Question about brick

[kteitel]

I am new to the home inspection business and I saw a new house being constructed that seemed to pose a few questions. The wood framed house is brick over the entire exterior, the garage sticks out of the front of the house and is supportong the brick from the second story, the main question is: what would you expect to see between the brick and the roof supporting the brick? Is a water proof membrane enough? Would weep holes or flashing help? I am not inspecting this house, just wondering as I drive by it every day. Thanks.

Kevin

[Brian G]

Kevin,

I'm not sure what you're seeing but I can pretty well assure you that the roof will not be supporting the brick. If you mean the area above a garage door there should be a steel lintel (more or less a long piece of angle iron) secured to whatever beam is spanning the opening. There may be other ways I'm not aware of, but that's typical here. Is that what you're talking about?

Brian G.

[swarga]

Brian I think what Kevin is trying to ask is what supports the Brick veneer above the garage roof.

The wood framed house is brick over the entire exterior, the garage sticks out of the front of the house and is supporting the brick from on the second story

The answer is still the same though. There will more than likely be a steel angle iron supporting the brick. Yes it should have weep holes. More information can be found at http://www.BIA.org

[kteitel]

Originally posted by swarga

Brian I think what Kevin is trying to ask is what supports the Brick veneer above the garage roof.

The wood framed house is brick over the entire exterior, the garage sticks out of the front of the house and is supporting the brick from on the second story

The answer is still the same though. There will more than likely be a steel angle iron supporting the brick. Yes it should have weep holes. More information can be found at http://www.BIA.org

Sorry for not being very clear, Scott is on the mark. I didn't see a steel lintel on the roof before they put up the brick, all I saw was typical wood framing and wood sheething. Thanks.

Kevin

[Chad Fabry]

The roof probably butts to the brick wall and the wall is built on a beam concealed below. Step flashing in the mortar joints over a counter flashing would provide water proofing. Look up "reglet"

[Scottpat]

I never see lintels on gable walls. The brick is always sitting on a a beam. It's getting to the point that I seldom see any flashing. I can't tell you how many homes I find with the shingles tucked into the mortar.

Example:

Download Attachment: No flashing.JPG

106.49 KB

[kteitel]

Thanks for the help. As I drive around now I can't help but look at houses with a critical eye [:-magnify, and that usually leads to questions that I can't always answer myself.

Kevin

[Bruce Thomas]

Kevin,

Now you are an inspector. I can't go to a friends house without something catching my eye. It's a disease that no pill will cure. Then again why would you want to cure it.

Bruce[^]

[kteitel]

And now the rest of the story, I drove by the house today and one side of the roof has a piece of copper copper installed cut to look like step flashing but not woven into the shingles. The other side does not have the copper installed yet and there is NO flashing at all, just the shingles bent up slightly to act as a sort of flashing with a lot of tar. It's truely sad to see work like this on a new house. Thanks for everyones help.

Kevin