Brickwork – A New House

Overhanging Brickwork

Unfortunately brickwork overhanging the slab like this is more common than it should be. . . . but it’s often not the brickie’s fault.

How it Happens

Normally the problem is that the slab has been constructed smaller than the required dimensions.

This wouldn’t be a problem, but for the fact that most houses come with prefabricated frames which mean the frame is too big for the slab. If the frame components aren’t ‘adjusted’ to make them smaller they will overhang the slab, and as a consequence the bricklayer overhangs the brick to maintain the wall cavity.

How Much Is Too Much?

The Building Code of Australia (BCA), Part 3.2.2.7, Edge Rebates, states ‘Exterior masonry must not overhang more that 15mm past the edge of the slab’.

Interestingly the maximum overhang permitted for the frame is only 10mm from the edge of the slab.

Solution

To my mind the best solution is to bolt a steel angle to the slab using masonry anchors.

The reason the masonry anchor is 50mm from the top surface of the concrete is to prevent it breaking out.

I have heard of people suggesting pouring concrete, or a cement grout I wouldn’t recommend that. To do it properly would require dowel bars to be drilled into the concrete and reinforcement fixed before trying to bond a thin piece of concrete to the slab.

Brickwork Fail 2

This brick wall is on a house opposite my bedroom window.

To me its wrong on so many levels!

Bricks are meant to be laid with a bond rather than stacked like this as it makes a stronger job.
To be able to get away with this effect you need accurate, even brickwork as stacking really shows every mistake.
The actual bricklaying is poor with uneven joints and inaccurate bricklaying.
The pointing of the brickwork is poor.
There is excessive mortar staining of the brick.

Can you believe this is on the side of a new house, currently for sale, in this state!

Planning some building work in the garden? see Brick Fences

For more Unusual Houses and Fails see What the………………….?

Damp Proof Course (DPC)

The purpose of the outer skin of a building is to keep moisture out of the house structure.

A damp proof course, in the brick veneer example shown below, has two purposes:

It prevents moisture from the ground rising up through the external brick skin. (This moisture can cause effervescence which stains the brickwork)
It ensures that moisture that penetrates the brickwork runs down the wall and is discharged to the outside through the weep holes.

The DPC, which is usually polyethylene, should be the full width of the brickwork. The other edge of the DPC should be fixed to the face of the bottom plate of the wall frame.

The drawing shows a DPC 75mm (one brick) above the ground. This is an absolute minimum and 150mm is preferred.

Tag: Brickwork