Weep Vents on Brick Exterior Wall
My exterior brick wall (about 40′ x 4O’) was repointed over 7 years ago. Now the interior wall is showing moisture damage and I think the weep holes and any other air ventilation system was compromised. Does anyone know an good masonry contractor who could take a look?
My exterior brick wall (about 40′ x 4O’) was repointed over 7 years ago. Now the interior wall is showing moisture damage and I think the weep holes and any other air ventilation system was compromised. Does anyone know an good masonry contractor who could take a look?
can anyone recommend a mason for repointing and brick parapet repair? Re the comments above, what mistakes are you seeing with repointing? Mostly incorrect mortar mix or something else? thx
The only thing I would correct on ML’s comments is that most pointing is abysmal and the rest is worse (and if it’s marketed as waterproofing, it’s even worse again).
You don’t say how old the house is, which makes a big difference. But getting a qualified engineer or architect who know their way around buildings of this vintage is a first step. They can then recommend contractors who can do the job right. (Don’t start with the contractor, start with the second opinion!)
In addition to Mr. Lafever above, check the inside of the parapet walls on the roof. Also, I got water damage on my interior wall after a wind-driven rainstorm. The water was pushed into the cavities of my thru-the-wall air conditioners. The problem was resolved with exterior louvers for the air conditioners and a strip of duct tape.
weep holes are ineffective on historic walls because they were built soldily. Modern masonry walls have a cavity built between the inside and outside layers so moisture that builds up in the wall flows down the cavity and out weeps but old walls don’t have cavities so moisture just trickles through cracks and crevices. Weeps are ineffective. Most re-pointing in Brooklyn is done badly if not abysmally. Getting moisture penetration after a bad repointing job is as natural as night following day.
Moisture is getting in through cracks, maybe between the mortar and the brick or possibly around the lintels or through the parapet. Speak to an engineer that knows his building envelope technology. There is no quick fix.