Brick Veneer

Veneer brick sits on its own footing or ledge, tied back to the framed wall with metal brick ties every few courses, with an air gap, the cavity, left between the brick and the sheathing. That gap is what makes veneer different from solid masonry: it's a rain screen, not a load-bearing wall. Most new residential construction in our area uses veneer because it's faster to build and lets the frame carry the roof and floor loads instead of the brick.

The cavity behind veneer brick has to drain. Wind-driven rain gets past the brick face more than people expect, and if the flashing, weep holes, and cavity aren't detailed right, water sits behind the brick and works through freeze-thaw cycles all winter, cracking mortar joints and popping brick faces from the inside out. We build the cavity, flashing, and weep holes correctly the first time so veneer walls actually shed water instead of trapping it.