Hot take: My dad said to always use a 3/8 inch joint for a brick veneer, and I should have listened.

Went with a 1/2 inch on a Chicago job last fall and the whole wall started weeping water after the first hard freeze. Anyone else had a spec bite them like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

jackson.faith9d ago

Your dad was right about the joint size, but the weeping is more likely a flashing or weep hole issue. That half inch gap just holds more water against the wall.

ray3569d ago

That old rule about joint size is there for a reason, especially up north. Read a study once that showed wider joints just don't shed water fast enough in a freeze-thaw cycle. The water gets trapped and has nowhere to go but in. Your dad's advice was solid gold for that climate.

ellis.faith9d ago

Man, that's a classic Chicago lesson right there. Honestly, your dad nailed it with the 3/8 rule for a reason. That bigger joint just acts like a tiny gutter holding water right against the wall all winter. Tbh, even with perfect flashing, once that water gets in and freezes, it's going to find a way inside. You might check if your weep holes got clogged with mortar droppings too, that combo is a killer.