ᐅ Brick-faced window sill – Experience

Hello,
today the bricklayers started installing the facing bricks on our house, and we discussed some details.
For us, it was clear that the window sills should also be covered with facing bricks.
However, the contractor strongly advised against this. He said that water might not drain properly and that white streaks could quickly appear underneath.
Does anyone have experience with this?

We have all window sills constructed with sloped layers, which is more or less standard here. The efflorescence comes from the mortar – normally, however, the waterproofing is extended beneath the sloped layer to the outside (basically like a "slide" from the window under the sloped layer to the edge of the brickwork), so this should be limited.

That is correct – these streaks are salt efflorescence.

Properly and permanently sealing a render layer against penetrating moisture (rain-exposed side) is not straightforward. I would also recommend a conventional exterior windowsill instead.

Regards, Bauexperte

I wouldn’t do it either – it’s usually done incorrectly. Natural stone countertops are more affordable and look better.

And if they are already advising you against it, then they probably don’t know what they’re talking about.

Sebastian79 schrieb:

And if they are already advising you against it, then they can't do it anyway

That is a hasty statement! I very much welcome that the original poster has found a masonry company that knows its craft.

A rolling layer cannot be permanently sealed—even with the most careful execution; a vapor barrier foil will not help.

Regards, Bauexperte

At my parents' house, even on the weather-exposed side, there have been no efflorescence marks visible after nearly 30 years.