ᐅ Facing bricks / brick slips damp, not drying – Defect? Recommended actions?
Created on: 5 Jan 2022 22:31
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Der_Hansi1968D
Der_Hansi19685 Jan 2022 22:31Hello dear forum community,
At our garage window (north-west orientation) and more recently also at the two south-facing upper floor windows, the brick/cladding is absorbing a lot of water (see pictures). The bricks dry very poorly or not at all, and since this occurs in very prominent locations, the visual disturbance is quite significant. Our builder – who is otherwise really great – says this is normal, determined by the orientation/weather conditions, that the masonry suffers no damage from it, and that it can be fixed with the first summer temperatures by applying a brick sealer. His further explanation for this moisture is that drip water from the roof eaves or the garage roof cladding (HPL, zinc sheet) constantly reaches the drip edge (outer window sill), collects there, and then soaks into the brick/cladding below the drip edge layer. Therefore, from his point of view, there is no construction defect.
Other homeowners report in similar cases of incorrectly installed window seals, poorly bonded vapor barriers, or other construction workmanship errors.
My main concerns are that
- the visual defects remain permanently (with or without sealing),
- the wall structure behind may suffer permanent damage and possibly draw moisture inside (mold),
- I will get efflorescence and weathering by autumn/winter at the latest; in the worst case, severe frost could cause the brick to crack, or
- at least every 3–4 years I will have to renew the sealing at my own cost and effort, assuming it works as intended.
From my (non-professional) perspective, it would be better to fix the problem now if there are any construction defects, rather than having to later remove the drip edge/bricks and install new membranes and seals during further construction progress. Material costs are probably minor, the labor effort presumably annoying, but manageable in scale.
I would greatly appreciate your opinions, assessments of the causes, and suggestions on how to proceed.
Many thanks!
Hans
At our garage window (north-west orientation) and more recently also at the two south-facing upper floor windows, the brick/cladding is absorbing a lot of water (see pictures). The bricks dry very poorly or not at all, and since this occurs in very prominent locations, the visual disturbance is quite significant. Our builder – who is otherwise really great – says this is normal, determined by the orientation/weather conditions, that the masonry suffers no damage from it, and that it can be fixed with the first summer temperatures by applying a brick sealer. His further explanation for this moisture is that drip water from the roof eaves or the garage roof cladding (HPL, zinc sheet) constantly reaches the drip edge (outer window sill), collects there, and then soaks into the brick/cladding below the drip edge layer. Therefore, from his point of view, there is no construction defect.
Other homeowners report in similar cases of incorrectly installed window seals, poorly bonded vapor barriers, or other construction workmanship errors.
My main concerns are that
- the visual defects remain permanently (with or without sealing),
- the wall structure behind may suffer permanent damage and possibly draw moisture inside (mold),
- I will get efflorescence and weathering by autumn/winter at the latest; in the worst case, severe frost could cause the brick to crack, or
- at least every 3–4 years I will have to renew the sealing at my own cost and effort, assuming it works as intended.
From my (non-professional) perspective, it would be better to fix the problem now if there are any construction defects, rather than having to later remove the drip edge/bricks and install new membranes and seals during further construction progress. Material costs are probably minor, the labor effort presumably annoying, but manageable in scale.
I would greatly appreciate your opinions, assessments of the causes, and suggestions on how to proceed.
Many thanks!
Hans
The parapet of the garage looks a bit too flush, if not even slightly inward-tilted. Are you sure that all of this is coming from above? - I wouldn’t completely rule out the possibility of incorrect mortar either.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
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Der_Hansi19686 Jan 2022 09:5811ant schrieb:
The garage parapet looks a bit too flush, maybe even slightly leaning inward. Are you sure all the moisture is coming from above? I wouldn’t completely rule out the possibility of incorrect mortar either. Thanks, 11ant! No, I’m not sure, but that’s what it strongly appears to me. I hadn’t considered incorrect mortar until now because similar areas with the same orientation don’t have moisture retention. On the other hand, the flashing layers were added later and the mortar for those was newly mixed...
Any more ideas?
Der_Hansi1968 schrieb:
Other builders report cases like this with improperly installed window seals, poorly glued vapor barriers, or other construction workmanship defects. I wouldn’t want to rule that out! On the contrary, it would be my “favorite” explanation.
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Der_Hansi19686 Jan 2022 11:47driver55 schrieb:
I wouldn’t want to rule that out! On the contrary, it would be my “favorite.”I (unfortunately) think so too.Does anyone have experience with sealing facing bricks? Does that actually help with the problem?
Der_Hansi1968 schrieb:
Does anyone have experience with sealing facing bricks? Does it actually help with the problem?I don't have any experience with it, but your builder supposedly does. Since there have been summers in recent years as well, he should have been able to retrofit it for previous clients. He should show you some reference construction sites ;-)https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
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