ᐅ Facing bricks / brick slips damp, not drying – Defect? Recommended actions?
Created on: 5 Jan 2022 22:31
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Der_Hansi1968
Hello 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
I had to look up "roll layer window sill" first.. phew…. there are some awful pictures showing the same problem.. Maybe you could try placing a deeper board on the roll layer of the garage window for a few weeks, so that water drips down onto the ground instead of running down the wall. Then you can see if that is the cause.
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Benutzer2006 Jan 2022 13:10I would rather guess mortar or bricks. It looks like that visually.
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Der_Hansi19689 Jan 2022 08:06A friend with quite a bit of building experience came by yesterday to take a look. His opinion: something isn’t right. He suspects the vapor barrier isn’t properly connected or is damaged. It needs to be removed and redone. The screed layer and two or three rows of facing bricks need to be knocked out, the window taken out again, and the insulation and membranes redone. Well, my contractor will be thrilled when he returns from vacation tomorrow...
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Katharina20246 Jan 2024 23:47Hello, have you repaired your facade? And did it make any difference? Good luck