Mike]

Where are weep holes usually located? I've never seen one.

Mike

[Tom Baker]

Mike, Calulking at the flashing may well be your problem. Look at BIA (Brick Industry Association) web site Tech Note section. My first guess is that you have closed a path for water to weep out of the brick cavity and it is collecting between the brick and the sheathing, then leaking into the cavities around the window frame.

Weep holes will be explained in the tech notes.

More later if you want.

Tom Baker

[Mike]

Tech notes at bia are very informative. My house is a 70 y/o brick row house w/ plaster walls. Were weep holes used 70 yeARS ago? I may have closed them up w/ chaulk? How can I find out where they are? The tech notes at BIA were a little confusing to me.

Mike

[Art Begun]

There should be weep holes above each rectangular door and window and at the bottome of the stud wall where it hit the masonry foundation. There is a lot to brick veneer construction and unfortuantely most are done improperly.

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[Art Begun]

What you really need to do is to call a couple of large masonry companies and ask them who they use to fix their problems. Then call that guy and have him look at your wall. If you live in central NC I can give you a guy to call.

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[Tom Baker]

The 100+ year old houses here in Charleston have weep holes. I expect your house did too. Since water is coming in around the (relatiely) new windows where you say you caulked, look at the head (top) of the opening in the masonry that the window fits into.

There may be open joints between bricks. Those are weep holes. If there is caulk between the grick and any flashing that comes out ( a little) over the window, that may be blocking water flow.

As Art suggests, it is probably time to look for an experienced person to investigate.

Tom Baker

[Mike]

It's a 70y/o house w/ brick mortar exterior and lathe strip plaster wall. Weep holes only used w/ brick veneer construction?

Mike

[Mike]

I'm going to da that. I'm in the midatlantic area.

Mike

[Mike]

This thread has been very informativr. I'll get a professional to check out the wall.

Mike

[Art Begun]

That means it is an double width wall (2 layers of masonry). I really don't know except when retaining walls are built that way they do have a means for drainage.

Another issue is the condition of the wall ties. The 2 layers of masonry are supposed to be tied together with metal ties. At 70 years they could be shot. Fortunately there are retrofit ties made by Dura-wall. You drill holes in the motar into both layers, insert the tie and torque them so they expand and grip the 2 walls. It is something else to ask the expert about.

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[Art Begun]

I checked with my mason. The tops of the windows and doors should have been flashed and euipped with weep holes to protect the inside layer of bricks. The top of the foundation should have flashing equipped weepholes too. Either they never did or the flashing has deteriorated with age. If you can find identical brick a good mason can match the motar and cut out brick where necessary and replace it. He might also be able to clean the old brick enuf to re-use it if it is no longer available. It won't be a cheap job but it will be the right repair and putting siding over it won't be a good fix.

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