# Water Penetration Through Brick Veneer: How Long?



## Glenn (Nov 7, 2012)

I am a little crazy about learning, but I don't believe everything I am told.  Decks may be my niche, but building science is my interest.

I have heard many different opinions about how fast water will drive through anchored brick veneer to the airspace behind.  I've had lecturers on building science tell me that water will be "pouring through within 30 seconds".  I had a hard time believing that.

So I did a good ol' backyard, hillbilly test.  No accredited laboratory here...just a will that found a way.

I am doing some major remodeling at my place, including removing a brick veneer from one wall.  The other side of the wall is unfinished.  I decided to cut the sheathing from the back side, enlist my youngsters to help, and get a little window into an in-situ location that is rarely, if never, seen.

No marketing in this video, guys; nothing fancy.  It's only 22 seconds.  Just a rough test to prove something to myself.  I was ready to find answers.

This is a brick wall from a home built in the 50's.  The mortar joints were sound.

Post up what you think the answer is.  Watch the video and then post up how long you think it took water to start coming through.  I'll provide some more information and footage after you guys play along.  What have you been told?  How permeable do you think the brick is?

[video=youtube;sjhMvT8Yiqk]


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## Rider Rick (Nov 7, 2012)

Just like stucco the building paper is the trick.


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## RLGA (Nov 7, 2012)

About 3 minutes


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## Rio (Nov 7, 2012)

As Rider Rick points out it's the building paper (with attention to the details I might add) that keeps out the water.  How long for a stream of water to penetrate brick veneer will depend on some variables, such as how porous the brick is, how porous the mortar, how tight are the joints, if the brick are sealed or painted, how high is the P.S.I. of the water stream, the angle of attack, the volume of water, etc.  With that in mind I'll guess that it'll take 20 minutes for it to be weeping like I was last night around 10:00 pm or so.


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## fatboy (Nov 8, 2012)

I jump at 2 minutes...........


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## Francis Vineyard (Nov 8, 2012)

It depends . . .

"When water passes through brick masonry walls, it typically does so through minute separations between the brick units and the mortar joints. Under normal exposures, it is virtually impossible for significant amounts of water to pass directly through the brick units or through the mortar. Highly absorbent brick will absorb some water, but certainly do not contribute to an outright flow of water through a wall."



http://www.gobrick.com/Portals/25/docs/Technical%20Notes/TN7.pdf

IT blocked the video!

Francis


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## tmurray (Nov 8, 2012)

Also...Solar Driven Moisture in Brick Veneer


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## KZQuixote (Nov 8, 2012)

All brick veneers and stuccos leak!!!!

They's pertty good at withstanding UV's but not much else.

If the weather resistant barrier isn't properly integrated with all the penetrations, decks, windows, doors, electrical meters, hose bibs, you're gonna have water infiltration.

Bill


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## Glenn (Nov 8, 2012)

I have found many people surprised that stucco, adhered masonry and EIFS have weepscreed and that anchored masonry veneer has weepholes for liquid water to come out.  I even started to wonder just how much comes through...as I've never been out in a rain storm staring at the weepholes.  That is all I am intending to reveal here.

Francis nailed it.  The water came through at the mortar joints.  But more specifically, the joint between the mortar and the brick, but even more specifically again, it came through in the vertical mortar joints in areas where the mortar was not the full horizontal depth (the 4" thickness of the brick).  That is where it came through.  Once it started coming in...in was steady.

I will post some more video soon.


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## Paul Sweet (Nov 9, 2012)

That's why the Brick Industry Association has been telling architects and masons to FILL THE HEAD JOINTS for the past half century!


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## Architect1281 (Nov 10, 2012)

Brick in NOT a Water Resistan Barrier even the GLAZED brick / block provides a path through the mortar goint to the body of the material


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## TomV (Feb 25, 2013)

At least the brick construction seems to always get the airspace and weeps.  Stone veneer, although in the code to get weeps, is still getting overlooked at initial construction by many builders AS WELL AS the code officials.  Not sure when they'll get with the program - this problem has identified in many cases over the past 5 years and still is overlooked in a majority of the cases in our part of the country.


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## Glenn (Feb 25, 2013)

Oh boy...I forgot about this teaser video.  I will have to put together the final act with the actual time it took.  No do-overs at this point...I've demo'd that wall completely now.

Since I failed to play nice with this one in a timely manner...I'll go ahead and tell you...

It took about 4 minutes of serious blasting of water for the water to start coming through.  I was told "less than 30 seconds" in a building science seminar I once attended.  That was the exact quote that lead me to do my...er...uhm... "research".

It started coming through at the vertical joints between two adjacent bricks where the horizonal depth of the grout was about half that of the bricks.


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## Jobsaver (Feb 25, 2013)

Paul Sweet said:
			
		

> That's why the Brick Industry Association has been telling architects and masons to FILL THE HEAD JOINTS for the past half century!





			
				Glenn said:
			
		

> It started coming through at the vertical joints between two adjacent bricks where the horizonal depth of the grout was about half that of the bricks.


Looks like Mr. Sweet nailed this one.


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